Republican members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation are very pleased with President Donald Trump’s address to Congress last night. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise likes what he’s seeing from the President when it comes to creating jobs…
cut 30 (10) energy industry”

There’s an estimated 500-thousand feral hogs in Louisiana that are known for destroying fields and pastures. A product is available and it has been approved in Texas to kill off wild pigs. Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says his office is still trying to determine how it can be used safely here….
cut 16 (08) “…of regiments”
Strain says it will only be sold to those individuals who receive proper training.

The Lenten season is underway which raises the demand for seafood. Emelie Gunn has more…
Voicer 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Bankrate.com ranks Louisiana the fourth worst state for first time home buyers. Analyst Claes Bell says one reason for the low ranking is a tight housing market. He says construction is not keeping up with demand.
Cut 4 (10) “first time buyers”

Another person is calling for State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson to resign. Lloyd Grafton recently resigned from the State Police Commission, and in his resignation letter to the governor, Grafton says Edmonson does whatever he chooses to do. He says when the commission approved a pay raise for LSP, they believed it would go to the troopers on the ground. But he says instead some of the highest ranking officials received $40-thousand pay increases.
Cut 10 (09) “management people”
There are also investigations taking place into inappropriate travel by four troopers who went to a law enforcement conference in San Diego. Edmonson says they are getting to the bottom of what happened, and then it’s time to move on….
cut 13 (09) “…moving forward”

Will Louisiana be the next state to get on board with a poison to control the feral hog population, after Texas recently approved it…
Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Bankrate-dot-com ranks Louisiana as the fourth worst state for first-time home buyers. Analyst Claes Bell says Lousiaina’s high unemployment rate is a factor…
cut 5 (09) “…in the area”
Bell says first-time home buyers may have a better chance at getting a loan through a local lender, instead of a national bank.

Louisiana’s Senior U-S Senator Bill Cassidy says he was impressed with President Donald Trump’s first speech in front of Congress….
cut 30 (10) “…eight years”
Democrats remained concern about the repeal of Obamacare and the possibility thousands will lose their health insurance.

A former member of the State Police Commission tells Governor John Bel Edwards in his resignation letter it’s time for State Police to have new leadership. Lloyd Grafton says Colonel MIke Edmonson does whatever he chooses to do, including taking credit for awards others have earned. We asked Edmonson to respond to Grafton’s claim that he should step down…
cut 12 (08) “…state police”
There are investigations looking into a costly road trip by four state troopers.

Bankrate.com finds Louisiana is the fourth worst state for first-time home buyers. Analyst Claes Bell says a tight housing market and high unemployment rate are two big factors, plus young buyers do not have the credit score as older buyers…
cut 6 (09) “…as well”
Bell says first time buyers might have more success getting a loan through a local lender, instead of a national bank.

The Lenten season is underway and the state’s seafood industry will look to keep up with demand for those who choose to stay away from meat today and on Fridays. Chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board Chalin DeLaune says there’s plenty of crawfish and oysters, but seafood retailers are making adjustments because of a local 30-day closure on commercial crabbing…
cut 8 (09) “…a way”

There’s been another call for State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson to resign. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

With today marking the start of Lent, it’s a big time time of the year for the state’s seafood industry. Chairman of the state’s seafood promotion and marketing board, Chalin DeLaune, says there’s a good supply of crawfish and oysters, but shrimp production is down in this state….
cut 9 (10) “…as well”

Bankrate.com ranks Louisiana the fourth worst state for first time home buyers. Analyst Claes Bell says one reason for the low ranking is the tightness of the housing market. He says construction is not keeping up with demand.
Cut 4 (10) “first time buyers”
There’s a product available that can kill feral hogs. The wild pig population is 500-thousand in Louisiana and stateAgriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says they are working to make Kaput Feral Hog Lure available to use here. Strain says they will only make it available to those who receive proper training…
cut 15 (08) “…burying them”
Strain says it could be another month or two before Kaput is used here.

Lloyd Graft, who recently resigned from the State Police Commission, is calling for Colonel Mike Edmonson’s resignation. In a letter to the governor, Grafton says the commander of State Police has no credibility when it comes to the truth and lavish spending. He says the recent travel scandal involving four troopers is proof…
cut 11 (11) “…at all”
Edmonson says they will get to the bottom of what happened.

Bankrate-dot-com ranks Louisiana as the fourth worst state for first-time home buyers. Analyst Claes Bell says Lousiaina’s high unemployment rate is a factor…
cut 5 (09) “…in the area”
Bell says first-time home buyers may have a better chance at getting a loan through a local lender, instead of a national bank.

It’s Ash Wednesday, first day of Lent. Many Catholics will stay away from meat today and every Friday through Easter. Chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board Chalin DeLaune says the supply of Louisiana oysters and crawfish is excellent…
cut 7 (09) “..crawfish season”

Texas has approved a poison to kill destructive feral hogs, so when will Louisiana get on board? Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says Kaput Feral Hog Lure could become available here in a month or two, but it will only be sold to those individuals who receive proper training.
Cut 14 (09) “this product”

US News and World Report’s ranks Louisiana dead last on the new best state’s ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana did poorly in the areas of economy, government, crime and opportunity. She says education is also a big category and the Bayou State came in 46th.

Cut 10 (09) “ranks 44”

The accused drunk driver in the Endymion parade crash is facing 22 more counts of negligent vehicular injury. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says that number could still go up because the victim count is up to 32.

Cut 15 (11) “his life”

Neilson Rizzuto was originally booked on only four charges.

A North Louisiana state House candidate is coming under fire over a blackface photo. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputy who was injured in an ambush on police says he remembers the attack. That’s according to Deputy Nick Tullier’s father, who said in a Facebook post that Tullier feels like he’s getting better. According to the post, Tullier remembers the attack and told therapists that he saw God after being shot.

No one knows what to expect from President Donald Trump’s address to Congress tonight. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says generally presidents deliver well thought out, rehearsed speech, but Mr. Trump is anything but predictable.

Cut 5 (07) “will do”

Hogan says it’s unclear if Mr. Trump will offer an olive branch to ease tensions, or go in for the attack.

A 15-year-old photo of Robbie Gatti wearing black face in a Halloween costume has surfaced, and it’s causing problems for his campaign for the district 8 seat vacated by Mike Johnson. LSU Shreveport political science professor Jeffery Sadow says 15 years ago, Gatti likely didn’t expect social media to blow up.

Cut 14 (10) “these days”

The accused driver in the Endymion crash is now facing an additional 22 counts of negligent vehicular injury. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino expects 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto to be sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars.

Cut 16 (07) “is significant”

Ciolino says Rizzuto can also expect a host of civil suits to be filed by the victims.

This Mardi Gras could be the warmest ever on record. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service says the weather today has been perfect for parade watching.

Cut 8 (08) “above that”

Grigsby says the current record was set back in 1917 at 83 degrees, and the coldest Fat Tuesday reached 30 degrees in 1899.

Louisiana is dead last on Us News & World Report’s new best states ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana ranks near or at the bottom for the economy, government, crime, and opportunity. She says healthcare was one of their biggest weighted categories, and Louisiana did poorly across the board…:
Cut 9 (10) “32″

Tonight, President Donald Trump gives his first speech in front of a joint session of Congress. The President is expected to talk about his plan to create jobs and LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says we should hear more about how the federal government plans to spend its money…
cut 4 (11) “…cost savings”
Mr. Trump’s speech will begin at 8 PM.

For most people Mardi Gras means a big party, but for the city of New Orleans, it also means big bucks. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 5 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

With afternoon highs in the low 80s today. This goes down as the one of the warmest Fat Tuesday’s in the state’s history. That’s according to Phil Grigsby, with the National Weather Service in Slidell….
cut 6 (10) “…of year”

US News and World Report’s finds Louisiana comes in dead last on the new best state’s ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana did poorly in the areas of economy, government, crime and opportunity. She says education is also a big category and the Bayou State came in 46th.
Cut 10 (09) “ranks 44”

The 25-year-old accused drunk driver in the Endymion parade crash is looking at more charges and the victim count is rising. Neilson Rizzuto is charged with 22 additional counts of negligent vehicular injury. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says that number could rise again as the victim count is up to 32.
Cut 15 (11) “his life”

 
A North Louisiana state House candidate is coming under fire over a blackface photo. Michelle Southern reports…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents arrested a man on charges of trafficking children for sex after fishing from an unregistered boat. LDWF says 26-year-old Jean Luc Williams of New Orleans was stopped to be checked for boating regulations and authorities discovered the boat was not registered and Williams had not completed the boating education class. Williams had a warrant for his arrest from Orleans Parish.

US News and World Report ranks Louisiana last in its best state ranking. The Bayou State ranked poorly in the areas of crime, economy, education and health care. But analyst Lindsey Cook says there were some areas where Louisiana ranked high in…
cut 11 (11) “…wellness visits”

A Bossier City republican running for a seat in the state legislature is having to explain why there’s a photo of him wearing black face paint. Robbie Gatti says the photo was taken 15 years ago at a church event, where he dressed up as golfer Tiger Woods. ULM political science professor Joshua Stockley…
cut 13 (10) “…address that”
In an interview on KEEL Radio in sShreveport, Gatti apologized and said he’s not a racist.

With temperatures in the low 80s across south Louisiana, the National Weather Service says this will likely go down as the warmest Fat Tuesday in recorded history. Forecaster Phil Grigsby says the warm temperatures are the result of a lack of cold fronts in Louisiana…
cut 7 (08) “…below normal”

The accused drunk driver who plowed through a crowd of parade goers in New Orleans on Saturday is now facing a total of 24 counts of first-degree vehicular negligent injuring. That’s in addition to the hit and run and careless operation charge he also faces. Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino says Neilson Rizzuto could be sentenced to at least 10 years of hard labor…
cut 16 (07) “….is significant”
Police say Rizzuto’s blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit.