Mardi Gras means big bucks for the Big Easy. According to a report from WalletHub, the carnival season has an economic impact of $465 million for the Crescent City, and analyst Jill Gonzales says it’s growing every year.

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Gonzales says 1.4 million people visit New Orleans during the Carnival season.

Mardi Gras celebrations are getting underway, including the Krewe of Frank parade in Opelousas. The parade was almost cancel because of cuts to the police department, but a local businessman stepped up to save the day. Bob Giles covered the cost of the police security detail for the parade.

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Giles previously donated 55 bulletproof vests to the Opelousas Police Department.

Not every Louisiana town will celebrate Mardi Gras with huge Krewe parades. Brian Costello outlines the variety of festivities in his new book “Carnival in Louisiana.” He says instead of parades and floats, some Cajun communities will continue the tradition of Courier de Mardi Gras.

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Costello says the tradition dates back to the 18^th century.

Another huge Fat Tuesday tradition is crawfish, and Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU AgCeter says there’s no shortage of mudbugs as we enter the Lenten season. But he says with the nice weather, lots of people are looking for a sack, and prices depend on supply and demand.

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He recommends calling ahead to reserve your sack.

For most people Mardi Gras means a big party, but for the city of New Orleans, it also means big bucks. Halen Doughty has more…:
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According to an analysis based on things like health care, education, infrastructure, and crime, Louisiana is the worst state in the nation. US News & World Report released a “Best States” list and Louisiana received low marks on crime and corrections, opportunity, education, economy and government, health-care and infrastructure.

The Opelousas Mardi Gras parade will go on as planned today, even after a risk of cancellation, all thanks to businessman Bob Giles. The city faced extreme cuts and didn’t have the money to pay for security. But Giles says he couldn’t sit back and watch the Krewe of Frank Parade be cancelled due to lack of funding…:
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Giles previously donated 55 bulletproof vests to the Opelousas Police Department.

Lots of folks are off today and celebrating Mardi Gras with crawfish. Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU Ag Center says the supply is great right now which is good news considering the Lenten season begins tomorrow..:
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He says the prices may be a little higher this week due to demand being so high.

About 1.4 million people visit New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season, which is more than 4 times the city’s population according to a study from WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales says that means big bucks for The Crescent City’s economy…:
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She says last year almost 150,000 people flew to New Orleans to take part in carnival celebrations.

A local businessman stepped up to ensure the annual Opelousas Mardi Gras parade will roll on. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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Brian Cosetllo is the author of a new book, “Carnival in Louisiana: Celebrating Mardi Gras from the French Quarter to the Red River.” It outlines Fat Tuesday traditions throughout the state, including one of the most unique rooted in Catholic culture along coastal Louisiana…:
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Also in Cajun towns the tradition of the Courir de Mardi Gras is alive and well.

The trial date for the woman accused of shooting LDWF agent Tyler Wheeler was set Monday in Morehouse Parish. 31-year-old Amethyst Baird has pleaded not guilty on a charge of first-degree murder, according to court officials, and will be tried on September 25th with a July 18th hearing.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’ve seized about 60 pounds of marijuana when executing a narcotics related search warrant in Denham Springs. They said deputies located and seized approximately 8 duffel bags containing numerous bags of marijuana, electronic scales, packaging materials and over $100,000 in cash.

Laissez les bons temps rouler! It’s Mardi Gras and celebrations are taking place this morning throughout the state. More and more people are visiting Louisiana every year to celebrate Fat Tuesday, according to a study from WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales explains why traffic might be at a standstill right now heading into The Big Easy…:
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There’s no shortage of mudbugs for Mardi Gras. That’s according to Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU Ag Center who says the mild winter in Louisiana has helped crawfish farmers catch up. But he says since there are plenty out there, many people are planning boils today…:
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He says because there are so many people partying today, the price per pound of crawfish could be higher than usual for a couple of days.

How about this heart warming Fat Tuesday story? The city of Opelousas almost had to cancel their parade today due to lack of funds to pay for security. But businessman Bob Giles, who owns car dealerships in Acadiana, stepped up to help the Krewe of Frank Parade…:
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He says he couldn’t stand by and watch a nearly 20 year old Opelousas Krewe cancel their parade due to lack of funding. It rolls at 11 this morning.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been in Washington D.C. over the past several days meeting with President Donald Trump and FEMA about flood relief and tornado disaster recovery. The governor returns today and will hold a news conference this afternoon at the New Orleans Airport to provide an update on his meetings as the state seeks an additional $2 billion dollars in flood relief from Congress.

The NFL Scouting Combine gets underway today in Indianapolis and 10 former LSU Tigers will participate. It’s an opportunity for running back Leonard Fournette to show NFL teams he’s over an ankle injury that limited him to seven games last season. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier says teams near the top of the first round will also be interested in talking with Fournette..:
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He says outside linebacker Duke Riley is moving up the draft boards the fastest out of the former Tigers, and Malachi Dupre has the most to gain, as he had trouble catching passes early in 2016.

Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen has been given a four-year contract extension through 2021, the school announced Monday. His deal will be $4.5 million dollars this season.

LSU senior left-hander Jared Poche was named Monday as one of the Collegiate Baseball National Players of the Week. He fired a no-hitter for two weekends in a row tossing eight hitless innings against Maryland on Saturday.

The Tigers will take on Nicholls State today at the Box. LSU coach Paul Maineri announced more injury news Monday, as junior pitcher Doug Norman will miss the remainder of the 2017 season.

Northwestern State hosts No. 16 UL-Lafayette today in Natchitoches. Both the Demons and the Ragin Cajuns are 3-3 on the season.

Two unbeaten teams will face off in Ruston today as Louisiana Tech hosts no. 24 Arkansas at JC Love Field. The Bulldogs are off to their best start in school history. Tech pitcher Nate Harris has been named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week.

In college hoops last night, UL-Lafayette pulled away to defeat Appalachian State 77-62 in Sun Belt Conference action. ULM fell to Coastal Carolina 77-72. Grambling lost to Mississippi Valley State 84-80. Nicholls’ center Liam Thomas has been named the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball player of the week.

It’s Fat Tuesday, and a report by WalletHub finds more and more people are letting the good times roll in Louisiana. Analyst Jill Gonzales says Mardi Gras is growing every year as people actually save up to visit the Big Easy for the Carnival season…:
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She says Mardi Gras has an economic impact of $465 million for New Orleans alone.

But parades and celebrations that are centuries old take place throughout the state. New Roads native Brian Cosetllo recently wrote a new book called “Carnival in Louisiana: Celebrating Mardi Gras from the French Quarter to the Red River.” He says everyone is familiar with the large Krewe parades in cities like Lafayette and New Orleans, but small towns also get in on the fun…:
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Forecasters say that this Mardi Gras in southeast Louisiana could be the warmest in more than 70 years, with highs expected to reach the low to mid 80s.

It looks like there’s no shortage of crawfish for today’s Fat Tuesday celebrations and the upcoming Lenten season. Jeff Palermo has more:
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What kind of jail time might the man who drunkenly plowed into a crowd at the Endymion parade in New Orleans be facing? 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto is charged with negligent vehicular injury among other charges after cops say he crashed into a crowd sending 21 to the hospital…:
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That’s legal analyst Tim Meche who says Rizzuto could be looking at 5-10 years but it depends on how the prosecution stacks up the counts.

A Mansfield man is behind bars on a murder charge after he fatally shot a man who was allegedly vandalizing his car. Police Chief Gary Hobbs says 34-year-old Cody Parker has filed police reports in the past for issues with vandalism.
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Hobbs says they’re trying to determine if Parker and the victim, 50-year-old James Hewitt, had a previous connection.

Sneezing more than normal? Itchy/watery eyes? Experts say allergy season is hitting Louisiana with a bang this year. Michelle Southern reports…:
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A Breaux Bridge man has been arrested after trying to rob a store in Henderson but eventually bought an item after the clerk did not immediately do as ordered. The St. Martin’s Parish Sheriff’s Office says 35-year-old Homer John left the store and went to a casino where he was arrested. John faces multiple charges including attempted armed robbery with the use of a firearm.

Police say the drunk driver who crashed into parade goers at Endymion in New Orleans had a blood alcohol content three times the legal limit. A judge says if 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto is able to post bond, he’ll be put on house arrest. Legal analyst Tim Meche says his circumstances aren’t really that bad.

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Rizzuto is charged with negligent vehicular injury, hit and run, and careless operation.

Launch Louisiana is helping August flood victims rebuild their damaged homes by covering the cost of their drywall. Volunteer Shanna Forrestall says donations can be made at LaunchLouisiana.com.

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She encourages everyone to share the link on social media to raise awareness for the cause.

A Mansfield man is behind bars on a murder charge after he fatally shot a man who was vandalizing his car. Police Chief Gary Hobbs says 34-year-old Cody Parker has filed police reports in the past for issues with vandalism.

Cut 14 (11) “…of it”

Hobbs says they’re trying to determine if Parker and the victim, 50-year-old James Hewitt, had a previous connection.

If you’re struggling with allergies more than usual this year, you’re not alone. Dr. Ken Paris with LSU Health New Orleans says a mild winter has led to more pollen. But he says there are plenty of effective medicines to help keep their symptoms under control.

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Paris recommends non-sedating oral antihistamines and over the counter intranasal steroid sprays.

A legal analyst predicts jail time for the man accused of injuring more than two dozen Endymion parade goers in New Orleans..:
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Volunteers from around the country are coming together to help Louisiana flood victims get back into their homes. Louisiana Launch volunteer Shanna Forrestall says Let’s Rock uses donations to get flood victims a gift certificate that covers drywall, and more..
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You can find out more at launchlouisiana.com.

If you’ve noticed the allergy season is hitting you a bit harder this season, there’s a reason for that. Dr. Kenneth Paris, head of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at LSU Health New Orleans, says the warm winter and dry weather has made the pollen stronger and last longer. He says it really impacts kids and adults with asthma..:
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He says excellent over the counter allergy meds are available and the earlier you start the better.

US Senator John Kennedy is calling on the head of State Police to resign amid the investigations as result of four troopers charging the state overtime and hotel expenses on a personal side trip while traveling on business. Kennedy says he’s disgusted as a Louisiana taxpayer over what happened…:
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Col Edmonson says Kennedy doesn’t know all the facts. The governor’s office is investigating the incident.