The US-House has passed three bills by Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany that spotlight recent IRS controversies and would ultimately limit the power of the federal agency. Boustany says one issue he wanted to address was that some denials of tax exempt status were not subject to appeal which he think is wrong..

cut 7 (11) “certain organizations”

Boustany, chair of the oversight subcommittee of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, says safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the public’s trust is not breached. The Senate still needs to approve the bills.

Louisianians are liking the price they’re seeing at the pump these days. According to gasbuddy-dot-com, the current statewide average for a gallon of regular is just $3.13. The lowest prices are seen in southeast Louisiana with some stations reporting regular gas as low as $2.83 per gallon.

A federal report says Louisiana’s prison population fell two-percent last year, but the state still has the highest incarceration rate in the US. Doctor Peter Scharf, with the Justice and Public health institute at the LSU Health Science Center, says the mindset on how to punish criminals is changing and that should help lower the prison population…

cut 11 (11) “…fix crime“

Scharf says the department of corrections has put programs in place to help recently released inmates stay out of jail and there’s been a push to lower sentences for certain crimes.

The Sherveport Police Department has a man in custody accused of beating a child so badly he had to be hospitalized. It is alleged that 23-year-old Frank Butler hit the child with a belt about 25 times causing a significant amount of injuries. Butler was arrested and booked on one count of second degree cruelty to a juvenile. The relationship between Butler and the child is unknown at this time. The child is expected to recover.

A federal report says Louisiana’s prison population fell two-percent last year, but the state still has the highest incarceration rate in the US, well ahead of Mississippi who is second. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Louisiana’s prison population in 2013 was at 39-thousand, a drop of nearly nine-hundred people from 2012. Doctor Peter Scharf, with the Justice and Public health institute at the LSU Health Science Center, anticipates the state’s incarceration rate will continue to decline, but it will take time to get it at more acceptable level…
cut 10 (10) “…very large’

He says there’s a major effort to lower the prison population in Louisiana.

The Gonzales Police Department has arrested a pharmacy tech accused of stealing prescription medications and selling them to alleged drug dealers. 35-year-old Shantrell Landry of Convent was booked on felony theft and multiple distribution charges. Authorities say Landry admitted to the crimes and claimed she earned more than $20,000 selling the drugs.

The US-House has passed three bills by Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany that spotlight recent IRS controversies and would ultimately limit the power of the federal agency. Michelle Southern has that..

cut 1 (33) “reporting”

A district judge threw out the law that would give State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson and another trooper a major retirement boost. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 2 (28) “reporting”

Well looks like the Vikings have changed their mind regarding the decision to let star running back Adrian Peterson play in the Saints game Sunday. The team says Peterson needs to work out his child abuse charges before he can come back. He’s charged with a felony for using a switch on his 4-year-old son.

According to a new report with data compiled from the US census, Louisiana has the most single people in the nation. The Martin Prosperity Institute study found 55.7% of adults here are not married. Demographer Greg Rigamer attributes this in part to the increase in the number of people in Louisiana between the ages of 20 and 29…:
CUT 5 (09) “unmarried adults”
He says more young people are coming in because there are growing job opportunities for their age group.

The Department of Health and Hospitals confirm that two children are being treated at a Baton Rouge hospital for Enterovirus D68. Assistant State Health Officer, Dr. Takiesha Davis, says this aggravated breathing issues in children who have asthma and usually starts with cold-like symptoms…:
CUT 14 (09) “respiratory illnesses”
She says you should see a doctor if your child has these symptoms.

The Department of Health and Hospitals confirm that two children are being treated at a Baton Rouge hospital for Enterovirus D68. Eric Gill has more…:
CUT 3 (29) “reporting”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Louisiana still leads the nation in number of prisoners, but the federal report released Tuesday shows that number has declined slightly. The data indicates Louisiana’s prison population fell by 2.2 percent last year to below 40,000.

Governor Bobby Jindal is once again playing down a new poll showing he would have little support if he ran for President. A survey conducted by CNN of New Hampshire republican voters that listed 10 other candidates showed Jindal with 3 percent support. But the Louisiana Governor says polls don’t mean anything right now…:
CUT 11 (10) “or fundraising”
As for Presidential candidacy Jindal says he’ll decide for sure after the November election.

The controversial pension hike for State Police Col Mike Edmonson added to a last minute bill in the 2014 legislative session has been tossed by a district judge as unconstitutional. State Treasurer John Kennedy says this law wasn’t fair to begin with…:
CUT 8 (08) “special treatment”
Kennedy says he just hopes this is a closed matter.

A district judge threw out the law that would give State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson and another trooper a major retirement boost. Judge Janice Clark ruled the provision to be unconstitutional stating lawmakers did not follow proper procedure in passing the pension change. State Treasurer John Kennedy says this measure was not only unconstitutional, it was unfair…:
CUT 7 (11) “that’s not right”
Kennedy hopes the book is now closed on this matter.

The State Department of Environmental Quality and the State Fire Marshal’s Office have ordered a Shreveport landfill to shut down. The order requires Harrelson Material Management Inc, where long-burning fires have been a problem for years, to cease operations and its construction and demolition landfill on Russel Road in Shreveport.

According to a new report with data compiled from the US census, Louisiana has the most single people in the nation. The Martin Prosperity Institute study found 55.7% of adults here are not married. Demographer Greg Rigamer says this could be because after Katrina and the BP Oil spill, Louisiana got a big boost in job opportunities…:
CUT 4 (10) “younger profile”
New Orleans topped the list as the metro area in the US with the highest number of single people at 58%.

Louisianians continue to enjoy low gas prices across the region. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular is just $3.13 according to gasbuddy.com. The lowest prices are seen mostly across southeast Louisiana with some stations reporting regular gas is down to $2.83.

The Department of Health and Hospitals confirm that two children are being treated at a Baton Rouge hospital for Enterovirus D68. Assistant State Health Officer, Dr. Takiesha Davis, says this is a very common of strain of virus in the US that typically flares up in the fall. She says DHH advises parents to be particularly mindful of children…:
CUT 13 (10) “such as asthma”
Most people recover without treatment, but Davis says if parents notice high fever, dehydration, or troubled breathing in their children they should immediately seek care.

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office is looking for answers in the case of a woman whose body was found on the LA 182 bridge that crosses the Atchafalaya River between Berwick and Morgan City around 4am Tuesday morning. At first deputies received a report that the woman was passed out but she was later pronounced dead on the scene. An autopsy is being performed to determine cause of death.

Governor Bobby Jindal is not concerned about poll numbers that show him receiving little support when compared to other potential presidential candidates. Jindal received only three percent in a recent CNN poll of New Hampshire republican voters that listed ten other candidates. Jindal says he doesn’t look at polls…:
CUT 10 (09) “in all honesty”
Jindal made these comments in Washington DC after unveiling a US energy policy that was developed from his nonprofit group called America Next.

Former LSU track star and Olympian LoLo Jones was bumped from Dancing With the Stars last night in the first round. Her performance Tuesday has been described as brutal and extremely awkward. Another Louisiana star, Sadie Robertson of the Duck Dynasty Robertsons is still in.

The state Board of Regents releases a report showing students at colleges are more vulnerable when it comes to sexual assault because there is no statewide policy in place for handling such allegations. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell says Louisiana needs to establish a benchmark that all colleges must meet when it comes to the way sexual assault claims are handled…

cut 13 (08) “should be required”

Morrell says alleged college student victims need to all feel comfortable reporting any potential sexual assault.

According to officials, two students from Central High had to be removed from class Monday after having a bad reaction to synthetic marijuana they smoked at school. Superintendent Michael Faulk says the students, aged 17 and 18, were rushed to the emergency room for treatment, then an investigation began…

cut 7 (09) “backpacks”

Faulk says according to school policy each student will be automatically expelled.

Louisiana schools are still seeing a higher number of teachers retiring compared to what they saw prior to 2010. Nearly three-thousand K-through-12 teachers retired during the fiscal year that ended June 30th. Scott Richard, director of the Louisiana School Board Association, blames it on the turmoil that’s going on in public education…

cut 9 (08) “in some cases”

He says if there wasn’t so much uncertainty with Common Core and changes to how teachers are evaluated, many recently retired teachers would still be teaching.

The Tallulah Police Department says a 3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself after finding a loaded handgun in his home. Spokeswoman Yvonne Lewis says the mother left the home for about 3 to five minutes to get the kids something to drink at a nearby store and when she returned the child had already found the gun and shot himself…

cut 4 (05) “found it there”

She says they believe this really was just a tragic accident.

Louisiana schools are still seeing a higher number of teachers retiring compared to what they saw three years ago. Scott Richard, director of the Louisiana School Board Association, says if there wasn’t so much uncertainty with Common Core and changes to how teachers are evaluated, many recently retired teachers would still be teaching….

cut 11 (06) “the future“

Nearly three-thousand K-through-12th grade teachers retired during the fiscal year that ended June 30th.

The Tallulah Police Department says a 3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself after finding a loaded handgun in a home. Spokeswoman Yvonne Lewis says emergency personnel got the call around 4:10 Monday afternoon..

cut 3 (10) “die from the injury”

Lewis says investigators did a test on the child and learned that the 3-year-old did in fact shoot himself.

The state Board of Regents releases a report showing students at colleges are more vulnerable when it comes to sexual assault because there is no statewide policy in place for handling such allegations. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell requested the report and says no two Louisiana colleges have the same guidelines for handling sexual assault accusations…

cut 12 (08) “very very different thing”

He says Louisiana needs to establish a benchmark that all colleges must meet when it comes to the way sexual assault claims are handled,

According to officials, two students from Central High had to be removed from class and sent to the hospital Monday after having bad reaction to synthetic marijuana they smoked at school. Superintendent Michael Faulk says the teachers reported something just wasn’t right with the two boys in the classroom…

cut 6 (12) “marijuana”

Faulk says the case is now in the hands of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s office.