A federal judge in New Orleans has thrown out a controversial lawsuit that sought millions of dollars from oil and gas companies to pay for damages done to Louisiana’s wetlands . The lawsuit was filed by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and they are expected to appeal.

Two people were found dead yesterday in an apartment building in Alexandria’s garden district and police are treating it as a homicide. The identity of the victims have not been released, but we know it’s a male and female.

The Saint Martin Parish Sheriff’s office arrested a Baton Rouge attorney who is accussed of stealing several items from an elderly client. The U-S Marshals Task Force took 63-year-old Stephen Spring into custody and he faces a charge of theft over five-hundred dollars.

And the search is on for a Washington Parish jail inmate who escaped from custody early this morning. He’s 39-year-old Kaunda Lopaz Magee and he’s previously been charged with aggravated rape.

It’s an absolutely perfect day for Mardi Gras parades. But Gary Chatelain with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says some cold and wet weather is on the way and it will get to north Louisiana first….
cut 20 (09) “…tomorrow night”
High temperatures in the upper 60s tomorrow in south Lousiiana, but mid 50s for north Louisiana and there’s a chance we could see some icy conditions along the I-20 corridor on Monday.

It’s a big weekend for Louisiana’s restaurant industry as Valentine’s night is the second most popular Holiday to eat out. Louisiana Restaurant Association spokesperson Erica Burns says with Valentine’s on Saturday, they expect to have tables full throughout the Mardi Gras weekend…
cut 29 (11) “…of days”
Burns says most upscale restaurants have been booked for at least a couple of weeks.

Statewide elected officials claim the mid-year budget cuts to their departments proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are unfair….
cut 2 (31) “….reporting”

A Shreveport police officer has been arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a female in his office. The victim was at the police station so she can discuss with detectives about harassing phone calls she received. The officer arrested has been identified as 44-year-old James Greene, who has been on the force for 15 years.
The state’s Alcohol and Tobacco Control Commissioner, Troy Hebert, finds its troublesome that there’s been a 13-percent non-compliance rate among businesses in the last couple of weeks when it comes to selling alcohol and tobacco to minors…
cut 12 (11) “….underage”
Hebert says they are using undercover operatives at this time of the year to prevent the selling of alcohol to minors during the Mardi Gras season.

Law enforcement are patrolling throughout the Mardi Gras holiday to discourage impaired driving and help reduce the number of crashes on Louisiana roadways. State Police spokeswoman, Melissa Matey, says if you’re going to partake in Carnival revelry, do it responsibly…:
CUT 5 (06) “Mardi Gras Festivities”
She says Thursday there were six fatal crashes between Lake Charles and New Orleans.

Law enforcement is out in force during the Mardi Gras season to discourage impaired driving and to keep things safe…
CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

A Walker man is under arrest, accused of secretly recording himself having sex with his girlfriend, then posting it on social media after the couple broke up. Thirty-year-old Robert Howard reportedly had an argument with his girlfriend, when she told him to leave her apartment. Shortly after, she noticed that Howard posted to sex video to Facebook. Howard was arrested on charges of video voyeurism.
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Some state officials say the mid-year budget cuts proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are unfair, as departments managed by statewide elected officials are receiving much larger cuts than than almost all other state departments…
CUT 9 (11) “state government”
That’s Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne.

So far, The Louisiana Office of Alcohol And Tobacco Control says they’ve conducted over 600 alcohol and tobacco compliance checks across the state since February 2nd, finding 83 violations of business selling to underaged customers. The A-T-C says they are continuing those checks throughout Mardi Gras…
CUT 13 (11) Q: ‘that did that’
That’s A-T-C Commissioner Troy Hebert.

New Orleans Police are investigating a St. Charles Avenue shooting last night that left two men dead, and another man charged with murder. NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison says the altercation happened during the Krewe of Muses parade, and officers were at the scene…
CUT 7 (06) Q: “in the incident”
Nineteen year-old John Hicks is charged with 2 counts of second-degree murder.

The state budget cuts proposed by Governor Bobby jindal for this coming fiscal year are hitting some departments rather hard. The Department of Tourism for one with a $3.6 million dollars in cuts. The Department of Agriculture for another…
CUT 10 (10) Q: ‘340 thousand dollars’
That’s Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, who says agencies with elected officials are taking the brunt of the cuts, and he calls it unfair.
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During last year’s five-day Mardi Gras holiday, there were 13 deaths on statewide roads, with over half of those involving alcohol. State Police Spokesperson Melissa Matey says they will be out in force…
CUT 4 (12) “those impaired driver”
There were 6 fatal crashes between Lake Charles and New Orleans yesterday alone.

In the fight of underaged use of alcohol and tobacco, the A-T-C is continuing the compliance checks of business to make sure there are no sales made to those aged below legal limits. Commissioner Troy Hebert says all business need to be smart about this…
CUT 14 (09) Q: ‘not worth it’
Hebert adds there are 16 and 17 year-old undercover operatives doing random checks throughout Mardi Gras.

Law enforcement is on patrol throughout the Mardi Gras season to discourage impaired driving. State Police spokesperson, Melissa Matey, says Thursday there were six fatal crashes between Lake Charles and New Orleans. She says these crashes were preventable if people had made smart decisions…
CUT 3 (12) “across the state”
During last year’s five-day Mardi Gras holiday, there were 13 deaths statewide. Over half of those deaths involved alcohol.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana Office of Alcohol Tobacco Control says they’ve conducted over 600 alcohol and tobacco compliance checks across the state since February 2nd, finding some 83 violations. The ATC undercover operatives were 16 and 17 years old, and ATC Commissioner troy Hebert says the undercover opertations will continue.
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It was a deadly Thursday night during the Krewe of Muses Parade in New Orleans on St. Charles Avenue. NOPD superintendent Michael Harrison says they believe there was an altercation that ended in a shooting, resulting in two men dead, and a teen-aged suspect arrested arrested…
CUT 6 (08) Q: ‘at the intersection”
19-year-old John Hicks was charged two counts of second degree murder.

Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain says the mid-year budget cuts proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are just not fair across the board. He says most all of the larger cuts are hitting departments being manged by elected officials, and that’s not fair…
CUT 11 (07) Q; “other agencies”
The Department of Ag received mid-year cuts equivalent to $2.6 million dollars.

Statewide elected officials are claiming the mid-year budget cuts to their departments proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are unfair. Eric Gill has more…:
CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

Governor Bobby Jindal announced today that Louisiana will not receive a downgrade in its credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service which would mean the state would have to pay higher interest rates. Jindal says they appreciate Moody affirming that the state’s credit rating won’t go down which has come as a result of acting quickly and responsibly when our state has faced revenue problems.

The Louisiana Office of Alcohol Tobacco Control says they’ve conducted over 600 alcohol and tobacco compliance checks across the state since February 2nd. ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert says of the businesses checked, 83 sold alcohol and/or tobacco to underage operatives which is about a 13% non-compliance rate…:
CUT 12 (11) “underage”
He says agents will continue to work throughout the Mardi Gras weekend to make sure illegal sales of alcohol and tobacco do not dampen the Carnival season.

The shooting at the parade last night in New Orleans claimed the lives of two people. One died last night and the other this morning. Under arrest is 19-year-old John Hicks who is charged with two counts of second degree murder according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Statewide elected officials are claiming the mid-year budget cuts proposed by Governor Bobby Jindal are unfair. Departments managed by statewide elected officials are receiving much larger cuts than than almost all other state departments. Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says these cuts are clearly disproportionate…:
CUT 9 (11) “state government”
The Department of Agriculture has received mid-year cuts equivalent to $2.6 million dollars and the Tourism Department has taken a $3.6 million hit, while the governor’s office has proposed a $10,000 cut to its budget.

The Louisiana Alcohol Tobacco and Control said agents did more than 600 compliance checks since Feb. 2. They say 83 businesses were caught selling alcohol or tobacco to people who are underage — and there’s 5 days to go.

The second victim in the New Orleans parade shooting last night died this morning. NOPD says they’ve arrested 19-year-old John Hicks in connection with the crime. Superintendent Michael Harrison says this situation is frustrating, but NOPD remains committed to keeping revelers safe during Mardi Gras…:
CUT 8 (10) “great work”
The shooting happened during the Krewe of Muses parade.

You’ve probably noticed gas prices continue to climb fast. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular in Louisiana is $2.09 according to AAA which is almost a dime more than this time last week.

The shooting Thursday night during a parade in New Orleans which left two dead appears to be the responsibility of a 19-year-old man. The second victim died this morning. NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison says John Hicks is charged with second degree murder in the shootings and illegal carrying of a firearm on the parade route. He says there were cops on the scene at the intersection where the shooting took place…:
CUT 7 (06) “in this incident”
He says cops remain committed to keep parades safe during Mardi Gras.

The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act comes to an end Sunday. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services say over 157,000 Louisianians have signed up for insurance this year through the federal marketplace. They encourage those who are uninsured to sign up today if you can online at HealthCare.gov.

Law enforcement across the state will be patrolling throughout the Mardi Gras season to discourage impaired driving and to help reduce the number of crashes on Louisiana roadways. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s office says a man from Walker is under arrest accused of posting a hidden camera video of he and his ex girlfriend having sex on Facebook. They say the victim sent a screenshot to cops who later booked 30-year-old Robert Howard into jail on counts of video voyeurism.

One man is dead and another in critical condition after a shooting occurred during a parade Thursday night in New Orleans. NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said it appears there was some sort of altercation that took place between two males while the Muses Krewe was rolling down St. Charles…:
CUT 6 (08) “at the intersection”
He says cops had a suspect in custody almost right away. One victim died at a hospital during surgery and another clings to life. The investigation is ongoing.

Law enforcement across the state will be patrolling throughout the Mardi Gras season to discourage impaired driving and to help reduce the number of crashes on Louisiana roadways. State Police spokeswoman, Melissa Matey, says if you’re going to partake in Carnival revelry, make sure you do it responsibly…:
CUT 5 (06) “Mardi Gras Festivities”
She says Thursday there were six fatal crashes between Lake Charles and New Orleans.

The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act comes to an end Sunday. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 3 (29) “reporting”

The one million Match-5 winners in the February 7 Powerball drawing from a ticket that was sold in Hammond have claimed their prize. Thomas and Debbie James said they made the stop at the RaceTrac on their way home to Mississippi from a cruise that docked in New Orleans. The couple gets $700,000 after taxes and the service station gets a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.

Despite last night’s fatal shooting during the Krewe of Muses parade, New Orleans officials want visitors to know that the city is safe. Convention and Visitors Bureau President, Stephen Perry, says with the increased presence of state police combining forces with the NOPD, they are expecting an overall safe Mardi Gras season…

cut 6 (10) “around the world”

Perry says Mardi Gras season is typically one of the most protected times of the year in New Orleans.

Open enrollment for purchasing health insurance through the Affordable Care Act ends Sunday. Although premiums in the marketplace have risen since last year, Kara James, with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, says financial assistance is available that can help many lower monthly payments. She says nine out of ten Louisianians, who have selected coverage, were determined eligible for assistance…

cut 12 (08) “those tax credits”

She says if you have yet to enroll, this would be a good day to take care of that.

State Police say there were six fatal crashes between Lake Charles and New Orleans yesterday and one was a motorcycle accident in Vermilion Parish that claimed the life of an Abbeville man. Authorities say as 51-year-old Carl Johnson was changing lanes on his motorcycle, he slowed down quickly in front of another vehicle. That vehicle struck Johnson from behind, ejecting him from his bike. Johnson suffered severe injuries and later died at a local hospital. The crash remains under investigation.

People go out to eat to celebrate Valentine’s Day more than any other Holiday behind Mother’s Day. Michelle Southern reports…

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”