Five Louisiana children from the Marskville area on their way to Disney World are among the seven dead in a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in north Florida on Thursday. Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Patrick Riordan says the five vehicle wreck started when a big rig and passenger car heading north collided
Cut 3 (12) “…semi truck.”
Riordan says the van from Louisiana was heading south and there was as many as a dozen people inside of it. Reports out of central Louisiana says the van belonged to a Marksville Church, called the Avoyelles House of Mercy.

Authorities says the ages of the deceased are as young as eight-years-old, up to teenagers. The drivers of the two big rigs were also killed. There’s another six to eight people injured.

The state department of corrections is bringing back its New Beginnings program thanks to a 750-thousand dollar federal grant. Assistant Corrections Secretary Rhett Covington says when the program was previously in place, it reduced the recidivism rate for released inmates that deal with mental illness and substance addictions…
cut 9 (09) “…program in place’
Corrections officials hope to keep the program running with state dollars, once the federal money runs out.

We will find out this weekend who the Saints will play on January 13th in the divisional round of the N-F-L Playoffs. If the Seawhawks beat the Cowboys in Dallas on Saturday, Seattle could head to New Orleans. NFL Analyst Mike Detillier says the Hawks are playing well…
cut 14 (11) “….NFC”
If the Eagles upset the Bears on Sunday, then the Super Bowl champs will face the Black and Gold next week.