A Lafourche grand jury convicts 47-year-old Travis Orso of Golden Meadow in the 2020 drowning death of his girlfriend, Dione Cheramie. Teiko Foxx has more.
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Legislation to extend the state’s film tax incentive program from its’ current sunset date of 2025 to 2035 is heading to the House floor. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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A Caddo Parish man died after being trapped between his semi-truck and his barn at his home Saturday. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Rod White says this was an unusual and unfortunate accident.
The couple was moving the truck with a tractor into the barn. White says the wife – who was driving the tractor – did not realize her husband had gotten out of the truck while she was pushing it with the tractor. He got pinned between the tractor and the wall of the barn.
The man was transported to Oshner LSU Health and later died from his injuries. The name and age of the man has not been released.
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A Lafourche Parish man was found guilty of 2nd-degree murder in the 2020 drowning death of his girlfriend after a four-day trial. 47-year-old Travis Orso was arrested in 2020 after he murdered Dione Cheramie by drowning in Bayou Lafourche near Cut Off. Lafourche Parish Assistant District Attorney Jason Chatagnier says an argument occurred before the couple left a family members
During the investigation, Orso claimed that he and the victim were arguing in his truck when the victim decided to jump into the water and he jumped in to save her. Chatagnier says neighbors refuted that claim.
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Witnesses said the defendant was cursing and calling the victim obscene names and drinking beer of one of an individual who rushed to help. Evidence also revealed the victim had blunt force trauma, bruises, and gashes over her body. Chatagnier says after canvassing the area, video surveillance helped to convict the suspect.
Orso faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. His sentencing date is July 14.
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Eleven Louisiana deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease during the 2022-23 hunting season, which brings the total to 12. All of the CWD cases have been in Tensas Parish. LDWF State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Jim LaCour says when the first one in January 2022 was detected, they implemented a control plan.
Approximately 2,300 hunter-harvested deer were tested for CWD. And, while CWD has not been shown to be contagious to humans, it’s recommended not to consume deer that have tested positive. When the first case was detected a CWD control plan, which included Tensas Parish, and parts of Franklin and Madison Parishes, was implemented. The plan included feeding and baiting bans to prevent the spread of the disease, free testing for hunters, and banning the export of deer central nervous tissue from the area.
And while you might assume wildlife officials would deter hunting in the area LaCour says just the opposite. LWDF will continue to test for CWD, and they are making it as easy as possible for hunters.
Bow hunting season begins October 1st.
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The House Ways and Means approves legislation that would trim the state’s sales tax by two-tenths of a percent starting in July. Louisiana’s sales tax is currently 4.45 percent, but .45 percent will expire in July of 2025. Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala believes it would be a good idea to start phasing it out this year…
Bacala had a similar bill last year. It died in a Senate committee after it was approved by the House. The full House will get a chance to debate the legislation again this year.
Bacala’s bill would reduce state tax revenues by 210-million dollars, but he argues this money is going away in 2025, so the state should begin to live without it
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The House Ways and Means Committee approves legislation that would extend the state’s film tax credit program to 2035. The program which costs the state 180-million dollars every year is set to expire in 2025. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says the credits creates jobs
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Schexnayder’s legislation not only extends the credit for ten years, a graphic must be shown during the credits that lets viewers know the movie was made in Louisiana…
Independent studies have shown that despite the jobs gained, the state loses money with this program. But president of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association, Trey Burvant, disputes those studies…
The measure heads to the House floor for more discussion.