State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says it’s important to remind residents of certain safety tips as they prepare their Thanksgiving meals. Jeff Palermo reports…

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Alto Congressman Ralph Abraham is spending his Thanksgiving holiday with American troops in Afghanistan. Abraham says he decided to eat his Thanksgiving meal without soldiers as a way to show his appreciation for the sacrifice they make for the United States. He will also meet with military and Afghani government officials to get updates on security and counter-terrorism initiatives.

Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany has been chosen to lead the Ways and Means Committee’s Tax Policy Subcommittee. Boustany says he wants to lead the effort in tax reform. He says we need to completely rewrite the tax code and keep businesses in America.

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Boustany says he wants to put the United States on a level playing field with other countries and that would call for a complete rewrite of our international tax code.

With Black Friday on hours away, the personal finance website WalletHub found holiday spending is will likely reach more than 630-billion dollars this year. Website spokesperson Jill Gonzales says they investigated which stores were having the best Black Friday deals.

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Gonzales says the average discount across the board is about 40-percent off. She advises shoppers to look at the deals before heading out to purchase on Black Friday.