The state added 3,600 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs over the year, pulling the employment rate down about half a percent over that period. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Former LSU frat member Matthew Naquin now knows his fate for his role in the 2017 hazing death of Max Gruver. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Louisiana’s unemployment rate fell nearly a half a percent year-to-year for October, having added 3,600 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs. The state’s unemployment rate now sits at 4.5 percent, up from 4.3 percent last month, but Workforce Commission Chief Economist Ali Bustamante says the trend is still towards growth.
The state also remains in “Full Employment”.
Bustamante credits growth in the professional business services sector, which gained 3,200 jobs from this time last year.
Bustamante says growth in professional services has led to record employment in the Baton Rouge and Hammond areas.
It’s not all rosy news though; year to year Monroe is down 800 jobs, Alexandria has lost 300 jobs, Houma bled 1,700 jobs, and Shreveport is down 1,600 jobs, but Bustamante sees a new trend.
New Orleans lost 500 jobs over the last month, but has still gained 8,600 year to year.
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The former LSU frat member at the center of the hazing death of fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver receives a five-year prison sentence, half of the sentence is suspended, so Matthew Naquin is set to serve two and half years. Max’s mom, Rae Ann Gruver, says Naquin showed no remorse when he addressed the court
Naquin was found guilty in July of negligent homicide. He was also sentenced to one-thousand hours of community service and three years probation.
Judge Beau Higginbotham says Naquin must write a letter of apology to the Gruvers and speak to high school students about the dangers of hazing. Maxwell’s mother says Naquin is not the right person to lead an anti-hazing campaign…
Naquin is expected to bond out of prison today as he’ll remain free on bond pending appeals.
Naquin’s attorney John McLindon says he was disappointed in the sentencing as he felt it should have been more on par with others that had received lesser sentences in connection to Gruver’s death.
McLindon says not enough blame has been put on Gruver who had a history of heavy drinking.
Cut 9 (10) “…responsibility in this.″
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Over a million dollars worth of drugs were seized during a bust in Shreveport thanks to K-9 cop named Mingo who sniffed out the narcotic filled shipping container.
Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond says they seized 24 pounds of THC wax, 2028 grams of THC gummies, 2,910 doses of THC oil, and…
The container was found in a vehicle at a home on the 100 block of Kayla Street.
Raymond says Shreveport is right on the I-20, and Raymond says it’s likely the narcotics came into Louisiana via that drug highway…
Most of the bust was THC related, and while drug offenses aren’t counted as violent crime, Raymond says they often lead to violence…
Arrests are expected to follow soon.
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A 14-year-old is under arrest after allegedly stabbing his 50-year-old father to death with a spear inside their Terrytown home. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says they received a call this morning from a teen who said he stabbed his father multiple times and needed assistance.
The boy is now in custody.
Lopinto says they aren’t sure what provoked the outburst this morning, but they suspect the son may have a mental illness.
The Sheriff says it was a shocking discovery and a tragedy.