Governor John Bel Edwards has asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission to see if the state’s utility customers should see lower rates as a result of the recently approved federal tax overhaul legislation. P-S-C member Foster Campbell says Edwards is right and that will be a focus of their first meetings of 2018…
cut 10 (08) “…average household”
Edwards says Dominion Energy in South Carolina has already announced plans to lower its rates, because of the new federal tax law.

The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.27 that’s up nearly a nickel from a week ago and it’s the highest new year gas prices since 2014. But AAA fuel analyst Don Redman believes the price at the pump will drop at least 10-cents as we move closer to February….
cut 14 (07) “…into February”
Redman says demand of gas is on the decline, because of the winter weather that’s griping much of the country.

Hard freeze warnings are once again posted for tomorrow morning in Louisiana. But we’ll start to see warmer air move into the state this weekend. State Climatologist Barry Keim Keim says the cold weather snap was particularly surprising given the long term forecasts for the winter…
Cut 15 (10) “anything but.”
State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the state has seen a recent surge in fire-related deaths, several due to the below freezing temperatures we’ve experienced this week.

A teenager was found with multiple stab wounds inside a Lafayette home and later died from his injuries. A 32-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter. Lafayette Police Corporal Bridgette Dugas says they believe an argument between the teen and 32-year-old Lawrence Allen the Second escalated into murder…
cut 4 (07) “…domestic situation”
Allen has been booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.