Julia Letlow, the wife of the late Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, announces she is running for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat. Julia Letlow, a Monroe native, and ULM graduate announced her candidacy on K-W-C-L Radio. She says everything in her life and in her marriage prepared her for this moment…

Cut 4 (08) “…he did” 

Luke Letlow died last month days before being sworn-in from COVID.

A man who allegedly stole a car in New Orleans dies in a fiery wreck on the interstate just outside of Lafayette after a police chase ended in a construction zone. State Police Trooper Thomas Gossen says it happened on the Westbound lane of Louisiana Avenue on I-10. He says while this is drastically different from most crashes, it should serve as a reminder to be cautious in construction zones.

Cut 14 (11) “.workzones.” 

Gas prices have jumped nine cents in just a week, now putting the average price for a gallon in Louisiana above two dollars. Matt Doyle has the story.

cut 2 (30) ….I’m Matt Doyle”  

Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone says he’s dropping his bid to unseat the current Chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party. Rispone stated he does not have the time due to business and personal obligations to spearhead initiatives he believes are necessary for the Republican Party. Rispone who ran for Governor lost to Governor John Bel Edwards in the December 2019 runoff.

Julia Letlow, the wife of the late Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, has announced she will run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat. 41-year-old Luke Letlow died last month from COVID-19 less than a week before he was set to be sworn in. Julia Letlow announced her candidacy on K-W-C-L Radio just like her husband did last March…

Cut 3 (09)  “..so proud”

Julia is a Monroe native and has served as an executive-level administrator in higher education.

Gas is up nine cents a gallon from last week and 20 cents a gallon from last month, putting us over two dollars a gallon on average across the state for the first time in ages. AAA spokesperson Don Redman expects prices to hang in this area for awhile…

Cut 8 (07) “..toilet.”

COVID Nursing Home data from AARP indicates cases and fatalities in Louisiana have more than doubled as facilities face substantial staffing shortages. AARP Louisiana Director of Advocacy Andrew Muhl says 31-percent of facilities are reporting shortage and 17-percent of nursing homes report less than a one-week supply of PPE.

Cut 11 (10) “… facilities.”

A man who allegedly stole a car in New Orleans dies in a fiery wreck on the interstate just outside of Lafayette after a police chase. State Police Trooper Thomas Gossen says the driver was speeding down Louisiana Avenue Westbound Lane on I-10 when he crossed into construction cones and struck a construction vehicle…

Cut 13 (12)“..be ok.”

The wife of the late Congressman-elect Luke Letlow has announced she will run for the Congressional seat he won last December. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

The state reports 5,318 new COVID cases and 58 fatalities from the virus. Hospitalizations are back below 2,200 at 1,975. LDH also reports more than 201-thousand vaccine doses have been administered.

COVID Nursing Home data from AARP indicates fatalities in Louisiana have more than doubled. AARP looked at numbers from November 23^rd to December 20^th and COVID fatalities increased by 70 to 175 from the previous four-week period. Louisiana AARP Director of Advocacy Andrew Muhl says policymakers must act immediately to change this dangerous trend.

Cut 10 (10) “…overnight.”

Vaccine rollout began the end of December, and the booster shot for the Moderna vaccine is 28 days after the first.

The average price of a gallon of gas in Louisiana is just over two dollars, up nine cents over last week and up nearly 20 cents from last month. AAA spokesperson Don Redman does not expect we will see another major jump in price like we did this week, nor does he expect the price of gas to fall back to under two dollars a gallon in the near future.

Cut 8 (07) “..toilet.”

Julia Letlow the widow of Congressman-elect Luke Letlow who died last month from COVID, it is running for the 5^th Congressional seat. Luke Letlow served as former Congressman Ralph Abraham’s chief of staff and worked for former Governor Bobby Jindal. Julia Letlow wants to continue his legacy of public service.

Cut 5  (11) “…great work” 

Alexandria businesswoman Candy Christophe, who is a Democrat is also a candidate.

A suspect who allegedly stole a Dodge Charger in New Orleans died in a fiery wreck and injured three workers on I-10 just outside Lafayette after being pursued by police. State Police Trooper Thomas Gossen says the driver allegedly stole the vehicle in New Orleans, was spotted in Iberville, and pursued to the Louisiana Avenue Westbound lane on I-10…

Cut 12 (12) “…cones.” 

The suspect is currently unidentified due to the severity of the crash.

COVID Nursing Home data from AARP indicates cases and fatalities in Louisiana have more than doubled. AARP looked at numbers from November 23^rd to December 20^th and case numbers jumped from 456 to 1,171 in the previous four-week period. AARP Louisiana Director of Advocacy Andrew Muhl says we can’t depend on the vaccine.

Cut 9 of coronavirus :09

Vaccine rollout among nursing homes began December 28^th and Moderna Vaccine requires a booster shot 28 days after the first.

The average price of a gallon of gas in Louisiana is just over two dollars, up nine cents over last week and up nearly 20 cents from last month. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says the increase in gas prices is good news for Louisiana’s oil sector which has been battered by months of low prices.

Cut 7 (09) “…barrel.”

Julia Letlow, the wife of the late Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, announces she is running for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat. Julia Letlow, a Monroe native, and ULM graduate announced her candidacy on K-W-C-L Radio. She says everything in her life and in her marriage prepared her for this moment…

Cut 4 (08) “…he did” 

Luke Letlow died last month days before being sworn-in from COVID.

The average price of a gallon of gas in Louisiana has jumped nearly nine cents in a week and is up nearly 20 cents from last month. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says overall gas sales are still down and this price is a reflection of the low level of production.

Cut 6 (10) “..lockdown”

The price of a barrel of oil is back over 50 dollars a barrel.

Being a smoker is an expensive habit in Louisiana despite having one of the cheapest prices for a pack of cigarettes according to the financial site WalletHub. Analyst for WalletHub Jill Gonzales says the average Louisiana smoker is letting $1.8 million dollars go up in smoke over a lifetime.

Cut 7 (07)  “…per smoker.”

This morning the Louisiana Department and Wildlife and Fisheries is stocking community ponds across the state with rainbow trout. LDWF spokesperson Rene LeBreton (Leb-bra-ton) says this time of year catfish are harder to catch due to the cold temps but grab your pole and ice chest and cast a line for some rainbow trout.

Cut 10 (12) “…for ya.”

For a list of ponds and stocking schedule visit LDWF’s Get Out and Fish Facebook page.

Julia Letlow, the wife of the late Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, has announced she will run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat. The seat was left vacant when Luke Letlow died from COVID-19 before he was to be sworn-in. Julia Letlow announced her candidacy on K-W-C-L Radio just like her husband did last March…

Cut 3 (09)  “..so proud”

It remains to be seen who else will run. Qualifying is next week.

Being a smoker is an expensive habit in Louisiana despite having one of the cheapest prices for a pack of cigarettes according to the financial website WalletHub. Analyst for WalletHub Jill Gonzales says on average smokers make 20-percent less than nonsmokers, which includes healthcare-related costs due to smoking.

Cut 9 (10) “…nonsmokers.”

The U.S. House voted 232 to 197 Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump with Incitement of Insurrection. The Louisiana Republican Congressional Delegation voted against impeachment, including Metairie Congressman Steve Scalise, who says impeachment will only serve to further divide the nation.

Cut 13 (05) “…ground.”
Scalise says the earliest the Senate could take up Trump’s trial would be January 20th, the day he leaves the Oval Office.

As expected, Louisiana’s House delegation voted along party lines. New Orleans Congressman Cedric Richmond laid out the Democrats case against the President…
cut 16 (13) “…insurrection”

Overall, Ten Republicans voted in favor of impeachment and four Republicans chose not to vote. All Democratic members of the House voted in favor of impeachment.

The wife of late Congressman-elect Luke Letlow who died days before he was set to be sworn in has decided to run for his vacant seat. Julia Letlow says her motivation is the passion her husband and she shares to better the region for their children and future generations.

The Army Corps of Engineers seeks approval for a two billion dollar levee improvement project in the Upper Barataria Levee system in southeast Louisiana. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

The personal-finance website Wallethub has released a report on the cost of smoking by state and it has found smoking costs the average Louisiana smoker one-point-eight million dollars over a lifetime. She says the financial opportunity cost per smoker is one-point-one million dollars…
cut 7 (07) “….per smoker”
The cost was based on the average pack-a-day smoker beginning at age 21 and ending at 69.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is stocking 16 of their Get out and Fish sites with adult-size rainbow trout, ranging from one to two pounds. L-D-W-F spokesperson Rene Lebreton says it would make a perfect stringer for dinner…
cut 12 (11) “…same way”
Go to L-D-W-F’s website for more information on their Go Out and Fish program.

President Donald Trump was impeached Wednesday over his role in allegedly inciting the deadly mob assault on the U.S. Capitol last week. Matt Doyle has more from Louisiana’s House delegation…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

The Fifth U-S Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against a group of bars in the Lafayette and the New Orleans areas who have asked the courts to block the governor’s coronavirus restrictions that have kept bars from opening during the pandemic. The governor’s office says it’s the ninth time a court has ruled in the favor of the state’s public health orders.

The Army Corps of Engineers is proposing two billion dollars in improvements in southeast Louisiana to a 30 mile stretch of the Upper Barataria levee system. Corps Flood Risk Management Section Chief Travis Creel says a big part of the project involves the existing levee in St. Charles Parish, which is only six to seven feet tall.
Cut 4 (11) “…feet.”
The project needs Congressional approval and if approved construction would begin in 2023.

According to the personal finance website Wallethub, smoking costs a Louisiana smoker one-point-eight billion dollars over a lifetime. The cost was based on the average pack-a-day smoker beginning at age 21 and ending at 69. Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzales says they have figured the health care cost for a lifetime smoker is 113-thousand dollars…
cut 8 (11) “…smoking”