It was a big night for LSU at the 2019 Home Depot College Football Awards Show as quarterback Joe Burrow, safety Grant Delpit and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase all took home hardware. Burrow won the Davey O’ Brien Award for best quarterback in the nation and the Walter Camp Award, which goes to the best player in the country. Chase was named the nation’s top wide receiver and Delpit won the Jim Thorpe award which goes to the country’s best defensive back.

Up next for Burrow, it’s a trip to New York where it’s expected he’ll be named the Heisman Trophy winner on Saturday night.

The Saints will host the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. Defensive end Cam Jordan and safety Vonn Bell did not practice yesterday. Jordan has an injury to his abdomen, while Bell is battling an injured knee.

And former Saints linebacker and member of the famed Dome Patrol, Vaughn Johnson has died at the age of 57. He died at his home in North Carolina from a kidney disease.

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The Prep Classic kicks off today in the Superdome with the Division Four Championship game at noon, Catholic Pointe-Couppe takes on Ouachita Christian. At 3:30. the top two seeds in Two-A duke it out as Ferriday faces Many. Tonight, St. James looks to complete an undefeated season by taking on 23rd seeded Jennings.
Top-seeded Acadiana also goes after an undefeated season tomorrow as the Wrecking Rams will play Destrehan at 7 PM. Acadiana Head Coach Matt McCullough says his players have been dialed in since the preseason…
cut 15 (12) “…ready to go”
Also tomorrow, it’s the One-A championship game, Oak Grove versus White Castle and the Four-A title game is a rematch of last year’s championship game, Karr versus Warren Easton. The Cougars have won three straight Four-A titles.

A one-time NFL player was charged with murder in what Baton Rouge police describe as a drug-related killing in Louisiana back in 2013. 31-yr-old Devin Holland was arrested Wednesday in the shooting death of Timothy Pena during an apparent drug deal six years ago. Holland played football for McNeese State University and Tulane University before signing a contract with Tampa Bay, where he played in four games in 2011. He also signed with the Washington Redskins before being released in 2013. Booking records showed DNA evidence linked Holland to a truck where Pena was found fatally wounded.

54 years after Hurricane Betsy hit the Louisiana coast, the storm is upgraded to the Category 4 hurricane. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the reclassification comes as weather researchers reanalyze Atlantic hurricane seasons and better interpret the data…
CUT 07 (11) “more current periods”
Betsy did over a Billion dollars in damage and claimed 75 lives.

Louisiana aims to make sure all high school freshmen in the class of 2025 will have at least one dual enrollment credit or industry-relevant credential by graduation. Matt Doyle has more…
CUT 01 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Now here are yesterday’s closing markets….

Louisiana aims to make sure all high school freshmen in the class of 2025 will have at least one dual enrollment credit or industry-relevant credential by graduation. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

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Hurricane Betsy has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm, 54 years after landfall. Kevin Barnhart talked to State Climatologist Barry Keim to find out why.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.” 

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Fans back in Joe Burrow’s hometown of Athens, Ohio say they couldn’t be prouder of the LSU gunslinger’s imminent Heisman Trophy. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “ I’m Matt Doyle.”

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The Board of Regents and BESE sets a goal of ensuring that every high school freshman by 2025 will graduate with at least one college credit or job skill credential. Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed says making sure all high school grads have post-secondary credits will inspire more of them to attend college.

Cut 4 (10) “…college”

The state has set the goal of doubling the number of post-secondary credentials by 2030.

Dual enrollment credits can be an out of pocket expense in some school districts, but Reed says a task force has been created to find a way to make sure no student has to pay for the opportunity.

Cut 5 (10) “…income”

Reed says the policy is another example of the state sending a clear signal to students that a high school diploma will not be enough in the future knowledge economy.

Cut 6 (09) “…economy”

Half of students in the 2018 class obtained a college credit, or industry credential.

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Fifty-four years after the storm’s landfall on southeast Louisiana, Hurricane Betsy is upgraded to the Category 4 storm. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the reclassification comes as weather researchers are reanalyzing Atlantic hurricane seasons and are having a better interpretation of historic data.

Cut 7 (11) “…to more current periods.”

Hurricane Betsy was blamed for about 75 deaths and was the first storm to surpass a billion dollars in US damage.  Keim says the latest report of the reanalysis of 1961 to 1965 also located more storms.

Cut 8 (09) “…just weren’t detected.”

Keim says the review of historical data is going to help broaden the understanding of storms and hopefully make forecasting better in the future.

Cut 9 (07) “…actually making landfall.”

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The people of Athens, Ohio have been cheering on hometown hero Joe Burrow all throughout the LSU QB’s record-breaking season, and can’t wait to watch him take home the Heisman on Saturday.

Burrow frequented Gigi’s Country Kitchen during his high school quarterbacking days and owner Travis Brand said he was beaming last season as Burrow was asked about GiGi’s by ESPN after a game…

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The official Heisman ceremony will be held Saturday night in New York at 7PM.

Brand says the community rallied around the QB during his years leading Athens High. Brand was at one of the games with his daughter who was a cheerleader…

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Burrow led the team to three straight playoff appearances and threw for over 11,000 yards and 157 passing touchdowns.

Brand says Athens is Ohio State country, but this year you could find of Purple and Gold peppered throughout the community.

Cut  12 (10) “…town” 

Today is LSU day at Athens City School where students are encouraged to wear Purple and Gold.

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The 2019 LHSAA Prep Classic kicks-off today in the Superdome. Six championship games over the next two days. The Class 2A title game between Many and Ferriday is the only one featuring a one versus two seed. Many Coach Jess Curtis says his team lost its first three games, but since then they’ve won 11 in a row…

Cut 13 (08) “…plateau”

Two teams will try to complete undefeated seasons. At 7 PM tonight, St. James will face Jennings for the 3A title. The Wildcats are trying to win their first state championship since 1979. Robert Valdez says the St. James community has felt this has been the year since the summertime…

Cut 14 (13) “…wow”

Acadiana can also finish the season 15-0 if they beat Destrehan in the 5A championship game on Saturday night. Wrecking Rams Head Coach Matt McCullough says his players have been dialed in since the preseason…

Cut 15 (12) “…ready to go.”

Most of Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation and state Ag Commissioner Mike Strain are touting a new compromise Mexico Canada trade deal that’s now backed by both House Democrats and the President, but Senator John Kennedy and other conservatives in the upper chamber are still unsure of the legislation…

Cut 11 (09) “…for it.”

The state Office of Public Health says only 25-percent of healthy adults have received a flu shot this year. Immunization medical director, Doctor Frank Welch, says Louisiana is already close to matching the peak of last year’s flu season and that was one of the worst in years. He says the B strain of flu is going around Louisiana, while the rest of the country is getting sick from the more severe A-strain…

Cut 13 (09) “…flu shot”

During the 2018-19 flu season, 15-hundred Louisians died from the virus.

Downtown Alexandria is the focal point of holiday spirit this weekend in Rapides Parish with the Alex Winter Fete. Interim Director of Community Services TJ Nash, Sr. says it’s got a gumbo cookoff, an ugly sweater 5K, and more, but no Louisiana celebration would be complete without live music and a parade.

Cut 5 (10) “…approximately 2pm.”

Festivities kick off today and run through Sunday. 

Louisiana Public Broadcasting takes a deep dive into the world and history of Bayou State duck hunting with In the Blind, which airs tonight at 7 and 1130PM. The program interviews hunters from around the state, and was created by New Orleans based producer Emma Lou Reid who says the show traces the evolution of duck hunting from a do or die way of life to the now highly popular, and highly regulated sport.

Cut 8 (10) “…hunting.”

Only a quarter of healthy Louisiana adults have received a flu vaccine this year despite the more active than usual flu season we’re experiencing. Immunization medical director, Doctor Frank Welch…

Cut 14 (08) “flu shot”

The White House is scrambling today to sure up Senate support for a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada amid growing concerns by conservatives over the House-backed bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Democratic House support for the USMCA earlier this week after a compromise was reached, but Senator John Kennedy says the new changes may have gone too far…

Cut 9 (09) “…weakended.”

Louisiana Delegation members Senator Bill Cassidy, and Congressmen Ralph Abraham and Garret Graves have announced their support for the USMCA deal, along with Louisiana Ag Commissioner Mike Strain.

At 7PM tonight Louisiana Public Broadcasting takes a deep dive into the world and history of Bayou State duck hunting with In the Blind. The program takes a look at just what makes a good duck hunter, and New Orleans based producer and Minnesota native Emma Lou Reid says having good aim is just one small part of the package…

Cut 7 (10) “…natural landscape.”

The program will reair at 11:30 tonight, and 6:30 Sunday.

Downtown Alexandria is the focal point of holiday spirit this weekend in Rapides Parish with the Alex Winter Fete.  There is no shortage of arts and craft vendors for holiday shopping, a gumbo cook-off, and Interim Director of Community Services TJ Nash, Sr. says for those feeling they need to burn holiday calories, an ugly sweater 5k.

Cut 3 (08) “…their ugly sweaters.”

Festivities kick off today and run through Sunday.  More details can be found at alexwinterfete.com.

Conservatives in the US Senate are signaling they may not support a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada that is backed by Democrats in the House and President Trump. The US Trade Representative is briefing Senate Republicans today, hoping to allay concerns that the deal is too liberal after it won the backing of a major labor union, and Senator John Kennedy says the bill is now stuffed.

Cut 10 (08) “…Mexico.”

Most of the rest of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation and Ag Commissioner Mike Strain support the USMCA deal.

Only a quarter of healthy adults in Louisiana have received a flu vaccine this year. Immunization medical director, Doctor Frank Welch, says that’s dangerous considering how much flu activity the state is currently seeing…

Cut 12 (06) “the flu” 

Welch says Louisiana is already close to matching the peak of last year’s flu season and that was one of the worst in years. 

Swing by Alexandria this weekend for Alex Winter Fete, a huge festival celebrating the holidays with craft vendors, gumbo cook-off, ugly sweater 5K, and more.  Interim Director of Community Services TJ Nash, Sr. says several popular attractions are returning this year adding visitors are coming from as far away as the North Pole for the festivities.

Cut 4 (08) “…for our youngsters.”

Festivities kick off today and run through Sunday. 

At 7PM tonight Louisiana Public Broadcasting takes a deep dive into the world and history of Bayou State duck hunting with In the Blind. The program interviews hunters from around the state, and was created by New Orleans based producer Emma Lou Reid who went on her first duck hunt in Caplan three years ago.

Cut 6 (11) “…be told”

The state Office of Public Health is concerned that only 25-percent of healthy adults have received a flu shot. Immunization Medical Director Doctor Frank Welch says Louisiana is already close to matching the peak of last year’s flu season and that was one of the worst in years. He says the B strain of flu is going around Louisiana, while the rest of the country is getting sick from the more severe A-strain…
Cut 13 (09) “…flu shot”
During the 2018-19 flu season, 15-thousand Louisiana residents were hospitalized by the flu, while 15-hundred died from the virus.

If you are a duck hunter then you’ll need to check out tonight’s documentary on L-P-B called In the Blind. Producer Emma Lou Reid of New Orleans says the show traces the evolution of duck hunting from a do or die way of life to a highly popular, and highly regulated sport.
Cut 8 (10) “…hunting.”
The program airs at 7 PM and 11:30 tonight and will re-air 6:30 Sunday.

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow has been named Associated Press College Football Player of the Year. Burrow received 50 of 53 first-place votes. On Saturday, Burrow is expected to win the Heisman Trophy and Governor John Bel Edwards will be on hand in person to see it. The governor’s office says Edwards will leave for New York tomorrow.

The award-winning Alex Winter Fete kicks off today in Downtown Alexandria. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
cut 1(27) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

With the holidays coming up, the state Office of Public Health is concerned only 25-percent of healthy adults in the state have received a flu shot.
cut 2 (31) “.Jeff Palermo.”

Former Saints wide receiver Joe Horn is among a group of NFL retired players involved in an alleged scheme to defraud an NFL health care benefit program. Prosecutors say these former players submitted false claims to the plan and received money for expensive medical equipment never purchased. Horn could be charged with fraud.

Most of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation supports a new North American trade deal that the President and Democrats have agreed on and still needs approval from Congress. But Republican Senator John Kennedy is reserving judgement…
cut 11 (09) “…for it”
Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Strain says the U-S-M-C-A will bring unparalleled growth to the ag economy.

A big winter festival gets underway this afternoon. It’s known as Alex Winter Fete and one of the big attractions is an ice skating rink. There will also be an ugly sweater Five-K run on Saturday, a cookie eating contest, food vendors and of course live music….
cut 5 (10) “….approximately 2 PM.
That’s Interim Director of Community Services T-J Nash Senior who says more details can be found at alex-winter-fete-dot-com.