At the State Capitol, discussion of a different way to put more money in the hands of school teachers. The idea? Instead of putting cash into raises, paying down debt in the teachers’ retirement system; freeing up funds for local school systems to give teachers a raise. While speaking to the Baton Rouge Press Club, Governor Edwards got word of what House Republicans are proposing…:

CUT 13(08)      “…in the process.”

The proposed budget sent to the House floor does NOT include million for the teacher pay raises Edwards asked for.

Lawmen in St. Landry Parish seek the person who hit and killed a bicyclist, then drove away. State Police Troop I spokesman Thomas Gossen says based on evidence collected at the scene, they are seeking a metallic-colored or gray Honda Accord 2-door, likely model year 2013-to-2015…:

CUT 11(12)      “…law enforcement agency.”

The victim is ID’ed as 59-year-old Randy Thibodaux of Sunset.

New Orleans, Shreveport, and Baton Rouge rank 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th in MoneyGeek’s list of America’s Most Dangerous Cities. Brooke Thorington reports…:

CUT 02(31)      “…Thorington.”

IN New Orleans, the famous Mandina’s restaurant, on Canal Street, has reopened after one of their waiters was gunned down in front of the eatery last Friday night. The Louisiana Restaurant Association is assisting Mandina’s staff by connecting them with trauma counseling services.

Three days after an employee was fatally shot, owners of Mandina’s Restaurant resumed business today. NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork says officers are searching for two individuals involved in the incident that killed twenty-three-year-old Hilbert Walker III and injured a female victim from Chicago who was dining inside the restaurant.

Cut 5 (04) “…active investigation.”

Mandina owners says this has impacted restaurant owners across the city.

MoneyGeek’s Top Ten List of the Most Dangerous Cities in the Country includes three of the state’s major cities.  New Orleans ranked 8^th in the study, followed by Shreveport and Baton Rouge. LSU Health New Orleans Criminologist Dr. Peter Scharf says says you have to look at the political response to crime from both the state and local governments.

Cut 8 (11)  “…been here.” 

St. Louis ranked number one on the list of the most dangerous cities.

Louisiana State Troopers are searching for a driver who hit and killed a bicyclist, on LA 93 near Sunset and fled the scene. Spokesman Thomas Gossen 59-year-old Randy Thibodeaux was located in a ditch alongside the highway Sunday by a family member who’d been searching for him…:

Cut 10 (12) “…let us know.” 

Authorities are looking for a 2 door metallic-colored or gray Honda Accord, around 2013-15 model…:

The House Appropriations Committee is taking a different approach to funding proposed teacher pay raises. Chairman Jerome Zeringue says instead of providing more money in the state budget for teacher pay raises, the panel proposes using state funds to pay down debt in the teacher retirement system, freeing up funds for local school systems to give teachers a raise

Cut 12 (04) “…those funds.” 

The House Appropriations Committee sent a proposed budget to the House floor that does NOT contain 197 million dollars in K-through-12 public school teacher pay raises

Lawmen in St. Landry Parish seek the person who hit and killed a bicyclist, then drove away. State Police Troop I spokesman Thomas Gossen says it appears to have happened Friday evening along state Highway 93, near Sunset…:

CUT 09(11)      “…in the ditch.”

Gossen says 59-year-old Randy Thibodeaux was last seen Friday by family members. Authorities were notified, after he was located alongside the highway Sunday by a family member who’d been searching for him. LSP seeks a 2013-to-2015 Honda Accord 2-ddoor; metallic colored or gray, with damage to the right side and the right door mirror missing. Call Troop I with tips.

About 12-thousand customers in Caddo and Bossier parishes were, or are, without power at this hour, and SWEPCO has not yet identified the reason why. The utility says, power should be coming back on very soon, if it has not already. Again, the reason for the outage is not immediately apparent.

Mandina’s Restaurant in New Orleans re-opened today as New Orleans Police Officers continue to search for gunmen involved in the murder of one of their employees Friday night. Twenty-three-year-old Hilbert Walker III was killed outside the popular eatery located on Canal Street. NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork says it’s important to know this wasn’t a random event…:

CUT 04(10)      “…the festival.”

A female tourist from Chicago was inside the restaurant when she was hit by a stray bullet.

New Orleans is one of three Louisiana cities list among the nation’s Ten Most Dangerous by financial website MoneyGeek.com. The Crescent City is 8, followed by Shreveport at 9 and Baton Rouge at 10. LSU Health New Orleans Criminologist Dr. Peter Scharf says addressing poverty is addressing violent crime…:

CUT 07(11)      “…level of crime.”

St. Louis topped the list of the most dangerous cities, followed by Mobile, Birmingham, Baltimore, then Memphis, Detroit, and Cleveland.

The state’s three most populated cities are among MoneyGeek’s Top Ten List of the Most Dangerous Cities in the Country. 2021 FBI data was used for the rankings and LSU Health New Orleans Criminologist Dr. Peter Scharf says if violent crime isn’t addressed it will only create more problems for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (05)  “…lost cities.” 

New Orleans ranked 8^th in the study, followed by Shreveport and Baton Rouge.

The candidates running for governor say they have no plans to repeal Governor John Bel Edwards’ executive order that expanded the Medicaid program, providing an estimated 500-thousand Louisiana residents with health care. Six of the seven candidates made that comment at a gubernatorial forum hosted by the Public Affairs Research Council and PAR President Steven Procopio says Attorney General Jeff Landry gave his answer after the forum….

Cut 14 (07)  “…undo it.”
The owners of Mandina’s in New Orleans made the difficult decision to reopen today after one of their employees was gunned down outside the restaurant Friday evening. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

Mandina’s Restaurant in New Orleans re-opened today as homicide detectives continue to search for the gunmen involved in the murder of one of their employees Friday night. Twenty-three-year-old Hilbert Walker III was killed as he was serving customers outside the popular eatery located on Canal Street. NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork says officers were dispatched to Mandina’s after gunfire erupted.
Cut 3 (05) “….the scene.”
Woodfork says the gunmen targeted Walker and a woman eating at the restaurant from Chicago was also wounded

There’s a concern the state’s film tax credit program is too costly for the state. A bill to extend the program from 2025 to 2035 is up for debate on the House floor today. Jason Waggenspack with the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association says passage is vital to stabilizing the industry long-term…
cut 10 (10) “…year over year”

Once again this year, a bill to ban using a hand-held cell phone while driving goes before state lawmakers today. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

A 59-year-old man riding his bicylce in the 26-hundred block of Louisiana Highway 93 in St. Landry Parish was struck and killed by a vehicle and the search is on for the car that hit Randy Thibodaux of Sunset. State Police say based on the evidence at the scene it was a Metallic-Gray colored 2013to 15 Honda Accord two door. The right side of the vehicle should have damage.

Legislation to extend the state’s film tax credit for a decade beyond 2025 will be heard in the House today. According to LED, there is a $6.00 Return on Investment for every dollar the state puts into the industry and last year filmmakers spent a billion dollars in Louisiana. Jason Waggenspack with the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association says with more than a third of that billion went directly to the payroll of Louisiana residents…

Cut 12 (06)    “…unfathomable.” 

Seven of the major gubernatorial candidates who attended the Public Affairs Research Council’s annual meeting were asked about their top priorities. PAR President Steven Procopio says they were also asked if they would continue Medicaid expansion in Louisiana.

Cut 13 (05) “…said maybe.” 

Governor Edwards also attended and referred to Medicaid expansion as one of his biggest achievements.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has appointed its first female as head of its Enforcement Division in the agency’s 79-year history. Rachel Zechenelly will oversee 257 game agents and says the leadership from her mentor, Col. Chad Hebert has prepared her for the job.

Cut 6 (09)  “…that road.”

Zechenelly graduated from LDWF cadet class in 1999.

The LSU baseball team swept its second straight SEC series as they took three from Alabama this past weekend. The Tigers scored 33 runs against Crimson Tide pitching and Coach Jay Johnson liked the approach he saw at the plate…

Cut 18 (10) “..was awesome”

The Purple and Gold are 35-8 for the season and 15-5 in the SEC, just a half game behind Vanderbilt.

A bill to extend the state’s film tax credit for another 10 years from the current expiration of July 2025 goes before the full House today.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Mandina’s Restaurant on Canal Street in New Orleans will re-open today after one of their servers was killed on Friday night as he waited on customers outside of the restaurant. A customer dining inside the restaurant was injured by a stray bullet. Cops say two people got out of a vehicle and killed 23-year-old Hilbert Walker the Third and then drove off.

The House Transportation Committee will consider a bill that would prohibit a driver from handling their phone while driving…..
cut 8 (08) “….phone in-system”
That’s Don Redman with Triple-A. This bill has failed in the past over concerns of the government regulating what happens in a vehicle and there’s also been questions if the proposed law can be enforced.

We learned at a gubernatorial forum hosted by the Public Affairs Research Council that none of the seven major candidates for governor have plans to roll back the state’s expanded Medicaid Program that’s provided health insurance for 500-thousand Louisiana residents….
cut 15 (07) “….their campaign”
That’s PAR President Steven Procopio, who says the expansion of the Medicaid Program is one of Governor Edwards’ biggest achievements.

The seven major candidates for governor who attended the Public Affairs Research Council’s annual meeting were asked about their top priorities for the state. PAR President Steven Procopio says they were also asked if they would continue Medicaid expansion in Louisiana.
Cut 13 (05) “…said maybe.”
Procopio says attorney General Jeff Landry said it’s not the type of thing you can roll back. When Governor Edwards expanded the Medicaid program in his first year in office, it provided health insurance to 500-thousand Louisiana residents, despite concerns it would be too costly for Louisiana.

There’s a concern the state’s film tax credit program is also too costly. A bill to extend the program from 2025 to 2035 is up for debate on the House floor today. Jason Waggenspack with the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association says passage is vital to stabilizing the industry long-term…
cut 10 (10) “…year over year”

Once again this year, a bill to ban using a hand-held cellphone while driving is scheduled for review before the House Transportation Committee. The measure comes from St. Martin Parish representative Mike Huval. Louisiana AAA’s Don Redman says his organization supports Huval’s bill, as they have in the past…:
Cut 7 (11) “…behind the wheel.”
Opponents to the legislation say it’s too difficult to enforce and there’s already a state law against texting while driving.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has appointed its first female as head of its Enforcement Division. Rachel Zechenelly will oversee 257 game agents and support staff. Zechenelly says she’s ready to lead as the new Chief of Enforcement.
Cut 4 (09) “…and women.”
Zechenelly has worked with the agency for over two decades and has received several awards.