AM Newscall January 26**Corrected Date**

Louisiana receives a green light in a report for nine critical traffic safety laws it has on the books.  Kelley Ray has more.

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A former Monroe children’s TV show host will now have to register as a sex offender for his inappropriate conduct with a child during a 1979 camping trip. Jeff Palermo has more…

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The Audubon Insectarium is offering a unique twist on king cakes this year. Matt Doyle has the scoop…

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Louisiana receives a green light for having nine critical traffic safety laws on the books.  The Bayou State is one of seven listed as a “best state” in the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety report.  Tara Gill, the Director of State Programs, says the ignition interlock offender law for convicted drunk drivers is one reason Louisiana scored high…

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Distracted driving has been the cause of many fatalities and Gill praises the efforts of the state in enforcing no texting while driving legislation.  She says there’s more that can be done to discourage cell phone use while driving…

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757 traffic fatalities were reported in Louisiana in 2016, many of those were young children.   Gill says while the state ranks well in many areas, it’s critical Louisiana enforce better child restraint laws…

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It’s estimated the annual economic cost due to motor vehicle crashes in Louisiana is nearly 5.7-billion-dollars.

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Due to the increasingly critical flu season, the state Health Department has announced no cost flu vaccines will be held at 55 Parish Health units across the state January 31st.   The walk-in clinics will administer flu shots to anyone who has not done so yet.  State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says get the shot earlier if you can…

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There are marked differences between a regular cold and influenza.  Dr. Welch says it will be very apparent if you are getting sick with the flu bug…

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He says one huge reason they are sponsoring the free clinics if the influx of people coming to the state to celebrate Mardi Gras next month…

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Reported flu cases are at 10-percent in Louisiana, one of the highest in the nation and causes around 700 deaths per year in the state.

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A former Monroe children’s TV show host known as “Mr. Wonder” will now have to register as a sex offender as part of a plea deal for inappropriate conduct with a child back in 1979. 78-year-old Frank Selas pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile earlier this month, but was not required to register as a sex offender. Mr. Wonder’s attorney Mike Small…

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After his initial sentencing, Selas was not required to be listed on the national sexual offender registry. Small says it was a misunderstanding of the law…

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Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office spokesman Lt. Tommy Carnline says they are happy Selas will have to register as a sex offender once he’s released from prison…

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Small believes Selas could be paroled this summer. If so, the former TV star plans to move back to California.

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There’s a nearly limitless variety of king cakes available, reflecting the hundreds of years bakers have been cooking up that classic Mardi Gras desert. There’s traditional, fruit fillings, cream cheeses, almond, and now, cricket. Audubon Insectarium Curator of Animal Programs Zack Lemann says their clever chefs cooked up quite a concoction…

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There’s over 30 grams of protein in a pound of cricket, and Lemann says the snack is quite filling…

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Leman says the crickets add a real depth of flavor to the iconic treat…

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The cakes are baked from scratch at the insectarium. You can order one there, or this Sunday at the King Cake Festival in Champions Square.

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The Nichols State men’s basketball team is on a roll, riding a five game win streak to the top of the Southland Conference. The Colonels won their last 5 by an average of 7 points a game, with a supercharged offense scoring about 85 a night. Nichols started the season 8-8, but head coach Richie Riley says the team is really coming into form.

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The Colonels haven’t allowed more than 80 points in any game in the last month. Riley says this is because the team hit a turning point in early December.

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Southeastern rolls into Stopher Gym Saturday, sitting at 6-2 in conference play. Riley says it’s a big test for the Colonels.

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The LSU men’s basketball team gets a chance at beating the first place team in the SEC on Saturday when they vist the 19th ranked Auburn Tigers. LSU Coach Will Wade believes Auburn is one of the ten best teams in the nation…

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Auburn is 18-2 on the season and they lead the SEC in scoring, averaging 86 points a game. Wade says he wants to keep Auburn off the free throw line…

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