Governor-elect John Bel Edwards knows he has a challenging year in front of him, but he’s looking forward to spending the next couple of days with family for the Christmas holiday. Edwards says his family will gather at his mother’s home in Tangipahoa Parish tonight…

cut 10 (11) “gathering there”

Edwards says his contribution to the Christmas dinner is oyster soup.

The annual Bonfires on the Levee celebration takes place in St. James Parish. The fires are scheduled to be lit at 7PM to light the way for Papa Noel. St. James Parish President Timothy Roussel says the lighting of the bonfires is a big deal because it’s tradition…

cut 4 (08) “1800s”

He says thousands of people will descend on the area for tonight’s festivities.

Many religious fellowships throughout the state will engage in “candlelight services” this Christmas, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office is issuing guidelines to organizations who plan to utilize candles. Marshal Butch Browning says folks need to understand that there’s a possibility for tragedy regarding the use of open flames in assemblies..:

cut 7 (11) “on fire (2x)”

The National Fire Protection Association showed that in all 9,000 religious structure fires from 2007-2011, more than 350 were directly attributed to the use of candles.

A 70-year-old woman and two children died after a train collided with their vehicle in New Iberia. The crash also left two other children and one adult in critical condition. State Police Master Trooper Brooks David says they believe the car came to a stop on the tracks either before or while the crossing gates were activated, but it is unknown why. He says a tragedy like this is heartbreaking for the family, especially at this time of year…:
CUT 8 (07) “out to them”
He says the 70-year-old victim is identified as Phyllis Leblanc.

State Police say an ATV crash in Bossier Parish claimed the life of a 67-year-old man from Benton. They say around 8:20 this morning, Cornelius McConnell was traveling on the ATV when it exited the right side of the road and struck a DOTD curve warning sign. McConnel was ejected from the ATV and died as a result of his injuries. Impairment is a suspected factor in this crash which remains under investigation.

The NFL has upheld Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Junior’s one game suspension for the rough housing that occurred between him and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. Beckham’s appeal was heard today, but it wasn’t convincing enough, so the former LSU star will not play this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

If you still haven’t cleared out your Christmas list, experts say gift cards are always a huge hit with last minute shoppers. LSU Assistant Professor of Marketing Dan Rice says cash is becoming more taboo, as gifters and giftees feel it’s far too impersonal…:
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The NRF says gift cards are the most-requested gift for the 8th year in a row.

The flu bug has been quiet this holiday season. According to the CDC’s latest flu count, South Carolina is the only state showing significant flu activity. CDC medical officer Fiona Havers says eventually the flu bug will start to spread…
CUT 9 (04) “pretty soon”
She says that’s why it’s important to get your flu shot now if you haven’t already.

Three people are dead and three others injured after a train collided with a car stopped on the tracks in New Iberia. State Police Master Trooper Brooks David says they are working to determine why the car was stopped on the tracks. He says investigators did speak to witnesses…:
cut 7 (08) “functioning properly”
70-year-old Phyllis Leblanc of New Iberia and two minors were killed in the crash. At last report, the three injured were listed in critical condition.

Governor Bobby Jindal will be on hand tomorrow to help welcome home soldiers of the 1023rd Vertical Engineer Company at the Monroe Regional Airport — just in time for Christmas. More than 150 Soldiers with the 1023rd, headquartered in Bastrop with detachments in Monroe and Clarks, completed their 10-month deployment to Kuwait, with additional missions in Iraq, Jordan and Afghanistan. They are getting back home tomorrow at 1pm and 2pm.

The flu bug has been quiet this holiday season. CDC medical officer Fiona Havers says you haven’t gotten a flu shot yet, now is the time. She says this year’s vaccine protects you better from the various flu strains that are going around..:
Cut 11 (10) “vaccine”
According to the CDC’s latest flu count, South Carolina is the only state showing significant flu activity.

Tonight’s Powerball prize is the second largest Christmastime jackpot the multi-state game has had in over 10 years, according to the Louisiana Lottery. Spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin says tonight’s drawing is worth an estimated $227 million dollars. She says on Christmas day in 2002, the jackpot was $280 million…:
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Much of the state is dealing with severe weather today as a warm-humid air mass has the potential to produce flash flooding, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes. West Carroll, Richland, Morehouse, Madison, Franklin and East Carrol Parishes are under a tornado watch until this evening. Forcasters urge people to be vigilant as they run around today taking care of that last minute holiday shopping.

A gift card might be an appropriate option if you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of stores in this nasty weather. The National Retail Federation says gift cards are the most-requested gift for the 8th year in a row. LSU Assistant Professor of Marketing Dan Rice says gift cards let the giver feel like they’ve put some effort into which one to select that would fit their friends and relatives passions…:
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More consumers than ever before will purchase gift cards this holiday season, according to the NRF.

Three people are dead and three others injured after a train collided with a car in New Iberia. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

The CDC says the flu bug has been quiet in Louisiana so far this season, but eventually will start to spread. South Carolina is the only state showing significant flu activity. CDC medical officer Fiona Havers says the slow start to influenza activity gives people more time to get a flu shot, if they haven’t received one already…:
cut 10 (11) “now”

An elderly woman and two children lost their lives in New Iberia after a train collided with the car they were in. State Police Master Trooper Brooks David says the vehicle was stopped on the tracks and the train was unable to avoid the crash. He says three occupants of the car were pronounced dead at the scene…:
CUT 6 (09) “critical condition”
He says they don’t know why the car stopped on the tracks.

Two tornadoes touched down in central Louisiana last night and a man was injured when his travel trailer flipped over, according to the National weather Service in Lake Charles. Forecasters say both twisters were EF-1 with maximum winds of 95 miles per hour. Homes and cars were damaged and trees were uprooted. Most of the state is at risk for severe thunderstorms today fed by unseasonably warm, humid air. There are tornado watches posted in parishes in northeast Louisiana through 8pm.

If you still haven’t cleared out your Christmas list, experts say gift cards are always a huge hit with last minute shoppers. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Tonight’s Powerball jackpot is worth an estimated $227 million. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says since 2009, of the holiday jackpots that were over $100 million dollars, 5 of them were hit during the Christmas drawing…:
cut 4 (10) “millionaire”

A 70-year-old woman and two children died after a train collided with their vehicle in New Iberia. The crash also left two other children and one adult in critical condition. State Police Master Trooper Brooks David says they believe the car came to a stop on the tracks either before or while the crossing gates were activated, but it is unknown why. He says a tragedy like this is heartbreaking for the family, especially at this time of year…:
CUT 8 (07) “out to them”
He says the 70-year-old victim is identified as Phyllis Leblanc.

The flu bug has been quiet this holiday season. According to the CDC’s latest flu count, South Carolina is the only state showing significant flu activity. Over the last three years, doctor offices were very busy with flu cases prior to Christmas. CDC medical officer Fiona Havers says eventually the flu bug will start to spread…:
CUT 9 (04) “pretty soon”
She says this year’s vaccine protects you better from various flu strains.

Tonight’s Powerball jackpot drawing is worth an estimated $227 million dollars. Louisiana Lottery spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin says the prize is the second largest Christmastime jackpot the multi-state game has had in over 10 years. She says more people buy lottery tickets during the holiday season for a couple of reasons…:
CUT 5 (11) “kind of gift”
The jackpot tonight has an estimated cash value of $141 million dollars.

For the first time on record, the American Automobile Association projects that over 100 million holiday travelers will hit the road this year. That’s nearly one in three Americans traveling 50 miles or more for the holidays. AAA says lower gas prices, an improved economy, and holidays falling on the weekend make it much easier for people to travel this holiday season. They say most of the 100 million will be traveling by car.

Three people are dead and three others injured after a train collided with a car in New Iberia. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for several parishes in far northeast Louisiana including Franklin, Madison, Richland, East and West Carroll and Morehouse, until 8pm tonight. Forecasters say this means conditions are favorable for twisters and severe thunderstorms. People in these areas are urged to be on the lookout for threatening weather and listen to radio for possible warnings.

If you still haven’t cleared out your Christmas list, experts say gift cards are always a huge hit with last minute shoppers. More consumers than ever before will purchase gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. LSU Assistant Professor of Marketing Dan Rice says gift cards are more appropriate than some people think…:
CUT 12 (10) “type of gift”
The NRF says gift cards are the most-requested gift for the 8th year in a row.

Saints Coach Sean Payton says quarterback Drew Brees is day to day with a foot injury. It’s been reported that Brees has a torn plantar fascia and is seeking a second opinion from another doctor. Payton didn’t confirm those reports