Five children in a church van from the Avoyelles House of Mercy died yesterday in a fiery five car wreck outside of Gainesville, Florida while the group was on its way to Disney World. The dead include children as young as eight to nine, and includes teenagers. The wreck occurred after a big rig collided with a vehicle in the northbound lane, resulting in both vehicles crashing through the guardrails into the southbound lane, where the church van, and other vehicles, were struck, and several of the occupants were ejected. A truck in the southbound lane then drove through the flaming wreckage of the scene, running over members of the church van that had been ejected. The two dead adults have been identified as truck drivers, and six to eight people are currently hospitalized.

The Second Chance Act program that works with prisoners returning to the Baton Rouge and St. Tammany areas has been revived.  Department of Corrections Assistant Secretary Rhett Covington.

Cut 7 (11) “…money is gone.”

Seven suspects who allegedly staged a 2016 crash are in a bit of a bind…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The Saints have the week off, but the Black and Gold will be visited by the Eagles next Sunday if they somehow topple the 3^rd seed Bears. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says with the former champ’s backup QB back in the captain’s chair, anything is possible.

Cut 15 (10) “…could happen”

Kickoff in that game is Sunday at 3:40PM, and the Bears are favored by six.

A diet created in part at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center has been ranked the second best diet for 2019 by US News and World Report…

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Louisiana is receiving a federal grant to revive a program that aims to reduce recidivism among inmates with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

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Insurance Fraud isn’t something the state takes lightly, and that’s the lesson seven suspects who allegedly staged a 2016 crash are learning the hard way.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

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The DASH Diet, developed in part by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been named number two diet of 2019 according to U.S. News and World Report. Researcher Catherine Champagne says the diet emphasizes more greens, and shares similarities to the popular “Mediterranean diet”.

Cut 4 (11) “of fat” 

The Mediterranean diet, which features more oils and less meat, was ranked number one, and the “flexitarian” diet, a vegetarian diet that permits occasional meat consumption, came in at three.

The Dash Diet calls for two to three daily servings of dairy, six to eight servings of lean meats, two to three servings of fats and oils, six to eight servings of whole grains, and eight to ten servings of fruits and veggies. Champagne says fruits and vegetables are the key to this diet.

Cut 5 (09) “…certain levels.”

It also recommends four to five weekly servings of nuts, seeds, and beans, and only five or fewer servings of sweets a week.

The number one goal of the Dash Diet is not weight loss, but lowering blood pressure. That being said, if you stick to DASH, you’ll likely be on the right side of the “calories in, calories out” weight loss equation.

Cut 6 (07) “…calories.”

The full diet is available online at the Mayo Clinic’s website.

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Louisiana is receiving a federal grant to revive a program that aims to reduce recidivism among inmates with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.  The revised Second Chance Act program, now known as the New Beginnings program, will work with prisoners returning to the Baton Rouge and St. Tammany areas.  Department of Corrections Assistant Secretary Rhett Covington says the original program was discontinued due to lack of funding.

Cut 7 (11) “…money is gone.”

Covington calls the program a warm handoff into society to help overcome obstacles and barriers for the person to continue in treatment.

Cut 8 (09) “…them navigate things.”

Covington says the program provides a cost savings to tax payers as it reduces recidivism.

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Seven suspects have been arrested for insurance fraud in a staged crash in Orleans Parish that occurred in October 2016.  Through the investigation, detectives determined Chevy Malibu and a rented GMC pickup truck were used in the collision.  State Police spokesperson Sr. Trooper Melissa Matey says after filing the crash report with police, that’s when the suspects went after insurance claims.

Cut 10 (10)   “…a monetary settlement.”

Matey says through an investigation, detectives secured a confession from one of the suspects.

Cut 11 (08) “…from New Orleans.”

Matey says the insurance fraud is not something law enforcement takes lightly.

Cut 12 (10)   “…false public records.”

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The top-seeded Saints have the weekend off from playoff football, but there are three teams playing this weekend to keep an eye on. Depending on how the games shake out, the Cowboys, Seahawks, or Eagles could head to the Big Easy next Sunday. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says the most dangerous of the three, Dallas, gave the Black and Gold one of their three losses this year…

Cut 13 (08) “…Dak Prescott.”

They take on the Seahawks in Arlington on Saturday night, where the winner will likely head to New Orleans, barring a stunning upset in the Eagles/Bears game.

That Seattle team beat Dallas earlier in the year, and has six wins in their last seven games after a rocky start that saw devastating injuries on defense the crippled the once vaunted “Legion of Boom”. Detillier says the Hawks ability to bounce back is a testament to the coaching genius of Pete Carol.

Cut 14 (11) “…the NFC.”

Kickoff is set for 7:15, and Dallas is favored by two points.

The biggest wildcard of the wildcard weekend may the Eagles, who head into the Windy City to take on the Bears and their league best defense. Last year’s champs have struggled, but Detillier says with their former backup QB back in the captain’s chair, anything is possible.

Cut 15 (10) “…could happen”

Kickoff in that game is Sunday at 3:40PM, and the Bears are favored by six.

A 64-year-old scam artist from Texas is behind bars after he allegedly convinced a  victim in Rapides Parish to pay him over $60,000, so he can pay US taxes and fees in Nigeria…

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68-year-old William Hood died earlier today while driving a U-Haul in a crash that authorities are attributing to storm related conditions in Sulphur. The vehicle was traveling along the road when a large tree was uprooted due to wind and heavy rain saturation on the ground, and then fell on the road and landed on the truck’s cab. Hood’s son, and passenger, was transported to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Louisiana is one of nine states reporting a high activity level for flu-like illnesses. That’s according to CDC’s latest U-S Influenza Surveillance report. The CDC says 4.5 percent of the hospital visits in Louisiana during the Christmas week were because of the flu or flu-like illnesses. LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist, Doctor Fred Lopez, says that’s concerning, but not a cause for alarm just yet.

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Last year saw record numbers of flu cases state wide.

A steady rain continues to fall across an already saturated Louisiana today. National Weather Service Lake Charles Senior Forecaster Kent Kuyper says the rain, which could be heavy at times, will come to an end later today or early tomorrow morning

Cut 12 (10)   “…rest of the afternoon.” 

Flooding concerns have popped up across the state, with authorities keeping an eye on Lake Sibley, cane River Lake, rivers in Covington, Lake Wallace, and others.

Louisiana is one of nine states reporting a high activity level for flu-like illnesses. That’s according to CDC’s latest U-S Influenza Surveillance report. LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist, Doctor Fred Lopez, encourages Louisiana residents to get the flu shot now

Cut 6 (09) “…be protected”

The CDC says 4.5 percent of the hospital visits in Louisiana during the Christmas week were because of the flu or flu-like illnesses.

A 64-year-old Texas man is in the Rapides Parish detention center accused of scamming a victim out of over $60,000 over the course of several months.  The scammer convinced the victim, he would be given a million dollars, but needed assistance paying US taxes and fees from Nigeria.  Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Tommy Carnline says the scammer claimed to be a retired FBI agent.

Cut 3 (09) “…is so unfortunate.”

Southeastern Louisiana University is asking area residents to donate their Christmas trees for wetland restoration.This marks the 24th straight year Southeastern has conducted its recycled tree program, and it’s estimated that 40,000 trees have been deployed since then. Southeastern’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station manager Rob Moreau says Middendorf’s Restaurant in Manchac has an offer for donors…

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For directions to drop off sites and available drop off times visit the southeastern.edu

Parts of Caddo Parish have received nearly twice as much rainfall in December as they normally do, leading to concerns the saturated ground could prevent flood waters from draining in a timely fashion. South Caddo and Wallace Lake will likely see the biggest impacts from deluge, with the Lake at risk of hitting a flood stage that would flood access roadways, and require cattle to be moved to higher ground. Authorities are monitoring the situation.

A 64-year-old Texas man is in the Rapides Parish detention center accused of scamming a victim out of over $60,000 over the course of several months. Detectives got a break in the case when one of the persons that was wired money was identified as Scott Alan Romans, and he was arrested following a traffic stop in Gulfport, Mississippi. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Tommy Carnline says it can be tough to make busts in these cases.

Cut 4 (12) “…that money immediately.″

The scammer convinced the victim, he would be given a million dollars, but needed assistance paying US taxes and fees from Nigeria.

A steady rain continues to fall across an already saturated Louisiana today. National Weather Service Lake Charles Senior Forecaster Kent Kuyper says there is an end to all of this rain. He says the weekend looks dry and mild…

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Louisiana is one of nine states with a high number of flu cases. Jeff Palermo spoke with LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist Doctor Fred Lopez…

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There was an officer involved shooting in Monroe around 2:20AM this morning at the Super 8 Motel. Officers say they were responding to a disturbance complaint, and once they arrived on scene, shots were fired resulting in one policeman, and two subjects being hit. Both subjects hit were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then arrested. The officer shot was also treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

A 64-year-old Texas man is in jail in Rapides Parish, accused of scamming a victim out of over $60,000 throughout the course of several months.  The scammer convinced the victim they would be given a million dollars, but needed assistance paying US taxes and fees from Nigeria.  Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Tommy Carnline says the scammer claimed to be a retired FBI agent.

Cut 3 (09) “…is so unfortunate.”

Southeastern Louisiana University is asking Tangipahoa parish area residents to donate their Christmas trees for wetland restoration. Southeastern’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station manager Rob Moreau says before you pack up the tree to deliver there are a few requirements…

Cut 9 (11) “…lights obviously″

Moreau estimates that 40,000 trees have been deployed in 24 years of the program.

Louisiana is one of nine states with a high number of flu cases. Jeff Palermo spoke with LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist Doctor Fred Lopez…

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And now commodities.

Louisiana is one of nine states reporting a high activity level for flu-like illnesses. That’s according to CDC’s latest U-S Influenza Surveillance report, which says 4.5 percent of hospital visits in Louisiana during the Christmas week were because of the flu or flu-like illnesses. Despite the uptick LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist, Doctor Fred Lopez says the jury is still out on a potentially above average flu season.

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Lopez says get a flu shot.

The US 11 bridge between Slidell and New Orleans will be shut down to traffic starting today, running through April 18^th. Department of Transportation Spokesperson Rodney Mallet says it’s the continuation of a lengthy repair process that won’t be completely finished until summer of 2020.

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The repairs will cost 28 million dollars.

Authorities believe the five wild horses gunned down in the Peason Ridge Wildlife Management Area were deliberately shot.

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There was an officer involved shooting in Monroe around 2:20AM this morning at the Super 8 Motel. Officers say they were responding to a disturbance complaint, and once they arrived on scene, shots were fired resulting in one policeman, and two subjects being hit. Both subjects hit were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then arrested. The officer shot was also treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Louisiana is one of nine states reporting a high activity level for flu-like illnesses. That’s according to CDC’s latest U-S Influenza Surveillance report. LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist, Doctor Fred Lopez, encourages Louisiana residents to get the flu shot now

Cut 6 (09) “…be protected.″

The US 11 bridge between Slidell and New Orleans will be shut down to traffic starting today, running through April 18^th. Department of Transportation Spokesperson Rodney Mallet says the nearly 100 year old structure is facing new age electrical problems, and often puts commuters on their way to and from the Northshore and New Orleans East in a bit of a bind…

Cut 5 (10) “…kind of unreliable.”

The repairs will cost 28 million dollars.

A 68-year-old man is arrested and charged with terrorizing after threatening to shoot up a store.   The Thibodaux Police Department says Louis Albarado became irate after he claims someone took his shopping cart while he was not looking.  Police Lt. Clint Dempster says the man had accused several different customers of taking the cart during his time in the store.
Cut 11 (08) “…he found out.”
Albarado later told police his intention was to go grab his .44 magnum and return to the store to shoot the person responsible for the missing buggy.

The shooting deaths of five horses at Peason Ridge Wildlife Management Area is currently being investigated by Ft. Polk personnel.  Spokesperson for the Pegasus Equine Guardian Association Amy Hanchey says she believes the killings were no accident and is glad to know the base is investigating the matter.
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Hanchey say historical documentation shows the wild horses have roamed the area dating back to the 14^th century

Hospitals are now required to post a list of prices for their services on their website. Matt Doyle has more.

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Much of Louisiana is under a flash flood watch as several inches of rain are expected to fall between today and Friday morning. Kent Kuyper with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles says heavy downpours are possible today and tonight and again during the day tomorrow

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Gasoline prices continue to fall. According to Triple-A, the statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline is a $1.95. That’s about 20-cents cheaper than a month ago. Low gas prices are a double edge sword for Louisiana. Low oil prices means less revenue for state government. Triple-A fuel analyst Don Redman says says the current cost for a barrel of crude oil is 50-dollars and he says if that keeps going down it can cause real problems.

Cut 8 (10) “…mineral oil”

The Louisiana Legislature is seeing a high turnover rate as the AP reports 22 state lawmakers, roughly 15%, have left office without completing their terms since January 2016.  Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says he doesn’t foresee the trend being reversed, as there are many more attractive jobs in government worth pursuing.

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He says low pay, longer than expected hours, and no benefits also add to the disinterest.

The Louisiana Legislature is seeing a high turnover rate as the AP reports 22 state lawmakers, roughly 15%, have left office without completing their terms since January 2016. The state has held ten legislative sessions in three years, and Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says low pay and no bennies make public service an unappealing career option.

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The new 116^th Congress begins tomorrow, and they do so in the shadow of a partial federal government shutdown. Republicans and Democrats are divided over border security funding. President Donald Trump is seeking five-billion dollars to build a wall between Mexico and the US. Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson says there are some in Congress who do not want to give President Trump a win.

Cut 12 (06)   “…of the people.” 

Johnson says it’s the worst partisanship since the Civil War.

Gasoline prices continue to fall. According to Triple-A, the statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline is a $1.95. Triple-A fuel analyst Don Redman says gas prices should remain below two-dollars until March, when refineries begin the switch to summer grade gasoline. He says until then, the supply of gasoline on the market is strong.

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Gas is 20 cents lower than it was last month.

Hospitals are now required to put a master price list online for all of their services. It’s a mandate from the 2010 Affordable Care Act that aims to get consumers more involved in their healthcare, but Louisiana Hospital Association President Paul Salles cautions if you have insurance, those prices won’t be your final bill.

Cut 3 (11) “…rules.”

The prices are also referred to as “charges”, or “standard charges”.