Many areas of the state reported record low temperatures last night as the winter weather hit Louisiana hard. The National Weather Service has once again issued freeze warnings for much of the state again tonight from 10pm to 9am tomorrow morning.

Open enrollment begins tomorrow for those seeking health insurance through the federal Affordable Care Act. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says 101-thousand residents are insured through Obamacare and that will likely go up with this second enrollment period, because the penalty is higher this year for those who go uninsured…:
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He says many Louisianians will have up to six different insurance companies to choose from.

The possibility state government will have to implement a midyear budget cut will become more clear today as the Revenue Estimating Conference meets at this hour. Jeff Palermo has more..:
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Monroe Police say a 63-year-old doctor died in an accidental drowning in Bayou Desiard Thursday. They say Dr. Madura Rangaraj was located under his boat house yesterday evening. Officers indicated the wife said Rangaraj went to check pipes in the boat house because of the cold weather and called cops when he did not return. Dive teams discovered the body.