Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Louisiana Hall of Fame musician Percy Sledge died shortly after midnight Tuesday in Baton Rouge at the age of 73. The coroner confirms Sledge had been battling cancer. Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Director Mike Shepard says this is a very sad day…:
CUT 6 (08) “wanna meet”
When a Man Loves a Woman was recorded in 1966 and was an international top 40 hit that was certified gold by the RIAA.

There was plenty of chatter on the first day of the session about an accident in the Capitol parking involving Covington Representative Paul Hollis. Apparently the new security system got confusing and Hollis’s Audi got slammed with two mental bollards. State Police Lt. JB Slaton says this security system appears to be operating properly…:
CUT 5 (05) “exact reason”

Heavy showers and thunderstorms have been moving through south Louisiana since early this morning. Flash flood watches are in effect for a large portion of south Louisiana through this evening. Donald Jones, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says even more rain is expected to roll in from the Gulf…:
CUT 9 (09) “this morning”
He says there should be a break from the rain this evening, but it will only be temporary as this entire week is expected to be a wet one.

Governor Bobby Jindal got slightly sentimental in portions of his last state of the state address to the legislature on Monday. He began by joking about some lawmakers probably being happy it would be his last time speaking to kick off the session…:
CUT 13 (12) “appreciate your restraint”

Rock and Roll and Louisiana Music Hall of fame musician Percy Sledge died this morning at his home in Baton Rouge. The music icon had been battling cancer and friends say he had been sick for a long time. Sledge was born in Leighton, Alabama and had lived in Baton Rouge since 1966. He was 73.

Covington Representative Paul Hollis had harsh first day of the legislative session. Hollis was driving his car through a parking lot at the Capitol when the new security system went off and two bollards shot up from the ground through the front of his car. State Police spokesman Lt. JB Slaton says it appears Hollis was following a delivery truck that was exiting the lot…:
CUT 3 (07) “the same time”
Hollis says he broke his right hand and suffered a concussion.

A new study shows that staying up late at night could put your health at risk. Eric Gill has more…:
CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

The National Weather Service says there could be major flooding issues taking place along south Louisiana as the rain continues to come down. There are Flood Warnings and Flood watches in place throughout the areas. 2 to 5 inches of rain with locally higher amounts are possible through 2pm.

Members of the House Democratic Caucus lay out their priorities for the legislative session. Scott Carwile has the story…

cut 3 (30) “reporting”

More showers and thunderstorms are moving through south Louisiana today. Some severe activity is expected with frequent lightning, high wind gusts, and hail. Torrential rains could cause localized and street flooding. A flash flood watch is in effect for a large portion of south Louisiana through this evening, but that may be extended with more rain forecast through the end of the week. A flash flood warning has been issued for a portion of southeast Louisiana this morning.

For the next two days, members of the public will have a chance to lobby before the House Appropriations Committee about what they would like to see funded in next fiscal year’s budget. Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller one of the things legislators will try hard to do over the next couple of months is protect higher education…

cut 9 (10) “protected”

Because of a $1.6 billion dollar shortfall, money is tight and several government services are facing massive cuts.

Governor Bobby Jindal showed a sentimental side during portions of his last state of the state address to the legislature. His father was at the Capitol but the Governor said that for the first time, his mother couldn’t make it because she was at home recovering from surgery…

cut 15 (13) “and your thoughts”

Jindal also took time to recognize his wife and children.

Today and tomorrow members of the public will have a chance to lobby before the House Appropriations Committee about what they would like to see funded in next fiscal year’s budget. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 2 (29) “reporting”

A West Monroe man faces nine counts of child pornography following an Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Unit investigation. During the execution of a search warrant, 28-year-old Jamison Harvey told authorities that he had seen and exchanged child pornography in the past. Harvey is charged with eight counts of distributing and one count of possessing pornography involving juveniles. If convicted, Harvey faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on each count.

The House Democratic Caucus cites Medicaid expansion and state funding for higher ed are their top priorities in this legislative session. Chairman, state representative John Bel Edwards, says there’s enough democrats in the legislature that can prevent the passing of bills that raise college tuition costs for students…

cut 12 (12) “technical colleges”

As it stands now, higher education is looking at a massive reduction in state funding, because of a one-point-six billion dollar revenue shortfall.

A new study shows that staying up late at night could put your health at risk from of diabetes, muscle deterioration, and metabolic disease. Pennington Biomedical Research Center Assistant Professor, Dr. Courtney Peterson, says one theory suggests that sleep during the day is not as good because of blue light interrupting your internal clock…

cut 5 (09) “less good”

The report says that these health risks exist for those who stay up late regardless of lifestyle.

The House Democratic Caucus says their top priorities in this legislative session are Medicaid expansion and state funding for higher ed. There’s talk about giving public colleges more autonomy to raise tuition or passing additional fees on students. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says the Democratic party opposes both efforts…

cut 11 (08) “their tuition”

He says Democrats will not approve a budget if the legislature doesn’t allow the state to receive federal dollars so more low-income residents can receive Medicaid.

Members of the public will have a chance to lobby before the House Appropriations Committee, today and tomorrow, about what they would like to see funded in next fiscal year’s budget. Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller says there are no more easy options for lawmakers when it comes to deciding how to handle the dire financial situation…

cut 8 (10) “by those cuts”

Moller says this is a chance for lawmakers who write the budget to understand how it impacts people and communities.
A new study by Korean researchers shows that staying up late at night could put you at a higher risk of diabetes, muscle deterioration, and metabolic disease, even if you get the same amount of sleep as early risers. Assistant Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Dr. Courtney Peterson, says she’s not surprised about these results…

cut 4 (11) “health problems”

Peterson says quality sleep can help regulate several body functions.

Governor Bobby Jindal took a break from politics to show a sentimental side during portions of his state of the state address to the legislature. The Governor brought his children to his speech for the first time…

cut 14 (13) “turn around and say hello”

Jindal also used a moment to recognize his parents.

The Pelicans climbed one step closer to the playoffs with a 100-88 win over Minnesota last night. Anthony Davis lead the way for the Pels with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans each added 22. New Orleans and Oklahoma City still have the same record after the Thunder defeated Portland 101-90. The Pelicans do hold the tiebreaker as both teams head into Wednesday’s regular season finales. A loss by the Thunder to Minnesota or a win will send New Orleans to the playoffs, but it won’t be easy as the Pelicans face defending NBA Champion San Antonio.

In college baseball, LSU is ranked in the top three in all of the major polls and is in a tie for third in the Southeastern Conference. Head coach Paul Mainieri says, halfway through the conference season, his team is right where he wants it, in a position to win the SEC championship. The Tigers are 31-6 overall and 10-5 in league play. The Tigers host Lamar tomorrow night before traveling to open the second half of conference play against Georgia Friday.

Today on the college diamond, Tulane will host Southern Miss. UNO visits Jackson State. McNeese State hosts LSU-Alexandria. Northwestern State heads to Starkville to take on Mississippi State. South Alabama travels to Thibodaux to face Nicholls State. ULM hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff. And Southeastern Louisiana hits the road to take on UL-Lafayette in a game that can be seen on ESPN3.

The Sun Belt has released its men’s and women’s basketball conference schedules. For a second straight year, each team will play a 20-game conference schedule and men’s and women’s basketball games will be played as doubleheaders.

And the fourth-ranked LSU gymnastics team is busy preparing for this weekend’s NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, TX. In Friday’s semifinal session, the Tigers compete against top-ranked Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, and Oregon State. The top three teams will advance to the Super Six finals.

Today and tomorrow members of the public will have a chance to lobby before the House Appropriations Committee about what they would like to see funded in next fiscal year’s budget. Because of a $1.6 billion dollar shortfall, money is tight and several government services are facing massive cuts. Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project, expects the public will make sure their voice is heard…:

cut 7 (10) “everyday”

Moller says public testimony on the budget is one of the most important parts of the legislative session.

The House Democratic Caucus says Medicaid expansion and state funding for higher ed are their top priorities in this legislative session. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James, says democrats will not approve a budget for next fiscal year, if the legislature doesn’t pass a bill that allows the state to receive federal dollars so more low-income residents can receive Medicaid…:

cut 10 (08) “presidential ambition”

As it stands now, higher education is looking at a massive reduction in state funding.

In his last state of the state address to the legislature, Governor Bobby Jindal took a break from politics to show a sentimental side during portions of his speech. The Governor began by joking that there may be some lawmakers happy that it would be his final time speaking in chambers to kick off the session..

cut 13 (12) “appreciate your restraint”

Jindal also said he wanted to acknowledge what he said everyone already knew and that is that he hasn’t done everything perfectly.

CUT 30 (06) “vote your machines”
The 2015 state legislative session is underway. Governor Bobby Jindal laid out his priorities for the next two months which included removing Common Core from Louisiana…:
CUT 13 (10) “and every state”

The House Democratic Caucus says Medicaid expansion and state funding for higher ed are their top priorities this session. Chairman State Representative John Bel Edwards says there are enough democrats in the legislature that can prevent the passing of bills that raise tuition costs for students…:
CUT 12 (12) “technical colleges”
Higher ed could is looking at a massive reduction in state funding because of the 1.6 billion dollar revenue shortfall.

Education is going to be a huge topic this legislative session. One of the bills seeks to add more quality substitute teachers because of the shortage. Ville Platte Representative Bernard LeBas says HB 43 would raise the salary cap to 50 percent of benefits for retired teachers to sub because it’s currently just 25%. He says the whole idea is to offer our students the best possible education…:
CUT 10 (08) “in the classrooms”
He says sometimes teachers have to double up a class or kids have to have a different substitute everyday which isn’t good for their education.

It was a tough first day of session for a Covington lawmaker. Representative Paul Hollis was driving his Audi A8 through a parking lot at the Capitol when a new security system on the grounds went off and two upright structures shot up and through the front of the car. Hollis said he hit his windshield and his airbag also deployed.