The search is still on for 12 missing crewmembers of a SeaCor lift boat that capsized seven miles off the coast of Port Fourchon Tuesday afternoon. Six of the ship’s original 19 crewmembers have been rescued so far, along with one confirmed death. Coast Guard Captain Will Watson describes what a lift boat is…

Cut 5  (13)  “…rise.”

The boat is designed to carry thousands of barrels of oil from offshore platforms.

Severe thunderstorms, hail, and flash flooding continues across of the Bayou State. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a slow-moving cold front is responsible for the April showers and they’ll stay with us for the remainder of the week.

Cut 6 (12) “.. of Louisiana.”

An arrest has been made in the 2004 cold case murder of a 19-year-old in Alexandria. 45-year-old David Burns of Boyce has been charged with the second-degree murder of Courtney Coco who was last seen at her home two days before her body was found in an abandoned building in southwest Texas. Alexandria Police Sergeant Josh Peppers hopes the arrest can bring relief.

Cut 10 (06) “..the family.” 

Bond has been set at 500-thousand dollars.

Congresswoman Julia Letlow took the oath of office this morning, filling the fifth district seat that was left vacant after the unexpected death of her husband Luke Letlow in December from COVID. Julia Letlow is the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in Congress.

Cut 12 (12)   “…take office.” 

The runoff to fill Louisiana’s 2^nd congressional seat is April 24^th.

The search is still on for 12 missing crewmembers of a SeaCor lift boat that capsized seven miles off the coast of Port Fourchon Tuesday afternoon. Six of the ship’s original 19 crewmembers have been rescued so far, along with one confirmed death. Coast Guard Captain Will Watson thanks every civilian who’s offered to help in the search…

Cut 3 (09)  “…folks.” 

It’s another day of severe weather for the Bayou State. State Climatologist Barry Keim says some areas had up to five inches of rain yesterday and there’s the potential to see just as much today prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood watch for all of southern Louisiana, and as far as north as Alexandria until noon Thursday.

Cut 7 (11) “…Friday.”

Keim urges citizens to be weather-aware for the remainder of the week.

Congresswoman Julia Letlow took the oath of office this morning, filling the fifth district seat that was left vacant after the unexpected death of her husband Luke Letlow in December. Julia Letlow is the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in Congress.

Cut 12 (12)   “…take office.” 

Julia’s two children along with the other members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation were present for the ceremony. A runoff to fill Louisiana’s 2^nd congressional seat is set for April 24^th.

Alexandria Police have made an arrest in the murder of 19-year-old Courtney Coco, who was killed in 2004. Coco was last seen at her home two days before her body was discovered in an abandoned building in southwest Texas. Alexandria Police Sergeant Josh Peppers says Detective Tanner Dryden was assigned to the case in 2018.

Cut 9 (09) “..the case.”

43-year-old David Burns of Boyce has been charged with second-degree murder.

The state presses the pause button on the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine after a recommendation from the CDC and FDA. They are reviewing six cases to see if the vaccine is linked to blood clots. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says they are doing so out of an abundance of caution and while it’s disappointing, he is encouraged by the process.

Cut 7 (07)  “…supposed to.”

Johnson and Johnson accounts for under 4-percent of all the doses administered in Louisiana.

Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt files legislation requiring the National Anthem to be played before all sporting events at state-funded facilities. Hewitt says young people are losing the spirit of patriotism. Some facilities in other states have begun discontinuing the Anthem before events. Hewitt says she’s not aware of any in Louisiana.

Cut 15 (07)“…our veterans.”

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is asking the Legislature for permission to up license fees to keep the department out of a loom budget deficit. LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet says along with increases in recreational fees they are also seeking an increase on the commercial side, along with a consolidation of privileges.

Cut 6 (10) “…the recreational.”

The average recreational sportsman will see a ten dollar increase in costs

Legislation is proposed that would up hunting and fishing license fees for both recreational and commercial users. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

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The state halts the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until the CDC and FDA review data concerning six women who developed blood clots within days of the vaccine. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Should the National Anthem be required to be played before all sporting events at state-funded facilities? One lawmaker thinks so…

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

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The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is asking the Legislature for permission to up license fees to stave off what they say is an imminent department budget deficit.

LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet anticipates the department to run a deficit by next year because they haven’t raised recreational license fees in 20 years, and…

Cut 4 (09)“…last year.”

Montoucet says the average recreational sportsman will see a ten dollar increase in costs, along with a more consolidated list of licenses.

Cut 5 (08)“…about 30.”

The cost for a Senior Lifetime License would also increase from 50 to 100 dollars under the proposal. Those who already have licenses would be grandfathered in.

Montoucet says along with increases in recreational fees they are also seeking an increase on the commercial side, along with a consolidation of privileges.

Cut 6 (10) “…the recreational.”

LDWF plans to have the legislation pushing these proposals filed sometime this week. Montoucet made the comments on Talk Louisiana Monday.

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The state presses the pause button on the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine after a recommendation from the CDC and FDA. They are reviewing six cases to see if the vaccine is linked to blood clots. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says they are doing so out of an abundance of caution and while it’s disappointing, he is encouraged by the process.

Cut 7 (07)  “…supposed to.”

Kanter says so far of the 85,000 doses of the J&J vaccine administered in Louisiana no adverse reactions have been reported and of the overall number of all vaccines administered in the state, J&J accounts for just 3.7-percent.

Cut 8 (08) “…supply issues.”

The six cases of blood clots occurred in females under the age of 50, six to thirteen days after their injection. Kanter says if you did receive the J&J vaccine in the last two weeks be aware of the following symptoms of a blood clot.

Cut 9 (08) “…medical advice.”

The CDC and FDA are meeting this week to review the six cases involving blood clots to see if they have a connection to the vaccine. Approximately 6.8 million doses of J&J have been administered in the U.S.

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Congresswoman-elect Julia Letlow will be sworn into Congress this morning. She’s the first Republican female to ever serve in Congress for Louisiana and the first female since Senator Mary Landrieu in 2015. Letlow says one of her priorities is to serve on the Agriculture Committee.

Cut 10 (11) “..in 2022.”

Congressmen Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise are members of the steering committee for assignments, and they have reserved a spot for Letlow on the Agriculture Committee.

Letlow of Start will represent the state’s 5^th Congressional district which consists of 24 parishes. It’s a predominately rural district and Letlow says the pandemic only emphasized the district’s need for high-speed internet.

Cut 11 (04) “….broadband.”

Letlow says when school-aged children needed to attend school virtually the lack of broadband made that extremely difficult and it’s holding back the region from expanding business infrastructure.

Cut 12 (07) “…necessity.”

Letlow is scheduled to be sworn in at 11 a.m.

_____________________________

Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt files legislation requiring the National Anthem to be played before all sporting events at state-funded facilities.

Hewitt says young people are losing the spirit of patriotism, and many don’t know the words to the anthem. She says this is an opportunity to reeducate the youth.

Cut 13 (10) “…freedoms.”

Hewitt says the Anthem can be a unifying force. She recalls her first trip to a professional sports game after 9/11.

Cut 14 (08) “…our lungs.”

Some facilities in other states have begun discontinuing the Anthem before sporting events. Hewitt says she’s not aware any in Louisiana have followed suit yet.

Cut 15 (07)“…our veterans.”

___________________________________________

The 13th ranked Louisiana Tech baseball team is preparing to welcome Southern Miss to J-C Love Field for a four-game series that will start Friday night in Ruston. It’s a matchup of the top two teams in Conference USA’s West Division. Bulldogs Coach Lane Burroughs says it’s one of the bigger series in the program’s history

Cut 16 (21) “…any other way”

Southern Miss has won the last two Conference USA baseball tournament championships. But trail the Bulldogs for first place in the West Division this year by a game and a half. Tech took three of four from the Golden Eagles earlier this season and Burroughs knows Southern Miss will be ready to play…

Cut 17 (18) “…retain it.”

_________________________________________________

It’s Bayou Classic Week as Southern and Grambling are set to meet this Saturday in Shreveport. Usually, these two football rivals are playing in New Orleans at the Superdome during Thanksgiving weekend. Jaguars Coach Dawson Odums was asked if it feels like the Bayou Classic Week

Cut  18 (21)  “…get ready to play.”

Southern is 3-and-1 during this unique spring season, while Grambling is 0-and-3 and has not played since March 20th because of COVID issues within the program. Odums knows the Tigers are hungry for a victory

Cut 19 (13) “…for you” 

With Congressional efforts to raise the federal minimum wage off the table… Governor Edwards is looking to the Legislature to increase the state’s 7.25 an hour minimum this session. In past years Edwards would put his weight behind a single bill but this time he says he’ll take any raise he can get, even if it’s below his preferred number.

Cut 9 (07) “..sign it.”

House Speaker Clay Schexnayder’s proposal to centralize Louisiana’s sales tax collection system gets positive reviews from a House committee. Shreveport Representative Tammy Phelps says she supports the idea of a centralized sales tax system, that’s easier for small businesses but she’s concerned about whether voters will understand what this proposed constitutional amendment will do.

Cut 8 (08) “…laymen terms”

The new system is designed to assure the right amount of taxes is collected.

The state department of health is following guidance from the CDC and FDA halting the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine and investigating a possible connection between blood clots in six women. Tulane School of Medicine Professor Doctor Lisa Morici says this is only with the J& J vaccine this shouldn’t discourage you from being vaccinated.

Cut 4 (10) “…Pfizer vaccines.” 

Approximately 85-thousand doses of Johnson & Johnson have been administered in Louisiana with no adverse reactions reported.

The City of New Orleans will be the backdrop for the first movie production to leave the state of Georgia amid protest of the state’s new voting laws. Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s spokesperson, Beau Tidwell, says the Will Smith feature, Emancipation, is moving to New Orleans. As the economic impact…

Cut 14 (10) “…update you.” 

House Speaker Clay Schexnayder’s proposal to centralize Louisiana’s sales tax collection system gets positive reviews from a House committee. The new sales tax collection proposal will need two-thirds support in both the House and Senate and Schexnayder says a constitutional amendment to streamline Louisiana’s sales tax system could appear before the voters in the fall.

Cut 7 (07) “…always important.”

Governor John Bel Edwards tells the legislature whatever bill they pass to increase the minimum wage he’ll sign it into law. The 7.25 an hour minimum wage hasn’t seen a hike since 2008 and Edwards says there’s tons of polling to suggest that raising it in Louisiana is a very popular idea.

Cut 11 (11) “.life.”

The state health department is following a directive from the CDC and FDA in by stopping the use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Tulane School of Medicine Professor Doctor Lisa Morici says it’s very rare to have a blood clot from the vaccine and the clot could be a result of something else for example smoking and not the vaccine, so it’s important the six cases be thoroughly investigated.

Cut 5  (12)  “…going forward.”

The City of New Orleans will be the backdrop for the first movie production to leave the state of Georgia amid protest of the state’s new voting laws. Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s spokesperson, Beau Tidwell, says the Will Smith feature, Emancipation, is moving to Louisiana.

Cut 12 (12)   “…recently.” 

A top priority of the 2021 session, a centralized sales tax collection system, receives significant support from the House Ways and Means Committee. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31) …I’m Jeff Palermo”  

A body has been recovered from the Mississippi River in Reserve, Louisiana, according to St. John the Baptist sheriff’s deputies. Authorities have not released any more information except that the body appears as if it’s been in the river for some time. Over the weekend dive teams searched near the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge for missing LSU freshman Kori Gauthier

With Congressional efforts to raise the federal minimum wage dead in the water Governor Edwards is looking to the Legislature to increase the state’s 7.25 an hour minimum this session. Edwards says many essential workers don’t make a living wage, and after everything they’ve done for the state since the start of the pandemic, they deserve a raise.

Cut 10 (09) “..needs.” 

The minimum wage hasn’t been raised in the state since 2008.

The state department of health is following guidance from the CDC and FDA halting the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine and investigating a possible connection between blood clots in six women and the one-dose vaccine. Tulane School of Medicine Professor Doctor Lisa Morici says this is only with the J& J vaccine this shouldn’t discourage you from being vaccinated.

Cut 4 (10) “…Pfizer vaccines.” 

The Louisiana Department of Health following the guidance of the CDC and FDA is halting the use of the Johnson and Johnson one dose COVID vaccine. The CDC and FDA are investigating a possible connection of blood clots and the vaccine. Six women reportedly had blood clots six to thirteen days after the injection and a reduction in platelet count.

Louisiana has seen literacy rates amongst elementary and middle-grade students decline for several years in a row now. Matt Doyle spoke with Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley about how to fix this…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

The session will run for the next two months and there are a lot of different items on the agenda, including legislation that would bar transgender individuals from participating in girls’ or women’s sports. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says the NCAA is threatening to pull events like the Final Four, which New Orleans is set to host next year, if this bill passes…

Cut 15 (07)“…transgendered student”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says a rehabbed brown pelican that was found covered in oil near Queen Bess Island in 2010, and then released in Georgia, has found its way back to the Bayou State. LDWF Biologist Casey Wright says the pelican known as 33Z remains tagged on his right leg and while it’s not known exactly when he returned from Georgia,Wright says it’s not a complete shock that’s he found his way back.

Cut 8 (07) “…banding.”

Among some 900 bills and resolutions filed for the legislative session that begins today, there are several measures dealing with the legalization of sports betting. Metairie Senator Cameron Henry says a big question is whether lawmakers will agree to allow residents in approved parishes to place bets on their phones.

Cut 12 (10)   “…bet online” 

Sports betting was approved last fall in 55 parishes.

Louisiana could be in line for billions of dollars in federal “infrastructure” aid under President Biden’s over two trillion-dollar American Jobs Plan. The bill also contains hundreds of billions in funding for expanded childcare, elderly caregiving, and housing. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says those investments are needed to power a modern economy.

Cut 11 (06) “..moving.”

100-billion is included in the bill for broadband.

Residents in the St. Landry Parish village of Palmetto are rummaging through the damage from an EF3 tornado that ravaged at least 25 homes early Saturday morning and claimed one life. Parish President Jesse Bellard says the tornado touched down on Bolden Road just off Highway 359.

Cut 3 (11)  “…storm.” 

The twister also sent seven people to the hospital.

A 26-year-old woman who fell off her jet ski and was not found until the next day is listed in critical condition at a hospital in Covington. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck says the search began Friday night in the Tchefuncte River…

Cut 6 (08) “.. next morning.”

Einck says around 10:30 on Saturday morning the woman’s jet ski was located and St. Tammany Parish deputies found her about a half-hour later.

A 26-year-old woman who fell off her jet ski and was not found until the next day is listed in critical condition at a hospital in Covington. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck says the search began Friday night in the Tchefuncte River, and once discovered, deputies quickly got her to a nearby boat launch…

Cut 8 (08) “…critical condition”

Over 900 bills and resolutions have been filed for the legislative session that began today and several measures deal with the legalization of sports betting. Metairie Senator Cameron Henry says he’s heard the governor is not completely comfortable with mobile sports betting, where bets can be placed anywhere in the approved parishes. He says as the legislation moves forward, they’ll work with the governor’s office …

Cut 13 (06)“…in place.”

Sports wagering was approved in 55 of the 64 parishes last November.

President Biden’s over two trillion-dollar American Jobs Plan proposal could see Louisiana receive a massive windfall in federal infrastructure aid. Matt Doyle has the story. Cut 2 (30) …I’m Matt Doyle.”  

The state reports 999 new cases of COVID for the last three days and 308 currently hospitalized, 966-thousand residents have completed their vaccine series in the state.