Authorities in Iberia Parish and LA State Police are looking for Paul Stanley Collins Jr. who is accused of shooting to death his estranged wife - the mother of his two children.

The government is doling out $20-million to farmers in eight states, including Louisiana, to create habitats for migratory birds whose usual Gulf wintering spots may be fouled by the massive BP oil spill.

Louisiana is entering the grip of a summer heat wave for the weekend and into next week.

(Baton Rouge, LA)  --  If folks were hoping to avoid long lines by casting their ballots during Louisiana's seven-days of early voting prior to next Tuesday's presidential election they got a big dose of hurry-up-and-wait disappointment.  The Secretary of State's office says well over 260-thousand people voted during the one-week period that ended Tuesday at 6 p.m., more than double the number who voted early in the 2004 presidential election.  East Baton Rouge Parish tripled its early-voting turnout record as nearly 32-thousand residents, or about 12-percent of the parish's registered voters, cast ballots by the deadline. 

(New Orleans, LA)  --  Deadly violence Tuesday night at a small 30-room Travelodge motel on New Orleans east side.  Police say a 25-year-old guest was found dead in his room from several gunshot wounds.  The incident occurred just after 7:30 p.m.  The man's identity was not released.  Investigators worked overnight to develop suspects in the slaying at the motel located along Chef Menteur Highway and to determine a motive for the murder.

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.