The State Fire Marshal’s Office issues new guidelines for complying with the state’s new carbon monoxide detector law. Kevin Gallagher reports…:

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

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 Louisiana is bring back an African American Heritage Trail.  Whitney Thomas has more…

Cut 2 (30) “….I’m Whitney Thomas” 

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The House Ways & Means Committee held its first meeting looking at how the state can eliminate income taxes, but still pay for government services. Kevin Gallagher has the story…:

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office issues guidance on complying with Louisiana’s new law requiring carbon monoxide detectors in all new homes and rentals. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the law, passed in the 2022 legislature, takes effect January 1^st…:

Cut 4 (10)  “…carbon monoxide alarm inside.”

The law requires that all homes sold or leased and all rental properties must have at least one C.O. monitor, as well as a smoke detector, placed within 10 feet of sleeping areas. She says this is particularly important for homes using natural gas for heating, cooking or hot water, but also for those with whole home generators…:

Cut 5 (07) “…to be in place.”

The law doesn’t take effect until January, but Rodrigue says now is the time to get the detectors installed…so there will be time to work out any potential issues….:

 Cut  6 (07)  “…if it’s not working.” 

Carbon monoxide detectors can be bought at most any home hardware store, and one can even get single units that operate as both smoke AND C.O. detectors at a reasonable cost.

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Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Tourism announced the relaunch of the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. A luncheon took place at the Whitney plantation in St. James Parish to discuss further plans.

Governor Nungesser says the trail created years ago left out some of Louisiana’s significant history…

Cut 7 (11) “…in Louisiana.”

The African American Heritage Trail includes sites that showcase innovative African Americans’ contribution to our nation’s history, and Louisiana’s everyday life, culture, and art. The Civil rights trail focuses on events that predated the Civil Rights movement.

Nungesser says the relaunch came with consolidating the staff.

Cut 8 (11)  “…new promotion.”

The  African American Heritage trail was first launched in February 2008, including 26 sites from New Orleans to north Louisiana. Now there are over 38 sites open to the public. The Heritage trail will highlight the arrival of ships carrying the enslaved, and continue through the civil rights period.

Nungesser says this will have long-term benefits.

Cut 9 (11)  “…for tourist.”

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Ochsner Health President and CEO Warner Thomas is leaving to lead a health care system in California. Thomas became Ochsner’s CEO in 2012 and during that time Ochsner Health tripled in size from 13-thousand to 36-thousand employees and that includes 23-hundred physicians in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama

Cut 10 (07) “…everyday.”

Thomas and his successor, Pete November, worked together to develop the Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana–adding more than 300 physicians there and investing more than $200 million.

Thomas says the biggest challenge his team has faced was the early days of the COVID pandemic. He praises the heroism of Ochsner’s front-line medical staff.

Cut  11 (11)  “..health care entity” 

The Ochsner Health Board unanimously voted to appoint Pete November as Thomas’s success. November is Ochsner Health’s current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He’ll assume his role on November first and Thomas predicts a smooth transition…

Cut 12 (08) “..flourish.” 

Thomas is joining Sutter Health, based in Sacramento, California.

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The House Ways and Means Committee has begun the process of looking at eliminating the state’s income tax as a way to bring more jobs to Louisiana. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson says the state’s current tax structure continues to hold Louisiana back and it’s time for real tax reform…

Cut 13 (08) “…bring that forward”

Nelson reminds members that other states in our region of the country are doing much better than Louisiana, in terms of revenue, jobs & business growth and their tax structures…:

Cut 14 (09)  “…no income tax.”

Nelson asks fellow lawmakers to find a way to make fundamental tax reforms, including ridding the state in the income tax. Way & Means Committee Chairman (and Lafayette Representative) Stewart Bishop says there’s a lot of work ahead…:

Cut 15 (11)  “…a very big task.”

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ULM is nearly a 50-point underdog heading into this Saturday’s game against second ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Warhawks Coach Terry Bowden says it’s not easy to come up with a game plan to slow down Crimson Tide quarterback and last season’s Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young…

Cut 16 (16)  “..run it” 

Bowden is asking his players to play the best that they can play. He says last week saw a bunch of upsets in college football and would love to see the Warhawks pull off a stunner at Alabama…

Cut 17 (18) “…in Notre Dame” 

ULM 1-and-1 on the season after beating Nicholls 35-to-7 last Saturday. Warhawks coach Terry Bowden says he’s been pleased with his quarterback Chandler Rogers, who threw for 253 yards and two TDs…

Cut  18 (20)“…we got him”

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LSU continues to prepare for Mississippi State’s air-raid offense which means a lot of passing. Bulldogs Quarterback Will Rogers leads the SEC in passing yards and has thrown a league-high nine touchdowns. Tigers Coach Brian Kelly says State runs a half-dozen concepts very well, so you can’t get too cute on defense…

Cut 19 (17) “..get exposed”

Kelly doesn’t plan on making any changes to the starting line-up of his offensive line. Against Southern, the Tigers started Will Campbell, Charles Turner, Miles Frazier, Garret Dellinger and Anthony Bradford…

Cut 20 (23) “ …hoping for” 

This morning, Governor John Bel Edwards rolled up his sleeves for the fifth time to get the latest booster against COVID and is urging you to do the same. Marsanne Golsby has more.

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A Caddo Parish substitute teacher is charged with paying five students cash to bully one. More from Jeff Palermo…:

Cut 2 (30) I’m  Jeff Palermo.”  

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Thibodaux Police continue to search for the gunman who fatally shot 15-year-old Jarian Cole from Assumption Parish on Saturday afternoon. Lt. Clint Dempster says Cole was shot multiple times in the back inside a home…

Cut 3 (12) “…in the helicopter.” 

Dempster says detectives are working around the clock searching for the shooter.

Cut 4 (07) “..come forward with” 

Dempster would not provide details on why Cole was in Thibodaux. He says it’s a city that’s only had a few murders over the years

Cut 5 (08) “… the victim.” 

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State health officials say ninety percent of the new COVID19 cases in Louisiana are caused by the latest variant of the disease, Omicron BA-FOUR, and BA-FIVE. This morning, Governor John Bel Edwards received the new bivalent COVID booster shot. He says the latest variants are highly transmissible.

Cut 6 (09)  “…people do that.” 

State health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter says people are still dying daily from COVID in Louisiana. Nearly 18-thousand people have died since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Pfizer bivalent COVID shot is available for anyone who is 12 and older and the Moderna bivalent shot is available for anyone who is 18 and older.

Edwards says protection from boosters becomes weaker after a few months.

Cut 7 (13) “…Johnson and Johnson .”

This is the fifth COVID shot the governor has received.

He also received a flu shot. It’s available for people who are six months old or older.

Cut 8 (07)  “…with COVID.”

Health officials are concerned that after two mild flu seasons, because of COVID mitigations and mask-wearing, this year’s flu season could be an active one.

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Caddo Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrest a substitute P.E. teacher; accused of encouraging students to bully a classmate. CPSO spokesperson Bia Rolden says detectives became aware of the allegations against 24-year-old Aadrina (uh DREE nuh) Smith, of an incident in late August…:

Cut 9 (14)  “…for money.”

Rolden says Smith allegedly paid the five students $5 each to attack their classmate in the gym at North Caddo Elementary Middle School. Three of them actually carried out the request. She says Smith was present and offered the bullied child no help or support…:

Cut 10 (08) “…after this happened.” 

Rolden says once school officials became aware of what happened, they alerted the sheriff’s office who began an investigation. Rolden says it is shocking for a teacher to be a part of school bullying…:

Cut 11 (09)  “…somebody said something.”

Smith has terminated and is now charged with 5 counts of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles and malfeasance. Rolden says more arrests may be coming.

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CVS Pharmacies in Louisiana add an extra measure of security against prescription drug thefts; time delay pharmaceutical safes. CVS Chief Policy Officer Tom Moriarty says criminals steal drugs from pharmacies and sell them illicitly on the street; leading to higher crime and even overdose deaths. He says using time-lock technology will discourage that…:

Cut 12 (06) “.. from happening.”  

Moriarty says time delay drug safes are now in place in all 133 CVS locations across Louisiana. He says the technology has been proven effective in reducing drug theft…:

Cut 13 (07) “…of this technology.” 

Moriarty says, in stores with a working time-lock drug vault, thieves are limited to only whatever product is out on the counters from the day’s business. He says once thieves determine a pharmacy has a time-lock drug vault, they rarely attempt a second theft. Moriarty says CVS doesn’t do this to reduce their pharmaceutical losses; they do it to prevent drugs from being sold on the street for ill-gotten cash…:

Cut 14 (12)  “…on the street.”