Governor John Bel Edwards calls 2016 a challenging year, but also very rewarding and positive as well. Edwards says he entered office and immediately addressed an unprecedented budget deficit by making cuts and raising revenues through tax increases…:
Cut 9 (09) “myself in”
He say the most difficult day was when he learned of the police officer shootings in Baton Rouge on July 17th. The governor is now with State Police to announce that Louisiana will become the first state in a nation to supply all state troopers with body cameras.

Today is the first day of winter, but State climatologist Barry Keim says the forecast is calling for warmer and drier than normal conditions for the next three months…:
cut (09) “with precipitation”
He says Louisianians can expect temperatures in the 70s Christmas weekend.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries confirms the first sighting of a wild cougar in the state since 2011. It said a trail camera picture sent to the department in November out of Morehouse Parish is authentic. Maria Davidson is LDWF’s Large Carnivore Program Manager. She says this is unusual as there is no cougar population here:
CUT 6 (10) “thousands of miles”
She says they move so fast that there is little chance the cougar would still be in Northeast Louisiana.

An assistant warden at Angola was reportedly arrested Tuesday on rape charges in an incident he allegedly committed at his home which is on prison property. The suspect is identified as 34-year-old Barrett Boeker.