Louisiana reports its second vaping-related death. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut  2 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

If you’re feeling like you’ve got the flu, you’re not alone the CDC says Louisiana ranks among the top three states reporting flu activity, and according to Walgreens New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette are among the top six cities in the U.S. with the highest flu-based retail prescription data. The CDC also notes we aren’t even into the peak of flu season yet

The scope of Monday’s ransomware attack is starting to come into focus as details about just how many devices had to be wiped were shared at today’s Joint Budget Committee meeting.The Office of Motor Vehicles has been down all week, but Deputy Chief Information Officer Neal Underwood says they’ll have all state services up by next week, if at a limited capacity.

Cut 11 (10) “…Monday”

Senator John Kennedy is demanding VH1 cancel Cartel Crew, a new series that follows the lives of family members and friends of drug cartel leaders.

The Senator says he’s usually pretty libertarian about what’s airing on TV but airing Cartel Crew is VH1 failing at basic decency.

Cut 8 (07) “ …the line”

Kennedy notes the program was airing right as nine Americans, six of them children, were murdered in northwest Mexico.

The scope of Monday’s ransomware attack is starting to come into focus as details about just how many devices had to be wiped were shared at today’s Joint Budget Committee meeting. Deputy Chief Information Officer Neal Underwood says no personal data was compromised, but a lot of devices had to be wiped.

Cut 9 (10) “…infrastructure″

Over 1,500 workstations also had to be wiped as a result of the attack.

Senator John Kennedy is demanding VH1 cancel Cartel Crew, a new series that follows the lives of family members and friends of drug cartel leaders. Kennedy notes the program was airing as nine Americans, six of them children, were murdered in northwest Mexico. He says the cartel’s legacy is too brutal to glorify.

Cut 7 (09) “…animals.”

The series new addition is the wife of the imprisoned El Chapo, kingpin of the Sinaloa Cartel which has been linked to tens of thousands of murders.

Governor Edwards says he’s optimistic in his ability as a Democratic governor to work with a state legislature that finds both chambers stacked with Republicans.  Edwards says he’ll work to move Louisiana forward regardless of partisan affiliation and hopes legislators have the same outlook for smooth operations.

Cut 3 (04)   “the same thing” 

Four years ago, a GOP-dominated House broke away from years of tradition in letting the Governor hand-pick the House speaker. 

Former LSU band members have formed an alumni group known as the Four Notes Club, aimed at supporting the university’s marching band.  Executive Board President Timothy Rodrigue says unlike some alumni groups, the ability to join will not be limited to just alumni and membership dues are set at a reasonable rate.

Cut 14 (10) “…established in 1893.”

The scope of Monday’s ransomware attack is starting to come into focus as details about just how many devices had to be wiped were shared at today’s Joint Budget Committee meeting. Deputy Chief Information Officer Neal Underwood says the state’s newer PCs fared well, but many of the older members of the fleet that were effected have taken longer to get back up and running.

Cut 10 (09) “impacted”

Underwood reiterated that no data was compromised.

Governor Edwards says he’s optimistic in his ability as a Democratic governor to work with a state legislature that finds both chambers stacked with Republicans. Edwards clashed several times with House Republican leadership in his first term and he wants to avoid a similar scenario in his second term…

Cut 5 (08) “…our state forward.” 

Senator John Kennedy is demanding VH1 cancel Cartel Crew, a new series that follows the lives of family members and friends of drug cartel leaders. The series new addition is the wife of the imprisoned El Chapo, kingpin of the Sinaloa Cartel which has been linked to tens of thousands of murders. Kennedy says that’s unacceptable.

Cut 6 (09) “lifestyle”

Former LSU band members have formed an alumni group known as the Four Notes Club, aimed at supporting the university’s marching band.  Executive Board President Timothy Rodrigue says unlike some alumni groups, the ability to join will not be limited to just alumni and membership dues are set at a reasonable rate.

Cut 14 (10) “…established in 1893.”

More details can be found at TheFourNotesClub.com.

Governor Edwards says he’s optimistic in his ability as a Democratic governor to work with a state legislature that finds both chambers stacked with Republicans.  Edwards says he’ll work to move Louisiana forward regardless of partisan affiliation and hopes legislators have the same outlook for smooth operations.

Cut 3 (04)   “the same thing” 

Four years ago, a GOP-dominated House broke away from years of tradition in letting the Governor hand-pick the House speaker.

The scope of Monday’s ransomware attack is starting to come into focus as details about just how many devices had to be wiped were shared at today’s Cyber Security Committee meeting. Deputy CIO Neil Underwood says no personal data was compromised, but to free impacted devices from the attack, they had to wipe and restore a lot of them.

Cut 9 (10) “…infrastructure″

Senator John Kennedy slams VH1 for Cartel Crews, a program showcasing the lives of friends and family of those in drug cartels. Brooke Thorington has more…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Governor Edwards addresses some of the issues that will be the benchmarks of his second term.  Following a reinvestment in higher education and the locking in a pay raise for public school teachers in his first term, Edwards says his focus on education will continue.

Cut 7 (12) “…the southern average.”

LSU students are getting the best ROI with their education among SEC schools according to a new report from Georgetown University. Students may have to take out a large loan to fund their college experience at other schools, but LSU President F. King Alexander says that is not necessarily the case at LSU.

Cut 6 (10) “…lowest among flagships.”

A protest against the state’s sales tax on feminine products is underway at Tulane, it’s being hosted by Period Equity. They’ve asked attendees to bring receipts of their latest tampon purchase with them. LIFT Louisiana is helping organize the event, Legal Advisory Board Member Laura Fine…

Cut 10 (11) “…unconstitutional.”

Quote Wizard finds Louisiana ranks seventh for most distracted drivers. State Police Sergeant Melissa Matey says taking your eyes off the road for just a second or two could lead to a wreck, especially if the driver in front of you makes a sudden stop…
Cut 14 (12) “…happen” 

Mississippi was the least distracted state.

What can citizens expect to be top priorities for Governor Edwards’ next four years? Kevin Barnhart has the details.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

If you’re feeling like you’ve got the flu, you’re not alone the CDC says Louisiana ranks among the top three states reporting flu activity, and according to Walgreens New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette are among the top six cities in the U.S. with the highest flu-based retail prescription data. The CDC also notes we aren’t even into the peak of flu season yet

Period Equity is hosting a protest against the state’s sales taxing of feminine products in New Orleans today. LIFT Louisiana is helping organize the event, and Legal Advisory Board Member Laura Fine says 33 states do not exempt the products from sales tax, and an effort to do so here failed to pass last year, but Fine says they’ve worked to sure up more votes for next year’s attempt.

Cut  12 (12) “…lose.” 

According to QuoteWizard Louisiana has the seventh-highest rate of distracted driving incidents in the nation between 2013 and 17. But the report also shows the state has had a slight decline in incidents in last few years. State Police Sgt. Melissa Matey credits that an aggressive driver education campaign…

Cut 15 (07) “driving”

Governor Edwards addresses some of the issues that will be the benchmarks of his second term.  Following a reinvestment in higher education and the locking in a pay raise for public school teachers in his first term, Edwards says his focus on education will continue.

Cut 7 (12) “…the southern average.”

LSU’s return on investment ranks number one among SEC public universities according to a new report from Georgetown University.  The report compares earnings versus average student debt.   LSU President F. King Alexander says grads tend to find a promising income.

Cut 4 (06) “…mid-career earning.”

Alexander says the earnings-to-debt ratio return is almost 300 percent.

Period Equity is hosting a protest against the state’s sales taxing of feminine products at Tulane today. LIFT Louisiana is helping organize the event, and Legal Advisory Board Member Laura Fine says the demand is for feminine products to be exempted from the sales tax in the same way that other necessities are. They’re hoping to send a message to state leaders and…

Cut 11 (05) “…constitutional”

Organizers are also demanding diapers be removed from state sales tax as well.

Louisiana has the seventh-highest rate of distracted driving incidents in the nation according to a report by QuoteWizard. 5,037 drivers died in what was deemed distracted driving incidents in Louisiana between 2013 and 2017. State Police Sgt. Melissa Matey says it’s not just cellphone related incidents.

Cut 13 (8) “the road”

A new report from Georgetown University ranks LSU’s return on investment number one among SEC public universities. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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What can citizens expect to be top priorities for Governor Edwards’ next four years? Kevin Barnhart has the details.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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Period Equity is hosting a protest against the state’s sales taxing of feminine products today at Tulane and they want attendees to bring receipts of their latest tampon or pad purchase along with them.  Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

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LSU’s return on investment ranks number one among SEC public universities according to a new report from Georgetown University.  The report compares earnings versus average student debt.   LSU President F. King Alexander says grads tend to find a promising income.

Cut 4 (06) “…mid-career earning.”

Alexander says the earnings-to-debt ratio return is almost 300 percent, adding few undergrads leave LSU with saddled with debt.

Cut 5 (07) “…is over 80%.”

Students may have to take a large loan to fund their college experience at other schools, but Alexander says that is not necessarily the case at LSU.

Cut 6 (10) “…lowest among flagships.”

Expanded data from the College Scorecard was analyzed to calculate the report.

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Governor Edwards addresses some of the issues that will be the benchmarks of his second term.  Following a reinvestment in higher education and the locking in a pay raise for public school teachers in his first term, Edwards says his focus on education will continue.

Cut 7 (12) “…the southern average.”

Edwards says infrastructure will remain a top priority.

Cut 8 (11) “…trust fund dollars.”

Edwards says he will entertain the idea of rolling back the .45 percent state sales tax, but it is dependent on what the revenue estimating conference shows for a particular year and what economists show for the outlook.

Cut 9 (09) “…to recover from.”

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Period Equity is hosting a protest against the state’s sales taxing of feminine products today at Tulane and they want attendees to bring receipts of their latest tampon or pad purchase along with them.

LIFT Louisiana is helping organize the event, and Legal Advisory Board Member Laura Fine says there’s a legitimate legal claim at play here along with the protest.

Cut 10 (11) “…unconstitutional.”

Those without a previous receipt can make a purchase at the site of the protest.

Fine says the demand is for feminine products to be exempted from the sales tax in the same way that other necessities are. They’re hoping to send a message to state leaders and…

Cut 11 (05) “…constitutional”

The organizers are also demanding diapers be removed from the state sales tax as well.

33 states do not exempt the products from sales tax, and an effort to do so failed to pass last year, but Fine says they’ve worked to sure up more votes for next year’s attempt.

Cut  12 (12) “…lose.” 

The protest will be held on Tulane’s campus from 11 AM-3 PM today.

__________________________

Louisiana has the seventh-highest rate of distracted driving incidents in the nation according to a report by QuoteWizard.

5,037 drivers died in what was deemed distracted driving incidents in Louisiana between 2013 and 2017. State Police Sgt. Melissa Matey says it’s not just cellphone related incidents.

Cut 13 (8) “the road”

That’s good for roughly 13 percent of driving fatalities in the state.

Matey says distracted driving is so dangerous because even if you take your eyes off the road for just a second or two, a car could make an abrupt stop in front of you and…

Cut 14 (12) “…happen” 

The report notes distracted driving has declined slightly over the past few years, and Matey credits that to an aggressive driver education campaign at national and state levels…

Cut 15 (07) “driving”

New Mexico, New Jersey, and Washington State topped the list. Mississippi was the least distracted state.
_____________________________________

For Louisiana Tech to stay in first place in the Conference USA Western Division, they need to win Saturday in Birmingham against the U-A-B Blazers. The Bulldogs have the league’s top-ranked offense, while the Blazers have the number one ranked defense. Tech Coach Skip Holtz says U-A-B is very aggressive on defense…

Cut 16  (17)  …rushing”  

Tech will not have starting quarterback J’Mar Smith and leading receiver Adrian Hardy tomorrow as they will serve game two of their two-game suspension for violating an athletic department policy. Freshman Aaron Allen is set to start again at Q-B after throwing for 159 yards last week. Holtz is not down on the rookie

Cut 17  (16)  competed” 

La Tech had an eight-game win streak snapped last week against Marshall. Holtz says he’s looking forward to his team bouncing back, but they’ll have to do it at a tough place to win for opponents…

cut 18  (16)  can do” 

______________________________________

The Saints are 8-and-2 and have a comfortable three-game lead over Carolina for first place in the N-F-C South. Those two teams meet on Sunday. Quarterback Drew Brees says miscues is keeping the offense from performing at a higher level…

cut 19 (23),   can be”    

Carolina is tied with San Francisco for most sacks in the league with 39. Brees says they have a lot of good pass rushers…

cut 20 (17) “ make em”    

The cyberattack on state computer servers will keep Louisiana O-M-V offices closed for the rest of the week. The ransomware attack on Monday impacted 132 servers in state government and the Office of Motor Vehicles has struggled to get its computer system to work properly. Governor John Bel Edwards…

Cut 4 (12) “…more computers”

The OMV will be back online Monday.

Crowley Police now have a person of interest in a string of church vandalism incidents after another church was targeted this week, the sixth such incident since July. Chief Jimmy Broussard says the feds have been contacted and information has been passed to them, so if you’re behind the vandalism, it’s best to turn yourself in now before federal agents charge you.

Cut 8 (05) “   …statutes”

Hate crime charges could apply.

La Tech has unveiled plans for new baseball, softball and soccer stadiums. They were destroyed last April by a tornado. Athletics Director Tommy McClelland says the new baseball stadium will remain in the same place, while softball and soccer will relocate next to the track stadium. Construction will take several months

Cut 12 (12) “…as possible.” 

St. John Parish Sheriffs are offering 3,500 dollars for information leading to an arrest of anyone involved in an August shooting ambush of an autistic man in Reserve. Sheriff Mike Tregre believes a vehicle drove up behind 57-year-old Aurelius Burfict August 12^th around 1 AM, and suspects within opened fire on the man.

Cut 9 (10) “…did it.″

Office of Motor Vehicle locations will remain closed until Monday as the state continues to get its computers working properly from a cybersecurity attack. Brooke Thorington has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

The Tigers are not just top-ranked on the gridiron. LSU’s return on investment ranks number one among SEC public universities according to a new report from Georgetown University. The report compares earnings versus average student debt.

Crowley Police now have a person of interest in a string of church vandalism incidents after another church was targeted this week, the sixth such incident since July. Chief Jimmy Broussard says the incidents have all had roughly the same M.O., a vandal, or vandals tosses a brick or concrete through the glass of a church in a majority-black neighborhood.
Cut 6 (09) “building”

La Tech has unveiled plans for new baseball, softball and soccer stadiums. They were destroyed last April by a tornado. Athletics Director Tommy McClelland says the new baseball stadium will remain in the same place, while softball and soccer will relocate next to the track stadium. FEMA reimbursement, insurance, state dollars and private donors will pay for the new facilities.

Cut 13 (12) “…state’s permission”
Construction will take several months