A lawsuit has been filed against the City of New Orleans and city contractors by seven victims of the terror attack on Bourbon Street. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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The oldest institute of higher education in Louisiana is celebrating a milestone this year. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The New Orleans Police Department is bringing in some outside assistance to help devise counterterrorism strategies ahead of two major events coming up. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Seven victims of the New Year’s Day terror attack on Bourbon Street have filed a lawsuit against the City of New Orleans and city contractors. The lawsuit claims the defendants ignored repeated warnings about security risks.  Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says it’s an interesting angle.

Cut 4 (14) “…were being constructed.”

They argue that stronger protections could have prevented the incident, which caused severe injuries and trauma. Ciolino says targeting private contractors instead of police officers could be successful.

Cut 5 (09) “…dead on arrival.”

The lawsuit seeks accountability for the oversight and damages to cover medical expenses and pain and suffering endured by the victims. Ciolino says there is a lot of litigation to be done in these cases.

Cut 6 (07) “…would otherwise get.”

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The oldest higher education institution in Louisiana is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Centenary College in Shreveport was founded in 1825, with its original campus in Jackson, Louisiana. Centenary President Dr. Christopher Holoman says the school takes a unique approach to its liberal arts curriculum.

Cut 7 (15) “…variety of situations.”

Dr. Holoman says for two centuries, the college has prepared students for a wide variety of professions, including the medical profession.

Cut 8 (09) “…200 years now.”

Holloman says in recent years, the school has rolled out new majors, such as kinesiology and sports management. Speaking of sports, Centenary has recently added some new athletic teams, who go by the nicknames “Ladies” and “Gentlemen.”

Cut 9 (12)  “…baseball and gymnastics.”

Dr. Holoman says a couple years ago, started the Centenary Affordability Pledge, in which the school does not charge any additional tuition for students who carry full Pell scholarship and a full TOPS scholarship. The school will be holding bicentennial celebrations throughout the year.

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Southeastern Louisiana University and its partners are offering Christmas tree recycling in Hammond and Ponchatoula to support wetland restoration efforts. Discarded trees, instead of going to landfills, are used to combat erosion and create wildlife habitats in the Manchac (MAN-shack) Swamp Wetlands. Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station Manager Rob Moreau says this initiative marks its 30th year.

Cut 10 (11) “…the 600 range.”

Moreau says residents can drop off trees at various locations, and trees must be free of decorations, stands, and flocking.

Cut 11 (06) “…discarded Christmas trees.”

This program continues thanks to local collaboration despite the end of state grants and Moreau says it’s a great hands-on activity to get people connected more to the environment.

Cut 12 (08) “…into the wetlands.”

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With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras happening in New Orleans in the aftermath of a terror attack on Bourbon Street, the New Orleans Police Department is bringing in an expert to recommend strategies to prevent another attack. NOPD is bringing aboard former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, a renowned security expert. At his introductory news conference, Commissioner Bratton says he will be bringing in a team of experts.

Cut 13 (10) “…and counterterrorism issues.”

Commissioner Bratton says identifying strategies to bolster public safety will be a learning experience.

Cut 14 (12) “…that might evolve.”

Bratton says he and his team will be getting to work right away.

Cut 15 (10) “…already been generated.”

Bratton’s team will be an additional layer of counterterrorism, with both the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras being given the highest Special Event Assessment Rating by the Department of Homeland Security.

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Sean Payton has the Denver Broncos in the playoffs in his second season in Denver. The Broncos will visit the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Payton was nine and eight in the postseason as the head coach of the Saints and he had Drew Brees as his quarterback. Rookie Bo Nix is the starting quarterback for the Broncos, and Payton expects the former Auburn and Oregon star to do just fine…

Cut 16 (15) “…bigger games.”

The Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday to clinch a playoff spot.

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Rookie Jayden Daniels has led the Washington Commanders to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at LSU is not building up the matchup against the Buccaneers on Sunday night too much…

Cut 17 (17)  “…play ball” 

January 2006 is the last time the Washington franchise won a playoff game. Daniels says there’s no added pressure in trying to break the postseason victory drought…

Cut 18 (13)   “…through it all.”

We now have a report of a death from this arctic blast. The Louisiana Department of Health says a 65-year-old Rapides Parish man died of hypothermia. The department did not go into any further details of how the man died.

While temperatures in Rapides Parish are certainly much lower than normal, they’re not as low as those in areas further north, where a winter storm warning remains in effect. Snow is falling in Texas and Arkansas, but Louisiana is mainly dealing with rain.

SWEPCO is prepared to respond to power outages when they occur from the winter storm. Michelle Marcotte with SWEPCO says they’ve been getting the trucks and crews ready.

Cut 14 (13) “…to restore power.”

Marcotte says they also have extra personnel ready to respond.

The frigid temperatures have led to several house fires; and so far eight across the state have turned deadly. 11 people have been killed in those eight fires. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality.

Cut 9 (08)  “…my team.”

The Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal says there were no fire deaths last night, and it’s urging you to do your part in ensuring that it stays that way. That includes placing nothing within three to five feet of space heaters.

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.” 

The shirts sell for 35 dollars apiece.

Precipitation is falling in north Louisiana, and we’ll wait to see if it becomes freezing rain, sleet or snow. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says it could snow tomorrow morning near the Arkansas state line…

Cut 12 (09) “…slip and slide.”

Four parishes in northwest Louisiana, Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne, are under a winter storm warning, and a winter weather advisory is in place for several other north Louisiana parishes.

SWEPCO is prepared to respond to power outages when they occur from the winter storm. Michelle Marcotte with SWEPCO says they’ve been getting the trucks and crews ready.

Cut 14 (13) “…to restore power.”

Marcotte says they also have extra personnel ready to respond.

So far this year, 11 people have died in eight separate fires across the state amid brutally cold temperatures. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says none of the homes involved in these deadly fires had a working smoke detector…

Cut 10 (10) “…free of charge.”

Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries warns of potential fish kills along the coast amid these freezing temperatures. Fisheries biologist Jason Adriance notes that slower temperature drops give fish a better chance to acclimate and survive.

Cut 7 (07) “…more severe impact.”

One coastal species most at risk is the Spotted Seatrout which struggles when water temperatures drop below 40-degrees for over a day, while Red Drum begins to experience issues in the mid-30s.

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect for much of north Louisiana. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin reports Texas and Arkansas will get the brunt of this storm, not Louisiana…

Cut 2 (30) “…dark paved surfaces.”

Utilities are getting ready to respond to issues caused by the winter storm. SWEPCO has spent the last several days getting their trucks stocked and ready and making sure crews have proper winter attire so that they can go out and restore power. SWEPCO has more than a thousand additional personnel ready to respond should they be needed.

It’s the national day of mourning for President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100. One organization near and dear to President Carter’s heart was Habitat for Humanity. After leaving office, Carter helped the organization build a countless number of homes. Kathy Gardner, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana, says Carter set the example for everyone else to follow.

Cut 4 (13) “…in North Louisiana.”

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.”

With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming up, the big talk is how to make the French Quarter safe, especially in light of what happened early New Year’s Day. New Orleans Representative Alonzo Knox says he is open to any and all suggestions.

Cut 10 (10) “…least mitigate it.”

Some have suggested turning the entire French Quarter into a pedestrian mall. Knox says the problem there is that part of the French Quarter is residential, with people living there 365 days a year.

The legislature is expected to take up soaring homeowners and auto insurance premiums in its next regular session this year. Governor Landry has expressed frustration that a package of insurance industry-backed bills has not lowered premiums. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says he understands the frustration.

Cut 13 (08) “…understand the frustration.”

Temple says this crisis has been years in the making, and a fix will not happen overnight.

On this, the national day of mourning, Habitat for Humanity chapters across the country, including here in Louisiana, are mourning the passing of one of its biggest champions, President Jimmy Carter. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

We’re now learning of stories of heroism in the deadly terror attack on Bourbon Street New Year’s Day. Jack Bech, the brother of Tiger Bech, posted on social media that Tiger pushed a girl out of harm’s way as Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed a pickup truck into a crowd at the entrance from Canal Street. Tiger Bech was one of 14 innocent people killed in the attack.

Today, a nation comes together to mourn the passing of Jimmy Carter. The 39th President died December 29th at the age of 100. One organization near and dear to his heart was Habitat for Humanity, having helped build several homes for the organization. Kathy Gardner, the president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana, says Carter left a lasting legacy.

Cut 6 (13) “…loving human mankind.”

With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming up, the big talk is how to make the French Quarter safe, especially in light of what happened early New Year’s Day. Some have suggested turning the entire French Quarter into a pedestrian mall. New Orleans representative Alonzo Knox says there’s one problem with that.

Cut 11 (08) “…of the year.”

Knox says a more viable solution is to turn just Bourbon Street into a permanent pedestrian mall – something that has previously been floated, only to have businesses on that street push back.

North Louisiana braces for a winter storm. The question now is, what kind of winter precipitation will fall? Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

So far this year, 11 people have died in eight separate fires across the state. The two latest deadly fires were in Shreveport and in Rapides Parish, with one person dying in each. These deadly fires come amid plummeting temperatures throughout Louisiana, as people come up with creative – and dangerous – ways to stay warm.

On this, the national day of mourning, Habitat for Humanity chapters across the country, including here in Louisiana, are mourning the passing of one of its biggest champions, President Jimmy Carter. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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North Louisiana is bracing for a winter storm, the question is what type of precipitation will fall?  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple understands the frustration about rising homeowners insurance premiums. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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It’s the national day of mourning for President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100. One organization near and dear to President Carter’s heart was Habitat for Humanity. After leaving office, Carter helped the organization build a countless number of homes. Kathy Gardner, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana, says Carter set the example for everyone else to follow.

Cut 4 (13) “…in North Louisiana.”

Gardner says Carter embodied everything that Habitat for Humanity stands for.

Cut 5 (13) “…a greater level.”

Gardner says Carter left a lasting legacy at the organization.

Cut 6 (13) “…loving human mankind.”

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A winter storm rolls into north Louisiana today, the question is what type of precipitation will fall? National Weather Service Meteorologist Matthew Hemingway says the high temperatures will reach the mid-30s, so we could see mixed precipitation at first….

Cut 7 (13) “…area Friday morning.”

A winter storm warning is in effect for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne Parishes. Hemingway says the higher accumulation of the winter precipitation will take place near the Louisiana-Arkansas border…

Cut 8 (12) “…southern parts.”

Hemingway says a major concern of freezing rain is the impact it will have on roadways and bridges.

Cut 9 (12)  “…Friday morning.”

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With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming up, the big talk is how to make the French Quarter safe, especially in light of what happened early New Year’s Day. New Orleans Representative Alonzo Knox says he is open to any and all suggestions.

Cut 10 (10) “…least mitigate it.”

Some have suggested turning the entire French Quarter into a pedestrian mall. Knox says there’s one problem with that.

Cut 11 (08) “…of the year.”

Knox says a more viable solution is to turn just Bourbon Street into a permanent pedestrian mall – something that has previously been floated, only to have businesses on that street push back.

Cut 12 (08) “…a pedestrian mall.”

As it is, Bourbon Street is blocked off to vehicular traffic from six p-m to six a-m every day. However, that did not prevent a terrorist from driving around a police cruiser and into a group of people, killing 14 of them. The City of New Orleans has just hired former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to review the city’s security measures. The consultation is scheduled for late this afternoon.

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The legislature is expected to take up soaring homeowners and auto insurance premiums in its next regular session this year. Governor Landry has expressed frustration that a package of insurance industry-backed bills has not lowered home insurance premiums. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says he understands the frustration.

Cut 13 (08) “…understand the frustration.”

Temple says this crisis has been years in the making, and a fix will not happen overnight.

Cut 14 (08) “…of this crisis.”

Temple says one state that had a similar plight is Florida, where homeowners saw their insurance premiums skyrocket after Hurricane Ian in 2022. He says just as Louisiana homeowners are experiencing, it took time for them to start seeing results.

Cut 15 (11) “…benefit of that.”

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The sixth ranked LSU women’s basketball team will put its undefeated record on the line tonight when they visit 16^th ranked Tennessee. ESPN.com bracketologist Charlie Crème called the Lady Tigers an enigma because their soft non-conference schedule makes difficult to evaluate them. Coach Kim Mulkey is fine with the enigma label…

Cut 16 (07) “…won the championship.”

LSU is 17-and-0, while Tennessee enters tonight’s game with a 13-and-1 record. That one loss happened last Sunday against Oklahoma. Mulkey says Tennessee is very good…

Cut 17 (20)  “…magic number.” 

Tennessee is averaging 97 points a game, while LSU is averaging 92 points a contest, despite struggling to find consistency at the point guard position. Mulkey on Last Tear Poa, Shayeann Day-Wilson and Kailyn Gilbert sharing the point guard duties…

Cut 18 (17)   “…separated.”

Tip off is at 5 PM.

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After dropping its first two Conference USA games on the road, Louisiana Tech returns to the Thomas Assembly Center tonight to host FIU. Bulldogs Coach Talvin Hester hopes last week’s losses serve as a wake up call..

Cut 19 (10) “…really is.”

FIU is seven and eight but the Panthers have won five of their last seven. Tip off is at 6:30.

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The Ragin Cajuns are home tonight to take on Old Dominion. Both teams are 2-and-1 in Sun Belt play and U-L Lafayette interim head coach Derrick Zimmerman gives a scouting report on the Monarchs…

Cut 20 (20) “…the year.”

Tip off is at 7 PM in the Cajundome.

A winter storm warning will be going into effect tomorrow morning for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes in northwest Louisiana. Precipitation is expected to start falling after the morning commute tomorrow. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says depending on what happens, driving in areas of northwest Louisiana could get dangerous.

Cut 10 (12) “…ice on contact.”

Erin Buchanan with the state Department of Transportation says crews are ready to respond if and when wintry precipitation begins to fall…

Cut 12 (12) “…watching the forecast.”

In addition, a winter weather advisory is coming for DeSoto, Red River, Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Ouachita, Union, Morehouse and West Carroll parishes. All watches and advisories expire at noon Friday.

The Advocate reports that a multi-billion-dollar steel mill for Hyundai will be built in Ascension Parish for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The man who killed 14 people by plowing a pickup truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street posted videos ahead of time. Senator Bill Cassidy says there’s a way that social media companies can cooperate with law enforcement in those instances.

Cut 4 (09) “…to law enforcement.”

A winter storm warning will be going into effect tomorrow for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes in northwest Louisiana. State climatologist Jay Grymes says all those parishes should be weather aware for the rest of the week.

Cut 9 (12)  “…Thursday into Friday.”

In addition, a winter weather advisory is coming for DeSoto, Red River, Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Ouachita, Union, Morehouse and West Carroll parishes.

The Department of Transportation says crews are ready to respond if wintry precipitation begins to fall. Erin Buchanan with the DOT says they are closely monitoring the forecast.

Cut 13 (13)  “…bit wet”

All warnings and advisories expire at noon Friday.

Hyundai Motor Group is reportedly planning a multibillion-dollar steel mill in Ascension Parish to supply steel for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. Economist Loren Scott says Ascension Parish has the possibility to land it because of the low-cost of natural gas in Louisiana and its proximity to the Mississippi River…

Cut 7 (12) “…to achieve that.”

The Advocate reports this project could create 13-hundred permanent jobs, with construction possibly starting next year. Environmental concerns from local activists may arise, although no major opposition has surfaced in the area so far.

Alexandria is getting a shot in the arm in its quest to improve transportation. Senator Bill Cassidy announces a 320-thousand-dollar transportation grant for Rapides Parish. The money will be used for enhanced pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections.

The Advocate reports that a multi-billion-dollar steel mill for Hyundai will be built in Ascension Parish for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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A winter storm warning is forthcoming for the four northwestern-most parishes. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The man who killed 14 people by plowing a pickup truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street New Year’s Day posted videos ahead of time detailing what he was planning to do. Senator Bill Cassidy says this is the preferred method of terrorists, foreign and domestic.

Cut 3 (11) “…Theodore Kaczynski did.”

Cassidy says there’s a way that social media companies, like Meta, can cooperate with law enforcement when videos like that are posted onto their platforms.

Cut 4 (09) “…to law enforcement.”

Cassidy says one company is already doing this.

Cut 5 (13) “…copyright, et cetera.”

Cassidy says social media companies should not have to be given the green light from Congress to share the information with law enforcement. He says when people post videos like that, they forfeit their right to privacy.

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The Advocate reports that Hyundai Motor Group is planning a multibillion-dollar steel mill in Ascension Parish, to supply steel for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. The report says this project could create 13-hundred permanent jobs, with construction possibly starting next year. Economist Loren Scott says this would be a big win for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (13) “…picking up jobs.”

The six-billion-dollar facility will be built on sugarcane fields near Donaldsonville within the Riverplex MegaPark industrial site.  Scott says Ascension Parish has the possibility to land this proposed steel mill because  of the low-cost of natural gas in Louisiana and it’s proximity to the Mississippi River…

Cut 7 (12) “…to achieve that.”

Hyundai aims to mitigate potential tariffs and reduce logistics costs by manufacturing its steel. Scott says the project reflects Governor Jeff Landry’s push for industrial growth.

Cut 8 (10) “…very very impressive.”

Environmental concerns from local activists may arise, although no major opposition has surfaced in the area so far. Also Governor Landry and Ascension Parish officials are not commenting on the proposed project.

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A winter storm warning will be going into effect tomorrow for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes in northwest Louisiana. In addition, a winter weather advisory is coming for DeSoto, Red River, Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Ouachita, Union, Morehouse and West Carroll parishes. State climatologist Jay Grymes says all those parishes should be weather aware for the rest of the week.

Cut 9 (12)  “…Thursday into Friday.”

Precipitation is expected to start falling after the morning commute tomorrow. Grymes says depending on what happens, driving in areas of northwest Louisiana could get dangerous…

Cut 10 (12) “…ice on contact.”

Grymes says central and south Louisiana will not see snow. However there’s the threat for heavy rainfall tomorrow night through Friday for south Louisiana…

Cut 11 (06) “…rain in spots.”

All warnings and advisories take effect at six tomorrow morning and expire at noon Friday.

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Will we see snow, ice or rain tomorrow in north Louisiana? That’s the big question with a winter storm that will move into Louisiana tomorrow from Texas. Department of Transportation spokesperson Erin Buchanan says they are ready to respond if wintry precipitation begins to fall…

Cut 12 (12) “…watching the forecast.”

A winter storm warning is in effect northwest Louisiana and a winter weather advisory is in effect for areas like Monroe, Ruston, Coushatta and Mansfield. Arkansas is expected to see snowfall, but depending on the temperature, Louisiana could see either rain, ice or snow. Buchanan says they are closely monitoring the forecast…

Cut 13 (13)  “…bit wet”

Buchanan says DOTD will have crews watching for icing on bridges and overpasses and with construction ongoing on I-20 in Bossier and Caddo Parishes, keeping I-220 is a priority…

Cut 14 (12) “…elsewhere.”