An overnight fire in Opelousas has claimed the lives of two children, an eleven and 12-year-old boy. Opelousas Fire Chief Charles Mason says six people were inside the home when the blaze started and two adults and two children escaped. The investigation continues into the cause of the fire.

In northwest Louisiana, COVID tests and vaccinations will be administered at a drive-thru clinic at the state fairgrounds in Shreveport. Brooke Thorington has the details…
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Smokeable medical marijuana is now available at the state’s nine licensed pharmacies. Good Day Farm works with the LSU AgCenter to produce and grow medicinal pot and CEO John Davis says about 150 pounds of smokeable cannabis hit the store shelves this week. Davis says his company recently started up a huge growing facility near Ruston, to make sure supply meets the demand…
cut 12 (07) “…in February”

The U-S News and World Report ranks the Dash Diet as one of the best diets for 2022. LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center helped develop Dash Diet and Doctor Catherine Champagne says it focuses on the consumption of fruits and vegetables and foods low in sodium, but she says low sodium does not mean a lack of flavor…
cut 5 (11) “….and spices”
Champagne says the DASH diet is highly ranked for healthy eating and heart health and it helps diabetics.

LSU Health Shreveport is holding a drive-thru COVID testing and vaccination site at the state fairgrounds. It’s open Monday thru Saturday from ten until five PM. Infectious disease specialist Dr. John Vanchiere says we’re experiencing a post-holiday surge demand for testing and it’s just the beginning.

Cut 14 (12)  “…testing needed.”

The raw form of medical marijuana is now for sale at cannabis pharmacies in Louisiana.  John Davis, CEO of Good Day Farm, which grows and produces medical cannabis says the smokable form can range in price from $10 to $25 a gram, and growers do not set the prices

Cut  11 (10)  “…medical marijuana program.”  

The estimated Powerball Jackpot reaches $610-million for tonight’s drawing. And that estimate could go even higher, Kim Chopin with the Louisiana Lottery says Powerball usually gives an estimate of anticipated winnings, based on sales, by midday on the day of the drawing.

Cut 8 (09) “…around noon.” 

The cash value on a $610-million jackpot is $434.2 million.

A strange ending to the 2021 football season for the LSU Tigers last night as they only had 38 scholarship players available, and it showed in a 42-20 loss to Kansas State in the Texas Bowl. Fifth-year senior Jontre Kirklin made his first start at quarterback and threw three touchdown passes…

 Cut 6 (12) “…whole journey” 

The state continues to report thousands of new COVID cases every day and the number of COVID patients in the hospital continues to climb. Hospitalizations have surpassed 12-hundred. Just three weeks ago, Louisiana was reporting about 200 COVID hospitalizations.

In northwest Louisiana, COVID tests and vaccinations will be administered at a drive-thru clinic at the state fairgrounds in Shreveport. Brooke Thorington has the details…
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The DASH Diet which LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center helped develop is ranked as one of the best diets for 2022 by U-S News and World Report. Pennington Dietician Doctor Catherine Champagne says when the USDA announced its dietary guidelines for Americans one of the diets they patterned was DASH…
Cut 6 (06) “…DASH diet.”
Champagne says the DASH diet also encourages eating foods low in sodium.

Tonight’s Powerball jackpot of 610-million dollars is the seventh-largest jackpot in the multi-state lottery game’s history. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says there hasn’t been a Powerball jackpot winner since October 4th and the top prize has grown quite a bit.
Cut 7 (10) “…those circles.”
The cash value on a $610-million jackpot is $434 million.

Smokable medicinal cannabis hits the store shelves to a warm reception from patients in Louisiana. Kevin Gallagher reports.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

LSU football finishes the 2021 season with a losing record for the first time since 1999 as the Tigers lost to Kansas State 42-20 in the Texas Bowl last night. But it was a memorable night for wide receiver Jontre Kirklin, who threw three touchdown passes as he started at quarterback for the undermanned Tigers.

Due to the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID, LSU Health Shreveport holds a drive-thru community testing and vaccination site today at the state fairgrounds. LSU Health Shreveport infectious disease specialist Doctor John Vanchiere says they are trying to meet the high demand for testing and free up congestion at emergency rooms.
Cut 13 (09) “…appropriate place to get tested.”
Vanchiere says the only time you should get tested for COVID at the E-R is if you are admitted and you should only be tested if you have symptoms or have a known exposure.

The DASH Diet which was developed in part by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is ranked as one of the top diets for 2022 according to U.S. News and World Report. Doctor Catherine Champagne with Pennington says the Dash Diet ranked high for healthy eating, among the easiest to follow, and good for your heart…
Cut 4 (10) “…dairy foods.”
DASH is short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

Louisiana’s nine licensed medical marijuana pharmacies report long lines and bustling business in the first days that smokeable marijuana is legal. John Davis is the CEO of Good Day Farm which produces medical cannabis products for the LSU Ag Center .
Cut 10 (13) “…their appointments.”
Persons with a prescription from their doctor can get up to 71 grams every two weeks.

LSU Health Shreveport will administer COVID vaccinations, booster shots and PCR tests for COVID-19 at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds starting today to accommodate increased demand. LSU Health Shreveport infectious disease specialist Doctor John Vanchiere says the drive-thru clinic will be open Monday through Saturday 10 AM until 5 PM…
cut 15 (10) “….the latest”

The Dash Diet which was developed in part by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is once again ranked as one of the top diets by U-S News and World Report. Erik Piccoli has more…
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Erik Piccoli.”

Tonight’s Powerball Jackpot is 610-million dollars, the seventh-largest jackpot in the game’s history. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says the largest Powerball jackpot winner in the Bayou State was 191-million dollars in 2017….
cut 9 (10) “….in 1995.

The Dash Diet which was developed in part by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is once again ranked as one of the top diets by U-S News and World Report. Erik Piccoli has more…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Erik Piccoli.”

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Smokable medicinal cannabis hits the store shelves to a warm reception from consumers in Louisiana. Kevin Gallagher reports.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.” 

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If you looking to get a COVID test or a vaccination a drive-thru clinic at the state fairgrounds in Shreveport is providing both. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (00) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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The DASH Diet which was developed in part by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Researcher Center is ranked as one of the top best diets according to U.S. News and World Report. Doctor Catherine Champagne with Pennington says the Dash Diet ranked high for healthy eating, among the easiest to follow, and good for your heart…

Cut 4 (10) “…dairy foods.” 

Dr. Champagne says the Dash Diet encourages eating foods low in sodium, but low sodium does not have to mean a lack of flavor…

Cut 5 (11) “…and spices.”

Dr. Champagne says DASH isn’t for those trying to cut fat quickly and because of its long process it doesn’t garner as much attention as others. She says when the USDA announced their dietary guidelines for Americans one of the diets they patterned was DASH…

Cut 6 (06) “…DASH diet.”

______________________________________

If there’s a winner of tonight’s Powerball drawing, they’ll be awarded the seventh-largest jackpot in the game’s history at $610 million. Kim Chopin with the Louisiana Lottery says there hasn’t been a Powerball jackpot winner since October 4^th and the top prize has grown quite a bit.

Cut 7 (10) “…those circles.”

And the jackpot estimate could go even higher, Chopin says Powerball usually gives an estimate of anticipated winnings, based on sales, by midday on the day of the drawing, and on Tuesday it increased on a non-draw day from $575 to $610 million.

Cut 8 (09) “…around noon.” 

The cash value on a $610-million jackpot is $434.2 million.

The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot in the Bayou State was March of 2018 with a prize of $55 million. Chopin says the largest Powerball Jackpot winner in Louisiana was $191-million and that was in October of 2017.

Cut 9 (10)  “…in 1995.”

Tonight’s drawing is at 9:59 PM.

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Louisiana’s nine legal medical cannabis pharmacies say long lines and bustling business in the first days that smokeable marijuana flowers were legally available. John Davis, CEO of Good Day Farm, which grows and produces medical cannabis products for the LSU Ag Center says he’s been informed of long lines and wait times to get prescriptions filled.

Cut 10 (13)  “…their appointments.”

Persons with a medical recommendation from their doctor can get up to 71 grams every two weeks. There has been a bit of grumbling about price. Medical cannabis can be sold for anywhere from $10 to $25 a gram, depending on the retailer. Davis says growers do not have any say in what the consumer is charged.

Cut  11 (10)  “…medical marijuana program.”  

Some patients questioned said they’d gladly pay a higher price than take the risks of the illegal market. Smokable cannabis is generally less expensive than other legal cannabis previously available.

About 150 pounds of smokeable cannabis hit the store shelves this week. That’s about 20-thousand 8-ounce servings. Davis says his company recently started up a huge growing facility near Ruston, to make sure supply meets demand.

Cut 12 (07) “…in February.”

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Due to the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID, LSU Health Shreveport begins its community testing and vaccination site today at the state fairgrounds. LSU Health Shreveport infectious disease specialist Doctor John Vanchiere says they are opening to try to help meet the high demand of testing and free up congestion at emergency rooms.

Cut 13 (09) “…appropriate place to get tested.”

Vanchiere says the only time you should be getting tested for COVID at the emergency room is if you are being admitted and you should only be tested if you are having symptoms or have a known exposure.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant and more people gathering and traveling over the holidays has caused a major surge in people being tested for COVID. Vanchiere says it’s just the beginning of the most recent demand for testing.

Cut 14 (12)  “…testing needed.”

The drive-thru clinic will be testing and administering both vaccines and booster shots Monday through Saturday from 10 AM until 5 PM at the state fairgrounds. Vanchiere asks that you bring your ID and health insurance card if you have one. Children must be accompanied by a parent and test results will be emailed.

Cut 15 (10)  “…the latest.”

Gates will close at 4:30 PM. Pre-registration is not required for testing but requested for vaccines at LSU Health Shreveport’s website.

The first fire fatality in Louisiana for the year happened Sunday night in West Monroe claiming the life of one man and his dog. State Fire Marshal Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the victim had initially escaped but re-entered in an attempt to save his pet.

Cut 9 (12) “…your life for”

The victim’s identity has not been released

A 15-year has been arrested and charged with 2^nd Degree Murder in connection with a New Year’s Eve fatal shooting in St. Landry Parish. Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the victim has been identified as 38-year-old Keith Adam Joseph from Washington, Louisiana. Guidroz says this is just another case in a larger issue…

Cut 14 (06)  “…it appears.” 

The investigation is ongoing.

The state is reporting 15-thousand COVID deaths since the pandemic started, Tulane Epidemiologist Doctor Susan Hassig says while it’s possible the rate of deaths from COVID may slow down, the concern remains about hospitals being inundated with COVID patients and not having the ability to properly treat other diseases…

Cut 8 (13) “…COVID there” 

And with COVID cases continuing to surge some school systems are reinstating mitigation practices. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley says the decision about face masks is best made locally.

Cut 3 (10) “…their kids.”

Brumley says research shows it’s much better for everyone when students are in the classroom when it’s safe to do so.

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says a 15-year-old boy has been arrested for a fatal shooting on New Year’s Eve in the town of Washington. Just before midnight Friday, deputies were dispatched to a home, but Guidroz says, the juvenile fled the scene before they arrived…:

CUT 13(09)      “…surrounding the incident.”

Guidroz says this is just another case amid a much larger issue: kids committing serious violent crimes.

The state’s first fire fatality of 2022 occurred Sunday night in West Monroe, taking the life of an elderly man and his dog. State Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the man tried to go back in the house to save his pet. The home had no working smoke alarms. She says having them, and HEEDING them is of utmost importance..:

CUT 11(10)      “…and staying out.”

The victim’s identity has not been released as yet.

The state is reporting 15-thousand COVID deaths since the pandemic started in 2020, but could we see fewer COVID deaths in the months ahead. Tulane Epidemiologist Doctor Susan Hassig says one hopeful sign is that the mortality rate with the Omicron variant does not seem to be as severe as it was with Delta…:

CUT 06(11)      “…the virus.”

Meanwhile, a lot of school districts are telling parents to mask those kids up before sending them to school. There is no statewide mandate. Education Superintendent Cade Brumley says that is up to local school districts to decide. Check with yours if you are unsure.

No one hit the massive Powerball jackpot last night. The next drawing will be worth over $600-million dollars, with a lump-sum payout of just under $435-million.

Louisiana has surpassed 15-thousand COVID deaths since March 2020. Jeff Palermo reports on whether the rate of COVID deaths will slow…:

CUT 02(27)      “…Palermo.”

A Shreveport man sustained severe burns while reportedly attempting to film a Tik Tok challenge video. Shreveport cops and firemen say it happened Sunday afternoon. The unnamed man is in the burn unit at Ochsner LSU Health. The challenge involves drawing a design on a mirror in flammable liquid, then setting it alight.

A 15-year has been arrested and charged with 2^nd Degree Murder in connection with a New Year’s Eve killing in St. Landry Parish. Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the victim has been identified as 38-year-old Keith Adam Joseph from Washington Louisiana…:

CUT 12(10)      “…once in the chest.”

The crime is still under investigation. Guidroz asks those with knowledge of the events to come forward.

The Omicron COVID surge is bringing back mask mandates for school kids in Louisiana. As they go back from the holiday break, make sure they have one in the backpack. Louisiana Education Superintendent Cade Brumley says there’s no statewide mask order yet; that lies with local districts. He says parents with strong objections should contact their local school leaders..:

CUT 04(07)      “…for kids.”

Brumley says learning IN the classroom is still what’s best for kids.

As COVID cases surge once again, your kids may well be told to mask up in school again. Brooke Thorington has more from Louisiana’s Superintendent of Education…:

CUT 01(33)      “….Thorington.”

Meanwhile, some medical experts are saying it’s time to quit concentrating on positive cases reported and concentrate on the number of hospitalizations. Many reported cases of Omicron COVID are not making people seriously sick. Dr. Anthony Fauci said as much Sunday morning on ABC TV. Still, other experts say case counts are very important.

The first fire fatality in Louisiana for 2022 occurred Sunday night in West Monroe claiming the life of a 69-year-old man and his dog. State Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says firefighters located the man’s body in the living room and the remains of his dog in a bedroom. Rodrigue says investigators have not been able to pinpoint an actual cause, but have determined its origin..:

CUT 10(06)      “…electrical in nature.”

Will the Capital City get to have its usual modest number of Mardi Gras Parades this year? Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome says it’s too soon to tell whether the Omicron surge will force events to cancel. In addition to parades, Baton Rouge has a number of big Carnival galas. Cancelling on short notice will cost Krewes and organizers a whole lot of money.

New Orleans Police have their hands full with car thefts. Over 12 vehicles have been either stolen or carjacked at gunpoint since New Year’s Eve.