For Memorial Day, Louisiana honors the over 11,000 service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Matt Doyle has more…
voicer 1 (30) “…Matt Doyle”

It’s been a deadly weekend on Louisiana highways. Four people were killed on Saturday on I-12 in St. Tammany Parish when an 18-wheeler failed to slow down while approaching congestion. It caused a chain rection that involved nine other vehicles.

Also an 11-year-old runaway girl was killed in Opelousas during a police chase.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants to remind folks who are gearing up for some summer pool time that if you’re not careful, you can pick up a pretty nasty bug from a pool that hasn’t been treated properly. Chief of the CDC Healthy Swimming Program Michele Hlavsa. (Hill-lav-sa)
Cut 6 (07) “water playgrounds”

Northwestern State and LSU are in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Demons received an automatic berth by winning the Southland Tournament on Saturday nigth with a 7-5 win over UNO. Second-year head coach Bobby Barbier on the huge accomplishment….
cut 12 (11) “…the alumni”
The Demons and Tigers will find out where they’ll go in the NCAA Tournament, when the brackets are unveiled at 11 AM.

The Louisiana House is set to meet at 2 PM today and another vote could take place on a sales tax bill that would generate an estimated 360-million dollars in revenues that would go towards closing a 648-million dollar shortfall. The bill failed seven votes short of passing in the House and Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says everyone knows where each legislator stands….
cut 10 (11) “…against it”
The measure would renew a third of an expiring one-cent sales tax and also eliminate some sales tax exemptions.

It’s Memorial Day, a chance to honor the many lives lost while defending our country. Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs spokesperson Alex Juan says…
cut 4 (07) “…will help”
Governor John Bel Edwards is at a Veterans Dedication Ceremony in his hometown of Amite today.

The NCAA Baseball Tournament Bracket will be unveiled this morning at 11:00. LSU and Northwestern State will be in the field of 64. The Tigers should receive an at-large bid, while the Demons are an automatic qualifier after winning the Southland Conference Tournament. Northwestern beat UNO 7-5 and David Fry hit the game winning home run. Coach Bobby Barbier has been their leader all season…
cut 13 (12) “….few years”
The Demons will make their fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Michele Hlavsa (Hill-lav-sa) chief of the C-D-C’s Healthy Swimming Program says before bringing the family over for a summer swim and grill, check the water in your pool to make sure it doesn’t contain any nasty bacteria…
cut 8 (12) “….test strips”

The nation observes its 47th federally recognized Memorial Day today. The tradition memorializes those who died while serving in the US Military. Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs spokesperson Alex Juan is asking people to keep in mind what that means for Gold Star Families who have lost a loved one in service to our country.
Cut 3 (13) “the way”
Juansays visiting one of the eight veterans cemeteries in Louisiana is an apporpriate way to recognize the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

An eleven-year-old girl was killed in a police chase in Opelousas on Sunday morning and authorities are looking for two men she was with prior to her death. The family of Bryla Bell say she snuck out of the home and got into a truck with two people inside. When Opelousas Police approached the vehicle, two men jumped out and the girl took the wheel of the vehicle and which eventually struck an embankment and she died.

The summer swim season has begun, but unfortunately the C-D-C has to respond to U-S Recreational Water Illness outbreaks. Michele Hlavsa (Hill-lav-sa) says there’s one spot that seems to be teeming with nasty bacteria that could ruin a vaction and that’s a hotel pool….
cut 7 (09) “….the water”
For those who own their pool, make sure you are using test strips to make sure the chlorine levels are where they need to be.

Thanks to a 4-2 record at the SEC Tournament, the LSU Baseball team will likely make the NCAA Tournament by receiving an at-large bid. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says this is a more confident team then they were a week ago….
cut 15 (11) “…on Monday afternoon”
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is at 11 AM.

Law enforcement has an increased presence on roadways due to their Click it Or Ticket seatbelt awareness campaign over the Memorial Day weekend, to remind drivers about road safety. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Spokesperson Mark Lambert says while an increase in tickets being issued is expected, that’s not really the goal of the campaign.

Cut 9 (10) “the behavior”
It’s also important to note that besides a legal requirement for drivers to buckle up, the law also includes front seat and back seat passengers to wear seat belts as well.

It took a long time for the LSU Tigers to beat a top ranked Florida baseball team in the SEC Tournament. The game started on Friday but rain delays kept that game going until thick fog rolled into the ballpark and halted play in the bottom of the 6th inning. At that time LSU had an impressive 10 to 0 lead on the scoreboard as a result of seven runs in the sixth inning last night. LSU resumed the game this morning and defeated Florida by adding another point for a final score of 11 to zero.

Sub-tropical storm Alberto is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico by tonight. It’s currently located near the western tip of Cuba and is moving northward at 10 miles per hour. At that pace, the National Hurricane Center forecasters predict the path of the storm making landfall in the U.S. on Tuesday morning. However, Alberto is also affecting people’s outdoor Memorial Day weekend plans throughout the gulf coast due to increased rain possibilities from Louisiana to western Florida.

The Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday starts today and lasts through tomorrow. The state tax holiday is designed to encourage people to stock up on things that can be helpful over the Hurricane season that begins on June first. Among those items are storm shutters, batteries, cell phone batteries, mobile phone chargers, flashlights, and portable radios. To see a complete list of tax holiday items go to the Louisiana Department of Revenue’s website.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Subtropical Storm Alberto has maximum sustained winds are 40 miles per hour is currently along the western tip of Cuba.  Alberto is moving north at 10 miles per hour and forecasters say it’s expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico by tonight. The storm is expected to make landfall in the U-S early Tuesday morning.  But long before Alberto arrives it is affecting weather from Louisiana to Florida and officials say people along the gulf coast should aware of the possibility of tropical cyclones.

Weather also affected the LSU Tigers pathway in the SEC Tournament. At midnight on Friday thick fog rolled into the ballpark and halted play in the bottom of the 6th inning with LSU far ahead on the scoreboard 10 to 0. The Tigers scored seven runs in the sixth inning on four hits last night.  LSU resumed play this morning increased its lead 11 to zero to beat the top ranked Florida baseball team.

The fiscal cliff is getting closer as the legislature narrowly voted down a GOP backed tax bill on Friday night.  Governor John Bel Edwards is pushing for a sales tax bill that generates more revenue and there are Republicans who are not for higher sales taxes. But PAR President Robert Travis Scott has grave concerns about the showdown over the state budget.

Cut 13 (07) “stuff forward”

Many lawmakers and Edwards administration officials are working over the Memorial Day holiday weekend to work on possible solutions that could get 70 votes in the House.  The legislature is set to officially resume their efforts on Monday afternoon.

Weekend drivers will notice more law enforcement on the roadways to encourage people to obey posted speed limits and wear seat belts.  Louisiana Highway Safety Commission spokesperson Mark Lambert says the holiday weekend would be a great time to start a potentially lifesaving behavior change.

Cut 11 (07) “second nature”

The effort will be in conjunction with Line to Line, where Louisiana and Mississippi officers have paired together to increase patrols on I-55.

The Memorial Day holiday weekend more people driving to getaway destinations. The increased traffic also has more law enforcement on roadways to encourage obeying posted speed limits and the use of seat belts around the clock. A recent report showed that drivers are less likely to wear a seatbelt when driving at night. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Spokesperson Mark Lambert says darkness does not stop authorities from spotting and ticketing unbuckled drivers or passengers failing to wear seat belts.
Cut 10 (09) “belt law”
Surveys data lists 13 percent of drivers admitting to not using seatbelts.

The State Fire Marshal’s office continues to investigate the explosion at the Proctor and Gamble plant in Pineville claimed the life of a Jena man. The incident occurred early Thursday morning. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the explosion was contained to the incident area.
Cut 6 (07) “equipment”

On Friday a GOP backed sales tax bill was voted down on the House floor, falling just seven votes short of passage. Governor John Bel Edwards in a statement that ‘My plan remains on the table to adequately fund all of these priorities and would still reduce the tax burden on the people of Louisiana by $400 million.”’  Robert Travis Scott of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana has been watching the legislature’s struggle. Scott has his doubts if the battle over the state budget crisis causes another special session.

CUT 14 (09) “…very slim.”
Lawmakers resume their efforts on Monday at 2 pm.

Fog and rain delayed the LSU Tigers from advancing to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. They were leading Florida 10-0 in the sixth inning last night when a thick fogged rolled in and halted play. The game will resume this morning and if LSU can get three outs in the seventh inning without Florida scoring, they will win by mercy rule.

The first named storm of the season known as Alberto has formed in the Caribbean Sea. National Hurricane Center forecasters predict the path of the storm making landfall in the U.S. on Tuesday morning. However, Alberto’s effects on weekend weather patterns has people in re-thinking their outdoor Memorial Day holiday weekend plans across the gulf coast due to rain forecasts from Louisiana to western Florida.

The Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday starts today and lasts through Sunday. The state tax holiday is designed to encourage people to stock up on things that can be helpful over the Hurricane season Among those items are storm shutters, batteries, cell phone batteries, mobile phone chargers, flashlights, and portable radios. A complete list of tax holiday items is on the Louisiana Department of Revenue’s website.

Law enforcement is ramping up their Click it Or Ticket seatbelt awareness and ticketing campaign over the Memorial Day weekend, to remind drivers about road safety. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Spokesperson Mark Lambert says while they do anticipate an increase in tickets, that’s not necessarily the goal of the campaign.
Cut 9 (10) “the behavior”

A temporary sales tax bill went down in defeat on the House floor, as it fell seven votes short of passage. Representative Lance Harris wrote the tax bill it had been expected to generate 370-million dollars in revenue. But the state’s budget shortfall is projected to be a whopping 648-million. Robert Travis Scott is President of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. He says the legislation could have reduced the fiscal cliff by renewing one-third of an expiring one-cent sales tax, but not everyone likes it.
CUT 12 (09) “..this bill.”
The full House is set to meet again on Monday at 2 PM.

The LSU Tigers are very close to advancing to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. They were leading Florida 10-0 in the sixth inning last night when a thick fogged rolled in and halted play. The game will resume at 10 AM this morning and if LSU can get three outs in the seventh inning without Florida scoring, they will win by mercy rule.

Louisiana Tech was bounced from the Conference USA Tournament as the Bulldogs lost to 27^th ranked Florida Atlantic 8-6. Tech grabbed a 3-0 lead in the 2^nd inning, but couldn’t overcome a four-run 4^th inning. Tech waits to see if its 39-20 record is good enough to make the NCAA Tournament. The field is revealed on Monday.

Ugly end to the Sun Belt Tournament for the Ragin Cajuns. After winning their first game 19-16, they lost 10-1 to Troy and then fell to Texas State 11-1 last night. UL Lafayette not expected to receive an NCAA Tournament bid.

Northwestern State is in the Southland Tournament title game for the first time since 2006 after beating seventh-seeded Nicholls three to two. The third seeded Demons scored two runs in the eighth inning. Southland Conference Player of the Year David Fry tied the game with an RBI triple and scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice. Jose Vasquez struck out the side in the 9^th inning for his fourth save of the year.

The Demons will play either UNO or Houston Baptist in the Southland Tournament Championship game which will begin at 6 PM. The Huskies beat the Privateers 4-3 in 12 innings in a game that ended early this morning. UNO’s Orynn Veillon hit a two-run homer in the 8th inning to tie the game. A rematch with Houston Baptist begins at 1 o’ clock in Sugar Land, Texas.

The LSU softball team is one win away from advancing to its fourth straight Women’s College Series after holding on for a six to five win over Florida State.  Game two of the best of three series is at 4 PM today.