Louisiana State Police Troop D will have additional troopers on patrol this Labor Day holiday.  

U.S. Senator David Vitter today called on Charlie Melancon to apologize to the large number of tea party members and voters in Louisiana for comparing them to the fringe, far-left activist group MoveOn.org.

An oil platform exploded and burned off the Louisiana coast Thursday, the second such disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in less than five months.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's officials say they have exhausted all means they have to try to locate a police cruiser a suspect drove into the Mississippi River. Because of the depth of the river, there is little they can do. Sunday a deputy was investigating a suspicious person complaint in Metairie. When he returned to where he had parked his patrol car, it was gone. Minutes later, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a police car travelling erratically on the Mississippi River levee. Officers say they saw the suspect drive into the river. He was plucked from the water, but divers could not find the car. Fortunato says the 22-year-old suspect has a lengthy criminal history.

With the barrel price of oil continuing to climb to new record highs, it's not surprising that gas prices are also increasing. Triple-A reports the average price of unleaded regular in Louisiana hit a new record high today of just over three-96 a gallon. That's a dollar-ten higher than a year ago. Around the state, regular is averaging almost three-96 in Baton Rouge, just shy of three-99 in Lafayette and just over three-96 in New Orleans. The nationwide average for regular is just below four-dollars-nine-cents.

State Police at the Mandeville post say a St. Helena Parish Sheriff's deputy was arrested Thursday night on charges of aggravated rape and molestation of a juvenile. Trooper Louis Calato says the charges against 39-year-old Jessie Hughes of Pine Grove followed an investigation into a complaint against Hughes that he had raped a child. He was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail. His employment with the St. Helena Sheriff's Office has been terminated by Sheriff Nat Williams.

A bench-clearing brawl in Miami made news as the Marlins outslugged the Nationals 16-10 Wednesday night. 

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Arizona's controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Israelis and Palestinians have now planned to meet for peace talks every two weeks.