Blue Bell lovers in Louisiana are rejoicing as the ice cream is coming back to stores today across the state right in time for the holidays. Emelie Gunn has more…
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These low gas prices are a nice Christmas gift for motorists, but how long will it last? Jeff Palermo has more…
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The FDA plans to ban tanning beds for anyone under 18.Jeff Palermohas more on the proposed regulations
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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.
Robertson says as production capacity increases, they’re going to keep adding in new flavors until all are returned to shelves. 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. He says they’ve made huge changes to ensure that listeria is never a problem again in Blue Bell ice cream.
Robertson says this is phase four of the five phase rollout and so far everything is going well. He says Blue Bell is excited to continue releasing ice cream until grocery stores are completely restocked.
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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 (gasbuddy.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.
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.
Laskoski says some locations across the state are advertising gas prices as low as $1.57 a gallon.
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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.
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….
Louisiana passed a law last year that prohibits anyone under 18 from using a commercial tanning bed. Jackson says this FDA regulation, which is up for public comment, also requires adult tanning bed users to sign a consent form every six months. She says there will also be adjustments to the beds themselves.
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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…
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…
Another priority for the incoming administration is the expansion of the Medicaid program. 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
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The Saints face the Detroit Lions tonight at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in a battle of two teams with losing records. New Orleans is 5-8 on the year, but coming off one of its best performances of the season when they beat Tampa Bay last week. Quarterback Drew Brees says they want to build on that performance…
The Saints were eliminated from playoff contention for a second straight year when Seattle and Minnesota won yesterday. Even though the Saints have fallen short of reaching their goals, Brees says the players have not given up on the season…