Today is the busiest mailing day of the year for the United States Postal Service. USPS spokesman McKinney Boyd says, nationwide, they will process more than 600 million pieces of mail today alone. He says package volume is already well above last year’s pace…:
CUT 7 (10) “are increasing”
Boyd says postal workers across the country are already delivering packages seven days a week.

The Baton Rouge Police Department says a Dairy Queen employee is under arrest for allegedly spitting on the hamburger of an officer. They say a Lt. with BRPD ordered his food and noticed a clear substance on top of the bun so he notified the manager who reviewed camera footage of the incident. 21-year-old Elijah Johnson faces many charges including mingling harmful substances and resisting an officer. Cops say Johnson admitted to having several diseases including herpes.

The New Orleans Police Department says the man who was fatally shot by an officer early this morning, fired the first shot. NOPD Chief Michael Harrison says the body camera shows Officer Fredrick Carter returning fire after the suspect shot at the him. He says it’s unclear why the subject fired at the officer as the traffic stop seemed to be routine…
Cut 11 (10) “right now”
Officer Carter, who was not injured, will be reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation.

After spending the last 10 seasons at the helm of the McNeese State football program, Matt Viator has been named head coach at ULM. West Monroe Representative Frank Hoffman is the voice of the Warhawks. He says are looking looking forward to seeing if Viator is up to the challenge of turning things around at the program…:
cut 14 (06) “about that”
ULM will introduce Viator at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

As crude oil prices continue to fall, Shell has announced they will cut an additional 2,800 jobs. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson on Monday offered to resign as trustee of a disputed family trust fund in Texas only if his estranged heirs don’t take his place. The 88-year-old filed the petition asking an independent trustee succeed him in keeping accounts which hold a bank, real estate and car dealerships in Texas — instead of his daughter Renee Benson.

The Baton Rouge Police Department arrests a Dairy Queen employee they believe spit on a cop’s hamburger. Corporal Don Coppola says the officer noticed a clear substance on top of his bun and alerted a manager to review surveillance footage which showed the suspect handling the bun. 21-year-old Elijah Johnson faces many charges including mingling harmful substances and resisting an officer. Coppola says Johnson confessed to the crime….:
CUT 16 (07) “herpes”
The investigation is ongoing.

Louisiana-based GLO airlines is officially offering flights between New Orleans and Shreveport. The inaugural trip took off this morning at 11:30. The airline is offering one-way $99 fares including tax and fees for all flights through February 1st to promote its launch. Glo CEO Trey Fayard says he hopes Louisiana Tech fans take advantage of of the flight when they travel to the New Orleans Bowl this weekend.

Crude oil prices keep falling and the oil industry continues to suffer. Shell anounced it’s cutting 2,800 jobs in addition to the previously announced 7500. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says one of the few places companies can still make money at these oil prices is the Permian Basin in west Texas. He says many companies are concentrating efforts there and that’s not good for Louisiana…:
CUT 5 (06) “can imagine”
Scott says as long as Saudi Arabia floods the market with crude oil, prices will not improve forcing oil companies to continue to cut back.

A judge today dismissed a lawsuit by the Louisiana Chemical Association arguing the temporary suspension of a 1-cent sales tax exemption on business utilities did not get the required number of votes and is unconstitutional. Lawmakers passed the tax change which would generate $103 million dollars to balance the state’s budget. The judge said the procedure for adoption on the concurrent resolution was in line with the constitution.

Lines are long at the post office today as it’s the busiest mailing day of the year. USPS spokesman McKinney Boyd says over the course of the holiday season, 15.5 billion items of mail will be sent worldwide by USPS. He says they have ramped up staff and are ready to roll…:
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He says delivery volume is already way ahead of where it was this time last year as more people are choosing to shop for gifts online.

ULM says it will officially introduce MNeese State’s Matt Viator as the new coach of the Warhawks at a press conference on Tuesday morning. West Monroe Representative Frank Hoffman is the voice of the Warhawks. He commends the selection committee for making the hire as quickly as they did…:
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As coach of the Cowboys, Viator won three conference championships and made four FCS playoff appearances.

Long lines are expected at the post office today — the busiest mailing day of the year. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 2 (27) “I’m Michelle Southern”

During his appearance at the Baton Rouge Press Club this afternoon, Governor Bobby Jindal stated that he will not run for the US Senate next year. The seat is being vacated by Senator David Vitter, who announced that he will not seek re-election in 2016. Jindal is currently on a statewide tour highlighting the accomplishments he’s made during his two terms as Louisiana’s governor.

An officer involved shooting early this morning in New Orleans has left one man dead following a routine traffic stop. NOPD Chief Michael Harrison says body camera shows Officer Fredrick Carter returning fire after the suspect shot at the him. Harrison says the incident unfolded quickly…

cut 10 (08) “very fast”

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Baton Rouge Police Department says a Dairy Queen employee is under arrest for allegedly spitting on the food of an officer. Corporal Don Copolla says a Lt. with BRPD ordered a burger and noticed a clear substance on top of the bun so he notified the manager who reviewed footage of the incident…

cut 15 (11) “from the cameras”

21-year-old Elijah Johnson faces multiple charges.

Shell has announced they will cut an additional 2,800 jobs as crude oil prices continue to fall. The company previously announced a cut of 7,500 jobs. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says, as long as Saudi Arabia floods the market with crude oil, prices will not improve forcing oil companies to continue to cut back. He says Shell is not the only company making cuts…
CUT 4 (08) “across the board”
He says crude oil prices have plunged more than 66% since their 2014 peak of $114 a barrel.

The Baton Rouge Police Department says a Dairy Queen employee is under arrest for allegedly spitting on the hamburger of an officer. They say a Lt. with BRPD ordered his food and noticed a clear substance on top of the bun so he notified the manager who reviewed camera footage of the incident. 21-year-old Elijah Johnson faces many charges including mingling harmful substances and resisting an officer.

An officer involved shooting early this morning in New Orleans has left one man dead. NOPD Chief Michael Harrison says the incident began following a simple traffic stop. Harrison says they have viewed the body cam footage from Officer Fredrick Carter…
CUT 9 (07) “returned fire”
He says officer Carter, who was not injured, will be reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation.

Republican US Representative Charles Boustany will announce his US Senate candidacy this afternoon from his home in Lafayette. He joins fellow GOP hopefuls Col Rob Maness and Congressman John Fleming. Treasurer John Kennedy is expected to announce and PSC member Scott Angelle’s name has been mentioned.

Long lines are expected at the post office today — the busiest mailing day of the year. USPS spokesman McKinney Boyd says, nationwide, they will process more than 600 million pieces of mail today alone. He says lots of folks went shopping over the weekend, wrapped up their packages Sunday, and today will drop them off at the post office.:
CUT 6 (06) “loved ones”
He says package volume is already well above last year’s pace as more and more people choose to holiday shop online.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says a man who posted a picture of a harvested deer on Facebook is looking at hunting violations. They say 39-year-old Jacob Jones was cited for taking a six point buck with no basic or big game hunting licenses and failing to comply with deer tagging. LDWF agents were alerted to a picture of the deer on the man’s Facebook page after receiving anonymous complaints.

As crude oil prices continue to fall, Shell has announced they will cut an additional 2,800 jobs. Eric Gill reports…
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

An early morning police shooting during a traffic stop in New Orleans has left the suspect dead. Chief Michael Harrison says Officer Fredrick Carter’s body camera shows him returning fire after the suspect shot at the officer. He says a firearm was found on the driver’s seat of the suspect’s vehicle. Officer Carter will be reassigned pending the investigation.

Shell has announced they will cut an additional 2,800 jobs as crude oil prices continue to fall. The company previously announced a cut of 7,500 jobs. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says, with crude oil prices below $40 a barrel, the entire industry is almost in a panic mode…:
CUT 3 (08) “Gulf of Mexico”
He says as long as Saudi Arabia floods the market with crude oil, prices will not improve forcing oil companies to continue to cut back.

Governor Bobby Jindal is speaking at the Baton Rouge Press Club today and is expected to talk about how Louisiana is stronger today than ever before. It’s part of Jindal’s statewide tour touring the accomplishments he’s made during his two terms. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Jindal is working to control how he’s remembered…:
CUT 7 (10) “down to”

A Thibodaux man who was found guilty of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old child of his ex girlfriend will spend his life behind bars. Prosecutor’s say 27-year-old Joseph Riney won’t be eligible for parole on his mandatory life sentence for aggravated rape. During the trial, state police testified they were able to positively link Riney to the rape of the child and the baby boy through DNA evidence.

ULM announces that McNeese State’s Matt Viator will be the next Warhawk head football coach. Viator has lead the Cowboys to winning seasons in all ten of his years as head coach at McNeese and is one of the most successful coaches in the NCAA’s FCS division. West Monroe Representative Frank Hoffman is the voice of the Warhawks. He says Viator is a great hire…:
CUT 12 (10) “and for ULM”
Viator takes over for Todd Berry who was fired last month.

Governor Bobby Jindal’s statewide tour touting the accomplishments he’s made during his two terms as governor will make a stop at the Baton Rouge Press Club today. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says this tour is an attempt by Jindal to control how he’s remembered. He says Jindal’s term ends next month, but his eight years as Louisiana’s governor will still have an effect on how the state’s government is run…

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Alford questions whether the governor’s tour will sway the history books.

Now that all military jobs are available for women in the United States, 21-year-old Pvt. Journae King of Laplace made history in the Louisiana Army National Guard as the first woman to enlist as a field artillery soldier. King’s recruiter, Staff Sgt. Robert Gregoire says opening jobs to women makes sense because he’s seen female soldiers complete tasks just like their male counterparts during drills…

cut 11 (08) “them serve”

He says King possesses many qualities that make a great soldier.

An early morning police shooting during a traffic stop in New Orleans has left the suspect dead. Chief Michael Harrison says Officer Fredrick Carter’s body camera shows him returning fire after the suspect shot at the officer. He says a firearm was found on the driver’s seat of the suspect’s vehicle. Officer Carter will be reassigned pending the investigation.

Intrastate commercial air service returns in Louisiana today for the time since 2004. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”