Several nurses expressed their concerns to the Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee that the number of injuries or severe reactions to COVID vaccines have been greatly underreported. There is a statewide LDH call-in system to report adverse COVID shot reactions, but Lafayette ICU nurse Heather LeBeouf says many of her colleagues are unaware it exists.
cut 14 (12) “…or the doctor”
The Louisiana Department of Health says it has identified 11 severe adverse events out of 122 reported injuries.

A 34-year-old Crowley man has been charged with the beating death of his mother. Acadia Parish Sheriff K-P Gibson says they are not sure why Stephen Wayne Meyers the Second killed his mom, Pamela Myers, and left her in a field…
cut 12 (08) “…any specific issue”
Stephen Meyers was arrested in Texas.

United Airlines says its last day of flights in and out of Monroe Regional Airport will be January third. Monroe Regional Airport Director Charles Butcher says it boils down to pandemic-related shortages and COVID-19 has dealt the air service industry a tough blow. Delta and American Airlines will continue to use the Monroe airport.

Today is the day for those in southwest Louisiana waiting to hedge their bets on the big games, Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Are adverse effects from COVID vaccines being under-reported in Louisiana? And if so, why? Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

The state health department reported 229 COVID patients hospitalized statewide yesterday. That’s the lowest hospitalization rate in the United States. The Bayou State led the country in August when over three thousand people were hospitalized with the virus.

Acadia Parish Sheriff K-P Gibson says 34-year-old Stephen Wayne Meyers the Second has been arrested in Texas after he allegedly killed his mom, leaving her in a field in western Acadia Parish. Gibson says Meyers and his 59-year-old mom Pamela Meyers were last seen together on November second in the field where her body was found…
cut 11 (11) “….with her son”
Gibson says there were no weapons used in the murder and a motive is unknown.

Researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical and Ochsner Health are looking for 350 Black patients with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes who are willing to participate in a study to see if remote health coaching can generate sustainable weight loss. Pennington Biomedical Executive Director Doctor John Kirwan on why the study is focusing on Black patients…
cut 9 (09) “….the weight loss”
Go to Pennington’s website for more information.

Today is the day for those in southwest Louisiana waiting to hedge their bets on the big games, Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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If you’re Black, are obese, and suffer from Type 2 Diabetes, there’s a study being launched that just may prove beneficial. More from Dave Brannen.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Dave Brannen.” 

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Are adverse effects from COVID vaccines being under-reported in Louisiana? And if so, why? Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.” 

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You’ll be able to place your sports wagers in Lake Charles at either the Golden Nugget or L’Auberge casinos beginning today. The two casinos join five others that have already had their licenses approved by the Gaming Control Board Chair Ronnie Johns expects this to be a big boon for Lake Charles casinos, especially from their neighbors to the west.

Cut 4 (09) “…sports betting “

Other casinos that have already been licensed for sports wagering are Paragon in Marksville, Harrah’s in New Orleans, L’Auberge in Baton Rouge, Horseshoe in Bossier City, and Boomtown in Harvey.

Voters approved legalized sports wagering in 55 of the state’s 64 parishes. Johns says State Police are working diligently with inspections so more licenses can be issued. But when it comes to mobile betting, Johns says it’s more complicated and time-consuming approving that platform but they are working on it.

Cut 5 (10) “…right now.“

Johns says while he knows many are anxiously waiting for sports wagering to be fully operational in all of the approved outlets, he’s actually impressed with the timeline they’ve met so far.

Cut 6 (09) “…ballgame.”

Geofencing technology will be incorporated with sports betting via mobile apps and only allowed in approved parishes.

(Sportsbook at L’Auberge Lake Charles will open Wednesday at 9 am and Golden Nugget will open for sports betting at 2 pm.)

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Pennington Biomedical and Ochsner Health are taking part in a study of Black patients with Type 2 Diabetes to determine if telemedicine can be used successfully in the battle against obesity. Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk, the project’s principal investigator, says the study will take place in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Cut 7 (11) “…of weight loss.”

The goal is to learn the effectiveness of offering remote health coaching through primary care clinics.

Dr. Katzmarzyk says the researchers are looking to recruit about 350 Black patients for the study who will be randomly assigned for two years to either a weight-loss group or a group that receives traditional care for their diabetes.

Cut 8 (07) “…cardio-metabolic condtiions.”

Dr. Katzmarzyk on why the study is focusing the study on Black patients.

Cut 9 (09)  “…the weight loss.”

He says that even modest weight loss of five to ten percent of a person’s body weight can significantly lower the risk of heart disease and have other beneficial health impacts.

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A 34-year-old Crowley man is awaiting extradition from Austin County, Texas where he’s in custody for the beating death of his mother, Pamela Meyers.  Acadia Parish Sheriff K P Gibson says that Stephen Wayne Meyers the Second is facing a second-degree murder charge.

Cut 10 (06)  “…she was seen.” 

The sheriff says upon further investigation and search of the property on Saturday the 59-year-old victim was discovered deceased in a field near Bamboo Road. Investigators have not determined the motive for the killing and say no weapons were used in the attack on the woman.

Sheriff Gibson on what led investigators to thoroughly search the field where Meyers and his mother were last seen together on November 2^nd.

Cut 11 (11) “…with her son.”

Sheriff Gibson says it’s unclear what the motive for the deadly attack was.

Cut 12 (08) “…any specific issue.”

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Nurses working the front lines of the COVID pandemic tell state lawmakers they feel negative effects from vaccines are badly underestimated. State health officials testified of only 11 “severe adverse events” statewide, but then left the committee room before Lafayette ICU nurse Heather LeBeouf could testify her disagreement with the number…:

Cut 13 (07) “…having possible effects.”

There is a statewide LDH call-in system to report adverse COVID shot reactions, but LeBeouf says she and many of her colleagues were unaware it even existed. She says a great many cases of problems with the vaccines are going un-reported, because this isn’t generally known among medical professionals…:

Cut 14 (14)  “… patient? or the doctor?”

Another Lafayette ICU nurse, Elizabeth Suire (SWEER), also testified that she and colleagues had no knowledge of a number to report COVID vaccine troubles to LDH. She says she asked repeatedly about this…:

Cut 15 (09)  “…in patient notes.”

Both nurses told lawmakers the reporting hotline’s obscurity is almost certainly leading to under-reporting of ill effects from the vaccines. Neither State health Officer Joe Kanter nor State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol were in the committee room to hear the testimony.

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The Ragin Cajuns have already wrapped up a fourth straight Sun Belt Division title, now the goal is to secure home-field advantage for the conference championship game on December fourth. U-L Lafayette Coach Billy Napier says it would be great to host the game at Cajun Field and it serves as extra motivation for the players…

Cut  16 (13) “..we know that”

Last year’s Sun Belt Championship game was canceled because of COVID but in 2018 and 2019, U-L lost at Appalachian State in the conference title game. The Cajuns are at Troy this Saturday for a 2:30 kick-off. The Trojans are 5-and-4 and Napier says they are playing two quarterbacks Taylor Powell and Gunnar Watson…

Cut 17 (19) “ .make sense.” 

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The LSU Tigers are getting to host Arkansas on Saturday night. The Razorbacks are 6-and-3 and led by quarterback K-J Jefferson who has thrown for 18-hundred yards and 16 touchdowns. He also has five rushing touchdowns. LSU linebacker Damone Clark on defending the Razorbacks offense…

Cut 18 (19) “..guys rush”  

LSU defensive coordinator Daronte Jones on what he sees from the Arkansas offense…

Cut 19 (18)  ” some challenges.” 

The SEC’s top two tacklers will be featured in this game. Arkansas’ Bumper Pool has 87 tackles, while LSU’s Damone Clark leads the league with 107. Jones has also been a great team leader…

Cut 20 (20) “…participate in” 

Former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain was found is guilty on all charges and faces a mandatory life sentence for raping and molesting multiple children Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

United Airlines announces they are dropping service in and out of Monroe Regional Airport. The carrier cites low ticket sales as the reason. Airport Director Charles Butcher says the pandemic and flight restrictions played a role in declining sales. He hopes Delta and American airlines can fill the gap at Monroe Regional.

Northwestern State University’s new president, Dr. Marcus Jones, will begin his first day on the job on his 51^st birthday Monday and as the school’s 20^th president and first African American Jones says he hopes he’ll be known for his progressive leadership, and just not in a global way, but in service to the community.

Cut  11 (08)  “…of the region.”  

Some surprising numbers from early voting in Louisiana for the November 13^th election. Pollster John Couvillon tells us the figures far exceed those of 2017.

Cut 6 (06) “…or by mail.” 

Couvillon says at this point four years ago only 92-thousand votes had been cast in early voting for that election, the mail-in volume almost triple what it was in 2017.

Former St. Tammany Parish sheriff Jack Strain is found guilty of multiple sex crimes against young men; some dating back to the late 1970’s. St. Tammany District Attorney Warren Montgomery says it was a tough trial for prosecutors to bring, tough for jurors and spectators to hear and very tough on the five victims who testified against Strain. Montgomery says he hopes the verdict brings them some peace…:

CUT 05  (10)        “…their lives”

Strain – who is 58 – faces a mandatory life sentence.

Northwestern State University’s new president, Marcus Jones, has now dropped the interim title he had held since July. Jones has a goal of further globalization of Northwestern State’s educational efforts for its students…:

CUT 10  (08)        “…through student exchanges.”

Jones is the first person of color to officially lead at NSU.

Construction is underway on the Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex in Terrebonne Parish. It’s part of the state’s effort to provide Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes with 100-year storm surge protection. Terrebonne President Gordon Dove says the project will first dredge over one-million cubic yards of soil and silt to create 178 acres of marshland. Then the lock structure itself will be built. State officials have also announced the construction of the 147-foot Grand Bayou Floodgate is complete. Dove says there’s now a continuous levee segment stretching 47 miles from Gibson in Terrebonne Parish to Lockport in Lafourche…:

CUT 14  (11)        “…not flooding.”

At least three people were wounded in a shooting on Bienville Street in New Orleans today. NOPD says it happened just after 2 pm. Three victims were taken to the hospital. Police are seeking leads in the case.

There is potentially great news for residents of storm-ravaged Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes; work is underway on the Houma Navigational Canal Lock Complex, or HNC for short. When finished the project will provide much needed 100-year storm surge protection for the area. Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove says the first step is dredging over a million cubic yards of material to create 178 acres of marshland. Then the building of the actual lock structure, which starts in the spring…:

CUT 13  (11)         “…for about five years.”

Former sheriff of St. Tammany Parish Jack Strain faces a mandatory life sentence, after a jury finds him guilty of numerous sex crimes dating back over 40 years. It took the jury just over 5 hours to return the verdict. St. Tammany D.A. Warren Montgomery says even the most powerful need to be held accountable..:

CUT 04  (09)        “…although not perfect…works.”

The vote count is in for early voting ahead of this Saturday’s election. Dave Brannen reports the numbers are a bit surprising…:

CUT 02(30)      “…Brannen.”

St. Landry Parish deputies arrest the woman they say shot and seriously wounded her own mother. 38-year-old Ashley Sims allegedly used a gun to settle an argument with her mom last Friday. Vera Sims is in serious condition at a Lafayette hospital. The younger Sims is now in jail, awaiting a bond decision.

Fly United? Not anymore out of Monroe Regional Airport. The airline says poor ticket sales after losing billion during the pandemic has them leaving Monroe for good.

The former sheriff of St. Tammany Parish is found guilty of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated incest, one count of sexual battery and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Crimes that date back to the 1970’s. St. Tammany District Attorney Warren Montgomery says his staff worked very hard to get the conviction…:

CUT 03  (05)         “…high stakes prosecution.”

Strain served as Sheriff in St. Tammany for 20 years; some of the crimes occurred during that time. The jury of six men and six women deliberated just over 5 hours before returning the verdict. Strain is facing a life sentence.

United Airlines announces they are dropping service in and out of Monroe Regional Airport. The carrier cites low ticket sales as the reason. Airport Director Charles Butcher says the pandemic and resulting flight restrictions were instrumental in losing United. He hopes Delta and American airlines can fill the gap at Monroe Regional.

Construction is underway on the Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex in Terrebonne Parish. It’s part of the state’s effort to provide Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes with 100-year storm surge protection. Terrebonne President Gordon Dove says the H-N-C Lock complex will be critical during storm surge and high water events…:

CUT 12  (08)         “…Terrebonne Parish.”

He says actual construction on the structure itself will take place next spring.

Some surprising numbers from early voting in Louisiana for the November 13^th election.  Pollster John Couvillon, with JMC Analystics, says early votes exceeded those from 2017. However he says he doesn’t necessarily expect a huge rush to the polls this Saturday, because in so many districts all there is on the ballot are four constitutional amendments..:

CUT 08  (08)         “…the same time.”

He expects only about 16-percent total voter turnout.