Alexandria Representative Lance Harris has been re-elected to his state House seat after his lone opponent withdrew from next month’s election. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (27)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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Fundraising continues for the building of the National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in Lake Charles. Emelie Gunn has more….

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Alexandria Representative Lance Harris has been re-elected to his state House seat after his lone opponent withdrew from next month’s election. The Secretary of State’s Office reports that Vivian Brossett of Boyce dropped out of the race for the District 25 House seat. Harris says he’s grateful for another term in office…

CUT 3 (06)  “more years”

Harris is the current chairman of the state House Republican Delegation. He expects the state’s budget issues to be the main focus for lawmakers for years to come. Harris says the recent report from the Jindal Administration that Louisiana ended its most recent fiscal year with a deficit is troubling…

CUT 4 (10)  “that nature”

Harris is hopeful that legislators can make appropriate changes to the budget under the leadership of our next governor. He says we didn’t get into this budget mess overnight and it will take time to fix it. Harris believes it will take a plan laid out over several years that solves the most critical problems first…

CUT 5 (08) “fiscal footing”

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Efforts continue to raise money to build the National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in Lake Charles. Supporters of the project have collected 42-million dollars in pledges and they’re still seeking another 15-million in the hopes of opening the 68-thousand square foot facility in 2018. Gray Stream is leading the fundraising efforts and he says the building has two purposes, it’ll serve as a museum and a research center.

CUT 6 (06) “save lives”

Gray says research will take place at the museum to help better protect Louisiana from future hurricane damage. He says their goal is to collect information and distribute it to other hurricane experts.

CUT 7 (09)  “positive way”

Gray says he’s pleased with how the fundraising has been going and hopes the dollars keep rolling in.

CUT 8 (10)  “successful” 

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The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating two armed robberies connected to the creation of false accounts on the website “plenty of fish.com.” Capt. Dawn Foret says during both incidents, each victim believed he was meeting a woman from the dating site but when he arrived to meet her, it wasn’t what he expected.

CUT 9 (12)  “gunpoint”

Foret says four suspects were arrested, 20-year-old Aaron Kenny of Houma and 21-year-old Gregory Holloway of Schriever were charged with two counts of armed robbery with a firearm. She says 17-year-old Jasmine Dupont of Gibson is accused of being the bait for the victims and charged with one count of armed robbery with a firearm and the fourth suspect is a 20-year-old from Dulac.

cut 10 (10)  “marijuana”

Foret says the suspects used a picture of a 16-year-old girl from Houma for the website, without her knowledge. She says when it comes to crimes linked to technology, the cops will catch up with you and you can’t hide behind an online alias.

Cut 11 (09)  “catch them”

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The Attorney General’s Office says they’ve made a second arrest in an elaborate financial fraud scheme that claimed hundreds of victims and millions of dollars. Assistant AG Kurt Wall says the original suspect, 24-year-old Donald Batiste of Baton Rouge, allegedly marketed stolen social security numbers for a “credit repair” company

cut 12 (11)  “car loan”

Wall says 64-year-old Brenda Taylor of Carencro is accused of co-conspiring with Batiste to create fake bank records in an attempt to receive a $250,000 loan she claimed was for her church. He says many people, many children, had their identities stolen but an exact number of victims is not known at this time…:

cut 13 (10)  “guy’s behavior”

Wall says the conspiracy also affected financial institutions and car dealerships and resulted in more than $1 million dollars in funded auto loans. Millions were also used on credit lines at clothing and jewelry stores, banks and cell phone purchases. Wall says Batiste’s charges include felony racketeering and he faces 75 years in prison:

cut 14 (08)  “think about that”

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10 years ago today, Hurricane Rita hit southwest Louisiana causing immense damage. Emelie Gunn has more on how we’ve recovered…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Louisiana’s October 24th primary election is one month from today and UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says it’s finally starting to feel like election season. Eric Gill reports…

Cut 2 (27) “I’m Eric Gill”

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There is a record number of graduates from Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges. Jeff Palermo has more….

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Today marks the 10^th anniversary of Hurricane Rita and many remember the destruction it caused only a month after Katrina. Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany recalls the immense flooding and tornadoes that slammed into southwest Louisiana. He says the only fortunate thing that came out of this tragic event was there were no lives lost.

cut 4  (09)  “leadership”

Boustany says both Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes showed extreme resilience and entrepreneurship after the storm, which destroyed farmland and ruined crops and livestock. He says the recovery proves that after a natural disaster, the people of south Louisiana come back better than before.

Cut 5  (08)  “of opportunity”

Boustany says they learned many lessons after Hurricane Katrina, so the response was much improved. He says coming back, they built stronger and developed a better understanding of storm surge to better prepare for future natural disasters.

Cut 6 (11)  “hurricane damage”

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We’re one month away from Louisiana’s October 24th primary election. For a while, the governor’s race has been lackluster, at best. However, UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says it appears the governor’s race is finally starting to heat up…

CUT 7 (08)  “election season”

Cross still expects Republican David Vitter and Democrat John Bel Edwards to emerge from the primary into November’s runoff. He says we’re beginning to see some hostility among the candidates and that’s something everyone’s been waiting for…

Cut 8  (07)  “now gone” 

Cross says we’re at the point in the campaign where issues and negative politics take hold. He says with all four major gubernatorial candidates running television ads and taking shots at each other, it finally feels like election season. Cross says Republican’s Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle really have their work cut out for them with only one month to go…

Cut 9 (08) “putative front-runners” 

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A record number of students have graduated from the state’s technical and community colleges in the 2014-2015 year. Louisiana Community and Technical College System President Dr. Monty Sullivan says they’ve graduated over 21-thousand students, who have entered the workforce or moved on to universities to pursue bachelor’s degrees.

Cut 10 (07) “across Louisiana”

Sullivan says 70 percent of graduates go directly into high demand jobs. He says by entering into critical economic fields, they’re making wages that are enough to sustain a family.

cut 11 (07) “those jobs”

Sullivan says they’re projecting that they need to produce about 40-thousand graduates to meet the workforce demands for Louisiana in 2020. He says the graduates are entering into a broad range in jobs from computer science to welding as well, as many graduates moving on the universities to study everything from engineering and accounting.

Cut 12 (10) “reflects that”

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Governor Bobby Jindal continues to poll in the single digits in Iowa. Public Policy Polling surveyed nearly 500 Republican primary voters last weekend and four-percent said they would like to see Jindal receive the GOP nomination for President. Polling analyst Jim Williams says Jindal’s four-percent standing puts him in the top ten in Iowa

Cut 13 (07)  “John Kasich”

Public Policy Polling continues to see Donald Trump leading the state with 24-percent, Ben Carson is at 17-percent and 13-percent are for Carly Fiorina. He says a positive sign for Jindal is that his favorability rating is 59-percent

Cut 14 (08) “in Iowa”

There’s still over four months to go before the Iowa caucus. Williams says they’ve already seen these poll numbers shift dramatically. He says the now departed Scott Walker’s decline is a prime example

Cut 15  (08)  “the race”

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Saints Quarterback Drew Brees is confident that he can play this Sunday against Carolina Panthers. Brees says he’ll put in extra time this week to rehab is bruised shoulder, so he can play against the Panthers. The quarterback says his desire to play is not just because the team is 0-2…

Cut 16  (11)  “be smart”

Brees also remains optimistic that the Saints can turn their season around despite two losses to start the year…

Cut 17 (13) “start cooking” 

Brees’ banged up shoulder has been one of the biggest news items in the state this week. The veteran Q-B says he is a little suprised with all of the attention its getting…

Cut 18 (10) “of a deal”

_________________________________

Syracuse is planning to start a walk-on junior college transfer versus the 8th ranked LSU Tigers Saturday. Zack Mahoney would be the third different starting quarterback for the Orange as the other two have been injured. Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer likes what Mahoney brings to the field…

Cut 19 (13) “good football player”

So far SEC defenses have not been able to slow down Tiger running back Leonard Fournette this season. Shafer understands the challenge his defense faces, but he’s not the only talented skill position player on LSU’s offense…

Cut 20 (15)  “for one player”

On the eve  of ten year Hurricane Rita anniversary. Eric Gill takes a look at the hardest hit area from the storm, Cameron Parish…

CUT 1 (29)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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Two relatives of Breaux Bridge actress and model Ali Landry were attacked and killed in Mexico. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Louisiana Tech reports the highest enrollment it’s ever had for the 125-year history of the school. The headcount is at 12,414 students for the fall quarter, a 10-percent increase over last year. The previous record was just under 12-thousand in 2003. University spokesperson Dave Guerin says they are also seeing an increase in other key areas as well…

CUT 3 (08)  “graduation rate”

The school reported earlier this year that’s graduation rate went up four-percent to 54-percent, the second highest among all public universities. Guerin says a big key to the record enrollment is that 81-percent of first-time, full-time freshman in 2014 are back at Tech this year…

CUT 4 (06)  “graduate them”

Guerin says over 55-percent first-time freshmen at Louisiana Tech scored at over above 24 on their ACT. He says a strong student retention effort is helping to build a larger and stronger student body…

CUT 5 (08) “they graduate”

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Tomorrow marks the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Rita making landfall in Louisiana. Cameron Parish was the hardest hit area from the storm with farmland and pasture inundated with saltwater and numerous homes flooded or washed away. Kevin Savoie, LSU AgCenter agent in Cameron Parish, says recovery has been slow over the past decade, but there are positive signs…

CUT 6 (09) “tax base”

He says there are some big Liquid Natural Gas projects in the parish that will help the local economy. The seafood industry in Cameron Parish was decimated as a result of Rita with docks and the only ice house being destroyed. Savoie says a big project is nearly complete that will hopefully revitalize the industry…

CUT 7 (06)  “processing facility”

He is hopeful the LNG projects and the new seafood processing facility will help sustain Cameron Parish in the long run. Savoie says, ten years later, there is still an issue of people moving back to Cameron Parish…

CUT 8 (06)  “that number” 

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Pope Francis is in Washington DC today for first full day in the United States. During a speech at the White House, he  urged those in attendance that its time to combat climate change. Doctor Tom  Ryan, director of the Loyola Institute of Ministry, says Pope Francis was not making a political statement, but instead reminding Americans we have one Earth and have to protect it

CUT 9 (04)  “our very life”

Pope Francis also spoke about protecting religious freedom. Ryan says even though President Obama was present for the speech, it was not directed at him or even conservatives for that matter…

cut 10 (07)  “deep faith commitment”

Tomorrow, the US Senate and House will have a joint session to hear from Pope Francis as he’ll make his first-ever address to Congress. Ryan says after talking about climate change and religious freedom in front of the President, what will he say to legislative leaders???

Cut 11 (06)  “…challenging us”

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The Division of Administration has begun notifying legislative leaders that the state ended its most recent budget year, which ended on June 30th, with a deficit. An exact amount of the deficit has not been released. Political pundit CB Forgotston says he isn’t surprised there was a deficit, but is surprised that the Jindal administration has waited so long to release the information…

cut 12 (08)  “intelligent votes”

The size of the deficit is expected to be announced to the Legislature’s joint budget committee in mid-October. Each of the four major gubernatorial candidates have stated that they will call a special legislative session to deal with the state’s budget issues, once sworn into office. Forgotston doesn’t think much will be done in this special session…

cut 13 (07)  “raise taxes”

This deficit has to be closed within nine months and adds to the state’s long list of budget issues. Many of the same legislators who struggled with the state’s budget problems this year will return to the capital for next year’s legislative session. Forgotston doesn’t foresee many changes in how they will deal with the budget…

cut 14 (10)  “of both”

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A state judge has ruled a constitutional amendment that bars certain convicted felons from running for an office in Louisiana is unconstitutional. Jeff Palermo asked former governor Edwin Edwards what this means for him…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Today is the deadline to register to vote or make changes to your voter registration for the upcoming October 24^th election. Emelie Gunn has more….

Cut 2 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case of a 1-year-old who was discovered wandering Holly Beach alone, while her parents were jogging naked four miles away. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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A state judge has thrown out a 1997 constitutional amendment that prohibits convicted felons from running for public office in Louisiana until 15 years after their prison sentence is completed. The case involves former state senator Derrick Shepherd, who spent 37 months in prison and is seeking a state House seat this fall. Former Governor and convicted felon Edwin Edwards agrees with the ruling

cut 4  (07)  “to vote on it”

Judge Wilson Fields agreed with Shepherd’s attorneys who said the language on the ballot in 1997 did not match-up with what the legislature passed. This same constitutional amendment kept Edwards from qualifying for this year’s governor’s race. An election Edwards said he would have won, but is glad he couldn’t…

Cut 5  (10)  “practices”

Judge Fields’ ruling will be appealed. If it stands, Edwards says it’s unlikely he’ll seek public office in the state

Cut 6 (06)  “Father Time”

______________________________________

Today marks the first day of fall and hopefully that means we’ll start to feel cooler temperatures in Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can expect normal temperatures for the next three months and we’ll also be getting some relief to the dry conditions across the state with higher than average rainfall.

CUT 7 (10)  “this winter”

Keim says Louisiana will be cooling down shortly with the arrival of cold fronts. He says we will start seeing temperatures in the 80s over the next few days but that might not last too long.

Cut 8  (09)  “comes through ” 

Keim says most Louisiana residents are probably glad fall is finally here, as this summer was the hottest we’ve experienced in two years. He says humidity was much higher than usual and we saw dew points sky rocket.

Cut 9 (10) “than normal” 

___________________________________________

Today is the deadline to register to vote for the upcoming gubernatorial election. Secretary of State Tom Schedler is reminding Louisiana residents to get engaged in all of the important elections that will take place on October 24^th.

Cut 10 (10) “the task”

Schedler says the easiest way to register or make changes to your registration is to go online at Geaux Vote dot com. He says if you use the website, you have a couple more hours to complete the process.

cut 11 (10) “state offices”

Schedler says we have more than 600 statewide elections coming up and hopes more people will get involved, as we only have a few weeks left. He says Louisiana is third in the country, at 85 percent, for the number of registered voters and hopes everyone will get out and cast their ballots.

Cut 12 (10) “even voted”

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The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case of a 1 year old child who was discovered wandering Holly Beach alone, while her parents were jogging naked 4 miles away. Sheriff Ron Johnson says when authorities responded, they noticed a Ford Explorer which had been left running a short distance from where the child was found:

Cut 13 (09)  “no clothes on”

Johnson says child protection services was called to assist in this case and the two parents, 32-year-old Cody Bourgeois and 35-year-old Monique Bourgeois are charged with child desertion and obscenity. Johnson says he’s not sure why the parents left the baby and started running with no clothes on but they believe drugs are involved…:

Cut 14 (06) “high on something”

The citizen who discovered the baby all alone and went to assist her was Chuck Pierson of Carlyss. He says the little girl was thirsty and had mosquito bites on her and finds it incomprehensible that her parents were so far away with no clothes on…:

Cut 15  (07)  “my kids you know”

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LSU could face Syracuse’s third, fourth and even fifth string quarterbacks in Saturday’s game at the Carrier Dome. The Orange’s starter suffered an achillies injury in the season opener and then freshman Eric Dungey suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit last week and is not expected to play against LSU. Tigers defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is more of a running team anyways

Cut 16  (19)  “option in it”

LSU’s defense has played well under its new defensive coordinator, aside from some yards and points they gave up in the second halves of both of their victories. Steele says the transition has been smooth

Cut 17 (15) “very focused” 

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UL Lafayette hosts Akron Zips this Saturday night at Cajun field. Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says the Zips show a lot of looks on defense…

Cut 18 (18) “each week”

Akron comes into the game with a 1-and-2 record, while the Cajuns are 1-and-1. UL Lafayette is averaging just over 300 yards on the ground this season and Hudspeth expects the Zips to try and take away their running game

Cut 19 (19) “team too”

The Council for a Better Louisiana has released their 2015 Election Agenda which provides the group’s recommendations for roads, education, and health care to the next governor and legislature. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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Will he or won’t he play against the Carolina Panthers. Jeff Palermo has the latest on Drew Brees’ status for Sunday’s game…

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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State Senate President John Alario will be among the guests welcoming Pope Francis at the White House Wednesday morning. The pope arrives in the US tonight and his visit will see stops in Washington, DC, New York City, and Philadelphia through Sunday. Alario says the invitation to attend came out of the blue…

CUT 3 (06)  “said yes”

Alario says he’s excited to be among those welcoming Pope Francis to the United States. The ceremony is scheduled for 8:15 Wednesday morning on the South Lawn of the White House. Alario says he’s very humbled to have received the invitation from President Obama…

CUT 4 (05)  “we’re there”

Alario says he feels he’ll be representing the people of Louisiana and will ask for a blessing for the entire state while he’s there. He feels the pope’s message of forgiveness has really resonated with Catholics…

CUT 5 (07) “to hear him”

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The Council for a Better Louisiana has released their 2015 Election Agenda. It provides the group’s recommendations for roads, education, and health care to the next governor and legislature. CABL President Barry Erwin hopes the next governor looks at raising the gas tax in an effort to increase investment in highway infrastructure…

CUT 6 (08) “of the state”

The agenda recommends restructuring the TOPS scholarship program to ensure its sustainability for the future. Erwin says the cost of TOPS should not automatically grow with an increase in tuition…

CUT 7 (09)  “appropriate them”

The agenda also supports Medicaid expansion in Louisiana. Erwin says this would afford the state more federal money to strengthen medical education and provide more health care for Louisiana citizens…

CUT 8 (09)  “other states” 

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Democrat John Bel Edwards has released a television ad that says he’s the only gubernatorial candidate who supports an increase in minimum wage. Edwards spoke about his support for raising the wages of the state’s lowest paid workers during a forum in Baton Rouge.

CUT 9 (11)  “to do it”

Republican Jay Dardenne also addressed the topic and disagreed with an increase. He says raising the minimum wage has proved to be counterproductive in many different ways.

cut 10 (10)  “is education”

Republican candidate David Vitter did not attend the forum. Republican Scott Angelle says raising minimum expectations is what we should be focusing on rather than increasing the minimum wage. He says education is the key to getting higher paying jobs.

Cut 11 (08)  “program”

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The Jefferson Parish Republican Executive Committee has announced their endorsements for the October 24th primary election. In a surprise, the group backs former Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser in the Lt. Governor’s race over Jefferson Parish President John Young. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says this is not good news for Young…

cut 12 (10)  “for Nungesser”

He says this is a big win for Nungesser. Dubos says this clearly shows that Young has issues with his fellow Republicans in his home parish…

cut 13 (07)  “a runoff”

In the governor’s race, the group endorses Republican David Vitter. However, Dubos says this was not an overwhelming endorsement from Vitter’s home parish…

cut 14 (09)  “one vote”

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At a forum in Baton Rouge, Gubernatorial candidates Scott Angelle, Jay Dardenne and John Bel Edwards took turns blasting absent candidate David Vitter. Jeff Palermo has more….

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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There are concerns Quarterback Drew Brees will miss Sunday’s game against Carolina. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Many LSU fans are expected to travel to Syracuse this weekend to watch the Tigers play the Orange in LSU’s first game in the Northeast since 1947. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (27) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Gubernatorial candidates Scott Angelle, Jay Dardenne and John Bel Edwards took turns taking shots at David Vitter, who did not attend a forum in Baton Rouge. Angelle, a republican from Breaux Bridge, was asked about a recent ad from Vitter that compared the Public Service Commissioner with President Barack Obama…

cut 4  (11)  “David’s attacks”

Dardenne, a republican from Baton Rouge, says Vitter was not original in a commercial that called him a liberal. He says Vitter used the same attacks that have been used by all his opponents for the past decade.

Cut 5  (09)  “the public”

Edwards says the reason Vitter hasn’t publicly made accusations about him is because he’s still trying to dig up information and Vitter’s goal is to distract and divide. The democrat from Amite says Vitter isn’t much different than our current governor, Bobby Jindal…

Cut 6 (11)  “mistake again”

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There are wide-ranging reports on the health of Saints quarterback Drew Brees’ shoulder. The NFL Network said Brees could miss several games, while ESPN’s Ed Werder said that treatment on his injured shoulder will determine if he can play this Sunday at Carolina. Saints sideline reporter Kristian Garic says an M-R-I showed no structural damage, so now it depends on how Brees’ shoulder responds

CUT 7 (05)  “game or two”

There’s been internet rumors that Brees tore his rotator cuff after getting hit hard during a play in the first half of the loss to Tampa Bay. But Garic says Brees wouldn’t have played in the second half with a torn rotator cuff…

Cut 8  (12)  “1991 ” 

If Brees can’t play this Sunday against Carolina, former Louisiana Tech standout Luke McCown will start against the Panthers. Garic says the Saints are already off to an 0-and-2 start and they could be in a bigger hole, if Brees can’t play for a couple of weeks….:

Cut 9 (12) “…this offense” 

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The Department of Health and Hospitals has received a donation of almost 9-thousand doses of EVZIO (EV-Z-OH) Naloxone (Nuh-lox-own) Auto-Injectors, which prevents fatal Opioid overdoses. EVZIO is the first and only F-D-A approved medicine for this emergency treatment. DHH Spokesperson Ashley Lewis says they’ve distributed the medicine to police and fire departments and E-M-T’s around the state to try to prevent as many fatal overdoses as possible.

Cut 10 (10) “get there”

Lewis says this is a step in the right direction to help keep the increase of heroin and other Opioid related deaths down. She says more than 17-thousand Americans die every year from prescription opioid overdoses.

cut 11 (11) “our state”

Lewis says the hand-held auto-injector gives step by step voice directions for those administering the injection.  She says during an opioid overdose breathing can slow and the auto-injector prevents that process.

Cut 12 (11) “stop that”

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A large contingent of Tiger fans are heading to upstate New York later this week for LSU’s first football game in the Northeast since 1947. Jason Ramezan, Vice President of LSU Alumni Relations, says LSU has sold its allotted 5-thousand tickets but he expects more than that inside the Carrier Dome for the Saturday kickoff against Syracuse.

Cut 13 (09)  “those areas”

Ramezan says the Traveling Tigers are leaving on Thursday for New York and are scheduled to visit the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown. Syracuse is averaging 28-thousand fans for their three home games this year but he says The Orange fans will be out in full force because they’re playing a Top 10 team.

Cut 14 (08) “on Saturday”

Ramezan says they’re planning on waking up their Traveling Tigers early on game day and heading over to a tradition LSU tailgate party. He says they were able to work with the Syracuse ticket office, so the purple and gold will be well represented in the Carrier Dome.

Cut 15  (11)  “to be had”

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After a career-high 228 yard and three touchdown performance against Auburn, LSU running back Leonard Fournette is considered an early favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Les Miles was asked about the Fournette for Heisman Talk and the Lsu Head coach says that’s not his focus at the moment…

Cut 16  (17)  “strongest consideration”

LSU’s 2-and-0 start has vaulted them into the top ten teams in both major college football teams. Miles wants his team to keep looking to improve as they get ready for their next game…

Cut 17 (19) “we’re in good shape” 

LSU will play for the first time ever at Syracuse this Saturday. The Orange are only averaging 28-thousand this season in three home games. But Miles says the Syracuse fans will be ready for the LSU Tigers…

Cut 18 (17) “play well”

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US News and World Report has ranked Louisiana Tech number one among public universities in the nation for lowest average student debt. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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State Police say they’ve seized more than 34 pounds of cocaine and an airplane from a Texas man in Terrebonne Parish. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested an Abbeville man accused of taking photos of a woman undressing in a Galliano department store fitting room. Spokesman Brennan Matherne says 52-year-old Aaron Merritt is charged with one felony count of video voyeurism. Matherne says the woman noticed a cell phone under the door of the dressing room snapping photos of her…

CUT 3 (10)  “at that time”

He says the woman opened the door of the dressing room and was able to get a glimpse of the suspect. Matherne says with the help of surveillance video and an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip, they were able to identify and arrest Merritt. He says this activity is happening more and more in stores across the country…

CUT 4 (07)  “of that nature”

He says Merrit was released after posting a $5,000 bond. Matherne says they encourage victims of this type of crime to contact authorities…

CUT 5 (06) “felony crime”

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US News and World Report has ranked Louisiana Tech number one among public universities in the nation for lowest average student debt. Tech is the first public institution to appear on the list of National Universities in this category. Tech spokesperson Dave Guerin says this ranking is something the school is very proud of…

CUT 6 (06) “students receive”

Overall Tech ranks sixth along side colleges like Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Cal Tech. Guerin says Louisiana Tech recruits very highly prepared and accomplished students and that’s one thing that keeps the debt rate down…

CUT 7 (09)  “college educations”

Tech has also been recognized for highest return on investment and highest mid-career salaries for graduates. Guerin says when you combine all these accolades, Louisiana Tech is hard to beat…

CUT 8 (05)  “rival that” 

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After a weekend of sweltering temperatures across Louisiana, State Climatologist Barry Keim says some relief is on the way. Keim says, in fact, a cold front has already moved across the state…

CUT 9 (07)  “couple of days”

He says this front will bring significantly dryer air into the state for at least the next couple of days. Keim says most of Louisiana can expect lows in the upper 60′s and highs in the upper 80′s to near 90 degrees for the next couple of days…

cut 10 (10)  “air in place”

Keim says the humidity drop will make temperatures feel much more comfortable. He says these dryer conditions could linger across the state for the next three or four days. But Keim says we’ll gradually going to rebound into some warmer temperatures…

Cut 11 (10)  “a few days”

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd of supporters in Baton Rouge today. The former Secretary of State is in town recruiting local volunteers to help her campaign’s efforts ahead of the state’s primary election on March 5th. Clinton says she’s always been a fan of Louisiana and she and her husband visited often.:

cut 12 (10)  “financial crises”

The large crowd of a reported 1200 people applauded loudly when Clinton talked about her support of the Affordable Care Act. The former First Lady will also hold a private fundraiser in Baton Rouge tonight. She says she remembers well coming to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and meeting with survivors as a US Senator from New York…:

cut 13 (10)  “Louisiana needed”

There were several cheers when she criticized Governor Bobby Jindal’s refusal to expand Medicaid in Louisiana. She says she helped former US Senator Mary Landrieu in getting federal aid to Louisiana following disasters..:

cut 14 (11)  “anywhere (cheers)”

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The Baton Rouge Press Club is hosting a gubernatorial forum today and three of the four major candidates are expected to attend. Jeff Palermo has more….

CUT 1 (25) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The latest US Census data shows Louisiana had the third highest rate of poverty in the country in 2014. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton makes a campaign fundraising stop in Baton Rouge today. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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The Baton Rouge Press Club is holding a gubernatorial forum today and three of the four major candidates are expected to attend. Senator David Vitter will not be at the forum. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says even with the other debates he’s missed, he doesn’t think this will hurt Vitter’s chances of making the runoff.

cut 4  (10)  “big risk”

Pinsonat says Vitter’s base is strong and want him as the next governor because he’s proven to be a strong conservative. He says Vitter supporters aren’t worried about his prostitution scandal and the fact that he isn’t attending this press club forum won’t change how they view him.

Cut 5  (09)  “their guy”

Pinsonat says even though Vitter is missing today’s forum, he has enough money to get is message out through TV commercials.

Cut 6 (09)  “the runoff”

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The Louisiana Workforce Commission says the number of people employed in mining and logging, and that includes the oil sector, is at its lowest level since December 2005. There are 46-thousand people employed in this sector of the state’s economy, a decline of 78-hundred over the last year. Executive director of the L-W-C Curt Eysink says you can blame the low price of oil…

CUT 7 (07)  “those impacts”

Eysink says job losses in the oil sector are starting to impact other areas of the state’s economy

Cut 8  (04)  “transportation ” 

But Eysink says overall the state has added more jobs in the last year because of an industrial construction boom happening across south Louisiana. He says the state has nearly 25-thousand more workers than in August 2014…

Cut 9 (04) “…tremendous rate” 

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According to the latest U.S. Census data, Louisiana had the third highest rate of poverty in the country for 2014, just below 20 percent. Jan Moller, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, says he hopes the gubernatorial candidates will create plans to reduce poverty in the state because it’s often a topic that gets swept under the rug.

Cut 10 (08) “solutions”

Moller says we have a lot of work to do to create an economy that works for everybody. He says there are policies out there that could easily help us move the needle.

cut 11 (11) “do so”

Almost 897-thosuand of Louisiana residents lived below the poverty line, which is 24-thousand dollars for a family of four. Moller says the rate of children living in poverty in the state was even higher and estimated at 28 percent.

Cut 12 (10) “poverty rates”

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Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton makes a campaign fundraising stop in Baton Rouge today. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says it’s been a rough few weeks for the former Secretary of State because of an email scandal…:

Cut 13 (10)  “kinds of things”

The fundraiser is being held at businessman Jim Bernhard’s home and it costs $2700 to attend. Even though Clinton’s poll numbers have drastically declined over the summer, Cross believes she still has a good shot at the White House…:

Cut 14 (11) “one in four chance”

This morning, Clinton will be in the Capitol City at what’s being described as a “grassroots organizing event” aimed at building up local volunteers who will help the campaign leading into Louisiana’s March 5th primary. Cross says Clinton is working to stay the course:

Cut 15  (08)  “succeeding right now”

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LSU’s Leonard Fournette is the biggest star in college football after his jaw dropping performance in a 45-21 win over Auburn. Fournette had a career-high 228 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The sophomore says he had a blast running around and through Auburn tacklers.

Cut 16  (11)  “I was”

Fournette’s showing through two games has him as an early front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. But the New Orleans native is not thinking about post-season awards…

Cut 17 (10) “its them” 

The victory for LSU gives them a 2-0 record, with both victories coming an SEC west division foes. With Alabama suffering a loss on Saturday, LSU is now one of the favorites to win the division. Fournette likes where his team is at

Cut 18 (08) “right now”

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The Saints are 0-2 on the season after losing to Tampa Bay 26-19 in front of home crowd at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The Saints had a brief lead in the 2nd quarter, but the Buccaneers took control in the 3rd quarter and three New Orleans turnovers were too much to overcome. Coach Sean Payton says the Bucs were the better team.

Cut 19 (12) “ball over”

Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 255 yards and one touchdown. But he was intercepted once and sacked four times. The defense allowed rookie quarterback Jameis Winston to get settled and there were mistakes on special teams. Payton says it’s easy to see why they lost.

Cut 20 (18)  “good football”

According to numbers from Gasbuddy-dot-com, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline has officially dropped below two-dollars a gallon. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 1 (28)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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A Thursday fundraiser in New Orleans raised $350,000 for Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential campaign. Emilie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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According to numbers from Gasbuddy-dot-com, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline has dropped below two-dollars a gallon. Senior Petroleum Analyst Gregg Laskoski says the average price has fallen to $1.99 a gallon. He says this downward pressure on gas prices was something they noticed in August…

CUT 3 (08)  “fall season”

South Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama also have statewide average gas prices below two-dollars a gallon. Laskoski reminds motorists that $1.99 is Louisiana’s average price…

CUT 4 (07)  “$1.67″

He says there are several stations in the West Monroe area have regular gas prices as low as $1.67. Laskoski doesn’t know just how low gas prices will go, but expects them to continue to fall through the rest of the year. He says today’s prices are a huge difference from last year…

CUT 5 (07) “a gallon”

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Former state Senator Derrick Shepherd, who spent time in jail on a money laundering charge, has been disqualified from the October 24^th election. But a 1998 constitutional amendment prevents convicted felons from running for election unless they’ve been pardoned or 15 years since their prison sentence. Legal Analyst Chick Foret says Shepherd tried to use a technicality to get his name on the ballot.

CUT 6 (12) “vote on”

Shepherd was seeking a return to the state legislature and qualified to run for a House seat based in Jefferson Parish. But state Judge Stephen Enright ruled on Friday that Shepherd’s name should be removed from the ballot. Foret says Shepherd can take his case to the Court of Appeals.

CUT 7 (09)  “and see””

Shepherd was elected in 2003 to the state legislature and convicted in 2008 for being involved in a money laundering scheme. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Foret says the outcome of Friday’s ruling was very predictable and does not believe Shepherd can win on appeal.

CUT 8 (11)  “even qualify” 

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Governor Bobby Jindal raised $350,000 during a campaign fundraiser in New Orleans Thursday. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says despite mixed reviews the governor received for his performance in Wednesday’s debate, Jindal is still able to raise funds for his presidential campaign…

CUT 9 (10)  “anti-big government”

In an email, the Jindal campaign says the fundraiser shows the governor’s debate performance resonated with supporters in Louisiana. Hogan feels many Republican candidates, including Jindal, are betting that front-runner Donald Trump will lose support and those votes have got to go somewhere…

cut 10 (08)  “in the polls”

The governor will resume campaign efforts in Iowa this weekend. Hogan says the key for Jindal is to beat expectations…

Cut 11 (09)  “second look” 2X

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The US House of Representatives passed two abortion related bills Friday. The Defund Planned Parenthood Act would freeze government funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany supported passage of the measure. He says he became an original co-sponsor of the bill after viewing the controversial leaked videos…

cut 12 (09)  “of atrocious”

The bill passed on a 241-187 vote. Boustany says investigations are underway into the group’s practices and the public deserves to know the truth…

cut 13 (08)  “of activity”

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would establish criminal penalties on medical personnel who do not aid an infant born alive after an attempted abortion. Minden Representative John Fleming voted in favor of the bill saying it will put a stop to the double murder attempt on a baby’s life…

cut 14 (06)  “medical attention”

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A Moody’s Investors Service analysis says we’ll continue to see low oil prices and cuts to oil companies into 2016. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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A record number of Louisianians have signed up to quit smoking through Quitline and the Smoking Cessation Trust. Eric Gill has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Eric Gill”

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Education officials in Lafayette say they are spending more than $26,000 on heightened security at Northside High following a shooting after last Friday night’s football game which injured a student. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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During a candidate forum, the four men running for Lt. Governor were asked about their stance on the removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans. Republican Opelousas state Senator Elbert Guillory says we can’t tear pages out of history books and ruin them. He says many tourists come to Louisiana to see these monuments…

cut 4  (06)  “to visit”

Democrat Baton Rouge Mayor President Kip Holden believes the public should be engaged in conversation about the issue before action is taken that could flare the situation up…

Cut 5  (07)  “same community”

Republican former Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser says he’s absolutely against the removal of the monuments. He says these monuments are part of Louisiana’s history…

Cut 6 (07)  “our history”

Republican Jefferson Parish President John Young is also against removing or destroying the monuments. Young doesn’t think removing Confederate monuments will solve current racial issues…

CUT 7 (10)  “their background”

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A Moody’s Investors Service analysis says low oil prices will most likely continue and result in more cuts to oil companies in 2016. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says because oil prices are so low, it’s difficult for energy companies to borrow money to continue to drill, which could result in a loss of jobs.

Cut 8  (10)  “going forward” 

Scott says Louisiana is the number two state for oil and natural gas production, so this is depressing news to us because these cuts are negatively effecting businesses and people in the state. He says currently crude oil is selling for about 47 dollars a barrel and they expect it to only slightly go up.

Cut 9 (09) “….towards 100″ 

Moody’s projects companies like Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron could see cash flow shrink by as much 20-percent this year. Scott says there’s concern about another oil bust, like the one in the 1980s. He doesn’t see it getting that bad….

Cut 10 (06) “going forward”

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A record number of Louisiana residents have signed up to quit smoking through Quitline and the Smoking Cessation Trust. DHH Assistant Secretary for Public Health J.T. Lane says nearly 2,700 Louisianians signed up for free smoking cessation services in July…

cut 11 (09) “of the state”

The Smoking Cessation Trust offers free services for Louisiana residents who started smoking prior to September 1, 1988 to quit. Lane believes the recent increase in the state cigarette tax could be a factor in the increased number of residents looking to kick the habit…

Cut 12 (09) “great music”

Louisiana recently increased the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 50-cents. The American Lung Association says for every 10-percent increase in the price of cigarettes, adult consumption falls by 4-percent. Lane thinks the state’s Well-Ahead Louisiana initiative also has had an impact on the number of residents looking to quit smoking…

Cut 13 (08)  “the habit”

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Education officials in Lafayette say they are spending more than $26,000 on beefed up security at Northside High following a shooting after last Friday night’s football game which injured a student. Bobby Badeaux is the athletic director of the Lafayette Parish School system. He says now a minimum of 12 cops will staff the home games:

Cut 14 (10) “day capabilities”

Cops say the September 11th incident in which a 17-year-old was shot in the arm after the game is still under investigation. Badeaux says the school system will purchase four security light systems to improve visibility in the school’s parking lot and add 20 high-definition surveillance cameras…:

Cut 15  (10)  “safety”

Badeaux says additional officers will be dispatched at the other high schools in Lafayette Parish to address heightened concerns over security…:

Cut 16  (06)  “every game”

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A high of 95-degrees is forecasted for Baton Rouge on Saturday when the LSU Tigers host the Auburn Tigers in what should be a sweaty Tiger Stadium. Coach Les Miles says boys will be drinking a lot of water prior to game time…

Cut 17 (18) “your shelves” 

Brandon Harris will be at quarterback for LSU for his first official start in Tiger Stadium. Harris started as a true freshman against Auburn last season and the results were not good in a 41-7 loss. But Miles says Harris is much different player now

Cut 18 (17) “forward to it”

After a solid win on the road last week, Miles is anxious to see how his team performs against Auburn at home. He believes this team has enough talent to go a long way this season…

Cut 19 (15) “kind of commitment”