Beginning today, it’s illegal to hold your phone while driving. Don Redman with Triple A says under the new law, in most cases police won’t pull you over just for handling your cell phone while driving.

Cut 8 (08) “…traffic infraction first.”

And that would lead to up to 100 dollars tacked onto your fine. In school zones and areas of road work, police WILL pull you over just for handling your cell phone while driving and those fines can be up to 250 dollars.

If you were registered as an Independent, your party affiliation automatically changes to “No Party” in the state’s voter registration system. That’s the result of a new law that went into effect today. John Couvillon with JMC Analytics and Polling says lawmakers eliminated the Independent Party, so they could vote in the upcoming party primaries.

Cut 13 (12)  “…of luck.”

The Louisiana Department of Health is warning you of the growing presence of Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially serious illness causing bacterium that naturally lives in warm coastal waters. A potentially deadly rapidly progressing illness can occur through contact with an open wound or through consumption of raw seafood, especially oysters. State epidemiologist Teresa Sokol says you’ll want to take extra precautions.

Cut 6 (10) “…a waterproof bandage.”

The LSU Veterinary School’s Wildlife Hospital is treating an increasing number of Mississippi kites that have been shot with air rifles. Dr. Kimberly Boykin says it’s illegal to shoot these small birds of prey that are important in controlling the insect population. She says air rifles don’t typically kill the bird but if they are shot and not brought to the LSU vet school, their chances of surviving are slim.

Cut 12 (11) “…anymore.”

The Mississippi kite migrates from the Gulf Coast and Brazil.

So far this year, 17 people have been hospitalized after becoming infected with Vibrio vulnificus, and four of them have died. Vibrio lives in warm salt and brackish water and is on the rise in Louisiana waters. State epidemiologist Teresa Sokol says if you start experiencing symptoms seek treatment right away.

Cut 5 (15) “…to two days.”

A small bird of prey that plays an important role in controlling the insect population seems to be a target of some and Dr. Kimberly Boykin with the LSU Veterinary School says they’ve seen an increase in the number of Mississippi Kites with wounds from air powered rifles and it’s a violation of Federal Law to shoot a Mississippi Kite.

Cut 11 (10) “…kills them.”

A new cell phone law is now in effect. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

LSU fall camp is fully underway and one name in particular has stood out. Defensive tackle Dominick McKinley came to Baton Rouge as a five-star last year and bulked up to 308 pounds for this upcoming season. His strength has put head coach Brian Kelly on notice.

Cut 18 (16) “…every single day.”

A warning from the Department of Health about potentially deadly bacteria. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

Another kind of warning if you use your cell phone while driving. Beginning today, it’s illegal to have your cell phone in hand while driving. Don Redman with Triple A says you could face an extra hundred dollars added to fines for other moving violations and in certain areas violators will be stopped solely for holding their phone and fined up to 250 dollars.

Cut 9 (10)  “…active work zones.”

The LSU Veterinary School’s Wildlife Hospital has seen an increase in birds with gunshot wounds, specifically, the Mississippi kite. Dr. Kimberly Boykin says last year they treated two just Mississippi kites for bullet fragments, this year they’ve treated eleven.

Cut 10 (09) “…hunting purposes.”

She says these small birds of pretty play an important role in controlling insect populations.

Register Independents are now registered “no party” in Louisiana. The state is doing away with the independent party as it moves to a party primary system for US House and Senate, Supreme Court, Public Service Commission, and BESE elections. John Couvillon with JMC Analytics says no party voters are now able to and participate in either the Republican or Democratic party primary.

Cut 14 (08) “…they can.”

Starting today, if you’re driving, keep your hands off your cell phone. That’s because handling your cell phone while driving is now illegal in Louisiana. This is something that Triple-A Louisiana has been recommending. Don Redman with Triple-A says while it’s already illegal to be texting while driving in Louisiana but that law was unenforceable, and people were doing many other crazy things with their phones.

Cut 7 (08) “…on the phone.”

If you were registered as an Independent, your party affiliation is automatically changing to “No Party”. That’s the result of a new law that went into effect today. John Couvillon with JMC Analytics and Polling says lawmakers eliminated the Independent Party, so they could vote in the upcoming party primaries.

Cut 13 (12)  “…of luck.”

The LSU Veterinary School has seen an increase in Mississippi kites with bullet fragments. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The Louisiana Department of Health is warning of the growing presence of Vibrio vulnificus. These bacteria live in coastal waters but not freshwater. It can cause illness or death through contact with an open wound or through consumption of raw seafood, especially oysters. State epidemiologist Teresa Sokol says the danger becomes greater when the water gets warm.

Cut 4 (12) “…in those temperatures.”

A new effort is underway to develop drugs to treat ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases through the use of A-I. It’s being led by Dr. Jeff Keller with the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

Cut 7 (09) “…in the past.”

Keller says this effort will set Louisiana apart when it comes to using A-I for innovative research like this.

Defense Satellite information used in both weather forecasting and U.S. Military operations was facing termination due to cybersecurity concerns, but the Defense Department announced that the crucial forecasting data will continue to be distributed for the foreseeable future. LSU Public Health climatologist Barry Keim says one significant advantage of these satellites is their ability to spot signs of rapid intensification.

Cut 6 (10) “…or strengthening.”

After 17 years, U-L Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie is stepping down. Communications Professor Philip Auter

says one thing that struck him about Dr. Savoie is that despite the size of the school, he had an open-door policy.

Cut 11 (15) “…through your door.”

State lawmakers told LHSAA officials they are not fans of the public-private school split playoffs in high school sports and they would like to see a one-time transfer rule adopted. LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine says he’s not a favor the split either, but it’s the high school principals who voted for the split several years ago and there’s not enough support to have private and public schools compete for the same championship.

Cut 15 (11) “…2015.”

The U.S. Department of Defense announced it will not go through with a plan to cut hurricane forecasting satellite data. The data is collected by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program which has capabilities other satellites do not. LSU Public Health climatologist Barry Keim says their most important feature is the ability to monitor storms at night.

Cut 5 (12) “…our hands.”

U L Lafayette will soon have a new president as Dr. Joseph Savoie steps down after 17 years. Vice president for academic affairs Dr. Jamie Hebert will serve as interim president while a nationwide search is conducted for ULL’s next president. Starting Friday, Dr. Savoie will assume the role as president emeritus. Communications Professor Philip Auter had this to say…

Cut 12 (11) “…an emeritus president.”

State lawmakers make it known what changes they want to see with high school sports. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A new effort to develop drugs to treat ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases using A-I is underway at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. It’s being led by Dr. Jeff Keller who says this effort will set Louisiana apart when it comes to using A-I for innovative research.

Cut 9 (12)  “…be materials management.”

At Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge an effort is underway to use A-I to develop drugs to treat ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. It’s being led by Dr. Jeff Keller who says the goal is to use A-I driven insights to identify and prioritize therapeutic targets. He says one well-known ALS patient was instrumental in securing the necessary funding.

Cut 8 (09) “…this effort happened.”

After 17 years, U-L Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie is stepping down, with today being his last day. Communications Professor Philip Auter, the former faculty senate president, says Dr. Savoie was a very effective president.

Cut 10 (09) “…that work here.”

The federal government announced it’s nixing a plan to end the distribution of critical hurricane forecasting data. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

State lawmakers told LHSAA officials they are not fans of the public-private school split playoffs in high school sports and they would like to see a one-time transfer rule adopted. Thibodaux Representative Bryan Fontenot…

Cut 13 (13)  “…across town.”

The U.S. Department of Defense announced it will not go through with a plan to cut hurricane forecasting satellite data. The information is used in both weather forecasting and U.S. Military operations but was facing termination due to cybersecurity concerns. LSU Public Health climatologist Barry Keim says this decision will save lives.

Cut 4 (09) “…this news.”

The data is collected by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program which has capabilities other satellites do not.

A new effort is underway to develop drugs to treat ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases through the use of A-I. It’s being led by Dr. Jeff Keller with the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

Cut 7 (09) “…in the past.”

Keller says this effort will set Louisiana apart when it comes to using A-I for innovative research like this.

The president of U-L Lafayette is stepping down. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

State lawmakers told LHSAA officials they are not fans of the public-private school split playoffs in high school sports and they would like to see a one-time transfer rule adopted. LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine told the panel high school principals recently overwhelmingly voted down a one-time transfer rule. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh told Bonine the split playoffs are bad for high school sports.

Cut 14 (10) “…itself.”

Mixed reaction to President Trump’s recent proclamation giving 25 chemical companies, including 12 in Louisiana, a two-year exemption from new EPA emissions rules. President the Louisiana Chemical Association, David Cresson (cress-AWN) says the two-year exemption is necessary because there’s a lot involved in meeting these new rules.

Cut 9 (08)  “…it as well.”

But Anne Rolfes (RAWL-fiss), the director of the environmental group Louisiana Bucket Brigade, says people’s health are too important to take two years for these companies to meet these new standards.

Cut 10 (13) “…cancer-causing emissions.”

Cresson disputes Rolfe’s notion that there’s a correlation between people’s overall health and proximity to a chemical plant.

A disturbing story out of Beauregard Parish as the headstone of the mother of the first Black mayor in DeRidder’s history is vandalized. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Scammers are trying to exploit Louisiana residents again. Trying to get their personal information and scam their money through a fraudulent text message. OMV Deputy Commissioner Matt Boudreaux says the text claims it comes from the OMV trying to collect a fee for an outstanding traffic ticket.

Cut 3 (12) “…through the mail.”

The headstone of the mother of Deridder’s first Black Mayor has been vandalized. Mayor Harris

is stopping short of calling this act of vandalism a racially motivated act. He tells KALB-TV that he’s leaning on his faith to get him through this.

Cut 8 (08) “…and keep going.”

The police department is actively investigating. The cemetery, however, does not have any security cameras, which will make the investigation much more difficult.

Bankrate released a recent study that found Gen Z and Millennial workers were more likely to ask for a raise or flexibility than their Gen X counterparts. Bankrate senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick…

Cut 14 (14) “…next year.”

There’s mixed reaction to President Trump’s proclamation giving a two-year exemption from new EPA emissions rules to 25 chemical companies, including 12 in Louisiana. Director of the environmental group Louisiana Bucket Brigade Anne Rolfes (RAWL-fiss) says people’s health is too important to take two years for these companies to meet these new standards. David Cresson (cress-AWN), the president of the Louisiana Chemical Association, says the two-year exemption is necessary and he disputes Rolfe’s notion that there’s a correlation between people’s overall health and proximity to a chemical plant.

Cut 11 (15) “…in the state.”

The Scammers are again trying to exploit Louisianans text messages pretending to be the OMV to get personal and financial information defraud respondents out of money they think they’re paying for a traffic ticket. Deputy Commissioner Matt Boudreaux encourages people to inform others about potential scams.

Cut 5 (13) “…information stolen.”