Two children died after being locked in a hot pickup truck in Bossier City, and authorities are still unsure of what happened. Halen Doughty has the story…:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The two Alabama football players & North Louisiana natives that were arrested in Monroe in May will not be prosecuted on drug and gun charges due to lack of evidence. The DA reportedly said he didn’t want to ruin the lives of Cam Robinson and Laurence “Hootie” Jones because they’ve been working and sweating while we were all in the air conditioning.

The woman who was one of two people involved in killing and dismembering a former New Orleans dancer, Jaren Lockhart, will spend 40 years in prison under a plea deal reached in Jefferson Parish. 32-year-old Margaret Sanchez said she’s guilty of manslaughter and obstruction of justice. Legal analyst Chick Foret says the Lockhart family did not want to have to endure a lengthy trial…:
CUT 10 (10) “any appeals”
Lockhart was stabbed to death in Kenner, then cut up and tossed into the Gulf of Mexico in 2012.

The House Ways and Means Committee approved two bills today that would generate an additional 75-million dollars in tax revenue. If approved by the full House, that means the legislature will have raised nearly 300-million dollars in this special session, far short of the $600 million sought by Governor John Bel Edwarsd. Political analyst Clancy Dubos…:
CUT 12 (10) “for raising taxes”

Authorities continue to investigate the deaths of 3-year-old twins Oliver and Aria Orr, who died after being locked in a hot pickup truck. Bossier City Police spokesperson Mark Natale says at some point Saturday afternoon, the children’s mother realized she didn’t know where the kids were…:
CUT 3 (09) “unresponsive”
He says the children were pronounced deceased, and they are still working to determine how the toddlers ended up in the truck to begin with.

The head of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association says there are some encouraging signs for the struggling industry. LOGA President Don Briggs says one positive sign is that oil prices are near 50-dollars a barrel, after falling to 26-dollars in February…:
cut 1 (07) “for sure”
Briggs says they hope the price can rise some more during the second half of 2016.

The Department of Children and Family Services reports the number of food stamp recipients is declining nationally, but increasing in Louisiana. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Tropical Storm Danielle has formed off Mexico’s eastern coast. The system, which is no threat to the United States, is expected to produce lots of rainfall over several Mexican States.

The number of food stamp recipients is increasing in Louisiana, while the rate is falling nationwide. Nearly one in five Louisiana residents are on the federal food assistance program, according to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. Louisiana Budget Project Director, Jan Moller, says that increase is due to the downturn in the oil and gas industry…:
CUT 6 (11) “find work”
According to DCFS, the number of food stamp recipients jumped 9% from April 2015 to April 2016.

3-year-old twins died in a hot vehicle in Bossier City over the weekend, according to police. They say neighbors reported the toddlers mother contacted them looking for the kids and that’s when they were found in a truck at the home a short time later. Oliver and Aria Orr were pronounced dead. The matter is under investigation.

32-year-old Margaret Sanchez has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2012 death and dismemberment of the former Bourbon Street dancer Jaren Lockhart. She also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in a Jefferson Parish courtroom and was sentenced to 40 years. Legal analyst Chick Foret says the case is now over and the family finally has closure…:
CUT 9 (09) “involved”
Sanchez’ ex-boyfriend has already been convicted for the same crime.

A man from Galliano man was killed in a single vehicle crash in Livingston Parish last night. State Police say 57-year-old Brian Leonard failed to make a right curve near Springfield and lost control of his car. They say Leonard ran off the road, struck a culvert and went airborne striking a tree. He was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. He wasn’t buckled up, and impairment is unknown at this time.

If you count today, there are four days left in the special session and there are only two bills left for lawmakers to consider that would raise revenues to cover a 600 to 800-million dollar shortfall. So far legislators have agreed to tax changes that would generate 214-million dollars. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris says many lawmakers believe they’ve raised enough revenue…
cut 13 (11) “…we implemented”
Without anymore tax increases, higher education, health care, public schools and TOPS face significant cuts.

Margaret Sanchez has pleaded guilty to manslauther in the 2012 death and dismemberment of the former Bourbon Street dancer Jaren Lockhart. The 32-year-old Sanchez also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in a Jefferson Parish courtroom and was sentenced to 40 years.

A new report from Car-insurance-dot-com says Lousiaina has the third worst driving environment in the country. Only Oklahoma and California are worse. Michelle Megna with Car-Insurance-dot-com says the state’s high insurance premiums contributes to the bad driving environment…
cut 11 (11) “…insurance rate”
Megna says almost 14-percent of Louisiana drivers do not have auto insurance.

Data from the Louisiana Department of Health indicates the number of abortions that took place in 2015 fell 10-percent from the previous year. There were 93-hundred abortions last year. Louisiana Right to Life spokesperson Ben Clapper says that means about 26 abortions are performed every day in Louisiana…
cut 8 (10) “….considering abortions”

Only $220 million of the $600 million Governor John Bel Edwards was hoping lawmakers would raise in the special session has thus far be approved. The governor is hoping a bill that would force huge industrial businesses to choose between one of two tax credits will pass. Business groups oppose, but Edwards says the legislature needs to do what’s best for the state, not lobbyists…:
Cut 15 (10) “we are”
The session must end Thursday.

Transportation in Louisiana got yet another bad mark according to a new survey by CarInsurance.com. Managing Editor Michelle Megna says they found the state’s roads are the third worst in the nation. She also says their report looked at how many hours drivers spend stuck in traffic during their daily commutes…:
cut 12 (10) “80 hours”
The Louisiana Right to Life says the state’s abortion rate dropped 10-percent from 2014 to 2015 based on data from the Louisiana Department of Health. Emelie Gunn has more…:

Cut 2 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

A patient from Baton Rouge escaped from a mental hospital and lead cops on a high speed chase in a stolen ambulance. BRPD says 40-year-old Christopher Porter busted a window in his room at the Baton Rouge Behavioral Hospital Saturday and hopped into the ambulance and drove away. Police eventually caught up to Porter and he was booked on counts of simple criminal damage to property, theft of a motor vehicle and flight from an officer.

Lawmakers have raised $220 million in taxes during this second special session, and that may be all they can agree to do. Jeff Palermo has more:
Cut 3 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

State Police are asking for the public’s help in locating the vehicle responsible for hitting and killing a pedestrian in Terrebonne Parish. They say 22-year-old William Boyne was walking alone LA 56 south of the Chauvin Bridge, when he was hit by a vehicle that crossed the fog line. Boyne was pronounced dead. The vehicle is described as a late 1990s green Ford F150.

Abortions in Louisiana are dropping. The Louisiana Department of Health says, in 2015, 10 percent fewer pregnancies were terminated from the prior year. Louisiana Right to Life spokesperson Ben Clapper says it could go down even more if the US Supreme court rules later this month that abortion doctors need to have admitting privileges at a hospital…:
Cut 9 (09) “large wave”
Clapper says Caddo Parish had the highest number of abortions in a single parish with 34-hundred.

The struggling oil and gas industry is finally getting a bit of good news. Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Don Briggs says prices at the pump and natural gas are going up, which helps tremendously. He says since natural gas powers air conditioners, a hot summer will be good for them…:
Cut 6 (11) “of us”

Louisiana has the third worst roads in the country, according to a new report from CarInsurance.com. Managing editor Michelle Megna on the The Bayou State’s stats…:
Cut 10 (10) “49-percent”
She says Louisiana is also the second worst in the nation for how much drivers spend on their car insurance.

There are some encouraging upticks in the oil and gas industry, according to the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association. Halen Doughty has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A Monroe man lost his life over the weekend in a crash that was caused by a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Highway 165, according to State Police. They say 39-year-old Antonio McClure of Monroe was traveling north in the southbound lanes of travel, when he crashed into a vehicle driven by 42-year-old Tonya Smith of Kelly, Louisiana. McClure was pronounced dead, and troopers suspect that he was impaired. Smith sustained minor injuries.

Lawmakers are not interested in raising anymore taxes. Last night, state representatives failed to pass a measure that would limit excess itemized deductions in personal income taxes. Governor John Bel Edwards asked legislators to increase revenue by 600-million dollars in this special session, but so far only 220-million has been generated. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris says this money will be used to cover shortfalls in TOPS, education and health care services…:
cut 14 (09) “cuts there”
The special session ends Thursday.

It looks like the appetite just isn’t there for lawmakers to raise any more taxes. Governor John Bel Edwards asked legislators to increase revenue by 600-million dollars in this special session, but it appears the legislature will fall way short of that figure. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris says many legislators believe they’ve raised enough revenue…:
Cut 13 (11) “we implemented”
The special session concludes at midnight on Thursday.

The head of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association says there are some encouraging signs for the struggling industry. LOGA President Don Briggs says one positive sign is that oil prices are near 50-dollars a barrel, after falling to 26-dollars in February…:
cut 4 (07) “for sure”

In north Louisiana, Bossier Police are investigating the tragic deaths of a 3-year old boy and his twin sister who were both found unresponsive inside a pickup truck parked at their home. The chief issued a statement saying the mother called a neighbor to look for her children, then found them in the truck a short time later. They were both pronounced deceased.

The number of abortions that took place in 2015 fell 10-percent from the previous year. That’s based on numbers from the Louisiana Department of Health. Louisiana Right to Life spokesperson Ben Clapper says there were 93-hundred abortions last year, a decrease of about a thousand from the previous year. He credits pregnancy resource centers for the decline…:
CUT 7 (06) “in Louisiana”