The CDC is continuing to monitor the first severe case of human bird flu in the U.S. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis with the CDC says the patient from southwest Louisiana likely had been exposed to dead birds on his property.

Cut 14 (10) “…the United States.”

Dr. Daskalakis says this is the first case linked to a non-commercial backyard flock.

The Louisiana National Guard is celebrating 30 years of its Youth Challenge Program. Lieutenant Colonel Kenny Paul says the Youth Challenge Program was among the first of its kind and one of the most successful.

Cut 6 (10) “…first initial ten.”

Paul says more than 28-thousand kids have graduated, many of whom have gone on to do great things.

Firefighters in Caddo and Bossier parishes now have access to free cancer screenings through a new health initiative. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

UL Lafayette athletics director Bryan Maggard has fired longtime men’s basketball coach Bob Marlin. The firing comes after the Cajuns won their Sun Belt opener last night. Despite that victory it’s been a tough season – U-L Lafayette is 3-and-9 overall. Marlin had been the Cajuns coach for 13 seasons, leading the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances. Assistant coach Derrick Zimmerman will serve as interim coach.

Louisiana tops the nation in flu activity for the second year in a row. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

_____________________________________________

The Social Security Fairness Act is one step closer to President Biden’s desk. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

_____________________________________________

Many are considering gifting pets as presents this holiday season, but the Humane Society says don’t do it. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 3 (28) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

_____________________________________________

Louisiana leads the nation in early-season flu activity. The CDC says the state has a flu positivity rate exceeding 11-percent, far above the national average of 3.5-percent.  Ochsner Medical Center of New Orleans Director Sandra Kemmerly says cases this early are concerning.

Cut 4 (11) “…winter yet.”

Louisiana’s mild winters facilitate virus spread, while health disparities and low vaccination rates worsen flu vulnerability. Kemmerly stresses the importance of flu vaccination, as it remains the most effective tool to prevent severe illness and reduce strain on healthcare systems.

Cut 5 (13) “…get vaccinated.”

Kemmerly says to protect themselves and others, people are urged to get vaccinated, practice good hygiene, stay home when sick, and safeguard vulnerable groups like children and older adults.

Cut 6 (08) “…can affect others.”

_____________________________________________

The Social Security Fairness Act is one step closer to making it onto President Biden’s desk. The Senate advanced the bill in a procedural vote of 73-27 yesterday. Senator Bill Cassidy has sponsored the Senate version of the bill. He took to the floor yesterday to urge his colleagues to support it.

Cut 7 (15) “…fulfill this promise.”

The bill would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which Cassidy says have been unfairly costing public sector employees a good portion of their Social Security benefits, including a retired schoolteacher who he met with in his office.

Cut 8 (14) “…was being punished.”

Cassidy says he understands concerns about the costs of eliminating WEP and GPO.

Cut 9 (13)  “…WEP and GPO.”

The Senate will take a final vote on the bill later this week.

_____________________________________________

This holiday season, many consider gifting animals to loved ones. However, pets come with significant responsibilities, so it’s important to carefully evaluate whether this is the right choice. Louisiana Humane Society Director Jeff Dorson says animals should only be given to those who have expressed sustained interest and are ready to care for them.

Cut 10 (11) “…ready for it.”

When gifting a pet, consider the recipient’s lifestyle. For instance, an elderly person may prefer a calm, older dog or cat rather than an energetic puppy or kitten. Similarly, Dorson says breed, age and temperament need to be considered.

Cut 11 (06) “…small apartment.”

Dorson says all animals are social beings and want to be around their own species or with owners that comfort and care for them.

Cut 12 (08) “…get those calls”

Dorson says stick to a traditional gift for the holidays and let the individual that wants to adopt, adopt.

_______________________________________________________

The FTC is cracking down on so-called “junk fees.” Starting in April, entities like hotels, ticket brokers and rental car companies will need to disclose all extraneous fees up front. Don Redman with Triple-A Louisiana says consumers have been screaming about those fees for years.

Cut 13 (12)  “…weren’t aware of.”

Redman says those entities can still charge those fees – however, they will no longer be able to hide those fees.

Cut 14 (08) “…or that concert.”

Redman says with those entities now having to either disclose those fees or roll them into their advertised prices, that will have a profound effect on prices to the consumer’s benefit.

Cut 15 (09) “…fees potentially eliminated.”

_______________________________________________________________

LSU has signed nine players out of the transfer portal and according to 24-7 sports, the Tigers have the second best transfer portal class in the nation. Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne says head coach Brian Kelly has delivered on a promise that LSU would be aggressive in the transfer portal…

Cut 16 (20) “…big help.”

Horne says LSU still needs more help along the offensive and defensive lines…

Cut 17 (16)  “…linemen as well.” 

___________________________________________________

At this time last week, the Louisiana Tech football team’s season was over, but now they are preparing for a bowl game. The Bulldogs are getting ready to battle Army in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on December 28^th in Shreveport. Tech received a bowl invite after Marshall opted out. Coach Sonny Cumbie is pleased with his team’s first bowl practice…

Cut 18 (18)   “…football games.”

Marshall could not play in the Independence Bowl, because of a lack of players as there’s been a mass exodus with the Thundering Herd because of a coaching change. Cumbie says they are missing some players, but certainly have enough to take on the Black Knights….

Cut 19 (19) “…coming back.”

Cumbie has also hired a new offensive coordinator since the regular season finale. Tony Franklin is back as O-C and quarterbacks coach. When Franklin was the offensive coordinator between 2010 and 2012, Tech had high scoring offenses. Cumbie says Franklin is an experienced play caller that this program needs…

Cut 20 (17) “…came about.”

Tech will take on 19th ranked Army on Saturday December 28th.

Cooler temperatures are on the way. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says high temperatures will only be in the 60s tomorrow and Friday, which is a big difference from what we saw today. He says cool air will continue to flow down into Louisiana and temperatures will drop even further.

Cut 13 (15)  “…Saturday morning.”

A new study highlights the massive cost of congestion in the trucking industry. The American Transport Research Institute’s Cost of Congestion study shows that congestion is adding almost 110-billion dollars to the industry’s costs. Renee Amar (AY-mar), the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, says the problem is very prevalent in Louisiana.

Cut 3 (12) “…3.6 billion dollars.” 

Soon, it will be a lot easier for schools to have the tools needed to save people experiencing cardiac arrest. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Fifty-two recruits of Cadet Class 106 began their journey as Louisiana State Police Troopers in Baton Rouge. Trooper Shelby Mayfield says recruits can start with no experience whatsoever.

Cut 6 (11) “…from the ground up.”

A new study highlights the massive cost of congestion in the trucking industry. The American Transport Research Institute’s Cost of Congestion study shows that congestion is adding almost 110-billion dollars to the industry’s costs. Renee Amar (AY-mar), the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, says the problem is very prevalent in Louisiana.

Cut 3 (12) “…3.6 billion dollars.” 

A longtime Texas staple is coming to South Louisiana. Buc-ee’s will be opening a store along I-10 in Lafayette sometime in early 2026. Mandi Mitchell, the president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, says this means dozens of new jobs for the region.

Cut 24 (09) “…dollars an hour.”

Enhanced seat belt warnings will soon be required in all new vehicles in the U.S. Under new NHTSA (NIT-sa) rules, all new vehicles will come equipped with enhanced seat belt warnings for front-seat occupants by September 1st, 2026; and seat belt warnings for rear-seat passengers will come one year later. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says seat belts have been proven to save lives.

Cut 11 (09) “…not buckled up.”

If you still need to mail your Christmas gifts to arrive before Christmas Day, you’d better get a move on it. Today is the deadline for shipping by USPS Ground Advantage to guarantee that they will arrive by Christmas, and tomorrow is the deadline for Priority Mail. Evelina Ramirez with the Postal Service says they’re ready for the added volume.

Cut 9 (11)  “…season to shine.”

A longtime Texas staple will soon be coming to South Louisiana. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

_____________________________________________

If you still need to mail your Christmas gifts to arrive on time, time is running out. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

_____________________________________________

Enhanced seat belt warnings are coming in all new vehicles in the U.S. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

_____________________________________________

A longtime Texas staple is coming to South Louisiana. Buc-ee’s will be opening a store along I-10 in Lafayette sometime in early 2026. Mandi Mitchell, the president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, says this means dozens of new jobs for the region.

Cut 4 (09) “…dollars an hour.”

People normally spend between 30 and 60 minutes inside a Buc-ee’s store. Along with uniquely branded items, Buc-ee’s is widely known for their clean bathrooms. The stores are generally huge in size, and Mitchell says this one will be no different

Cut 5 (10) “…120 fuel pumps.”

Mitchell says having a Buc-ee’s in Lafayette is a golden opportunity to market the city to people passing through, inviting them to experience everything the city has to offer.

Cut 6 (15) “…period of time.”

Construction is slated to get underway in the first quarter of 2025.

_____________________________________________

If you still need to mail your Christmas gifts to arrive before Christmas Day, you’d better get a move on it. Evelina Ramirez with the Postal Service says the first deadline is today.

Cut 7 (10) “…is December 19th.”

And if you miss that deadline, your last resort is Priority Mail Express, with a deadline of December 21st – this Saturday. Ramirez says the Postal Service will go to great lengths to deliver packages in time for Christmas, including after dark.

Cut 8 (09) “…they’ll be safe.”

Ramirez says volume is expected to pick up, and the Postal Service is ready.

Cut 9 (11)  “…season to shine.”

_____________________________________________

Enhanced seat belt warnings are coming soon in all new vehicles in the U.S. Under new NHTSA (NIT-sa) rules, all new vehicles will come equipped with enhanced seat belt warnings for front-seat occupants by September 1st, 2026; and seat belt warnings for rear-seat passengers will come one year later. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, says Louisianians already buckle up in huge numbers.

Cut 10 (11) “…are buckled up.”

Using statistics from last year, Fischer says for many years, seat belts have been proven to save lives.

Cut 11 (09) “…not buckled up.”

Fischer says the enhanced seat belt warnings will go a long way, especially for those who are rushing out the door in the morning to get to school or work.

Cut 12 (11) “…the right direction.”

Fischer notes that many vehicles that are currently rolling off the assembly line already comply with NHTSA’s new rules.

_______________________________________________________

Barring an injunction from an appellate judge, most school districts in the state will be given the green light to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms starting on January 1st. Attorney General Liz Murrill says while Judge John DeGravelles blocked the law on constitutional grounds, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals limited the scope of his ruling,

Cut 13 (05)  “…to this injunction.”

Murrill said the school board not named in the lawsuit should have nothing to worry about when it comes to posting the Ten Commandments.

Cut 14 (07) “…a federal lawsuit.”

Murrill said the state is ready to defend any school board that gets sued over the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

Cut 15 (08) “…to your order.”

Big problems on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway as at least 40 vehicles are involved in six separate crashes this morning. Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechau says visibility dropped to nearly zero.

Cut 9 (07)  “…on both bridges,”

Dufrechou says no one went over the rail and into the water, and all stranded vehicles made it off the Causeway. 33 people are hospitalized, none of them with life-threatening injuries.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has confirmed a case of bird flu in Bossier Parish. Commissioner Mike Strain says the long-term outbreak has been going on for almost three years.

Cut 7 (07) “…February of 2022.”

Strain says wild geese and ducks are bringing the virus into Louisiana. He says if you see a sick duck or goose, do not touch it and keep it out of contact with your domestic birds.

Chronic absenteeism in Louisiana schools continues to be on the rise. In the 2023-24 school year, chronic absenteeism grew three points to almost 25-percent. It’s the second year in a row that the rate increased. BESE President Ronnie Morris says that includes truancy, which is a huge problem across the state.

Cut 4 (06) “…a truancy problem.”

Morris says solutions include making school fun again, including opportunities for kids to do hands-on activities such as robotics and music.

As expected, at the meeting of the Louisiana Electoral College at the State Capitol, all eight electors cast their ballots for Donald Trump for President and J.D. Vance for Vice President. Voters overwhelmingly chose the electors during the election last month. It’s a scene that played out in all 50 states today, as electors formally elected Trump and Vance. Congress will certify the vote in a joint session on January 6th.

School absenteeism is trending in the wrong direction. In the 2023-24 school year, chronic absenteeism grew to almost 25-percent. It’s the second year in a row that the chronic absenteeism rate increased. BESE President Ronnie Morris says one factor that’s likely contributing to the problem is the fact that many students can’t read at grade level.

Cut 3 (10) “…what’s going on.” 

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has confirmed a case of bird flu. Commissioner Mike Strain says this is in Bossier Parish.

Cut 6 (11) “…not commercial flock.”

Strain says wild geese and ducks are bringing the virus into Louisiana. He says if you see a sick duck or goose, do not touch it and keep it out of contact with your domestic birds.

A huge mess on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway this morning. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Two dozen people in Concordia and Rapides parishes are arrested for their alleged involvement in a nationwide drug trafficking network following a two-year-long investigation. Concordia Sheriff David Hedrick says there is no safe haven for criminals in his parish…

Cut 14 (13) “…do so.”

Chronic absenteeism in Louisiana schools continues to be on the rise. In the 2023-24 school year, chronic absenteeism grew three points to almost 25-percent. It’s the second year in a row that the rate increased. BESE President Ronnie Morris says that includes truancy, which is a huge problem across the state.

Cut 4 (06) “…a truancy problem.”

Morris says solutions include making school fun again, including opportunities for kids to do hands-on activities such as robotics and music.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has confirmed a case of bird flu in Bossier Parish. Commissioner Mike Strain says the long-term outbreak has been going on for almost three years.

Cut 7 (07) “…February of 2022.”

Strain says wild geese and ducks are bringing the virus into Louisiana. He says if you see a sick duck or goose, do not touch it and keep it out of contact with your domestic birds.

A huge mess on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway this morning. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

As expected, at the meeting of the Louisiana Electoral College at the State Capitol, all eight electors cast their ballots for Donald Trump for President and J.D. Vance for Vice President. Voters overwhelmingly chose the electors during the election last month. It’s a scene that’s playing out in all 50 states today. Barring any faithless electors, the Trump/Vance ticket will rack up 312 electoral votes to 226 for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

The absenteeism trend in Louisiana schools is heading in the wrong direction. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

______________________________________

A huge mess on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway this morning. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

______________________________________

School absenteeism is trending in the wrong direction. For the second year in a row, the rate of chronic absenteeism – kids who are absent more than ten-percent of the time – has increased. In the 2023-24 school year, chronic absenteeism grew to almost 25-percent, up nearly three percentage points from the year prior. BESE President Ronnie Morris says one factor that’s likely contributing to the problem is the fact that many students can’t read at grade level.

Cut 3 (10) “…what’s going on.”

Morris says another factor is kids skipping school for no valid reason, and that’s a huge problem across the state.

Cut 4 (06) “…a truancy problem.”

Morris says solutions include making school fun again, including opportunities for kids to do hands-on activities such as robotics and music. Another idea is to open up internship opportunities to high school kids.

Cut 5 (08) “…way after graduation.”

______________________________________

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has confirmed a case of bird flu. Commissioner Mike Strain says this is in Bossier Parish.

Cut 6 (11) “…not commercial flock.”

Strain says the long-term outbreak has been going on for almost three years.

Cut 7 (07) “…February of 2022.”

Strain says wild geese and ducks are bringing the virus into Louisiana. He says the key for all poultry producers is biosecurity.

Cut 8 (14) “…your domestic birds.”

Strain says the infected birds have been euthanized and the facility has been cleaned up.

______________________________________

A huge mess on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway as at least 40 vehicles are involved in crashes this morning. Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechau (DOO-fruh-show) says visibility dropped to nearly zero.

Cut 9 (07)  “…on both bridges,”

Dufrechou says it did not start off as a foggy morning on the 24-mile stretch of roadway.

Cut 10 (12) “…people almost simultaneously.”

Dufrechou says crews were called to several separate incidents.

Cut 11 (16) “…nine separate crashes.”

No one went over the rail and into the water, and all stranded vehicles made it off the Causeway. There were no serious injuries.

__________________________________________________________

A two-year long investigation has resulted in two dozen people in Concordia and Rapides Parishes arrested for their alleged involvement in a nationwide drug trafficking network. U-S Attorney Brandon Brown says 13 of the suspects face federal drug trafficking charges…

Cut 12 (13) “…imprisonment.”

Brown’s office says Henry Jefferson Senior of Katy. Texas is the ring leader. But Brown says multiple people have arrested for possessing, distributing or manufacturing methamphetamine in Ferriday and Vidalia..

Cut 13 (12)  “…bad apples.”

Concordia Sheriff David Hedrick says his deputies arrested 11 more suspects in the investigation. He says there is no safe haven for criminals in Concordia Parish…

Cut 14 (13) “…do so.”

A huge mess on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway as at least 40 vehicles are involved in crashes this morning. Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechau says visibility dropped to nearly zero.

Cut 9 (07)  “…on both bridges,”

Dufrechou says crews responded to as many as nine separate crashes. No one went over the rail and into the water, and all stranded vehicles made it off the Causeway. There were no serious injuries.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has confirmed a case of bird flu. Commissioner Mike Strain says this is in Bossier Parish.

Cut 6 (11) “…not commercial flock.”

Strain says wild geese and ducks are bringing the virus into Louisiana. He says if you see a sick duck or goose, do not touch it and keep it out of contact with your domestic birds.

School absenteeism is trending in the wrong direction. For the second year in a row, the rate of chronic absenteeism – kids who are absent more than ten-percent of the time – has increased. In the 2023-24 school year, chronic absenteeism grew to almost 25-percent, up nearly three percentage points from the year prior. BESE President Ronnie Morris says one factor that’s likely contributing to the problem is the fact that many students can’t read at grade level.

Cut 3 (10) “…what’s going on.”