CenturyLink in Monroe has announced plans for company wide layoffs. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
CUT 1 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A woman from Church Point is fighting to keep her pet spider monkey after he was seized by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries under a law that bans residents from owning exotic animals. Justine Quinn says they own the animal legally and had him before the law passed. She is presenting her case in court today, according to KATC.

The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says they sent a letter to the superintendents of all Louisiana public school districts reminding them about the First Amendment:
Cut 1 (10) “stand for the pledge”
She hopes this won’t be an issue moving forward.

LSU coach Les Miles confirmed today that quarterback Danny Etling will take the first snaps in the Mississippi State game tomorrow in Tiger stadium. The Mad Hatter added in a video posted to the school’s website that he has the right to change his mind. Etling came in for a struggling Brandon Harris last weekend and lead LSU to three straight touchdown drives.

Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statement following his meeting today with President Obama regarding the on-going flood relief efforts in Louisiana. He said as they continue to work with Congress in the coming days, the Louisiana delegation has done a great job stressing the importance of securing badly needed funds for our state. He says there is still a lot of work to do, but he’s confident they will get what Louisiana citizens need to rebuild their lives.

Monroe-based CenturyLink announces company wide layoffs. CenturyLink spokesperson Annmarie Sartor says after careful consideration the telecommunications company has made the difficult decision to reduce its employee related costs. She says in order to reduce its workforce, they are seeking employees who are looking to leave the company voluntarily..:
CUT 3 (12) “method training”
The reduction could be about 35-hundred employees throughout the company.

A man from Denham Springs who hit a horse in the road has died, and so has the animal. Brooks David with State Police says the horse did substantial damage to 24-year-old Joshua Marange’s vehicle…:
CUT 7 (10) “as well”
He says it happened on US 190 in Livingston Parish.

A Lafayette homeowner fatally shot a naked man who was holding a gun in his backyard this morning. Cpl. Bridgette Dugas says authorities received a call around 8 a.m. about the nude man trespassing on Fanny Street and they are working to determine why the he was there and with no clothes on…:
CUT 9 (06) “it as”
Dugas says the naked suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. No charges have been brought against the homeowner as the investigation continues.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana has alerted public schools they can’t punish or threaten to punish students who refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Louisiana ACLU executive director Marjorie Esman says they sent a letter to all public school systems to ensure that everyone’s rights are protected…
cut 12 (09) “…what makes us free”
Esman says students are more aware of their rights as a result of the actions by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

New census data finds Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. Demographer Greg Rigamer says Louisiana’s median household income of about $45-thousand is well below the national average, which is over $55-thousand…:
CUT 7 (07) “poorest states”
The national poverty rate is just under 15%, almost 5% lower than Louisiana.

A Denham Springs man has died after hitting a horse in the road. State Trooper Bryan Lee says one of their troopers came upon the accident around 1 am.
CUT 6 (08) “the roadway”
Lee says 24-year-old Joshua Marange was killed in the accident.

Department of Transpiration Secretary Shawn Wilson is travelling the state in an 18-wheeler for National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Jeff Palermo reports…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Gas prices in Louisiana are now back at the $2 per gallon mark and AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says you can expect it hover there the rest of the year…:
CUT 5 (07) “for gasoline”
He says there may be a slight uptick in October, but the price will go back down as we approach the holidays.

New census data shows Louisiana is the 3rd poorest state in the nation, and Demographer Greg Rigamer says that’s not surprising…:
CUT 9 (09) “nation either”
He says Louisiana has the 6th lowest median household income. The national median income increased by 3.8% from 2014-15, while Louisiana’s only went up by 2.5%.

The US Department of Education has awarded the state up to $1.5 million dollars to support school districts hardest hit by recent storms and historic flooding. In a statement, US Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. says this money will help recovery efforts and work to restore the learning environment for students across the state.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2017 nominees are out, and former New Orleans Saint Darren Sharper, who is in jail on rape charges, is on the list.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been making headlines for refusing to stand during the National Anthem at games, and the ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about schools punishing kids for sitting during the Pledge. ACLU-LA Executive Director Marjorie Esman says nobody can be forced to stand for the Pledge, salute the flag or anything of that nature…:
cut 11 (09) “everybody has”
They sent a letter to schools reminding them about the First Amendment.

Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. That’s according to new census data which shows almost 20 percent of people in the state are poor, which is a slight decrease over the prior year…:
CUT 8 (09) “the nation”
That’s Demographer Greg Rigamer.

Monroe based CenturyLink reportedly sent a company wide memo indicating that it plans to lay off as much as 8% of its workforce by the end of the year. The letter said the layoffs are related to the decline in revenue due to more and more people choosing not to have a landline. It is not known how the announcement will affect the local workforce. The company currently has about 43,000 employees worldwide.

This week is National Truck Driver Awareness Week and DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson has been traveling the state in a big rig to see what it’s like. He says a lot of drivers like to take advantage of the fact that trucks can’t speed up as quickly in traffic, but that can be dangerous…:
cut 14 (08) “accidents”
Wilson says most of the things we buy are transported by big trucks, and people should all be appreciative of the important job trucks have in moving commerce.

Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the nation, according to new census data. Don Molino has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

The statewide average for a gallon of regular gas is $2. Don Redman with AAA expects that trend to continue as refineries transition to the less expensive winter-grade gasoline. He says there may be a slight price increase in October though…:
cut 4 (09) “the consumer”

This week is National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says there have been several wrecks involving truck drivers around the state recently. He says the most important thing we can do to make the roads safer for everyone is bring attention to the issue…:
Cut 13 (12) “with you”
Wilson says it’s up to everyone on the road to drive safely, not just truckers.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they’ve recovered the bodies of two men from Bayou Teche in St. Martin Parish. They say 21-year-old Reese Hebert and 20-year-old Timothy Guidry set out to go fishing in a pirogue around 1am Thursday, and authorities were called when they did not return later that afternoon. Agents found the men soon after. The St. Martin Parish Coroner’s Office is investigating cause of death.

The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says they sent a letter to the superintendents of all Louisiana public school districts reminding them about the First Amendment:
Cut 10 (10) “stand for the pledge”
She hopes this won’t be an issue moving forward.

New census data finds Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. Demographer Greg Rigamer says Louisiana’s median household income of about $45-thousand is well below the national average, which is over $55-thousand…:
CUT 7 (07) “poorest states”
The national poverty rate is just under 15%, almost 5% lower than Louisiana.

Department of Transpiration Secretary Shawn Wilson is travelling the state in an 18-wheeler this week for National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Gov. John Bel Edwards today will participate in a bipartisan meeting at the White House to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Officials of both parties from around the country will participate, including Gov. John Kasich of Ohio.