The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds the country’s obesity rate has climbed to almost 38-percent, up from 32-percent ten years ago. Jeff Palermo looks at what’s happening in Louisiana….

cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

New Orleans Police have arrested the pastor of a Marrero church on several counts of inappropriate sexual behavior with children. They say three people allege they were sexually abused by 56-year-old Reverend Dr. Sherman Smith, pastor of the Second Highway Baptist Church, more than 10 years ago. Smith faces multiple charges, including aggravated rape of a victim younger than 13 and sexual battery.

State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson says District Judge William Bennett remains adamant about the gag order in place in regards to information about last week’s fatal shooting by two Marksville deputy marshals. Edmonson says although he can’t provide more details on the case, he told the Jim Engster show that the investigation remains active…

cut 15 (10) “we go forward”

Six-year-old Jeremy Mardis was killed in the shooting and his father, 25-year-old Christopher Few was severely wounded.

Crawfish are beginning to pop up in stores across some coastal parishes in Louisiana. LSU Ag Center marine extension agent Alan Matherne says the crawfish that are coming up now are mostly from last season and the quality of the mudbugs is good…

cut 8 (06) “this point”

Matherne says there’s not a lot of crawfish available right now.