Republican David Vitter was not at a gubernatorial debate hosted by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, but that didn’t keep the candidates from talking about him. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The federal government announces there will be no increase in benefits for Social Security. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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In a gubernatorial debate on Louisiana Public Broadcasting, the three candidates who were there, let out their frustrations over the attack ads during the campaign. Republican Jay Dardenne denied accusations the state paid for his wife during an overseas trip and he voted for pro-choice legislation. Dardenne blamed the attacks on Republican David Vitter, who didn’t attend the debate

CUT 3 (09) “sick of it”

Democrat John Bel Edwards says the Republican Governor’s Association is trying to distract and mislead voters in attack ads against him…

CUT 4 (12) “have taken”

Republican Scott Angelle says Vitter is the only candidate in the race running untruthful ads and criticized the Senator for missing debates because he doesn’t want to answer questions about his prostitution scandal…

CUT 5 (10) “means yes”

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A Jennings woman, with the help of DNA testing and technology, has been able to find information about her mother was who had not been seen in Louisiana since 1982. Katherine Renee Kratzer filed a missing persons report on her mother, Leejan Marie Kratzer, last year. Jeff Davis Sheriff Ivy Woods says the truth came out when a Tennessee woman began looking into her late mother, Lisa Neese’s, past…

CUT 6 (10) “LSU Faces”

Elizabeth Neese contacted authorities after seeing a photo that resembled her mother on the LSU Faces website. Woods says they began their investigation and were able to use DNA testing to prove Leejan Marie Kratzer and Lisa Neese were the same person…

CUT 7 (10) “are sisters”

Woods says it turns out Leejan started a whole new life in Memphis as Lisa Neese. Unfortunately Leejan/Lisa passed away in 2008. He says Katherine is ecstatic to learn the truth about her mother. Woods says this is a reminder that one should never give up on a missing person…

CUT 8 (06) “missing relative”

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The federal government has announced there will not be an increase in benefits for millions of Social Security recipients. Brenda Hatfield with Louisiana A-A-R-P says this is especially devastating because next year Medicare costs are expected to increase for seniors, veterans and the disabled.

CUT 9 (10) “from Social Security”

The main reason there is no Social Security increase is because of low gas prices. Hatfield says that’s unfair for seniors, because a good portion of them don’t drive long distances…

cut 10 (08) “health care”

This is the third time in 40 years that benefits will remain flat. Hatfield says A-A-R-P has written multiple letters pleading with our congressional representatives to prevent an increase to Medicare costs, if they will not receive a cost of living adjustment.

Cut 11 (10) “them significantly”

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Lack of rainfall in Louisiana in the past several weeks has put much of the state in drought conditions. The United States Drought Monitor reports that 86-percent of Louisiana is currently dealing with drought conditions. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the last 90 days have been extremely dry in the Bayou State…

cut 12 (09) “three months”

He says the state has received less than half of its normal rainfall over the past 90 days. The report shows that 51-percent of Louisiana is suffering from extreme drought conditions. Keim says this problem is most severe in the north-central part of the state…

cut 13 (10) “90 days”

He says that region has recorded only about an inch of rain over the last three months. Keim says El Nino tends to send rain across Louisiana, but that pattern has yet to kick in. He says these dry conditions are historic in some portions of the state…

cut 14 (06) “to 1895″

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The four major gubernatorial candidates will face off one last time on television before the October 24^th primary. Emelie Gunn has more….

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The 2016-17 Louisiana Economic Outlook report shows low oil prices will continue to hurt some areas, while industrial booms benefit others. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Two people were killed in a plane crash at the Hammond Airport on Wednesday afternoon. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (27) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The four major candidates for governor will appear in a statewide televised debate at six o’ clock on Louisiana Tech’s campus. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says he expects to see the two frontrunners, Republican David Vitter and Democrat John Bel Edwards, maintain their position and the other two candidates, Republicans Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne, attempt to break out and distinguish themselves.

cut 4  (10)  “voters attention”

 In a Raycom Media poll of 600 registered voters, Edwards and Vitters are polling above 21-percent, while Dardenne and Angelle are in the single digits. Dubos says Vitter will likely be a target tonight….

Cut 5  (10)  “everything else”

 Dubos says this will likely be the last chance voters will see all four candidates together before the October 24^th election.

Cut 6 (05)  “leading candidates”

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The LSU Mammal Curator has discovered a new species while surveying in Indonesia. Jake Esselstyn found a new rodent never seen before. He says he and his team trapped a type of screw rat, while traveling up a mountain on the island of Sulawesi (Sue-lu-way-see).

CUT 7 (10)  “small range”

Esselstyn says he often visits Indonesia to see how mammal diversity has evolved over time. He says this species, called the Hog-nosed rat, has a large pink nose, extremely large ears and long legs.

Cut 8  (10)  “beetle larvae”

Esselstyn says they found a similar species last year and expect to find even more in years to come. He says there are many other tropical, mountainous islands like Sulawesi (Sue-lu-way-see) that are yet to be surveyed for mammal diversity.

Cut 9 (06) “on the planet” 

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The 2016-17 Louisiana Economic Outlook report shows the state’s economy will continue to feel the effects of low oil prices, but industrial booms in certain areas will create major job growth. Economist and co-author of the report Dr. Loren Scott says the biggest gains will be seen from Baton Rouge to Lake Charles…:

Cut 10 (11) “under construction”

Meanwhile Scott says growth in the northern part of the state will remain mostly stagnant over the next couple of years with just a small amount of job losses predicted. He says areas in the oil patch around Houma and the Acadiana region will continue to struggle…:

cut 11 (08) “price of oil”

The forecast projects, overall, Louisiana will add 15,400 jobs in 2016 and 19,600 in 2017. He says the report clearly indicates that Louisiana would really benefit by a rebound in the energy sector…:

Cut 12 (10) “much much better”

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Even though it’s mid-October it will feel like summer again today as high temperatures will be in the 90s across much of Louisiana. Shreveport broke a 134 year-old record when temps reached the mid-90s yesterday. Brandi Hughes, with the National Weather Service, says dry conditions are helping to produce summer like weather…

Cut 13 (10)  “upper 90s”

The high temperatures today are expected to be in the mid-90s in north Louisiana, which would break the previous record high of 91 that was established in 1947 in both Monroe and Shreveport. Hughes says the record broken yesterday goes back even further…

Cut 14 (11) “particular day”

Hughes says it will feel more like fall this weekend as a cold front will knock high temperatures back down to the 70s for much of the state

Cut 15  (10)  “for Sunday”

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The Saints look to turn their season around tonight when they host the Atlanta Falcons. The Dirty Birds are undefeated, while New Orleans is 1-4 and rank last in the NFL in total defense. But Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan believes they have enough talent to become one of the better teams in the league…

Cut 16  (17)  “be great”

The Saints defense will have its hands full tonight. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is third in the NFL in passing yards and second-year running back Devonta Freeman is the league’s second leading rusher and has also caught 24 passes out of the backfield. Ryan says Freeman has looked impressive on the game film…

Cut 17 (18) “the defense” 

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Louisiana Tech will face on Mississippi State on Saturday. Tech has won three in a row, but head coach Skip Holtz wants to see his defense stop giving up big plays

Cut 18 (11) “safety”

Holtz says Mississippi State is playing well on offense and defense, but they may excel the most on special teams…

Cut 19 (21) “any time”

Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator is Manny Diaz, who was the defensive coordinator at Tech last season. Holtz says that does present some challenges…

Cut 20 (20) “normally be”

Authorities in north Louisiana are searching for an arsonist responsible for several fires. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (27)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Republican David Vitter will be missing tonight’s statewide televised LBP debate, while the other three candidates will be there. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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State Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain say authorities are searching for an arsonist who was responsible for several fires set across north Louisiana. Strain says state firefighters were battling ten fires in six different parishes yesterday and he believes some of them were intentionally set.

CUT 3 (11)  “another one”

Strain says crews worked to put out fires in Caddo, Claiborne, Morehouse, Bienville West Carroll and Sabine parishes. He says it took until 1 AM this morning to get all of the fires under control. The commissioner says unfortunately one home in Bienville Parish was destroyed, but no one was injured….

CUT 4 (08)  “the home”

Strain says one of the fires was caused by a lightning strike, another caused by a person burning a tree stump, while the others were deliberately set. He warns people that if you commit arson, law enforcement will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.

CUT 5 (10) “was lost”

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Republican David Vitter will be missing tonight’s televised gubernatorial debate to be aired statewide by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. His campaign has come under fire by opponents for frequently opting out of such forums. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says Vitter likely thinks he’s going to make the runoff no matter what he does

CUT 6 (11) “probably don’t need to”

The other Republicans, Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle, will be at LPB’s debate tonight as well as Democrat John Bel Edwards. Some say that Vitter is not attending forums because he doesn’t want to answer the question about whether or not he broke the law, referring to the prostitution scandal. Cross says Vitter doesn’t want to be asked about the past:

CUT 7 (09)  “probably better”

The debate begins at 7pm. Vitter’s campaign has repeatedly cited the reason for the US Senator’s absence is because he’s casting votes in Washington D.C., but the Senate is not in session this week. Cross says the fact that Vitter is missing debates may sway some voters away from him, but for the most part people are not paying attention to this race…:

CUT 8 (08)  “very unlikely”

Vitter’s Campaign Response: “Senator Vitter is doing the debate tomorrow night. He’s done several televised debates already this week that Angelle and Edwards skipped, and he’s participated in 35 debates and forums this year – an unprecedented amount.”

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Although many people say this year’s governor’s election got off to a slow start, it appears the ad war is in full swing. The Center for Public Integrity reports nearly 18,500 campaign ads have aired statewide in this year’s governor’s race, as of October 5th. Michael Henderson with LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab says when you compare this race to the state’s last competitive open election in 2003, there are similarities…

CUT 9 (09)  “passed them up”

At this point in the 2003 election, a little less than 9,000 ads had aired. Henderson says it appears that negative ads showed up earlier this year than back in 2003. He says, twelve years ago, negative ads didn’t begin popping up until the week before the primary…

cut 10 (09)  “governor’s elections”

He says the first attack ads in this year’s race appeared in early September. Henderson says voters can expect to see more negative ads as we approach election day and head into a runoff…

Cut 11 (09)  “2000 to 2014″

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The 16-year-old Baton Rouge teenager accused in the stabbing death of a St. Amant High School senior over the weekend will be tried as an adult. A district judge in Ascension Parish has ruled that Jacob Westbrook will be tried on a count of second degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Todd Toups. Legal analyst Tim Meche says the judge had very little discretion…

cut 12 (07)  “as adults”

Authorities say Toups was fatally stabbed by Westbrook while he was trying to give another student a ride to the homecoming dance. The judge ordered Westbrook to be transferred to the Ascension Parish Prison. Meche this case has a long way to go and a lot could happen before it’s over…

cut 13 (10)  “plea deal arrangement”

He says Louisiana law mandates that 16-year-olds who are alleged to have committed murder be tried as adults. Meche says it’s too early in the process to anticipate how this case will turn out…

cut 14 (04)  “make predictions”

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An 11-year-old girl with Down Syndrome from DoSoto Parish is making international headlines after a video went viral of her reaction to making the cheerleading squad. Michelle Southern has more….

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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A report finds Louisiana ranks number 47^th in the nation for having the least financially secure residents. Emelie Gunn has more….

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Members of Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential campaign are looking to change the current debate criteria so Jindal will be included in the next Republican presidential debate on October 28th. Eric Gill reports…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

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 An 11-year-old girl with Down Syndrome from the DeSoto Parish town of Stonewall is making international headlines this year after a video of her reaction to being accepted on the cheerleading squad spread like wildfire. Renee Parker is Lacey Parker’s mother. She says after weeks of practicing difficult cheers and routines, Lacey tried out just like everyone else and eagerly waited for the results while her sister was capturing the reaction on video.

cut 4  (09)  “and screaming”

 Parker says she’s blown away by all the attention the video is getting and it’s more than 30 million views, but knows this is a feel good story that makes people smile. She says Lacey has made appearances on news sites everywhere and is influencing people all over the world.

Cut 5  (10)  “home videos”

 Parker says the principal at North DeSoto Middle School called them to ask Lacey to try out for the squad because cheering is about having heart and passion and nobody has more than she does. She says having Down Syndrome has never stopped Lacey from doing anything and she encourages more parents of special needs children to let their kids get involved.

Cut 6 (11)  “for her”

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Louisiana ranks number 47^th in the country for financial wellbeing according to a report by Gallup-Healthways. Tulane Business Professor Mark Rosa says he didn’t expect the Bayou State to rank among the least financially secure states but there are reasons why we’re ranked so low…

CUT 7 (09)  “of that”

The report also found Louisiana comes in at number 48^th in the nation for residents having enough money for food and 49^th for the ability for people to pay for health care. Rosa says there are a lot of low income areas here and we don’t live in a high wage environment.

Cut 8  (07)  “it’s sad”

Entergy and CenturyLink are the only two Louisiana based companies on the Fortune 500 list. Rosa says the lack of major corporations in the Bayou state contributes to Louisiana ranking low on this list.

Cut 9 (11) “small businesses” 

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Members of Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential campaign are looking to change the current debate criteria so Jindal will be included in the next Republican presidential debate on October 28th. The campaign argues that basing criteria on national polls is meaningless at this point in the race. Senior strategist Curt Anderson says national polls are predictive of nothing since there is no national primary…

Cut 10 (06) “be voting”

Current Republican National Committee/CNBC criteria requires a candidate average at least 2.5-percent in six different national polls to make a debate. Jindal Pollster Wes Anderson says the governor’s recent surge to six-percent support in Iowa should put him in the main debate…

cut 11 (10) “upcoming debate”

The campaign says ignoring polls in early primary states does not reflect reality. Campaign manager Timmy Teeple says by doing this, voters are being ignored…

Cut 12 (10) “who will lose”

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Republican David Vitter’s latest TV commercial for governor features his wife Wendy, who says her husband has the courage and vision needed to turn around Louisiana. ULM political science professor Joshua Stockley says this is a significant moment in the campaign, because of Vitter’s past scandal involving prostitution…

Cut 13 (11)  “are united”

In the ad, Wendy Vitter also talked about how her husband was the one who authored a bill that led to term limits in the state legislature. Stockley wonders why the campaign decided to have Wendy Vitter talk about this issue…

Cut 14 (10) “interesting”

Stockley says having an ad that features his wife can help Vitter with women voters…

Cut 15  (10)  “is lagging”

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LSU continues preparations for its top ten matchup with undefeated Florida on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. While Alabama is consider the Tigers biggest rival, LSU linebacker Deion Jones says while growing up in New Orleans, Florida was always the big game on the schedule…

Cut 16  (14)  “as a kid”

LSU’s starting quarterback the last five games will not play against LSU. Will Grier has been suspended by the NCAA for one year for taking a banned over-the-counter supplement. Treon Harris will start for the suspended Grier and LSU defensive tackle Christian Lacouture gives this scouting report on Harris…

Cut 17 (14) “do our job” 

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The Saints are 1-and-4 and in last place in the NFC South heading into Thursday night’s match-up with the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Drew Brees always has a positive take on things, but admits the losing is eating at him inside…

Cut 18 (11) “something positive”

The Falcons are one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this year. First-year coach Dan Quinn has Atlanta out to a 5-0 start. The Falcons had a losing record last year and Brees says the personnel is not much different from last year…

Cut 19 (17) “well right now”

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a mother and daughter accused of neglecting more than 40 animals at their home in Bogalusa. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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LSU star running back Leonard Fournette is on the cover of this week’s national Sports Illustrated magazine. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a mother and daughter accused of neglecting more than 40 animals at their home in Bogalusa. Terri Turner and Frannie Fisher are charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says the Sheriff’s Office was aware of the poor condition of the animals…

CUT 3 (08)  “to the authorities”

He says authorities advised the accused on numerous occasions to take better care of the animals and the women refused to do so. The Humane Society was able to remove more than 20 dogs, 20 cats, a duck, and a rabbit from the property. Dorson says since Washington Parish does not have an animal control department, care for all these animals falls on the Humane Society…

CUT 4 (09)  “off the top”

He says all the animals are in need of veterinary care. The Humane Society is seeking donations from the public to help with those costs. Dorson says they plan to go to court and present evidence against Turner and Fisher of long-term, chronic neglect for all of these animals…

CUT 5 (06) “everything shows”

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Through two days of early voting, the Secretary of State’s office reports just over 60-thousand ballots have been casted. That’s seven-thousand fewer voters than during the same period last year for the Congressional election. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says he’s anticipating an overall turnout below 50-percent for the October 24th primary

CUT 6 (09) “hold true” 

Schedler says early voting totals may pick up later in the week, because there’s still a large contingent of voters who remain undecided on the key races…

CUT 7 (07)  “statewide elections”

East Baton Rouge Parish has the most early votes after two days, as 41-hundred ballots have been casted. Jefferson Parish is next at 34-hundred and Schedler says so far more women have taken advantage of early voting than men

CUT 8 (10)  “51-hundred”

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LSU star running back Leonard Fournette is on the cover of this week’s national Sports Illustrated magazine. The No. 6 Tigers remain undefeated on the year thanks to help from the sophomore who has averaged more than 200 yards per game and scored 12 touchdowns. LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette says Fournette is also a great guy and teammate off the field…:

CUT 9 (05)  “he enjoys it”

Bonnette says it’s only October and there’s a lot of ball left to play, so one of the things they are focusing on is keeping Fournette in check. He says Coach Les Miles has asked team leaders to keep in mind that Leonard is at LSU to go to school and play football and doesn’t want too much on his plate…:

cut 10 (10)  “one of these”

A quote on the SI cover from Fournette says “In that ball, the whole of Louisiana is in your hands.” Bonnette says being on the cover of Sports Illustrated is a huge honor for Leonard and for LSU…:

Cut 11 (11)  “not very many”

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The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has launched a statewide campaign to educate Louisiana patients and families on how to use available health information technology. DHH Secretary Kathy Kliebert says the campaign is called “Your Health in Your Hands”…

cut 12 (08)  “health care cost”

She says the goal of the campaign is to help families use health IT tools to improve their health and health care decision making. A main component is its website, makemyhealth-dot-me. Kliebert says the site contains resources and information designed to help Louisianians become more engaged in their health care…

cut 13 (11)  “healthier outcomes”

The website also contains information about how to request copies of medical records and how to use those to improve your health. Kliebert says Louisiana is the first state in the country to have a consumer engagement tool like this…

cut 14 (08)  “health care options”

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The game this Saturday night in Tiger Stadium between No. 6 LSU and No. 8 Florida is one of the most anticipated matchups of the week. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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 The US Supreme Court will hear a case from an Angola inmate who was convicted of the murder of a police officer in 1963 when he was 17-years-old. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (25) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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 The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com endorses Republican David Vitter for governor. Jeff Palermo looks at what this means for Vitter’s campaign…

Cut 3 (27) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The game this Saturday night in Tiger Stadium between No. 6 LSU and No. 8 Florida is one of the most anticipated matchups of the week. Cameron Papp with StubHub says this is the best selling LSU game of the season on their online ticket marketplace…:

cut 4  (08)  “upper level seat”

The game in Death Valley kicks off at 6pm and will be televised on ESPN. Papp says the average ticket price for the LSU/Florida game in Baton Rouge is about $220. He says tickets aren’t impossible to find, but you’ll have to dig deep in your wallet if you want a good seat..:

Cut 5  (08)  “lower level seat”

Things got more interesting Monday after it was announced that starting Gator QB Will Grier is suspended indefinitely for failing a drug test when a banned over the counter substance was discovered in his system. Papp says it’s definitely a big year for LSU, but they always see a lot of demand for the Tigers anyway…:

Cut 6 (08)  “home games”

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The four candidates running for Lt. Governor discussed how they would improve the film industry in the state at a forum hosted by the Baton Rouge Press Club. Republican Billy Nungesser says when many people see movies filmed in Louisiana, they’re drawn to visit so we need to make changes to the current film tax credit incentive program to keep filmmakers coming to the state.

CUT 7 (10)  “our buck”

Republican John Young says before this most recent legislative session, Louisiana was number one in the world for film production. He says people from all over the country travel to the state to visit the Duck Commander Warehouse in West Monroe and the Swamp People in Pierre Part.

Cut 8  (07)  “from scratch”

Democrat Kip Holden says it’s time to close the loopholes in the film tax credit incentive program that could lead to fraud and wasteful spending.

Cut 9 (09) “criminal penalties” 

Republican Elbert Guillory says we shot ourselves in the foot when we made the changes to the film tax credits and we need to cap each movie rather than capping the entire industry. He says every movie filmed here projects Louisiana.

Cut 10 (10) “tax credit”

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The US Supreme Court will hear arguments today from the lawyers of an Angola inmate who is serving a life sentence for murdering a sheriff’s deputy as a teenager in 1963. In 2012, the US Supreme Court banned automatic life sentences for teens. Legal analyst Tim Meche says Louisiana prisoner Henry Montgomery wants the Supreme Court to make that ruling retroactive, so he has a chance at parole.

cut 11 (11) “the category”

 When Montgomery was 17-years-old, he shot Deputy Charles Hurt to death while playing hooky from school. Meche says Montgomery has a solid argument to make and a number of Justices on the court will be sympathetic of him.

Cut 12 (09) “retroactive”

Meche says we should know the Supreme Court’s decision by the end of the year. He says if the nation’s highest court rules in favor of Montgomery, hundreds of inmates sentenced to life for murder for a crime they committed as teenager will seek an opportunity at parole as well….

(The state department of corrections estimates there are about 300 inmates who were sentenced to life for crimes they committed as teenagers.)

Cut 13 (10)  “for relief”

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he Times-Picayune and NOLA.dot com endores Republican David Vitter for governor. NOLA’s editorial staff  says Vitter is committed, a resolute chief executive that has a desire to govern and lead on many fronts. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this is a big deal for Vitter’s campaign, who is  facing attacks from the three other candidates and supporting groups…

Cut 14 (10) “David Vitter”

Pinsonat says newspaper endorsements don’t guarantee victory on election day, but it’s definitely a boost for a candidate that has endured many personal attacks…

Cut 15  (08)  “for Vitter”

Republicans Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne have brought up Vitter’s past and his involvement in a prostitution scandal. Democrat John Bel Edwards has also questioned whether Vitter is the right leader for Louisiana. Pinsonat says an endorsement from a credible newspaper is a big boost for the Senator’s campaign…

Cut 16  (08)  “for him”

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There will be a lot of hype leading up to Saturday night’s showdown in Tiger Stadium between sixth ranked LSU and eighth ranked Florida. Players from the two teams were in a twitter war over the summer, over which school can lay claim to D-B-U, which stands for defensive back university. Coach Les Miles doesn’t want see trash talking from his team leading up to Saturday’s game…

Cut 17 (13) “recognize that” 

Both teams are undefeated heading into Saturday’s contest. The Gators have allowed just 13 points in their last two SEC games and they are one of the best teams at defending the run. Miles is interested to see if LSU can have success running the football against the Gators…

Cut 18 (13) “a war”

An achilles heel for LSU has been special teams. This past week they gave up a 96-yard kick off return for a touchdown. Their kicking game has also been flagged on numerous occasions. Miles says they are looking at making personnel changes and kicking the ball in different spots, but in the end it comes down to the players

Cut 19 (15) “correct it”

Fall is in the air in Louisiana and unfortunately so are allergies. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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A recent poll conducted for WWL-TV and The Advocate shows that only 46-percent of Louisiana African-American voters are in favor of removing or renaming monuments that honor Confederate leaders. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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Fall is definitely in the air and so are allergies. LSU Health Sciences Center Professor, Dr. Sanjay Kamboj (KAM-boje), says ragweed is, by far, the biggest allergy trigger of the season. He says ragweed plants produce a lot of pollen as autumn gets underway…

CUT 3 (07)  “fall allergies”

Kamboj says they are seeing an increase of patients coming in for allergy problems than in years past. He says warm temperatures and high humidity levels help increase pollen production so Louisiana can have a longer pollen season compared to other parts of the country. Kamboj says if you’re allergic to ragweed, you are quite familiar with the symptoms…

CUT 4 (10)  “of the skin”

He says over-the-counter allergy medications, such as Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin, can help manage symptoms and it’s also important to rinse nasal passages with a saline rinse. Kamboj says pollen production peaks daily between 9 and 11AM so it’s important to avoid contact during that time…

CUT 5 (11) “wear a mask”

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State Police is investigating an officer involved shooting in Lake Charles which claimed the life of a male suspect. Sgt. James Anderson says the Lake Charles Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence early Sunday morning…:

CUT 6 (08) “a handgun” 

Anderson says officers saw the suspect, 44-year-old Kevin Lau, standing in the doorway of the house with a gun…:

CUT 7 (09)  “subsequently shot”

Anderson says officers fatally shot Lau after repeatedly asking the man to drop his weapon as he pointed it at the cops. No officers were injured in the incident. The Lake Charles Police Department requested that State Police conduct the investigation into the incident…:

CUT 8 (06)  “office”

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A recent poll conducted for WWL-TV and The Advocate shows that less than half of Louisiana African-American voters are in favor of removing or renaming monuments that honor Confederate leaders. The Clarus Research Group survey shows only 46-percent of black respondents support removal of the monuments. Pollster Ron Faucheux…

CUT 9 (11)  “as well”

The poll shows 31-percent of African-Americans oppose the removal of the monuments. Overall, only 18-percent of voters support removing or renaming the monuments while 68-percent oppose the move. Faucheux says Louisiana voters are attuned to the issue of Confederate monuments…

cut 10 (06)  “those changes”

Faucheux says he expected a larger number of black voters to be in favor of removing the monuments. He says the poll shows voters are more certain about the Confederate monuments issue than they are about the governor’s race…

Cut 11 (09)  “monuments issues”

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The State Department of Education released “preliminary” results to Common Core tests Monday, and found that just 22-40 percent of Louisiana students show “mastery” in skills it says are needed for the next grade. The tests were administered to grades 3-8 in the Spring. State Superintendent John White says the results are not surprising…:

cut 12 (06)  “in the past”

The results showed that, on average, 37 percent of students are at the needed skill level in English Language Arts, while nearly 30 percent show mastery skills in mathematics. White says in November they will be releasing specific data from the tests that will show performance on groups of standards for individual students…:

cut 13 (10)  “individual skills”

BESE will vote tomorrow on whether or not Louisiana will adopt the same skill scoring levels as other states, called cut scores, that determine mastery, advanced, basic, approaching basic and unsatisfactory. White says cut scores are a key point in declaring who did well and who didn’t:

cut 14 (11)  “us as adults”

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Voters in Louisiana will have the opportunity to vote on some Constitutional amendments on the October 24th ballot. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”

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 The four candidates for Lt. Governor are slated to speak at a forum in Baton Rouge today. Emelie Gunn has more on how the race is going….

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The LSU Student Senate is asking Facility Services on campus to mark single stall bathrooms as gender neutral. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Voters in Louisiana will have the opportunity to vote on some Constitutional amendments on the October 24th ballot. Robert Scott, President of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says the ballot will feature four new amendments to the Louisiana Constitution. Scott says if you know nothing about these amendments, it could be overwhelming…

cut 4  (09)  “be confused”

He says this is better than last year when 14 amendments were on the ballot. Scott says Amendment number one is the one that would probably have the most impact for the state. It would create a new transportation fund for the state in addition to the existing one…

Cut 5  (10)  “transportation fund”

You can find a guide to all four amendments at parlouisiana-dot-org. Scott says Louisiana’s Constitution has been changed 181 times since 1974. He encourages voters to do a little research on these amendments before entering the voting booth…

Cut 6 (09)  “and so on”

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The four candidates for Lt. Governor are slated to be at a forum hosted by the Baton Rouge Press Club today. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says it’s a very close race between the Democrat Kip Holden and Republicans John Young and Billy Nungesser, because they have the most money and name recognition….

CUT 7 (11)  “the runoff”

 Dubos says the odds favor the only democratic candidate, Kip Holden, entering the runoff. He says the trouble for Nungesser and Young is trying to differentiate themselves from each other because they come from similar backgrounds.

Cut 8  (10)  “three weeks”

 Dubos says nothing is certain in Louisiana politics, so it’s very difficult to predict how anyone will do. He expects Nungesser and Young to go after each other during the forum.

Cut 9 (08) “the campaign” 

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The Student Senate at LSU has passed a resolution asking Facility Services to change the signs on single stall restrooms on campus to read “gender neutral.” Matthew Patterson, with Equality Louisiana, says this is a cost effective way of ensuring that all students, faculty and staff feel safe when using the restroom…:

Cut 10 (09) “already there”

Patterson says there are several single occupancy bathrooms on campus, designed for people with mobility issues, that are obviously gender neutral facilities but they aren’t marked that way. He says often times transgender people don’t feel safe or are denied access to the bathroom of the gender they identify as, because it makes others uncomfortable…:

cut 11 (07) “who else is using it”

Patterson says this doesn’t mean transgender people are trying to make a statement, they are just trying to use the bathroom…:

Cut 12 (07) “take for granted”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says state revenues for the first quarter of this fiscal year are down 13-percent compared to the first quarter of last year. Kennedy says tax collections from individuals and businesses are down, while sales tax receipts are flat….

Cut 13 (08)  “part of it”

Kennedy says the national economy and the fact that the legislature raised taxes 800 million dollars last spring are some other factors in play with Louisiana’s declining revenue. He says you can’t raise taxes without having economic implications and the state is still spending more money than we take in.

Cut 14 (09) “like a fish”

 Kennedy believes the Jindal administration created much of the revenue problem and it has a moral obligation to deal with it. He says Jindal should at least try to come up with a plan to deal with the reality right now.

Cut 15  (07)  “going to get”

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LSU finally found its passing game in a 45-24 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. Quarterback Brandon Harris threw for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns. And the Tigers rushed for an impressive 396 yards. Harris says it was only a matter of time before the offense put it all together…

Cut 16  (17)  “do my part”

LSU running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown and became the fastest Tiger to reach 1,000 yards rushing in a season. Fournette says Harris’ confidence is gaining…

Cut 17 (10) “tremendous job” 

Fournette was not LSU’s leading rusher. That honor went to freshman running back Derrius Guice, who had 161 yards and one touchdown. Coach Les Miles likes what he saw from the Baton Rouge native..

Cut 18 (13) “efficient”

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The Saints are now 1-and-4 on the season after a dismal performance in Philadelphia. The Eagles scored 29 second half points to beat New Orleans 39-17. The Saints turned it over four times, quarterback Drew Brees was sacked five times and New Orleans only ran the ball for 96 yards, while the defense gave up over 500 yards of total offense. Coach Sean Payton on the disappointing loss…

Cut 19 (17) “other today”

The Saints were also penalized seven times for 78 yards. Payton says its hard to overtime four turnovers on the road….

Cut 20 (10) “obviously”

A television ad targeting Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards has been released by the Republican Governors Association. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 1 (31)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Red Cross will be set up at Tiger Stadium for the LSU/USC game collecting donations for South Carolina flood relief efforts. Eric Gill reports..:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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David La Certe has resigned as secretary for the state Department of Veterans Affairs. La Certe did not provide a reason and neither did the governor’s office, who named Thomas Enright as interim secretary. But Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera says his office has investigated the department and its handling of the state’s five nursing homes for vets and uncovered problems

CUT 3 (11)  “on that”

It’s been reported there have been complaints about physical and sexual abuse inside the Veterans homes, and excessive drinking by some of the residents. Purpera would not comment on specific allegations, but said their report found 531 areas of noncompliance

CUT 4 (08)  “that deficiency”

Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street also says they are investigating the state Department of Veterans Affairs, but would not go into anymore details.  Purpera, who appeared on the Jim Engster Show, says they are still investigating the state agency as well…

CUT 5 (06) “some of the homes”

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A television ad targeting Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards has been released by the Republican Governors Association. In the commercial, the RGA tries to link Edwards to President Barack Obama. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this is a strategy that has worked for Republicans for the last several years…

CUT 6 (10) “Barack Obama” 

The ad claims Edwards has repeatedly supported President Obama and that he plans to raise taxes. The RGA is reportedly spending $1 million to spread this message across the state. Pinsonat expects that Edwards’ negative ratings will increase as more people view this commercial…

CUT 7 (09)  “about him”

In a statement, Edwards says this is a last ditch effort to stop the only candidate for governor that will truly expose and change Governor Jindal’s broken policies. Pinsonat feels Edwards will fight the ads by focusing on what he plans to do as governor to make things better in Louisiana…

CUT 8 (11)  “national Democrats”

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During Saturday’s game between LSU and the Gamecocks in Tiger Stadium, the Red Cross will be on hand collecting donations for flood relief efforts in South Carolina. The game was moved to Baton Rouge while Columbia continues to recover. Nancy Malone with the Red Cross says LSU has always stepped up in disasters…

CUT 9 (10)  “drop off your donation”

Malone says the American Red Cross is working hard on a massive relief operation in South Carolina — making sure people have shelter, food and a shoulder to lean on. She says devastation like this is personal to LSU fans, who know what it’s like to deal with flood waters and the destruction that goes with it..:

cut 10 (11)  “directly to them”

Malone says in addition to donating on the LSU campus Saturday, you can always give a gift to Red Cross disaster relief online at redcross.org or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. She says Tiger fans have always stepped up when our friends needed up…:

Cut 11 (11)  “Hurricane Isaac”

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After a lengthy investigation, authorities in St. Martin Parish have busted a cockfighting ring in Breaux Bridge. Major Ginny Higgins says three men were arrested for their part in cockfighting and were booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center.

cut 12 (10)  “the cockfighting”

Higgins says animal cruelty is taken very seriously. She says on the property authorities found and confiscated 48 roosters and over 300 hens and chicks.

cut 13 (05)  “animal control”

Higgins says 30-year-old Dallas Grossie of Butte La Rose and 28-year old Brandon Cormier of Breaux Bridge are both charged with 24 counts of Cruelty to Animals and 24 counts of Cockfighting. She says 50-year-old Patrick Stelly of Washington is charged with 48 counts of Cruelty to Animals and 48 counts of Cockfighting.

cut 14 (08)  “his possession”

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Early voting for the October 24th election begins Saturday and runs through October 17th. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Eric Gill”

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In an effort to make South Carolina feel at home, LSU’s Tigerband will play U-S-C’s fight song on Saturday. Emelie Gunn has more….

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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State Police and the Louisiana Department of Transportation team up to relay info about traffic conditions on social media and smart phone apps. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Early voting for the October 24th election begins Saturday and runs through October 17th, excluding Sunday. Secretary of State spokesperson Meg Casper says early voting is becoming quite popular among voters…

cut 4  (08)  “their schedule”

Early voting will be available from 8:30AM to 6PM daily at registrar of voters offices across the state and other select locations. Casper says there’s a lot on this ballot in addition to the governor’s, lt. governor’s, and attorney general’s races…

Cut 5  (10)  “parishes statewide”

She says you can go online to geauxvote-dot-com to find out where to vote and what’s exactly on your ballot. Casper expects early voting for this election to be busy…

Cut 6 (10)  “line quickly”

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State Police announces they will use the Louisiana Department of Transportation’s website, twitter accounts, and smart phone app to relay information about traffic crashes, congestion and roadway construction. Trooper Dustin Dwight says L-S-P currently uses the Nixle alert system to provide notifications but now they’ll work even more closely with D-O-T-D to give traffic updates.

CUT 7 (11)  “significant improvement”

Dwight says State Police and DOTD are teaming up to give drivers a more unified message about what’s going on in your specific region. He says drivers can see real time traffic updates on the “Way to Geaux” app, which is available in the iTunes App store and Google Play.

Cut 8  (10)  “your vicinity”

Dwight says DOTD has eight twitter accounts for different regions across the state to give the most current updates. He says motorists can additionally receive quick access to traffic conditions by visiting 511-L-A-dot-ORG. (511LA.org).

Cut 9 (08) “alternate route” 

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To make South Carolina feel as much at home as possible when playing in Tiger Stadium, LSU’s Golden Band from Tigerland will play U-S-C’s fight song tomorrow. LSU Band Director Roy King says the Tiger Band is full of talented musicians and hopes they can play it as well as U-S-C’s band performs it.

Cut 10 (10) “play it”

King says we’re going to play South Carolina’s alma mater, “We Hail Thee Carolina,” during the pregame show before the LSU alma mater. He says the Tiger Band felt this was an appropriate gesture considering the circumstances.

cut 11 (09) “as well”

 King says they’re excited to get the chance to plan for an extra home game. He says many students in the Tiger Band had plans to visit family or be out of town but every member agreed to play in Tiger Stadium on Saturday.

Cut 12 (08) “their turn”

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Three people are dead and two others seriously injured from an explosion and fire at the Williams Partners’ natural gas facility in the Terrebonne Parish town of Gibson. State Police spokesperson Evan Harrell says the workers were performing maintenance on the facility, which was not operational at the time and did not have gas flowing through the system…

Cut 13 (08)  “that facility”

Harrell says the two workers who were seriously hurt are now in the care of doctors who treat burn victims…

Cut 14 (08) “Baton Rouge area”

Harrell says prayers go out to the victims…

Cut 15  (12)  “you’re at”

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Instead of boarding a plane today, the LSU football team will play in Tiger Stadium tomorrow against South Carolina. The Gamecocks are headed to Baton Rouge because of severe flooding in the Columbia, South Carolina area. LSU Coach Les Miles is glad to play another home game, but doesn’t believe its the one advantage that will carry them to victory…

Cut 16  (13)  “fired up”

LSU is coming off a 44-22 win over Eastern Michigan, but the Tigers passing game didn’t look good. Miles says the wide receivers have been motivated in practice this week to get better…

Cut 17 (17) “good week” 

Miles is hoping for a big crowd at Tiger Stadium, even though fans only had a couple of days to make plans….

Cut 18 (18) “of noise”

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The Saints will visit Philadelphia on Sunday to take on the Eagles. Both teams are 1-and-3 and who ever losses this game, will likely not make the playoffs. New Orleans running back CJ Spiller is expecting an intense battle

Cut 19 (12) “give us”

Saints Coach Sean Payton says Philadelphia’s up tempo offense makes it difficult to substitute, so that’s a concern going into this game…

Cut 20 (18) “they desire”