New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard, who once ran for Lt. Governor, is the first Democrat to get in Louisiana’s US Senate race. Fayard joins a crowded field of republican candidates. It’s also been rumored that Democrat and Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell will also get in the race.

Governor John Bel Edwards released a column today outlining why he feels cuts to higher ed and healthcare are not the answer to the budget woes. But Republican House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry says, in the face of the $750 million dollar shortfall, nobody likes cuts but unfortunately they’re necessary…:
CUT 4 (11) “looking at”
He believes legislators will look at cuts first and do what they can to reduce the size of government. A special session is expected to start on Valentine’s day to address the state’s budget crisis.

A six-year-old girl was killed in a three-bedroom mobile home fire in the Rapides Parish town of Deville. Her 12-year-old sister was also seriously injured in the blaze that started while the family was sleeping. Investigators believe a space heater may have caused the fatal fire.

The state department of transportation is trying to determine what other safety measures are needed at a railroad crossing in Iberia Parish that saw five people die in a train-versus-vehicle crash last December. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says their study involves observing traffic volumes, the speed of vehicles crossing the tracks and additional reports…
cut 14 (10) “…features here”
Mallett says gates were installed at the crossing over ten years ago and there’s also a sign warning drivers not to stop on the tracks.

Get ready for cold night. Low temperatures will be near the freezing mark across the state tomorrow morning.

Governor John Bel Edwards released a column today saying the budget does not need to be fixed by cutting higher ed and healthcare, but Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry says he want to look at reducing spending before raising taxes. He thinks Republican lawmakers are willing to work with Governor Edwards, but they need to know what the detailed budget plans are..:
cut 5 (05) “any steps”
He believes legislators will exhaust every measure possible to reduce the size of government before raising taxes.

Three Louisiana regions, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport-Bossier, are in the Top 10 of the best places to live and work as a moviemaker. Executive Director of Louisiana’s Film Office Chris Stelly says there are many films and show projects going on right now in the state…:
CUT 11 (09) “in Shreveport”
He says the moviemaker.com ranking proves the film industry in Louisiana is alive and well.

The plea deal entered by former Saints star Darren Sharper in New Orleans to charges he drugged and raped women, is imploding according to a legal filing. Sharper pleaded guilty last year and agreed to a nine-year federal prison sentence in a so called “global deal.” Legal Analyst Tim Meche says it looks like the judge isn’t committing to the prison terms. He says this is bad for Sharper who has already admitted to being a serial rapist…:
CUT 8 (09) “good for him”
The joint motion by Sharper’s attorneys and the US Attorney asked the judge to postpone a March 7th trial date.

There were no signs of working smoke alarms in the home fire which investigators say claimed the life of a 6-year-old in Rapides Parish overnight. The State Fire Marshal’s Office says another child, aged 12, suffered significant burns in the blaze. The mother and another child were able to escape.

And today, New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard becomes the first Democrat to enter this year’s US Senate Race.

Governor John Bel Edwards says cuts to higher ed and health care are not solutions to the budget crisis. Eric Gill spoke with House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry to see what he thinks..:
CUT 1 (27) “I’m Eric Gill”

New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard announces her bid for this year’s US Senate race — becoming the first Democrat to do so. Fayard ran and did not beat Jay Dardenne in the lieutant governor’s election in 2010. Also running for the spot in the November 8th race are Republicans State Treasurer John Kennedy and US Representatives Charles Boustany and John Flemming and retired Air Force Col Rob Maness.

A 6-year-old child died in an overnight fire in Rapides Parish, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. They say the Jocelyn Ruiz perished in the Pineville blaze and a 12-year-old suffered significant burns. The mother and another child were not seriously injured. Investigators say there did not appear to be any functional smoke alarms in the home.

Authorities are taking a look at an Iberia Parish railroad where five people died after getting stuck on the tracks in their vehicle. The Department of Transportation and Development says they are working to determine if additional traffic measures are needed. Spokesman Rodney Mallett says it’s a tragedy when an accident with a train occurs. He reminds drivers to always look out and listen when coming close to a train track…:
cut 13 (10) “be aware”
He says their study involves observing traffic volumes, the speed of vehicles crossing the tracks and additional reports.

Governor John Bel Edwards says cuts to higher ed and health care are not solutions to the budget crisis, but Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry says he’s more interested in where they can trim the fat, before raising taxes. He believes lawmakers will look at ways the state can reduce spending first…:
CUT 3 (06) “than we make”
Henry says nobody likes budget cuts, but unfortunately they are necessary.

New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport-Bossier are in the top 10 best places to live and work as a movie maker in 2016. That’s according to rankings on moviemaker.com. Executive Director of Louisiana’s Film Office Chris Stelly says these cities have great infrastructure and staging facilities…:
CUT 10 (11) “very easy”

The two men accused in the kidnapping and murder of a Baton Rouge couple have been indicted on two counts each of first degree murder. District Attorney Hillar Moore says the death penalty is now on the table. 42-year-old Ernesto Alonso and 48-year-old Frank Garcia allegedly robbed 71-year-old Denis Duplantier and his 70-year-old white Suzy, before taking them from their home and killing them in October of last year, according to authorities.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation is surveying an Iberia Parish railroad crossing where five people died right before Christmas. DOTD Spokesperson Rodney Mallett says gates were put up over 10 years ago and a “do not stop on tracks” sign is in place. He sys they are working to learn if additional traffic enhancements are needed…:
cut 12 (11) “these routes”
Mallett says on average there has been one crash per year at this railroad crossing intersection for the last four years.

Governor John Bel Edwards released a column today saying cuts to higher ed and health care are not solutions to the budget crisis; however, Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry says he’s more interested in where they can make cuts before raising taxes. Henry thinks Republican lawmakers are willing to work with Governor Edwards, but they need to know what the detailed budget plans are…

cut 5 (05) “any steps”

He believes legislators will exhaust every measure possible to reduce the size of government before raising taxes.

According to a legal filing this week, the plea deal entered by former Saints star Darren Sharper in New Orleans to charges he drugged and raped women, is imploding. Legal Analyst Tim Meche says the new filing suggests the judge in New Orleans wouldn’t accept the so called “global deal”. He says this is not good news for Sharper as he’s already admitted to being a serial rapist in multiple jurisdictions…

cut 7 (10) “thought he would get”

Governor John Bel Edwards announces he’s dropping the lawsuit filed by the Jindal Administration to end Common Core. Edwards says, since the process to develop and implement Louisiana’s own education standards is nearing completion, the case, which is pending on appeal before the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, uses money, time, and resources that do not benefit students. He says his administration will not continue to waste taxpayer money on lawyers and lawsuits.

Three Louisiana cities have been ranked in the top 10 for best places to live and work for filmmakers in 2016…

cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Governor John Bel Edwards released a column today outlining why he feels cuts to higher ed and healthcare are not the answer to the budget woes. But Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry says, in the face of the $750 million dollar shortfall, nobody likes cuts but unfortunately they’re necessary…:
CUT 4 (11) “looking at”
He believes legislators will look at cuts first and do what they can to reduce the size of government.

Authorities are taking a look at an Iberia Parish railroad where five people died after getting stuck on the tracks in their vehicle. The Department of Transportation and Development says the study will last a couple of months and they hope determine if additional measures need to be taken at the crossing. Trains have reportedly crashed into vehicles at that spot at least once a year for the last four years.

Three Louisiana cities are in the Top 10 of the best places to live and work as a movie maker in 2016. New Orleans ranks number two, Baton Rouge comes in at number three and Shreveport-Bossier is ranked ninth. Executive Director of Louisiana’s Film Office Chris Stelly says there was concern with recent changes to film tax credit program this industry would go downhill but that’s not the case…:
CUT 9 (10) “for you”

Governor John Bel Edwards says cuts to higher ed and health care are not solutions to the budget crisis. Eric Gill spoke with House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry to see what he thinks…:
CUT 1 (27) “I’m Eric Gill”

Edwards is traveling for events throughout North Louisiana today to discuss the impact of potential budget cuts on higher ed institutions. His stops include Grambling State, Louisiana Tech and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting.

The plea deal entered by former Saints star Darren Sharper in New Orleans to charges he drugged and raped women, is imploding according to a legal filing this week. Sharper pleaded guilty last year and agreed to a nine-year federal prison sentence in a so called “global deal” to resolve all allegations in multiple states. Legal Analyst Tim Meche is not surprised.
CUT 6 (10) “firmed up”
He says, even though a written ruling has not been issued, the new filing suggests the judge in New Orleans wouldn’t accept the deal.

A Covington man is under arrest on stalking charges for allegedly walking into a business on three separate occasions and committing lewd acts in front of an employee — putting her in fear for her safety, according to Police Chief Tim Lentz. He said Frederick Mayeaux was identified by the victim in a photo lineup and was subsequently charged with misdemeanor stalking.

Governor John Bel Edwards released a column today saying cuts to higher ed and health care are not solutions to the budget crisis, but Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry says he’s more interested in where they can make cuts before raising taxes. He believes legislators will look at ways to reduce spending first…:
CUT 3 (06) “than we make”
He believes legislators will exhaust every measure possible to reduce the size of government before raising taxes.

Governor John Bel Edwards announces he’s dropping the lawsuit filed by the Jindal Administration to end Common Core. Edwards says the case, which is pending on appeal before the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, uses money, time and resources that do not benefit students — especially since the process to develop and implement Louisiana’s own education standards is nearing completion. He says his administration will not continue to waste taxpayer money on lawyers and lawsuits.

The state department of revenue says their systems are not impacted by the system outage the Internal Revenue Service is experiencing. The IRS is dealing with a hardware failure which is affecting a number of their federal tax processing systems. LDR says Louisiana taxpayers can continue to prepare and file their state returns as they normally would.

Federal money received as part of a nationwide disaster resiliency competition will be used to move Native Americans living in Isle de Jean (zhan) Charles in Terrebonne Parish to safer ground. Eric Gill reports…
CUT 1 (27) “I’m Eric Gill”

Pro-life groups have concerns about the views new Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Rebekah Gee has on abortion. Louisiana Right to life says Gee was named as a plaintiff in a lawsuit backed by Planned Parenthood that dealt with stores making it easier to access the emergency contraceptive Plan B. Gee says one of the most important job’s she’s ever had was to lead an initiative aimed at combating prematurity because it’s the leading cause of infant mortality…

cut 9 (10) “once they’re born”

Gee says she is personally pro-choice, but when it comes to being the head of DHH, she’s pro-family.

Clinton Police have arrested a middle school teacher after a parent complained she found explicit messages on her child’s phones. 33-year-old Louis Smith Jr, an 8th grade teacher at East Feliciana Middle, is charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile, computer aided solicitation of a minor, and prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student. Detectives say they are investigating to see if other students are involved.

Louisiana has received federal money to move members of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indian tribe living in Isle de Jean Charles in Terrebonne Parish to safer ground. Only 320 acres of the island remain and experts believe it will be completely submerged in 50 years. Chief Albert Naquin says they’re not sure where their new community will be…

cut 4 (06) “down the road”

The plan is to have residents relocated by 2019.

At the end of national signing day, LSU ended with one of top 5 recruiting classes in the nation according to the experts. The Tigers’ chances of landing the nation’s number one recruiting class took a hit, when LSU lost linebacker Erick Fowler to the Texas Longhorns. But head coach Les Miles will not lose sleep over missing out on a four-star prospect…

cut 14 (07) “coaching them”

Even though LSU missed on Fowler, they still signed a couple of four-star linebackers, Rahssan Thornton and John Ehret’s Michael Divinity.

Governor John Bel Edwards tells public school teachers there are no plans to cut funding, despite the state’s difficult budget challenges. He says the current budget deficit of $750 million dollars is the largest ever inherited by any governor in the history of our state and this is the 8th straight year of shortfall…

cut 12 (10) “difficult place”

Edwards spoke and answered questions from educators and staff at a listening tour sponsored by the Louisiana Association of Educators.

Federal funds will be used to move Native Americans living in Isle de Jean Charles in Terrebonne Parish to higher ground. Experts believe the island will be completely submerged in 50 years. Chief Albert Naquin says the Isle is a quiet, peaceful community. He hopes they can keep some of those qualities in their new home…

cut 6 (07) “too noisy”

Naquin says the state received $48 million from the federal government to relocate the community.

There are concerns among pro-life groups about the views new Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Rebekah Gee has on abortion. Louisiana Right to Life Executive Director Benjamin Clapper says Governor John Bel Edwards named a DHH secretary with stances incompatible with his own pro-life values. But Gee says she is committed to upholding the views of the governor in this role…

cut 8 (09) “and will do so”

The group claims Gee, a gynecologist, is pro-choice and has ties to Planned Parenthood.

Heading into national signing day, LSU was on the verge of landing the number one recruiting class in the nation, but they fell short. However, the Tigers’ class still ranks in the top five based on what the experts say. Coach Les Miles says he was more interested in signing players that can help the Tigers win in the fall…

cut 13 (10) “getting rankings”

According to the experts, Alabama once again wins the national recruiting title.