This afternoon, Governor Bobby Jindal announces a plan to remove Common Core from Louisiana’s public schools and replace it with educational standards and a standardized test developed by Louisiana teachers and parents. He made the announcement as a several lawmakers stood by his side, including Alexandria Representative Lance Harris…
cut 14 (09) “federal government”
There are three different bills that make up Jindal’s plan to replace Common Core. The governor says his eight-year-old son who is in fifth grade, is like many children, who are frustrated with the “Fuzzy Math” questions.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced today the oyster season will close just after sunset of Friday on public seed grounds east of the Mississippi River and north of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. LDWF officials say the remaining oyster resource is in the best interest in overall oyster conservation.
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A Natchitoches man has been arrested for simple battery and hate crimes after an incident at a local business. Natchitoches Police Captain Chris Payne say thirty-five-year-old Roderick Rachal (rah-SHELL) had been arrested multiple times in the past for similar incidents. In each case, Payne says Rachal targeted a specific race and gender…
CUT 5 (08) Q: “hate crimes”
He says a female victim told officers that a man she did not know grabbed her buttocks.

There’s a new state-wide poll that shows 56-percent of Louisiana residents support an increase in the state’s cigarette tax. La-Politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford thinks the tax will pass in the upcoming legislative session, although there will be some questions that come with it…
CUT 9 (09) Q: “get the money”
That poll also revealed Governor Bobby Jindal with a 28 perent positive rating.

Governor Bobby Jindal announces a plan to removed Common Core from Louisiana’s public schools and replace it with educational standards and a standardized test developed by Louisiana teachers and parents. He says the plan will be presented to lawmakers next month for the new legislative session…
CUT 12 (13) Q: “in our classrooms”
The announcement coincides with 316 thousand students in the state who are taking Common Core tests right now.

The drop in the price of oil is being seen in a new lease sale today at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Regulators report only 195 bids for new oil and gas leasing were placed off the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. That’s the lowest amount since 1986, when there were only 129 bids offered.
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A new statewide poll show residents support for higher cigarette taxes, but the numbers for Governor Bobby Jindal, who proposed the idea-along with other cuts, are not so good. Only 28-percent of respondents gave him a positive rating. LA-politics-dot-com Publisher Jeremy Alford says he’s not convinced of that…
CUT 11 (10) Q: : “more believeable”
Still, he says, that’s not even close to where the governor was 7 years ago.

Last November Mike The Tiger Six made a post on Facebook letting fans know that his trainers practice with him all summer to get into the cage, but now he refuses to do so on gameday, and is not food motivated. Former caretaker Paul Marks Jr. says back in his day their Mike wasn’t in a 5 million dollar enclosure.
CUT 8 (05) Q: “happy there”
Marks was caretaker from 1963 to 1965.

Gov Jindal says there will be 3 specific bills to get Common Core out of Louisiana that will be proposed in the upcoming session. He says the plan would replace the PARCC test with one that has standards developed by Louisiana teachers and parents. Jindal says he wants a clear and transparent way to develop new educational standards.

There’s a new poll out showing 54 percent of people disapprove of Common Core. MarblePoint polled 1000 Louisiana residents using an automated phone survey. La-Politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Common Core will be a passionate issue in the upcoming legislative session…:
CUT 10 (10) “for lawmakers”
As far as Governor Jindal’s approval numbers go, only 28-percent of respondents gave him a positive rating.

Do you think Mike the Tiger should be going to LSU football games and stick to tradition? Mike VI did not go to any games last season. Paul Marks Jr. was III’s caretaker in the 60s. He says they would not feed their Mike on Friday’s to get him read for Saturday night and the vets said that was okay…:
CUT 7 (12) “when he got to the stadium”
The comments were made on the Jim Engster Show. Mike VI says he doesn’t get into his cage on gamedays and he is not motivated by food.

State Police has released the name of the trooper who ran over an killed an Alabama truck driver in Madison Parish this week. They say it was Master Trooper Kenny Baker who was looking for 47-year-old David Watford when he ran over him accidentally. The crash is under investigation.

A new statewide poll by MarblePoint Polling shows support for higher cigarette taxes, but residents do not approve of Common Core or Governor Bobby Jindal’s job performance. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

State Police say a former detective with the Ville Platte Police Department has been arrested on multiple charges. Authorities say Nathanial Savoy, who also owns a roofing business, was allegedly spotted on surveillance video stealing roofing materials from a local business. He was reportedly in a police unit when the crime was committed.

A Natchitoches man is facing hate crime and battery charges after an incident in which he is accused of grabbing a woman’s back side. Police Captain Chris Payne says 35-year-old Roderick Rachal is a repeat offender…:
CUT 4 (10) “of 2006”
Payne says it appears that in each case Rachal targets a specific race and gender which is why he also is charged with hate crimes.

Gas prices appear to be remaining steady and at least dropping a bit. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular is now $2.24 down a penny from the day before and a little over two cents lower than last week.

A new statewide poll shows support for higher cigarette taxes, but residents do not approve of Common Core or Governor Bobby Jindal’s job performance. The survey found that 56-percent of residents support an increase in the state’s cigarette tax. LA-politics.com publisher Jeremy Alford thinks the tax will pass this session…:
CUT 9 (09) “get the money”
63% of 1000 respondents in the Marble Point Poll said the disapprove of Jindal’s job performance, and 54% disapprove of Common Core. To both of those topics, Governor Bobby Jindal will be making an announcement at the mansion in Baton Rouge today which according to a release says he’s going to unveil his plan to get Louisiana out of Common Core.

State Police has released the name of the trooper who ran over an killed an Alabama truck driver in Madison Parish this week. They say it was Master Trooper Kenny Baker who was looking for 47-year-old David Watford when he ran over him accidentally. The crash is under investigation.

A former caretaker of LSU’s mascot Mike wrote a letter to a Baton Rouge newspaper expressing concern over the live Tiger’s increasing lack of appearing in the stadium at home football games. Mike the VI did not go to a single contest last season. Paul Marks Jr. says he was responsible for Mike III from 1963-1965 and they never had a problem getting him to games.
He says the difference is that they altered his feeding patterns…:
CUT 6 (10) “there ya go”
The comments on The Jim Engster Show.

LSU men’s basketball faces off against North Carolina State in the first round of the NCAA tournament tomorrow night, and President Obama must not be a Tiger fan. Mr. Obama released his bracket and picked LSU to lose to the Wolfpack.

Governor Bobby Jindal has issued a release saying he has a plan to get Louisiana out of Common Core. The governor will be unveiling his idea to remove the state from the education standards this afternoon at 12:30.

Residents will soon have to pay more for flood insurance. Scott Carwile has more…:
CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

A Natchitoches man is under arrest for simple battery and hate crimes after an incident at a local business. 35-year-old Roderick Rachal was booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center. Police Captain Chris Payne says responding officers spoke to a female victim that said a man she did not know grabbed her buttocks…:
CUT 3 (08) “upon the victim”
Because Rachal targeted a specific race and gender, he was additionally charged with hate crimes.

Latest employment numbers show that there were 7500 less people working in January than in December, ending a long streak of monthly employment gains. Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Curt Eysink says
says the drop in oil prices has caused about 1,000 layoffs over the past few months…:
CUT 12 (12) “short term thing”

Governor Bobby Jindal is looking at selling tobacco settlement money that would result in an estimated 750-million dollars in cash. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 3 (29) “reporting”

State Police say a former detective with the Ville Platte Police Department has been arrested on multiple charges. Authorities say Nathanial Savoy, who also owns a roofing business, was allegedly spotted on surveillance video stealing roofing materials from a local business. He was reportedly in a police unit when the crime was committed. Savoy was booked on simple burglary, malfeasance in office, and tampering with evidence, among other charges. Savoy resigned from the department Monday.

Residents will soon have to pay more for flood insurance as the result of changes to the National Flood Insurance Program that were passed by Congress last year. State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says these changes are complicated, so you may want to get some advice…

cut 9 (10) “Insurance Program”

He says premiums could rise as much as 25-percent and property owners will have to pay an annual surcharge. The changes go into effect April 1.

State Police say an Alabama trucker died when he was run over by a trooper who was looking for him in Madison Parish. Sgt. James Anderson says 47-year-old David Watford of Cottonwood, Alabama was walking in the middle of the road when he was struck by a trooper driving a Tahoe. He says an investigation into the crash is underway…

cut 6 (07) “examined thoroughly”

Watford was pronounced dead at the scene.

Latest employment numbers show that there were 7500 less people working in January than in December, ending a long streak of monthly employment gains. Michelle Southern reports…

Cut 2 (29) “reporting”

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a shooting that left one dead and another injured. They say when officers responded they found that 50-year-old Jerome Buckner, Sr. and an unidentified woman had been shot. Buckner was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was transported to a local. Authorities identified and questioned the alleged shooter, but no charges have been filed at this time.

Governor Bobby Jindal is looking at selling the remainder of a multi-billion dollar settlement from tobacco manufacturers to help with the state’s $1.6 billion budget deficit. The Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation, voted to begin the process of selling the tobacco settlement. House Speaker Chuck Kleckley says the sale will need legislative approval, which means several public hearings on the issue…

cut 15 (07) “to continue”

The money under discussion is from a 1998 settlement involving tobacco companies who paid billions of dollars to numerous states for health care costs associated with smoking.

A truck driver from Alabama died when he was run over by a state trooper who was looking for him in Madison Parish, according to State Police. Sgt. James Anderson says 47-year-old David Watford of Cottonwood, Alabama was walking in the middle of the road wearing blue jeans and a camouflage shirt when the trooper in a Tahoe approached…

cut 5 (08) “lane of travel”

Anderson says Watford was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.