Today is the deadline for the three physician team to be assembled that will perform the court ordered psychiatric examination of Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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North Louisiana could get multiple inches of snow today. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (26) “reporting”

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Viking Cruises announces they’ll begin offering trips along the Mississippi River from the Port of New Orleans. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

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Today is the deadline for the three physician team to be assembled that will perform the court ordered psychiatric examination of Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson in the legal fight involving his former heirs. Legal analyst Tim Meche says doctors will first sit down with Benson and ask him questions to test his memory…

cut 4  (10)  “ruled that out”

Meche says there will be no neurological testing on Benson. The physician team has until March 13 to report their findings. He says these examinations are meant to determine whether Benson is capable of making reasonable decisions concerning his care of his person and his property…

Cut 5  (12)  “he trusts”

He says the tests will consist of a series of questions and a free-flowing interview. The physician team will consist of one doctor chosen by Benson, one by his former heirs, and one agreed upon by those two doctors. Meche says when doctors know other doctors are looking over their shoulder, it’s rare for one to diverge from the group…

Cut 6 (12)  “differing opinions”

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The parishes along the Louisiana-Arkansas border are under a winter storm warning today as a significant snowfall is expected. Marty Mayeaux, with the National Weather Service, says they are expecting more than a light dusting…

CUT 7 (09)  “we can expect”

Traveling along I-20 has not been easy the last couple of days, and Mayeaux says the situation will only get worse with more sleet and snow

Cut 8  (08)  “still there” 

Several parishes along I-20 and to the south of the interstate are under a winter weather advisory. Natchitoches,  Lincoln, Ouachita, Grant, Franklin and La Salle are included in this advisory.  Mayeaux says these areas could also see snow…

Cut 9 (04)  “north Louisiana”

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The Board of Regents approved a plan which would create a uniform policy for Louisiana’s colleges in how they deal with sexual assault claims. Higher education commissioner Joe Wallo says higher ed institutions have to develop a protocol to follow when someone comes forward with a sexual assault allegation…:

Cut 10 (08) “fair treatment”

Wallo says all of their campuses are engaging in some type of education and prevention programs with their students when it comes to sexual assault, but they wanted to work to create a common expectation. He says they are all about letting the students know leaders are there to help and to listen…:

cut 11 (08) “be recourse”

Wallo says colleges must work with local law enforcement on response efforts and also ban retaliation against someone who files a sexual misconduct complaint. He says the policy is a process that first starts with the evaluating the complaint…:

cut 12 (07)  “by campus”

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Viking Cruises announces they’ll begin offering trips along the Mississippi River from the Port of New Orleans. The plan is to have the operation going by 2017 when two boats launch per year taking passengers on a journey upriver from The Big Easy to stops in Louisiana, Memphis, Tennessee, Minnesota and more. Port of New Orleans President Gary LaGrange:

Cut 13 (11)  “our restaurants”

The move means hundreds of jobs and a boost to the state’s tourism industry according to Governor Bobby Jindal. The specialty-built riverboats will have a full complement of luxury amenities and host up to 300 passengers. LaGrange says there will be amazing itineraries planned…:

Cut 14 (07) “that they can reach”

Viking’s new service will result in the creation of 417 new direct jobs for Louisiana-based operations and vessel crews with an average salary of $40,000. LaGrange says Viking’s cruises are renowned for their locally oriented educational and entertainment programs. He says the folklore will bring a lot to heart as the Mississippi River has a powerful history…:

Cut 15  (12)  “and maybe Asia”

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LSU basketball took care of business last night by easily beating Auburn 84-61. It was the Tigers 20th win of the year and Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says it was important for them to avoid another bad loss to Auburn as they look to lock-up an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament

Cut 16  (12)  “resume killers”

LSU got another big game last night from Jarell Martin, who scored 25 points. Worsham says has been attacking the rim more lately

Cut 17 (11)  “closer to the rim”

LSU’s next game is Saturday at home against Ole Miss. The Tigers beat the Rebels on their home floor earlier this season and Worsham says it will not be easy to sweep the season series

Cut 18 (20) “tournament’

Gas prices have been on the rise for one month now. Jeff Palermo on the reasons why you are paying more at the pump…

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State Alcohol and Tobacco Control agents have arrested a Campti man for allegedly running an illegal bar out of his home. Eric Gill has more…

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Winter storm advisories remain in effect for North Louisiana today, as the National Weather Service says there’s the potential for 4 inches of snow to fall in Northwest Louisiana after midnight. NWS-Shreveport meteorologist Mario Valverde says lower temperatures look to continue and interact with the moisture in the sky…:

CUT 3 (10)  “and snow”

Valverde says a winter storm warning is in effect for Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, Union and Webster and they could be looking at a close to 4 inch accumulation of snow…:

CUT 4 (10)  “inch or two”

Several parishes south of I-20 and into the Monroe area and Northeast Louisiana are under a winter weather advisory or winter storm watch. Valverde says, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like temperatures will get too far away from freezing to melt the north Louisiana ice away…:

CUT 5 (10)  “then it’s going to re-freeze”

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The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline reaches $2.15 cents, after jumping two cents from the previous day.  American Automobile Association fuel analyst Don Redman says gas prices have been on the rise for a month and it’s not a surprise

CUT 6 (08)  “spring time”

The statewide average a month ago was a $1.88. Redman says gas prices are expected to keep rising, but a return to three-dollars a gallon for gasoline is not expected

CUT 7 (08)  “coming months”

Refineries switching from a winter grade gasoline to summer gas is one reason for the rise at the pump. He says union strikes at two Louisiana refineries are also factoring into the price, but it shouldn’t lead to large price increase…

CUT 8 (07)  “this spring”

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State Alcohol and Tobacco Control agents have arrested a Campti man for allegedly running an illegal bar out of his home. 42-year-old Robert Williams was arrested and booked into the Nachitoches Parish Detention Center. ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert says the program Williams was running from his home was quite simple…

CUT 9 (09)  “that’s illegal”

Hebert says they were tipped after seeing Williams’ establishment advertised on social media. He says undercover agents were able to pay to enter Williams’ residence and buy beer and mixed drinks…

cut 10 (09)  “wind of it”

Williams faces charges of operating without a high-alcohol permit and operating without a low-alcohol permit. Hebert says these types of situations happen more than you would think. He says this type of illegal bar is called a “good house”…

cut 11 (07)  “can go”

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The four candidates for governor were in Shreveport for a forum today and Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne was the only candidate to come out in support of Common Core. When asked about the education standards, Dardenne said, “Now is not the time for Louisiana to retreat.” UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says this may be a good move for Dardenne right now…

cut 12 (07)  “abandoned it”

Cross says this clearly separates  Dardenne from the other candidates. He says that while there is a lot of negativity around Common Core, education leaders and chambers of commerce statewide support the education standards. Cross says Dardenne is keeping his ears and mind open when it comes to this issue…

cut 13 (08)  “right now”

Cross predicts that Common Core will be one of the bigger issues during this gubernatorial election. Cross says Dardenne’s stance on Common Core is not something he took lightly…

cut 14 (09)  “might occur”

State Representative and gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards calls himself the anti-Jindal candidate as he tries to woo voters. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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A combination of sleet, freezing rain and snow have closed several roads in Louisiana. Scott Carwile has more from the governor’s homeland security and emergency preparedness….

Cut 2 (25) “reporting”

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State Superintendent of Education John White is concerned the Jindal administration will cut funds used to pay for standardized testing. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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State Representative and gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards calls himself the anti-Jindal candidate as he tries to woo voters who are looking for a change in state government leadership. Edwards made the statement during an appearance on the Jim Engster Show. The Amite Democrat says the state doesn’t need a third Jindal term, which is what his opponents in the race are offering…

cut 4  (12)  “we’ve been doing”

Edwards says Senator David Vitter would be “Jindal on steroids”, Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne “Jindal light”, and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle “Jindal incarnate”. Edwards trails his three Republican opponents in fundraising for this election. He says it’s critically important to have the money necessary to deliver your message and he’s working on that…

Cut 5  (10)  “competitive campaign”

Edwards is the lone Democrat in this year’s governor’s race. There is a big question on whether or not Democratic New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will throw his hat into the ring. Edwards says Landrieu can run, but if he does, he violates a pledge he made to New Orleans before he was re-elected…

Cut 6 (07)  “to do that”

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State Education Superintendent John White is concerned the governor will not provide funding for standardized tests tied to Common Core. The Jindal administration will present a proposed budget for next fiscal year on Friday. White says it’s a state law to give out a standardized test…

CUT 7 (08)  “in the budget”

A Jindal administration spokesperson says there are no plans to cut student testing, but all state agencies will face strategic reductions to contracts. White says if the state doesn’t provide dollars for student testing, it could lead to big problems

Cut 8  (10)  “our state” 

Jindal opposes the use of any test that’s tied to Common Core. White says he’s heard rumors the governor will take away money that would go towards paying for standardized testing…

Cut 9 (12)  “federal funding”

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It’s a winter wonderland along the I-20  as a result of a winter storm that slamed the northern parishes. Kevin Davis, director of the governor’s office of homeland security and emergency preparedness, says numerous roads are closed despite the department of transportation’s best efforts

Cut 10 (10) “cleared”

Some roads over central Louisiana may have also closed overnight because of icy conditions. Davis says the National Weather Service reports temperatures should start rising after lunch time

cut 11 (07) “roadways open”

Davis says if wintry precipitation has fallen in your area, stay home, if there’s no need to travel

cut 12 (06)  “better off”

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The wintry precipitation that’s impacted a large portion of the state is expected to end this morning, but chilly temperatures will remain. State Climatologist Barry Keim says any freezing rain advisories that are still posted, will likely expire at 12:00 or earlier

Cut 13 (09)  “the forecast”

Keim says while the wintry precipitation comes to an end, we won’t see temperatures back above 60-degrees until the weekend

Cut 14 (11) “dries out”

Keim says this is the first winter storm Louisiana has experienced this season and hopefully the last….

Cut 15  (09)  “can happen”

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Central Louisiana leaders are celebrating the news that an aluminum alloy manufacture plans to build a mill that would employ nearly 15-hundred workers. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Winter weather conditions in north Louisiana is causing ice accumulation on roadways and hazardous driving conditions for motorists. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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The city of Pineville is ecstatic over the news that American Specialty Alloys has announced they plan to build a two-point-four billion dollar aluminum mill where the International Paper mill once operated. Pineville mayor Clarence Fields says the project is expected to create nearly 15-hundred new jobs

CUT 3 (06)  “surrounding communities”

Fields says the average salary for those direct jobs is 70-thousand dollars and operations at the facility are expected to begin late next year. He says American Specialty Alloys estimates it will take two-thousand construction jobs to build the mill…

CUT 4 (07)  “we’re excited”

A-S-A officials say they considered building the plant in several southern states, when they announced plans last November to build a “mill of the future.” Fields says a 34-million dollar performance-based grant from the state and central Louisiana hospitality helped convince them to build the plant in Pineville…

CUT 5 (10)  “visit areas”

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Winter weather conditions in north Louisiana have caused the closure of several roadways and exit ramps. These conditions can cause ice accumulation on roadways and hazardous driving conditions for motorists. Trooper Michael Reichardt says driving conditions are far from optimal and not getting any better…

CUT 6 (10)  “of your house”

Reichardt says it would be best if motorists could avoid driving in these conditions. He says the state DOTD is working to keep I-20 open by pre-salting the roadway. Reichardt says, if you do need to need to drive, you should use extreme caution and make really smart decisions behind the wheel…

CUT 7 (11)  “for your safety”

If you do need to drive in these conditions, Reichardt says you should definitely slow down and give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination safely. He says, from the information he’s gathered, these conditions could continue to impact the area for a couple of more days…

CUT 8 (08)  “prolonged event”

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Due to the recent rash of measles outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control is recommending adults between the ages of 57 and 43 get a measles shot, even if they were already vaccinated. Dr. Frank Lopez, with LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases, has the specifics on the CDC recommendation…

CUT 9 (10)  “vaccinated appropriately”

He says anyone born between 1957 and 1971 should be evaluated by their primary care provider to make sure you were vaccinated appropriately. Lopez says there was some kind of vaccination gap between those years…

cut 10 (11)  “become available”

He says the gap resulted in people either not being vaccinated against the measles or receiving a vaccination that isn’t as effective as the current vaccine. Lopez says you should discuss this with your doctor since medical information from 40 to 50 years ago is limited…

cut 11 (07)  “primary care provider”

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Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency as a result of winter weather that’s impacting Louisiana.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says Shreveport-Bossier is under a winter storm warning, a winter weather advisory is in effect for the Monroe area and Lake Charles and Alexandria are under a freezing rain advisory until noon tomorrow…

cut 12 (10)  “warm up sufficiently”

The state department of transportation has closed a portion of I-49 in Caddo Parish, so is I-220 in Bossier and Caddo Parish and several on and off ramps of I-20 in Ouachita Parish have been shut down. Keim says freezing rain could be a problem for most of the state today

cut 13 (05)  “very, very careful”

Keim says over a tenth of an inch of ice is forecasted for the northern half of the state, including Alexandria. He says Lake Charles could also see icy conditions…

cut 14 (07)  “big question”

LSU students believe the governor and state lawmakers should do more to protect higher education from deep budget cuts. Scott Carwile has the story…

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Many parents will be happy to hear that the Google online video library YouTube now offers a more age appropriate medium for children. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (29) “reporting”

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The iconic Louisiana Cajun food company Savoie’s (sa-vwa) is celebrating 60 years in business. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

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A group of LSU students believe the legislature should approve a constitutional amendment that protects higher education from budget cuts. Higher ed and health care are not protected and they will likely take the brunt of next fiscal year’s budget cuts. Mass communications student David Scotton leads an effort to get such an amendment proposed

cut 4  (5)  “that solution”

Scotton has helped gather over one-thousand signatures of LSU students who support the idea for a constitutional amendment to protect higher education…

Cut 5  (05)  “not happy”

Scotton is a junior at LSU and he’s seen how previous budget cuts have harmed the university….

Cut 6 (07)  “not respected”

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Many parents will be happy to hear that the Google online video library YouTube is now offering a more age appropriate medium for children. YouTube Kids is a free app and it launches today for Android devices. LSU professor Jenson Moore who specializes in digital media says this is a major evolution in social video…:

CUT 7 (08)  “on track with this one”

Moore says there is a stream on the side of any video you may be viewing and those are typically never safe for young eyes because anything can show up. She says one of the new features of YouTube Kids is the safe search which limits certain words and will weed out inappropriate words or uncensored content…:

Cut 8  (11)  “has designated” 

Moore says comments can also be removed which many times contain profanity or inappropriate content even if the video is considered kid safe. She also says YouTube Kids will only contain a small amount of advertising but there will be no “click throughs” or purchase options…:

Cut 9 (09)  “YouTube channel”

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The iconic Louisiana Cajun food company Savoie’s (sa-vwa) is celebrating 60 years in business. The company headquarters remain at the original grocery site on LA 742 just east of Opelousas. Robert vanLeeuwen (Van-Lay-Vun) is a vice president at Savoie and he says sixty years is a real milestone as there are not many “niche” food products companies who reach that age in Louisana

Cut 10 (10) “of ownership”

vanLeeuwen says it all started with Eula Savoie, affectionately known as Ms. Eula, who got into the hog farming business shortly before the price of hogs dropped steeply in 1955. It was then, he said, that Ms. Eula decided to have the hogs slaughtered for sausage…:

cut 11 (10) “each hog”

vanLeeuwen says Savoie’s prides itself on offering Cajun food products that are as traditional as they are delicious…:

cut 12 (10)  “dressing mix”

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A winter storm warning is in effect for parishes along the I-20 corridor today. Marty Mayeaux, with the National Weather Service in Shreveport, says freezing rain and sleet is expected…

Cut 13 (10)  “I-2o corridor”

There are also several parishes in northeast Louisiana that are under a freezing rain advisory until 10:00 this morning. Mayeaux says how much ice we see across north Louisiana depends on the temperature

Cut 14 (07) “more ice”

Several schools are closed today, including Louisiana Tech and Grambling State. Mayeaux advises against traveling today, if you don’t have to, because we see could some significant icing

Cut 15  (08)  “early on”

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