Shreveport Bossier News Headlines

GAS PRICES ARE STILL CLIMBING.....THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS NOW AT 3.84. LOCALLY, WE ARE PAYING ABOUT 3.66....WITH THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE AT 3.67.

A VETERAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S INVESTIGATOR SAYS HE REPORTED THE ACQUISITION OF EIGHT HIGH-POWERED AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUNS BECAUSE HE THOUGHT LAWS WERE BEING BROKEN. DON ASHLEY SAYS HE WAS FIRED AFTER 18 YEARS BECAUSE HE ALERTED SHERIFF STEVE PRATOR TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WERE CRIMINAL ACTS.

A COUPLE OF PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCHES REMAIN CLOSED TODAY DUE TO HIGH WATER ON THE RED RIVER. THE STONER BOAT LAUNCH AND THE LAUNCH AT ARTHUR RAY TEAGUE PARKWAY IN BOSSIER ARE CLOSED. BOTH ARE EXPECTED TO BE CLOSED FOR ABOUT A WEEK.

CUTS ARE ON THE WAY FOR WEBSTER PARISH SCHOOLS. MORE THAN 30 JOBS WILL BE CUT...SOME OF THEM TEACHERS....IF THE BOARD OK'S THE SUPERINTENDANT'S RECOMMENDATIONS. A FINAL DECISION IS EXPECTED TODAY.

OFTEN IT IS SLOW GOING GETTING ACROSS THE RED RIVER OVER THE JIMMIE DAVIS BRIDGE. STATE SENATOR BARROW PEACOCK IS INTRODUCING LEGISLATION ASKING FOR MONEY TO WIDEN THE BRIDGE TO FOUR LANES. HE SAYS IT'S FAR FROM A DONE DEAL...THIS IS JUST A WAY TO ASK FOR THE MONEY....ABOUT 150 MILLION WOULD BE NEEDED.

PRESIDENTIAL POLITICALS ROLLS INTO TOWN. RICK SANTORUM WAS HERE OVER THE WEEKEND. NEWT GINGRICH IS COMING TOMORROW....AND REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNER MITT ROMNEY IS HAVING A FUNDRAISER AT THE PETROLEUM CLUB ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

SOME LSUS STUDENTS AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT THE PLAN TO MERGE WITH LOUISIANA TECH. THEY TOOK THEIR CONCERNS TO THE STREETS....PUTTING UP SIGNS OPPOSING THE MERGER. THE STUDENTS HOPE THAT THE SIGNS WILL RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE LSUS IDENTITY AND INCREASE SCHOOL SPIRIT AS WELL.