Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the nation, according to new census data. Don Molino has more…
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The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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Department of Transpiration Secretary Shawn Wilson is travelling the state in an 18-wheeler this week for National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Halen Doughty has more…
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The statewide average for a gallon of gas is $2 a gallon. Don Redman with AAA expects that trend to continue as refineries transition to the less expensive winter-grade gasoline. He says there may be a slight price increase in October though.
Redman says after the October uptick, cheaper gasoline and lower demand should bring gas prices back down. He expects prices to hover around $2 a gallon for the remainder of the year.
Redman says demand will likely go up for the holidays. He says so far every holiday of 2016 has seen record high demand for gas.
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New census data finds Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. Demographer Greg Rigamer says Louisiana’s median household income of about $45-thousand is well below the national average, which is over $55-thousand.
Louisiana has the 6th lowest median household income. The national median income increased by 3.8% from 2014-15, while Louisiana’s only went up by 2.5%. Rigamer says the poverty rate is almost 20-percent in Louisiana, and decreased slightly over the past year.
The national poverty rate is just under 15%, almost 5% lower than the rate in the Pelican State. Rigamer says with an average income that’s 20% less than the nationwide average, it’s not surprising the Louisiana poverty rate is so high.
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The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says they sent a letter to the superintendents of all Louisiana public school districts reminding them about the First Amendment:
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Esman believes this may have to do with students becoming more aware of their right because San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is making news right now because he sits during the national anthem. She says nobody can be forced to stand for the Pledge, salute the flag or anything of that nature…:
Esman says they’ve heard that students are at least being threatened with detention if they refuse to stand for the Pledge again. She says they sent the letter to ensure that everyone’s rights are being protected and what this country stands for…:
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This week is National Tuck Driver Awareness Week. Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says there have been several wrecks involving truck drivers around the state recently. He says the most important thing we can do to make the roads safer for everyone is bring attention to the issue.
Wilson says he’s been riding in an 18-wheeler around the state all week to see what it’s like to be behind the wheel of a big truck. He says a lot of drivers like to take advantage of the fact that trucks can’t speed up as quickly in traffic, but that can be dangerous.
Wilson says it’s up to everyone on the road to drive safely, not just truckers. He says a crash involving an 18-wheeler is more dangerous and more disruptive than accidents involving smaller vehicles.
Wilson says most of the things we buy are transported by big trucks, and people should all be appreciative of the important job trucks have in moving commerce.
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Two years ago, Haughton native Dak Prescott led Mississippi State to an upset win over the LSU Tigers in Death Valley. The Bulldogs will look to do it again tomorrow night when they visit the Bayou Bengals. Prescott now plays for the Cowboys, but the “Voice of the Tigers” Chris Blair says State brings another talented dual-threat quarterback to Tiger Stadium in Nick Fitzgerald
Danny Etling is the likely starter at quarterback for LSU. Etling will face a Bulldogs defense that allowed 285 yards through the air in a season-opening loss to South Alabama. Blair says 3 of the 4 starting defensive backs for the Bulldogs are first-time starters
Etling had immediate success when he came off the bench last week against Jacksonville State. But Blair says the transfer from Purdue faces a much bigger challenge in his first start in Tiger Stadium…
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Two weeks ago, Louisiana Tech nearly upset Arkansas, tomorrow they get a chance against another Power 5 school when they visit Texas Tech. Through two games, the Red Raiders are averaging nearly 587 passing yards. Bulldogs Coach Skip Holtz says Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been outstanding…
Senior Ryan Higgins will make his second start of the year after throwing for 409 yards in a win over South Carolina State last week. Higgins was also intercepted twice and Holtz wants his Q-B to make smarter decisions…