A maintenance worker at a horse farm in Bossier Parish is in jail after he allegedly set off a bomb underneath a home located at that same horse farm. Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Davis, says 54-year-old Douglas Holley of Benton was employed at the horse farm for four months and was apparently upset with a veterinarian who lived on the property…

cut 3 (10) “it exploded”

No one was seriously injured in the incident. Holley faces two counts of attempted first degree murder and one count of manufacturing a bomb.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana should brace for wet weather conditions leading up to Christmas. He says the rain is due to a slow moving cold front settling over the state today. Keim says this front is expected to stall before ever passing through the state…

cut 6 (10) “southeast Louisiana”

He says the entire state is vulnerable to heavy rainfall up to Christmas Eve.

A Ferriday woman was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $100,000 in Veterans Affairs death benefits intended for her late aunt. 45-year-old Linda Bourgeois shared a joint account with her late aunt, who received payments through her husband’s military service. When the woman died in 2007, Bourgeois failed to notify the VA of her death. Bourgeois was also sentenced to five months of home confinement and ordered to pay restitution.

Blue Bell lovers in Louisiana are rejoicing as the ice cream is back in stores today across the state. Emelie Gunn has more…

cut 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

In three weeks, Democrat John Bel Edwards will be sworn in as Louisiana’s 57th governor. He says one priority for his administration is the expansion of the Medicaid program. Edwards says without federal assistance, hospitals will close…

cut 15 (09) “for everybody”

Edwards says Medicaid expansion will result in additional federal tax dollars flowing into the state, helping Louisiana with its health care needs.

The Food and Drug Administration plans to ban tanning beds for anyone under the age of 18. Louisiana passed a law last year that prohibits anyone under 18 from using a commercial tanning bed. LSU Associate Clinical Professor and Dermatologist Dr. Sarah Jackson says this FDA regulation will also require adjustments to the beds themselves…

cut 12 (09) “bulbs”

Jackson says this regulation also requires adult tanning bed users to sign a consent form every six months.

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office says a Houma man is accused of terrorizing after displaying a handgun in a church Sunday. Authorities say 38-year-old Kevin Ledet did not point the gun at anyone, but his actions did raise concerns inside the church. They say Ledet was taken to a local hospital for treatment for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg sustained before he went to the church. Ledet was expected to be booked on terrorizing and other charges after his release from the hospital.

These low gas prices are a nice Christmas gift for motorists, but how long will it last? Jeff Palermo has more…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The FDA plans to ban tanning beds for anyone under 18. Jeff Palermo has more on the proposed regulations…

cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a maintenance worker at a Benton horse farm for allegedly setting off an explosive device in an attempt to kill the farm owners. They say 54-year-old Douglas Holley planted a homemade bomb under the bedroom window of the owner’s residence and set it off. No one was injured in the incident. Douglas is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder and manufacturing a bomb.

Blue Bell ice cream makes it way back on shelves in Louisiana today. Blue Bell was forced to take their ice cream off the shelves last spring because its products were linked to 10 listeria cases, including three deaths in Kansas. Spokesperson Joe Robertson says they’ve made huge changes to ensure that listeria is never a problem again in Blue Bell ice cream…

cut 5 (10) “proven safe”

He says this is phase four of the five phase rollout and so far everything is going well.

As motorists prepare to hit the highways this holiday season, the price at the pump is around a $1.80 for a gallon of regular gasoline in Louisiana. Gas-Buddy-dot-com spokesperson Gregg Laskoski says some locations across the state are advertising gas prices as low as $1.57 a gallon…

cut 9 (09) “in Kansas”

He says we can expect to see these low prices into the first month of the new year.

The Food and Drug Administration plans to ban the use of tanning beds or sunlamps from anyone younger than 18. LSU Associate Clinical Professor and Dermatologist Dr. Sarah Jackson says there are countless cases of skin cancer related to tanning bed use. She says they’ve seen an increase in the amount of young women with melanoma since tanning beds became popular, but action is being taken….

cut 11 (09) “indoor tanning”

Louisiana passed a law last year that prohibits anyone under 18 from using a commercial tanning bed.

In just three weeks, Democrat John Bel Edwards will be sworn in as the state’s next governor. Edwards says tough budget decisions will be made and there are a lot of options on the table. He says one option not available is the continued reduction of state dollars for higher education…

cut 14 (10) “going forward”

He says another priority is the expansion of the Medicaid program.

As many get ready to travel the highways for the holiday season, they’ll see the price at the pump around a $1.80 for a gallon of regular gasoline. Gas-Buddy-dot-com spokesperson Gregg Laskoski says the downward pressure of the price of crude oil is what’s driving gas prices down. He says we can expect to see gas this low into the first month of the new year…

cut 8 (11) “new year”

He says prices haven’t been this low since March 2009.

Blue Bell lovers get an early Christmas present today as the ice cream makes it way back on shelves in Louisiana. Blue Bell Spokesperson Joe Robertson says seven different flavors will be available after originally thinking only four different kinds would make it to grocery stores…

cut 4 (09) “peppermint”

He says they’ll keep adding in new flavors until all are returned to shelves.

Democrat John Bel Edwards is three weeks away from being sworn in as the state’s next governor. Edwards says the budget will be one of his biggest challenges. He says a revenue shortfall of one-point-two to one-point-six million dollars is possible next year and there’s no easy solutions…

cut 13 (05) “significant”

Edwards says tough budget decisions will be made and there are a lot of options on the table.

Many will travel on Louisiana highways during this holiday season and they’ll see the price at the pump around a $1.80 for a gallon of regular gasoline. Gas-Buddy-dot-com spokesperson Gregg Laskoski says prices haven’t been this low since March 2009. And He says gas prices are 50 cents lower than this time last year…

cut 7 (09) “last year”

Laskoski says some locations in the the state are advertising gas prices as low as $1.57 a gallon.

The Food and Drug Administration plans to ban anyone younger than 18 from using indoor tanning beds or sunlamps. LSU Associate Clinical Professor and Dermatologist Dr. Sarah Jackson says the American Academy of Dermatology is in full support of these regulations. Jackson says about 1.6 million minors use tanning beds every year…

cut 10 (09) “lifetime”

Jackson says there are countless cases of skin cancer related to tanning bed. Louisiana passed a law last year that prohibits anyone under 18 from using a commercial tanning bed.

Expanding the medicaid program remains a top priority for incoming governor John Bel Edwards. Edwards says this will result in additional federal tax dollars flowing into the state, helping Louisiana with its health care needs. He says without federal assistance, hospitals will close…
cut 15 (09) “..for everybody”
Edwards is sworn in on January 11th.

State authorities are looking into possible wrongdoing by outgoing Angola Warden Burl Cain. There’s been reports Cain violated department rules in real estate transactions with relatives of inmates, but officials say there are other allegations as well. Corrections Secretary James Leblanc wouldn’t elaborate…
cut 14 (11) :…that way”
Cain has said he’s done nothing wrong.

The latest installment of Star Wars is in theaters across Louisiana and the hype is everywhere you go…
cut 2 (30) “…reporting”

Louisiana Tech faces Arkansas State tonight in the New Orleans Bowl. Bulldogs head coach Skip Holtz is looking forward to seeing a healthy Kenneth Dixon. Holtz says his star running back was limited in the second half of the season by a high ankle sprain…
cut 30 (08) “…of the season’
Kickoff is at 8 PM.

This is the last Christmas shopping weekend and folks are flocking to the mall. LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says reports show consumers are spending a little less this year, but it’s not because there are less shoppers, it’s because they are paying lower prices…:
Cut 26 (10) “purchase basis”
He says online shopping gets bigger every year, but this weekend more people will head to the brick and mortar stores to ensure they have gifts in hand by Christmas.

State Police say stepped up patrols are underway in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the road this holiday. Sgt. Nick Manale says over the Thanksgiving holiday they saw a high number of traffic fatalities and want to prevent that from happening again…:
CUT 27 (09) “all safe”
During the 2014 holiday season, there were 671 fatal and injury crashes and 99 involved alcohol.

A former investigator with the DA’s Office in Washington Parish has been indicted by a grand jury amidst allegations he used his position to force women to have sex with him. Chief Deputy Mike Haley says 66-year-old Michael Cotton of Bogalusa allegedly threatened a female drug offender to obtain sex. He says the victims assisted in the investigation…:
CUT 3 (10) “Mr. Cotton”
He says Cotton is being held with $75,000 bond on an extortion charge and $25,000 for public bribery.

The Star Wars craze has spread across Louisiana and we spoke with this fan who said he’s been waiting for years to see The Force Awakens…:
CUT 11 (11) “kinda crazy”
For it’s preview showings alone, “The Force Awakens” brought in a record breaking $57 million dollars at box offices in the US.

Multiple state agencies are investigating outgoing Angola prison warden Burl Cain. The Department of Corrections, State Police and the Inspector General’s Offce are not providing specific allegations. Inspector General Stephen Street says they are trying to get to the facts in an efficient manner…
cut 12 (10) “…more efficiently”
Cain is resigning at the end of the month, but has denied any wrongdoing after reports surfaced about possible wrongdoing involving his private real estate dealings.

A 40-year-old ban that prevented the United States from exporting oil has been lifted. Both the US House and Senate approved legislation that will allow the US to send crude oil to other countries. Metairie Congressman Steve Scalise calls it a big win for Louisiana as the lifting of the ban could create as many as five-thousand jobs.

Matthew Dotson of Vernon Parish is in jail for first-degree murder after authorities determined he is responsible for the death of his finance and her nine year old son. Misty Marshall and the nine-year-old boy had not been seen since Thanksgiving, but authorities found their bodies this week. Sheriff Sam Craft says this tragic crime has rocked this rural area…
cut 8 (10) “…to dealing with”
Two other children belonging to Marshall were not harmed.

Chilly start to the morning. We’ve even seen a few below freezing lows. Slidell hit 30-degrees. But we will warm up today as high temperatures will be around 60-degrees.

It appears Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry is fed up with the losing. After the team’s latest defeat to Phoenix last night, Gentry said the effort from his players was terrible. New Orleans is now 7-19 on the year.

And tonight Louisiana Tech faces Arkansas State in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.