Activists in St. James Parish think they may have found a way to stop the construction of a new 9.4 billion dollar Formosa chemical plant, the discovery that the 2,300-acre site is home to unmarked slave graves. RISE St. James Founder Sharon Lavigne says they’ve been pushing to cancel the plant since before the graves were discovered, as there are already 12 industrial projects in this district alone.

Cut 5 (09) “the air”

The site construction firm says they’ll follow state policy in the matter.

The state fire marshal’s office is investigating a fatal fire that resulted in the death of a mother and her seven-year son. The blaze took place last night in the Red River Parish town of Coushatta. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the cause of the fire could be heating-related

Cut 12 (08) “…attracted to” 

Heisman winner Joe Burrow became an accidental spokesperson for hunger awareness during his acceptance speech Saturday.  Brooke Thorington has more.

cut  2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron is unsure if running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire will play in the semifinal game versus Oklahoma because of a hamstring injury. Orgeron says he’ll know more about Edwards-Helaire’s status later this week. And LSU basketball was upset last night, losing to East Tennessee State 74-63. The Pelicans ended a 13-game losing streak by beating Minnesota 107-99.

A planned chemical plant in St. James Parish may also be home to an unknown number of unmarked slave graves. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle 

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Heisman winner Joe Burrow became an accidental spokesperson for hunger awareness during his acceptance speech Saturday.  Brooke Thorington has more.

cut  2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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There’s a push to cancel construction of a 9.4 billion dollar chemical plant in St. James Parish after archeologists discover what may be an unknown number of unmarked slave graves.

Local activist and RISE St. James Founder Sharon Lavigne says there’s no way the planned plant can continue now.

Cut 3 (08) “…ancestors.”

The plot was discovered at the outer edge of the 2,300 acre-site, but Lavigne believes the area may contain more graves.

FG, the company building the Formosa plant, says an independent archeologist they hired discovered the graves in June, but Lavigne says it appears they only just fenced off the area.

Cut 4 (09) “…us”

Lavigne says they’ve been pushing to cancel the plant since before the graves were discovered, but there are already 12 industrial projects in his district alone.

Cut 5 (09) “the air”

FG said in a statement they “will follow all applicable state and federal laws in regards to the burial ground and public notification.”

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When Joe Burrow accepted the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, the quarterback might not have realized it, but his heartfelt speech put a major spotlight on the issue of hunger in Southeast Ohio. The impact is also being felt here in Baton Rouge.  President and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank Mike Manning says Burrow bringing awareness to the issue and making it relatable is making a difference.

Cut 6 (13) “…sp profound.”

Since Burrow’s acceptance speech, Manning says they’ve seen a $50-thousand increase in donations, and they continue to come in.

Cut 7 (12) “…into the new year”

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is a $14-million dollar operation and Manning says they offer assistance to those in need in 11 parishes and have done so for more than 30 years. The people they help feed come from all backgrounds.

Cut 8 (11) “longer term.”

To make a donation visit brfoodbank.org and if you need assistance call 211 and ask the United Way for your local area Food Bank.

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Rumors are swirling that current Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne could be the next president of the LSU System, replacing F-King Alexander. During his monthly call-in show, Governor John Bel Edwards did not shoot down those rumors

Cut 9 (11) “…to do”

Dardenne is Edwards’ top budget advisor. Before joining the Edwards Administration, the former LSU grad ran for governor, served as Lt. Governor, Secretary of State and state senator. Edwards says there’s a reason why Dardenne is an attractive candidate for the job

Cut 10 (10) “…in Louisiana”

Alexander is leaving to become the next president at Oregon State. Edwards believes the LSU Board of Supervisors will have a lot of good candidates to choose from…

Cut 11 (06) “for the state”

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The state fire marshal’s office is investigating a fatal fire that resulted in the death of a mother and her seven-year son. The blaze took place last night in the Red River Parish town of Coushatta. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the cause of the fire could be heating-related

Cut 12 (08) “…attracted to” 

The fire occurred at a former commercial bank building turned into apartments. Browning says they suspect there were no working smoke alarms, because it appears the victims never had a chance to escape

Cut 13 (10) “…smoke alarms.”

Browning says the investigating is ongoing. He says we are looking at another cold night tonight, so he asks that if you are using a space heater, turn it off before you go to bed…

Cut 14 (09) “…extension cords.”

A planned chemical plant in St. James Parish may also be home to an unknown number of unmarked slave graves. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle 

Cynthia Perkins, a former Livingston Parish School teacher and wife of former Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputy Dennis Perkins has filed for divorce.  An attorney representing Cynthia Perkins tells WBRZ that she claims her husband has made sufficient threats against her and she is fearful of him. Both were formally charged on 150 combined counts, including rape and child pornography this week.

Joe Burrow’s Heisman acceptance speech also made him a spokesperson for hunger across the nation. The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank has received $50-thousand in donations since his speech. Food Bank CEO and President Mike Manning says they offer assistance to those in need in 11 parishes and have done so for more than 30 years. The people they help feed come from all backgrounds.

Cut 8 (11) “longer term.”

To make a donation visit brfoodbank.org and if you need assistance call 211 and ask the United Way for your local area Food Bank.

F King Alexander is leaving LSU to become the next president at Oregon State and rumors are swirling that current Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne could be his replacement. On his radio call in show Governor stated he believes the LSU Board of Supervisors will have a lot of good candidates to choose from…

Cut 11 (06) “for the state”

When Joe Burrow accepted the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, the quarterback might not have realized it, but his heartfelt speech put a major spotlight on the issue of hunger in Southeast Ohio. The impact is also being felt in Baton Rouge.  President and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank Mike Manning says they’ve seen a $50-thousand increase in donations, and they continue to come in.

Cut 7 (12) “…into the new year”

Rumors are swirling that current Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne could be the next president of the LSU System, replacing F-King Alexander. During his monthly call-in show, Governor Edwards says there’s a reason why Dardenne is an attractive candidate for the job

Cut 10 (10) “…in Louisiana”

President Donald Trump has been impeached on two Articles, Obstruction of Justice, and Abuse of Power. Matt Doyle has the reaction from Senator Bill Cassidy…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

A federal appeals court based out of New Orleans has ruled the individual health insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. But the court did not rule on whether all of the A-C-A is unconstitutional, so the nation’s health care law remains in place for now.

There’s a push to cancel construction of a 9.4 billion dollar chemical plant in St. James Parish after archeologists discover what may be an unknown number of unmarked slave graves. Local activist and RISE St. James Founder Sharon Lavigne says there’s no way the planned plant can continue now…

Cut 3, 8 seconds, ancestors

FG, the company building the Formosa plant, says they will comply with state law regarding to grounds.

Rumors are swirling that current Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne could be the next president of the LSU System, replacing F-King Alexander. During his monthly call-in show, Governor John Bel Edwards did not shoot down those rumors

Cut 9 (11) “…to do”

When Joe Burrow accepted the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, the quarterback might not have realized it, but his heartfelt speech put a major spotlight on the issue of hunger in Southeast Ohio. The impact is also being felt here in Baton Rouge.  President and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank Mike Manning says Burrow is making a difference…

Cut 3 (13) “…so profound.”

To make a donation visit brfoodbank.org and if you need assistance call 211 and ask the United Way for your local area Food Bank.

The House impeached President Trump last night, but Speaker Pelosi says they’ll withhold the articles from the Senate until Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agrees to an impartial trial. Once that Senate trial begins, it could take anywhere from two weeks to two months to complete. Senator Bill Cassidy hopes the Upper Chamber will not linger on the issue.

Cut  12 (05) “fantasy” 

The Democratic controlled U-S House voted to approve two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, claiming the president abused his power by pushing a foreign country to investigate a political rival. Louisiana’s five House Republican members voted against it, while Democratic Congressman Cedric Richmond voted for impeachment.

Louisiana saw a slight increase in higher ed enrollment this past fall semester, one of the few states to do so…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Michael Farrar”

Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s already talking to the likely legislative leaders of the next legislature as he hopes to have a good relationship with a body that will be controlled by the Republican Party. Edwards says he’s fine with legislative independence, but he just doesn’t want to see a group of lawmakers become obstructionists
Cut 9 (10) “…through that”

Louisiana Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children is seeking more African American and male volunteers in an attempt to diversify its volunteer base. CASA Louisiana Executive Director Kathleen Stewart Richey says nearly 60 percent of the children who get court-appointed volunteers are minorities, but most of their volunteers are white women.
Cut 13 (09) “…males.”
Stewart says the program needs to have more volunteers, seeing as 7,900 children are in foster care annually, but only 3,600 receive CASA agents.

The U-S House has voted to impeach President Donald Trump and the articles of impeachment will go to the Senate for a trial. Senators will act as jurors and Louisiana Senior Senator Bill Cassidy says he’ll take it seriously…
cut 11 (10) “…facts” (2x)
A two-thirds vote is required to remove the President from office, a barrier that is highly unlikely to be met in the Republican-controlled Senate.

National enrollment numbers at colleges fell just over one-percent based on the student count for the fall semester. Louisiana Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed on why that may be…
cut 5 (11) “…system”
Reed says Louisiana colleges saw a slight increase in enrollment as the state pushes to have 60-percent of adults with some sort of credentials needed to enter the workforce by 2030. The state is currently at 44-percent.

Louisiana CASA is seeking to diversify its volunteer base that’s predominately older, white, and female…
Cut 3 (31) “ I’m connor ferrill”

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron is unsure if running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire will play in the semifinal game versus Oklahoma because of a hamstring injury. Orgeron says he’ll know more about Edwards-Helaire’s status later this week. And LSU basketball was upset last night, losing to East Tennessee State 74-63.

President Donald Trump has been impeached on two Articles, Obstruction of Justice, and Abuse of Power. Matt Doyle has the reaction from Senator Bill Cassidy…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

A federal appeals court based out of New Orleans has ruled the individual health insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. But the court did not rule on whether all of the A-C-A is unconstitutional, so the nation’s health care law remains in place for now.

Louisiana is one of 15 states that saw an increase in college enrollment based on the number of students who attended classes this fall. Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed says the goal is to boost enrollment even more to meet a lofty goal…
cut 6 (10) “…percent”
Utah, New Hampshire, and Arizona led the nation in enrollment increases, while Alaska, Florida, and Arkansas saw the largest decreases.

The Louisiana Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, also known as CASA, says they are looking for more volunteers to help children in the foster care system. CASA Louisiana Executive Director Kathleen Stewart Richey says there are 79-hundred children in foster care, but only 36-hundred have CASA agents…
cut 15 (09) “…statewide”
Stewart recently appeared as a guest on Talk Louisiana.

The Democratic-controlled House has voted to impeach President Donald Trump on charges he abused his power and obstructed Congress. The Republican-led Senate is expected to hold a removal trial, possibly in the first week of January. U-S Senator Bill Cassidy says the only motive for impeachment he has seen is strictly partisan.
Cut 10 (08) “…hated him”
Cassidy says he has yet to see any evidence that the president broke any laws.

Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s already met twice with Albany Representative Sherman Mack, who could be the next House Speaker. Edwards had numerous battles with House Republican leadership in his first term and he’s hoping for less friction in his second four years
Cut 7 (09) “…step forward.”
Edwards and the new legislature will be sworn in on January 13th.

Louisiana saw a slight increase in higher ed enrollment this past fall semester, one of the few states to do so…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Michael Farrar”

Louisiana Capital Area Court Appointed Special Advocate Association is seeking more adults to help children in the foster care system. CASA Louisiana Director Kathleen Stewart Richey says most of their volunteers are either retired, or near retirement…
Cut 14 (07) “…monthly.”
Richey says there are 79-hunrded children in the foster care system, but they only have 36-hundred CASA agents.