It’s a big weekend for Christmas present crunch time, and retailers are rolling out plenty of last-minute deals to get that holiday dollar.

The last Saturday before Christmas is known as Super Saturday, and LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says it’s a big day for brick and mortar stores because it’s too late for online shopping in most cases…:

Cut 4 (06) “get otherwise”

About 126 million people, or 53 percent of consumers, plan to shop on Saturday, according to a report from the National Retail Federation.

The roads will be busy as a record number of travelers are out there. AAA’s Don Redman says most of the over 107 million people are hitting up warm weather destinations to wrap up the year…

Cut 9 (10) “Fort Lauderdale”

97.4 million People are expected to take their car.

It will feel a lot like Christmas as a cold front will bring more seasonable temperatures to Louisiana.

After experiencing highs near 80 in parts of the state, state Climatologist Barry Keim says a strong cold front will usher in colder air starting Saturday…

Cut 6 (10)  “and 60s.”

No White Christmas is in store for the Bayou State, but Keim says there is a slight chance we could see spotty severe weather

Louisiana State Police are warning drivers to expect delays this weekend as holiday travel clogs the roads.

Part of safe driving is making sure your vehicle maintenance is up to date. Trooper Glen Younger says motorcyclists in particular need to make sure their ride is road ready…

Cut 11 (11) “irrecoverable.”

Holiday season means holiday parties, and that could lead to poor decisions on the road. Younger says if you plan on drinking, make a plan and stick to it.

The National Retail Federation says half of holiday shoppers will hit up stores on the last Saturday before Christmas, also known as “Super Saturday.” Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (30) “Michelle Southern”

Two persons died in an overnight house fire in Bastrop. Fire Chief Thomas Crowder says the victims are a senior citizen and a young child.  The cause of the fire is unknown.  The house is located off of Broadnax Avenue.

A record 103 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year.  Triple-A’s Don Redman says the 6-milion choosing to fly will see lower airline fares.  Redman says cheaper air fares started appearing over the Thanksgiving holidays and it has continued through now…

Cut 8 (12) “prices on.”

Redman says they expect a one-point-five percent increase in air travel over last year.

For the seventeenth year in a row State Police troop E out of Alexandria will be delivering gifts to children who are stuck in the hospital for Christmas.  The troop plans to meet Christmas Eve morning to start wrapping gifts to deliver to kids later that night.  Master Trooper Scott Moreau says any hospitalized child, regardless of background, will be getting a gift…

Cut 14 (05) “get a gift.”

The National Retail Federation says half of holiday shoppers will hit up stores on the last Saturday before Christmas, also known as “Super Saturday.” They say of those who miss the Christmas deadline, 46 percent say they will take their shopping back online. LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says even though many shoppers will be out, they still know websites are the best place to learn what deals are out there this weekend…:
Cut 6 (06) “of their time”
The NRF says about 126 million people, or 53 percent of consumers, plan to shop on Saturday.

The roads will be busy as a record number of travelers are out there. AAA’s Don Redman says most of the over 107 million people are hitting up warm weather destinations to wrap up the year…
Cut 9 (10) “Fort Lauderdale”
97.4 million people are expected to take their car.

For the seventeenth year in a row State Police troop E out of Alexandria will be delivering gifts to children who are stuck in the hospital for Christmas. The troop plans to meet Christmas Eve morning to start wrapping gifts to deliver to kids later that night. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says it’s his troops way of spreading a little holiday cheer..:
Cut 15 (10) “is priceless”
He says the collect toys for the drive all year long.

The US House has passed an $81 billion disaster recovery bill, which includes a fix to the issue where flood victims who applied for SBA loans were not able to access Restore Louisiana recovery grants. Congressman Garret Graves, who is among those authoring the policy change included in the legislation, says the current guideline penalizes those who were proactive in trying to rebuild their homes. The fate of the bill is less certain in the US Senate.

Over 107 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year. Kelley Ray talked with Triple A’s Don Redman…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

Busy roads means lots of traffic, longer drive times and the possibility for road rage. Glen Younger with State Police says the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign is also underway, so it’s best to make a plan and stick with it
Cut 12 (11) “costly”

The Saints can qualify for the playoffs with a win over NFC South rival Atlanta or a Carolina loss this weekend. Quarterback Drew Brees expects a big running game out of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram…:
Cut 17 (15) “the job”
The game kicksoff Sunday at 12noon on FOX.

For the 70th year in a row, State Police troop E out of Alexandria will be delivering gifts to children who are stuck in the hospital for Christmas. The troop plans to meet Christmas Eve morning to start wrapping gifts to deliver to kids later that night. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says the troop never stops working on the toy drive..:
Cut 13 (05) “collect toys”
It’s part of LSP’s Christmas with a Trooper’ program, where they meet at Troop E to make bags of toys for every child patient in the area.

AAA says more than 107 million people will take planes, trains, cars and other modes of transport between December 23rd and New Year’s Day. Spokesman Don Redman says they’ve seen these huge travel numbers all year…:
CUT 25 (13) “their own budget”
97.4 million people are expected to hit the road, while 6.4 million people have plans to take the friendly skies.

Glen Younger with State Police says the extended traffic times can stress drivers and sometimes lead to road rage. He says if you are driving, expect longer travel times…:
Cut 10 (06) “of traffic”
He reminds drivers that the Drive Sober or Get Pulled over campaign is underway, so if you plan to drink during a holiday gathering, designate a driver.

A state police troop is bringing toys to kids stuck in the hospital for the holidays. Matt Doyle has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The National Retail Federation says half of holiday shoppers will hit up stores on the last Saturday before Christmas, also known as “Super Saturday.” LSU Marketing professor Dan Rice on the hot last minute pickup…:
Cut 5 (10) “into it”

This will be a record setting holiday for traveling this Christmas. Over 103 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year, according to AAA. Spokesman Don Redman says even though gas prices are higher than last year, travelers feel more confident about the economy…:
Cut 7 (06) “last year”
The increase in travelers this year over 2016 is a record 3.1% increase.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office says one man is in custody for allegedly beating a man to death, and then going to “great lengths” to dump and conceal the body. They believe 39-year-old Chad Glascock was at the home of the victim, 31-year-old Brent Pollard of Livingston, when the two got into a physical fight that resulted in Pollard’s death. When detectives located Pollard’s body, Glascock was put in jail on drug and murder charges.

This will be a big weekend for Christmas present crunch time, and retailers are rolling out plenty of last-minute deals to get that holiday dollar. The last Saturday before Christmas is known as Super Saturday, and LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says it’s a big day for brick and mortar stores because it’s too late for online shopping in most cases…:
Cut 4 (06) “get otherwise”
About 126 million people, or 53 percent of consumers, plan to shop on Saturday, according to a report from the National Retail Federation.

The US House has passed an $81 billion disaster recovery bill, which includes a fix to the issue where flood victims who applied for SBA loans were not able to access Restore Louisiana recovery grants. The fate of the bill is less certain in the US Senate.

The National Retail Federation says half of holiday shoppers will hit up stores on the last Saturday before Christmas, also known as “Super Saturday.” Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (30) “Michelle Southern”

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Over 103 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year.  Kelley Ray talked with Triple A’s Don Redman to find out why.

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

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A state police troop is bringing toys to kids stuck in the hospital for the holidays. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

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This will be a big weekend for Christmas present crunch time, and retailers are rolling out plenty of last-minute deals to get that holiday dollar. The last Saturday before Christmas is known as Super Saturday, and LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says it’s a big day for brick and mortar stores because it’s too late for online shopping in most cases…:

Cut 4  (06) “get otherwise” 

About 126 million people, or 53 percent of consumers, plan to shop on Saturday, according to a report from the National Retail Federation. Rice believes the best sellers in the few days left before Christmas will be jewelry, fragrances and of course, gift cards…:

Cut 5  (10)  “into it”

The NRF says of those who miss the deadline, 47 percent say they plan to take advantage of after-Christmas sales, while 46 percent say they will take their shopping back online. Rice says either way, people know the best way to find what great deals are in-store is to check online…:

Cut 6 (06)  “of their time”

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This will be a record setting holiday for traveling this Christmas.   Over 103 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year.  Part of the reason behind the surge in travelers is low gas prices.  Triple-A’s Don Redman says prices are higher than they were last year, but travelers feel more confident about the economy…

Cut 7 (06)  “last year.”

Airline fares are seeing a drop.  Some six million are expected to take to the skies during the final week of the year, a one-point-five-percent increase over 2016.  Redman says cheaper air fares started appearing over the Thanksgiving holidays and it has continued through now…

Cut 8 (12) “prices on.”

Redman says most travelers are looking at warm weather destinations to wrap up the year…

Cut 9 (10)  “Fort Lauderdale.”

Redman says after all the holiday traveling is done, predictions show gas prices will be near or just below $2.00 a gallon after the first of the year.

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The roads will be packed this weekend with holiday traffic, and the Louisiana State police want everyone traveling to stay safe. Trooper Glen Younger says the stress and extended traffic times can stress drivers and sometimes lead to road rage. He says if you are driving, expect longer travel times…

_________________________________________________________

For the seventeenth year in a row State Police troop E out of Alexandria will be delivering gifts to children who are stuck in the hospital for Christmas. The troop plans to meet Christmas Eve morning to start wrapping gifts to deliver to kids later that night. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says the troop works on the toy drive all year long.

Cut 13 (05)  “collect toys.”

Moreau says any hospitalized child, regardless of background, will be getting a gift…

Cut 14 (05) “get a gift.”

Moreau says it’s his troops way of spreading a little holiday cheer…

Cut 15  (10)  “is priceless”.

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The Saints can qualify for the playoffs with a win over NFC South rival Atlanta or a Carolina loss this weekend.  New Orleans has the easiest road to the post season of any NFL team still trying to qualify, only needing to win one of the next two to play in January.   Quarterback Drew Brees says he would love to wrap this up and win in front of the home crowd…

Cut 16 (17) “a game.”

The Saints met up with the Falcons two weeks ago in a 20-to-17 loss.  Brees says even though running backs Mark Ingram was held to just 49 yards and Alvin Kamara rushed once for two yards in their last match up, he expects the ground game to be solid for the second game…

Cut 17 (15) “the job.”

Wideout Michael Thomas is having a stellar year, catching 94 passes for nearly 11-hundred yards.  He’s on course for catching 109 passes for the regular season.  Brees says he’s never seen an athlete do what last year’s second round pickup is able to accomplish on the field…

Cut 18 (08) “do that.”

The game kicks off Sunday at 12noon on FOX.

A Southern Media and Opinion Research poll finds Governor John Bel Edwards has his highest approval numbers since taking office nearly two years ago at 65-percent. It eclipses his previous high of 63-percent and is higher than the 54-percent approval rating in May. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says timing is everything in politics…

Cut 3 (10) “and taxes.”

Governor Edwards is grateful for the trust the voters have placed in him.  He says the first two years have seen it’s share of challenges with the budget, the 2016 floods and the recent audit of former State Police leader Mike Edmonson, but he is looking forward to the future…

Cut 5  (07)  “in 2019.”

Congress’s 1.5 trillion dollar tax overhaul has many wondering how this will impact their finances. The wholesale changes touch everything from investment returns to charitable donations, and radically alters tax season for most Louisianans. Baton Rouge area CPA Brandon Lagarde says the bill should lower taxes for most in the state…

Cut 10 (04) “most people”

He says in any case, the changes will keep CPA’s very busy…

Cleco  has named Bill Fontenot as the new CEO effective January 1^st. Fontenot has been with the company for 31 years, working in various capacities including business development, commercial operations and utility operations. He says he’s honored to help keep the focus of the utility on their customers.

Cut 13 (05)  “doing so.”

Cleco serves about 288-thousand customers in Louisiana.

Tax reform is in, and that means big changes to the way Louisianans file taxes.  Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A Southern Media and Opinion Research poll finds Governor John Bel Edwards has his highest approval numbers since taking office nearly two years ago at 65-percent. His approval rating is higher than senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy and Congressman Steve Scalise.  Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says it helps Edwards is away from the political division that’s happening in Washington D-C…

Cut 4  (09) “perfect time.” 

Cleco has named Bill Fontenot as the new CEO effective January 1^st. Fontenot has been with the company for 31 years.  He says the utility is looking to solidify their reliability. Fontenot says he looks forward to upgrading the power grid to withstand natural disasters.

Cut 15 (12) “catastrophic conditions.”

Cleco serves about 288-thousand customers in Louisiana.

Nearly 64,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, leading to a decline in life expectancy for the second year in a row, according to the CDC. President and CEO of the Addiction Policy Forum, Jessica Hulsey Nickel, blames the exploding opioid epidemic…:

Cut 8 (03) “every single day”