LSU’s only Heisman Trophy winner, Dr. Billy Cannon, will be honored at the school’s Baton Rouge campus with a statue. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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With the new school year fast approaching, the Louisiana Department of Health reminds parents to make sure their kids are up to date on their vaccines. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee has decided to honor football legend Dr. Billy Cannon with a statue on the Baton Rouge campus. Cannon graduated from the state’s flagship university in 1959 and is the school’s only Heisman Trophy winner. Cannon says receiving this honor is not something that you expect.

Cut 3 (10) “like me”

Cannon led the Tigers to the national championship title in 1958. The 80-year-old credits the erection of the statue to the work of his former teammates, Warren Rabb and Jimmy Fields and Athletic Director Joe Alleva.

Cut 4  (10) “fantastic”

Cannon says having a statue of him at his alma mater was the farthest thing from his mind. He hopes it looks like he did in his glory days, young with a lot of hair.

Cut 5  (09)  “represent him”

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Chefs from around the country will compete at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans on Saturday for the chance to become the King or Queen of Seafood in the Great American Seafood Cook-off. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says this is a chance for Louisiana to show off our fresh seafood. He says it’s a win-win for the state and the chefs.

Cut 6 (08) “or seafood”

So far 13 chefs have entered to compete for the coveted title. Louisiana’s representative is Bonnie Breaux of St. Martinville. Nungesser says other chefs are coming from as far away as Alaska, Massachusetts, and New Mexico. He says it’s always exciting to see the passion these cooks put into their dishes.

Cut 7 (07)  “to see”

Nungesser says the cook-off highlights the great seafood here in America, which he says is the best in the world. He says imported seafood just doesn’t compare to the fresh fish, crabs, and shrimp raised here in the Bayou State.

Cut 8 (09) “New Orleans”

Tickets are $10 at the door.

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The Louisiana Department of Health urges parents to make sure their children are vaccinated as school is just around the corner. State immunization director Dr. Frank Welch says vaccines are an important part of a child’s health and wellbeing, especially while they’re in school. He says children congregate in small classrooms, which makes it easier for vaccine-preventable diseases to spread.

Cut 9 (07)  “family members”

Welch says that’s why Louisiana law requires students to be vaccinated. Children must receive vaccines for polio, measles, mumps, hepatitis, and chicken pox. Students entering sixth grade also need a meningitis vaccine. He says kids have to get that shot before they’re exposed to the disease.

Cut 10 (07) “meningitis vaccine”

Welch says there is misinformation surrounding vaccines, but research has shown they do not cause things like autism. That concern was a big reason behind parents not vaccinating their kids. He encourages parents to get the facts about vaccines from their pediatrician.

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The hurricane forecast team at Colorado State has increased their storm prediction total by one and now anticipate 11 named storms for the rest of the season. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the total number of storms has been increased from 15 to 16. He says this isn’t a big change but it still shows conditions are conducive for an active season.

Cut 12 (10) “normal”

The forecast says eight of those eleven storms will become hurricanes. Keim says we’ve already had five named storms this season and 11 more are expected to come. He says 3 of the 8 predicted hurricanes are expected to be major.

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The National Hurricane Center is currently watching two tropical waves, one is way out in the Atlantic, while the other is in the central Caribbean. Keim says the next couple of months will be extremely active. He says the tropical Atlantic has been much warmer than normal and the absence of El Nino make perfect hurricane conditions.

Cut 14 (10) “to form”

There is a 38-percent chance a major hurricane will make landfall along the Gulf Coast.

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Could you survive in the forests of Belize “Naked and Afraid?” Halen Doughty has more from the West Monroe man who did just that…

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Shreveport officials made a heartbreaking announcement about the 7-year-old who was swept away in a storm drain. Michelle Southern reports…:

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A West Monroe man survived in the wilderness of Belize completely naked. Dustin Campbell will appear on tonight’s episode of “Naked and Afraid” on Discovery Channel. He says it was a challenge completing the stretch without clothes. He says bugs never bit so hard and nights have never been so long.

Cut 3 (11) “how you feel”

The show thrusts two strangers into the wild with no clothes, no food, and no water for 21 days. The team has to survive with only one survivalist tool each and their wits. Some participants are expert survivalists with years of training, but Campbell says he’s just a good ole boy who lives in the woods.

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Campbell is the second Ouachita Parish man to complete the challenge, after Jeremy McCaa appeared twice on the show last year. But he says he’d never swam with a crocodile before or tried some of the bizarre foods the Belize forest had to offer.

Cut 5  (10)  “they’re nasty”

Campbell says you’ll have to watch the episode tonight at 8 p.m. to see if he made it through the whole 21 day challenge.

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The state Department of Transportation will host a public meeting tonight at the Lake Charles Civic Center to discuss replacing the Calcasieu River Bridge. Deidra Druilhet with DOTD says the purpose of the open-forum is to give the community a chance to see the future plans and receive feedback. She says the construction would extend from the I-10/I-210 interchange on the west side river to the interchange on the east side.

Cut 6 (09) “enhance safety”

Druilhet says the 66 year old bridge is eligible to be on the National Registration of Historic Places and they hope to get feedback from the public on this, as well. She says at this time there is no money available for a new bridge, but it’s time to build a new one with today’s standards.

Cut 7 (10)  “shoulders”

The meeting is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Contraband Room. Druilhet says the proposed project would improve connectivity, congestion and bridge deficiencies.

Cut 8 (09) “the roads”

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Parents stocking up on back-to-school supplies can save a few dollars this weekend during the annual sales tax holiday. Byron Henderson with the state Department of Revenue says most purchases are only subject to three percent of the state sales tax this Friday and Saturday. He says that’s a significant savings over the usual five percent rate.

Cut 9 (10)  “school supplies”

Henderson says the tax break does not apply to vehicle purchases, food in restaurants, or taxable services. He says for items that are eligible, the two percent savings applies to the first $2,500 of the purchase price of each item.

Cut 10 (12) “state sales tax”

Henderson says not only can customers realize savings on the front end, there are dollars to be saved on the back end as well. He says parents should keep their receipts for any back-to-school purchases including supplies, uniforms, and equipment that’s required by the school.

Cut 11 (12) “and home schools”

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Shreveport Fire Chief Scott Wolverton held a news conference today to discuss how they located the body of 7-year-old Daysean Combest who was swept away in a storm drain Tuesday afternoon. He says railroad contractors called firefighters around 7:30 this morning…:

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Wolverton says the body was recovered by the Caddo Parish Coroner and will be sent in for an autopsy. Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler was also present for the announcement, and expressed sorrow for the child’s mother, Mary Edmond…:

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Daysean was last seen playing near a ditch not far from the Louisiana State Fair Grounds, just before heavy rains lashed the city. Hundreds of workers and volunteers took part in the search that included helicopters, boats and K9s. Tyler says this is every parents worst nightmare…:

Cut 14 (10) “and support”

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