News for Tuesday 043013

By Dave Graichen

The House Appropriations committee approves a spending plan for next fiscal year that does not contain any one-time money for recurring expenses.  As written, removal of one-time  dollars  from  the state's  24-billion  dollar  budget,  means  a 22-percent across the board reduction in funding for all state agencies, including higher education. .  Higher  Ed  Commissioner  Jim  Purcell  says such a reduction in funding for higher education next fiscal year would not be good for the state. The  proposed budget for next fiscal year heads to the House  floor, and it will be voted on May ninth.

After months of allegations, investigation, arguments and meetings, the Louisiana College Board of Trustees could decide Tuesday on whether Joe Aguillard will remain president of school. The 34-member board is expecting to hear competing motions — one that would terminate Aguillard and another that would that would affirm him as president. The vote is expected to be close.

The  state's  Legislative  Auditor  releases  a report that finds the overall impact of the state's aggressive film & TV tax incentives are a lot less than many originally believed. For example, the state spent $197-million  on  tax credits for  production  projects  in  2010 and received $27-million in  tax revenue  in  return.  Overall,  the   state   has   given  up  about $800-million  in  tax breaks for the movies over the past  5  years.

Deputies in Rapides Parish bust  a  drug suspect, who they say tried to  stash  his  dope  on the candy aisle  of  a  convenience  store. Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Carnline  says  officers  were watching the area outside  the  store  for drug activity. They saw a  transaction  and moved in to make the arrest,  but  the  suspected  ducked  into  the

store.  Store  workers pointed out that the suspect, Donald Hampton, put something on  a  shelf  among  the  candy.  It  turned out to be crystal  meth  rocks.

In response to federal questions, state health officials scaled back their request for blanket approval of the supplemental Medicaid financing included in the private takeover of LSU hospitals. The state Department of Health and Hospitals has submitted only a request for approval of a deal involving Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, called CMS, had asked numerous questions about an earlier broad-ranging  submission to encompass all potential deals. Among the questions was how the state could propose a November 2012 effective date when no agreements had even been signed at that point.

LSU  has released a written statement indicating running back Jeremy Hill has  been  suspended from the team after his arrest for battery last weekend. Coach Les Miles says he won't comment until the matter plays out through the legal system. Hill was busted after a fight at Reggie's Bar near the LSU campus and charged with simple battery. He was released on $500 bond. Hill was already on probation for a sexual encounter he admitted to with a 14 year old girl.

A House committee has approved a constitutional  amendment  to make it financially  easier  to pay one's sharply increased property  taxes. Speaker of the House Chuck  Kleckley,  of Lake Charles, authored the bill. He says he did so after hearing from  homeowners  who were hit with huge property tax increases. Kleckley proposes a three-year phase-in, if the  tax increase is 15% or  more over the previous year. It will need a two-thirds  vote  in both  the  House  and  Senate  before  it could be sent to voters to

decide on the fall ballot.

The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee supported a measure to repeal state tax credits for wind energy systems and to phase down tax breaks for solar energy systems. The program has cost far more than originally estimated, and lawmakers have been concerned about the price tag. House Bill 705 by state Rep. Erich Ponti of Baton Rouge, was approved without objection and heads next to the House floor for debate.

A bill aimed at limiting the finance charges on consumer litigation loans sparked heated debate in the state Senate Monday afternoon. State Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, said he filed Senate Bill 166 because people can end up paying way too much in fees when they borrow money ahead of an expected settlement. The loans have been compared to pay day loans. Critics contend that litigants borrow money that will be repaid once they receive a settlement but often end up paying exorbitant fees. The loans are promoted as a way for plaintiffs to stay in litigation while still paying their bills.

The  LSU  AgCenter  says  high prices and record yields for corn and soybeans drove Louisiana's  agricultural economy to a record high of $11.4-billion last year. That's about 6.5 percent more than the 2011 amount of $10.7-billion.

News for Friday 042613

By Dave Graichen

An article in today’s Town Talk reports a major Louisiana College donor has announced it no longer will support the college “due to actions of President [Joe] Aguillard.

The Cason Foundation has donated $5 million to the private Baptist college in Pineville over the last 2 1/2 years to fund the Caskey School of Divinity. Edgar Cason, who established the foundation along with his wife, Flo, sent a letter dated April 15 to members of the LC Board of Trustees announcing he was withdrawing all future financial support. A report after an investigation by an independent New Orleans law firm, found that Aguillard had improperly diverted nearly $60,000 in funds donated to the Divinity School for use in LC’s projects in Tanzania, Africa. A separate internal committee composed of five LC board members has issued a report saying Aguillard did nothing wrong.

The Rapides Parish School Board approved a three-year contract for Superintendent Nason “Tony” Authement, who will begin work June 1. The contract includes a $160,000 base salary, an $800 monthly expense account and $3,500 for moving expenses. Authement currently resides in Houma. Former Rapides Parish Superintendent Dr.Gary L. Jones earned $145,000 in the final year of his contract.

US Senator Mary Landrieu believes the  strong support that's been on display  from  the  local community could help  Fort  Polk  avoid  a reduction in troops.  The Army is considering whether to reduce Fort Polk's personnel in half  as  it  looks  to  reduce  its active duty ranks.  Landrieu  says the Army should not overlook the  significant investments that have been made on this base. Fort Polk is among  21 posts nationally that could see a significant reduction in soldiers.

A  House  committee approves legislation that delays implementing  a new performance  evaluation system for teachers for a year. The bill is by Minden Rep.  Gary  Reynolds.  He says this is because of fierce opposition  from teachers and teachers  unions,  who  feel  the  new review method is flawed. Reynolds says his bill puts the whole thing

on hold. The so-called Compass evaluation method, also called the Value added

Model, uses student  performance  on  standardized tests as half the teacher's performance evaluation. Reynolds  says during the one-year delay, the system can be fine-tuned to satisfy all parties involved.

House Speaker Chuck Kleckley says he doubts  legislative attempts to force Louisiana to accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid will go anywhere this session. He says a lot of the problem  is inconclusive data on what it would mean fiscally for the state to offer  Medicaid coverage to about 400-thousand more residents who can't afford their

own health insurance. A  House  Committee  rejected  a  Medicaid expansion bill this week. Kleckley says other proposed Medicaid  bills will likely go nowhere. Governor Jindal says he'll veto any such bill that come to his desk.

In response to Decembers Connecticut school shooting, the House has passed a bill that requires state schools  to  work  with  local law enforcement  to  create  a  written  crisis  response  plan,  and to rehearse that plan as well. The bill goes to the Senate for committee assignment and review.

The House has passed legislation  that allows anyone with a concealed weapon carry permit to bring their  gun  into a restaurant that serves alcohol. Haughton Rep. Henry Burns original bill applied only to off-duty cops, but during committee hearing  he successfully amended the measure to include ALL CCP holders. The final vote was 63-25, sending the bill over to the Senate

The  Senate Education Committee unanimously votes against a proposal to cap  the  TOPS  scholarship program. The bill by Jennings Senator Blade Morrish faced  opposition  from  the governor's office. Morrish  says  he  filed  the  bill  as a way to preserve  the  TOPS scholarship because it's becoming too  costly  for the for the state

to fund, as tuition costs continue to rise. The bill is essentially dead for the session.

The world famous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival starts today, and  local tourism officials are hoping for record attendance. Kelly Schulz,  with the Greater New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the  2012 Jazz Fest brought just over 450-thousand visitors, from all over  the globe, to the Crescent City. Also this weekend, the festival international continues in Lafayette.

A spokesman with Texas Brine says  a  seismic  survey shows that the subsurface below the sinkhole in Assumption Parish  is  stable. They say  hopefully  residents  in Bayou Corne will be able to return  to their homes in early August. That would be a full year after they were evacuated.

The LSU College of Engineering has received a $15 million gift  commitment from Phyllis M. Taylor to go towards the renovation of  Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construction of a chemical engineering  facility. Rick Koubek (Co-Beck), Dean of the LSU College of Engineering,  says this contribution is a game changer. Koubek says this is the largest private donation to the LSU College of  Engineering in its history. He says the entire project is $100 million  and the state has said it will come up with half if they come up with  the other half.

Because  of  the  federal  sequestration's  severe  budget  cuts  an on-going project  aimed  at  mapping the annual dead zone that forms off our coast each summer maybe  dropped. The dead zone is caused by large-scale agriculture being dumped into the Mississippi that feeds into the Gulf. Mapping helps detect  if  programs created to end the problem are working.

This year's attempt  at  a  law ensuring equal pay for men and women who do the same work has stalled.  The  Senate  Governmental Affairs Committee deadlocked with a 4-4 vote. Bill sponsor Senator Ed Murray of New Orleans can try it again in a future committee meeting.

Sports..

Two of the top baseball programs in the country over the last five years  meet in Alex Box Stadium tonight as LSU hosts South Carolina. Aaron Nola  will be on the hill for the Tigers. You can hear the entire series on 970 KSYL. Airtime tonight, 6:30.

News for Wednesday 042413

By Dave Graichen

Louisiana gets hit with another cold front today, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says the chances for severe weather associated  with this front are low. Keim says we will see some rain today though, with the possibility of some areas seeing up to two inches of rainfall, especially in south Louisiana.

At  the State Capitol, the House Ways & Means Committee has rejected Monroe  Rep. Katrina Jackson's bill, that would have doubled the tax on cigarettes--bringing  it  up  the  level of Mississippi's tobacco tax. The bill failed the pass the committee  by  a  vote of 11-7. It seems  any  efforts to raise the cigarette tax may be dead  for  the session. Two  other  tobacco  tax  bills  have been deferred by their sponsors.

The  House  has approved  a  bill  that  would  protect  the  Second Amendment rights  of  Louisianans  from  possible future federal gun regulations against owning semi-automatic  weapons  or  having large capacity  magazines. Debate was long and heated, with many  Democrat House members  challenging  people's  need  to  own  such  guns, and questioning  the  bill's ability to withstand a legal challenge.  In the end the bill was  approved  by  a  67-25 vote and will go to the Senate for committee review.

The House also passed Bossier  City  Rep.  Jeff Thompson's bill that would ban any public release of private information  on  who  in the state  has  a  concealed  weapon carry permit. Debate lasted over an hour. Thompson  says  concealed carry information is already private,  and his bill would place a $10-thousand fine on anyone who intentionally makes it public, as  was recently done by the New York Times in the

wake of the Newtown, CT school shooting. Thompson's bill passed by a 76-18 vote and moves to the Senate.

Public  school  teachers  from across Louisiana are expected at  the capitol today as the legislature takes up education matters.  The House Education Committee will consider  three  bills which are already state law, but subject to a court challenge.   Part  of that removed seniority as the key factor in teacher layoff decisions.

Lafayette's Festival International bringing in music lovers from around   the world kicks off today. The annual 5-day festival is always held  during the last full week of April. Kelly Strenge with the Lafayette  Convention and Visitors Bureau says the free festival is a celebration of diversity in music.  She says historic downtown Lafayette is transformed into an  entertainment complex featuring six music stages, food court areas,  street musicians and more. Strenge says they are expecting between 300 to 350 thousand people to  attend the festival through the weekend.

Many of us over the years have tempted fate and slipped around the gates at a railroad crossing to beat the train. It’s not a good idea any time, especially when you are driving a school bus filled with kids. A Lafayette parish school bus driver learned that lesson the hard way. He received a ticket for doing just that. He may also lose his job.

State Police say they'll take part in another national  prescription drug  take-back day this Saturday. They say it's an effort  to  help local  residents   rid   their   homes   of   potentially  dangerous prescription drugs. Expired, unused, and unwanted medications may be brought for disposal from 10 until 2 Saturday,  to  any State Police Troop.

The  House  of  Representatives  has  passed  a bill that will allow future drivers of a three-wheeled car to be made in Shreveport to do so  without  a  helmet.  Elio  Motors  will revitalize the old General  Motors  manufacturing plant in Shreveport to produce the three wheeled car which seats two and gets high gas mileage. The bill now heads to the Senate.

With a boom in business comes an interesting employee perk. The Port of  Lake  Charles  plans  to build an "employee village".  They  are expected to add over 5,000  permanent  jobs over the next two years. The  $70 million dollar village will include  recreation  facilities and  more. Scheduled completion is set for November of next year.

The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office says a woman was shot  and killed in New Iberia last night. They say she was discovered lying  on  the street  and she had been shot twice. The identity of the 41 year old woman is  being  withheld  until the next of kin can be notified. No arrests have been made.. the investigation is ongoing.

Gruesome  testimony  was  heard  in  a  senate  committee  yesterday. It involved a bill that adds "burning by fire" in a domestic abuse case as  a  crime that is punishable by five to fifty years in prison.  A woman from  Ouachita  Parish  told the story of her former boyfriend who used an iron to burn her.  Senate Bill 70 advances to the Senate floor.

News for Monday 042213

By Dave Graichen

The House Ways and Means Committee will consider legislation this  morning that would raise tobacco taxes. Monroe Representative Katrina  Jackson proposes to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes from  36-cents to 68-cents. Jackson is moving forward with her bill, even  though Governor Jindal has said he'll "veto" any bill that raises taxes. Jackson says her proposed  cigarette tax increase would bring in 129-million dollars a year in  additional revenue. She says that's much needed money for a state that  has a large revenue shortfall for next fiscal year.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports 31 consecutive months of jobs  growth in the private sector; meaning a record of nearly 2-million  people currently employed in Louisiana. LWC Executive Director Curt  Eysink says the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the state with a March unemployment  rate of 6.2-percent; significantly lower than the national average.

A political battle is brewing between the Governor and state lawmakers  over privatization of state hospitals. Both the House and Senate have passed resolutions saying privatization  plans for state hospitals now run by LSU should be approved by a Joint  Budget Committee, but Mr. Jindal says those resolutions do not carry the  weight of law. Governor Jindal says he'll consider a bill that would change state law  where his hospital plans are concerned, but so far one hasn't emerged.

Nearly a year after Gov. Bobby Jindal declared that Louisiana wouldn’t tap into billions of federal dollars to expand Louisiana’s Medicaid program, lawmakers will take their first vote on whether to challenge his stance. Political squabbling over the federal health care law championed by President Barack Obama will be the nearly sole focus of Wednesday’s House Health and Welfare Committee hearing. Five measures on the agenda, all sponsored by Democrats, seek to enact the Medicaid expansion under the law. Similar proposals await debate in the Senate.

Saturday marked three years since the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon  oil rig in the Gulf, which began a months-long struggle to contain the  biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history. Governor Bobby Jindal  says about 200 miles of Louisiana marshes and beaches still have  oil, sheen and tar balls. He says there have been measurable impacts on  sea life in the Gulf as well. The Governor says BP needs to stop  saying they'll make it right in commercials, and actually put up the  money to get the job done.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  Louisiana ranks 17th in the nation for the number of infants who are  immunized by two years of age. State Immunization Director Dr. Frank  Welch says 75-percent of two-year olds in Louisiana are up-to-date on  their shots.  Welch says this week is National Infant Immunization week and the  goal is to encourage parents to make sure their child's  immunizations are up to date. Also this week, The Louisiana Shots for Tots Coalition is  sending reminder cards to parents of children who are behind on  their shots.

A University of New Orleans study says Super Bowl 47 had a 480-million  dollar economic impact for the region. John Williams, Dean of U-N-O's  College of Business Administration, says that's a higher dollar figure  than expected. He says it helped that the fans of the Super Bowl teams  had to fly in and spent several nights in a hotel. The study also shows Super Bowl 47 generated 21 million dollars in state  tax revenue and local governments in the greater New Orleans area  received nearly 14-million dollars.

Governor Jindal threatens to veto proposed legislation that would add a  2-cent fee to all cell phone bills, and dedicate it to services for the  hearing & speech-impaired. Mr. Jindal says, as written, he can't back it  because it means extra tax revenue when the goal is revenue neutrality.  Shreveport Rep. Patrick Williams, the bill's sponsor,  says   an existing 5-cent monthly fee on land lines to fund services for the  deaf brings in less each year, as more people move to cell phones. Mr.  Williams says by reducing that fee to 2-cents, and adding it to all cell  phone accounts, $1-million yearly will be raised for the LA Commission  for the Deaf.

The Eunice Police Department says a 30-year-old woman is under  arrest after her pit bulls attacked and injured a mailman. Nicole Courville is booked with cruelty  to animals, negligent injury and dogs running loose. Authorities say when officers responded one of the officers was attacked  and that's when shots were fired. He said one dog was shot dead and  two others were captured by animal control.

The Coast Guard closed the Mississippi River at Vicksburg after barges hit a railroad bridge there and about 30 barges broke free from the towboat “Captain Buck Lay.”

Petty Officer Ryan Tippets says nine towboats with 134 barges were waiting to get through Sunday evening. Every barge was accounted for, but the river remained closed with no word on when it might reopen. Tippets says three barges carried grain and the rest held coal. Tippets says one barge sank in the traffic channel. He did not know whether it must be removed before the channel can reopen.

Sports..

The LSU Tigers completed spring practice on Saturday with the white team  blanking the purple team 37-0. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger threw for  236 yards and two touchdowns and Odell Beckham led all receivers with  six catches for 202 yards and two TDs. Coach Les Miles told the press, he liked what he saw.

In LSU tiger baseball, the boys took 2 from Alabama over the weekend. The Tigers lost for just the second time in 20 games, falling to 37-4 overall and 15-3 in Southeastern Conference play. LSU remains atop the SEC West standings, four games ahead of second-place Arkansas. A huge SEC homestand begins Friday against South Carolina.

News for Thursday 041813

By Dave Graichen

The world’s largest wood pellet plant is coming to Urania. German Pellets is expected to begin construction soon on a $300 million plant that will create an estimated 500 jobs. The company is the leading manufacturer of wood pellets in Europe. The plant is scheduled to be operational in the spring of 2014 and produce one million tons of wood pellets per year. It will be located on the site of the Georgia Pacific plant in Urania that closed in 2002.

The rapides parish sheriff’s department reports A body found last month in the ruins of a Wardville structure fire has been identified. Dental records and DNA were used to identify the remains of 27 year old Jonathan Sartin of Pineville. Detectives have ruled the death a homicide. A suspect, 44 year old John Purvis was arrested March 19 and is being held in the Rapides Parish Detention Center.

The Alexandria City Council approved an agreement Wednesday with Alexandria Sports Equities that will allow  the group to field a professional baseball  team at the dilapidated Bringhurst field. Under the terms of the agreement , which runs through Sept. 30, the team’s owners will pay the city $12,000. Team owners have the option to extend the agreement for an additional year. As part of the agreement, team owners will also prepare a feasibility study to renovate and reconstruct Bringhurst, which has serious structural issues.

Louisiana lawmakers advanced a batch of bills Wednesday they say are aimed at pre-empting any stricter gun laws that could make it out of Congress. In heated exchanges the House Criminal Justice Committee approved an array of “state’s rights” gun regulations, including bills that would: Prohibit the enforcement of any federal restrictions on owning semi-automatic weapons. Another bill would Make it a felony to release or publish the names and addresses of people who own or have applied for concealed handgun permits. Plus another bill that would  Create the “Louisiana Manufactured Firearms and Ammunition Act” was moved to the full house.  That bill would allow gun buyers to circumvent any federal gun laws as long as the guns were manufactured in Louisiana.

The  U.S.  Senate  has  rejected a federal bill to expand background checks for more people buying  guns.  The  measure failed by a 54-46 vote.   Louisiana  Senator  Mary  Landrieu  voted   for   additional background checks; Senator David Vitter voted against

A measure to allow optometrists  to  perform eye surgery advanced in the House Health and Welfare Committee  today  and heads to the full  House for more debate.

The  House  Education  Committee  advances  a  bill requires  public schools  to  have  a  written  crisis  response  plan;   written  in cooperation  with local law enforcement. The bill also  requires  all  parties involved  rehearse those crisis plans. The bill was conceived  following  the tragic Newtown, Connecticut school massacre.

A bill that would allow students who get an undergraduate degree out of state to use Louisiana’s popular scholarship program for graduate work here passed the House Education Committee on a 13-2 vote. The measure, House Bill 612, next faces action on the House floor. It may also be reviewed by the House Appropriations Committee.

The  full  state  Senate  is  scheduled to debate Livingston  Parish Senator Dale Erdey's bill that  would make it illegal to Facebook or Tweet while driving. The bill also applies to a host of other frequently used social network sites. The bill would make that a moving violation and subject to being pulled over and ticketed.

In Tangipahoa Parish yesterday,  a  suspicious briefcase left in a trash can outside a Mandeville Post Office  brought  out  the  bomb squad. Mandeville  cops say a janitor discovered it and notified his  boss, who - in light  of  Monday's  events in Boston - called police right away. The briefcase was destroyed  by  the bomb squad. It turned out

to be filled with miscellaneous trash. No one was hurt.

The Senate Insurance Committee advances a bill to require lawmakers' approval before the state's last resort property  insurer  can  make big  rate  hikes.  St. Mary Parish Senator Brett Allain sponsors the legislation. He says  Louisiana  Citizens  raised coverage rates for his  constituents by 170% recently. His proposed  legislation  would

rein that in. Allain's bill passed committee vote and  goes  to the full Senate to debate.

A Carencro man was arrested  after allegedly making a bomb threat at the Evangeline Downs Casino in  Opelousas.  Louisiana  State  Police Trooper  Stephen  Hammons says Russell Cormier told casino employees he had allegedly left  a bomb inside the casino. The entire property was searched, but nothing  was found.

Dressed in bright red colors on a windy day, legislators and others gathered on the State Capitol steps Wednesday in a show of support for a state tobacco tax increase.

The likely fate of their efforts is unclear. The House Committee on Ways and Means will start looking at various proposals next week. The proposals include increases of 24 cents, 32 cents and $1.05 in the state tax on a pack of cigarettes.

A bid to give lawmakers more oversight of privatized health care programs created by Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration appears on track to passage this year after being vetoed twice before by the governor. However,  this time, Jindal said he supports the bill. The state Senate Health and Welfare Committee backed the measure without objection Wednesday, sending it again to the full Senate.

A Baton Rouge man is charged with murder for the death of an 18-month  old child. East Baton Rouge Parish authorities says the little girl was found unresponsive on Monday, and was  pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies suspected foul play,  which was quickly confirmed.

Sports..

Last night the LSU Baseballers shutout Grambling 4 to nothing. The tigers begin a three game series tomorrow night at Alabama. You can hear the entire series on 970 KSYL.

Also Saturday afternoon at 2, it’s the LSU spring Football Game. That game will also be carried on 970 KSYL.

The L-S-U Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proposal from the  athletic department to name the baseball field after Tigers legendary  coach Skip Bertman. Associate athletic director Herb Vincent says the  idea has been in the works for quite a while.  Vincent says the athletic department plans to dedicate the field on  Friday, May 17th when L-S-U takes on Ole Miss. The ceremony will be in  conjunction with a 20-year reunion of Bertman's 1993 national  championship team.  Bertman says it is a tremendous honor.

News for Tuesday 041613

By Dave Graichen

Attempts  to  repeal the state income tax in Louisiana could be dead for this legislative  session.  The Ways and Means Committee was set to  hear  several  income tax repeal  proposals  Monday, but  Chairman  Joel Robideaux of Lafayette  asked  all  bills  that would get rid of the state's  income  tax  to  be  deferred. As of right now, there  are  no  plans  to reschedule them. During  the  short  committee hearing, Robideaux read off  cards  in opposition to proposed legislation to repeal income taxes.

A large running group from Baton Rouge says all of their members are  safe and accounted for after yesterday's bombing at the Boston  Marathon. Chase Batty with Varsity Sports in the Capitol City says  they sent 18 runners to the race. He says there was a scare at first  but thankfully most had already finished the race. Batty says the Baton Rouge group was celebrating at a local pub when  the bombs went off.

A Baton Rouge man pleaded guilty Monday to calling in a bomb threat that closed LSU’s main campus for more than 12 hours on Sept. 17^th of last year. 43 year old William Bouvay Jr. faces a prison term of 13 to 28 years under the terms of a plea agreement.

The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is  on alert as a result of the deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon.  GOHSEP Director Kevin Davis says their "fusion" center is receiving  intelligence information from Boston and they are disseminating that  info to local law enforcement throughout the state. Davis says there are no plans for extra security personnel at large  public areas in Louisiana, like airports the state capitol or Wednesday  night's LSU baseball game. But he says that could change based on the  intelligence information they receive from their federal partners.

Now that a House committee has deferred all discussion of bills to repeal  state incomes taxes, where does that leave Governor Jindal's top agenda  item? Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Mr. Jindal's tax reforms  are "on life support".  Pinsonat says ending personal and corporate income taxes was at the top  of the Governor's legislative wish list. However, he says House and  Senate members generally feel that a balanced, fiscally responsible  state budget is MOST important.  Pinsonat feels the rest of the legislative session will focus on the  state budget, and how to balance it without using large amounts of one time revenues for recurring expenses.

State Police say a teenager  from  Many is dead after crashing an ATV. They say 16-year-old Justin Brevelle was traveling on a road Sunday in Sabine Parish when he lost control of his ATV, ran off the road and hit a ditch embankment. He  was  ejected  from  his ATV and killed instantly.

State Police say  an  Opelousas  Police  Officer is dead following a Sunday  morning crash on Highway 31. Trooper  Stephen  Hammons  says 50-year-old  Assistant  Warden Peggy Sylvester was not restrained as she was driving her Ford police unit and attempted to pass a car. Hammons says it was raining  at the time of the crash which may have been a factor.

A Haynesville man is dead after leading police on a high speed chase through Webster Parish Sunday  night.  Minden  Police were trying to pull  44-year-old  Tony  Burns for reckless driving.  He  ran.  They chased. He lost control,  ran  into  an  embankment and rolling  his vehicle several times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The House Transportation Committee  met yesterday, on the agenda a bill  aimed at accommodating Shreveport's  Elio  Motors,  which  will build three-wheeled  autocycles".  The  bill,  by  Shreveport  Rep. Barbara  Norton  would  exempt  drivers of these autocycles from the state's mandatory motorcycle helmet law. Elio Motors'  autocycle will have a completely enclosed cabin, with a roll cage and airbags.

The U-S Senate could vote as early as today on legislation that would  expand background checks for gun buyers. Republican Senator David Vitter  has already said he opposes the proposal, but it's unclear how  Democratic Senator Landrieu will vote. U-L at Lafayette Political  Science Professor Pearson Cross says it's a difficult vote for Landrieu.  Landrieu recently released a statement that says she supports the Second

Amendment, however the country is plagued by gun violence and our state  sadly has the nation's highest death rate per capital by gunfire. Cross  says a vote for legislation to expand background checks will be used by  republicans, who seek to defeat Landrieu in next year's election.

Authorities arrested a 15-year-old East Baton Rouge High School student on campus Monday after finding a loaded gun in his sock. The eighth-grade student was booked into the Juvenile Detention Center on one count of illegal carrying of a weapon on school property. The student gave no reason for having the weapon.

News for Friday 041213

By Dave Graichen

The building in Shreveport that was meant to house Louisiana College’s Law School, The former Joe D. Waggonner Federal Building, has been put up for sale. The town talk reported today that building is expected to list for about $4 million. It’s believed LC, has slightly more than that invested in the building.

An investigation into possible drugs at an Alexandria residence resulted in five people being arrested. The Alexandria/Pineville Narcotics Unit found suspected marijuana, Ecstasy, LSD and several types of designer drugs Wednesday at a house in the 1800 block of Dartmouth Street. The five arrested, ranged in age from 19 to 23. All were booked and released on bond.

A  report  from  the  Legislative  Fiscal  Office  says  a  ten-year phase-out  of  state  income  taxes  will  cost  the   state  nearly $24-billion to implement. The report is in response to  Baton  Rouge Representative  Hunter  Greene's  bill, which would lower income tax rates by 10% a year, starting in 2014.  The  report  says  the state

would  lose  $78-million  in  revenue  that  first  year.  Louisiana currently  brings  in  a  little over 2 & a half billion dollars  in revenue from income taxes .

House Speaker Chuck  Kleckley says he endorses a ten-year income tax phase-out. Kleckley says,  however,  that  SOMETHING  has to replace that lost revenue; perhaps higher tobacco tax or eliminating certain tax  exemptions. Though he favors the ten-year  phase-out,  Kleckley says he'd  like  to  delay  starting  it for at least two years. The

House Ways & Means Committee will begin  hearing proposed income tax phase-out bills next week.

Lawmakers have given final approval  to  plans  to shut down the LSU Earl K. Long Medical Center, in Baton Rouge. The vote came after two hours of oft-times heated discussion of the Jindal administration's privatization of public teaching and charity hospitals. The hospital will  shutter  on Monday. Almost 780 people are losing  their  jobs; fewer than 300 have been hired by other facilities.

A plan designed to rein in the cost of TOPS, the state’s merit-based college scholarship, appears doomed at the State Capitol before debate over the program could begin. Senate Bill 83 would cap the popular merit-based scholarship at current tuition levels plus 10 percent. Because much of the money for the TOPS program comes from the state general fund, many legislators said they were open to finding a way to better control the program’s steadily rising costs. Gov. Bobby Jindal said Thursday he would not sign legislation that limited TOPS awards. The governor called TOPS a good investment for the state.

A Louisiana House committee approved legislation Thursday morning that would require some parents of developmentally delayed children to help pay for therapy and treatment from the state. The House Committee on Health and Welfare advanced without objection House Bill 375. The measure now heads to the full House of Representatives for consideration.HB375 would allow the state to receive a co-pay for services provided by the Early Steps program.

Today, as you know is  Friday.  That  means  the House and Senate have the day

off, as is the tradition until much later in the session. Their work

will resume Monday.

Governor Bobby Jindal announces Louisiana's graduation rate has reached  an all-time high. Jindal says 72-percent of freshmen who started high  school in 2008, completed high school in four years. The governor says the graduation rate is on the rise, because the state  eliminated ineffective dropout prevention programs, rigorous standards  are in place to prepare students for college.

The  Ouachita  Parish  teenager  who  was  convicted  of killing his parents  is  going to be re-sentenced. Dalton Fletcher, who  was  15 when he committed  the  crime, was sentenced in February 2012 to two life sentences without the  possibility  of  parole.  But the latest ruling comes in light of the fact that the Supreme Court  ruled last year  states  can't  impose  mandatory  life  sentences  without the possibility of parole on juveniles convicted of murder.

The  East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's office says a 48-year-old man shot his wife, then shot and killed his step-daughter before turning the gun  on  himself.  They  say  the wife, who survived the ordeal, called 9-1-1 screaming that her husband,  William  Benham,  had gone crazy. When deputies arrived the step-daughter was alive long enough to say what had happened before she died inside the house.

Senator  Mary  Landrieu's latest campaign finance reports show she's raised over a million  dollars  so far this year. That's about twice as much as her only declared challenger,  Baton  Rouge   Congressman Dr. Bill Cassidy.

A Louisiana meat processor is recalling over 20-thousand  pounds  of roast  beef  deli   cuts  tainted  with  bacteria. Baker-based Manda Packing  says  the beef cold cuts may contain  listeria.  They  were shipped, under different brand names, to eight states.

Looking  for something  to  do  this  weekend?  The  French  Quarter Festival is  on  -  rain  or  shine  - in New Orleans. In Tangipahoa Parish,  the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival  starts  today.  And there's the  Baton  Rouge  Blues Festival this weekend. Expect great blues music on multiple stages in Baton Rouge.

A run of the mill car accident  on  I-49  was what brought police on the. But as a St.  Landry  Parish  Sheriff Deputy  arrived  a  naked  22-year-old  Byron  Simon of Ville Platte charged  him, entering the officer's vehicle. Then  when  a  trooper arrived a  short time later he discharged his weapon to draw Simon's attention. A  Taser was finally used to subdue the naked man who has been  taken to a  hospital  for  treatment.  He now  faces  several charges.

Registration begins today for The X Factor Auditions being held at the  UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans on Sunday. Executive Producer Andrew  Linares (Lin-Air-Ess) says they'll begin distributing wristbands this  morning and tomorrow, then auditioners will be asked to return Sunday.  He says the competition is open to one and all.

Sports..

The top ranked LSU baseball team faces a big test this weekend as they  visit 10th ranked Arkansas. The Tigers have won 9 consecutive SEC games  and they are 11-and-1 in the league. The Razorbacks are 8-and-4 in the  SEC and LSU Coach Paul Mainieri says this series will go a long way in  deciding the Western Division. You can hear the entire series this weekend on 970 KSYL.

News for Wednesday 041013

By Dave Graichen

The Pineville City Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday backing legislation that would allow the city to hold an election on the “restaurant only” option to sell alcohol in the city. . Senate Bill 116 has been pre-filed for the state legislative session that started Monday. The people of Pineville could get a chance to vote as early as October on the matter.

The Jindal administration says if lawmakers pass a bill to phase out state income taxes, the loss of revenue does not have to be entirely offset.  Revenue  Department  spokesman  Tim  Barfield  told  Senate Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Committee members yesterday that  such  a  bill would not HAVE to be "revenue neutral' for the Governor to sign it. The Governor said Monday, he's putting  his  own tax swap plan on hold, tossing that ball to legislators to handle.

The state's Democratic Party says the legislature should not address tax  reform  legislation  at  all  this  year. House Democratic Caucus chairman John Bel Edwards, of Amite, says the bigger priority should be passing a state  budget that won't result in more mid-year budget cuts. However, The state's  Republican  Party  urges  residents to tell their local legislators if they want an end to state  income  tax. Louisiana GOP

director Jason Dore' suspects a majority would like  those  taxes to go away.

Tuesday, the Louisiana Hospital Association endorsed Medicaid expansion. John Matessino, president of Louisiana Hospital Association, said it is “critically important for Louisiana to take advantage of the significant federal resources available to expand health care coverage.” According to Matessino, increasing the number of individuals who have health care coverage will help to offset the cost of uninsured care, help stabilize insurance premiums and ebb cost-shifting to the private insurance market. Governor Jindal’s administration insists the state will not go along with the Medicaid Expansion.

President Obama will reveal today his federal budget plan, which is  expected to contain significant cuts in Social Security benefits,  something Louisiana retirees dread. AARP Louisiana spokesperson Denise  Bottcher says annual cost of living increases would be calculated using  the so-called "chained" Consumer Price Index to reduce spending.  The White House says doing so will reduce federal spending by $130-Billion over ten years.  Bottcher says that'll be disastrous to Louisiana retirees, who collect, on average,  about $13-thousand a year from Social Security. She hopes  Louisiana congressional delegates are paying attention

A bill that would  create  an  "I'm  Cajun"  license plate has passed in committee and is headed to the House Floor. The bill is by Breaux Bridge Representative Mike Huval who  says  fees generated from  the prestige plate would be used to help fund scholarships  to France  for  students who want to teach French Immersion programs in Louisiana. And no.. you don’t have to be a pure blooded Cajun to purchase one..

A Livingston Parish  man accused of stabbing his wife and ripping an unborn fetus from her  womb  has  changed  his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. 31-year-old Jeffery Reynolds'  initial  plea was not guilty. The sheriff's office says  Reynolds told detectives he smoked herbal incense and began having visions  when  he  allegedly  cut the fetus

from his wife last October.

Lottery  officials  say  a woman from Greensburg had to dig  an  old Powerball ticket out of her  trash  when  she  realized  she  hadn't checked  the  numbers  that  ended  up  being  worth  $10,000. Joyce Womack's ticket was for the March 23rd drawing.

A new fence and netting system has not helped contain the black dust being released by the Industrial  Carbon  Services  Company  in Lake Charles. So now an investigation by DEQ is looking into the possible health  hazards  that  could  occur  from  breathing it in. City  leaders are also checking into  zoning  issues  and other possible violations.  The  black  dust  has  been a concern of residents since last summer.

Bossier   Parish  Sheriff's  investigators  say  a  Princeton  woman swindled her  own grandmother out of over $100-thousand; used to buy cars, computers  and  more  without  the  elderly woman's knowledge. 35-year-old Allison Jones is charged wth money  laundering, identity theft,  felony  theft  and  racketeering. She's now in  the  Bossier Maximum Security Facility, pending  a  $130,000 bond. Jones says she

didn't steal anything.

Shreveport  PD  is  asking  for  the  public's  help  in  locating a "Craigslist  Bandit"  who  posts  fake  stuff for sale then collects money wired to him. The suspect never produces the items and pockets the victims cash -- at times as much as $850.  $500.00  reward being offered.

Officials in Terrebonne Parish will vote today on a proposal that would  ban saggy pants. If passed, anyone who wears pants in public that hang  below the belt line could be punished. Neighboring Lafourche Parish has  already passed an ordinance that makes it illegal to reveal underwear  in public.

Former U.S. Rep. Jeff Landry is staying in the political spotlight by launching a conservative super PAC on Tuesday to help support more far-right Republicans in congressional races nationally and in Louisiana. Landry’s new “Restore our Republic” political action committee comes a few months after the one-term congressman’s defeat in a congressional race against U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, and while Landry, R-New Iberia, was mulling a challenge of Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., in 2014.

News for Monday 040813

By Dave Graichen

As the 2013 Louisiana State Legislature convenes today, Governor Jindal  is expected to make his strongest case for lawmakers to get behind his  tax reform plan. The Governor wants to eliminate personal and corporate  income taxes, while raising state sales tax by two and a quarter  percent. He says the plan will be good for Louisiana. The tax swap plan, which Mr. Jindal says will be revenue neutral, is his  top priority item for the session. Louisiana Public Broadcasting will broadcast Gov. Bobby Jindal's opening address to the Legislature on Monday. Starting at 1pm.

A prison guard at the maximum-security  federal prison in Pollock is recovering at an Alexandria hospital after he was beaten by inmates. Officials say other officers, armed with pepper spray,  came to Cory Barron's aid, but not before the young officer suffered serious injuries. The attack occurred during a security check.

Two  Baton  Rouge  men  have been charged by federal prosecutors for allegedly  working  together   to   fraudulently   obtain   at  least one-point-two  million dollars in film tax credits that they  should not have received.  In  a  bill  of  information  the  men have been identified  as Daniel Garcia, who owned and operated D-M-G  Holdings and Louisiana  Film  Finishers  and  Matthew  Keith,  who  owned and operated  Dirty  District  Entertainment.  Louisiana  taxpayers  are listed as the victims of the alleged conspiracy.

The  consulting firm, Ernst and Young, has released report that says it would be a bad idea if Louisiana started taxing services that are a part  of a business' regular expense, such as accounting, computer programming  and advertising. Taxing those type of services are part of Governor Jindal's  tax  reform  plan  that would eliminate income

taxes in exchange for higher sales taxes.

The Federal Aviation Administration  is  delaying closure of 149 air traffic control towers across the U.S. until June. The closures were dictated  by the federal budget sequestration  earlier  this  year. Shreveport Downtown  Airport  is  the only Louisiana tower slated to close.  It  WAS  all  set  to shut down Sunday,  then  came  the

reprieve.

The ongoing civil trial in New Orleans that will determine liability for  2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill begins an important chapter today. BP will  begin presenting its defense in Judge Carl Barbier's courtroom. It's up to Judge Barbier to determine how much BP, Transocean and  Halliburton are to blame for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion. The fines could exceed 20-billion dollars. A BP lawyer told Judge Barbier they will call their last witness to the stand sometime between April 18th and the 23rd.

A  new report shows Louisiana has seen a dramatic  increase  in  the number  of  businesses owned by women. According to the third annual State of Women-Owned  Business  report,  there's  been an 84-percent increase in the number of women-owned companies in  Louisiana  since 1997. That's the fourth largest increase in the country.

Louisiana  State  Police  have  been  recognized  as having the best uniforms  out of all state agencies in the nation. That's  according to the North  American  Association  of  Uniform  Manufacturers  and Distributors  Best  Dressed  Public  Safety Award. This is the second time L-S-P has received this recognition.

A 29-year-old Duson man is facing a vehicular  homicide charge after he was allegedly driving drunk when involved in  a   fatal  crash in Lafayette  on  Thursday  night of last week. State Police Trooper Stephen Hammons says Gerard Richard ran a stop-sign on Highway 724 and West Congress Street, striking another vehicle. A passenger in  Richard's  vehicle,  21-year-old Harold Arnold of Duson, died from his injuries sustained in the crash.

A Crowley man  was  killed  in a shootout with Acadia Parish Sheriff deputies early Saturday morning. State Police say two deputies responded to a domestic disturbance complaint at a home south of Crowley. When the deputies arrived, they found  41-year-old  James  A Trahan armed with a shotgun. Investigators say Trahan fired his gun,  striking  a deputy  in  the  leg, the deputies returned fire killing Trahan. The deputy shot underwent surgery and is recovering.

Tulane University has won a big grant for the study of possible new  treatments for depression. Molecular Biology and Neuroscience professor  Benjamin Hall says typical anti-depressant medicines can be ineffective  for many patients. His research is looking into the drug ketamine, which  produces fast results, but with troubling side effects.

Sports..

The second ranked LSU Baseball team put together a dominating  performance over the weekend. The Tigers easily won all three games to  sweep 7th ranked Kentucky. The final score on Sunday was 11-to-4. Coach  Paul Mainieri told the LSU Sports Radio Network's he's proud of his  team, which has a record of 30-and-2.

News for Thursday 040413

By Dave Graichen

We’re coming down to the wire in the search for a new Rapides schools superintendent. Today the three finalists for the position spend the day in the district. All three candidates, Nason  Authement of Houma, David Carpenter of Pineville and Rick Williams of McKinney, Texas will receive a second interview with the Rapides Parish School board and then visit several schools in the district. The public will have a chance to meet the candidates from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Instructional Resource Center on  Beauregard St., in Alexandria. That meet and greet will be followed by  a public forum beginning at 6 p.m. at the Media Center. The School Board is expected to select the new superintendent next week.

Governor Jindal was in  Alexandria  yesterday,  speaking  before the Alexandria Rotary Club, to  tout  his tax reform plan.  But it appears now that plan may be dead for this upcoming legislative session. House Speaker Chuck Kleckley said Wednesday that the governor’s tax package is on hold until economic experts can clear up the confusion surrounding the plan’s numbers. Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, said he wants the Legislative Fiscal Office to review the bills, an exercise that likely will delay debate on the governor’s initiative for weeks. Kleckley went on to say, if the plan has a negative impact on small businesses in the state, he would have a hard time supporting it. The Jindal administration already said the proposal would shift a $500 million tax burden from individuals to businesses.

Louisiana has the highest rate of gun violence in the country, according to a new state-by-state analysis of gun violence released Wednesday by the Center for American Progress. The report, released at an event in Baton Rouge and other cities, compares the 50 states on 10 key gun-violence indicators such as firearm deaths among children, firearm homicides among women, and law-enforcement agents feloniously killed with a firearm, among others. The report says Louisiana has the highest rate of gun violence of any state and the state has the highest rate of women murdered by guns in the 10-year period from 2001 through 2010.

A new poll conducted  by  researchers  at  LSU  finds  a majority of Louisianans  feel  the  state is headed in the wrong direction.  Dr. Kirby Goidel heads the LSU  Public  Policy Research Lab. He says 52% feel state leaders are doing a poor job,  with  few  confident state government can fix big issues. He says the poll shows less residents

believe  the  economy and education are the biggest problems  facing the state. Goidel  says  last  year at this time, only 39% felt the  state  was headed in the wrong direction.

A new Southern Media & Opinion Research poll indicates a majority of Louisianans want term limits for statewide  elected  officials, like the secretary of state, state treasurer, ag commissioner and others. Legislators  are  limited  to three 4-year terms, and governors  are limited to 8 years in office.  Bill  sponsor, Rep. Simone Champagne,

of  Erath, says she'll try to pass term  limits  for  other  offices again this year...her third attempt.

A federal report says  almost  $700-million  in  development grants, given to Louisiana to elevate and reinforce homes  to make them more hurricane  resistant,  is  missing.  The report from HUD  says  over 24-thousand got the grants but haven't  done  the  work.  The  state Office  of  Community Development, who administered the grants, says they're working  to  bring  all  homeowners  who  got the funds into compliance.

The  state  Legislative  Auditor  says Louisiana's  Recovery  School District, for failing public schools  that  have  taken  over by the state,  is  missing  over $2-million in equipment and property.  The report  says  over 1600  items,  mostly  computers  and  audio/video equipment has been  lost,  strayed  or stolen for nearly four years.

The RSD says 70% of the items ARE still  present in the schools, but have been tagged with incorrect location codes.

The Winnsboro woman who claimed she was the victim of a racial  attack  and  set herself on fire, but it was later determined her story was fabricated,  has plead not guilty

to  charges  of  terrorizing and filing a false police  report.  The district attorney prosecuting the case, Mack Lancaster says he's not looking to send Sharmeka Moffitt to prison for a long time...as she has suffered enough, with burns over most of her body.

Ouachita Parish school officials confirm two West Monroe High school students were killed this morning in a fire. The two  were  inside a mobile home that caught fire. Firefighters were unable to save them.

Texas  Brine,  the  company  that  owns  the underground salt cavern thought  responsible  for the Assumption parish  sinkhole  at  Bayou Corne, says gas has been  detected  under  the  slabs  of  two nearby homes.  The company is negotiating with many residents in that  area to buy out their properties, so they can move on. Many have lived in evacuation since last August.

News for Tuesday 040213

By Dave Graichen

According to figures released Monday by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, The number of nonfarm jobs in the state as a whole increased from February 2012 to February 2013. Louisiana gained 29,500 jobs over the year, or a 1.5 percent increase, putting the statewide total up to 1.9 million. Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake and Houma-Thibodaux saw strong job growth. While Shreveport-Bossier, which has been hard hit by the shutdown of the General Motors plant, lost 3,100. Alexandria had a 600-job decrease over the year.

The fiscal only session  starts  next Monday and it promises to be a busy one.  By Friday's deadline,  lawmakers had pre-filed 900 bills including  650  in  the House of Representatives. Each legislator is restricted to only five non-fiscal bills for the upcoming session.

The state  lawmaker  who  will lead the effort in the legislature to pass Governor Jindal's tax  reform  plan admits the proposal will be hard to pass. But the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Joel Robideaux of Lafayette says Governor   Jindal's  tax  package is not dead on arrival as some critics have suggested. And he  says the legislative  fiscal  office  is reviewing the proposal to see if  it will be revenue neutral as Jindal has promised.

Department  of  Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein will leave his post on  May  1st.  Greenstein  is being investigated by a federal grand jury into whether or not he awarded  a  huge  Medicaid contract  to a former employer by using his authority. John Maginnis of LaPolitics.com  says this resignation is coming at a bad time. He says the DHH budget is the largest component of the state's spending plan and Greenstein  is  a  major  player  in an effort to privatize parts of the state's public hospital system.

A prime candidate to run LSU hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe pulled out Monday, citing potential anti-trust challenges. James K. Elrod, president of the Shreveport-based Willis-Knighton Health System, announced the decision in a news release. Hospital system officials had no further comment. The LSU Board of Supervisors last week approved a memorandum of understanding with the Biomedical Research Foundation to work out a deal for the management and operation of the two hospitals, which are key to LSU medical education efforts.

If  you  haven't  filed  your  taxes  yet, it's about that time. The deadline is two weeks from midnight tonight. Louisiana IRS spokesman Michael Dobzinsky encourages citizens to file electronically because it's easier, faster, more convenient and  you  could get your refund in as little as 21 days. He says tax payers should  also be aware of

credits they may be eligible for. Dobzinsky says statistics show that at least 25% of all  tax  payers wait until the last two weeks to file.

A Juvenile Court judge ruled Monday that a 15-year-old Baton Rouge boy charged with murder in a deadly home invasion last year should stand trial as a juvenile, denying a request by prosecutors that he be tried as an adult. After two days of testimony, Judge Pamela Taylor Johnson found Darien Bailey has “borderline” intelligence and the mind of about a 10-year-old, though he was 14 when he was arrested. If convicted, Bailey could be held in a state juvenile facility until he is 21

The Advocate and LSU’s student newspaper filed public records lawsuits against the LSU Board of Supervisors on Monday, seeking documents related to LSU’s search for a new president of the state’s flagship university.  That search, conducted largely in secret, yielded F. King Alexander, president of Cal State University in Long Beach, California, as the sole finalist for LSU’s top post. In recently announcing Alexander as the sole finalist for LSU’s presidency, search committee chairman Blake Chatelain said LSU officials identified 100 people, narrowed that list to 35 active candidates, then cut the list to six or seven people, some of whom were interviewed face to face.

Rep. Bill Cassidy on Monday touted raising more than $500,000 in campaign funds thus far this year, although he still trails the war chest of his potential election opponent, incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu. Cassidy has not yet announced he will challenge Landrieu, D-La., next year, but he is already pushing his fundraising totals about two weeks before they are publicly released by the Federal Election Commission.

A whistleblower who sued Shaw Environment & Infrastructure Inc. of Baton Rouge for alleged retaliation has been awarded more than $3.4 million by a federal court jury in Anchorage, Alaska. Paul Blakeslee was 71 when he wrote corporate parent Shaw Group headquarters in Baton Rouge on Sept. 19, 2008, that a Shaw project manager in Alaska had defrauded both Shaw and the federal government by having millions of dollars in equipment leased at above-market rates from a firm in which the manager held an interest. Seventeen days later, the Shaw project manager informed Blakeslee that his position had been eliminated. Shaw officials and attorneys denied the retaliation allegation at trial last month.

In  sports  there's  a  couple of big Louisiana stories today. LSU's Mason Katz has for the second  time  in  three  weeks been named the Collegiate  Baseball  National PLayer of the Week and  SEC Player of the  week. Also former Louisiana Tech star quarterback  Luke  McCown has signed a one year deal with the Saints.

The No. 2 LSU Baseball team --- now 26-2 overall, 8-1 in the SEC and  off to the best start since 1986 --- will face Alcorn State at The Box  tonight. You can hear that game on Talkradio 970 KSYL beginning at 6.