Governor John Bel Edwards held his year-end press conference this afternoon, in which he covered many events impacting the state this past year. From the pandemic, to hurricanes, infrastructure funds, and COVID vaccinations and more. Edwards halfheartedly joked this might NOT be his last briefing of the year…:

CUT 06(10)      “…see you is in 2022.”

Edwards wished Louisianans a safe and happy holiday season.

Big news for Tiger fans today, fifth-year senior Quarterback Myles Brennan says he’ll return to the Purple and Gold after entering the NCAA transfer portal earlier this year. Louisiana Radio Network Sports Director Jeff Palermo says the change of head coaches could have changed his mind…:

CUT 13(08)      “…best place for him.”

Coach Kelly recently got a commitment during early signing from St. Thomas More QB Walker Howard but, Palermo says, certainly will still need some experience at the position.

A Shreveport man has been jailed on numerous counts of possessing and distributing child pornography. 28-year-old Joshua Turner was arrested after a tip began a state Justice Department investigation, in which his computer and devices were seized.

If you care for the environment, Dave Brannen reports there’s an event taking place this weekend that might be right up your alley….:

CUT 02(35)      “…Brannen.”

Louisiana’s Teen Vax Campaign is looking for volunteers to become vaccine youth ambassadors. The group’s Ritney Castine says you can be as young as 12 and up to 17. Castine says the youth ambassadors of the Louisiana Teen Vax Campaign will help students to distinguish the truth about being vaccinated from the misconceptions…:

CUT 05(10)      “…on social media.”

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is looking for volunteers to help plant 600 trees in Lake Maurepas near Manchac this weekend weather permitting. Communications Director James Karst says this will address the degradation these areas of Lake Maurepas have undergone for various reasons, including hurricanes…:

CUT 10(08)      “…it’s safe there.”

To register visit the group’s events webpage at www.crcl.org.

Add Governor John Bel Edwards to the list of those calling for Lafayette Judge Michelle Odinet to resign, after a video shot in her home surfaced containing racial slurs and insults. Odinet is on a self-imposed leave of absence without pay. An interim judge has been named to hear cases on her docket. The governor shared his opinion during his end-of-year new conference.

Some good news for LSU fans: quarterback Myles Brennan will return to the Tigers. More from Jeff Palermo, who’s on the road…:

CUT 01(29)      “…Palermo.”

Lifeshare Blood Centers across the state says blood supplies are always low this time of year, so if you are of a mind to … please consider donating blood.

Louisiana District 2 Congressman Troy Carter begins visiting cities in his district to explain how the $7-billion in federal Infrastructure Bill funds earmarked for Louisiana will improve things. His first stop was in Eastern New Orleans at the Green Bridge, which he says is so desperately in need of attention…:

CUT 03(10)      “…badly needed repairs.”

Carter will be in Grammercy Thursday and Baton Rouge Friday. Carter was the state U.S. House delegation’s only “yes” vote on the Infrastructure Bill.

The early signing period for college football has begun and LSU is out of the gate – recruiting two top players in the state: Neville High offensive tackle Will Campbell and St. Thomas More QB Walker Howard. Howard says he’s stoked to play for new head coach Brian Kelly…:

CUT 12(12)      “…we’re headed.”

As the COVID Omicron variant starts popping up in Louisiana and other states – Tulane epidemiologist, Dr. Susan Hassig fears yet another surge in the virus…:

CUT 06(12)      “…probable Omicron definition.”

COVID has been linked to over 800-thousand deaths in the U.S.; a little under 15-thousand in the Bayou State. Dr. Hassig think another indoor mask mandate is called for.

We now know the identity of the helicopter pilot killed in Tuesday’s fiery crash on the I-10 Bonnet Carre Spillway near New Orleans. 32-year-old Joshua Hawley, of Livingston Parish, was on his way to New Orleans Lakefront Airport when he clipped a high tension power line and went down in eastbound lanes of the interstate bridge.

The April 30^th Garth Brooks concert in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge has sold a record 102-thousand tickets; making it the 2^nd-largest selling stadium concert in U.S. history. Only a 2014 George Strait concert in Dallas has sold more.

State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting near the Lafayette Parish town of Duson. Trooper Tom Gossen tells LRN deputies investigated a vehicle with a suspected stolen license. A passenger gave up peacefully, but the driver bolted. Officers tracked him down at a building near Duson. Trooper Gossen explains how they did that…:

CUT 11(11)      “…hospital for treatment.”

Gossen says deputies fired on the man as he drove his vehicle AT them.

Ascension Parish D.A. Ricky Babin says he’ll seek the death penalty for the man accused of murdering State Trooper Adam Gaubert and another woman – 37-year-old Pam Adair – back in October. Matthew Mire is also accused of shooting and injuring a third person in a spate of violence that occurred in Ascension and Livingston parishes. Gaubert was shot ambush-style while sitting in his patrol car, filling out reports.

A Tulane epidemiologist says she’s concerned about yet another surge in COVID-19. More from Dave Brannen…:

CUT 02(35)      “…Brannen.”

Are we to be held responsible for what someone says while in our home? A Lafayette judge is under fire, after confirming a video making the Internet rounds was in fact shot in her home. It depicts people not seen on camera watching security video of a burglar being caught outside the judge’s home. At one point, people can be heard using racial slurs. The local NAACP says Judge Michelle Odinet needs to resign over it. She says that voice heard was not her.

As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 becomes more prominent here in Louisiana and dozens of other states in the nation, Tulane epidemiologist, Dr. Susan Hassig fears another surge. She says Louisiana would be wise to re-implement an indoor mask mandate, even though such mandates are often ignored…:

CUT 08(07)      “…can reduce spread.”

LDH says almost 200 people across the state are hospitalized with COVID right now. Well over 80-percent have not been vaccinated.

State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting near Duson in Lafayette Parish. It happened around 7:30 Tuesday morning as sheriff’s deputies investigated a car with a possible stolen license plate. Trooper Tom Gossen says the driver fled the scene then abandoned the car, but was tracked down later at a home near Duson…:

CUT 10(08)      “…driver did not.”

Gossen says he drove AT officers, who fired their weapons. He is expected to recover.

The eastbound I-10 Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge near New Orleans re-opened at around 2 this morning, after a helicopter crash closed it down for over 12 hours. The pilot was the only one aboard, when the aircraft hit a power line and went down, bursting into flame. The pilot was killed. Entergy says they and State Police will close the highway down again Sunday, to restore that severed power line. Meanwhile hundreds of customers in Jefferson parish are still without power.

New Orleans District 2 Congressman Troy Carter begins a tour today of cities in his district; explaining how the $7-billion in Infrastructure funds Louisiana will receive will improve his district. Carter says the federal money means long-overdue projects, like the New Orleans Water and Sewer System, can now get off the ground…:

CUT 05(12)      “…those projects forward.”

Carter was the only one of Louisiana’s six congressmen to vote FOR the Infrastructure Bill.

State Police are investigating the fiery crash of a privately owned helicopter this afternoon on the I-10 Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge outside New Orleans. St. John Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre says calls about the crash came in just after 1 p.m…:

CUT 27(11)      “…unforeseeable future”

Eastbound I-10 traffic is being re-routed to U.S. 51 and/or U.S. 61. The aircraft was completely destroyed by the fire. So far no word on how many were inside or if any survived.

Looking for work in the tech field? The state Department of Economic Development is having a virtual job fair Wednesday. Recruitment Director Jamie Nakamoto says look for it on your favorite social media site and simply register to take part. She says there are numerous jobs they want to fill…:

CUT 13(10)      “…fastest-growing sector.”

At the State Capitol Monday, lawmakers heard from a State Police detective, Al Paxton, who investigated the strange roadside death of Ronald Greene in 2019. More from Brooke Thorington…:

CUT 01(33)      “…Thorington.”

Congressman Clay Higgins office says the U.S. Representative is resting comfortably today, after what’s described as a “successful surgical procedure” this morning at a hospital in Lafayette. Higgins will spend the next few weeks recovering.

Governor John Bel Edwards says, despite a legislative committee voting to reject it, he and the Department of Health will add COVID-19 shots to the list of vaccines required for kids to get into school. No kid will be forced if their parents submit a written opt-out.

Traffic on the busy I-10 Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge outside the New Orleans area came to a grinding halt this afternoon, when a privately owned helicopter crashed onto the roadway. State Police are on the scene, and say the fiery wreck happened around 1 p.m.; perhaps due to fog. We don’t yet know how many people were in the chopper or if any survived.

The state Health Department says 650-thousand eligible children in Louisiana are not vaccinated against COVID, while 123-thousand 5-to-17 year-olds have completed the vaccine series. Dr. Catherine O’ Neal at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge is a mother and understands parents’ concerns, but they shouldn’t worry about this vaccine…:

CUT 09(06)      “…your child.”

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first COVID vaccine administered in Louisiana.

State Police officers who were involved in the roadside arrest and subsequent death of Ronald Green two years ago were asked to testify Monday before a state legislative committee, but failed to show up. One LSP officer who did was Sgt. Al Paxton who investigates allegations of wrongdoing. He spoke of trouble getting troopers to hand over their body cam footage, reluctance to be interviewed and more, which he says frustrates him…:

CUT 05(03)      “…I won’t lie.”

Police body camera footage of Greene’s arrest was made public by the Associated Press in May of this year, two years after his death.

St. Tammany voters’ rejection of Pacific Peninsula’s proposal to use its gambling license for a casino resort near Slidell, it’s going back to Diamond Jacks in Bossier City. Wade Duty, executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association…:

CUT 06(12)      “…the license holder.”

Unless Diamond Jacks can reopened within the 60 days, they can lose their license. Certainly someone will want it.

A helicopter crashed and burned today on the I-10 Bonnet Carre Spillway Bridge in St. John parish. Eastbound traffic is closed while the fiery wreck is investigated. About 20-thousand Entergy customers lost power at about the same time as the crash. It’s unknown of the two are in fact related. So far no reports of injuries or deaths.

A State Police detective who investigated if troopers used excessive force in the death of Ronald Greene answered questions from the Senate Select Committee on State Police Oversite Monday. LSP Sgt. Albert Paxton says his recommendations were ignored by superiors. Monroe Representative Katrina Jackson asks Paxton about gathering key evidence – body cam footage of incidents…:

CUT 04(08)      “…yes ma’am.”

Officers who were directly involved in the Greene arrest were asked to appear before the committee and did not.

Could Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City reopen, now that the Camellia Bay Resort Casino project in Slidell was voted down by voters in St. Tammany Parish? Jeff Palermo has the story…:

CUT 02(33)      “…Palermo.”

LED FastStart is holding yet another virtual career fair. Jamie Nakamoto is the Director of Recruitment and says the event is tomorrow and targets those seeking jobs in the tech field…:

CUT 12(10)      “…hiring right now.”

The United Cajun Navy are in Kentucky, to help with rescue and recovery from the horrific tornadoes early Saturday morning that destroyed hundreds of structures and killed dozens of people. Spokesman Brian Trascher says they’re setting up supply distribution sites at churches between Bowling Green and Mayfield, and they’re using search dogs and drones to try to find victims in all that rubble…:

CUT 11  (09)        “…aren’t in the game yet, y’know?”

To help, go to the United Cajun Navy Facebook page.

Congressman Garret Graves is trying to help with sky-high car insurance in Louisiana by filing a federal bill to crack down on those who stage accidents to get insurance money. Graves says one organized ring in the New Orleans area was responsible for over a hundred…:

CUT 04  (09)        “…all Louisiana drivers.”

His bill would mean stiff fines and prison time for offenders.

Louisiana has elected its first-ever female sheriff. She is Susan Hutson, who just won a runoff against 4-term incumbent Marlin Gusman in Orleans Parish. UNO political science professor Ed Chervenak says Hutson’s campaign pointed out Gusman’s problem running the parish prison…:

CUT 14  (12)        “…justice system.”

Both Hutson and Gusman are Democrats, but a number of Dem high-rollers backed Hutson’s campaign.

A 50-year-old Eros woman is jailed at the Ouachita Correctional Center on criminal trespass charges after being told twice to leave from the sheriff’s office parking lot Saturday afternoon. Sheriff’s spokesman, Glenn Springfield, identified the person as Sharon Whatley…:

CUT 06(12)      “…to leave.”

He says, despite her claims, the woman had no wants or warrants for her arrest.

History was made on Saturday as voters in Orleans Parish elected the city’s first ever female sheriff. Susan Hutson is also the first female elected sheriff in the state; by 53-percent of the vote. UNO political scientist Dr. Ed Chervenak says Hutson clobbered 4-term incumbent Marlin Gusman on his performance running the parish jail, which has had numerous inmate deaths & suicides…:

CUT 13(10)      “…than he was her.”

In the Monroe area, a vote to recall Richwood Mayor Gerald Brown fell to defeat by voters. The margin was only about 50 votes.

A Lake Charles woman is under arrest, after she’s indicted for cruelty to a juvenile. 25-year-old Mary Labove allegedly caused bruising, broken bones and skull fracture to her 2-year-old. The child is in foster care.

Wondering why your auto insurance is so high in Louisiana? Congressman Garret Graves says it’s blamed in part on staged accidents: the most egregious example taking place in New Orleans in recent years…:

CUT 03(08)      “…different traffic accidents”

His proposed legislation would make it a federal crime to stage accidents to defraud insurance companies; punishable with stiff fines and prison.

A 50-year-old Eros woman is in jail in Ouachita Parish for … well for wanting to get arrested. Sharon Whatley showed up Saturday at the parish jail parking lot and refused to leave, despite being told several times. Ouachita Sheriff’s spokesman Glenn Springfield says Whatley only told them she was wanted by the law…:

CUT 08(12)      “…basing that on.”

She’s now a …guest of the parish.