All of Louisiana’s 8 electors selected Donald Trump for president, and
Mike Pence for vice president. Lloyd Harsch spoke following the vote and
told reporters he’d received over 90,000 emails and several hundred
letters from people urging him not to vote for Mr. Trump. He says he
considered every candidate and all of their options…:
CUT 12 (09) “to change my vote”
Matt McCann was there today protesting the election of Mr. Trump. He
says the president-election teaches ignorance and hate…:
CUT 14 (09) “human being”
The vote was taken today at the state Capitol’s Senate Chambers. Now they will be sent to Washington where they will be read to the new Congress that convenes in January.

It’s a bitterly cold day in Louisiana as most of us woke up to
temperatures in the 30s. Matt Hemmingway with the National Weather
Service in Shreveport says you should break out the winter wear tomorrow
as well…:
cut 4 (10) “24 hours”
Hemmingway says things will start to warm up once we get into the middle
of the week.

Governor John Bel Edwards is traveling to the Tensas Parish town of St.
Joseph today where he’s declared a public health emergency because
elevated levels of lead were found in two water samples. Deputy Chief of
Staff for the Governor’s Office, Julie Baxter Payer, says there’s a lot
of construction that needs to be done on St. Joe’s water system…:
CUT 7 (10) “treatment plant”
The Governor’s Office is providing three liters of water a day to each
of the roughly 500 residents of St. Joe.

All 8 Louisiana presidential electors vote for Donald Trump for president, and Mike Pence for vice president. Scott Wilfong was elected Secretary when he took the votes today in the Senate Chambers of the state Capitol…:
CUT 1 (10) “of New York”
The Electors then certified their votes and adjourned the meeting.

Governor John Bel Edwards is meeting with residents of St. Joseph today, after a public health emergency was declared in the small Tensas Parish town. Deputy Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office, Julie Baxter Payer, says high levels of lead and copper were found in two water samples in St. Joe…:
Cut 6 (10) “drinking water”
Residents of St. Joe have been dealing with dirty water flowing from their faucets for nearly a decade.

A man from El Salvador who admitted to being an illegal alien has been detained by federal authorities in Covington after a St. Tammany Parish deputy discovered an outstanding warrant on him out of Central America. Captain Daniel Seuzeneau says 36-year-old Juan Sanchez-Roldan was pulled over on Highway 190…:
Cut 9 (10) “out of El Salvador”
Seuzeneau says during detainment, Sanchez-Roldan admitted he’d been in the United States for over 10 years illegally, was living in Baton Rouge and working in St. Tammany.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette has made it official that he’ll enter the NFL Draft as he signs with an agency. It’s the same one founded by rapper Jay Z.

Near-freezing temperatures have Louisianans across the state bundling up today. Matt Hemmingway with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says temperatures dropped to just below freezing this morning in North Louisiana, while the southern half of the state is hovering around 40 degrees…:
Cut 3 (11) “cold temperatures”
The first official day of winter is December 21st.

Louisiana’s 8 electoral voters are expected to stick with Donald Trump when they case their ballots today for president. Scott Wilfong is one and he says it’s an honor…:
CUT 1 (08) “538”
He says even though they’ve been getting a lot of letters from people urging the Electoral College not to vote for Mr. Trump, he sees Louisiana delegates sticking with the will of Louisiana citizens.

The United Health Foundation finds there are fewer smokers in Louisiana than there were last year. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Could lawmakers be headed into another special session as the state faces a $300 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year? That’s the chatter according to LaPolitics.com. But political analyst and pollster Bernie Pinsonat feels people don’t want more taxes to raise revenue:
Cut 15 (09) “state government”

Electors are set to gather in every state today to formally elect Donald Trump president. Scott Wilfong is one of 8 from Louisiana. He says the votes will be sent to Washington after today, where the new Congress will read them when they convene in January…:
Cut 5 (10) “Joe Biden”
They’ve been getting tons of letters and emails from people who don’t want to see Mr. Trump president, but Wilfong believes Louisiana’s electors will go along with the will of the voters here.

Fewer Louisianans are smoking cigarettes, according to the United Health Foundation. CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust, Mike Rogers, smokers who quit will notice a change in their health almost immediately…:
cut 11 (11) “go to normal”
Louisiana now ranks 43rd in the country for the rate of smokers, up from 46th last year.

There’s just two weeks left of US Senator David Vitter’s final term in office. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The Coast Guard says they medevaced a 60 year-old woman from a cruise ship approximately 14 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, this morning. They said a call came in from the Carnival Triumph requesting the medevac of a woman in need of dialysis. The boat crew arrived on scene and transferred the passenger to awaiting emergency medical services at Station Venice at 1:30 a.m. in stable condition.

Louisiana’s electors head to the state capitol today to cast their votes for president-elect Donald Trump. Jeff Palermo has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Authorities Jefferson Parish say a 3 week old baby who was allegedly kidnapped by his biological father is back home safe. Cops say there is a warrant out for the arrest of Cameron Davis who remains at large.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case of a man who is believed to have fatally shot his ex-girlfriend before driving away and killing himself. They believe 33-year-old Tangela Detiege was murdered by the man after an argument.

US Senator David Vitter will only be in office two more weeks, and reflects on his time in public service. He says there are some things he did not accomplish that he hopes will be achieved under the Trump Administration, including term limits for lawmakers…:
Cut 8 (10) “for Congress”
Vitter says he plans to enter the private sector once his term ends.

Louisiana now ranks 43rd in the country for the rate of smokers, up from 46th last year. That’s according to the United Health Foundation. CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust, Mike Rogers, believes the public is becoming more knowledgeable about the dangers of smoking…:
cut 12 (10) “of smoking”
The report found 22-percent of Louisiana residents smoke, compared to 24 percent last year.

The Electoral College is set to meet today to formally elect Donald Trump for president. Republican electors, like Scott Wilfong from Louisiana, says they’ve gotten emails, calls, and letters urging them not to support Mr. Trump. Wilfong says some may be swayed…:
Cut 6 (10) “he needs”
A joint session of Congress is scheduled for Jan. 6 to certify the results of the Electoral College vote.

Governor John Bel Edwards is traveling to the Tensas Parish town of St. Joseph today where he’s declared a public health emergency because elevated levels of lead were found in two water samples. The governor has ordered testing of every household in the town and the state is providing 3 liters of bottled water per day to each individual. St. Joe has for years had a poorly maintained and deteriorating water distribution system.

David Vitter has just two weeks left in office as a U.S Senator. He says representing and serving the people of Louisiana has been the greatest honor of his professional life. He says he’s most proud of his work in the post-hurricanes Katrina/Rita recovery…:
CUT 7 (11) “flood protection”
Vitter says he does not want a role in the new administration, as he and his wife, Wendy, have been looking forward to life in the private sector.

Fewer Louisianans are smoking cigarettes, according to the United Health Foundation. The report found 22-percent of Louisiana residents are smokers, compared to 24-percent in 2015. CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust, Mike Rogers, credits legislation that bans smoking in bars and casinos, like one that was passed in New Orleans last year…:
Cut 10 (09) “Alexandria”
Louisiana now ranks 43rd in the country for the rate of smokers, up from 46th last year.

Today, Louisiana’s 8 electors will cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump. Scott Wilfong is one of those electors. He says it’s an honor to cast his vote for the people of Louisiana, as he has done once before for Mitt Romney in 2012…:
cut 4 (08) “to 538″”
Wilfong says he and other electors have received tons of feedback from people asking them not to vote for Mr. Trump, but feels that would be a disservice to the wishes of the people of Louisiana.

There’s talk around the Capitol about the potential for another special session to address a looming $300 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year. That’s according to a report from LaPolitics.com. But But political analyst and pollster Bernie Pinsonat says voters do not want to raise any more taxes…:
Cut 13 (08) “we have”

The United Health Foundation finds there are fewer smokers in Louisiana than there were last year. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Arctic air has moved into Louisiana where temperatures across the state this morning are in the mid 20s in north Louisiana, and low 30s across the I-10 corridor. A freeze warning is in effect for Calcasieu, East Cameron, Vermilion and West Cameron parishes until 9am this morning.

Governor John Bel Edwards has issued a public health emergency for the town of St. Joseph. Edwards advises residents of the Tensas parish town to use alternative sources for drinking water, as tests showed elevated levels of lead in the water. The Department of Health recommends using alternative sources for water for brushing teeth, food preparation, and personal consumption.

A report from United Health Foundation finds Louisiana is no longer the unhealthiest state in the country. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

With the state having problems fully funding the TOPS scholarship program, the idea is being kicked around to require TOPS recipients to take 30 credit hours a year, instead of 24. Higher Ed Commissioner Joe Rallo says the idea is to encourage students to graduate in four years. He says 20 years ago 15 hours a semester was the norm.

Cut 7 (08) “four years”
Many students oppose this idea, as TOPS recipients are already having to pay roughly 60-percent of their tuition for the spring semester.

LSU’s Leonard Fournette has decided not to play in the Citrus Bowl to give his injured ankle more time to heal and get ready for the NFL draft. Head Coach Ed Orgeron supports the decision, but says he’ll miss the dynamic running back.

Cut 16 (07) “great games”

There’s talk among higher education officials about more changes to TOPS. Higher Ed Commissioner Joe Rallo says they’re considering raising the hourly requirement for the scholarship from 24 credits per year to 30 to encourage students to graduate more quickly. He says TOPS only covers 8 semesters.

Cut 6 (11) “extra year”

Rallo says this would mean students would have to take either 15 credits per semester or 6 additional hours during the summer.

Now former-Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Charlie Melancon, says Governor John Bel Edwards is forcing him out of his cabinet position. Melancon told the AP he was asked to leave the office but wasn’t given a reason. The resignation comes just months after auditors identified financial problems in the department. Governor Edwards says it’s time to move the agency in a different direction.

Forecasters say a cold front is heading towards the state. Andy Tingler, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says there’s a slight chance we could see severe weather in the Monroe and Alexandria areas along with a portion of south Louisiana.

Cut 4 (04) “a potential”

Tingler says the cold air will stick around for a couple of days, at least through Tuesday.

According to United Health Foundation, Louisiana is no longer the least healthy state in the country, as the Bayou State has moved up one spot to number 49. State Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee says the state still has high rates infant mortality and obesity.

Cut 9 (12) “in Medicaid”

Mississippi was the only state found to be less healthy than Louisiana.