According to an LSU survey, perceptions of race relations are worsening, but there’s a stark divide along racial lines. Halen Doughty has more from the LSU Public Policy Research Lab…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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The Senate Education committee rejects a proposal to make TOPS students pay back a portion of their scholarship if they leave the state. Michelle Southern has the story…:
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Today marks 7 years since an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 people off the coast of Louisiana. Twenty-eight-year-old Gordon Jones was one of those. His father, Keith Jones, told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that dealing with the loss of his son isn’t any easier 7 years later.
The film, Deepwater Horizon, documents the tragic events of April 20, 2010. Jones says the producers met with him before filming to learn more about his son, like his love for golf. He says Gordon’s big scene is when he gives a fossil to Mark Wahlberg, but he was also honored in another small tribute.
Jones says unfortunately, this kind of tragedy could happen again. He says there were lots of protections against blowouts on the Deepwater Horizon, but greed caused BP officials to strip those protections away in an effort to save money.
Cut 5 (09) “these bad decisions”
Gordon’s wife, Michelle, was due to have their child, Max, just weeks after Gordon was supposed to come home. Jones says Michelle has since remarried, and they live now in the same subdivision as Jones, so the family can stay together.
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Race relations are worsening in eyes of the public, according to a recent LSU survey. Dr. Michael Henderson with the LSU Public Policy Research Lab says the share of people who believe race relations are getting worse rose by almost 20 percent since 2014. He says there’s a racial divide in opinions on whether racial equality exists today.
Henderson says views are equally split in regards to confidence in local police. The survey finds 75 percent of white residents trust police not to use excessive force. He says whites are also twice as likely to think police will treat blacks and whites equally.
While 86 percent of black residents believe the country should continue to make changes to move towards racial equality, Henderson says there’s not a tremendous sense of optimism those changes will be made.
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State Police say charges are pending in the case of a fiery 5-vehicle, 18-wheeler involved crash on I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish that claimed the life of a man from Alexandria. The victim is identified as 26-year-old Ronald Allen. Trooper Bryan Lee says traffic began slowing in the eastbound lanes near Port Allen around 5:30 Wednesday…:
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Lee says the impact caused the three vehicles to become fully engulfed in flames as Allen was trapped inside. He says investigators are turning over their findings to the DA in West Baton Rouge…:
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A man who was helping a judge in Lake Charles recover from a condition caused by alcohol abuse is under arrest for allegedly using the woman’s credit cards and checks. Kim Myers with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says 28-year-old Justin Gray is accused of racking up charges without permission in excess of $64,000…:
U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, who’s been off the bench since late December, had reportedly solicited Gray as a caretaker sometime last year. Myers says Gray turned himself in Wednesday and bond was set at $56,000…:
(Court records unsealed last week revealed Minaldi was required to get treatment for alcoholism.)
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Even after the state finally gains access to federal flood recovery dollars, the feud continues between Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards and Republican Congressman Garret Graves. Graves said recently that he would resign if the federal government was the hold up in dispersing the funds. But Edwards says the state didn’t have access to the money until last week.
Edwards says he doesn’t want anyone to resign over the issue. He says he’s tried to make amends with the Baton Rouge Congressman, but a meeting between the two hasn’t happened yet.
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But during an appearance on Talk Louisiana Graves told Jim Engster it’s the governor’s fault the two haven’t sat down for a discussion.
The federal government opened a line of credit for the state on April 10, giving state officials access to the money. Graves is frustrated the state is still not ready to dispense the funds. But he says he’s willing to patch things up with Edwards, if the governor stops feeding lies to the public.
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