Southwest Louisiana breathes a sigh of relief as the 2020 Hurricane Season comes to an end. Matt Doyle spoke with Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter about the historic struggles his city faces…

Cut 1 (30) “  I’m Matt Doyle”  

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LSU’s best wide receiver Terrace Marshall has decided to end his college career and get ready for the NFL draft. Jeff Palermo has the story..

cut 2 (31) … I’m Jeff Palermo.”  

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We will see the coldest temperatures of the season tomorrow morning with lows dipping into the upper 20s. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says if you use a space heater, make sure it’s at least three feet away from combustible objects and plugged directly into wall outlets

Cut 3 (10)  “…a fire”

Rodrigue says make sure you have a working smoke detector…

Cut 4 (11)   “…our website”  

Rodrigue also advises residents to get a carbon monoxide detector. She says if you have a chimney that can burn wood, make sure you have the chimney cleaned before starting a fire…

Cut 5  (10) “… too late” 

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Southwest Louisiana says good riddance to the worst hurricane season in recent memory. Lake Charles and surrounding areas were hammered by Hurricane Laura in late August and then Hurricane Delta six weeks later. Mayor Nic Hunter says residents are still fighting to recover.

Cut 6 (09) “..pieces.”

Laura was tied for the most powerful storm to make landfall in Louisiana in recorded history. It brought horrendous wind damage that stretched from Cameron Parish all the way into Monroe. Delta produced heavy floods due to rain.

Hunter says the good news is that vital services have returned and major employers and industries in the area are committed to staying.

Cut 7 (12) “..back.”

Hunter says they don’t quite have a timeline on when life will fully return to normal but it’s likely to at least take months as debris still lines the streets.

Cut 8 (12) “.basis.”

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In Kenner, a 30-year old gas station clerk was brutally murdered early this morning after cooperating with two men that robbed the store. Kenner PD Lt. Michael Cunningham says Abd Del Ghader Sylla was killed when two men entered the station on Williams Boulevard as if they were shopping then approached the clerk with a gun and demanded cash.

Cut 9 (12) “…no reason.”

Kenner Police are asking for the public’s assistance as the suspects remain at large. Photos of the suspects are posted on the Kenner PD’s Facebook page; Cunningham says the gunman was wearing a white knit cap and black face mask.

Cut 10 (10) “…call us.”

Cunningham says surveillance video from the store shows Sylla cooperated with the suspects and no struggle ensued whatsoever, but still the clerk was shot while on his knees with his hands in the air.

Cut 11 (07) “…the street.”

You can call Kenner Police Department at (504) 712-2222 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111

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Today is Cyber Monday, one of the largest online shopping days of the year. Carmen Million with the Better Business Bureau of South-Central Louisiana says according to an Accenture Holiday Shopping Survey more people are shopping online this year than before.

Cut 12 (12) “…COVID disease.” 

Million says there are a few things you should do to make sure your online purchases are safe, for example, avoid popup windows and check for secure sites.

Cut 13 (12) “… it’s activated.”

Million says also look for the Better Business Bureau seal and click on it to see if they are an actual accredited member.

Another tip before you put that purchase in your shopping cart, Million says to compare prices but also check shipping dates so it will arrive on time. But most importantly Million says to use a credit card as opposed to a debit card, where the money comes directly out of your account.

Cut 14 (11) “…misrepresented” 

Also check return policies, especially on large items, you might be responsible for a restocking fee and shipping.

One sector that has seen an increase in sales this year despite COVID is the real estate industry, Brooke Thorington tells us how things are in the Bayou State

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Matt Doyle checks in with ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley for the state of the 5^th Congressional District run-off race ahead of Saturday’s election…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

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Today marks the end of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Matt Doyle spoke with State Climatologist Barry Keim about this record breaking year…

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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According to Zillow, more homes are changing hands now than in the last 15 years, something that is hard to believe in a year of economic downturn. CEO of Louisiana Realtors Norman Morris says historically low mortgage rates are allowing many to become homeowners for the first time and existing homeowners to upgrade.

Cut 4 (12) “…larger home.”

Morris says some areas across the state are reporting quite an increase in sales compared to 2019, for example, in Northeast Louisiana, residential sales are up 13-percent, in the Central part of the state they’ve seen an increase of 16 million in sales, Northwest Louisiana is up 8-percent and the New Orleans market is up 15-percent.

Cut 5 (11) “…11 months.”

Morris says many buyers are looking for additional space to create a home office now that more employers are allowing workers to work from home during the pandemic.

Morris also credits Realtors for their adaptability to the changing market and embracing technology to show homes for a safer experience.

Cut 6 (10) “…COVID time.”

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The race for the open 5^th District Congressional seat will be decided Saturday with state lawmaker Lance Harris up against retiring Congressman Ralph Abraham’s former Chief of Staff Luke Letlow. ULM Poli Sci Professor Joshua Stockley says Letlow is the favorite given his substantial fundraising lead…

Cut 7 (10)  “…place.”

Harris has raised half a million dollars to Letlow’s 1.1 million.

But Stockley cautions against counting Harris out. He says this race is likely to come down to geography with Harris being from Alexandria and Letlow hailing from Ouachita Parish.

Cut 8 (10) “…election.”

Letlow secured 33 percent of the vote in the first round while Harris grabbed 17-percent, just nudging past Democrat Sandra Christophe’s to make the runoff.

Democratic candidates secured about a third of the vote in the primary, but Stockley says many of those voters will not cast a ballot in the December runoff…

Cut 9 (11) “…vote.

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A historic 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season ends today, one Louisiana residents will remember for a long time. State Climatologist Barry Keim notes the 30 total named storms broke the record of 28 set in 2005, and of those 30, five made landfall in Louisiana, another record.

Cut 10 (08) “…December”

12 named storms made landfall in the United States, also a record.

Southwest Louisiana is still recovering from Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Keim says Laura tied for the honors of being the most powerful storm to make landfall in Louisiana in recorded history.

Cut 11 (11) “..parish”

Laura made landfall on August 27^th. After that ten named storms then developed in September, also a record, including one day where three named storms formed within six hours of each other, another record.

Keim also says we had a highly unusual number of dual landfalls, where named storms make landfall practically in the same place at different times.

Cut 12 (13) “.Louisiana”

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It wasn’t much of a football game, but it goes down as a Black and Gold victory as New Orleans defeated the quarterback less Denver Broncos 31-3. Because of COVID issues involving the Broncos QBs, Denver was forced to use a practice squad receiver and running backs as their quarterbacks. Coach Sean Payton summed it up well…

Cut 13 (06) “…it is what is”

The victory improves the Saints record to 9-2 and New Orleans starting quarterback Taysom Hill is not apologizing for taking advantage of the short-handed Broncos…

Cut 14 (12) “…get it” 

Hill only threw for 78 yards. But Payton says the game plan was to keep the ball on the ground…

Cut 15 (10)“…of that” 

Hill rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns, while Latavius Murray led all rushers with 124 yards and two touchdowns. Denver completed just one pass and had 112 yards of offense.

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It was a rough night for LSU’s offense in 20-7 loss to Texas A-and-M on Saturday night. The Tigers rushed for just 36 yards and starting quarterback TJ Finley had another bad game on the road, throwing for 118 yards and two interceptions. Coach Ed Orgeron says the offensive line didn’t give Finley much help

Cut 16 (22) “..should of.”

After Finley threw a pick six, Max Johnson played a little better and threw for 113 yards and one touchdown. Orgeron said numerous times in the post-game that the Tigers need a better plan

cut 17 (17) “….better plan.”

LSU’s defense played well. They gave up a 52-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Spiller, but senior QB Kellen Mond was just 11-of-34 for 105 yards. Linebacker Micah Baskerville led the way with 12 tackles. He says the team plans to stick together

cut 18 (18) “…getting better”

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The 23rd ranked Ragin Cajuns won their fifth in a row as they beat ULM by 50. U-L Lafayette quarterback Levi Lewis accounted for five touchdowns in the 70-20 win. Coach Billy Napier says it was a good performance by the offense in their first game since November 14th…

cut 19 (21) “…Central Arkansas game”

Lewis threw for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell each rushed for over 90 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Kyren Lacy led the receivers with five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Napier’s offense produced 511 total yards…

cut 20 (20) “…in mind”