First Lady Donna Edwards and the Governor’s Office on Human Trafficking Prevention launch their awareness campaign and website. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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After 16 seasons, Sean Payton officially stepped down as head coach of the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. David Grubb has more.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m David Grubb.”

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Governor Edwards proposes setting aside a half-billion in surplus money to build a new Mississippi River Bridge at Baton Rouge. Kevin Gallagher reports state lawmakers hashed it out Tuesday…:

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

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Governor John Bel Edwards has announced his plan to apply more than half a billion dollars from the budget to help replenish the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Cates says the fund plays a vital role in protecting workers and businesses.

Cut 4 (12) “…entitled to.”

Since 2020, the trust fund has been depleted due to the pandemic and four major natural disasters. Cates says the one-time funds would push the fund above the $750 million threshold that would otherwise negatively impact business taxes and unemployment benefits.

Cut 5 (17) “…from happening.”

Cates says that by addressing this issue right now, the state has an added layer of protection should disaster strike again.

Cut 6 (14) “…wipe out the trust fund.”

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First Lady Donna Edwards announces a new human trafficking public awareness campaign and resource center. Edwards says the campaign received input from human trafficking survivors and is entitled Stop Trafficking LA: Human Trafficking is Real R-E-A-L.

Cut 7 (12) “…supporting victims.”

The awareness campaign will launch in April during the NCAA final four basketball tournament in New Orleans. Edwards says large sporting events are often the perfect environment for the crime of trafficking to flourish.

Cut 8 (11)  “…no to trafficking.”

Dr. Dana Hunter, executive director of the Louisiana Office of Human Trafficking Prevention also introduced the first web-based human trafficking prevention resource center at HumanTrafficking.la.gov.

Cut 9 (07)  “…for victims.”

Edwards says that 60-percent of children in foster care have some type of connection to human sex trafficking.

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Sean Payton officially stepped down as head coach of the New Orleans Saints Tuesday afternoon after 16 years on the sidelines. The decision of whether or not to move on is something Payton says he had been contemplating for a while.

Cut 10 (19) “…been thinking about.”

Payton brought an unprecedented era of winning to the Saints, collecting seven division championships, nine playoff appearances and the Super Bowl 44 trophy. But Payton’s very first team in New Orleans remains special to him.

Cut 11 (12)  “…that ’06 team.”

Payton says he’ll miss the relationship he shares with Who Dat Nation, something that makes Saints fans unlike any other.

Cut 12 (18) “…pretty special.”

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State lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee met Tuesday to discuss Governor Edwards’ proposal for spending surplus dollars on a new Mississippi River Bridge at Baton Rouge. Part of the governor’s plan is to set aside a half-billion dollars for the project, but committee Chairman Senator Bodi White, of Baton Rouge, feels pressure will be on to spend that money on more immediate needs…:

Cut 13 (06) “…in excess.”

Senate President Page Cortez, of Lafayette, says he’s all for getting a third bridge built in Baton Rouge … but he also wonders if stowing those millions away for several years is the right move, when a location for the bridge has not even been decided yet…:

Cut 14 (11)  “…off the ground.”

Baton Rouge state Representative Rick Edmonds says he supports the plan, even if the surplus money lies in reserve for it for a few years. He says getting that bridge built should be a top priority…:

Cut 15 (12)  “…of the United States.”

Lawmakers will decide how to allocate surplus funds in the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1st. The Governor has line-item veto power over that budget bill.

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The LSU men’s basketball team looks to snap a three-game losing streak tonight when the Tigers host Texas A-and-M at 8 PM. LSU Coach Will Wade the Aggies present another difficult challenge for his team…

Cut  16 (20)  “..under control.”

LSU’s offense has been struggling as of late and the Tigers rank last in the SEC in assist-versus turnover ratio as they are averaging 15 turnovers a game. Wade says the turnovers are bothersome…

Cut 17 (22) “ ….ball back.”

Wade says it’s 50-50 whether Darius Days will play with a sore ankle and if Xavier Pinson plays, he’ll be limited with a knee injury. The Tigers are mired in their first three-game losing streak in 2018, but Wade believes they’ll come out of it soon…

Cut 18 (22) “ ..the end.”

Governor John Bel Edwards’ 2022 state budget proposes loads spent on roads and bridges, teacher pay raises and more. Kevin Gallagher reports…:

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

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We’ve heard the term shedding the virus when it relates to COVID and now there are reports of people shedding their hair two months later. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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The future of Saints head coach Sean Payton remains a hot topic. David Grubb has more.

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m David Grubb.” 

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Governor John Bel Edwards presents his proposed budget priorities for the fiscal year that starts July 1^st, with major focus on teacher pay and the state’s infrastructure needs. Mr. Edwards says improving education in Louisiana will help correct a lot of problems, and the best place to start is with teacher pay raises…:

Cut 4 (10) “…for support staff.” 

Governor Edwards proposes allotting just under $150-million; earmarked for $1500 raises for teachers and $750 raises for support staff. He says lawmakers can go even higher, should state surplus revenues projected for the current fiscal year prove true…:

Cut 5 (09) “…another 500 dollars.”

The governor also proposes fully funding TOPS again this year, but increasing funds for needs-based Geaux Grants and other education opportunity programs.

The Governor’s budget contains major funding for roads and bridges; including investing $500-million in building a third Mississippi River Bridge at Baton Rouge. Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says that money will augment a public-private partnership for construction because the actual cost of the bridge and approaches will be much more than that…:

Cut 6 (15) “…over those four years.”

The governor’s infrastructure budget also includes $500-million for statewide water and sewer improvements & upgrades, $100-million to go toward finishing I-49 south of Lafayette and $100-million to kick-start a new I-10 Bridge at Lake Charles. Dr. Wilson says the new Baton Rouge Bridge is a most-needed project, but funding for bridge connectors to Interstate 10 and State Highway 30 at both ends are also paramount…:

Cut 7 (11) “…bridge to nowhere.”

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A side effect of COVID that physicians say they are beginning to see more patients for is hair loss. LSU Health New Orleans Dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Grieshaber says high stressors on the body like childbirth and COVID can cause temporary hair loss.

Cut 8 (11)  “…precipitating event.”

She says you can lose up to 50-percent of your hair. If you are experiencing significant hair loss, she recommends visiting a dermatologist so they can rule out other causes like thyroid disease or anemia.

Hair loss can cause anxiety and Grieshaber says that will only add to the problem as high levels of stress can cause you to lose even more hair. She says there are supplements that can help.

Cut 9 (10)  “…really helpful.”

Hair loss post-COVID can occur in both men and women, but Grieshaber says it’s more noticeable in women because they tend to have longer hair. Recovery is a long process, and she says it can take a minimum of three months before you see any progress.

Cut 10 (07) “…hair yet.”

Grieshaber says in addition to seeing a physician about your hair loss she also recommends not braiding or getting a perm when experiencing hair loss to minimize trauma to your hair.

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The COVID pandemic has had a major impact on Mardi Gras celebrations over the past couple of years. Monday, Ochsner Health officials provided some potentially good news for those looking to enjoy the Carnival season this year. Dr. Robert Hart says that their data suggests that the Omicron surge was reached nearly two weeks ago in New Orleans and other parts of the state, and with Mardi Gras still more than a month away, time is on our side.

Cut  11 (09)  “…within the population.”  

The Louisiana Health Department reported 2,304 people in hospital with COVID as of Monday, with several thousand more exposed to the Omicron variant. Hart is, however, optimistic that being on the other side of the curve means some level of protection.

Cut 12 (11) “…the Mardi Gras season.”

Children remain highly susceptible to the virus, so Dr. Sandra Kemmerly strongly encourages all who are eligible to be vaccinated or to get their booster.

Cut 13 (15) “…our kids safe.”

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State police are prepping for their first-ever accelerated cadet academy. LSP Sargent Monroe Dillion says the accelerated academy is only open for police officers who are POST certified.

Cut 14 (11)  “…accelerated academy.”

Dillion says a typical cadet class can last up to 24 weeks and they are open to those with military experience and those without police experience. Dillon says they are hoping to have more officers trained and, on the job, sooner with the accelerated academy.

Cut 15 (08)  “…boots on the ground.”

Dillon says another benefit to having an accelerated academy made up of police officers is that they are already familiar with the demands of the job and want to continue in the profession.

The 101^st cadet class is expected to commence in June, but Dillon says the application deadline for the class of up to 60 officers is right around the corner.

Cut  16 (05)  “…out today.”

To apply or for more information visit www.lsp.org/recruit.html

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Though Sean Payton is back from his vacation, there is still no word on his coaching future. Questions about Payton’s status as coach of the Saints found their way to Gayle Benson on Monday, who didn’t have any updates. Rod Walker, who covers the Saints for NOLA.com, thinks Mrs. Benson is much like the rest of Who Dat Nation; awaiting word from the man himself as he processes one of the most exhausting seasons of his career.

Cut 17 (16) “ …looking really good.” 

Even with their incredible number of obstacles, the Saints were in contention for the playoffs down to the season’s final game. The on-field future of the team still seems bright, but Walker says Payton’s decision is bigger than just Xs and Os.

Cut 18 (17) “ …a lot of times.” 

Should the unimaginable happen, and Payton step away from the Saints, Walker says that New Orleans, in no small part due to what Payton has built, instantly becomes one of the most attractive jobs in the NFL.

Cut 19 (15)_“…see what’s out there.”