There’s good and bad news on the state of labor in Louisiana on this Labor Day. The Louisiana Budget Project says between 2012-2014, median wages have increased 39 cents. LBP Director Jan Moller says while we have more people working in the state than ever before, large pay gaps keep getting bigger:
CUT 5 (09) “middle class”
He believes more needs to be done to improve the lives of workers in Louisiana.

The LSU/McNeese State game was cancelled due to lightning Saturday night and Tiger Head Coach Les Miles says he’s not sure how this will impact the 4-team playoff since they only have 11 games while everyone else has 12…:
CUT 15 (17) “might play”
It’s the first cancelled game in nearly 100 years for LSU. Refund information will be announced by Wednesday.

The Shreveport Police Department says an officer involved shooting has left the suspect dead after a wild police chase and manhunt. They say cops were responding to reports from a concerned citizen who said someone had just tried to sell her drugs. When officers caught up with the man’s vehicle matching the caller’s description, the suspect reportedly pulled out a gun and fired at them but nobody was hit. When the chase ended, the suspect got out of the car with a gun and that’s when police responded with gunfire according to the report.

The LSU Ag Center increases its estimate on how much damage feral hogs perform on Louisiana farms. Michael Farrar has the story…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michael Farrar”

Louisiana is making strides in increased wages and gender pay equality but there is still a long way to go for workers on this Labor Day. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The State Department of Health and Hospitals says hundreds of imported cucumbers across Louisiana are being recalled as the FDA believes they are the source of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak. They say there have been about 280 cases linked to the contaminated cucumbers throughout the US including three in Louisiana. They were distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce.

The Franklin Parish community remains in shock today about the death of 16-year-old Tyrell Cameron who collapsed after a hit during a football game Friday night. Franklin Parish Patriots play-by-play man Matt Reynolds says about about 1,000 people came to a vigil at the football stadium Saturday night and it was great to see so much support for the team and Cameron’s family..:
CUT 19 (10) “terrible event”
Though autopsy results are pending, it’s reported that Cameron’s neck broke after the fatal hit.

According to a recent LSU AgCenter report, in 2013 feral hogs caused more than $74 million dollars in farm damage here. The research was conducted by AgCenter Economist Shaun Tanger. He says that number
is just based on reports from farmers and doesn’t even include
non-farm land damage:
CUT 13 (07) “considerable bigger”
He says the most effective way to control the wild animals is to trap and kill them.

There’s mixed news for the workers of Louisiana on this Labor Day. The Louisiana Budget Project found that employee wages in the state are up with a median of $15.63 an hour. That’s a 39-cent increase from 2012-2014. L-B-P Director Jan Moller says that’s the good, but there is some bad…:
cut 4 (10) “get wilder”
He believes we’re not doing nearly enough to improve the lives of workers across the state.

So the LSU game didn’t happen Saturday night. The lightning delays kept coming at Tiger Stadium and it was decided to cancel the game just after 10:30pm. LSU is now getting ready for Mississippi State, without the benefit of having a full game under their belt. But Coach Les Miles says the Tigers will be ready for the Bulldogs…:
Cut 16 (10) “positives there”
LSU says refund information will be announced by Wednesday.

Qualifying starts tomorrow and in our final gubernatorial Q&A we asked candidates ways they feel the staggering STD rate in Louisiana could be improved. Republican Jay Dardenne says the numbers are highest in the bigger cities which he attributes to increased risk for human trafficking which is a problem that needs to be addressed…:
CUT 9 (10) “entire community”
Democrat Jon Bel Edwards says healthcare access is crucial to reducing the rate of HIV, AIDS and STDs..:
CUT 10 (10) “education curriculum”
The primary is October 24th.

Feral hogs continue to be a major problem in Louisiana and cost farmers around 74 million dollars in damage in 2013. LSU AgCenter Economist Shaun Tanger says this problem isn’t going away…:
CUT 12 (06) “continue to escalate”
The LSU AgCenter estimates Louisiana’s feral hog population at a half-million.

There’s no LSU game from Saturday to react to on this Labor Day. The Tigers and McNeese State played a handful of snaps, when lightning near the stadium halted the contest. The decision to cancel the game, came just after 10:30 after the teams waited nearly four hours for the lightning to stop. Coach Les Miles says there was no sense in trying to resume the game at around midnight…:
Cut 14 (10) “in the morning”
LSU says ticket refund information will be available by Wednesday.

Franklin Parish is mourning 16-year-old Tyrell Cameron who died apparently from a broken neck when playing football Friday night. Matt Reynolds is the play-by-play man for the Franklin Parish Patriots. He says this was Cameron’s first varsity game as a starter and his teammates loved him…:
CUT 18 (08) “brought laughter”
Cameron was rushed to a hospital but died shortly after the fatal hit.

To conclude our series of questions to the gubernatorial candidates, we asked them how they would work with state agencies to reduce the number of sexually transmitted diseases. Senator David Vitter says education is a must…:
CUT 7 (09) “early grades”
Louisiana has some of the highest STD rates in the country. Republican Scott Angelle believes parents need to talk to their kids early on about the birds and the bees in addition to sex ed in classrooms…:
CUT 8 (09) “our educators”
Louisiana’s gubernatorial primary is October 24th.

Damage from feral hogs cost Louisiana farmers an estimated 74-million dollars in 2013. That’s according to research conducted by LSU AgCenter Economist Shaun Tanger, who says the hogs caused 53-million in damage to Louisiana crops…:
cut 11 (08) “non-production losses”

Labor Day weekend is here and gas prices are as low as they’ve been for this time of the year since 2004. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 4 (24) “….reporting”

Damage from feral hogs cost Louisiana farmers an estimated 74-million dollars in 2013. That’s according to research conducted by LSU AgCenter Economist Shaun Tanger, who says the hogs caused 53-million in damage to Louisiana crops…
cut 11 (08) “…non-production losses”
The additional 21-million in non-production losses includes replanting costs and damage to pastures and levees.

A sophomore on the Franklin Parish Patriots football team died last night after taking a hit while returning a punt in the fourth quarter of a game against Sterlington. It’s been reported that the hit broke the neck of Tyrell Cameron. He was rushed to a local hospital where he died. Franklin Parish high school is asking for prayers for his family.

There are some who say LSU can be one of the four teams in the college football playoffs. We’ll see how they look tonight when they host McNeese State in the season opener. Coach Les Miles says the players believe they can compete with anyone…
cut 17 (14) “…talented guys”
Kick-off is at 6:30. Also on the schedule, ULM is at Georgia, the Ragin Cajuns visit Kentucky, Louisiana Tech hosts Southern and Grambling is at Cal.

The Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday is this weekend. Department of Revenue spokesperson Kizzy Payton says Louisiana sportsmen can buy new hunting supplies, free of state and local sales taxes…
cut 20 (07) “and apparel”

The Annual Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival takes place this weekend in Morgan City, but this year there’s not much to celebrate in either industry. Eric Gill has more…
voicer 5 (30) “…reporting”

The LSU football team opens the season tonight against McNeese State. Mississippi State and Auburn are looming on the schedule for the Tigers, but LSU Head Coach Les Miles has the utmost respect for the Cowboys…
cut 30 (09) “…well prepared”
Kick-off is at 6:30. In other action today, ULM is at 9th ranked Georgia. Ragin Cajuns at Kentucky and Louisiana Tech hosts Southern.

Sad story out of Winnsboro today as a Franklin Parish football player died after he was injured while returning a punt in a high school game against Sterlington. Sophomore Tyrell Cameron was taken off the field on a stretcher and died at a local hospital. Franklin Parish High School sent out a tweet that said Tyrell will live on in the memory of those who loved him.

In Winnsboro last night, a high school football player died after reportedly breaking his neck after taking a hit while returning a punt. Tyrell Cameron, a sophomore for the Franklin Parish Patriots, was rushed to a local hospital where he passed away from his injury. The school is asking for Louisiana residents to pray for his family.

It’s been a tough year for Louisiana law enforcement, as six officers have been fatally shot while on duty. But a Baton Rouge waitress showed her support for the men in blue by buying lunch for three BRPD officers and her kind note to the policemen has gone viral on facebook. Lt. Johnny Dunham with Baton Rouge police says it’s nice to be reminded there are people who side with law enforcement…
cut 5 (09) ‘…really wonderful”
The photo of the check on BRPD’s facebook page has received over 30-thousand likes.

A state judge is putting the City of New Orleans on notice and threatening to place Mayor Mitch Landrieu on house arrest if they don’t cough up firefighters back pay. The city’s firefighters union claims New Orleans owes them more than $140 million dollars. Landrieu says that kind of money would cripple the city…:
CUT 14 (09) “of America”
Previously, the city reportedly offered to pay $15 million up front and the remaining balance over the next 30 years, but that offer was rejected.

LSU hosts McNeese State tonight in the college football opener in Tiger Stadium. The Cowboys athletic program receive 500-thousand dollars to play in this game. McNeese Coach Matt Viator says it’s also an awesome opportunity for his players….
cut 18 (12) “….Saturday”
Kick-off is at 6:30.