This will be a record setting holiday for traveling this Christmas. Over 103 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year, according to AAA. Spokesman Don Redman says even though gas prices are higher than last year, travelers feel more confident about the economy…:
Cut 7 (06) “last year”
The increase in travelers this year over 2016 is a record 3.1% increase.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office says one man is in custody for allegedly beating a man to death, and then going to “great lengths” to dump and conceal the body. They believe 39-year-old Chad Glascock was at the home of the victim, 31-year-old Brent Pollard of Livingston, when the two got into a physical fight that resulted in Pollard’s death. When detectives located Pollard’s body, Glascock was put in jail on drug and murder charges.

This will be a big weekend for Christmas present crunch time, and retailers are rolling out plenty of last-minute deals to get that holiday dollar. The last Saturday before Christmas is known as Super Saturday, and LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says it’s a big day for brick and mortar stores because it’s too late for online shopping in most cases…:
Cut 4 (06) “get otherwise”
About 126 million people, or 53 percent of consumers, plan to shop on Saturday, according to a report from the National Retail Federation.

The US House has passed an $81 billion disaster recovery bill, which includes a fix to the issue where flood victims who applied for SBA loans were not able to access Restore Louisiana recovery grants. The fate of the bill is less certain in the US Senate.

The National Retail Federation says half of holiday shoppers will hit up stores on the last Saturday before Christmas, also known as “Super Saturday.” Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (30) “Michelle Southern”

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Over 103 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year.  Kelley Ray talked with Triple A’s Don Redman to find out why.

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

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A state police troop is bringing toys to kids stuck in the hospital for the holidays. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

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This will be a big weekend for Christmas present crunch time, and retailers are rolling out plenty of last-minute deals to get that holiday dollar. The last Saturday before Christmas is known as Super Saturday, and LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice says it’s a big day for brick and mortar stores because it’s too late for online shopping in most cases…:

Cut 4  (06) “get otherwise” 

About 126 million people, or 53 percent of consumers, plan to shop on Saturday, according to a report from the National Retail Federation. Rice believes the best sellers in the few days left before Christmas will be jewelry, fragrances and of course, gift cards…:

Cut 5  (10)  “into it”

The NRF says of those who miss the deadline, 47 percent say they plan to take advantage of after-Christmas sales, while 46 percent say they will take their shopping back online. Rice says either way, people know the best way to find what great deals are in-store is to check online…:

Cut 6 (06)  “of their time”

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This will be a record setting holiday for traveling this Christmas.   Over 103 million Americans will take to the roads and skies between now and the first of the year.  Part of the reason behind the surge in travelers is low gas prices.  Triple-A’s Don Redman says prices are higher than they were last year, but travelers feel more confident about the economy…

Cut 7 (06)  “last year.”

Airline fares are seeing a drop.  Some six million are expected to take to the skies during the final week of the year, a one-point-five-percent increase over 2016.  Redman says cheaper air fares started appearing over the Thanksgiving holidays and it has continued through now…

Cut 8 (12) “prices on.”

Redman says most travelers are looking at warm weather destinations to wrap up the year…

Cut 9 (10)  “Fort Lauderdale.”

Redman says after all the holiday traveling is done, predictions show gas prices will be near or just below $2.00 a gallon after the first of the year.

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The roads will be packed this weekend with holiday traffic, and the Louisiana State police want everyone traveling to stay safe. Trooper Glen Younger says the stress and extended traffic times can stress drivers and sometimes lead to road rage. He says if you are driving, expect longer travel times…

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For the seventeenth year in a row State Police troop E out of Alexandria will be delivering gifts to children who are stuck in the hospital for Christmas. The troop plans to meet Christmas Eve morning to start wrapping gifts to deliver to kids later that night. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says the troop works on the toy drive all year long.

Cut 13 (05)  “collect toys.”

Moreau says any hospitalized child, regardless of background, will be getting a gift…

Cut 14 (05) “get a gift.”

Moreau says it’s his troops way of spreading a little holiday cheer…

Cut 15  (10)  “is priceless”.

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The Saints can qualify for the playoffs with a win over NFC South rival Atlanta or a Carolina loss this weekend.  New Orleans has the easiest road to the post season of any NFL team still trying to qualify, only needing to win one of the next two to play in January.   Quarterback Drew Brees says he would love to wrap this up and win in front of the home crowd…

Cut 16 (17) “a game.”

The Saints met up with the Falcons two weeks ago in a 20-to-17 loss.  Brees says even though running backs Mark Ingram was held to just 49 yards and Alvin Kamara rushed once for two yards in their last match up, he expects the ground game to be solid for the second game…

Cut 17 (15) “the job.”

Wideout Michael Thomas is having a stellar year, catching 94 passes for nearly 11-hundred yards.  He’s on course for catching 109 passes for the regular season.  Brees says he’s never seen an athlete do what last year’s second round pickup is able to accomplish on the field…

Cut 18 (08) “do that.”

The game kicks off Sunday at 12noon on FOX.

A Southern Media and Opinion Research poll finds Governor John Bel Edwards has his highest approval numbers since taking office nearly two years ago at 65-percent. It eclipses his previous high of 63-percent and is higher than the 54-percent approval rating in May. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says timing is everything in politics…

Cut 3 (10) “and taxes.”

Governor Edwards is grateful for the trust the voters have placed in him.  He says the first two years have seen it’s share of challenges with the budget, the 2016 floods and the recent audit of former State Police leader Mike Edmonson, but he is looking forward to the future…

Cut 5  (07)  “in 2019.”

Congress’s 1.5 trillion dollar tax overhaul has many wondering how this will impact their finances. The wholesale changes touch everything from investment returns to charitable donations, and radically alters tax season for most Louisianans. Baton Rouge area CPA Brandon Lagarde says the bill should lower taxes for most in the state…

Cut 10 (04) “most people”

He says in any case, the changes will keep CPA’s very busy…

Cleco  has named Bill Fontenot as the new CEO effective January 1^st. Fontenot has been with the company for 31 years, working in various capacities including business development, commercial operations and utility operations. He says he’s honored to help keep the focus of the utility on their customers.

Cut 13 (05)  “doing so.”

Cleco serves about 288-thousand customers in Louisiana.

Tax reform is in, and that means big changes to the way Louisianans file taxes.  Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A Southern Media and Opinion Research poll finds Governor John Bel Edwards has his highest approval numbers since taking office nearly two years ago at 65-percent. His approval rating is higher than senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy and Congressman Steve Scalise.  Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says it helps Edwards is away from the political division that’s happening in Washington D-C…

Cut 4  (09) “perfect time.” 

Cleco has named Bill Fontenot as the new CEO effective January 1^st. Fontenot has been with the company for 31 years.  He says the utility is looking to solidify their reliability. Fontenot says he looks forward to upgrading the power grid to withstand natural disasters.

Cut 15 (12) “catastrophic conditions.”

Cleco serves about 288-thousand customers in Louisiana.

Nearly 64,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, leading to a decline in life expectancy for the second year in a row, according to the CDC. President and CEO of the Addiction Policy Forum, Jessica Hulsey Nickel, blames the exploding opioid epidemic…:

Cut 8 (03) “every single day”

A new poll gives Governor John Bel Edwards his highest approval rating since taking office in January 2016…

Cut 1 (26) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A Zachary man is charged by a grand jury with first degree murder in the deaths of three people last month.  36-year-old Taurus Ike Hamilton allegedly killed his ex girlfriend and two others in East Feliciana Parish.  He has not yet been charged with a fourth murder in East Baton Rouge Parish yet.  His mother Belinda Folse is charged with accessory to second degree murder, after allegedly taking Hamilton across state lines…

Congress inserted a special provision in the 1.5-trilllion-dollar tax overhaul to allow flood victims to deduct more of the damages suffered. Baton Rouge CPA Brandon Lagarde says this provision should be a boon for those still recovering from the 2016 floods…

Cut 12 (11) “loses.”

Nearly 64,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, leading to a decline in life expectancy for the second year in a row, according to the CDC.  President and CEO of the Addiction Policy Forum, Jessica Hulsey Nickel, says the opioid crisis has been building for years, and the country is failing to address it…

Cut 9 (11)  “our patients”

The World Health Organization says the U.S. now ranks below several countries in life expectancy…

Congress’s 1.5 trillion dollar tax overhaul has many wondering how this will impact their finances. Baton Rouge area CPA Brandon Lagarde says despite Republican claims, the new changes won’t necessarily make tax season any simpler. He says the new tax code will keep CPAs busy…:
Cut 11 (07) “simplify anything”
Lagarde says business owners in particular will benefit the most from the changes.

A poll by Southern Media and Opinion Research finds Governor John Bel Edwards has the highest approval ratings since he took office at 65-percent. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says timing has proved to be the key to Edwards popularity.:
Cut 3 (10) “and taxes”
The 65% approval rating beats Edwards previous high of 63, and is much higher than the 54-percent in May.

Nearly 64,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, leading to a decline in life expectancy for the second year in a row, according to the CDC. Addiction Policy Forum President and CEO, Jessica Hulsey Nickel, blames the exploding opioid epidemic..:
Cut 7 (07) “that they need”
According to the World Health Organization, The United states now ranks below several dozen other countries in average life expectancy.

Saints Safety Kenny Vaccaro has been placed on injured reserve as a result of a groin injury, which means he’ll miss the rest of the season. He suffered the injury on November fifth and a source says it never healed correctly and it will require surgery.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says Arden Key will not play in the Citrus Bowl. He’s been dealing with injuries all season long. Starters Donnie Alexander and Corey Thompson will also not play as they are also banged up.

Tax reform is in, and that means big changes to the way Louisianans file:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Nearly 64,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, leading to a decline in life expectancy for the second year in a row, according to the CDC. President and CEO of the Addiction Policy Forum, Jessica Hulsey Nickel, blames the exploding opioid epidemic…:
Cut 8 (03) “every single day”

A poll by Southern Media and Opinion Research finds Governor John Bel Edwards has the highest approval ratings since he took office at 65-percent. He says the first two years have seen it’s share of challenges, but he is looking forward to the future…:
Cut 5 (07) “in 2019″
A 65-percent approval rating eclipses Edwards previous high of 63-percent, and is also much higher than the 54-percent approval rating in May.

Cleco has named Bill Fontenot as the new CEO effective January 1st. He says for Cleco to prosper, they need to keep supporting the communities they serve…:
Cut 14 (08) “going forward”
Fontenot has been with the company for 31 years, working in various capacities including business development, commercial operations and utility operations.

A new poll gives Governor John Bel Edwards his highest approval rating since taking office in January of 2016. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (26) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Congress’s 1.5 trillion dollar tax overhaul has many wondering how this will impact their finances. Baton Rouge area CPA Brandon Lagarde…:
Cut 10 (04) “most people”
The wholesale changes touch everything from investment returns to charitable donations, and radically alters tax season for most Louisianans.

Nearly 64,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, leading to a decline in life expectancy for the second year in a row, according to the CDC. Health officials say the decrease is a result of the exploding opioid epidemic, and President and CEO of the Addiction Policy Forum, Jessica Hulsey Nickel, says the crisis has been building for years, and the country is failing to address it…:
Cut 9 (11) “our patients”
The US now ranks below several dozen other countries in average life expectancy.

Cleco Power has named William “Bill” Fontenot as the new CEO effective January 1st. He says he’s honored to help keep the focus of the utility on their customers…:
CUT 13 (05) “doing so”
Fontenot has been with the company for 31 years, working in various capacities including business development, commercial operations and utility operations.

A poll by Southern Media and Opinion Research Poll finds Governor John Bel Edwards approval rating stands at 65%, the highest since he took office. Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy received 51 and 45 percent respectively, and Congressman Steve Scalise got a 55-percent approval rating. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says Edwards not being in Washington helps him…:
Cut 4 (09) “perfect time”
Governor Edwards said on his monthly call in radio show that he hopes these high numbers help him get his agenda accomplished in Louisiana…:
Cut 6 (08) “against you”
Edwards is grateful for the trust the voters have placed in him and his administration helping him to achieve his highest approval rating thus far.

LSU officials are concerned the federal tax bill will make it more difficult for season ticket holders to purchase their tickets, because the legislation no longer allows fans to deduct 80-percent of the contributions they have to give for the ability to purchase their season tickets. Tiger Athletic Foundation President Rick Perry….
cut 25 (10) “of concern”
Perry says they were hoping Congress would phase out the deduction, instead they completely eliminated it.

Louisiana Tech jumped all over SMU in the first half and ran away with a 51-10 win over the Mustangs in the Frisco Bowl last night.

A poll by Southern Media and Opinion Research finds Governor John Bel Edwards has the highest approval ratings since he took office at 65-percent. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says timing has proved to be the key to Edwards popularity.:
Cut 3 (10) “and taxes”
The 65% approval rating beats Edwards previous high of 63, and is much higher than the 54-percent in May.

Nearly 64,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, leading to a decline in life expectancy for the second year in a row, according to the CDC. Addiction Policy Forum President and CEO, Jessica Hulsey Nickel, blames the exploding opioid epidemic..:
Cut 7 (07) “that they need”
According to the World Health Organization, The United states now ranks below several dozen other countries in average life expectancy.

The federal tax reform bill means fans can no longer deduct the donations they make for the right to purchase season tickets for college athletics. Kelley Ray looks at what it means for LSU…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray”

Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has apologized for the choke gesture he made towards Falcons running back Devonta Freeman. TV cameras caught the incident when the two teams met two weeks ago in Atlanta and the two teams are set to meet again this Sunday. In a conference call with Atlanta reporters, Payton said he let his emotions get the best of him. Freeman says he’s not bothered by Payton’s actions.