State Superintendent of Education Doctor Cade Brumley is setting up a workgroup consisting of current teachers that will come up with solutions on how to improve work conditions for teachers….
cut 7 (12) “…those things”
Brumley says excessive training, paperwork, scripted lessons and student discipline are some of the issues holding teachers back.

Gas prices are on the increase with the statewide average price for a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana at $2.89, that’s up seventeen cents from a month ago. GasBuddy Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan it’s not surprising for this time of year.
Cut 3 (12) “…as a result.”

Because of the difficulty in finding drug companies willing to supply what’s needed to perform lethal injections, a bill has been filed to add options and protections to those companies. Brooke Thorington reports the legislation will be discussed in the crime special session which begins Monday.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A Monroe woman faces charges after she stabbed a man in the heart on Valentine’s Day. The victim is recovering after undergoing surgery. Jessie Mae Washington has been charged with aggravated second-degree battery.

10:30

The Louisiana Department of Education announces the launch of a new teacher’s workgroup to develop solutions to classroom disruptions. State Superintendent Cade Brumley says teachers feel an increased number of interruptions are taking time away from classroom instruction.

Cut 6  (10) “…teach kids.” 

Governor Landry’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes $198 million for a second round of stipends for teachers, but no permanent salary increase. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says educators thought the stipend pay hike would last more than one year.

Cut 4 (13) “…be kept.”

The proposed sale of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to Indiana-based Elevance Health Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressley says he understands the larger pool of people from Elevance may get the company better prices on technology and information, but Blue Cross is currently in good shape and has the vast majority of the market in Louisiana…

Cut 12 (06) “…financial health.” 

Among the legislation filed for the special session to address crime would expand the methods used to carry out the death penalty. Hammond Representative Nicholas Muscarello says there’s an ongoing shortage of the drugs used for lethal injections so House Bill 6 would offer alternatives…

Cut 7 (10) “…the bill.”

That session begins on Monday.

Governor Landry’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year allocates the same stipend amount of two thousand dollars for teachers they received last year. But he doesn’t want to make the pay hike permanent. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says because of the pay gap teachers are not only leaving the classrooms, but they’re also leaving the state.

Cut 5 (09) “…in Texas.” 

Seven additional cases of chronic wasting disease have been discovered in deer in Tensas Parish. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Jim Lacour…

Cut 13 (09)  “…this point.”

Two years after the first case was discovered, state officials have confirmed there are now 19 cases of the disease. A feeding an baiting ban has been implemented in Tensas, Madison, Concordia, and Franklin Parishes.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana has cancelled their policyholder vote and withdrawn their filing to be acquired by Elevance Health. Colleen Crain has more…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Kerry ‘Fatman’ Hunter, a Grammy award winning brass band drummer, is dead after being hit by an alleged drunk driver while walking near North Claiborne on Mardi Gras. A Honda Accord driven by 21 year old Jeremy Lindsey struck Hunter and he went through the windshield. Lindsey continued driving with Hunter’s body hanging out of the passenger car window. Lindsey was charged with vehicular homicide and hit and run driving.

There are several lawmakers pleased that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana will not move forward with a proposed sale to Elevance Health. Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressly says Elevance does not have have a good reputation in other states…
cut 11 (10) “….in Georgia’
Elevance says it can deliver better technology and better health outcomes to Louisiana patients.

A special session on crime begins next week and Hammond Representative Nicholas Muscarello has filed a bill that could result in Louisiana executing death row inmates again. Obtaining the drugs to carry out a lethal injection has been a problem, because the makers of those drugs do not want to be publicly identified. Muscraello says his House Bill Six addresses that…
cut 8 (13) “…as well”

Governor Landry did not include a permanent teacher pay hike in his proposed budget. And educators are not happy.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

According to Madison Trust Company, the Monroe area has the highest percentage of house holds living below the poverty level at nearly 42-percent. Lafayette is ranked ninth at 36-percent, Shreveport-Bossier City is ranked 14th at 35-percent and Hammond is 19th at 34-percent.

Because of the difficulty in finding drug companies willing to supply what’s needed to perform lethal injections, a bill has been filed to add options and protections to those companies. Brooke Thorington reports the legislation will be discussed in the crime special session which begins Monday.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Gas prices are rising. According to AAA, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.94 that’s up nearly 20 cents from a month ago as oil prices are also up.

Governor Jeff Landry’s budget proposal includes money for teachers to continue to receive the two-thousand dollar pay raise they got last year. But this two-thousand dollar increase is not permanent as there’s a concern about a drop in state revenues in future years. Legislative director of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers Cynthia Posey hopes lawmakers make the pay raise permanent as they make changes to the proposed budget…
cut 6 (12) “….first step”

The number of fatal CWD cases in deer found in Louisiana is up to 19 and all of the cases have been in Tensas Parish. State wildlife veterinarian Doctor Jim LaCour says Louisiana has put rules in place to keep C-W-D from spreading…
cut 14 (13) “….a cape”
CWD was first detected in the state in 2022.

The proposed sale of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to Indiana-based Elevance Health is off, at least for now. Blue Cross withdrew its filing and cancelled a policyholder vote saying their stakeholders need more time and information to understand the proposal. Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressly says he and other senators had many concerns…
Cut 10 (09) “…last week.”
Pressly says one of his major concerns is Elevance’s track record in other states.

Governor Landry’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes $198 million for a second round of stipends for teachers, but no permanent salary increase. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says educators thought the stipend pay hike would last more than one year.
Cut 4 (13) “…be kept.”
The Landry administration is concerned about the loss of 550-million dollars in annual revenue when a temporary .45 cent sales tax expires in July of 2025.

A special session on crime begins next week and Hammond Representative NIcholas Muscarello has filed a bill that would give the state more options to carry out death sentences. Muscarello would also like to protect the identity of drug makers who provide the drugs to perform a lethal injection. He knows discussion of the death penalty is an emotional issue…
cut 9 (10) “….families”

The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says the number of chronic wasting disease cases confirmed in deer in Louisiana is up to 19. So far the fatal disease has only been found in deer in Tensas Parish. CWD has not been found to be contagious to humans, but state wildlife veterinarian Doctor Jim LaCour recommends not to consume a deer known to be positive.
Cut 15 (12) “…consuming it.”

Governor Landry did not include a permanent teacher pay hike in his proposed budget. And educators in the Bayou State are not happy. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

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Because of the difficulty finding drug companies willing to supply what’s needed to perform lethal injections, a bill has been filed to add options and protections to those companies.

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

______________________________________________

 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana has cancelled their policyholder vote and withdrawn their filing to be acquired by Elevance Health. Colleen Crain has more…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

______________________________________________

Governor Landry’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes $198 million for a second round of stipends for teachers, but no permanent salary increase. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says educators thought the stipend pay hike would last more than one year.

Cut 4 (13) “…be kept.”

Lawmakers elected to give the same stipend amount of $2000 for teachers, and $1000 for support workers. Landry’s proposal would allocate alternating stipends based on teachers performance levels.

Posey says the pay gap plays a role in the state’s shortage of qualified educators. And teachers are not only leaving the classrooms, but they’re also leaving the state.

Cut 5 (09) “…in Texas.” 

The average teacher salary for the 2021-2022 school year was $54,907, compared to Texas at $58,887, according to the Southern Region Education Board.

Posey says BESE is expected to take up the teacher compensation for a vote in early March. She believes lawmakers making the modest size pay raise permanent for teachers in the Bayou State would be…

Cut 6 (12) “…first step.”

Governor Landry decided not to make teachers pay raise permanent because it would be illegal to remove in the future.

__________________________________________

Among the legislation filed for the special session to address crime would expand the methods used to carry out the death penalty. Baton Rouge Representative Nicholas Muscarello says there’s an ongoing shortage of the drugs used for lethal injections so House Bill 6 would offer alternatives…

Cut 7 (10) “…the bill.”

Because of the difficulty obtaining the drugs used for lethal injections, the bill would also offer protections for drug manufacturers. Muscarello says drug companies are often reluctant to provide the ingredients needed for an execution.

Cut 8 (13) “…as well.” 

Any legislation about the death penalty brings on emotional debate, but Muscarello says this bill is only about expanding methods and providing protections to drug manufacturers.

Cut 9 (10)  “…families.”

Muscarello’s bill is one of the 24 pieces of legislation Governor Jeff Landry wants passed in the special session that begins Monday and wraps on March 6^th, just days before the regular legislative session convenes on March 11^th.

_________________________________________________________

The proposed sale of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to Indiana-based Elevance Health is off, at least for now. Blue Cross withdrew their filing and cancelled a policyholder vote saying their stakeholders need more time and information to understand the proposal. Louisiana Senator Thomas Pressly says he and other senators had many concerns…

Cut 10 (09) “…last week.”

Pressly says one of his major concerns is how Elevance has done business in other states…

Cut 11 (10) “…in Georgia.” 

Pressly also voiced concern over 20 million dollars he says Blue Cross spent on what he called a “propaganda machine” to solicit votes from policyholders to approve the deal.

Pressly says why hand over a financially healthy Blue Cross Blue Shield to a company that has a billion dollars in fines nationally since 2000 and has falling CMS ratings. He says he understands the larger pool of people from Elevance may get the company better prices on technology and information, but Blue Cross is currently in good shape and has the vast majority of the market in Louisiana…

Cut 12 (06) “…financial health.” 

_____________________________________________________

State officials have confirmed seven additional cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD), with a total of 19 cases all in Tensas Parish. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Jim Lacour says the first case was discovered two years ago.

Cut 13 (09)  “…this point.”

CWD is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an infectious, misfolded protein particle, and it is 100 percent fatal to deer after an indeterminate incubation period. The first confirmed case of CWD was detected in 2022.

Lacour says a feeding an baiting ban has been implemented in Tensas, Madison, Concordia, and Franklin Parishes. He says hunters are prohibited from bringing out a deer or deer head with the brain in it but…

Cut 14 (13) “…a cape.”

LDWF has set up 13 free CWD collection sites throughout the region including Catahoula, Concordia, Franklin, Madison, Morehouse, Tensas, and Union Parishes.

And while CWD has not been found to be contagious to humans, CDC recommends not to consume a deer known to be positive. LaCour says LDWF provides free testing for hunters across the state.

Cut 15 (12) “…consuming it.”

_______________________________________________________________

The Ragin Cajuns begin a four-game road trip tonight at Old Dominion. U-L Lafayette is 8-4 in the Sun Belt, which is good for fourth place. Cajuns Coach Bob Marlin says he wants to stay in the top four, which gives them a better chance at winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament

Cut 16 (23) “…at that time” 

Old Dominion is 2-and-10 in league play, entering tonight’s game. After O-D-U, U-L Lafayette will visit Appalachian State, who is tied with Troy for first place in the Sun Belt. Point guard Themus Fulks says they will not overlook the Monarchs…

Cut 17 (17) “…game by game” 

________________________________________________________________________

LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson has named Thatcher Hurd as his starting pitcher for Friday’s season opener against V-M-I. Hurd was the winning pitcher in the national championship game and Johnson says he deserves the opening day assignment after a strong finish to last year…

Cut 18 (20)  “…do that.”

Alabama transfer Luke Holman will start game two for the Tigers on Saturday against Central Arkansas. Holman was Alabama’s ace last season as he went 7-4 with a 3.67 ERA. Johnson says Holman has been a great addition…

Cut 19 (18) “…what we are doing” 

Johnson has been impressed with the team’s preparation…

Cut 20 (24) “…on that.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana has decided not to move forward with a proposed sale to Elevance Health. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

In Simmesport a 60-year-old woman and 16-year-old girl were killed in a house fire Sunday. The State Fire Marshal’s Office says they still don’t know the cause of the blaze in Avoyelles Parish and the victim identities have not been released, they were found in separate bedrooms of the home.

Willis Knighton Health is celebrating its 100th birthday and marking the occasion with a renewed commitment to northwest Louisiana. President and CEO Jaf Fielder says the facility was originally known as the Tri-State Sanitarium in 1924. It was a small suburban hospital on the outskirts of Shreveport.

Cut 6 (12) “…the state.”
Last year, Willis Knighton Health was ranked the number-one hospital in the state by Newsweek magazine.

A New Orleans couple is being recognized for the second year in a row, as Louisiana’s Longest Married Couple by the Louisiana Family Forum. Ira and Margery Milan have been married for 82 years. Forum President Gene Mills says their story is one of love, faith, and joy.

Cut 3 (13) “…more children.”