Louisiana ranks 50th in the America’s Health Rankings 2022 Annual Report. Whitney Thomas reports a dramatic rise in overdose death rates is a main factor…

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Whitney Thomas”

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It’s the busiest week of the year for the post office and the deadlines for mailing cards and packages are approaching. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

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The governor’s office announces a public-private partnership that will result in a one-point-eight billion dollar port expansion in the New Orleans area. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The United Health foundation has released its America’s Health Rankings for 2022 and Louisiana is ranked dead last at 50. A major reason for Louisiana’s poor ranking is that drug deaths rose by 50% between 2019 and 2020.

United Health Foundation Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ravi Johar says Louisiana has a high premature death rate.

Cut 4 (06)  “…drug deaths”

The report highlights improvements, challenges, and disparities in the health and well-being of Americans across all 50 states. Johar says the state also suffers with a high prevalence of physical inactivity with a 30% rate.

Cut 5 (11) “…that sort.”

Louisiana also ranks low for STD rate, high risk HIV behaviors, and 48th for teen birth. Dr. Johar says the report serves an important purpose.

Cut 6 (10)  “…to address .” 

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This week is expected to be the busiest week of the year for the United States Postal Service. The deadline for mailing greeting cards and first-class packages, if you want them to arrive before Santa, is December 17^th. USPS spokesperson David Walton says you’ll want to have things ready to ship by Saturday if not sooner.

Cut 7 (08) “…the holidays.”

The postal service typically hires extra workers for the holiday season, but Walton says they didn’t have to hire as many because they increased their number of full-time employees throughout the year. Walton says so far things are running as smoothly as possible.

Cut 8 (09)  “…of year.”

And because the post office is expecting 250 million people to visit post offices during the holiday season this year some post offices have extended hours for customers to drop off packages and delivery workers are working longer days also.

Cut 9 (09)  “…time change.”

The deadline for Priority Mail Express Military service is Friday, December 16^th. The deadline for Priority Mail is December 19^th and for Priority Mail Express the deadline is December 23^rd.

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St. Tammany Parish leaders have placed a time capsule inside the Slidell Museum featuring items from the COVID pandemic, like toilet paper, a mask, a Covid-19 test, letters from students, and news s coverage of the surge in cases and deaths. Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer says the time capsule should remain locked for 100 years

Cut 10 (06) “…we faired.” 

The collection also showcases things like horrific death tolls, the start of quarantine, and software such as zoom. But Cromer says parish leaders 100 years from now will also learn how show how resilient people were through the pandemic

Cut 11 (09)  “…but forever.”

Cromer says this pandemic changed his appreciation for first responders, educators, and hospital workers. The mayor says 100 years from now he wants people to know… 

Cut 12 (11) “…apart of.”

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Plans are in place to build a one-point-eight billion dollar state-of-the-art container facility on the Mississippi River in St. Bernard Parish that would create more than 17-thousand new jobs by 2050. Port NOLA President Brandy Christian says a large marine terminal operator called Ports America and Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company are the private investors

Cut 13 (08) “…make it a reality.”

The governor’s office says the construction of the terminal will be supported by a substantial commitment from Port NOLA, as well as state and federal funding sources.

Christian says the facility will be capable of handling ultra-large container vessels which will help Louisiana attract new investment from companies competing globally

Cut 14 (10)  “…by container”

Governor John Bel Edwards says this port expansion will benefit manufacturing, agribusiness and energy workers. Christian says the new Louisiana International Terminal will be able to serve vessels of all sizes…

Cut 15 (11)  “…through container shipping”

The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is conducting an environmental review process. Barring unforeseen delays, construction would begin in 2025 and the first berth would open in 2028.

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There’s an enhanced risk for severe weather for most of north Louisiana and all of central Louisiana this afternoon and tonight. State Climatologist Barry Keim says tornadoes will be possible…

Cut  16 (07)  “..southeast Louisiana” 

Keim says make sure your wireless emergency alerts are turned on ahead of the expected severe weather…

Cut 17 (10) “….the situation” 

A Republican will lead the city of Shreveport for the first time in more than 20 years. Jeff Palermo has more on Saturday’s stunning results in the Shreveport mayoral run-off…

Cut 1(29)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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If you were confused by the proposed constitutional amendments on Louisiana’s ballot this year, experts think they have figured out why. Marsanne Golsby has more.

Cut 2 (29)  “…I’m  Marsanne Golsby”

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Republican Tom Arceneaux defeated Democrat Greg Tarver in Saturday’s Shreveport mayoral run-off election. Arceneaux received 56-percent of the vote to Tarver’s 44-percent. LSU Shreveport political science professor Jeffrey Sadow says Arceneaux did a better job in getting his base to the polls…

Cut 3 (06) “…ten points better” 

Arceneaux is an attorney and former Shreveport councilman. Tarver will remain a state senator representing a portion of Caddo Parish.

Arceneaux’s win over Tarver, a Black Democrat, is considered an upset since 57-percent of the city’s residents are Black. But Sadow says Tarver has a lot of detractors…

Cut 4 (10)  “…to many enemies” 

With Arceneaux’s election, Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria are led by white mayors, despite a majority Black population in those cities. Sadow says current Shreveport mayor Adrian Perkins is unpopular and similar situations occurred in Monroe and Alexandria, where Friday Ellis and Jacques Roy are the mayors…

Cut 5 (12) “…go together”

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Saturday voters added three more constitutional amendments to Louisiana’s 48-year-old constitution. Over the years, voters have been asked to consider 308 amendments. As of Saturday, they have approved 206 of them.

Public Affairs Research Council Steven Procopio says PAR has struggled to find a pattern that explains voter behavior.

Cut 6 (08)  “…passed.”

He says one thing is clear:  the number of people who bother to vote on proposed amendments is less than the bigger races at the top of the ballot. PAR says since 2012, when Louisiana had major statewide races at the top of the ballot, at least 2 percent, and sometimes more than 6 percent fewer people  voted on the first amendment compared to those voting for president, senator, or governor.

Cut 7 (09)  “…dont know.”

Procopio says there are too many proposed amendments and they’re too complicated. PAR puts out guides before each election to try to help, but he says PAR’s research can only do so much.

Cut 8 (08)  “…super laws“

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The average price of a gallon of regular gas in the Bayou State today is $2.84. That’s quite a drop compared to this time six months when the state recorded its highest average at $4.56 a gallon. Triple A spokesperson Nick Chabbari says today’s average is down about 45 cents from a month ago.

Cut 9 (09) “… this year.” 

Chabarri credits market stability for the continued drop in prices at the pump.

Cut 10 (08) “…oil prices.” 

He says the Russian invasion of Ukraine was largely responsible for the disruption in the global oil supply, especially during the summer months, but that appears to have stabilized.

Barring any major disruptions in the market, Chabarri believes we will continue to see gas prices drop.

Cut 11 (10)  “…gasoline demand.”

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The LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office is offering a $5,000 reward to try to solve a murder that happened two years ago in Jena. Detective Brant King says on October 23^rd, 2020, deputies found Leon Turner dead of an apparent gunshot wound.

Cut 12 (07) “…black pants” 

King says they need the public’s help because they haven’t had any recent tips and want to bring some closure to the victim’s family.

Cut 13 (05) “…come forward”  

To phone in an anonymous tip, call 318-992-7300.

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There was a shooting at the courthouse in Franklin this morning, but officials are releasing very few details. St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson David Spencer says it happened inside a courtroom just before 9:00 am and State Police is handling the investigation.

Cut 14 (08)   “…more information.”

Spencer would only confirm one person was shot, and State Police would release more information as it becomes available.

Cut 15 (03) “…by ambulance.”

Our affiliate KQKI is reporting there was a struggle in the courtroom between a deputy and a person in custody and the individual who struggled with the officer was fatally shot. State Police is handling the investigation.