The US graduation rate is at an all time high, and so is Louisiana’s. According to a report released by the White House, The Bayou State’s graduation rate for 2014-2015 is 77.5 percent, compared to 74.6 percent the prior year. Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White…:
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The overall US graduation rate went up to 83.2 percent.

Our grocery store trips are becoming much more affordable. American Farm Bureau found food prices are down 13% from last year. Louisiana Farm Bureau specialist Neil Melancon expects the next survey, which will be conducted before Thanksgiving, to continue in the same trend..:
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PSC Chairman and former Congressman Clyde Holloway of Forrest Hill has passed away at 72. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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The creepy clown trend that’s made it’s way to Louisiana in recent weeks has some retailers responding with action. Target has decided to remove clown masks from its shelves, just weeks before Halloween.

Chairman of the Public Service Commission and former Congressman Clyde Holloway of Forrest Hill has passed away at the age of 72. Former state representative and close friend of Holloway, Woody Jenkins, says Holloway was the type of man who took the initiative and didn’t wait for someone else to tell him what needed to be done…:
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In a statement, Governor John Bel Edwards says Holloway always remained accessible and a powerful voice for his constituents.

According to the American Farm Bureau, food prices at the grocery store are down 13-percent from last year. Louisiana Farm Bureau specialist Neil Melancon says the quarterly survey looks at prices of several food items:
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Prices for eggs have plummeted a whopping 51-percent, and whole milk is down 10-percent.

New data from the Associated Press and USA Today shows Louisiana has the second highest rate of accidental shootings involving minors. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The US graduation rate is at an all time high, and so is Louisiana’s. According to a report released by the White House, Louisiana’s graduation rate for 2014-2015 is 77.5 percent, compared to 74.6 percent the prior year. The overall US graduation rate went up to 83.2 percent.

Governor John Bel Edwards and AG Jeff Landry are in court today after the governor sued Landry for blocking protections for members of the LGBT community. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Current Chairman of the Public Service Commission and former Congressman Clyde Holloway has passed away at the age of 72. A cause of death was not given. Holloway was elected to the PSC in 2009 and the longtime conservative was elected to the U.S. Representatives in 1987 and served until 1993.

Louisiana ranks second in the country for accidental shootings involving minors. The state’s rate is more than three times the national average. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says it’s important to note that prosecutors can’t charge parents for criminal negligence for allowing their kids to get a hold of a gun…
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The Public Affairs Research Council says there’s three constitutional amendments on the November 8 ballot that will have an impact on state policy. Amendment Five creates the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund and it would place mineral and corporate tax revenues into a pot of money to be used when tax revenues are down. PAR President Robert Travis Scott…
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For more information on the constitutional amendments, go to PAR’s website.

Just weeks after flood victims rolled out of what was a shelter at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, camera crews could be rolling in. Halen Doughty has more…:
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Recent data compiled by the AP and USA Today puts Louisiana number 2 in the nation for accidental shootings involving minors. East Baton Rouge DA Hillar Moore says often times parents know or suspect that their child has a gun, but they don’t do anything about it…:
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There will be 6 constitutional amendments on the November 8th ballot in Louisiana. NO. 3 would would change the state’s corporate tax income structure, which is currently at an upper rate of 8 percent. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says companies are still able to take a lot of deductions and exemptions…:
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You can download a guide to Louisiana’s constitutional amendments online at parlouisiana.org.

Chairman of the Public Service Commission and former Congressman Clyde Holloway has passed away at the age of 72. Holloway served as one of five members of the PSC since 2009, and was elected to the US House of Representatives from 1987-1993. Holloway is survived by his wife of 50 years, Cathie, his four children, nine grandchildren and six siblings.

Attorney General Jeff Landry and Governor John Bel Edwards are in court today in a suit where the administration accuses the AG’s office of not signing off on contracts with LGBT discrimination clauses. LaPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford this the feud between Edwards and Landry has been going on for months…:
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The film industry in Louisiana has been struggling since a 2015 law that cap’s the movie tax credit program, but Executive Director of Celtic Studios Patrick Mulhearn believes productions are getting a better understanding of how things work here. He hopes next year lawmakers will switch the program from a back end cap to a front end…:
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He says he’s recently met with two different productions in the same day which hasn’t happened in over a year.

New data from the AP and USA Today shows Louisiana has the second highest rate of accidental shootings involving minors. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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State Police say an arrest has been made in a June Rapides Parish crash that claimed the life of a 20-year-old woman and her unborn child. Troopers say 19-year-old Mark Eldridge Jr. lost control of his vehicle and crashed into two fences and a tree on June 1st. Shakira Mingo, who was pregnant, was pronounced dead at the scene and doctors could not save her baby. Eldridge is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.

The unusual lawsuit by Governor John Bel Edwards against Attorney General Jeff Landry gets a hearing today. Edwards is taking legal action because the AG’s office won’t sign off on contracts with wording that protects the LGBT community from discrimination. The clauses were issued by Executive Order, but Landry says he’s honoring the will of the legislature. Jeremy Alford with LaPolitics.com says this could be a tough case for the judge…:
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The governor’s office estimates Landry has blocked around 40 contracts over the language.

Lights, camera, action! Those words could be heard again soon in Louisiana as Hollywood South seems to be ramping up. Celtic Studios Executive Director Patrick Mulhearn says he met with two different productions on the same day, and he hasn’t done that in over a year.:
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Voters will have a lot to consider on November 8th. In addition to the federal elections and local races, six constitutional amendments are on the ballot. The Public Affairs Research Council published a guide that explains the proposals to voters. PAR president Robert Travis Scott says three of the amendments will have a big impact on state policy, and one will affect college tuition…:
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He encourages voters to educate themselves on the amendments before going to the polls.

Some Florida fans fired up the LSU community after being seen on TV with a skeleton cat wearing purple and gold Mardi Gras beads during the Gators game. A picture of the cat skeleton on the Gator sideline was posted on Reddit with the comment, “Florida players were mocking the death of LSU’s mascot Mike VI.” The school tweeted that the Halloween cat was thrown onto the field and has no significance within the program.

Governor John Bel Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry are in court today after the administration sued the AG for blocking state legal contracts with discrimination clauses. Jeremy Alford of Lapoltics.com says it’s very unusual to see statewide elected officials sue one another…:

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At issue are deals with wording to protect members of the LGBT community from workplace discrimination.

Louisiana’s film industry is once again starting to see signs of life. Celtic Media Centre Executive Director Patrick Mulhern says his phone is starting to ring at the Baton Rouge movie studios for the first time in a long time…:
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He believes that will happen sooner than later.

Louisiana ranks second in the nation for accidental shootings involving minors, nearly three times more than the national average. That’s according to new data from the Associated Press and USA today. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says what we don’t know is how kids are getting their hands on these weapons…:
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He encourages parents to take guns away from teens who have no business having them.

A drunk 20-year-old who was removed from the LSU/Southern Miss game and taken to the hospital is under arrest for allegedly assaulting three emergency medical service workers. 20-year-old Michael Curry is accused of striking and kicking an EMS worker, and later punching a woman in ER several times in the back of the head – then kicking another trying to help her. Curry was booked on battery charges.

The Restore Louisiana Task Force met for the second time Friday and were told that they need to decide quickly how to disperse the $438 million dollars to flood victims. Congressman Garret Graves says the effort to get even more money to Louisiana would be easier if they could tell Congress how the dollars are being spent…:
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Graves says Louisiana’s congressional delegation will seek additional funding from Congress after the November election.

Two kids face over 150 charges each related to grave desecration in Independence in Tangipahoa Parish. President of the Colonial Cemetery Association Vincent Spitale on what was destroyed…:
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The juveniles accused are 12 and 14 years old.

The ACLU of Louisiana is looking into the incident at Caldwell Parish High School where students were apparently strip searched by school officials who were trying to locate stolen money. The organization says that was an invasion of privacy and due process rights of students and that the school should apologize to the 9th graders and uphold the law. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

Officials announce plans to dispose of volatile explosives at Camp Minden in Webster Parish that led to a bunker exploding in September. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Brown says there are three bunkers that contain an unstable compound, and on Monday they plan to open the doors on the first to let the fire out…:
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He says they will do the other two on separate dates later in the month.

The state already has been told that $438 million dollars in federal flood aid is on its way, and more is sure to be approved in Washington. That’s according to Congressman Garret Graves who said to the Restore Louisiana Task Force it’s important for the state to decide quickly how they’ll allocate the first installment of federal funds…:
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The deadline for flood victims to register for the Shelter at Home program has been extended to this upcoming Friday. Residents who are eligible should visit shelterathome.la.gov.

Louisiana officials are urging residents to aggressively protect yourself from mosquitoes as the illnesses certain species’ carry continue to be reported in people. The state Department of Health says there are now 34 confirmed cases of the Zika virus in Louisiana — all travel related. There are 30 cases of West Nile reported this year, none resulting in death.

State leaders are putting together a plan to dispose of over 200-thousand pounds of explosives at Camp Minden that have unstable compounds. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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A 20-year-old man arrested in the fatal shooting of his mother did it on accident during an argument, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. Spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says the 37-year-old mother and her son’s fight turned physical…:
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He says Dexter Clay was arrested because the shooting happened during an argument.

The Restore Louisiana Task Force met Friday and Congressman Garret Graves urged members to move quickly on the federal aid flood aid package. Don Molino has more…:
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The former assistant principal in Baton Rouge who is accused in the death of a pregnant woman has bonded out of jail. 39-year-old Robert Marks pleaded not guilty in court on October 11th, and bond was set at $500,000. Marks allegedly shot 40-year-old Lyntell Washington and was arraigned on charges of second degree murder and first degree feticide.

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an 87-year-old man who was found with several gunshot wounds in his own driveway in Houma. They say they are looking into the incident as a homicide and anyone with information on the murder of Anthony Dale Lirette is urged to contact authorities.

Louisiana Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Brown says three bunkers at Camp Minden in Webster Parish contain chemical compounds that are becoming volatile. Brown says on Monday, a robot will open the doors of one of the bunkers to let the fire out…
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Brown says if all goes well early Monday morning, then they’ll do the other two bunkers later in October.

LSU will be without one of their starting safeties in Saturday night’s game against Southern Miss. Head Coach Ed Orgeron says senior Rickey Jefferson suffered a serious leg injury in practice this week…:
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