Open enrollment for health insurance policies through the Affordable Care Act begins today and runs until December 15th. State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says most policy holders will see a double digit increase in premiums…:
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Over 122-thousand Louisianans are covered through the online marketplace.

When it comes to popularity in Congress, both of Louisiana’s US Senators rank right about in the middle, according to a new Morning Consult poll. US Senator John Kennedy is ranked 39th out of 100 Senators, and Sentaor Bill Cassidy was number 62. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says the approval numbers are essentially the same, however..:
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Cassidy received a 47% approval rating, while Kennedy had 50%.

The FCC has approved Monroe based CenturyLink’s 24-billion-dollar acquisition of Level 3 Communications, making it the largest public company in Louisiana. Kelley Ray has more…:
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Monroe headquartered CenturyLink’s acquisition of Level 3 Communications is now complete. 24-billion-dollar deal expands the largest publicly traded company in Louisiana to more than 350 metropolitan areas. CenturyLink Spokesperson Ann Marie Sartor says even though they are growing, the number one priority remains the customer…:
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The company believes this will allow CenturyLink to compete with AT&T and Verizon.

Louisiana’s new criminal justice reform legislation goes into effect today meaning more than 1900 non-violent offenders will be released from jail. Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says with savings this will create, they will better be able to help educate inmates…:
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Others feel like Louisiana made this move too quickly.

The SEC matchup of the year is this Saturday when LSU takes on Alabama. Emelie Gunn checks the secondary ticket market…:
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November marks the final month of Hurricane Season, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana has never seen tropical activity this month since record keeping began. But he says the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season ranks among the top 10 most active in history..:
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This was the first year in four that Louisiana was impacted by storms.

Over 19-hundred prisoners will be released today as part of the state’s criminal justice reform legislation enacted this year. But Winn Parish Sheriff Cranford Jordan says Louisiana needs to take a cue from Texas and begin rehabilitation before prisoners are released…:
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Supporters say the reforms will save the state millions and help with recidivism.

There’s now a month to go in the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s not likely Louisiana will see tropical activity as we never have before in November. But he says even though Louisiana hadn’t seen a storm in four seasons, Mother Nature made up for it this year..:
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He says 2017 will go down as one of the top 10 most active seasons ever.

Tickets are going fast for the LSU versus Alabama game in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, as the secondary ticket market reports it’s one of the hottest games every year in college football. But Stub Hub spokesman Cameron Papp says there’s still time to get a seat in Bryant-Denny Stadium…:
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Kickoff is 7pm.

A Caldwell Parish juvenile is in custody after allegedly destroying a building that belonged to St. Paul Baptist church in nearby Richland Parish. Richland Sheriff Gary Gilley says they are still working to determine why anyone would want to burn down a building belonging to a church that’s been around for 137 years…:
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Gilley says the suspect was taken into custody early Tuesday afternoon and will be charged with arson.

More than 1900 prisoners are slated to be released today before their sentences are complete – the first step in a criminal justice reform package approved in the last legislative session. State Department of Corrections’ Jimmy LeBlanc says those getting out will still be monitored…:
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Those who oppose the new laws believe this will put a bigger burden on law enforcement.

Tickets sales for the LSU versus Alabama game in Tuscaloosa Saturday are the biggest for the Crimson Tide this season on the secondary market. That’s according to Stub Hub’s Cameron Papp…:
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He says the average ticket price is going for about 300 bucks.

A Caldwell Parish teen is in police custody after he allegedly burned down a building that belonged to a historic church in Rayville…:
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Exxon Mobil in Baton Rouge caught fire early this morning, but officials say the blaze is now under control. They say there were no injuries and there is no off-site impact.

The steakhouse at Harrah’s in New Orleans has been renamed BH Steak, instead of Besh Steak. The move comes a week after the casino broke ties with celebrity chef John Besh amid reports of sexual harassment within the company he operates. The name BH Steak honors Bill Harrah, who founded the Harrah’s gambling empire.

19-hundred non-violent offenders will be released starting today as part of approved changes in criminal justice reform…:
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LSU takes on the Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and ticket sales are on fire. Cameron Papp with Stub Hub says the average ticket price is going for about 300 bucks…:
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November marks the final month of Hurricane Season, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana has never seen tropical activity this month since record keeping began. But he says the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season ranks among the top 10 most active in history..:
Cut 5 (06) “major hurricanes”
This was the first year in four that Louisiana was impacted by storms.

A Caldwell Parish juvenile is in custody for allegedly destroying a building that belonged to St. Paul Baptist church in nearby Richland Parish. Richland Sheriff Gary Gilley says the suspect is also accused of stealing an Entergy truck before setting fire to the church’s new sanctuary..:
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Gilley says the juvenile will be facing arson in his parish.

Over 19-hundred non-violent prisoners will be released today as part of the state’s new criminal justice reform. The governor says this will lower the incarceration rate in Louisiana, and produce better outcomes for non-violent offenders. Winn Parish Sheriff Cranford Jordan (jer-dun) opposes:
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But supporters say the reforms will save the state money and reduce the recidivism rate.

The hurricane season ends after this month, but a named storm has never struck Louisiana in November in 167 years of record keeping. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the state dodged a bullet in 2009 when Tropical Storm Ida formed on November 4 then churned in the Gulf..:
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But he says the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season ranks among the top 10 most active in history.

The SEC matchup of the year is this Saturday when LSU takes on Alabama. Emelie Gunn takes a look at ticket sales on the secondary market…:
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Today Governor John Bel Edwards will travel to New Orleans for a tour of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, and to announce new job creation projects while highlighting the recovery of New Orleans East.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office says two men, one of them armed with a handgun, stopped a school bus because they felt the bus driver was speeding. Lt. Col. Ward Webb says after producing a copy of the ordnance, an altercation apparently ensued and the bus driver drove away and called police. He says it’s always the best to call police if faced with a similar matter…

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Baton Rouge Police are investigating a crash off Airline Highway, which left two people dead including a toddler. Sgt. Don Coppola says witnesses told detectives they saw the driver of a 2009 Mustang driving erratically and crossing over the median multiple times before hitting an 18-wheeler head on…

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A woman was arrested after allegedly using pepper spray on several people inside a Chuck E Cheese’s restaurant in Metairie.  Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Jason Rivarde says they were called to the scene and arrested Katarian Marshall of New Orleans after she hit some children and adults with the spray following an apparent argument…

Cut 4 (06) “by paramedics.”

State police are reminding those out for Halloween activities tonight that this holiday is more dangerous for drunk driving than New Years.  Trooper Melissa Matey says last New Year’s Eve there were seven deaths in Louisiana, five were alcohol related with similar numbers last Halloween…

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The U.S. Department of Transportation says deaths from impaired driving make up half of all traffic fatalities…

The suspect in the high profile Grambling State University double murder has hired a defense team to argue his innocence. Attorneys Ronald Haley and Dedrick (Deed-Rick) Moore would not reveal 19-year-old Jaylin Wayne’s side of the story, but said the focus should switch to the environment at Grambling. Moore says there is a culture of gun violence on campus:

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A Caldwell Parish teen is in police custody after he allegedly burned down a building that belonged to a historic church in Rayville. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office says two men, one of them armed with a handgun, stopped a school bus because they felt the bus driver was speeding. Lt. Col. Ward Webb says the bus was traveling down the road with students on board yesterday afternoon when 58-year-old Clifton Hamby and 60-year-old Kerry LaSaicherre(Les-sha-share) refused to let the driver pass.

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A report from the Centers for Disease Control finds children are four times more likely to be hit by a vehicle on Halloween than any other night of the year. State Trooper Melissa Matey also adds it’s illegal for sex offenders to participate in any Halloween events where children may be present. She says L-S-P will be out in full force tonight.

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The suspect in the high profile Grambling State University double murder has hired a defense team to argue his innocence.
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KNOE TV say someone is in police custody after a church fire in Richland Parish. St. Paul Baptist church in Rayville just had their 137th anniversary. Reports says the old building is fine, it was the new building that was burned. The fire marshal along with police are investigating the fire that started at around 9:30 this morning.

State Police is reminding those out of the street for trick or treating or attending Halloween parties that this holiday is more dangerous for drunk driving than New Years. Trooper Melissa Matey says last New Year’s Eve there was 7 deaths in Louisiana and five were alcohol related.
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Matey encourages people to make smart decisions before heading out to parties tonight.

Baton Rouge Police are investigating a crash that took the life of a 23-year-old and a two-year-old. Sgt. Don Coppola says they received calls of a Mustang driving recklessly down Airline Highway before hitting an 18-wheeler head on. He says the driver is identified as Wallacea Swazer of Baton Rouge and two year-old Carter Northern.
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A 19-year-old male was a passenger in the vehicle and was transported to the hospital with moderate injuries.