If it were not for the coronavirus pandemic, this would be the first big weekend of Mardi Gras parades. But there are no parades this year and Governor John Bel Edwards is strongly urging residents not to gather in large groups during the carnival season.

Cut 9 (10) “…very quickly”

Edwards says Super Bowl viewing parties are also not a good idea.

New Iberia City Marshal 67-year-old Haywood Migues has been arrested for allegedly falsifying subpoena signatures. State Police Trooper Thomas Gossen says Migues was booked into the Iberia Parish Jail without incident Thursday.

Cut 14 (06) “…office.” 

Gossen says Migues forged signatures showing individuals had been served a subpoena in lieu of making personal service.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance says they recovered more than 22 million dollars last year from insurance companies for consumers who filed complaints against their insurers. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says about 19 million of that was related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta…

Cut 7 (11)  “…year”

For WAITR the Super Bowl is one of the top five delivery days of the year and they’ve ranked what they will think will be the top delicacies to be ordered Sunday in the Bayou State.  WAITR Spokesperson, Dean Turcol says when you look specifically at individual cities the favorites are regional.

Cut 5 (10)“…Louisiana.”

The top five for the state are Wings, fries, chips & dip and mozzarella sticks. For the entire list visit Louisiana Radio Network dot com.

WAITR releases their pre-game predictions for the top ten deliveries for Super Bowl Sunday in the Bayou State. Brooke Thorington has the dish.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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In 2020 the Louisiana Department of Insurance helped Louisiana policyholders win 22 million dollars from insurers through mediating complaints about underpayments. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

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Beginning Monday those age 65 and above will be eligible in Louisiana for the COVID vaccine. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 3 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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For WAITR the Super Bowl is one of the top five deliveries days of the year and they’ve ranked what they will think will be the top 10 delicacies to be ordered Sunday in the Bayou State. Media Relations for WAITR, Dean Turcol says number one on the list shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Cut 4 (11)“…a while.

Wings are followed by fries, burgers, chips & dip, and mozzarella sticks round out the top five.

Turcol says when you look specifically at individual cities the favorites are regional.

Cut 5 (10)“…Louisiana.”

Another regional surprise is doughnuts. The pastry made the list in Shreveport and Lafayette but didn’t make the playoffs for the state.

Rounding out the top ten is Sushi in 6^th place, followed by Onion Rings, Nachos, Quesadillas, and in 10^th place shrimp.

Turcol says sushi in the top ten for the state caught them by surprise as a Super Bowl favorite.

Cut 6 (11) “…us too.”

________________________

Last year the Louisiana Department of Insurance collected more than 22 million dollars for insurance policyholders who filed complaints against their insurers for underpayments.

About 19 million of that was related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says that’s more than triple what was collected in 2019.

Cut 7 (11)  “…year”

The three storms combined to cause 7.7 billion dollars in paid claims by insurers in Louisiana.

Donelon explains what a typical complaint looks like…

Cut 8 (12) “…roof is.”

Once that impasse is reached and the insurer refuses to pay for the new roof, the policyholder can file a complaint with LDI.

Donelon says they don’t have the authority to force companies to pay you a certain amount, but they can help you reach a mediated settlement. If you’d like to file a complaint visit their website…

Cut 9 (08) “..number.”

The Office of Consumer Services, which handles the complaints, was formed in 2015.

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Beginning next week Louisianans over 65 and older will be eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Governor John Bel Edwards made the announcement at his weekly coronavirus briefing Thursday. Edwards recognizes that demand is still high for the vaccine.

Cut 10 (13) “…COVID-19.”

This allows for approximately a quarter of a million more in the state to be vaccinated.

All first responders will also have access to the vaccine along with certain election workers ahead of the March election, some state officials, and the unified command group.

Cut 11 (08) “…on Monday.”

Edwards says getting everyone vaccinated is going to be a long process, it’s going to measured in months, not days.

Cut 12 (10) “…five-percent.”

Edwards announced that the state is also participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy program allowing 57 Walmarts to offer the vaccine. That program begins on February 11^th.

For a list of providers visit CovidVaccine.la.gov

_____________________________

New Iberia City Marshal 67-year-old Haywood Migues has been arrested for allegedly falsifying subpoena signatures.

State Police Trooper Thomas Gossen says the investigation began last month…

Cut 13 (12) “…signatures.”

Gossen says Migues was booked into the Iberia Parish Jail without incident yesterday.

Cut 14 (06) “…office.” 

Gossen says Migues forged signatures showing individuals had been served a subpoena in lieu of making personal service.

Cut 15 (10)“…had not.”

The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.

______________________________________

Former LSU running back Leonard Fournette will suit up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday in Super Bowl LV.  Fournette is a New Orleans native and he says he never thought he’d make it this far when he was sleeping on a bridge after Hurricane Katrina.

Cut 16 (15) “…made it out.”

The man carrying the ball for his opponent is former Tigers running back Clyde Edwards-Heliare, who earned the starting job with the Chiefs as a rookie.  Fournette says he’s not surprised that Clyde has had so much success.

Cut 17 (19) “…happy for him.”

In a game that contains six former LSU Tigers, Fournette might be most familiar with Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu.  Not only are they both from New Orleans, but they went to the same high school and both wore the coveted number seven jersey while at LSU.  Fournette says he can’t wait to face the Honeybadger on Sunday.

Cut  18 (13) “…each other better.”

______________________________________________________

The La Tech men’s basketball team begins a two-game series at the Super Pit tonight as they visit North Texas. The Bulldogs are coming off a two-game sweep of Southern Miss. Tech struggled to shoot the ball in those victories and coach Eric Konkol credits his defense for getting the Ws

Cut 19 (13) “…able to do.” 

Tech enters the game with a 7-3 record in Conference USA, while the Mean Green and the defending Conference USA regular-season champs. U-N-T has won four straight and has not lost at home this season. While North Texas is a good opponent, Konkol says his team will treat it like any other matchup.

  cut 20  (11) “…of us.” 

Beginning Monday those 65 and older are eligible to be vaccinated for COVID in Louisiana. the governor made the announcement today at his weekly COVID press briefing. The age has been lowered from 70 to 65, adding approximately 250-thousand more to be eligible for the vaccine.

State Police report two people were killed in a head-on crash in Thibodaux on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Trooper Jesse LaGrange says the high impact collision occurred when 33-year-old Lathisha Bellanger entered the northbound lane on L-A 1 in an attempt to pass several vehicles. The other driver has been identified as 57-year-old Ricky Zeringue. LaGrange says it’s unknown if the two victims were wearing a seat belt…

Cut 13 (10)“.  are pending”

In New Iberia, 67 year old Marshall Haywood Tony Migues was charged and booked in the Iberia Parish Jail for 8 counts of forgery, injuring public records and malfeasance in office. An investigation by State Police received information alleging multiple signatures has been forged by Migues on official court documents.  Migues was booked without incident. The investigation is ongoing.

33-year-old Christopher Stanfield of Natchitoches faces over 500 counts of child porn, and 30 counts of mail theft charges. Captain Tony Moran, with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, says the case volume caused detectives to summon assistance from the State Police and the Bossier City Marshal Task Force Unit…

Cut 5  (12) “…been included.” 

Stanfield also faces eleven counts of identity theft and drug charges.

A 33-year-old Natchitoches man faces over 500 counts of child porn, 30 counts of mail theft, eleven counts of identity theft, and drug charges. Captain Tony Moran, with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, says Christopher Stanfield was pulled over in Rapides Parish and several pieces of mail were discovered, which led deputies to search his home and they found child pornography.

Cut 4 (08) “…January of 2020″ 

Videos of a packed Bourbon Street last weekend have New Orleans officials pledging to crack down on gatherings ahead of Mardi Gras. New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson says this year for carnival stay home and stay socially distant from others.

Cut 11 (10) “…different.”

The New Orleans City Council has pledged to develop a plan to stop this year’s carnival from becoming another super spreading event.

The state is reportedly experiencing an extremely low outbreak of the flu. State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says in order to have widespread disease you have to have lots of people with it. He credits those who have practiced COVID mitigation measures properly with curbing the spread of the flu.

Cut 7 (10) “…take hold.”

There’s also been an increase in the number of flu vaccines this year as well.

The Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines look set to join Pfizer and Moderna in obtaining FDA approval soon and by spring there could be four different vaccines in use. Tulane School of Medicine Professor Dr. Lisa Morici says if they are approved we will see a major uptick in the number of weekly vaccinations, particularly because the J&J vaccine is only one injection…

Cut 12 (07) “…(2x) dose.”

Another vaccine, NovaVax, is expected to be approved in the summer.

Lafayette attorney Barry Rozas denies the charge of rape after his arrest Tuesday. The complaint was one of 28 provided to the Evangeline Council of the Boy Scouts of America and turned over to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in November. Rozas says a commission working on a class-action suit against the Boy Scouts of America created an anonymous hotline.

Cut 5 (09)“…citizens.”

Rozas faces a first-degree rape charge.

The Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines will soon look to join Pfizer and Moderna in obtaining FDA approval for use in the U-S. Tulane School of Medicine Professor Dr. Lisa Morici says each vaccine has its own efficacy but the best one for you is whichever one is available…

Cut 10 (09) “…as well.”

Peninsula Pacific is looking at moving its riverboat casino license for Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City that closed last May to Slidell. The company reportedly is interested in constructing a 250-million-dollar casino resort. St. Tammany President Mike Cooper says several steps have to take place, including a vote to undo a 1996 referendum in which St. Tammany voters rejected casinos and video poker…

Cut 13 (11) “…gaming.”

The state has launched the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the trail consists of 15 site markers, commemorating the Civil Rights movement in Louisiana.

Cut 8 (11) “…there.”
The website is LouisianaCivilRightsTrail.com.

A Lafayette attorney accused of rape while he served as a Boy Scout leader denies the allegations. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

_______________________________

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser explains how The Louisiana Civil Rights Trail became a reality.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

____________________________

Louisiana could see as many as four different vaccines available to the public this spring, and that’s got folks wondering which one they should take. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

____________________________

Lafayette attorney Barry Rozas held a press conference Wednesday to clear his name after his arrest Tuesday for first-degree rape. The complaint was one of 28 provided to the Evangeline Council of the Boy Scouts of America and turned over to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in November.

Cut 4 (08)“…happen.”

52-year old Rozas says a commission working on a class-action suit against the Boy Scouts of America created an anonymous hotline.

Cut 5 (09)“…citizen.”

Rozas stated that he was not allowed to participate in the investigation and that he wasn’t even given the victim’s name.

Cut 6 (10) “…restored.”

Rozas arrests could be the first of several. The Boy Scouts turned over 28 complaints involving 20 alleged victims for alleged incidents that occurred between 1955 and 2012. The investigation is ongoing, and some complaints fall outside the jurisdiction of Lafayette Parish.

________________________

The Office of Tourism launches the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail. It’s a series of markers across the state and an interactive website detailing the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says they interviewed over 400 people to put it together.

Cut 7 (08)  “…lived it.”

Nungesser says he was inspired to create the trail after attending a tourism conference. He credits students at Southern and Grambling for their dedication and fact-checking and his staff for making the trail come to life.

Nungesser says the current trail consists of 15 site markers, commemorating Civil Rights Era in Louisiana and the website offers a narrative to complement each marker.

Cut 8 (11) “…there.”

One marker commemorates, the McDonogh Three, three 6-year-old African American girls, who were the first to attend an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960. Nungesser says one of the three, Leona Tate, shares her experience.

Cut 9 (11) “…incredible.”

The website is LouisianaCivilRightsTrail.com

_____________________________

The Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines look set to join Pfizer and Moderna in obtaining FDA approval in the near future and by spring there could be four different vaccines in use.

Tulane School of Medicine Professor Dr. Lisa Morici says each vaccine is unique and has its own efficacy but know the best one for you to take is whichever is available first…

Cut 10 (09) “…as well.”

AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna all are two-dose vaccines with varying lengths of time between doses. Johnson and Johnson is a one-dose vaccine.

So why have J&J and AstraZeneca taken so long to be approved? Morici says for AZ it comes down to a mistake in a clinical trial where people getting a half dose were seeing more protection than those with a full dose…

Cut 11 (12) “…dose.”

For J&J Morici says it comes down to the fact that the company didn’t secure as much early federal funding as Pfizer and Moderna, and thus had to wait longer to begin clinical trials.

Morici says once AZ and J&J get approved we will see a major uptick in the number of weekly vaccinations, particularly because the J&J vaccine is only one shot…

Cut 12 (07) “…(2x) dose.”

Another vaccine, NovaVax, is expected to be approved in the summer.

_____________________________

Peninsula Pacific is in discussions about potentially moving their riverboat casino license for DiamondJacks from Bossier City to Slidell.

The company reportedly is interested in constructing a 250 million dollar casino resort on the water. St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper says this should be left to the people…

Cut 13 (11) “…gaming.”

The project would require quite a few steps to complete. First St. Tammany voters would have to undo a 1996 referendum blocking casinos and video poker, the Legislature would have to approve putting it on the ballot, and the State Gaming Control Board would also need to give permission.

Cooper says if approved the project could create 1,700 jobs during construction of the 50-acre site, and after operations begin…

Cut 14 (10) “…amenities.” 

Cooper says next week the Parish Council will propose a resolution in favor of having the Legislature put the issue on the Parish ballot.

Cut 15 (07)“…the way.”

DiamondJacks has been closed since last year.

______________________________________

According to 24-7 sports, the Ragin Cajuns football program signed the second-best recruiting class involving teams out of the Sun Belt. The class includes a nice mix of high school stars as well as some quality transfers.  A handful of the signees are already on campus and head coach Billy Napier is excited to see what they can do.

Cut 16 (10) “…with us.”

Two three-star running backs from Louisiana signed with the Cajuns yesterday, Montrell Johnson from De La Salle and Kendrell Williams from Carencro. While Williams has a natural ability to run the ball, Napier says it was Kendrell’s character that stood out the most.

Cut 17 (14) “…work ethic.”

_____________________________________________________

Louisiana Tech only signed one player on Wednesday and that’s junior college transfer, Demarcus Gordon, from Tunica, Mississippi. Coach Skip Holtz says Gordon is an important piece of the puzzle that they need

Cut  18 (17) “…March 10th”

______________________________________________________

There are six former LSU Tigers on the rosters of the two Super Bowl teams, which leads all other colleges. There are also two players who attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Tampa Bay running back Leonard Fournette and Kansas City safety Tyrann Mathieu. The Honey Badger says St. Aug helped shape him into the person he is today

Cut 19 (21) “…work hard.” 

This is Mathieu’s eighth season in the NFL and his second straight trip to the Super with the Chiefs. He was drafted by Arizona in 2013.  Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians was the head coach of the Cardinals at the time and said Mathieu remains his favorite draft choice of all time. Mathieu is taken back by those words

  cut 20  (15) ” good feeling.” 

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office has made one arrest as a result of an investigation that the Boy Scouts asked the law enforcement agency to conduct. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (31) …I’m Jeff Palermo”  

A man arrested in Shreveport for stabbing two people inside of a hospital Monday now has a warrant out for his arrest in New Orleans. That warrant is linked to a fatal machete attack at a New Orleans gas station Sunday. The suspect, 27-year-old Zaokoye Chatman is currently behind bars and authorities say they have not identified a motive for either of the two attacks.

State Police say a three-year-old child who was not properly restrained was killed in a wreck last night involving an 18-wheeler in Calcasieu Parish. Trooper Derek Senegal says toxicology samples were obtained from 41-year-old Blaine Keith Lecompte to see if he was impaired when the crash occurred on Interstate 10 near Vinton.

Cut 13 (09)“.18-wheeler”

The two bodies recovered from the wreckage of a plane that went down near Hackberry Tuesday are believed to be that of flight instructor Rock Palermo and his student Don Clements. Palermo, an attorney, was also the pilot for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Calcasieu Parish District Attorney Stephen Dwight says Palermo was well thought of.

Cut 7 (12) “…missed.”

The investigation is being handled by the FAA and the NTSB.

The two bodies recovered from the wreckage of a plane that went down near Hackberry Tuesday are flight instructor Rock Palermo and his student Don Clements. Palermo, an attorney, was also the pilot for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Tony Mancuso expressed condolences and personally thanked Palermo’s family for sharing him with the department over the years.

Cut 8 (11) “…amazing.”

The investigation is being handled by the FAA and the NTSB.

The CDC is now mandating that all public transit systems require riders to mask up. While Senator Bill Cassidy questions if the CDC has the authority to do so he recounted his own experience getting COVID. He says he picked it up from an aide who was driving him from New Orleans to Baton Rouge despite both him and the aide being masked…

Cut 11 (08) “…mask.”

State Police say a three-year-old child who was not properly restrained was killed in a wreck last night involving an 18-wheeler in Calcasieu Parish. Trooper Derek Senegal says the child was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Blaine Keith Lecompte. He and another juvenile passenger in his Jeep were properly restrained and sustained minor to moderate injuries. But Lecompte faces numerous charges.

Cut 14 (08) “..careless operation” 

The LSU Ag Center says the state is looking at a record sugar cane harvest this year. Sugar cane specialist Kenneth Gravois says even a rough hurricane season could not slow down a record-breaking sugar cane harvest…

Cut 4 (11) “…that’s great” 

State Police say a three-year-old child who was not properly restrained was killed in a wreck last night involving an 18-wheeler in Calcasieu Parish. Trooper Derek Senegal says the child was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Blaine Keith Lecompte. Senegal says they suspect Lecompte was impaired.

Cut 12 (10) “vehicular homicide” 

Senegal says toxicology samples were obtained from the driver.

The two bodies recovered from the wreckage of a plane that went down near Hackberry Tuesday are believed to be that of flight instructor Rock Palermo and his student Don Clements. Palermo, an attorney, was also the pilot for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Calcasieu Parish District Attorney Stephen Dwight says Palermo was well thought of.

Cut 7 (12) “…missed.”

The investigation is being handled by the FAA and the NTSB.

Senator Bill Cassidy recounted the story of how he got COVID, calling it a warning that transmission in tight spaces is still possible even if everyone is masked up. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.”  

It’s Super Bowl Week but in New Orleans Saints fans are eagerly awaiting a decision from Quarterback Drew Brees. Head Coach Sean Payton says he expects a decision in the next week or two on if Brees is retiring on coming back for year 21 in the pros.

The two bodies recovered from the wreckage of a plane that went down near Hackberry Tuesday are believed to be that of flight instructor Rock Palermo and his student Don Clements. Palermo, an attorney, was also the pilot for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Tony Mancuso was visibly emotional about the loss of Palermo.

Cut 6 (09) “…office”

The investigation is being handled by the FAA and the NTSB.

The LSU Ag Center says the state is looking at a record sugar cane harvest this year. Sugar cane specialist Kenneth Gravois says sugar was planted on 496-thousand acres in 2020 and the harvest which started in September produced about 83-hundred pounds per acre…

Cut 3 (09)  “…for Louisiana”

Gravois says even a rough hurricane season could not slow down a record-breaking sugar cane harvest.

The CDC is now mandating that all public transit systems require riders to mask up. Senator Bill Cassidy says this is a requirement most transit systems already have, and there’s a real question as to whether the CDC has the power to levy penalties against systems that refuse.

Cut 9 (07) “… enforce.”

Cassidy says masking up while on public transit is a good plan and data shows the virus spreads much easier in confined indoor spaces.

The state reports 2,046 new COVID-19 cases and 53 fatalities today. And 1,386 are hospitalized in the state with COVID. And close to 488-thousand vaccine doses have been administered an increase of 90 thousand since last Thursday.