The St. Tammany Parish coroner confirms the badly burned remains of a murder victim found Monday Are those of a retired local priest who went missing last weekend, Father Otis Young. Covington Police spokesman Edwin Masters says they are still awaiting identification of the other victim, who MAY be Ruth Prats, a church assistant who is also missing. He says a suspect is in custody and being held without bond…:

CUT 12  (12)        “…a false name.”

Want to give your input on highway projects the state is considering? DOTD now has an interactive map you can use online to do that. Spokesman Rodney Mallett says just click on the map for the project you want to talk about…:

CUT 08(09)      “…make comments.”

Find that map at “DOTD.la.gov.”

The state Department of Education released its fall 2022 Reading Report and it shows an improvement in reading skills for students in 1st-through-3rd grade, but kindergarten scores declined two-percent. Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says that’s due to closing schools for the pandemic…:

CUT 04(13)      “…language acquisition.”

Brumley says overall the Reading Report shows just under 50% of K-through-third graders scoring on or above benchmark.

There’s always a Louisiana connection. The passenger in that small aircraft that crashed into a high-voltage electrical tower in Maryland this week is identified as 66-year-old Janet Williams of Marrero. She and the pilot sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, but were rescued. First responders say it’s a miracle the plane didn’t fall to the ground, and that the plane’s occupants were not electrocuted.

The St. Tammany Parish town of Covington mourns the death of retired local priest, Father Otis Young, from a grisly double murder. Badly burned remains found Monday behind a local business have been confirmed by the parish coroner to be those of Father Young. Covington Police Sgt. Edwin Masters…:

CUT 10(09)      “…double homicide.”

Father Young and a church assistant, Ruth Prats, were reported missing Sunday. Two charred bodies were found Monday behind a local business. Sgt. Masters says they cannot yet confirm the other remains are those of Ms. Prats. The suspect is 49-year-old Antonio Tyson, who was just released from prison in August, after serving over 30 years for rape and burglary. Masters says Tyson is being held without bond.

The National Weather Service says the tornado that ripped through parts of Caldwell Parish Tuesday was an EF-3, with winds up to 165 miles an hour. It was on the ground for about 9 minutes; long enough to damage numerous buildings and injure two people.

Louisiana’s first through third graders showed improvement on a literacy test this fall, but Whitney Thomas reports the state’s public school education leader is concerned the percentage of kindergartners reading below grade level has declined…:

Cut 01  (28)      “…Thomas.”

Who couldn’t use a little extra cash for the holidays? One way to get some is check the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property website. One in six people have unclaimed property or cash owed back to you. You can check to see if you have cash coming by visiting “LaCashClaim.org” or by calling then at 888-925-4127.

The coroner in St. Tammany Parish confirms charred remains found Monday in a double murder case as those of a missing local priest…:

CUT 03(32)      “…Thorington.”

Lake Charles Police arrest a man from Welsh for a shooting earlier this week at a local hookah lounge that left seven people shot and wounded. Cops tracked a vehicle used in the getaway to 20-year-old Damien Guidry Jr., who is now facing seven counts of attempted murder. Three of his victims are in critical condition.

A month-long narcotic investigation in Caddo Parish leads to the arrest of 53-year-old Emmanuel Barrett of Shreveport. Caddo Sheriff’s Drug Task Force head Lt. Darin Marshall says when they searched Barrett’s home, they found a significant amount of illegal substances…:

CUT 13(06)      “…methamphetamines.”

He says those drugs were worth about $7-thousand on the street.

If you want to give input on highway projects the state is considering, the Louisiana Department of Transportation is making it easier. Spokesman Rodney Mallett says there’s a new interactive map on the DOTD website…:

CUT 07(07)      “…January 6^th.”

Now you can click on the map instead of going to a meeting or sending an email. It’s on the DOTD website.

Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a Ville Platte man allegedly found in bed with a seven-year-old girl in Bunkie early yesterday morning.  Captain Tim Ryan says the girl’s parents held 61-year-old Jeffrey Brant at gunpoint until authorities arrived…:

CUT 03(10)      “…invited in.”

He’s charged with home invasion, criminal trespass, and indecent behavior with juveniles. The little girl and her younger sister are apparently unharmed.

Thanksgiving holiday weekend shopping gives retailers hope for a good Christmas season. National Retail Federation president Matt Shay says figures from the weekend indicate there could be a 6-to-8-percent increase in retail sales over last year…:

CUT 11(10)      “…four weeks.”

197-million Americans did some shopping between Friday and Monday; either online or in stores.

Police in Covington confirm the murder of a retired local priest, Father Otis Young, who had been reported missing last Saturday. A coroner confirmed the badly burned remains found Monday were Young’s. He was apparently bludgeoned to death. A second victim’s identity has not been confirmed yet, but it is believed she is Ruth Prats, a church assistant. A suspect is in custody.

The statewide average for regular gas today is $3.03 a gallon, and AAA expects it to continue to drop…:

CUT 02(32)      “…Thorington.”

Caldwell Parish is recovering after a confirmed tornado strike last night during strong thunderstorms. Two people are reported injured and numerous buildings took heavy damage near the town of Clark on Highway 126. The National Weather Service is working to establish where the twister fell on the Extended Fujita scale, but it was likely an EF-1 Fortunately, no one was reported killed.

An Evangeline Parish man faces serious charges after he broke into a Bunkie home and climbed into bed with a seven-year-old girl…:

CUT 01(27)      “…Golsby.”

Senator Bill Cassidy celebrates his No Surprises Act; a law to protect us from getting unexpected medical bills. The law has been in effect since January and he says 9-milion Americans have been spared the pain of a surprise wallop of out-of-network charges. He says, under the law he co-authored with New Hampshire Democrat Senator Maggie Hasson, patients can only be required to pay in-network costs for medical services…:

CUT 08(03)      “…the past.”

Cassidy says if you do receive a higher medical bill than expected, let the state Department of Insurance know right away, or call the U.S. Health & Human Services.

Gasoline prices still slowly dropping. The statewide average for regular gas is $3.03. AAA’s Nick Chabarria says that could drop below 3 bucks by the week’s end…:

CUT 14(07)      “…last year.”

Gas is down an average of 12-cents from one week ago.

Authorities say an Evangeline Parish man faces several charges after he got into the bedroom of a seven-year-old girl in Bunkie. Marsanne Golsby has more…

Cut 1(27)  “…I’m Marsanne Golsby”

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The statewide average for regular gas today is $3.03 a gallon, and AAA expects it to continue to drop. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a Ville Platte man allegedly found in bed with a seven-year-old girl in Bunkie early yesterday morning.  Captain Tim Ryan says the girl’s parents held 61-year-old Jeffrey Brant at gunpoint until authorities arrived.

Cut 3 (10) “..invited in.” 

Brandt was arrested and booked with home invasion, criminal trespass, and indecent behavior with juveniles. Ryan says it doesn’t appear anyone involved was harmed, including the seven-year-old or her four-year-old sister, who Ryan says was also in the home.

Cut 4 (10)  “…by Mr. Brant” 

He says Brant got in through an unlocked door, and he didn’t fight back when the parents confronted him.

Cut 5 (10) “…on anyone”

Ryan says Brant appeared to be under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance.

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Republican Senator Bill Cassidy says his “No Surprises Act” has saved 9 million Americans from receiving surprise medical bills this year alone. Cassidy authored the legislation that went into effect at the beginning of the year.

Cut 6 (07)  “…Americans.”

Passage of the bill was a two-year effort on behalf of Cassidy and New Hampshire Democrat Senator Maggie Hasson.

Cut 7 (09)  “…facing Americans.”

Cassidy who’s also a physician says the law protects patients from having to pay out-of-network costs billed by their health insurance and that patients can only be required to pay in-network costs for their services.

Cut 8 (03)  “…the past.“

Cassidy says if you do receive a higher medical bill than expected, you should contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-985-3059 or the Louisiana Department of Insurance at 1-800-259-5300.

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According to the National Retail Federation, a record 197-million consumers shopped either in a store or on the internet over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, which included Cyber Monday. N-R-F President Matthew Shay says the kick-off to the holiday shopping season saw a big increase of in-store shoppers…

Cut 9 (10 “…last year” 

Shaw says 63-million consumers shopped inside a store on Small Business Saturday, up from 51-million in 2021

Cut 10 (10) “…in store shopping” 

Shaw says 86-percent of the consumers they surveyed say they expect to see great deals for the rest of the holiday shopping season, which gives them hope of seeing a six to eight percent increase in retail sales over last holiday season

Cut 11 (10)  “…four weeks”

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The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana is $3.03 today, that’s down 28 cents from this time last month. And AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria (Cha-BEAR-ee-uh) says the average price in Louisiana is down almost a dime from a year ago.

Cut 12 (11) “…end of 2022.” 

Chabarria credits a drop in crude oil prices for relief at the pump. He says crude oil prices account about for 50 to 60 percent of what motorists pay at the pump.

Cut 13 (10) “…last year.”  

In addition to crude oil prices stabilizing, Chabarria says with today marking the end of the 2022 hurricane season, we were extremely fortunate we didn’t experience multiple storms in the gulf this year. And barring any disruptions he expects the average price in Louisiana to drop below $3.00 a gallon this week.

Cut 14 (07)   “…last year.” 

A week ago the average price for regular gas in Louisiana was $3.14.

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Deputies in Avoyelles Parish arrest a man for allegedly breaking into a home and crawling in bed with a 7-year-old girl. Sheriff’s Captain Tim Ryan says 61-year-old Jeffrey Brant got in through an unlocked door, and when he was discovered by the child’s parents he offered no resistance…:

CUT 05(10)      “…on anyone.”

Ryan says Brant appeared to be under the influence of…something. He’s been booked with home invasion, criminal trespass, and indecent behavior with juveniles.

The National Retail Federation says 197-million Americans took part in holiday shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend. NRF President Matt Shay says 63-million did their shopping in stores; a big increase over last year…:

CUT 10(10)      “…in-store shopping

He says retailers have hope that it will be a profitable holiday for them this year.

Eight people were shot last night at a hooka lounge in Lake Charles. Police say no one was killed, but three are in critical condition. Lake Charles Police are investigating and ask anyone with information on the crime to contact them right away.

The statewide average for regular gas in Louisiana today is $3.03 a gallon and AAA expects it to continue to drop…:

CUT 02(32)      “…Thorington.”

A new statewide poll finds a majority of Louisiana Republicans support former President Donald Trump over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Trump has already announced his presidential candidacy and political pundits expect DeSantis to be Trump’s main competition. Edgewater Research pollster Ed Chervenak says 56% said they want Trump in ’24, while 36% said Desantis. He says it’s still a bit of good news for DeSantis…:

CUT 05(12)      “…Trump has.”

The survey polled nearly 500 Louisiana GOP voters. 8-percent were undecided on a GOP nominee.

A Livingston Parish woman has been arrested and charged with 20 counts related to allegedly placing electronic recorders in her child’s public school. 39-yeaer-old Amanda Carter has been booked and released on bond. Livingston Sheriff Jason Ard says several such devices were found at the school over the course of the semester. Details are scarce at this time, and the investigation in ongoing.

It was a very happy ending Monday night in St Tammany Parish, where two missing girls and their dog were found safe after a massive search…:

CUT 02(31)      “…Golsby.”

The re-election campaign for an Opelousas city councilman came to an abrupt end this week, when Councilman Floyd Ford suddenly resigned his seat and pulled out of the December 10^th runoff. Now, by default, the winner is challenger Delita Rubin Broussard.

I’ll start with some good news: two little girls who got lost in the dense woods of St. Tammany Parish last night were found alive and OK. St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith says they searched for 5 hours; using deputies, volunteers, drones and helicopters, but it was their search dogs who found the girls pet Golden Retriever, who never left their side…:

CUT 10(09)      “…would be the kid”

Smith says the girls are in good health and good spirits.

A tornado watch is in effect for a large portion of the state now through this evening. LRN Meteorologist John Wetherbee says the watch area covers northeast Louisiana and central Louisiana, with the worst risks along I-20 and points north…:

CUT 12(10)      “…long track tornado.”

Keep alert for any new watches or warnings.

Senator Bill Cassidy gives his support to the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Law and touted its ability to help finance the extension of passenger-rail service through Mississippi and Louisiana along the I-20 corridor. Cassidy says there’s already a line that goes to Dallas and another to Atlanta…:

CUT 08(07)      “…or Dallas.”

Police in Covington arrest a suspect in Monday’s gruesome double murder. The badly burned remains of two people were found behind a downtown Covington business, and police say 49-year-old Antonio Tyson did it. Tyson was released from prison in August, after serving 31 years of a 40-year sentence for forcible rape and home invasion. Autopsies of the victims are pending. Many worry they are the remains of a missing local priest and a church assistant.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation after authorities said recording devices were discovered on school property. A student’s mom has been arrested on a list of some 20 charges. More as this develops.

A massive search for two missing Southeast Louisiana girls and their dog ended in good news last night. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Davis says the girls – ages 4 and 7 – got lost with their dog around 5 pm yesterday while playing on their parents’ property…:

CUT 09(08)      “…from the house.”

He says volunteers, helicopters and even drones searched for 5 hours, but the girls were found safe; being protected by their Golden Retriever, Artemus.

As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a bill codifying protection of same-sex marriage into federal law, Senator Bill Cassidy says he will not be voting for the bill…:

CUT 07(04)      “…bill will pass.”

The Senate added three amendments to that House bill, so it must go back to the House for concurrence before it heads for the President’s desk.

A statewide survey finds a majority of GOP voters support former President Donald Trump over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024…:

CUT 01(31)      “…Palermo.”

Alexandria Police are investigating a brazen early morning burglary at a gun store that resulted in a large number of weapons being stolen. APD says a stolen SUV was used to drive right through the front of the building. Once in the thief or thieves made off with an undisclosed amount of the store inventory. Crimestoppers of Cenla would love to get tips. Call 318-447-7867.