House fires statewide have claimed 16 lives since Christmas according to State Fire Marshal Butch Browning. This morning, Baton Rouge firefighters battled a blaze that killed at least three people. Browning says space heaters are the cause of many of these fires…
Cut 3 (09) “defend themselves.”
Browning says many of the victims who have died in these house fires also did not have a working smoke detector.

The arctic blast is expected to start receding this weekend, sending the state back to its usual mild winter weather. Low temperatures this week sat in the 20s for much of Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s one of the coldest weeks on record…
Cut 13 (08) “since 1930.”
We’ll see high temperatures reach into the 50s for some areas today.

Ceremonies are at this hour at State Police headquarters as 27 men and women graduate from the L-S-P Training Academy. Sergeant Jared Sanidfer…
cut 8 (09) “…live with”
Today’s graduation is for the 96th State Police cadet class and the 97th just began their 20-week training program and it’s much larger class.

Tomorrow morning on the Discovery Channel a television show called “Out Da Bayou” will air and it spotlights some of the unique occupations in Louisiana….
cut 11 (12) “…Mississippi River”
That’s Host John Jackson, who says Discovery Channel has signed up to show 13 brand new episodes. The television series previously ran on CST and the Sportsman Channel.