The 5^th U-S Circuit Court of Appeals heard the state’s appeal yesterday of a federal judge’s ruling that the state’s new law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public-school classroom is unconstitutional. The state maintains the Ten Commandments are the foundation of our laws. Civil liberty groups say it’s a blatant attempt at pushing Christianity in public schools, citing the debate by Republican lawmakers in the session in which House Bill 71 passed. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says that context will come into play if the Supreme Court hears this case…

Cut 6 (12) “….will fix that”

Former LSU star and now Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is preparing to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s NFC Championship game…

Cut 21 (05) “…good challenge”

A win and Daniels returns to Louisiana to play in Super Bowl 59 on February 9^th.

Entergy Louisiana says extensive preparation helped reduce power outages during this week’s historic winter storm. Entergy Louisiana experienced a peak outage of 65-hundred customers and Entergy New Orleans had at one point a high of 24-hundred customers without power. Jason Willis, vice president of reliability at Entergy says they received some help in their planning….

Cut 12 (16) “…these events”

The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office is set to appear in season two of the television series “Police 24/7” on the CW. While the specific episodes featuring BSO haven’t been confirmed, Lieutenant Neil Johnston says the public will get the opportunity to see what deputies deal with every day.

Cut 7 (10) “…to traffic stops.”

Johnston says the show focuses on the dedication, bravery, and humanity of the men and women who serve and protect their communities daily.

What are the state’s chances of prevailing in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of the Ten Commandments law? Andrew Greenstein reports, not that good.

Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Shreveport Police have identified a possible suspect in Wednesday’s fatal shooting of a pharmaceutical rep in the parking lot of a Walgreen’s. They are asking for the public’s help in locating Larry Lewis, who is considered armed and dangerous. The victim has been identified as 67-year-old Billy Jamison, a father of four and the sole caretaker of his own father in his 90s.

Bill Cassidy’s re-election campaign has announced Louisiana’s Senior U-S Senator raised another one-million dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024 and now has more than six-point-five million dollars on hand. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the goal for Cassidy is ten-million dollars…

Cut 13 (07) “….money to campaign on”

Cassidy already has one challenger for the 2026 Senate race. Former Congressman and current Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming.

This week’s winter storm gave us icy roads, busted water pipes and cabin fever, but we didn’t see a lot of power outages. The peak outage total for Entergy Louisiana was 65-hundred. Vice president of reliability at Entergy, Jason Willis, says they had extra personnel on hand, more than 27-hundred to be specific…

Cut 11 (13) “..normally would”

Still have major road closures. I-10 and I-55 in the New Orleans area, along with U-S 90 in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.

Much of Louisiana is getting back to normal after this week’s historic snowstorm. Entergy says it’s preplanning helped keep down the number of power outages…

Cut 2 (33) “….I’m Colleen Crain”

South Louisiana’s water systems had trouble in the cold, snow and ice. There are several boil water advisories posted because of low pressure or broken pipes. Still have some roads closed, mainly in the New Orleans area. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is expected to reopen at 9 AM today.

The Fifth U-S Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday over a controversial new state law that requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Louisiana Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga (ah-gheen-YAH-ga) says the Ten Commandments are part of state and national history, culture and tradition…

Cut 30 (07) “….concept”

The ACLU and other civil liberty groups are  among the plaintiffs and their attorney Jonathan Youngwood says the law promotes Christianity in public schools…

Cut 26 (10) “…Gods before me”

Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino expects the federal appeals court to declare the law unconstitutional. The state would then appeal to the U-S Supreme Court. Ciolino says the state is hoping the nation’s highest court will look at its 1980 decision that said such displays were unconstitutional…

Cut 4 (11) “…of posting”

What are the state’s chances of prevailing in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of the Ten Commandments law? Andrew Greenstein reports, not that good.

Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Entergy says it was able to keep power outages during the winter storm to a minimum. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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Senator Bill Cassidy had a strong fundraising quarter last quarter, raising one-million dollars. Sean Richardson reports that brings his total cash on hand to more than 6.5-million dollars.

Cut 3 (25) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Oral arguments to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on the Ten Commandments case are over. Now, the waiting for a ruling begins. Loyola New Orleans law professor Dane Ciolino says there’s almost no chance that the state will prevail at that level. He says the state’s plan all along has been to get it to the U.S. Supreme Court, which may re-examine its 1980 ruling in the Stone versus Graham, which ruled that posting the Ten Commandments in public schools is unconstitutional.

Cut 4 (11) “…sort of posting.”

Ciolino says the state is banking on the Supreme Court and its 6-3 conservative slant to apply its ruling in the 2022 Kennedy versus Bremerton case. In a 6-3 vote split down ideological lines, the justices ruled that the school district in Bremerton, Washington, had no right to fire football coach Joseph Kennedy for praying on the field after a game, saying that violated his First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion.

Cut 5 (15) “…pass constitutional muster.”

The state maintains that the Ten Commandments are being posted as part of a historical context. The plaintiffs, on the other hand, say it’s a blatant attempt at pushing Christianity in public schools, citing debate by Republican lawmakers in the session in which House Bill 71 passed. Ciolino says that context will come into play in the Supreme Court, should it get there.

Cut 6 (12) “…will fix that.”

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The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office is set to appear in season two of the television series Police 24/7 on CW. While the specific episodes featuring BSO haven’t been confirmed, Lieutenant Neil Johnston says they will be on later episodes showing what deputies deal with every day.

Cut 7 (10) “…to traffic stops.”

Johnston says the show focuses on the dedication, bravery, and humanity of the men and women who serve and protect their communities daily.

Cut 8 (10) “…what we do.”

Johnston says he hopes the public will get a sense of the risk that deputies are dealing with daily, even during a routine traffic stop.

Cut 9 (11)  “…that we have.”

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Entergy says it was able to keep power outages down to a minimum during the winter storm. Entergy New Orleans had about 24-hundred outages at its peak. As for Entergy Louisiana:

Cut 10 (12) “…significantly below that.”

Jason Willis, the vice president of reliability at Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans, says to speed up the restoration time, they had extra personnel on hand – more than 27-hundred to be specific.

Cut 11 (13) “…we normally would.”

Willis says they also fully prepared its equipment and vehicles, including putting chains on all the tires. He says while Louisiana normally does not see weather events like this, they prepare for them, with a little help from their neighbors.

Cut 12 (16) “…through these events.”

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Senator Bill Cassidy raised a million dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024, increasing his campaign cash-on-hand to over 6.5 million dollars. Political Advisor Bernie Pinsonat says the question is, can he raise ten million dollars?

Cut 13 (07)  “…money to campaign on.”

Pinsonat says Cassidy is right where he should be money-wise.

Cut 14 (10) “…state-wide campaign.”

Pinsonat says to remember this is only for his campaign account and can have a PAC that can raise equal or greater amounts of money.

Cut 15 (12) “…on his re-election.”

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The fifth ranked LSU Lady Tigers take on the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks today in a highly anticipated matchup pushed back one day because of the historic snowfall in Louisiana. The Gamecocks are 18-and-1 and ranked second in the country. Reed Darcy covers LSU for the Advocate and says Carolina is once again a favorite to win the national title…

Cut 16 (06) “…that group.”

LSU enters the game with a 20-and-0 record but Darcy says South Carolina appears to be the more talented team and it will take an off day for them to lose on their home floor…

Cut 17 (08)  “…the field.”

South Carolina has won 68 straight games on its home floor at Colonial Life Arena. Darcey says one of the Gamecocks best strengths is their depth, three of their top five scorers come off the bench…

Cut 18 (21)   “…outside.”

Tip off is at 4 PM.

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The Commanders and the Eagles will face each other for the third time this season in Sunday’s NFC Championship game in Philadelphia. In the regular season, each team won on its home field. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels says he expects the Eagles defense to throw a few new looks at him….

Cut 19 (14) “…on Sunday.”

Daniels is trying to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at LSU never looks rattled, and Daniels explains why that is…

Cut 20 (20) “…the NFL.”

A three-judge panel at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments over the state law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. The law went into effect January 1st and is on hold in five parishes. Arguing for the state, Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga (ah-gheen-YAH-ga) said the posters were designed with Supreme Court precedent in mind.

Cut 10 (15) “…that exact concept.”

Representing the plaintiffs, Jonathan Youngwood said kids would be subject to constant religious indoctrination, whether they like it or not.

Cut 13 (09)  “…every single day.”

The court will issue its ruling at a later date; it will undoubtedly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The state is getting its first look at agricultural damages caused by the winter storm. Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says rye grass is likely lost, forcing cattle to rely on hay for grazing. Strain says some good news is the long term freeze likely killed the Pine Beetles.

Cut 4 (06) “…that are problematic.”

More and more roadways are reopening, now that the worst of the winter storm is behind us. The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge on I-10 is now back open in both directions, which means people can once again drive from Baton Rouge to Texas or vice-versa. DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett says the sun has been a major ally in the thawing of our roads, but he also credits the extensive work done by DOTD crews…

Cut 7 (12) “…block of ice”

During Oral arguments in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals over the law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in all public school classrooms Thursday, Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga (ah-gheen-YAH-ga) argued for the state that the law constitutional because the Ten Commandments are placed amid other historical context on specially-designed posters.

Cut 9 (11)  “…important historical documents.”

Jonathan Youngwood followed with a 20-minute argument for the plaintiffs. He read directly from the posters, and argued that the law is about promoting Christianity in public schools.

Cut 12 (10) “…Gods before me.”

The three judge panel will issue their ruling at a later date and it’s expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court no matter the outcome.

Louisiana is beginning to thaw out. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says who would have ever thought that 50-degrees would feel so good…

Cut 14 (10) “…and tomorrow.”

Jacquemin says temperatures will get below freezing again tomorrow morning and Saturday for much of the state

And as the state thaws out, we are getting a look at how crops fared. Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner, Dr. Mike Strain says fortunately most sugarcane was under snow but for winter pastures rye grass is likely lost. He says the cold is a double-edged sword for crops and pests.

Cut 5 (12) “…natural control mechanism.”

The I-10 Horace Wilkinson Bridge over the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge has reopened. East Bound I-10 Lanes between West Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes reopened Thursday afternoon but remains closed at US 61 in Ascension. Work continues on the reopening of other major highways. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says they’ve been chipping away at six inches of ice on elevated portions of our highway system, and they expect more progress.

Cut 6 (13) “…the sun.”

Louisiana is beginning to thaw out. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says temperatures will get below freezing again tomorrow morning and Saturday for much of the state and then we warm-up.

Cut 15 (11) “…lower 60s”

A three-judge panel at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments this morning over the state’s Ten Commandments law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all Louisiana public school classrooms. During Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga (ah-gheen-YAH-ga) argument for the state, Judge Catharina Haynes expressed skepticism that posting the Ten Commandments is about teaching American history.

Cut 11 (16) “…the First Amendment.”

The three judges will issue their ruling at a later date and no matter the outcome is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Fans of Duck Dynasty welcome news that Duck Dynasty: The Revival is coming to A&E this summer. The updated series will feature Willie and Korie Robertson and their growing family including now adult children and grandchildren and the expansion of Duck Commander. Miss Kay and Uncle Si will also rejoin the show. A&E has ordered 2 seasons of the updated series. The original Duck Dynasty was the most-watched nonfiction series in cable history.

Crews are working to reopen major highways closed because of snow and ice. Large portions of I-10 and I-55 are closed as well as U-S 90 in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes but DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett praised crews from Arkansas for their ongoing help.

Cut 8 (11) “…had worked.”

The Arkansas Department of Transportation brought with them 16 snowplows that also had salt spreaders.

As the state thaws out we are getting a look at the damages caused by the freezing temperature to Louisiana crops. The sugarcane industry can breathe a sigh of relief as Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner, Dr. Mike Strain says fortunately most sugarcane was under snow.

Cut 3 (11) “…the cold weather.”

Oral arguments today before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in the ongoing lawsuit over the state’s Ten Commandments law. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A pharmaceutical rep was shot and killed while walking to his vehicle in the Walgreens parking lot across from Byrd High School in Shreveport Wednesday morning. Police say 67-year-old Billy Lee Jamison, was delivering medicine when someone robbed and shot him then stole the victim’s white van. Police immediately began tracking the van using the van’s tracking capabilities and found it in the Riverwood Apartments in Bossier City. The search for the suspect continues.