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…:
CUT 4 (04) “as well”
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…:
CUT 6 (07) “1996″

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:
CUT 10 (10) “their family”

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…
cut 9 (07) “…Cruz some”

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….
cut 4 (06) “….other universities”
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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Today is Super Tuesday which means several states will be voting for their party’s favorite candidate in the upcoming presidential election. Louisiana’s primary is March 5th and many voters here are wondering if our ballots will even matter. Pollster John Couvillon of JMC Analytics says Louisiana will absolutely be getting attention after today…:
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He says Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are still strong contenders for the GOP nomination, but it’s possible the Democratic candidate will be locked in after tonight.

The state House put on hold the alcohol and cigarette tax bills until today saying they want to see what the Senate does with the measure that calls for more than $100 million dollars in cuts to the current year budget. On cuts to higher ed, LSU President F King Alexander says even though some brush the notion off as ridiculous, football is most certainly feeling the impacts of all this…:
CUT 5 (07) “to LSU”

Governor John Bel Edwards announces this week is Severe Weather Awareness Week to get the public to create a game plan for emergencies. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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DNA from a Baton Rouge man who was arrested in December on an unrelated matter ended up facing second-degree rape charges after it matched that of a teenage girl’s rape kit taken 20 years ago. Authorities say 59-year-old Jerry Williams denied the crime in 1996, but the DNA taken last year told a different story, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. An arrest warrant was issued for Williams who was booked into Parish Prison on $80,000 bond.

There are just 8 days left in the special legislative session and things still appear to be moving along at a slow crawl. The debate over cuts vs. revenue is ongoing. Discussions about deep budget cuts to higher education could mean fewer students at LSU according to President F King Alexander…:
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Alexander stands by comments that LSU football is at risk.

Two LSU student protesters were escorted out of the state Capitol on Monday after releasing a bright orange banner that read, “Save Our Schools” over the rail of the Senate floor. They were immediately removed as demonstrations are prohibited in chambers.

The Secretary of State’s Office says nearly 100,000 ballots were cast during the early voting period for the March 5th Louisiana presidential primary. They say that’s more than twice than early voting numbers from 2012.

A bill has been filed for the regular session calling for a freeze on the state voucher program, which allows students in public schools with a C, D or F rating to attend private schools at the state’s expense. Baton Rouge Representative Patricia Smith says not awarding first time vouchers would save the state badly needed cash…:
Cut 13 (09) “ones out”
There are currently just over seven thousand students with vouchers in Louisiana.

Governor John Bel Edwards declares this week as Severe Weather Awareness Week in an effort to get families to create a game plan in the event of an emergency. Chris Guilbeau, Deputy Director with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says this comes at a good time as 13 confirmed tornadoes touched down last week…:
Cut 10 (10) “their family”

More potential budget cuts to higher education could mean lower enrollment numbers at LSU. Halen Doughty reports…:
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The National Weather Service says parts of Louisiana could be in for some severe weather this afternoon into this evening as a cold front heads this way. They say the chance for bad storms is 5 per percent, compared to 45 percent last Tuesday when tornadoes ripped through south Louisiana. Daytime temperatures today are expected in the mid 70s, and Wednesday’s highs around 65 once the front settles in.

Today is Super Tuesday, so will Louisiana’s presidential primary still matter on Saturday, March 5th? Pollster John Couvillon of JMC Analytics says Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton are in a strong position to receive their party’s nomination as people in 12 states will vote today. Couvillon says it’s possible the democratic nomination will be sewn up after tonight…:
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Trump’s campaign announces the GOP candidate will hold another rally in Louisiana. They say Trump will be at Landmark Aviation in New Orleans on Friday. US Senator Marco Rubio is expected to rally in Baton Rouge on Friday.