Industry leaders are hopeful Louisiana’s movie business could rebound if the legislature approves proposed changes to the film tax credit program.
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

State Police is investigating a Sabine Parish officer involved shooting in which a man from Zwolle was killed. They say the incident happened in Converse south of Shreveport when a cop from the small western Louisiana town got into an altercation with 24-year-old Ricco Holden as he was trying to get into the police unit. Holden was then shot and died at the scene. More on this as it develops.

Now that four Confederate monuments in New Orleans have been removed, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is hoping the city will let the office of tourism decide what to do next. Nungesser is disappointed monuments to Louisiana’s history have been taken down, and he suspects the memorials to the confederate leaders won’t be the last to be removed…:
Cut 9 (10) “with slaves”
It’s unclear where the statues will go, but they could be re-homed in state parks or possibly a new museum.

Peaches could be hard to come by this year. Joe Mitcham of Mitcham Farms in Ruston says Louisiana had a warm winter and without enough chill hours, the leaves don’t fill out on the peach trees which causes the fruit to shed. He says a fungus in the soil is also killing many of his peach trees…:
Cut 11 (10) “to grow”
With a poor harvest, Mitcham expects a high demand in peaches and peach products and short supply.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is hoping his office can take ownership of the four confederate monuments that were removed in New Orleans. He says he’s meeting with Mayor Mitch Landrieu today to try and come to an agreement. He says this is a fight for Louisiana’s history…:
Cut 7 (11) “that era”
He suspects the memorials to the confederate leaders won’t be the last to be removed.

The movie industry in Louisiana could soon see a boost under a bill before the House Ways and Means committee today that would put a front-end cap on the film tax credit program. The measure would also reserve 10 percent of the available credits for Louisiana filmmakers. Executive director of Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, Patrick Mulhearn, says we keep the talented people in our state here…:
Cut 15 (09) “New York”

The National Weather Service predicts heavy rainfall for most of the bottom half of the state through Tuesday night, and issued a flash flood watch effective through tonight and into Tuesday evening. Possible impacts of severe weather include strong thunderstorms, frequent lightning, damaging winds, and localized flash flooding. Motorists should use caution on roads and standing water should be avoided.

Motorists will notice a stronger police presence on the road this week as Click It or Ticket begins. State Police Sgt. Jared Sandifer says even though this campaign only runs through Memorial Day weekend, drivers and passengers must buckle up every time they get into a vehicle…:
Cut 6 (08) “at all times”
He says your chances of being killed or sustaining bodily injury are greatly reduced if you buckle up.

There were no big winners in Saturday nigh’ s Powerball drawing and the jackpot is getting big. Wednesday’s drawing will be for $250 million dollars with a cash value of 154.8 million.

All four Confederate monuments in New Orleans have come down, so what’s next for the hundred-year-old statues? Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Click It or Ticket campaign kicks off today in Louisiana. State Police Sgt. Jared Sandifer…:
Cut 4 (08) “every time”

Most of the state is under a Flash Flood Watch through late tonight. The National Weather Service says 2-4 inches of additional rainfall is forecast.

Louisiana’s film industry could rebound if the state’s film tax credit program is stabilized. That’s according to executive director of Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, Patrick Mulhearn, who says TV in particular could be promising if the back-end cap on the program is fixed…:
Cut 13 (08) “in schools”
The measure to be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee today would make it a front-end cap on the program.

The peach harvest is extremely slim this year thanks to a warm winter. Owner of Mitcham Farms in Ruston, Joe Mitcham, says the crop needs a lot of cold hours, temperatures under 45 degrees for a majority of the winter in order for the fruit to properly develop…:
Cut 10 (09) “300″

All four Confederate monuments in New Orleans have come down, so what’s next for the hundred-year-old statues? Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

With plenty of rain in the forecast this weekend, officials and residents are keeping a close eye on the Mississippi River as levels continue to rise. Crews in St. Francisville put down large sandbags near a tributary of the river, Bayou Sara, that is expected to flood in the coming days. Army Corps of Engineers says as the water rises, their flood fight will be upgraded to phase two.

The Senate Finance committee has started hearings on the proposed spending plan for next fiscal year. Senate President John Alario says the budget the House approved does not properly fund the Department of Children and Family Services….
cut 10 (08) “…supervised”
Alario says the House did not allocate 206-million dollars that’s available to spend and they may use some of that money to fill the budget gaps.

Three St. Amant young adults were found dead in an Ascension Parish bayou by a member of their own family following a crash. State Trooper Bryan Lee says when troopers arrived they discovered a mangled vehicle and the bodies of its occupants scattered around…:
Cut 7 (09) “in half”
Family members say the three were on their way back from a night in New Orleans. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office says they located a body at the site of the accident that was unrelated to the crash.

Senate President John Alario says the upper chamber is committed to fully funding the TOPS scholarship program. Alario says the budget plan approved by the House takes money away from the Department of Health to fully fund TOPS and they are taking a close look at that proposal.
cut 9 (07) “…TOPS funding”
Alario also says the Senate also disagrees with a House bill to raise the minimum GPA in order to receive the TOPS scholarship.

“The most brutal attack I have ever seen”…is how Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi described the alleged kidnapping and rape of a woman by a man from Golden Meadow. 33-yer-old Joshua Penny is accused of taking the victim to a secluded wooded area after an argument and causing injuries to her that required multiple surgeries and other procedures. Penny was booked on charges including first-degree rape, domestic abuse and false imprisonment.

The full House has approved a measure that would require higher training standards for police officers. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James’ bill would require cops to receive at least 400 hours of basic POST training before entering the field…:
Cut 12 (10) “the 400 hours”
James says he’s worked with law enforcement to come up with the best practices to prepare officers for work in the field.

The LSU baseball team has claimed the SEC West championship with an 11-5 win over Mississippi State. The Tigers can pick up an outright regular season conference title if they complete the sweep of the Bulldogs today and if Kentucky beats Florida.

The 3rd Annual Crawfish Gatorfest is underway this weekend at The Grove at ULM. The event that draws people from throughout North Louisiana includes carnival rides and games, festival food vendors, a petting zoo and live music. Visit originalcrawfishgatorfest.com for details.

The Monumental Task Committee is slamming the removal of the Robert E Lee statue in New Orleans. In a statement, the group asserts the city heads into its Tricentennial more divided and less historic than ever — and compares the taking down of four Confederate era monuments to ISIS tactics. Mayor Mitch Landrieu said The Civil War is over, the Confederacy lost and the city is better for it.

The Senate is committed to fully funding the TOPS scholarship program, despite budget troubles, according to President John Alario. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

A bill heading to the Senate will require that police officers receive at least 400 hours of basic training and….
cut 13 (09) “…peace officers”
That’s Baton Rouge Representative Ted James, who wrote the bill in response to the police shooting of Alton Sterling. James says law enforcement is in support of the legislation.

Governor John Bel Edwards is going to speak this morning at the graduation of the 2017 class of Louisiana Tech. The school will also be celebrating its 100,000th graduate during the spring commencement ceremony.

Safe boating week begins today, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is going to be out in full force on waterways. LDWF spokesman Adam Einck says it’s important to remember three things when out on the water…:
Cut 3 (08) “working condition”

LSU is the champions of the SEC West after beating Mississippi State 11-5 last night. The Tigers had eight hits, but walked 11 times and two batters reached on hit by pitches. In the 6^th inning, LSU scored four times, three of those runs came across with bases on balls with the bases loaded. Catcher Michael Papierski had a big game as he went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and drove in two. The Illinois native hit his 7^th home run. Here’s the call on the LSU Sports Radio Network…

cut 30 (13) “…the season”

Nick Coomes drove in three runs. Kramer Robertson had three hits and scored three times. LSU is 20-9 and they can win the overall SEC title with a win over Mississippi State today and if Kentucky beats Florida.

LSU was not the only team to score a bunch of runs. Louisiana Tech had 19 runners cross the plate in a 19-2 win over Middle Tennessee. Colby Hamilton was five-for-five with three runs scored and four runs driven in.

Southeastern Louisiana put up double digits on the board as the Lions defeated Seton Hall 10-7. Lamar knocked off McNeese four to one, UNO swept a doubleheader from Northwestern State and Central Arkansas took two from Nicholls.

The Ragin Cajuns scored four runs in the first inning and went on to beat ULM 5-3. Steven Sensley and Kennon Fontenot each homered.

LSU and UL Lafayette will meet in softball for first time since 2013 in the Baton Rouge Regional today at noon. Both teams won yesterday, the Cajuns blanked McNeese six to nothing as Alex Stewart threw a no hitter and the Tigers edged Fairfield 2-1. Louisiana Tech lost to Minnesota 11-3 yesterday and will play from the loser’s bracket today in Tuscaloosa.

Crews worked for more than 10 hours to remove the 16-foot tall, 7-thousand pound statue of Robert E. Lee from its 68-foot pedestal on St. Charles Avenue. It’s the fourth confederate-era monument to be taken down in recent weeks after the Metro City Council voted to remove them. It’s unclear where the memorials to confederate leaders will go from here.

The Senate is committed to fully funding the TOPS scholarship program, despite budget troubles, according to President John Alario. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The full House approves a bill to require more training for police. A proposal by Baton Rouge Representative Ted James would require officers to receive at least 400 hours of basic POST training before entering the field.

Cut 12 (10) “the 400 hours”

James says he’s worked on this bill with the help of law enforcement around the state.

Safe Boating Week begins Saturday and runs through May 26. Adam Einck with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries advises boaters to sign up for a free boating safety course on LDWF’s website.

Cut 5 (09) “as well””
Louisiana recorded 24 boating fatalities in 2016, and this year nine people have died in boating accidents.