Authorities say 4 people were injured in a shooting last night outside Hammond High School’s graduation which was held on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University. One person is in custody. Tangipahoa Parish Schools Superintendent Melissa Stilley says shots rang out as students were leaving the ceremony to meet relatives outside the building…:
CUT 16 (11) “on such a sad note”
They don’t believe students were involved, and the 4 people injured sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The Louisiana Legislature approved and sent to the governor’s desk a $39 billion-dollar annual operating budget Thursday. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says polling of Louisiana taxpayers indicates they’d approve of the Governor’s budget proposals and how legislators dealt with them…:
Cut 11 (11) “existing revenue”
Governor Edwards is expected to sign the budget bill.

AAA reports today’s average gas price for a gallon of regular in Louisiana stands at $4.24. That’s up over 16 cents from the same time last week.

As the abortion debate returns to the headlines, Brooke Thorington has reaction from the director of one of three abortion clinics remaining in Louisiana…:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The state’s $39-billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1^st has reached final passage. House members Thursday concurred on amendments made in the Senate and voted to send the bill to Governor Edwards’ desk. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says lawmakers did a good job of using windfalls of federal money; from the pandemic and the Infrastructure Act…:

AM Cut 10 (14) “…out of their pockets.”

Pinsonat says polling of Louisiana taxpayers indicates they’d approve of the Governor’s budget proposals and how legislators dealt with them…:

AM Cut  11 (11)  “…existing revenue.” 

House bill to prohibit smoking or vaping marijuana in a motor vehicle advances from Senate Transportation. Metairie Representative Laurie Schlegel says her bill is to address the rising number of incidents of motorists using cannabis and then getting behind the wheel.

PM Cut 12 (08) “…in a car”  

Schlegel amended the bill in committee to not make is a primary offense, so it won’t be deemed profiling.

A bill to keep third graders with reading difficulties from advancing to fourth grade advances in Senate Education. House Bill 269 by Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson is an effort to increase literacy rates and is modeled after successful legislation in Mississippi. The House approved bill now advances to the Senate floor. Nelson says the bill allows the Board of Education to determine the reading test third graders must pass before promotion for fourth grade.

As Louisianans continue to cope with rising prices and inflation at over 8-percent, State Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain advises we hunker down for at least several more months of this. He says everything from seed costs, to fertilizer prices, to the cost & scarcity of diesel fuel for hauling food to market are contributing to the current high prices. Strain says one thing we can all do to stretch our grocery dollar is to eat any leftovers we have; not toss them out…:

CUT 11(10)      “…the spices get better.”

The Caddo Parish woman accused of throwing two of her kids off Shreveport’s Cross Lake Bridge last fall – killing one of them – has changed her plea. Ureka Black initially pled not guilty, and has changed that to not guilty by reason of insanity. Her next hearing comes up late this summer. Black’s 10-month-old son was killed; her 5-year-old was injured.

A new study shows the connection between hormones, the brain, and our diet…David Grubb has the story…:

CUT 02(35)      “…David Grubb.”

I know it’s early in the year, but there is a low-pressure tropical system brewing. The system is over the central to western Caribbean; just east of the coast of Nicaragua. It’s still well over a thousand miles from Louisiana’s coast. Forecaster predict another active hurricane season; which starts in under 2 weeks.

A House-passed bill to prohibit smoking or vaping marijuana in a motor vehicle advances from Senate Transportation today. Metairie Representative Laurie Schlegel says her bill is to address the rising number of incidents of motorists using cannabis and then getting behind the wheel…:

CUT 12(08)      “…in a car.”

She amended the bill in committee, after issues were brought to light during a previous House debate that the legislation could be used to profile motorists. Schlegel says there’s been data from other states showing that once marijuana is legalized some individuals believe it means they are allowed to drive and use marijuana also. That bill now moves to the full Senate.

Police in Carencro say an argument between father & son led to a fatal shooting. 70-year-old Cuba Valliere is in jail for the alleged murder of his 34-year-old son, Terrence. The younger reportedly pulled a knife on Dad first.

The Senate approved the $39-billion state budget yesterday, and today the House will vote on concurrence of Senate amendments, and what could be final passage. Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s pleased the majority of his budget requests have been approved but he wishes the $2,000 teacher pay raises had made the cut, instead of the $1500 that WAS approved…:

CUT 03(12)      “…working out.”

New research from Pennington Biomedical Research Center suggests that cutting the amount of protein in your diet could add to your life. Study director Dr. Chris Morrison says a hormonal link between the brain, the body and protein restriction has been known for year. He says this study used mice to compare the body’s response either with or without the hormone leading to a deeper understanding of that link…:

CUT 07(12)      “…protein restricted.”

Will vegans be saying “I told you so?”

The proposed $39-billion state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1^st has passed the Senate and is scheduled today for a House vote on amendments made in the Upper Chamber. One sticking point was Governor Edwards’ request for a half-billion dollars set aside for building a new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge. The current budget bill has $300-million for that purpose. Mr. Edwards says the amount matters, when it comes to seeking matching federal dollars…:

CUT 05(10)      “…put up yourself.”

Also still in play, the amount budgeted to give teachers and school staff an annual pay raise.

Jefferson Parish sheriff’s deputies shoot and kill a man they say charged at them with a pickaxe. This happened late last night in Terrytown, while trying to talk the man down during a domestic call. Officers say the man came out of the home armed with the yard tool and started swinging. One deputy fired several shots; bringing him down. An investigation into the shooting is underway.

We are all coping with the high cost of, well EVERYTHING now … but especially with groceries. Our food dollar won’t go as far as it did, and state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says it may stay that way for quite a while before getting better. He says state & federal authorities, and private sector interests are working on solutions, but they could be quite some time coming…:

CUT 10(11)      “…to cut that down.”

He says try to eat more of your leftovers to conserve food dollars. More than 40-percent of all food produced is wasted.

Two Baton Rouge men are charged with the beating death of 18-year-old Hayes Sellers, a well-intentioned bystander who was defending a lady outside a bar being annoyed by a belligerent drunk last Sunday night. That drunken man and a drunken buddy beat Sellers unconscious and left him to die, which he did later in a hospital. They’ve been charged with murder and battery.

The Senate approved the $39-billion state budget on Wednesday and the House will vote on it this afternoon. Within that bill, a significant down payment of $300-million on a proposed Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge. Governor John Bel Edwards says it’s the most significant infrastructure project that impacts traffic across the state…:

CUT 04(12)      “…two billion.”

Edwards also says bridge sites should be narrowed down to three in the new few weeks.

As Louisianans continue to cope with rising prices and inflation at over 8-percent, State agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the prices we pay at the grocery store now are reflective of market conditions and wholesale prices from months ago…:

CUT 09(09)      “…next year’s crop.”

Strain advises planning out meals more carefully, and making every effort to eat your leftovers, to get the most bang for your grocery bucks.

Research published by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge reports that reducing protein in the diet produces a number of positive outcomes, including increasing lifespan. Dr. Christopher Morrison says while this basic fact has been known for some time, by experimenting with the diets of mice scientists are learning more about this connection…:

CUT 06(12)      “…metabolic improvement.”

The Department of Health reports over 1300 new cases of COVID, with 115 under hospital care. Two new COVID-related deaths are also reported. They remind you to stay up-to-date on boosters.

Sad news from Chimp Haven, the large primate sanctuary in Caddo Parish. One of the oldest residents there, Ladybird, a 62-year-old chimp, has passed away. She was born in the wild, but brought to Chimp Haven back in 2011. In a social media post, staff say Chimp Haven won’t be the same without her.

As the state budget makes its way through the legislature Governor Edwards says, for the most part, he’s pleased lawmakers have accepted the majority of his funding requests. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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A Senate-passed bill proposing risk assessment for juveniles who run afoul of the law clears another legislative hurdle. Central Louisiana Senator Heather Cloud’s SB 323 has already won approval from the full Senate. Cloud’s bill would require that juveniles arrested and brought into the system be assessed for their tendencies toward violent behavior, assessing them from least to most dangerous.

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The Louisiana Department of Health has removed the COVID-19 vaccine as a requirement for elementary and secondary school students, citing a lack of full approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Though the COVID vaccine will not be on the schedule this fall, Governor Edwards and the LDH are still in agreement with the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations that all children between the ages of five and 17 get vaccinated.

Cut 12 (11) “…any boosters.”

Since March of 2020, Louisiana has had 21 children die due to COVID-19. In none of those cases were those children fully vaccinated.

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The U-S House passed a pair of bills Wednesday night to address the nationwide baby formula shortage, approving a measure that would allow the federal government to purchase more formula to aid low-income women, infants, and children, as well as another that would send $28 million to the FDA to help boost supply and prevent future shortages. Both bills now head to the Senate.

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