Many healthcare workers are receiving their second COVID-19 vaccination and more are eligible to receive their first dose. Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 1 (29) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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The Louisiana Attorney General’s office announces the arrest of a city councilman in Tangipahoa Parish on election fraud charges. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (31) ….I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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Alabama wide receiver and Amite native DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy last night, becoming the first receiver to win the award since Desmond Howard in 1991.  Smith credits the hard work he put in while growing up in Amite City.

Cut 3 (11)  “prove everybody wrong”

Despite choosing Alabama over the home-state LSU Tigers, Smith says his hometown has been very supportive throughout his college career.

Cut 4 (14) “my journey” 

He’s only the second Louisiana native to win the prestigious award. Springhill native John David Crow won the award in 1957 after a standout season as a halfback for Paul Bear Bryant at Texas A&M.

The six-foot-one, 175-pound Smith hopes he can inspire kids who have been told they are too small to play big-time football.

Cut 5  (08) “…too big” 

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Ochsner Physician Dr. Jay Brooks was among the first healthcare providers to be vaccinated in Baton Rouge and he’s now received his second injection of the COVID vaccine. As for side effects, Brooks says he’s somewhat achy after the injections.

Cut 6 (07) “…a one.”

Brooks says the COVID vaccine shot is comparable to a flu shot and he says he had more with the shingles vaccine.

Beginning this week those over the age of 70 and dialysis patients are now eligible to be vaccinated in Louisiana. Brooks says they began inoculations for patients in the Ochsner healthcare system that met the criteria.

Cut 7 (07) …at all.”

Brooks says vaccines are our best protection. Last week Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, who had no known preexisting conditions, died from COVID at age of 41. Brooks says the medical community has yet to fully understand why the virus affects some worse than others.

Cut 8 (10) “…lives.”

Brooks highly encouraged all residents when it’s their turn to be vaccinated.

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Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announces that Amite City Councilman Emmanuel Zanders has been arrested and charged with eight counts of election fraud. Landry says the District 3 councilman illegally registered voters at addresses they did not live at

Cut 9 (12) “ vacant lot”

Landry says there’s also evidence Zanders submitted a voter registration application on behalf of a citizen using his own address…

Cut 10 (12) “.not there’s”

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin takes election integrity seriously and if you try to commit election fraud, you’ll be caught

Cut 11 (08) “..worked as it should”

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A kidnapped 11-year-old was saved and her alleged kidnapper is behind bars in Grant Parish after communicating with the minor over the internet.

The girl went missing late Sunday in Madison Parish and was located in Grant Parish Monday evening resulting in the arrest of 22-year-old Angel Ramirez. State Police Trooper Michael Reichardt…

Cut 12 (06) “…safely” 

LSP, Grant Parish Sheriffs, and the FBI were involved in the hunt for Ramirez and the young girl.

The incident is still under investigation but Reichardt says they can confirm that the young girl is back home with her family after the traumatizing ordeal.

Cut 13 (05)“…ok.”

The kidnapping appears to be the result of some online communications and Reichardt says this is a reminder that all parents need to keep a close eye on their children’s online devices…

Cut 14 (09) “…want” 

Ramirez is facing one count of aggravated kidnapping but more charges are expected to be filed against him.

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Chaos has erupted in Washington D-C as Trump protesters have stormed the U-S Capitol while the U-S House and Senate debated the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Lawmakers were evacuated. Senator Bill Cassidy denounced the violence that erupted between Capitol police and the protesters

Cut 15 (05) “…period” 

Cassidy says this is supposed to be a peaceful transition of power. He says what they are doing is wrong and un-American

Cut 16 (05) “…hooligans” 

A person very close to the late Luke Letlow, may run for the 5th district Congressional seat that remains vacant following his death form COVID-19. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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Unemployed workers are receiving an extra 300-dollars a week on top of the 247-dollars they receive from the state. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (30) ….I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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A new law took effect this year that requires health insurance companies to cover newly developed precision genetic treatments for cancer patients.

River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot authored the law which was signed last June. He says it fills a coverage gap for cancer patients wanting to try new procedures.

Cut 3 (12)  “.body”

The bill passaged unanimously in both chambers.

Talbot says the new law was inspired by the experience of one of his friends who had breast cancer.

Cut 4 (09) to her” 

Talbot says before this law went into effect most cancer patients couldn’t get health insurance coverage for these types of treatments without putting up a serious fight.

Cut 5  (08) “…treatment” 

Talbot says cancer patients who were denied coverage for this treatment as recently as last month should now be eligible to have it covered.

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The wife of the late Congressman-elect Luke Letlow is reportedly considering a run for the 5^th Congressional district seat. USA Today Network reporter Greg Hilburn broke the story that 41-year-old Julia Letlow has been asked to run. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says it’s a personal decision for Julia Letlow.

Cut 6 (11) “…public service.”

It wouldn’t be a first for Louisiana. in 1973 Lindy Boggs successfully ran for her late husband’s, Hale Boggs, Congressional seat.

Stockley says former Congressman Ralph Abraham is also a possibility to run for the seat, even though he’s publicly stated he’s retired from Congress.

Cut 7 (11) …challengers.”

Stockley says if Julia Letlow does run, the campaigns of her opponents will take on a different tone.

Cut 8 (11) “…tragic loss.”

Qualifying for the March 20^th special election is January 20^th through the 22^nd.

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Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are splitting on tomorrow’s Congressional vote to certify the Presidential Election results with Cassidy for and Kennedy against.

President Trump has called on Republicans to reject the election results, calling them fraudulent. LSU Poli Sci Professor Robert Hogan says that call has GOP members in a bind…

Cut 9 (12) “ contrary”

Courts have rejected Trump Administration lawsuits challenging the election results and Louisiana’s head of election Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says there is no evidence of cheating.

Hogan says it’s not surprising Kennedy is rejecting the results. He says while Cassidy is safe for another six years, Kennedy is up for reelection in two years and may have greater ambitions…

Cut 10 (11) “.behind”

Kennedy has joined with a faction of Congressional Republicans that want a commission to review vote results in battleground state’s lost by the President and seek to establish a commission to investigate allegations of voter fraud.

Hogan says it will be interesting to watch how the state’s House Republican Delegation votes given how conservative those districts are…

Cut 11 (10) “..Presidency”

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Unemployed workers are receiving an extra 300-dollars a week. Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Ava Dejoie says the extra money is the result of the COVID relief bill approved by Congress…

Cut 12 (10) “…top of that.” 

The maximum an unemployed worker gets from the state is 247-dollars per week. Dejoie says unemployed workers have been trying to live off of that for months because additional federal assistance was not available

Cut 13 (11)“…manner.”

The additional 300-dollar a week benefit is expected to last until March 13th. She says since the onset of the pandemic, the state has distributed about seven billion dollars in funds to nearly 700-thousand Louisianans…

Cut 14 (12) “…uptick in cases”