This is the last Christmas shopping weekend and folks are flocking to the mall. LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says reports show consumers are spending a little less this year, but it’s not because there are less shoppers, it’s because they are paying lower prices…:
Cut 26 (10) “purchase basis”
He says online shopping gets bigger every year, but this weekend more people will head to the brick and mortar stores to ensure they have gifts in hand by Christmas.

State Police say stepped up patrols are underway in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the road this holiday. Sgt. Nick Manale says over the Thanksgiving holiday they saw a high number of traffic fatalities and want to prevent that from happening again…:
CUT 27 (09) “all safe”
During the 2014 holiday season, there were 671 fatal and injury crashes and 99 involved alcohol.

A former investigator with the DA’s Office in Washington Parish has been indicted by a grand jury amidst allegations he used his position to force women to have sex with him. Chief Deputy Mike Haley says 66-year-old Michael Cotton of Bogalusa allegedly threatened a female drug offender to obtain sex. He says the victims assisted in the investigation…:
CUT 3 (10) “Mr. Cotton”
He says Cotton is being held with $75,000 bond on an extortion charge and $25,000 for public bribery.

The Star Wars craze has spread across Louisiana and we spoke with this fan who said he’s been waiting for years to see The Force Awakens…:
CUT 11 (11) “kinda crazy”
For it’s preview showings alone, “The Force Awakens” brought in a record breaking $57 million dollars at box offices in the US.