State lawmakers say the budget shortfall for next fiscal year is already projected to be 713 million dollars. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project Jan Moller says this isn’t surprising…:
CUT 9 (10) “next legislature”
But he says we’re in better shape than we were a year ago, when the deficit reached 1.6 billion dollars.

State Police say a 7-year-old girl was killed in a Grant Parish crash. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says, 26-year-old Kristopher Silk of Pollock, was speeding when he crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler going in the same direction on Hwy 165. The 7 year old front seat passenger died in the crash. He says crashes like this are highly uncommon…:
CUT 7 (10) “speed limit”
The crash remains under investigation.

A truck driver is charged with forcible rape after the Plaqumines Parish Sheriff’s office learned of the alleged abduction of a 14-year-old girl. Commander Eric Becnel says 29-year-old Peter James Wilson III arranged to meet the young victim in Belle Chasse through a smartphone app last month. He says Wilson forced the girl to perform sex acts in the sleeper compartment of his truck..:
CUT 4 (08) “an investigation”
He says they were able to gather enough evidence against Wilson to make the arrest.

A survey from the LSU Public Policy Research Lab finds Louisiana residents are becoming more disgruntled over the direction the state is heading. Researchers say in January, 45% of the respondents said the state is moving in the wrong direction, but they asked that question again this summer and now the percentage is up to 59. They believe things will turn around once a new governor is sworn in.

The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Gretna truck driver accused of the rape of a 14-year-old girl. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Eric Gill”

The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget projects the budget shortfall for next fiscal year will be $713 million dollars. The $25 billion dollar budget approved in the last session for the fiscal year that began July 1st contains millions in one time financing that is not projected to be available in the 2016-2017 budget — thus the shortfall.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso says the crime scene authorities had been searching under the I-10 bridge this week was related to a body dumping case. He says no human remains were found, but the search began after a credible informant told authorities that 35-year-old Gammion McCloud of Phoenix Arizona killed someone then tossed them over the bridge…:
CUT 12 (09) “informant”
He says since it’s been two years, the body could have been washed away. McCloud, who was arrested in Oregon this week on unrelated charges, will be extradited back to Calcasieu where he is wanted for rape. Mancuso says this investigation is not over.

The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office says a Gretna truck driver is charged in the rape of a 14-year-old girl. Commander Eric Becnel says 29-year-old Peter James Wilson III arranged to meet the girl through a smartphone app last month. He says after meeting up, Wilson took the girl to the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse where he was making a delivery…:
CUT 3 (09) “of the truck”
Wilson is charged with forcible rape.

A large portion of southwest Louisiana is in severe drought conditions according to the US Drought Monitor. The area covers Calcasieu, Lafayette and Iberia, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes. Donovan Landreneau, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says after a wet spring it’s been a dry and hot summer..:
Cut 13 (06) “dry out”
Portions of Caddo and DeSoto parishes also have severe drought conditions.

State Police say a crash in Grant Parish claimed the life of a 7-year-old girl from Pollock Thursday afternoon. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says 26-year-old Kristopher Silk was speeding on Highway 165 when he crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler…:
CUT 6 (10) “the road”
Moreau says the little girl, Adrein Silk, was pronounced dead on scene. Kristopher Silk received moderate injuries. The crash remains under investigation.

The Revenue Estimating Conference today projected a $713 million dollar budget deficit for the fiscal year 2017, $715 million in 2018 and $1.3 billion in 2019. Committee members say the deficit grows because many of the tax measures passed this past legislative session will drop off.

The political feud between US Senator David Vitter and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu ramped up this week…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Eric Gill”

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso announced this morning that the area that had been declared a crime scene under the I-10 bridge this week was being searched because a credible informant told authorities that a Phoenix man wanted on rape charges is suspected of dumping a body there. He says nothing was found under the bridge, but the investigation is not over. The suspect, 35-year-old Gammion McCloud, was arrested in Oregon on unrelated charges and will be extradited back to Calcasieu Parish.

A survey from the LSU Public Policy Research Lab finds Louisiana residents are becoming more disgruntled over the direction the state is heading. Researcher Michael Henderson says in January 45% of the respondents said the state is moving in the wrong direction — they asked that question again this summer and now the percentage is up to 59..:
Cut 10 (08) “session itself”
Henderson believes when a new governor is sworn in, he’s sure we’ll see more citizens saying Louisiana is moving in the right direction.

A Tulane study raises concerns about adverse side effects when taking statins. Dr. Eckhard Alt, director of cardiovascular research, says statins increase stem cell aging and death rates, diminishing their DNA repair abilities which cause these side effects…:
cut 8 (12) “the market”
Statins are known to lower cholesterol and help patients with cardiovascular disease.

A survey finds Louisiana citizens are becoming more dissatisfied with the direction the state is going. Emelie Gunn has more…

cut 2 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

State Police say two men are under arrest after more than 300 pounds of marijuana was found inside their vehicle. They say troopers became suspicious of 36-year-old Herbert Harper of LaPlace’s behavior during a routine traffic stop and asked a K-9 officer to respond. Troopers discovered approximately 344 pounds of weed and over $4,000 in cash. Harper and his passenger, 22-year-old Terrill James of Mobile, Alabama, are charged with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.

A study from Tulane raises concerns about adverse side effects when taking statins. Dr. Eckhard Alt, director of cardiovascular research, says he’s found how statins could lead to memory loss, muscle problems and an increased risk for diabetes. Alt says patients thinking of using stains should first evaluate the benefits and the risks carefully…

cut 9 (05) “more critical”

Statins are known to lower cholesterol and help patients with cardiovascular disease.

A large portion of southwest Louisiana has been designated as having severe drought conditions by the US Drought Monitor. The area of severe drought covers Calcasieu, Lafayette and into Iberia, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes. Donovan Landreneau, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says there’s been very little rainfall since the fourth of July…

cut 14 (07) “the 30th”

Portions of Caddo and DeSoto parishes also have severe drought conditions.

A survey from the LSU Public Policy Research Lab finds 59-percent of Louisiana residents feel the state is heading in the wrong direction. Researcher Michael Henderson says it’s hard to tell if this will result in a higher voter turnout for the governor’s election…

cut 12 (07) “governor’s election”

Henderson says when we have a new governor, he’s sure we’ll see more saying Louisiana is moving in the right direction.

The US Senator David Vitter – New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu feud ramped up this week after Vitter criticized Landrieu over the proposed removal of Confederate monuments in the city. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says Vitter picking up this issue can help his gubernatorial campaign by creating a diversion from issues that may not help his cause…

cut 6 (09) “coastal erosion”

Dubos feels this is a calculated move by Vitter to improve his poll numbers.

State Police say a high speed collision in Grant Parish has killed a young girl from Pollock. They say a vehicle, driven by 26-year-old Kristopher Silk of Pollock, was traveling at a high rate of speed when it crashed in the back of a tractor trailer. 7-year-old Adrein Silk, who was wearing a seat belt while sitting in the front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. Kristopher was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

Severe drought conditions are now present in southwest and northwest Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has more…

cut 3 (27) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

US Senator David Vitter fired a salvo in his feud with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu over Landieu’s desire to remove Confederate monuments in the city. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says it should not have come as a surprise that the senator would lash out at Landrieu…

cut 5 (11) “of his M.O.”

He says the Confederate monument issue is one that appeals to conservatives across the state.

An LSU Public Policy Research Lab survey finds 59-percent of residents are disgruntled over the direction the state is heading. Researcher Michael Henderson says when we elect a new governor, we’ll likely see more saying Louisiana is moving in the right direction. He says he’s seen this trend before…

cut 11 (04) “see that”

He says when you break it down further, 62% of registered voters surveyed said the state is heading in the wrong direction.

A Tulane study raises concerns about adverse side effects when taking statins. Dr. Eckhard Alt, director of cardiovascular research, says statins increase stem cell aging and death rates, diminishing their DNA repair abilities which cause these side effects…

cut 8 (12) “the market”

Statins are known to lower cholesterol and help patients with cardiovascular disease.

A large portion of southwest Louisiana has been designated as having severe drought conditions by the US Drought Monitor. Donovan Landreneau, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says after a wet spring it’s been a dry and hot summer…

cut 13 (06) “dry out”

The area of severe drought covers Calcasieu, Lafayette and into Iberia, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes.

A survey from the LSU Public Policy Research Lab finds Louisiana residents are becoming more disgruntled over the direction the state is heading. Researcher Michael Henderson says in January 45% of respondents said the state is moving in the wrong direction, they asked that question again this summer and the percentage is up to 59…

cut 10 (08) “session itself”

Henderson says when we have a new governor, he’s sure we’ll see more citizens saying Louisiana is moving in the right direction.

The political feud between US Senator David Vitter and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu ramped up this week. Vitter criticized Landrieu for holding public meetings concerning the removal of Confederate monuments in the city. Political analyst Clancy Dubos feels this is a calculated move by Vitter to improve his poll numbers…

cut 4 (10) “the metro area” 2X

Recent polls have shown that Vitter’s support is slipping.

A study from Tulane raises concerns about adverse side effects when taking statins, which is known to lower cholesterol and help patients with cardiovascular disease. Dr. Eckhard Alt, director of cardiovascular research for Tulane, says he’s found how statins could lead to memory loss, muscle problems, and an increased risk for diabetes…

cut 7 (11) “to statins”

Alt says statins prevent stem cells from growing into beneficial bone and cartilage cells. He says studying what statins do to stem cells gives researchers a new explanation for those problems.

A statewide survey finds few Louisiana voters are paying attention to the governor’s race. Emeli Gunn has more…
cut 2 (29) “….I’m Emelie Gunn”

There’s been a lot of discussion across the state this summer about confederate monuments. There was a lengthy hearing about that subject in New Orleans today and the city’s Historic District Landmarks Commission voted to remove four confederate monuments from where they currently stand. The proposal still needs city council approval.

The Jindal Administration has added tracking devices to state vehicles as a way to monitor employee driving habits. Jan Cassidy, assistant commissioner for procurement, believes the GPS will make state workers more responsible drivers…:
CUT 5 (08) “premiums go down”
The program is expected to save the state $30 million over the next five years in fuel, maintenance, and insurance cost reductions.

The Louisiana Lottery Corporation’s revenue is up for the 5th consecutive year as it ended its 2015 fiscal year with 453 million dollars which is more than 3 million dollars from the prior year. Lottery Spokesperson Kim Chopin says they’re excited about this progress because it benefits the state.
CUT 6 (08) “million dollars”
Chopin credits the increase to the rise in popularity of scratch-offs.

Governor Bobby Jindal’s administration announces that GPS tracking devices will be installed on over 10 thousand state-owned vehicles…
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

After some rather heated testimony and dozens of arguments -both pro and con, the Historic District Landmark Commission in New Orleans voted to recommend to the City Council that four Confederate-era leaders monuments be moved from their current locations. There are future meetings scheduled with more commissions before a final decision is made.
———————————
According to a survey conducted by LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab a few weeks ago, less than one third of Louisiana voters are paying attention to the governor’s race. Research Director Mike Henderson says the number is actually 29 percent….
CUT 9 (11) “not crunch time”
The highest favorable AND unfavorable marks went to Republican Senator David Vitter.

The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence is warning against telling women to arm themselves as a form of protection from abuse. In response to the recent Geismar murder of Monica Johnson allegedly at the hands of her estranged husband, some have advocated that battered women get guns. LCADV Executive Director Beth Meeks says it raises risk…:
cut 12 (10) “the woman”