The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to conserve energy Thursday morning in the cold. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The federal government shutdown has Louisiana’s elected representatives blaming the Democrats.  Representative Clay Higgins issued a statement declaring “This shut down belongs to the democrats. They own it.”  While Senator Bill Cassidy’s statement read, “They voted to shut down the government just to appease the pro-illegal immigrations extremists in their party.”  Both Representative Higgins and Senator Cassidy said the measure voted down would have funded the U.S. military and the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Governor John Bel Edwards will unveil his proposed budget for next fiscal year on Monday. Higher Education Commissioner Joe Rallo says if funding for TOPS is eliminated, it will devastate students in the program. Cuts are likely because a one-penny sales tax that funds provides nearly a billion dollars in state revenues will expire at the end of June.  Rallo says if TOPS doesn’t get funding, it could affect Louisiana’s job market…

Cut 7 (09)  “those graduates.”

A non-partisan group CrowdPac is concerned about the recent volatile actions of the Vermillion School board and wants to see changes.  School teacher Deyshia Hargrave was arrested two weeks ago after speaking out during a school board meeting.  Crowdpac spokesperson Mason Harrison says they will hold a seminar in Abbeville to train citizens to become prepared to run for a school board position.

Cut 13 (08) “this year.”

The seminar is scheduled for January 30^th at the Sunbelt Lodge in Abbeville.

Vermilion School Board President Anthony Fontana has announced he’s resigned.  This comes amid the controversy surrounding school teacher Deyshia Hargrave and her arrest two weeks ago.  A non-partisan group CrowdPac is concerned about the recent volatile actions of the board and wants to see changes. Spokesperson Mason Harrison says the resignation is perfect timing for a seminar coming to Abbeville to train citizens to become prepared to run for a school board position…

Cut 12 (07) “do that.”

The seminar is scheduled for January 30^th.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to reduce energy consumption for a time Thursday morning over concerns the grids may not be able to handle the high demand in the cold. PSC Chairman Eric Skrmetta says nobody’s power was going to be shut off:

Cut 3 (08) “to happen”

Governor Edwards has said he will ask for a special session next month to consider the budget if there isn’t an agreement in principle in place.  One of the concerns with the upcoming announcement is if there is enough money to fund the TOPS program.  Higher Education Commissioner Joe Rallo says time is of the essence in getting a financial plan in place since nationwide faculty recruitment for universities and college is underway…

Cut 8 (11) “of state.”

A state judge will hear a dispute next month between Governor Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry over which party should control the state’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.  Edwards’ administration filed a lawsuit in September against more than a dozen drug companies.  Landry filed a request to stop the suit since it didn’t include how it impacts other agencies.  Landry says his office can supersede the state health department.

The Vermilion Parish School Board is without a president.  Anthony Fontana resigned today, saying he accomplished what he set out to do, giving the superintendent a raise.  BiPartisan group CrowdPac is upset that school teacher Deyshia Hargrave was arrested a couple of weeks ago after speaking out about the superintendent’s raise.  CrowdPac Spokesperson Mason Harrison says the entire school board could lose their positions…

Cut 13 (08) “this year.”

Roads were shuttered and pipes shattered as Louisiana suffered record lows this week. Many woke up to the sound of running water and nasty surprises across their property. New Orleans based Pipes “R” Us owner Danny Griffin says there’s a good way to avoid the hassle going forward…

Cut 9 (10) “out tremendously.”

The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to conserve energy Thursday morning in the cold. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Opening arguments were made today in the shooting death of former NFL player Joe McKnight.  Defense attorneys claim 56-year-old Ronald Gasser fired the gun in self defense after McKnight approached his vehicle after a traffic confrontation.  Prosecutors say Gasser’s claim that McKnight tried to lunge toward his car is unfounded.  Gasser is charged with second degree murder.

Vermilion School Board President Anthony Fontana has announced resignation, two weeks after teacher Deyshia Hargrave was arrested for asking about a proposed raise for the superintendent.  The non-partisan group CrowdPac is worried about the recent actions and plans a seminar in Abbeville later this month to train citizens to run for the school board.  Spokesperson Mason Harrison says there’s a lot of interest…

Cut 14 (10) “help out.”

The Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo is concerned about a possible lack of funding for the TOPS program.  Governor Edwards is presenting his budget proposal Monday.  Rallo says if funding for TOPS is eliminated, it’s a devastating blow for students…

Cut 6 (13)  “to school.”

Was there enough power to keep Louisiana from going dark? Public Service Commission Chairman Eric Skrmetta says the situation was bad enough yesterday that industrial customers were warned that their power could be turned off affecting their consumers. He says there is no reason that should ever happen and it’s the PSC’s job to make sure power is always there for consumers to use..:

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Many are cleaning up from the frigid weather that descended on the state last week.   Some of that cleanup may involve fixing busted water pipes.  It’s creating a lot of business for plumbers such as New Orleans based Pipes R Us.  Owner Danny Griffin says calls are flooding in…

Cut 10 (06) “phone calls”

Griffin adds don’t try to fix the problems yourself if you’re unfamiliar with plumbing and call a professional.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission plans to investigate why Entergy asked customers to conserve energy Thursday. Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which manages the flow of electricity, said they set a record on Wednesday for peak winter power usage. PSC Chairman Eric Skrmetta says they want to make sure the resources are there and people have what they need to live their lives…
cut 5 (11) “…marketplace”

The record cold we saw this week pusted pipes across the state and many are in the need of a plumber. Pipes “R” uUs owner Danny Griffin says if you need someone to repair your busted pipes, he has this advice…
cut 11 (10) “….for it
Griffin says if you don’t have experience working with plumbing, leave the work to professionals.

Higher Education Commissioner Joe Rallo is worried about possible cuts to TOPS, as the scholarship program could be on the chopping block if there’s no resolution to the fiscal cliff. …
voicer 2 (32) “….I’m Kelley Ray”

And Governor Edwards will propose his budget for next fiscal year at Monday’s joint legislative budget committee. Edwards has urged the Republican-led House to get behind a tax plan to replace the loss of one-billion dollars in revenues. Edwards told the Associated Press he still has some hope they will, so he can call a special session in February.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to conserve energy Thursday morning in the cold. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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The Commissioner of Higher Education is worried about possible cuts to the TOPS program.  Kelley Ray has a look at the far reaching repercussions…

Cut 2 (32) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

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The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to reduce energy consumption for a time Thursday morning over concerns the grids may not be able to handle the high demand in the cold. PSC Chairman Eric Skrmetta says nobody’s power was going to be shut off:

Cut 3 (08) “to happen”

Skrmetta says the situation was bad enough yesterday that industrial customers were warned that their power could be turned off which flows to households. He says there is no reason that should ever happen and it’s the PSC’s job to make sure that power is always there for consumers to use..:

Cut 4  (11) “to be taken” 

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which manages the flow of electricity, said they had set a record Wednesday morning for peak winter power usage. Skrmetta says the PSC’s ultimate goal is to make sure the resources are there, and that people have what they need to live their lives…:

Cut 5  (11)  “marketplace”

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The Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo is concerned about the possible lack of funding for the TOPS program.  Governor Edwards will present his budget proposal on Monday. Rallo says if funding for TOPS is eliminated, it will be devastating for students who benefit from the program…

Cut 6 (13)  “to school.”

Rallo says he hopes Governor Edwards can make good on his promise for not cutting funding for TOPS, but says money to cover the one billion dollar shortfall once the one-penny sales tax drops off the end of June has to come from somewhere.  Rallo says if TOPS doesn’t get funding, it could affect Louisiana’s job market…

Cut 7 (09)  “those graduates.”

Governor Edwards has said he will ask for a special session next month to consider the budget if there isn’t an agreement in principle in place.  Rallo says time is of the essence in getting a financial plan in place since nationwide faculty recruitment is currently underway…

Cut 8 (11) “of state.”

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Roads were shuttered and pipes shattered as Louisiana suffered record lows this week. Many Louisianans woke up to the sound of running water and nasty surprises across their property. Pipes “R” Us owner Danny Griffin says there’s a good way to avoid the hassle going forward…

Cut 9 (10) “out tremendously.”

Griffin is asking for patience as calls flood in asking for repairs…

Cut 10 (06) “phone calls”

Louisiana is no stranger to disasters, and the fraudsters that chase them. Griffin has some advice on how to avoid a bad deal…

Cut 11 (10) “for it”

Griffin says if you don’t have experience working with plumbing, leave the work to the professionals.

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Vermilion School Board President Anthony Fontana has announced he is resigning immediately.  This comes amid the controversy surrounding school teacher Deyshia Hargrave and her arrest two weeks ago.  A non-partisan group CrowdPac is concerned about the recent volatile actions of the board and wants to see changes.  Crowdpac spokesperson Mason Harrison says Fontana’s resignation is perfect timing for a seminar coming to Abbeville to train citizens to become prepared to run for a school board position…

Cut 12 (07) “do that.”

During the meeting, Fontana tried to silence her when she voiced concerns about the superintendent’s raise.  Harrison says the other seven board members are as much as fault as Fontana in the incident and find themselves in a precarious situation…

Cut 13 (08) “this year.”

Harrison says with the nationwide news coverage this story has received, interest in the seminar has been high…

Cut 14 (10) “help out.”

Louisiana Radio Network News, I’m Matt Doyle

Vermilion School Board President Anthony Fontana has announced he is resigning immediately.  A non-partisan group CrowdPac is concerned about the recent volatile actions of the board and wants to see changes.  Crowdpac spokesperson Mason Harrison says it’s perfect timing for a seminar coming to Abbeville to help train citizens in preparation for running for a school board position…

(CUT 12) (07) “do that.”

Fontana says his goal was to get a raise for the superintendent, which was accomplished.

The Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo is concerned about the possible lack of funding for the TOPS program. Governor Edwards will present his budget proposal on Monday which reports say ill include the elimination of all TOPS funding. Rallo says time is of the essence…

Cut 8 (11) “of state.”

the one billion dollar shortfall is the result of the expiration of a one cent sales tax.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to conserve energy Thursday morning in the cold. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The couple found guilty of murdering a Zachary man and stuffing his body into a barrel were sentenced today. 23-year-old Jace Crehan was convicted of second degree murder and 19-year-old Brittany Monk, was sentenced to manslaughter. Both were from Walker.

The victim, Robert Noce, was found guilty of sexually assaulting Monk for nearly ten years. Noce pleaded no contest to the charges two weeks before he was found in the barrel.

Louisana Radio Network News

The Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo is concerned about the possible lack of funding for the TOPS program. Governor Edwards will present his budget proposal on Monday, which was delayed due to this week’s weather. Rallo says if TOPS doesn’t get funding, it could affect Louisiana’s job market…:
Cut 7 (09) “those graduates”
Governor Edwards says he plans to present to budget scenarios to lawmakers, one with his spending ideas, and another which includes the cuts including to TOPS.

Roads were shuttered and pipes shattered as Louisiana suffered record lows this week. Many Louisianans woke up to the sound of running water and nasty surprises across their property. Pipes “R” Us owner Danny Griffin says there’s a good way to avoid the hassle going forward…:
Cut 9 (10) “out tremendously”

Vermilion Parish School Board President Anthony Fontana, who was surrounded by controversy after a teacher was arrested at a meeting, says he will resign. He said in a letter to a local paper that his final goal was to get the superintendent a contract, and that happened so he’s out. It was that contract the teacher, Deyshia Hargrave, was questioning.

Frank Selas, known as Mr. Wonder on a Monroe children’s television show in the 1970s, accepted a plea deal in Rapides Parish…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo is worried about possible cuts to the TOPS program…:
cut 2 (32) “I’m Kelley Ray”

The icy conditions caused hundreds of residents in Southeast Louisiana’s pipes to burst. Pipes “R” Us owner Danny Griffin is asking for patience as calls flood in asking for repairs…:
Cut 10 (06) “phone calls”

The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to reduce energy consumption for a time Thursday morning over concerns the grids may not be able to handle the high demand. PSC Chairman Eric Skrmetta says there is no reason that should ever happen and it’s the PSC’s job to make sure that power is always there for consumers to use..:
CUT 4 (09) “an issue”
Skrmetta says they need to get to the bottom of why the Midcontinent Independent System Operator felt the action of asking people to conserve needed to be taken.