(Lafayette, LA)  --  Cajundome officials say structural repairs to the arena aren't likely to begin until December.  Operations director Phil Ashhurst says the state will receive plans September 1st on how engineers intend to address repairs to the Cajundome's concrete support beams.  The cracks were identified last November, and work was done to temporarily shore up the beams.  Ashurst says the one-point-two-million-dollar project will go up for bids in October.  He says engineers have determined the building is safe. 

(Lafayette, LA)  --  A judge has denied Doctor Mehmood Patel's request to remain free on bail pending appeal of his conviction and sentence.  Patel is slated to report to federal prison on July 6th after he was found guilty of multiple counts of health-care fraud.  The Lafayette cardiologist was sentenced earlier this month to 10 years in prison.  Patel's attorneys say their client is not a flight risk and contend the appeal will raise questions about the case--including the possibility the jury was coerced by U.S. District Judge Tucker Melancon [[muh-LAW-saw]] into reaching a verdict after he had received notes from jury members saying a unanimous verdict could not be reached.  In denying the bail request, Melancon said that Patel's appeal arguments offer no legal questions that weren't addressed during the trial.

Lawmakers shied away from restructuring state government during the
session that ended last Thursday evening--instead they created two
commissions to study the possibility of streamlining.They both have
a hurry-up schedule, however. The Governor's Panel on Streamling
Government has to meet for the first time by July 30th. And a
commission to review higher education has to get going by August
15th.

The wife of a  Keithville man found murdered in his home Sunday has been arrested for hiring someone to kill her husband.

State Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham reopens part of the Mississippi River delta in Plaquemines Parish to recreational fishing.

First Lady Supriya Jindal was in Shreveport and Alexandria today to rally support for an effort to assist those affected by the Gulf oil spill crisis.

Here's a look at stories making national news.

A new national poll finds former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is currently the Republican with the chance of defeating President Obama in 2012. 

Arizona has filed an appeal in the federal lawsuit which resulted in an injunction against portions of the state's new immigration law.