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GOOD SHOT

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Students from across Jeff Davis Parish competed in the Southern Regionals Shooting Competition in Port Allen Saturday as part of their participation in 4-H.

The 21 students who competed in the event are part of the Jeff Davis Parish 4-H Club and come from Hathaway High School, Welsh High School, Lacassine High School and Lake Arthur High School as well as home schooled students; they participated in shooting competitions such as shotgun, air pistol, BB gun and archery.

Relaxing at the Park

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Sisters Julia Guintard, 7, Olivia Guintard, 4 and Mya Guintard, 3, feed the ducks at the I-10 Oil and Gas Park in Jennings. They are the daughters of Matt and Elise Guintard of Jennings.

Superintendent cracks down on school violence

In light of a national spotlight on school violence due to a school shooting in Florida in February, Jeff Davis Parish School Board Superintendent Kirk Credeur said school officials will continue to be strict in their fight to prevent a similar tragedy locally.

“These last few weeks have been very challenging as we grapple with the horrific events and after effects of yet another school shooting tragedy,” Credeur said. “It is an emotional time for all involved and school safety has become a paramount issue for our students, staff and faculty.”

Amid tension, Louisiana lawmakers back for another session

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Fresh from a failed special session on finances, Louisiana lawmakers are resuming their debates on the unsettled budget mess as well as hot-button proposals on guns, gambling, sexual harassment and abortion.

The regular legislative session opens at noon, with a decade’s worth of state financial troubles again taking much of the focus.Gov. John Bel Edwards is to address the House and Senate an hour after the session’s start.

Tim McGraw collapses on stage during Ireland performance

DUBLIN (AP) — Country music star Tim McGraw collapsed on stage during a performance in Ireland.

Rolling Stone magazine reports McGraw collapsed while performing Sunday night in Dublin.

McGraw’s wife, singer Faith Hill, can be seen in a video on a fan’s Instagram page saying, “He’s been super dehydrated. I apologize, but I made the decision that he cannot come back out on stage.”

A representative for McGraw issued a statement saying McGraw was attended to by local medical staff on-site and will be fine.

Police: 2 deadly package bombs in Texas capital are linked

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a package that exploded inside of an Austin home on Monday, killing a teenager and wounding a woman, is believed to be linked to a deadly package sent to another home in Texas’ capital city earlier this month.

Trump doesn’t set age for guns, defers on arming teachers

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he is “watching court cases and rulings” before taking action on raising age limits for purchasing some firearms, arguing that there is “not much political support (to put it mildly).”

Trump’s tweet came after his White House put out a plan to combat school shootings that doesn’t increase the minimum age for purchasing assault weapons to 21 — an idea Trump publicly favored just last month — and leaves the question of arming teachers to states and local communities.

Pilot in NYC crash called ‘mayday,’ cited engine failure

NEW YORK (AP) — A pilot who survived when his helicopter went down in Manhattan’s East River, killing five passengers, said in an emergency radio transmission that he had engine failure.

The pilot is heard saying “Mayday, mayday, mayday” during the crash on Sunday night. The pilot reported “an engine failure over the East River” and referenced a hotel, while the person at the other end of the transmission had trouble making out what the pilot was saying.

Plane carrying 71 people crashes, catches fire in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh swerved erratically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting in flames as it landed Monday in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, killing at least 50 people, officials and witnesses said.

US officials: North Korea will face no more conditions for talks

Trump administration officials say there will be no more conditions imposed on North Korea before a first-ever meeting of the two nation’s leaders beyond the North’s promise not to resume nuclear testing and missile flights or publicly criticize U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

The officials’ comments Sunday followed the surprise announcement last week that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet the North’s Kim Jong Un by May.