Cameron Parish authorities say it was a tip from a local woman that helped them identify a human skull found off a highway in 2018. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington”
____________________________________
The Legislature sends a 38-billion dollar spending plan to Governor Edwards’ desk, a record amount buoyed by federal coronavirus aid. Matt Doyle has more…
Cut 2 (30) …I’m Matt Doyle”
________________________________________
After 15 seasons and one national championship at LSU, Paul Mainieri has announced he’s retiring as a college baseball coach. Mainieri has the most career victories among active Division one coaches, but his team had a losing record in SEC play this year. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says the 63-year-old is also dealing with health issues…
Cut 3 (10) “…left to prove.”
Mainieri led the Tigers to the College World Series five times, winning it all in 2009 and finishing as a runner-up in 2017. But his critics say Mainieri didn’t win enough national titles like Skip Bertman, who won five titles. Higgins says Mainieri was still a great coach…
Cut 4 (08) “…great job.”
This year’s LSU baseball team is waiting to find out if they made the NCAA Tournament. The Field of 64 will be unveiled on Monday at 11 AM. The Tigers are on the bubble after going 13-and-17 in SEC play. Higgins says Mainieri’s announcement might give the selection committee another reason to put the Tigers in a regional
Cut 5 (10) “…deserve that”
______________________________________
Millions of drivers are expected to hit the roadway this Memorial day weekend and the Louisiana Transportation Department advises travelers to exercise extra caution. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says 330 people have lost their lives in fatal crashes this year in Louisiana so put down the phone and buckle up to prevent more fatalities…
Cut 6 (8) “…they’re used too”
Last year over 800 drivers died in Louisiana. Mallett hopes they do not surpass that number this year, despite traffic volume up over last year.
Cut 7 (9) “…that trend downwards”
Travelers should expect roadwork on I-10 next to the Texas border and near the Atchafalaya Basin and I-12 in St. Tammany Parish. Mallet says there will be no lane closers but be aware of speed limit changes and lane shifts…
Cut 8 (7) “…at any minute”
_______________________________________________
A human skull found in Cameron Parish more than three years ago has been identified as a missing 58-year old San Antonio woman. Cameron Parish Sheriff Ron Johnson says it was a computer-generated image of the head that led a concerned citizen to connect the dots and dental records confirmed the findings.
Cut 9 (11) “…Sally Hines.”
58-year-old Hines went missing in December of 2017 and a clean-up crew found the head on highway 27 between Hackberry and Holly Beach in March of 2018.
After numerous tips over the years that never identified the skull, Johnson says it was a Cameron Parish woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, that looked at a computer-generated image of what the skull would resemble in person and that pointed investigators in the direction to see if it was Hines.
Cut 10 (11) “…at zero.
Johnson says San Antonio police, who took the initial missing person report, is leading the investigation and many questions remain unanswered.
Cut 11 (08) “…the body.”
Johnson says they do not believe any other body parts from Hines, with the exception of the skull, are located in Cameron Parish.
____________________________________________
With two weeks still left in the session, the Legislature approves a record 38 billion dollar spending plan for the fiscal year starting in July.
Senate President Page Cortez says because of federal assistance there were a lot of things they could accomplish so lawmakers didn’t argue about the little things.
Cut 12 (08) “…Senate.”
Despite frequent talk of increasing early childhood education funding, no additional dollars were allocated to it.
Cortez highlighted a few of the major investments they were able to make thanks to the American Rescue Act Assistance, including infrastructure.
Cut 13 (11)“..lines”
The state also paid down 400 million dollars of a one billion dollar outstanding payment we owe to the federal government over the 12 billion dollar New Orleans levee system built after Hurricane Katrina. The unemployment trust fund was also replenished with 490 million dollars. After paying back some money owed to the feds that puts the fund at a net of 300 million dollars.
Also included was an 800 dollar teacher pay raise and a roughly two and a half percent higher education faculty pay raise. Cortez says they may be reoccurring costs, but it’s a priority that’s worth it.
Cut 14 (12) “…do that”
Other items include four million to increase LSU campus lighting and security, more money for public defenders, millions in funding for small local projects, judicial pay raises, the full funding of TOPS, and more.