Governor John Bel Edwards talked about transportation when discussing his 2017 priorities Thursday in Baton Rouge. The governor’s task force on transportation will likely support a higher gasoline tax. Edwards says interstates need to be upgraded because some closed this year due to flooding…:
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He says a big goal next year will be to make sure Transportation Trust Fund money is used in the right places.

Despite the chilly weather, the State Fire Marshal’s Office is warning against using unconventional methods to heat your home. They say a 66-year-old Ponchatoula man was likely killed in a fire Thursday morning as he was using his kitchen gas stove as warming source.

And the cold isn’t going away today or tomorrow…:
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That’s Tim Humphrey with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles.

A report from the National Center for Health Statistics finds overall life expectancy dropped by one month from 2014 to 2015. It’s the first decrease in the US in more than 20 years. Doctor Ben Springgate with LSU Health New Orleans Internal Medicine blames heart disease..:
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He says health outcomes are declining because of people’s lifestyles.

President-elect Donald Trump will be in Baton Rouge today to stump for US Senate candidate John Kennedy. But the state Treasurer’s opponent, Democrat Foster Campbell, doesn’t believe Mr. Trump’s visit gives Kennedy the edge in tomorrow’s election…:
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Kennedy says he’s humbled by Mr. Trump’s visit. The President-elect is slated to appear at noon today at the Baton Rouge airport, and despite the cold — some people are already in line waiting.