Wondering who has the best Black Friday deals? Wonder no more, Brooke Thorington has the scoop.

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The USDA recommends Thanksgiving food safety tips on proper food storage to prevent food poisoning. Teiko Foxx has more…

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There’s plenty going on in the kitchen today and the State Fire Marshal’s Office has a few tips to keep the firefighters from having to pay you a visit for Thanksgiving. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigues says if you’re cooking on your stovetop…

Cut 3 (07) “…very quickly.”

Keep the kitchen tidy, and remove things away from open flames, like paper towels. And with multiple things cooking at once it’s probably best to keep children out of the kitchen and remove any tripping hazards.

If something does catch on fire and it’s grease on a stove top Rodrigue says to put a lid on it and let it smother. Never throw water on a grease fire.

Cut 4 (08) “…call 9-1-1.”

If you have a fire inside your oven, Rodrigue says turn it off and don’t open the door so the fire will eventually smother itself.

If you’re going to fry your turkey, Rodrigue says to place the fryer outside, not in a garage or under a patio, and ten feet away from any structure. The surface it’s on should be nonflammable in case oil spills out of the fryer and make sure the turkey is fully defrosted before you place it in the fryer.

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A WalletHub study ranks which retailers are offering the best Black Friday discounts. Analyst Cassie Happe says JCPenney tops the list with an average discount of 59% followed by Macy’s with 58% and in third place Belk with 55%. Surprisingly she says Amazon ranked 8^th this year…

Cut 6 (11) “…as much.”

When you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, Happe says consumer packaged goods top the list.

Cut 7 (11) “…different retailers.”

Apparel and accessories are another great deal with an average discount of 32%. In third place are appliances with an average discount of 28%.

Despite the discounts, Happe says more than one in three Americans are forgoing gifts this year due to inflation.

Cut 8 (07) “…inflation factor.” 

When it comes to gift cards, WalletHub says when you consider the popularity and best value the top three are Starbucks, Sephora, and Target.

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Are you ready for the delicious Thanksgiving leftovers? Before you dig in, the Department of Agriculture encourages everyone to handle food safely to avoid illness. USDA Food Safety Expert Meredith Carothers urges everyone not to leave perishable food out for long periods.

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Every year food bourne illnesses cause 48 million cases, 128 thousand hospitalizations, and three thousand deaths according to USDA.

Carothers says it’s important to cool food fast so it reaches the safe refrigerator storage temperature. To do this, she recommends dividing or cutting large amounts of food into smaller containers.

Cut 10 (12) “…smaller portions.”

Food that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours or more than an hour in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit is unsafe according to USDA.

Carothers urges everyone not to eat leftovers that have been in the refrigerator for more than three or four days. But you can freeze some leftovers for up to four months.

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It’s Thanksgiving Day and several high school football teams are getting ready for a quarterfinal playoff game tomorrow night. Will we see some upsets? Host of the Sports Scouting Report Podcast, Lee Brecheen, says he could see Notre Dame going to LaPlace and knocking off the two-time defending champions St. Charles Catholic Comets

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The Comets have eliminated the Pioneers from the playoffs in the last three seasons.

Brecheen says his other upset pick, Alexandria Senior High over the Edna Karr Cougars

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In Division Four non-select, Brecheen is predicting Oak Grove to beat Mangham…

Cut 14 (11) “…state championship.”

Oak Grove is a seven-time champion and the defending champs in Division Four non-select. Jena is the number one seed in Division Three non-select and looking for its first state title. Brecheen says the Giants will be tested by eighth-seeded Amite…

Cut 15 (12) “…again.”

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Cut 16 (14) “..forward to it.”

Cut 17 (22) “..that conversation.”

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Cut 18 (03)  “…lightly.” 

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Cut 19 (18) “…ready to go.” 

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The Saints are at Atlanta on Sunday.

The statewide burn ban that went into effect August 7^th has been lifted according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the cooler temperatures that have settled in for the fall dramatically reduce the chances of a wildfire erupting…

Cut 7 (12) “…can be.” 

Rodrigue encourages residents to remain vigilant when conducting outdoor burns. Also, know what you can and cannot burn.

State Police are reminding motorists to buckle up and travel safely. Sergeant James Anderson…

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Additional law enforcement will be on the roadway looking for impaired drivers and anyone not wearing seat belts.

The National Retail Federation is predicting as much as a four-percent growth in revenues this year from holiday shoppers. Brooke Thorington has more.

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Louisiana “Celebration Gator” float will crawl down the streets of New York for a third appearance in the 97^th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tomorrow. The 60-foot-long alligator float will blow confetti out of its mouth and wag its tail along the parade route. Amanda Shaw and Alex Smith are set to perform this year.

As millions of drivers hit the roadway for the Thanksgiving holiday, State Police are reminding Louisianans to buckle up and travel safely. Sergeant James Anderson says wearing a seatbelt is the most effective measure to minimize injury in the event of a crash.

Cut 3 (13) “….best defense.”

The Fortify Homes Program is opening a Fourth round of grants starting Monday November 27th. There are only 750 of the grants available to homeowners who need to repair or replace their roof to the Fortified Roof Standard of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. The grants are awarded to those who qualify on a first come first served basis. Requirements and Criteria can be found on the Louisiana Department of Insurance website at LDI dot LA dot gov slash fortifyhomes

Louisiana “Celebration Gator” float is set to roll in the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade for the third time tomorrow morning. Teiko Foxx has more…

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The National Retail Federation is predicting a three to four-percent growth in revenues this year. LSU Marketing professor Dan Rice says, Even with the threat of a recession, people are still spending. Retailers, like Target, for example, are reporting a drop in revenue but an increase in profits. Rice says that suggests consumers are feeling the need to buy more necessities potentially and pay closer to full price for them.

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The National Retail Federation says consumers appear to be planning on spending more this holiday season but buying less in terms of the number of items.

More than 49 million people will travel 50 miles or more by car during the Thanksgiving holiday according to the American Automobile Association. State Police Sergeant James Anderson says additional troopers and local law enforcement will be on the roadway looking for impaired drivers and anyone not wearing seat belts. He urges everyone to click it and help save lives.

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The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Click it or Ticket campaign runs through Sunday.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has lifted the burn ban that’s been in place since August 7th. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says after conversations with the National Weather Service, local fire departments, and the Fire Service the decision was made to remove the ban.

Cut 6 (10) “…a safety perspective.”

An anticipated El Nino pattern this winter to include above-average rainfall also played into the decision to lift the ban.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is referred to as Black Friday because that’s when a majority of retailers are able to see their profit margin increase significantly and get out of the red for the year.

LSU Marketing professor Dan Rice says the trend of Cyber Monday promotions is growing considerably faster when you compare them to Black Friday brick-and-mortar store promotions.

Cut 13 (08) “…offline sales.”

Louisiana’s 60-foot-long “Celebration Gator” float will blow confetti out of its mouth and wag its tail along the parade route in its third appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tomorrow.  Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the float is a celebration of many Louisiana traditions including jazz and Mardi Gras. And to get the crowd’s attention, he says this year’s feature performance will highlight two great Louisiana talents.

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The state signed a $1.3 million three-year contract to be in the Macy’s parade.

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As plenty of motorists are hitting the roadways for Thanksgiving, State Police want to remind everyone in the car to buckle-up. Sergeant James Anderson says the majority of fatalities in the Bayou State involve 15 percent of vehicle occupants who do not wear seat belts.

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The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s Click it or Ticket campaign runs through the weekend.

The National Retail Federation is predicting a three to four-percent growth in revenues this year, especially with the trend of promotions beginning well before Black Friday. LSU Marketing professor Dan Rice believes that trend will begin to normalize a bit more…

Cut 12 (08)  “…the pandemic.”  

Louisiana “Celebration Gator” float is set to roll in the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade for the third time tomorrow morning. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx” 

A Covington family has extra reason to celebrate the holidays, after receiving a double-lung transplant, five-year-old Ava Thomas is home for Thanksgiving this year. Ava who has cystic fibrosis underwent a transplant three years ago but wasn’t able to leave Houston until she was weaned off of oxygen and pain meds following her surgery.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has lifted the burn ban that’s been in place since August 7^th but Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue encourages residents to remain vigilant when conducting outdoor burns. She says to never leave what you are burning unattended, have a water source readily available, create a water ring around your burn…

Cut 8 (11) “…went wrong.” 

Also, know what you can and cannot burn. For example, vegetation, leaves, branches, and grass clippings are allowed. Plastic, tires, paint, chemicals, newspaper, and cardboard are not permitted.

The Fortify Homes Program is opening a Fourth round of grants starting Monday November 27th. There are only 750 of the grants available to homeowners who need to repair or replace their roof to the Fortified Roof Standard of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. The grants are awarded to those who qualify on a first come first served basis. Requirements and Criteria can be found on the Louisiana Department of Insurance website at LDI dot LA dot gov slash fortifyhomes

The National Retail Federation is predicting as much as a four-percent growth in revenues this year from holiday shoppers. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

Louisiana’s “Celebration Gator” float will make its third appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tomorrow.  Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says over the last two years tourism numbers have grown. He says this is a great opportunity to promote Louisiana to the world.

Cut 11 (11) “…Louisiana shine.”

The state burn ban which officially went into effect on August 7^th has been lifted. After conversations with the National Weather Service, local fire departments, and the Fire Service the decision was made to remove the ban. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says most of the state remains in drought conditions but the cooler temperatures that have settled in for the fall dramatically reduce the chances of a wildfire erupting…

Cut 7 (12) “…can be.” 

Rodrigue encourages residents to remain vigilant when conducting outdoor burns.

The Bayou State’s “Celebration Gator” float will crawl down the streets of New York for a third appearance in the 97^th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tomorrow.  Lt. Billy Nungesser says it’s proven to be a great return on investment for state tourism.

Cut 9 (08) “…tourism industry.” 

The 60-foot-long alligator float will blow confetti out of its mouth and wag its tail along the parade route. The parade will air tomorrow at 8:30 am on NBC.

Triple A says 55 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving… Brooke Thorington has more.

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The holiday season is here and there’s no better way to start the holidays than by giving back to your local food bank….
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The State Fire Marshal’s Office has lifted the burn ban that’s been in place since August 7th. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says after conversations with the National Weather Service, local fire departments, and the Fire Service the decision was made to remove the ban.
Cut 6 (10) “…a safety perspective.”

As millions of drivers hit the roadway for the Thanksgiving holiday, State Police are reminding Louisianans to buckle up and travel safely. Sergeant James Anderson says wearing a seatbelt is the most effective measure to minimize injury in the event of a crash.
Cut 3 (13) “….best defense.”

There will be a lot of food on the table tomorrow and some dropped on the floor. So do your best to make sure your pets do not eat any table food, especially chocolate, grapes, raisins and onions. They are toxic to pets. LSU Vet school spokesperson Ginger Guttner has this advice if your pet gets a hold of something they normally don’t eat…
cut 11 (09) “….to to someone”
Guttner saysit’s a good idea to find out if your Vet will be open or available during the holidays and what to do in case of an emergency.

Triple A says 55 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving… Brooke Thorington has more.
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It will be a nice day to travel in Louisiana today and State Climatologist Barry Keim says it will be cool tomorrow with a high around 60-degrees…
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At this time of year, demand is up at Louisiana food banks. Director of Feeding Louisiana Pat Van Burkleo says monetary donations are greatly appreciated and so are turkeys….
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To support Louisiana food banks, visit feeding-louisiana-dot-org.

Family and Friends are visiting and connecting over the holidays and the LSU Vet School wants us to keep our 4 legged friends safe during all our celebrations. Spokesperson Ginger Guttner says to use caution because foods safe for us are toxic for dogs and cats…
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Turkey bones can also be a source of obstructions in the esophagus and stomach.

AAA expects 55-million Americans will travel over the Thanksgiving weekend, the third highest number since they began tracking holiday travel in 2000. Spokesperson Don Redman says most people will hit the road, while nearly five-million will travel by air…..
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Hotel prices are down 12-percent from last year and rental cars are down 20-percent.

Looking at cool temperatures for Thanksgiving as the high temperature will struggle tor reach 60-degrees. But what about on Friday and Saturday, which are big shopping days and big days for high school and college football. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we are expecting highs near 60 in north Louisiana and a little warmer for central and south Louisiana…
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The Holidays are a wonderful time for family and friends but can be a challenge for our four-legged friends. Colleen Crain has more…
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Louisiana’s spirit will be a part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow in New York City. A 60-foot float called Celebration Gator will be in the parade for the third year in a row. It celebrates the birthplace of jazz, Cajun and Creole cuisine and Mardi Gras. Louisiana musicians Amanda Shaw and Alex Smith perform on the alligator-themed float.