Not much action at the State Capitol today as House members put off for another day votes on bills that would increase taxes on alcohol and cigarettes. A senate committee has also decided to wait until Thursday to approve its version of a budget cutting plan. Lawmakers have until March ninth to agree on a plan to close a 940-million dollar deficit for this fiscal year.

According to Bankrate-dot-com, Louisiana is the fifth worst state in the country for retirees. Bankrate’s Senior Analyst Claes Bell says the state’s high crime rate and poor healthcare quality are to blame. But Bell says the news isn’t all bad. He says retirees who live on an fixed income may find Louisiana a good state to spend their golden years…
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Bankrate ranked Wyoming as the best state for retirment and New York as the worst.

Education leaders are working on a plan to make sure more students apply for financial assistance to attend college. Michelle Southern has the story…
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The second former Marksville officer who is accused in the fatal shooting of a six-year-old boy could be released on bond as early as tomorrow. The attorney for 31-year-old Derrick Stafford says the paperwork is ready to be filed for Stafford to gain his release on a one-million dollar property bond. The other officer involved in the shooting, Norris Greenhouse Junior, was released on a one million dollar bond in November.

With only 8 days left in the special legislative session, legislators are slowly working to fix Louisiana’s massive budget deficit. Ruston Representative Robert Shadoin says there will likely be some changes to the House’s budget cut bill because those cuts went deeper than anticipated. He says he didn’t want to vote for the sales tax increase but it had to be done…

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A Financial Aid Working Group is meeting today to create a plan to ensure public high school students comply with a new policy requiring them to apply for assistance to go to college. Department of Education’s Assistant Superintendent Ken Bradford says only 44% of students are applying for any kind of financial aid.  He says the group is also discussing how schools can be more helpful in getting financial aid for students.

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A report from Bankrate-dot-com finds Louisiana is the 5th worst state for retirement.

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Baton Rouge Police have arrested a man after a DNA test linked in to a 20-year-old rape case. Sgt. Don Coppola says in 1996 a 17-year-old girl was walking down the street and asked now 59-year-old Jerry Williams for a ride, where he then took her to his house and raped her. He says during the initial investigation, detectives had trouble re-contacting the victim so the case went unsolved…

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With just 8 days left in the special legislative session, lawmakers are slowly working to fix Louisiana’s massive budget deficit. Ruston Representative Robert Shadoin says things are moving, but sometimes it seems to be at a glacial pace. He believes in the coming days there will be increased communication between the Senate and the House on bills…:
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The $940 million dollar hole must be filled by July 1st.

A Baton Rouge man is facing rape charges after an unrelated December arrest lead to DNA being obtained which links him to a 1996 assault. Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says 59-year-old Jerry Williams was asked about the rape of a 17-year-old 20 years ago, but cops ran into a road block with the case…:
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Multiple media outlets are reporting that the second suspect in the case of Marksville officers accused of shooting a vehicle occupied by a six year old boy who died, could be released on bond as soon as tomorrow. 31-year-old Derrick Stafford has been in jail since the November arrest, but officials say paperwork is being completed to meet a $1 million dollar property bond. The other officer, Norris Greenhouse Jr, was released on the same bond in November. The trial for Stafford is set for September; trial for Greenhouse is in November.

Education leaders are working on a plan to make sure more students apply for financial assistance to attend a two-year or four year college. Department of Education’s Assistant Superintendent Ken Bradford says only 44% of students are applying for any kind of financial aid, which is disappointing…:
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He says, in two years, students will have to either fill out a financial aid form, apply for TOPS or opt out in order to graduate.

A Financial Aid Working Group is meeting today to formulate a plan to develop ways public high school students can easily comply with a new policy requiring them to apply for assistance. Ken Bradford with the state Department of Education says only 44% of students are applying for financial aid available. He says they want families to know that scholarships are not the only option…:
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He says in two years students will be required to apply in order to graduate and they are working to identify ways to make compliance as easy as possible.

WAFB-TV is reporting that the second Marksville deputy who is accused of opening fire on a vehicle last November, killing a 6-year-old boy, is expected to bond out of jail, possibly as early as tomorrow. Derrick Stafford’s family is said to have secured enough property to post the $1 million dollar bond, which is what Norris Greenhouse Jr already did. They are both charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder.

Most folks who are retiring aren’t looking at Louisiana. Bankrate.com found Louisiana is the 5th worst state for retirement, mainly due to poor healthcare and a high crime rate. BankeRate spokesperson Claes (Claus) Bell says weather was also considered in their study…:
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But he said high points in the report for Louisiana include low taxes and low cost of living.

Today is super Tuesday and many political pundits say candidates will still be working to garner support for Louisianians on the March 5th Presidential Primary after tonight. Republicans Donald Trump and Marco Rubio are planning rallies in Louisiana on Friday. Pollster John Couvillon of JMC Analytics says even though Trump has been leading, Rubio and Ted Cruz will still be contenders in the race…:
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On the Democratic side, he feels if Hillary Clinton sweeps super Tuesday, it’s possible Bernie Sanders doesn’t stand a chance after tonight.

Only 44% of public high school students are applying for any kind of financial aid, eliminating themselves from consideration for potentially tens of millions of dollars for post secondary education and training. State Department of Education Assistant Superintendent Ken Bradford says Louisiana high school students will soon be required to apply in order to get a diploma…:
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He says financial aid leaders meeting today to develop a plan to get forms to schools.

A Baton Rouge man is facing rape charges after a DNA swab from an unrelated arrest linked him to a rape kit in a 1996 case. Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says 20 years ago, a 17-year-old claimed she was raped by Jerry Williams, who is now 59. Coppola says Williams initially denied the assault, but new DNA evidence told a different story…:
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According to a new report from Bankrate-dot-com, Louisiana is the 5th worst state for retirement. Halen Doughty has the story…:
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Republican Presidential candidates Donald Trump and US Senator Marco Rubio will hold campaign rallies in Louisiana on Friday, a day before Louisiana’s Presidential primary. Today is Super Tuesday and analysts say the GOP contest will still be very much alive after tonight..

The National Weather Service is calling on a marginal threat of severe weather this afternoon for some parts of the state as a cold front moves in — but nothing like what brought the 13 confirmed tornadoes that struck the south last week. Governor John Bel Edwards declares this week: Severe Weather Awareness week. GOHSEP spokesman Chris Guilbeau says encourages family to get a game plan:
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Louisiana is the 5th worst state for retirement, according to a new report from Bankrate-dot-com. Claes (Claus) Bell, a senior analyst at Bankrate, says they examined several key factors to determine the quality of life in retirement, including cost of living, taxes, healthcare, crime, and residents’ overall well-being…:
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He says Louisiana retirement highlights in their report include low tax rate and low cost of living.

More potential budget cuts to higher education could mean lower enrollment numbers at LSU. Halen Doughty reports…:
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A bill has been filed for the regular session calling for a freeze on the state voucher program for students in low performing schools. Baton Rouge Representative Pat Smith says in these tough budget times, the program needs to be reevaluated…:
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There are currently just over seven thousand students with vouchers in Louisiana.

Republican Presidential candidates Donald Trump and US Senator Marco Rubio will hold campaign rallies in Louisiana on Friday, a day before Louisiana’s Presidential primary. Analysts say Trump has the momentum heading into tonight’s Super Tuesday primary, but pollster John Couvillion says Trump is not a lock to win in Louisiana, because only republicans can vote in the Republican primary…
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At the state capitol, there’s eight days left in the special session and there’s been little progress in coming together on a plan to fill a 900-million dollar shortfall for this fiscal year. LSU President F King Alexander says the talk about deep cuts to higher education is hurting enrollment efforts….
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The special session must conclude on March 9th.

There’s about seven-thousand low-income students who receive a state-funded voucher to attend a private school, but Baton Rouge Representative Patricia Smith has filed legislation that would prohibit any additional students from getting a voucher. Smith says legislators need to resolve the budget crisis before expanding the program…
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Smith says the program also needs to be reevaluated after a Tulane study showed voucher students are not performing well in the area of math.

The Storm Prediction Center says there’s a marginal threat of severe weather today for northeast Louisiana. Chris Guilbeau, Deputy Director with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says keep an ear out for potential weather warnings today…
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The governor has declared this week….Severe Weather Awareness Week.

LSU President F. King Alexander says even though it’s not a popular suggestion that Tiger football could be in jeopardy this fall because of potential cuts to higher ed, he says it’s very real.The TOPS Scholarship Program is only funded at 25% for the next school year and some students may have to rethink their education plans. Alexander says LSU ranks 46th in the nation for how much they invest in each student…:
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Meanwhile lawmakers are still working out ways to compromise on ways to close the current year shortfall as 8 days remain in the special session.

It’s Super Tuesday and some analysts say that Louisiana’s March 5th Presidential Primary could have an impact on the nominations, especially on the Republican side. There’s certainly a lot of interest as the Secretary of State’s Office reports nearly 100,000 ballots were cast during the early voting period.

A Baton Rouge lawmaker has filed a bill for the regular session that will prevent new students from participating in the state’s voucher program. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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This is Severe Weather Awareness Week — an effort to encourage Louisiana families to prepare now for an emergency, even though danger is not imminent. Chris Guilbeau, Deputy Director with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says it’s a good idea to down the app Alert FM…:
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