Once again, many stores will open their doors tonight to get a jump start on the Holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears and Target are just some of the retailers cutting their Thanksgiving short in the hopes of increasing revenues. LSU marketing professor Dan Rice says optimism is high among retailers that this will be a good holiday shopping season…
cut 5 (06) “looks good”
But Rice says many shoppers and employees are not happy with stores opening on Thanksgiving Day.

A St. Charles Parish woman was killed eary this morning by a hit-and-run vehicle. State Police are still looking for the vehicle that struck 25-year-old Christin Allday of St. Rose on Louisiana Highway 305. Allday was pronounced dead at a local hospital, as authorities say she failed to yield to an oncoming vehicle at around 1:45 this morning.

According to the National Restaurant Association, an estimated 30-million Americans will eat out or get carry-out for all or part of their Thanksgiving meal. Erica Burns, with the Louisiana Restaurant Association, says with many retail stores open on Thanksgiving night, it makes sense for restaurants to be open too….
cut 8 (10) “….for a meal”
Burns says eating out on Thanksgiving is a trend that’s grown over the last several years.

Construction will begin next month on a mobile pet shelter that will be used for the 2015 hurricane season and beyond. The state department of agriculture is responsible for pet evacuations and Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says storm victims in the past have refused assistance unless their pets were accommodated…
cut 12 (08) “piece of equipment” (2x)
Strain says they received a 40-thousand dollar donation which will go towards the construction of the mobile pet shelter.