Three St. Amant young adults were found dead in an Ascension Parish bayou by a member of their own family. State Trooper Bryan Lee says they believe the crash occurred early Thursday morning but was not discovered until around midnight Thursday. He says when troopers arrived they discovered a grisly scene of the vehicle split in half by a tree.
Cut 7 (09) “in half”

The victims have been identified as Thomas Jones, Austin Kiernan, and Sydney Persac.

The Senate is committed to fully funding the TOPS program without changes, according to President John Alario. A House measure would raise the GPA requirement to 2.75 but Alario expects any changes will be unsuccessful in the Senate. He says too many students rely on TOPS.
Cut 11 (10) “for us”

The full House has approved a measure that would require higher training standards for police officers. The proposal by Baton Rouge Representative Ted James would require officers to receive at least 400 hours of basic POST training before entering the field.
Cut 12 (10) “the 400 hours”

Currently, crews in New Orleans are taking down the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. This is the fourth Confederate monument to be removed in the last few weeks. Mayor Mitch Landrieu is expected to speak on the topic this afternoon.

Here’s a look at commodities.

Senate President John Alario says the upper chamber is committed to fully funding the TOPS scholarship program. Alario says the budget plan approved by the House takes money away from the Department of Health to fully fund TOPS and they are taking a close look at that proposal.
cut 9 (07) “…TOPS funding”
Alario also says the Senate also disagrees with a House bill to raise the minimum GPA in order to recieve the TOPS scholarship.

State Police say three young adults from St. Amant were killed when their vehicle veered off the road, went airborne, striking a tree and splitting in half. All three victims were found outside the vehicle. State Police Trooper Bryan Lee says there’s still a lot of questions…
cut 8 (09) “….a factor”
A family member of one of the victims found the dead bodies last night.

Crews are in the process of taking down the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee. One of the most recognizable monuments in New Orleans. It’s the fourth Confederate-related statue to be removed in the last couple of weeks. Mayor Mitch Landrieu has called a press conference this afternoon to discuss this issue further.

A Senate-approved proposal to alter the state’s film tax credit program has the support of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Three people were found dead in an Ascension Parish bayou by their own family member. State Trooper Bryan Lee says the family had not heard from 23-year-old Thomas Jones, 22-year-old Austin Kiernan, and 19-year-old Sydney Persac of St. Amant after they went out Wednesday night…
cut 6 (09) “…a canal”
Investigators do not know what led to the crash.

A House committee will consider legislation on Monday that reworks how the state hands out film tax credits. The bill allows the film tax credit program to expire in eight years. But President of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association Robert Vosbein says industry leaders are not worried…
cut 11 (11) “…worth keeping”

Congressman Garret Graves calls the investigation into the connection between President Donald Trump and Russia during the election a total distraction. Michelle Southern reports…:
Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Grand Isle will host a fishing rodeo featuring current and former Saints players tomorrow. Former Saints tackle Stan Brock says the public is welcome to participate in the speckled trout and redfish rodeo at Bridgeside Marina and each team will partner with a Saints legend…
cut 5 (09) “…called Butter”

The Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association supports proposed changes to the state’s film tax credit program. A Senate-approved measure would place a front-end cap on the program, as opposed to the back-end cap enacted in 2015. Association president Robert Vosbein says there’s even incentives to get producers outside of the Big Easy…:
Cut 12 (07) “in the state”
The bill was approved 33-3 in the Senate. Its next hearing will be in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Louisiana Congressman Garret Graves calls the investigation into the connection between President Donald Trump and Russia during the election a total distraction. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been hired to investigate. The President has called this a witch hunt, which Graves feels isn’t too far off the mark because past administrations weren’t treated this way…:
Cut 14 (08) “do our jobs”
Democrats believe if Mr. Trump asked the FBI not to investigate the alleged collusion with Russia it equates to obstruction of justice.

Elementary schools would be required to teach litter education under a bill headed to the Senate floor for final legislative passage. Lafayette Representative Stuart Bishop says it’s time to stop thanking Mississippi and Arkansas for ranking lower than us in trashing streets…:
Cut 9 (07) “embarrassing”

Former and current Saints players will participate in a weekend of fishing, shooting and entertainment at the Black and Gold Classic in Grand Isle. Former Saints tackle Stan Brock hosts the event and says today teams will participate in a private shooting event and tomorrow the fishing rodeo begins at 6 a.m. He says all the proceeds go to the Green Beret Foundation and All American Caliber, groups which support veterans:
Cut 4 (09) “for them”
He says registration for the rodeo begins at 5:30am tomorrow and you can get all the details at blackandgoldclassic.com.

When it comes to claims that President Donald Trump teamed up with Russia to help sway the election, Louisiana Congressman Garret Graves says the constant back and forth on the issue is a distraction. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been hired to investigate. Graves says he’s not going to prejudge whether Mueller is going to find anything…:
Cut 15 (10) “been substantiated”
Democrats believe if Mr. Trump asked the FBI not to investigate the alleged collusion with Russia it equates to obstruction of justice.

State Police say three people are dead in a tragic Ascension Parish crash that was discovered by a horrified family member. Investigators say they received a call just before midnight last night about a mangled vehicle that was located in a bayou, and its lifeless occupants surrounding the scene. They believe the trio was headed home in the early morning hours of Thursday, when the vehicle flew off the road and hit a tree, splitting the car in half and ejecting the occupants before landing in the bayou.

The statue of Robert E. Lee at Lee Circle in New Orleans will be gone after today. Mayor Mitch Landrieu will make remarks on the controversial Confederate monument matter this afternoon.

Louisiana is set to receive another $51 million in federal flood recovery aid. That’s according to US Senator Bill Cassidy, who says HUD is divvying up $163 million congress recently appropriated for disaster recovery.

The fishing rodeo season officially kicks off this weekend and there’s no shortage of events going on in Grand Isle. Former Saints star Stan Brock hosts Black & Gold Classic which benefits veterans and allows participants to mingle with current and former New Orleans players…:
CUT 26 (11) “current players”
He says registration for the rodeo begins at 5:30am tomorrow and you can get all the details at blackandgoldclassic.com.

New Orleans is going to take down the statue of General Robert E. Lee today which will complete the removal of four Confederate monuments the city council voted to remove. Unlike the other three, the prominent Lee Circle piece will be dismantled during the day and Mayor Mitch Landrieu is planning a speech on the controversial matter this afternoon.

Could the state finally be reaching a compromise with the film tax credit program? It appears so. A Senate-approved measure would place a front-end cap on the incentives, as opposed to the back-end cap enacted in 2015. Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association president Robert Vosbein says the measure also reserves 10 percent of the available credits for Louisiana filmmakers…:
Cut 10 (10) “the program”
The proposal will next be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee.

A measure to require litter prevention education in Kindergarten through 5th grade heads to the Senate floor for final legislative passage. Lafayette Representative Stuart Bishop told a Senate panel Louisiana has a serious litter problem that needs to be addressed…:
Cut 7 (10) “of litter”

The Black and Gold Classic Fishing Rodeo gets underway in Grand Isle today with the help of some former and current Saints players…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The city of New Orleans announces it plans to remove the Robert E. Lee statue at Lee Circle between the hours of 9am-5pm today. It’s the last of 4 Confederate monuments the council deemed a public nuisance and ordered they be taken down. The New Orleans Police Department will be present to ensure public safety.

A Senate-approved proposal to alter the state’s film tax credit program has the support of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Louisiana Congressman Garret Graves calls the investigation into the alleged connection between President Donald Trump and Russia during the election a total distraction. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been hired to look into claims that Mr. Trump and Russia somehow teamed up to help sway the vote in November. Graves says this is the 4th probe…:
Cut 13 (08) “problematic”
The President has called this a witch hunt, which Graves feels isn’t too far off the mark because past administrations weren’t treated this way.

Three people are confirmed dead in a crash on Airline Highway in Ascension Parish. State Police said it’s believed the vehicle hit a tree before going into a pond. None of the victims have been identified.

Louisiana is set to receive another $51 million in federal flood recovery aid. That’s according to US Senator Bill Cassidy, who says HUD is divvying up $163 million congress recently appropriated for disaster recovery. The Governor’s Office suggests the new funds will go towards helping flood victims rebuild.

A proposal to prohibit universities from having licensed alcoholic beverages was voluntarily deferred in the House Education Committee. Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover filed this bill because he believes LSU and UL-Lafayette trademarked “official” beers promote underage drinking.

Cut 9 (12) “get sick”

UL-Lafayette has Ragin Cajuns Genuine Louisiana Ale, while the LSU beer is Bayou Bengal Lager.

Two arrests have been made, as a 7-year-old continues to recover after an accidental shooting at Moss Bluff Elementary School. Police say the gun fell out of a child’s backpack, and another child picked it up causing it to fire and hitting a third student. Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso says they have arrested the brother and father of the child who brought the gun to school.

Cut 12 (08) “in the house”

50-year-old Michael Dugas and 17-year-old Jake Dugas are charged with negligent injury.

The full House approves a measure that establishes state regulations for ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft. The bill would end local agreements like one in The Big Easy where riders are charged a 50 cent fee. New Orleans Senator Troy Carter was upset this bill would supersede that arrangement.

Cut 4 (08) “state level”

State regulations for Uber and Lyft are heading to the Senate. A measure by Jackson Representative Kenny Havard would establish a statewide set of regulations and collect a one percent fee. He says rarely do lawmakers get a chance to do something that really affects people’s lives.

Cut 3 (09) “fatal accidents”

The House Criminal Justice Committee approves a measure that would penalize adults for letting children handle fully automatic weapons. Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton brought her bill after a 9-year-old accidentally killed an instructor with an Uzi submachine gun in Arizona.

Cut 6 (10) “United States”

The measure passed on a 7 to 6 vote.

A measure to require litter prevention education in Kindergarten through 5^th grade heads to the Senate floor for final legislative passage. The bill received approval from the Senate Education Committee and the author of the proposal Lafayette Representative Stuart Bishop told the panel Louisiana has a serious litter problem that needs to be addressed.

Cut 24 (10) “of litter”

Bishop says litter education would be included in regular science courses.

The House Education Committee voluntarily defers a proposal to prohibit universities from having trademarked beers. Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover filed the bill because he believes licensed LSU and UL-Lafayette beers promote underage drinking. But Hammond Representative Chris Broadwater says schools need this opportunity to generate funds.

Cut 10 (10) “our kids”

A measure that would make it illegal for adult to allow a child 12 and under from handling fully automatic guns heads to the House floor. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Signs warning of no parking from midnight tonight through midnight tomorrow have been posted around Lee Circle, site of the last Confederate monument slated for removal in New Orleans. Barricades have also been brought to the circle, and there is widespread speculation that the statue of Robert E Lee will be taken down overnight.

A bill to regulate Uber and Lyft statewide is heading to the Senate. New Orleans Representative Gary Carter says his city would lose $2 million if the deal with Uber was scrapped. But Monroe Representative Jay Morris says the Big Easy is charging riders the highest fee in the country. He says New Orleans used Uber’s desire to move into the city to get the most money possible out of the business…:
Cut 5 (09) “in the city”
The measure would establish a blanket set of statewide regulations.

Two arrests have been made after a 7-year-old at Moss Bluff Elementary School was accidentally shot and injured. The father of the child who brought the gun to school and the student’s 17-year-old brother are charged with negligent homicide for leaving the gun where the kid could get it. Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier…:
Cut 14 (11) “but children”