Two Louisiana chefs are on the way to Japan, where they will cook gumbo for the US Ambassador of Japan at the Mississippi River Country reception. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has seized an Acadia Parish woman’s spider monkey and she’s fighting to get her pet back. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing has been ranked the 9^th best nursing school in the nation. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 3 (26) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Two Louisiana chefs are travelling to Japan today to cook gumbo for the US Ambassador of Japan, Caroline Kennedy, and others as part of the Mississippi River Country reception. Samantha Carroll and her husband, Cody, own Hot Tails in New Roads and Sac-a-Lait restaurant in New Orleans. Carroll says this will be a great opportunity to get Louisiana products in the hands of chefs abroad.

cut 4  (12)  “in Louisiana”

Carroll says cooking gumbo in another country presents an interesting challenge because some ingredients, like filé, are hard to find overseas. She says they’ve been trying to find out what ingredients they can find and which ones they’ll have to bring with them.

Cut 5  (10)  “southern region”

Carroll says she and her husband will cook gumbo for the guests at the trade show convention, using Louisiana seafood and ingredients. She says during their ten-day trip, they’ll also judge a gumbo cook off.

Cut 6 (08) “judging it”

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An Acadia Parish woman is fighting to get her spider monkey back after he was seized by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Justine Quinn of Church Point says she has owned Darwin, the monkey, for over 13 years. A state law was passed in 2006 requiring a permit to own exotic animals, but Quinn says she was grandfathered in because she owned Darwin before the law was passed. She says he was seized once before in 2014.

CUT 7 (08)  “my care”

Quinn says it took four months to get Darwin back the first time, and he was emaciated and had cuts all over his hands. She says she’s worried the same thing will happen again, especially because another woman’s primate died while in LDWF’s care.

Cut 8 (12) “their care”

Quinn says after she got Darwin back in 2014, the judge gave her a court order to let her keep him until the matter was settled. But she says last Friday LDWF came back for Darwin again.

Cut 9 (09)  “of Louisiana”

Quinn says she is seeking legal action to get Darwin back. L-D-W-F is not commenting on the matter.

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The LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing has been ranked the ninth best nursing school in the country by the Nursing Schools Almanac. Dr. Demetrius Porche, Dean of the School of Nursing, says this is a great honor. He says this review is a testament to the dedication of the facility and staff’s commitment to a culture of excellence.

Cut 10 (11) “nursing education”

The school also ranked number 5 among public nursing schools and second in the Southeast region. Porche says this is very meaningful to have the Nursing Schools Almanac give the school this kind of rating. He says the key factors to the rating are…

cut 11 (09) “default rate”

Porche says this is a significant ranking because not many nursing schools in the South receive this recognition.

cut 12 (10) “our program”

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Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser announces the Louisiana Office of Tourism has been named the 2016 State Tourism Office of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society. Nungesser says he’s so proud of the award, but more proud of all the great people who work in the tourism industry. He says they want to get more people involved in promoting the Bayou State to tourists.

Cut 13 (08) “their own”

This is the second time L-O-T has won this award, as the office also won in 2013, and it celebrates the fourth consecutive year of record breaking tourism in Louisiana. Nungesser says they want to keep that trend going. He says for the 100 year anniversary of the National Park System, they’ll promote the great outdoors of the Bayou State, coupled with all the other things our state has to offer.

cut 14 (06)  “Mardi Gras beads”

L-O-T runs a variety of campaigns to find more ways to boost tourism. During National Tourism Week, Nungesser met with people in tourism around the state to highlight all the attractions in every corner of Louisiana. He says there’s so many great things to see, and not enough money to promote them all.

Cut 15 (06) “to offer”

L-O-T has also created a series of videos featuring different places in the state to go, things to see, and places to eat as part of their Go.See.Eat campaign, generating more than 83-thousand views in three months.

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What appeared to be an easy win on Saturday in Tiger Stadium, became a nerve racking victory for LSU as they had to hold on to a 23-20 victory over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs scored two touchdowns in a 40-second span to give State a chance at stealing a win in Death Valley. Coach Les Miles wishes his team would have finished stronger.

Cut 16  (18)  “to Auburn”

After missing the Jacksonville State game with an injury, LSU running back Leonard Fournette returned to the field and rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns. But fumbled twice, which kept the Bulldogs in the game. Miles says his star running back will get better with hanging on to the ball…

Cut 17 (16)  “forefront”

A key to LSU’s win was the six sacks they had on the night. Sophomore Arden Key had two of them…

Cut 18 (12) “we know”

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It’s a tough start to the season for the Saints. After dropping a one-point loss in the season opener, New Orleans lost another tight contest yesterday. Giants kicker Josh Brown’s 23-yard field goal with no time left gave New York a 16-13 win over the Saints. Coach Sean Payton says the difference in this game was a block field goal that led to a 65-yard return for a touchdown by the Giants Janoris Jenkins…

Cut 19 (19) “needed to play”

NFL teams that start 0-2, usually don’t make the playoffs. New Orleans returns home to play Atlanta on Monday night and Payton says his team will keep fighting…

Cut 20 (20) “getting it done”

CenturyLink has announced plans for companywide layoffs. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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A naked man was shot after trespassing in a Lafayette man’s backyard. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (21)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Monroe-based CenturyLink announces companywide layoffs. CenturyLink spokesperson Annmarie Sartor says after careful consideration the telecommunications company has made the difficult decision to reduce its employee related costs. She says in order to reduce its workforce, they are seeking employees who are looking to leave the company voluntarily.

CUT 3 (12)  “method training”

Sartor says because they are starting with voluntary layoffs, they are not sure on the local impact. But she says if they do not reach their goal, they will have to begin involuntary layoffs. She says the company has about 43-thousand employees globally.

CUT 4 (08)  “headcount”

The reduction could be about 35-hundred employees throughout the company. CenturyLink is known for their landline phone service. Sartor says technology advancements have led to changes.

CUT 5 (11)  “revenue streams”

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A Denham Springs man has died after hitting a horse in the road. State Trooper Bryan Lee says one of their troopers came upon the accident around 1 am.

CUT 6 (08) “the roadway”

Lee says 24-year-old Joshua Marange was killed in the accident. He says Marange was driving down US 190 in Livingston parish when he struck a horse that was standing in the eastbound lane. He says the crash did substantial damage to Marange’s vehicle.

CUT 7 (10) “as well”

Marange says impairment is not suspected to be a factor, but toxicology results are pending. He says they are still trying to locate the owner of the horse. He says drivers can call *LSP to report hazards in the roadway.

CUT 8 (10) “contact us”

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A Lafayette homeowner fatally shot a naked man who was holding a gun in his backyard this morning. Cpl. Bridgette Dugas says authorities received a call around 8 a.m. about someone trespassing on Fanny Street and they are working to determine why the man was naked in the yard.

CUT 9 (06) “it as”

Dugas says the naked suspect did not fire his weapon and was pronounced dead at the scene.

cut 10 (07)  “gun fire”

Dugas says they have not yet determined the identity of the suspect and are in the process of questioning the homeowner.

Cut 11 (08) “after that” 

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Baton Rouge first responders rescued a teenager from a chimney this morning after he decided to skip school. BRPD Cpl. L’Jean McKneely says the homeowner called the police when she heard someone calling for help inside her chimney…

cut 12 (09) “detention”

The 15-year-old has been charged with attempted burglary of an inhabited dwelling. Cops say also has a criminal record. McKneely says hopefully they can prevent this teen from doing something like this again because his life was in danger.

Cut 13 (11)  “in chimneys”

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2017 nominees are out, and former New Orleans Saint Darren Sharper, who is in jail on rape charges, is on the list. The choice comes as bit of a surprise to some. The Hall of Fame site doesn’t factor character as criteria for nominations, but these people we spoke with don’t feel Sharper should have been chosen…:

cut 14 (13)  “everything he did”

Sharper has admitted he raped three women in New Orleans in 2013 before sexually assaulting six more women in three other states, and has been sentenced to serve 20 years in jail. A selection committee still has to meet in February to vote on who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. These people say Sharper does not deserve the distinction…:

cut 15 (06) “what he done”

Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the nation, according to new census data. Don Molino has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

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The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Jeff Palermo reports…:

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Department of Transpiration Secretary Shawn Wilson is travelling the state in an 18-wheeler this week for National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The statewide average for a gallon of gas is $2 a gallon. Don Redman with AAA expects that trend to continue as refineries transition to the less expensive winter-grade gasoline. He says there may be a slight price increase in October though.

cut 4  (09)  “the consumer”

Redman says after the October uptick, cheaper gasoline and lower demand should bring gas prices back down. He expects prices to hover around $2 a gallon for the remainder of the year.

Cut 5  (07)  “for gasoline”

Redman says demand will likely go up for the holidays. He says so far every holiday of 2016 has seen record high demand for gas.

Cut 6 (07) “and December”

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New census data finds Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. Demographer Greg Rigamer says Louisiana’s median household income of about $45-thousand is well below the national average, which is over $55-thousand.

CUT 7 (07)  “poorest states”

Louisiana has the 6^th lowest median household income. The national median income increased by 3.8% from 2014-15, while Louisiana’s only went up by 2.5%. Rigamer says the poverty rate is almost 20-percent in Louisiana, and decreased slightly over the past year.

Cut 8 (09) “the nation”

The national poverty rate is just under 15%, almost 5% lower than the rate in the Pelican State. Rigamer says with an average income that’s 20% less than the nationwide average, it’s not surprising the Louisiana poverty rate is so high.

Cut 9 (09)  “nation either”

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The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says they sent a letter to the superintendents of all Louisiana public school districts reminding them about the First Amendment:

Cut 10 (10) “stand for the pledge”

Esman believes this may have to do with students becoming more aware of their right because San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is making news right now because he sits during the national anthem. She says nobody can be forced to stand for the Pledge, salute the flag or anything of that nature…:

cut 11 (09) “everybody has”

Esman says they’ve heard that students are at least being threatened with detention if they refuse to stand for the Pledge again. She says they sent the letter to ensure that everyone’s rights are being protected and what this country stands for…:

cut 12 (09) “what makes us free”

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This week is National Tuck Driver Awareness Week. Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says there have been several wrecks involving truck drivers around the state recently. He says the most important thing we can do to make the roads safer for everyone is bring attention to the issue.

Cut 13 (12) “with you”

Wilson says he’s been riding in an 18-wheeler around the state all week to see what it’s like to be behind the wheel of a big truck. He says a lot of drivers like to take advantage of the fact that trucks can’t speed up as quickly in traffic, but that can be dangerous.

cut 14 (08)  “accidents”

Wilson says it’s up to everyone on the road to drive safely, not just truckers. He says a crash involving an 18-wheeler is more dangerous and more disruptive than accidents involving smaller vehicles.

Cut 15 (10) “clean up”

Wilson says most of the things we buy are transported by big trucks, and people should all be appreciative of the important job trucks have in moving commerce.

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Two years ago, Haughton native Dak Prescott led Mississippi State to an upset win over the LSU Tigers in Death Valley. The Bulldogs will look to do it again tomorrow night when they visit the Bayou Bengals. Prescott now plays for the Cowboys, but the “Voice of the Tigers” Chris Blair says State brings another talented dual-threat quarterback to Tiger Stadium in Nick Fitzgerald

Cut 16  (11)  “key on”

Danny Etling is the likely starter at quarterback for LSU. Etling will face a Bulldogs defense that allowed 285 yards through the air in a season-opening loss to South Alabama. Blair says 3 of the 4 starting defensive backs for the Bulldogs are first-time starters

Cut 17 (10)  “the secondary”

Etling had immediate success when he came off the bench last week against Jacksonville State. But Blair says the transfer from Purdue faces a much bigger challenge in his first start in Tiger Stadium…

Cut 18 (20) “thus far”

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Two weeks ago, Louisiana Tech nearly upset Arkansas, tomorrow they get a chance against another Power 5 school when they visit Texas Tech. Through two games, the Red Raiders are averaging nearly 587 passing yards. Bulldogs Coach Skip Holtz says Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been outstanding…

Cut 19 (23) “elusive”

Senior Ryan Higgins will make his second start of the year after throwing for 409 yards in a win over South Carolina State last week. Higgins was also intercepted twice and Holtz wants his Q-B to make smarter decisions…

Cut 20 (17) “down the field”

Four of the 18-thousand homes that have registered for the Shelter At Home program have been repaired. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Flood victims testified at a meeting of the Senate Small Business Committee this morning to voice their concerns about the federal flood response. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Construction has only been completed on four flood victims’ homes as part of the new Shelter At Home program. Deputy Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office, Julie Baxter Payer, says she expects that number to rise quickly over the next few days. She says with so many people registered for the program, it’s taking a while to get to them all.

CUT 3 (08)  “as possible”

Payer says 357 homes are under construction now, while 850 are in the process of getting work orders. She says the program is only a few weeks old so they had to get their team put together. She says initially they had five contractors, but they are hiring more.

CUT 4 (10)  “the homeowners”

Payer says over 12-hundred homes have been inspected, and more than 2-thousand inspections are scheduled. She says an additional 14-hundred homes are ready to be inspected. She says once construction beings, the homeowners can get back in their homes soon after.

CUT 5 (07)  “these days”

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An arrest has been made in the case of the elderly couple found murdered in a barn near their Avoyelles parish home. Chief Deputy Steven Martel with the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office says the couple’s grandson, 28-year-old Michael Mayeaux, has been charged with two counts of first degree murder. He says autopsy results are pending, but the initial findings were gruesome.

CUT 6 (08) “be determined”

Martel says 69-year-old Hillman Mayeaux and his 67-year-old wife Eloise were found near their property in Bordelonville yesterday afternoon after they were reported missing earlier that day. He says Michael Mayeaux does have a record, but has never been charged with any violent crimes.

CUT 7 (08) “of violations”

Martel says there is a known motive, but they are not releasing it publicly. He says Bordelonville is a small, tightknit community. He says this crime came as a shock to everyone.

CUT 8 (10) “the family”

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US Senator David Vitter led a meeting of the Senate Small Business Committee this morning to address concerns of Louisiana flood victims. State Representative Clay Schexnayder of Gonzales owns Car Craft Automotive and spoke at the hearing. He says communication between state and local officials and FEMA have been a big problem.

CUT 9 (13) “right now”

Schexnayder says some of his constituents are living in tents or repairing their homes on their own, because the feds are taking too long. President and CEO of the Central Chamber of Commerce, Ron Erickson Sr., raised concerns about flood victims possibly having to elevate their homes.

cut 10 (09)  “thousand dollars”

Vitter encouraged people to contact his office if they are having trouble cutting through the red tape with federal agencies. He says today’s hearing is an important step to getting more assistance and helping his colleagues understand the level of devastation from this flood.

Cut 11 (10) “the way” 

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US Representative Charles Boustany says allegations that he was involved with prostitutes who were killed in Jefferson Davis Parish are false and hurtful. He says operatives working for State Treasurer John Kennedy are spreading these lies. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says there is no actual evidence that Boustany had anything to do with those women…:

cut 12 (10) “out there”

The accusations are published in a new book about the murders. A spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign says the book speaks for itself. Both men are seeking the US Senate seat up for grabs in November. Dubos says, when it comes to the politics of all this, it’s really up to voters to decide who to believe and what to believe…:

Cut 13 (10)  “on this”

Boustany says he is more proud of his work as a faithful husband and father than he is about anything else he’s done in his life. Dubos says he feels most voters will wait and see if any additional information on the allegation comes out, and how Kennedy and Boustany handle it…:

cut 14 (10)  “they wanted”

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Flood victims who are still at the shelter at the Baton Rouge River Center will be moved to a shelter at Celtic Studios today. Michelle Southern has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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The US Department of Defense is teaming up with the LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Facility to find ways to improve soldiers’ endurance on the battle field. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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A reaction video to Disney’s gumbo recipe video has almost reached one million views. Emelie Gunn has more on why Louisianans were outraged….

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The shelter at the Baton Rouge River Center is closing today. Red Cross spokesperson Vicki Eichstaedt says the flood vicitms who are still in the shelter will be moved to a shelter at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge. The Department of Children and Family Services reports there were 372 as of yesterday. Eichstaedt says the Red Cross is redoubling their efforts to make sure no one is forgotten.

cut 4  (12)  “for them”

Eichstaedt says the River Center has asked them to vacate their facility as they prepare for upcoming events, but she says there is not a hard close date for the Celtic Studios shelter. She says they will be there to help these flood victims as long as it takes.

Cut 5  (07)  “to stay”

Eichstaedt says they want to encourage people to register with FEMA for federal aid. She says people can get more information about more assistance from the Red Cross by calling 855-224-2490. She says there’s lots of individual reasons why people are having trouble finding the next place for them.

Cut 6 (10) “security deposit”

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US Senator David Vitter will chair a meeting of the Senate Small Business Committee today to discuss the federal response for flood victims in Louisiana. Vitter says this is an important opportunity to explain just how devastating this flooding really was, and still is for many people.

CUT 7 (12)  “third biggest”

Vitter says the SBA administrator will be present at the meeting. He says the FEMA administrator will not be there because “he’s come up with a series of excuses.” But he says there will be other people there to help make the case for additional assistance.

Cut 8 (09) “testimony”

Vitter says opportunities to highlight the enormity of this event are important, because they are running out of time to approve a $2.6 federal aid package requested by the Obama Administration. Louisiana’s Senior Senator says they are trying to get the federal appropriation passed this month.

Cut 9 (06)  “that done”

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LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Facility is partnering with the US Department of Defense on a study that looks at improving a soldier’s endurance. Dr. Jennifer Rood is the principal investigator for the Optimizing Performance for Soldiers Study. She says many soldiers in military operations are only getting half of the daily recommendation of calories, which leads to weight loss and impacts their performance.

Cut 10 (12) “that weigh loss”

Rood says because of that, soldiers also experience a drop in testosterone levels. She says the study will explore the effects of testosterone injections to maintain normal testosterone levels to see if it can prevent side effects, like loss of muscle and problems with memory, mood and concentration.

cut 11 (08) “of weight loss”

Rood says they are looking for men ages 18 to 39 to participate in the study who are active two to three days a week. She says it’s a three month study divided into three phases. She says the first phase involves participants eating, exercising, and coming to the center daily, but the second phase is more intense.

cut 12 (12) “a day”

Rood says in phase three, they follow up with participants for a month after they leave the facility. She says applicants can enroll online at prbc.edu/ops. She says LSU was chosen to perform the OPS study because of their long standing relationship with the Department of Defense.

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Disney released a gumbo recipe video on Facebook that is driving Louisianans mad. The video has since been removed after receiving backlash for adding kale, quinoa and not even starting with a roux. KATC Lafayette Production Assistant David Hilbun created a reaction video. Hilburn says his first thought when watching the video was this looks nothing like real gumbo.

Cut 13 (10) “to me”

Hilbun says he was so disgusted by the Disney video that he had to remake it to show the reaction of Louisianans. He says there have been nearly a million views of his video…

cut 14 (10)  “ingredients”

Hilbun says he never intended for the video to blow up the way it did in just two days. He says people are so passionate about their gumbo, because it’s the flagship dish of the Cajun culture.

Cut 15 (07) “butchered”

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The Saints visit the Giants this Sunday in a rematch of last year’s wild contest that saw New Orleans beat New York 52-49 in the third-highest scoring game in league history. El Manning and Drew Brees combined to throw for an NFL-record 13 touchdown passes. Brees is not expecting that kind of game again…

Cut 16  (12)  “play for”

The Saints need a win on Sunday to avoid an 0-2 start. Brees says there’s a sense of urgency to get in the win column…..

Cut 17 (13)  “it happen”

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LSU’s senior starting tight end Colin Jeter says the offense is ready to play hard for whoever starts at quarterback this Saturday against Mississippi State. Coach Les Miles has strongly hinted that Danny Etling will be the guy, but Colin Jeter says the offense is ready to make plays for whoever calls the signals…

Cut 18 (14) “I’m behind”

Etling was 6-of-14 for 100 yards and a touchdown and an interception in the win over Jacksonville State. Jeter says Etling gave them a spark that was definitely needed at the time…

Cut 19 (15) “the game”

Governor John Bel Edwards has created the Restore Louisiana Task Force to oversee flood recovery. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says getting the flood aid package approved will be an uphill battle. Michelle Southern has more…

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Governor John Bel Edwards announces the creation of the Restore Louisiana Task Force, which will oversee flood recovery and redevelopment. The task force is comprised of 21 members ranging from cabinet secretaries to state lawmakers and local mayors. There are also business people on the panel, including Lamar Advertising CEO Sean Reilly who was on the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which was formed after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

CUT 3 (09)  “our work”

Reilly says the task force will push for extra federal aid to help flood victims, because the majority did not have flood insurance. He hopes we learn lessons after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita when it comes to the rebuilding of homes…

CUT 4 (10)  “their house”

Reilly says the Restore Louisiana Task Force will also help victims of the March flooding in north Louisiana. He says another goal is to aid small businesses in getting back up and running.

CUT 5 (10)  “Rita”

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Enrollment at Nicholls State University is up for the first time since 2009. Nicholls President Bruce Murphy says they saw an increase of 103 students, which is just over a 1% hike. He says they have improved their recruitment by empowering recruiters to give scholarships to potential students.

CUT 6 (09) “kind of stuff”

Murphy says as a result of their recruiting efforts, freshmen applications were up 300 over last year. He says even after the confusion over TOPS, having to increase fees, and the flooding, their enrollment is still went up.

CUT 7 (10) “the fall”

Murphy says he doesn’t think reduction of the TOPS scholarship program will bring more students to Nicholls, because tuition is similar at most Louisiana universities. But he says college students from the Houma-Thibodaux area moving back home, may have boosted their numbers.

CUT 8 (09) “or not”

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LSU Football Coach Les Miles told reporters on the SEC teleconference that he would like to keep it in-house on who will start at quarterback this Saturday against Mississippi State. But the head coach still gave us a strong clue that it will be Danny Etling…

CUT 9 (07) “don’t mind”

Etling replaced a struggling Brandon Harris in the second quarter of last Saturday’s 34-13 win over Jacksonsville State. Etling led to touchdowns on three consecutive drives. Miles says they have spoken to Harris about being ready to play if they need him….

cut 10 (10)  “understands that”

All-American running back Leonard Fournette did not play against Jacksonsville State, because of an injured ankle. But Miles expects Fournette will play against the Bulldogs…

Cut 11 (10) “right now” 

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The Obama Administration has sent a $2.6 billion request to Congress for Louisiana flood relief assistance. Congressman Garrett Graves says it will be an uphill battle to get the request approved. The Baton Rouge Republican says the Louisiana delegation is trying to make other Congressional leaders understand the impact of this flood.

cut 12 (07) “insufficient”

Graves says one problem is that other states have also experienced devastating natural disasters, and they want more funding too. He says although it’s never a good idea to compare one another’s disasters, in this case the numbers speak for themselves.

Cut 13 (07)  “US history”

The federal request is $200 million less than what Governor John Bel Edwards requested Monday. But Graves says some members of Congress just don’t want to spend any money. He says he understands that, but the reality is that this will cost taxpayers money one way or another.

cut 14 (10)  “in my mind”

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The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office says they have located the bodies of the missing couple authorities had been searching for, and believe the victims’ grandson could be involved. Chief Deputy Steven Martel says Hillman and Eloise Mayeaux were found in a barn near their home. He says there is a person of interest in the case…:

cut 15 (10) “130 pounds”

Martel says they have not been able to locate 28-year-old Michael Mayeaux:

cut 16 (10) “area code 318”

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Interstate 10 will be widened from four to six lanes from Highland Road in Baton Rouge to Highway 73 in Ascension parish. Jeff Palermo has more on the announcement from Governor John Bel Edwards…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Solar panel customers in Louisiana are suing the state over a cap that was placed on the solar tax credit program. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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More Louisianans than ever are now covered by health insurance, according to new census data. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Governor John Bel Edwards announces I-10 will be widened from four to six lanes between Highland Road in Baton Rouge and Highway 73 in Ascension Parish. He says about 30-percent of the traffic on I-10 is moving commerce. But he says this project will benefit all drivers.

cut 4  (10)  “as well”

State Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says the project will cost more than 60-million dollars, but the state plans to use 40-million dollars in federal monies to get the project started.  Edwards says they are also looking at elevating parts of the interstate in this 7 mile stretch.

Cut 5  (10)  “this area”

Construction is expected to begin in about a year. Edwards says this is an important project because this section is one of the most congested parts of I-10, because the interstate goes from three lanes to two east of Highland.

Cut 6 (11) “this area”

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This week is National Drive Electric Week and the state department of natural resources would like motorists to learn about the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars.  Executive Director of Louisiana Clean Fuels program, Ann Shaneyfelt, says the range of some fully electric vehicles is up to 200 miles, which is similar to having a full tank of gas.

CUT 7 (08)  “every single morning” 2x

Shaneyfelt says the maintenance cost of electric vehicles is also much lower, and most public charging stations are free. She says there are also tax credits available for people who purchase electric and hybrid vehicles.

Cut 8 (08) “hundred dollars”

Shaneyfelt says Plugin Louisiana is one of their initiatives that encourages employers to install workplace charging for plug-in electric vehicles. LSU is the first Workplace Charging Challenge partner in Louisiana.  She says workplace charging is an appealing incentive for many employees that can help attract and retain a cutting-edge workforce, while also increasing consumer exposure of electric cars.

Cut 9 (08)  “their employees”

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Solar panel customers in Louisiana are suing the state over the cap that was placed on the solar tax credit program earlier this year. New Orleans lawyer Larry Centola says the state violated these people’s rights when they retroactively capped the program.

Cut 10 (11) “on em”

Centola says because the program is now first come first serve, people who bought their panels after the cap was passed could get a tax credit before those bought them before the cap, depending on who filed their taxes first. Centola says about 2-thousand homeowners installed their panels before the June 2015 vote on the cap.

cut 11 (09) “entitled to”

The tax credit program was capped at $25 million during the 2015 session. Centola says they will be seeking more than $10 million in the suit. He says he understands that the state was in a budget crunch, but…

cut 12 (10) “rules on them”

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New census data shows that more Louisianans than ever before are now covered by health insurance. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project Jan Moller says this is great news because for the longest time, Louisiana had one of the highest uninsured rates in the country.

Cut 13 (10) “percent” 3x

And Moller says this number doesn’t even include all the people who received coverage this summer through the expansion of Medicaid. He says nearly 212-thousand people in Louisiana signed up for coverage through the federal health insurance exchange program.

cut 14 (09)  “preventative care”

The new census data also found the overall median income rose 5-percent in 2015, but in the south, it only climbed three percent. Moller says we can’t be sure exactly why the southern part of the country is behind but the south in general has lower levels of educational attainment. He says even though it’s not as much, 3-percent is still an improvement.

Cut 15 (09) “class family”

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Mississippi State is getting ready to travel down to Baton Rouge for Saturday night’s SEC showdown with the 20th ranked LSU Tigers. Bulldogs Coach Dan Mullen says despite the Tigers opening week loss to Wisconsin, they have one of the most talented rosters in the country…

Cut 16  (19)  “defensive lineman”

Two years ago, Mississippi State came into Tiger Stadium and beat LSU 34-29 for their first win over the Tigers since 1992. The Bulldogs quarterback that day was Dak Prescott, who played an exceptional game. Mississippi State’s quarterback this Saturday will be Nick Fitzgerald who threw for 178 yards and rushed for 195 yards against South Carolina. Mullen on Fitzgerald and Prescott’s running styles

Cut 17 (18)  “of running”

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ULM and UL Lafayette open Sun Belt play this Saturday. The Warhawks are at Georgia Southern and Coach Matt Viator says the Eagles option offense is hard to simulate in practice…

Cut 18 (17) “of challenges”

The Cajuns host South Alabama. UL Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth likes how quarterback Anthony Jennings is developing in their system…

Cut 19 (19) “effective there”

South Alabama comes into Lafayette with a 1-1 record. They upset Mississippi State in the season opener and then lost to Georgia Southern last week. Hudspeth says his defense will have to pay attention to Gerald Everett…

Cut 20 (11) “outstanding players”

Prostitution allegations have surfaced against a candidate for US Senate, Republican Congressman Charles Boustany. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The LSU AgCenter finds the total damage to agriculture from the August floods to be about 277-million dollars. Don Molino has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Don Molino”

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American Cancer Society volunteers from Louisiana and many other states are in Washington, D.C, today rallying for more funding for cancer research. Director of the LSU Health Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Augusto Ochoa, is among those volunteers. He says the advances in science over the past several decades have been phenomenal, and we are at a turning point in cancer research that just needs an additional push.

CUT 3 (12)  “chronic disease”

Ochoa and the other volunteers are asking Congress to increase funding for the National Cancer Institute by $680 million. He says, more than 9-thousad Louisiana residents die from cancer every year, and Louisiana has one of the highest rates of death by cancer in the country.

CUT 4 (07)  “a year”

According to the National Institute of Health, in 2015, almost $24 billion funded nearly 50-thousand cancer research grants over 25-hundred research facilities around the country. Ochoa says Louisiana receives some of those grants.

CUT 5 (11)  “cancer institute”

For more information on how to volunteer with the American Cancer Society, go to A-C-S-CAN-dot-org (acscan.org).

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The wife of Republican US Senate candidate Charles Boustany says prostitution allegations against her husband are “false attacks.” The accusations were raised in a new book that claims Boustany was involved with prostitutes who were killed in Jefferson Davis Parish. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this has the potential to hurt Boustany’s campaign…

CUT 6 (08) “running that”

A statement from Boustany’s campaign says these allegations are completely false. The author of the book stands by what he wrote. Pinsonat says we saw something similar last year in the governor’s race with PACS attacking David Vitter’s prostitution scandal.

CUT 7 (11) “or not”

Pinsonat expects voters will give Boustany the benefit of the doubt as long as nothing more comes from this allegation. But he says only time will tell if attacks ads will come…

CUT 8 (08) “background noise”

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Louisiana State Police has arrested a Slidell man on 500 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Trooper Dustin Dwight says 73-year-old Lanier Lively was sharing pornographic files involving juveniles over the internet. He says after executing a search warrant of his house, authorities found massive amounts of suspected child pornography…

CUT 9 (05) “of data.”

Dwight says the investigation into Lively began in April. He says Lively had nearly 32-thousand gigabytes of data….

cut 10 (10)  “amassed”

Dwight says State Police is constantly looking for criminals like Lively. He says this is a very appalling case.

Cut 11 (07) “to justice” 

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An Ascension parish man will spend the next five years behind bars after he beat his dog to death with a baseball bat. Jeff Dorson with the Humane Society of Louisiana says Jamari Jackson faced up to 10 years for the 2014 crime, but they are happy with the sentence he got.

cut 12 (08) “what he did”

Jackson reportedly claimed that he hit his dog because it was stuck in a barbed wire fence and he wanted to “relax” it to get it loose. Dorson says this is a good result for a horrible tragedy.

Cut 13 (07)  “in Louisiana”

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An updated analysis from the LSU AgCenter finds agriculture losses from the August flooding totaled nearly 277-million dollars. The original estimate was 110-million dollars in damage. AgCenter Economist Kurt Guidry says rice and soybeans were the two hardest hit crops.

cut 14 (11)  “the storm”

Guidry says row crop producers affected by the flooding are eligible for emergency loans. He says corn was the next hardest hit commodity taking a 44-million dollar hit and cotton is at 27-million dollars…

cut 15 (10) “crop”

Agriculture losses from both the March and August floods are a combined 367-million dollars. Guidry says livestock also suffered greatly during last month’s floods and the Farm Service agency has programs to help livestock producers.

cut 16 (09) “the storms”

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Governor John Bel Edwards has requested an additional 800 million dollars in federal disaster assistance. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (24) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Insurance Commissioner, Jim Donelon, says people who live in areas that flooded this year will pay more for car insurance in the future. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Alto Congressman Ralph Abraham is seeking more federal assistance for the victims of the March flood in north Louisiana. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Governor John Bel Edwards has requested an additional 800 million dollars in federal dollars for disaster relief. The now 2.8 billion dollar request will be considered by Congress in the coming weeks. Edwards says the extra money will go towards flood control projects, instead of requiring flood victims to elevate their homes…

cut 4  (11)  “their homes”

Edwards says the funds are need for both the historic flooding events in north and south Louisiana. The governor says President Obama will meet with the leaders of the House and Senate to further discuss the legislation, which could come out of the Senate by Wednesday. He says he will be in Washington D.C. on Wednesday and Thursday to address funding for transportation and…

Cut 5  (07)  “as well”

Edwards says he’s concerned Congress might not move the package now, but not because members of the Louisiana delegation voted against funding for Super Storm Sandy. He says he had the opportunity to talk to both democrats and republicans in the House and Senate…

Cut 6 (08) “asking for”

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Louisiana residents who live in areas that flooded this year will pay more for car insurance as a result of the 2016 floods, according to state Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon. He says drivers’ comprehensive coverage will go up because over 100-thousand cars were destroyed by the flood.

CUT 7 (11)  “the case”

Donelon says when companies file rate increases, it’s based on losses they’ve covered in previous years. In the August flood event, he says there were 60-thousand flooded vehicles that will be paid for by insurance companies.

Cut 8 (11) “particular area”

Donelon says the amount of the rate hike will vary from one company to another. He says people who live in areas that did not experience any flooding will not see the rate increase, but those that did flood should expect their rates to go up in years to come.

Cut 9 (09)  “and beyond”

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Democratic US Senate candidate Caroline Fayard has won the endorsement of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says Landrieu’s endorsement is a nice feather in the cap of Fayard’s campaign.

Cut 10 (10) “for Fayard”

Fayard is one of two well-known Democrats in the 24-person race. The other is Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, who has the endorsement of Governor John Bel Edwards. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says splitting big name endorsements will make it harder for one of these candidates to make it in the runoff.

cut 11 (09) “endorsements”

Dubos says while Democrats seem to be dividing themselves into different factions behind their candidates, they are not at war with one another. He says even though Landrieu and Edwards are supporting different people, they still have a good relationship.

cut 12 (10) “that candidate”

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While south Louisianans are recovering from a historic flood, flood recovery efforts are still ongoing from the catastrophic flood that hit north Louisiana just five months before. Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham of Richland Parish met with White House officials in an attempt to get more federal support for the March flooding recovery efforts in north Louisiana.

Cut 13 (09) “victims got”

President Obama has only agreed to increase the feds’ cost-share for the August flood. Abraham says between the two floods, 22 of the 24 parishes in his district were declared federal disaster areas. He says he sent a personal letter to the president explaining that the road to recovery is long in both north and south Louisiana, and the state needs more assistance from the federal government.

cut 14 (10)  “same treatment”

Governor John Bel Edwards will be in Washington tomorrow. The governor’s total request for both floods is two-point-eight billion dollars. Abraham says that request includes assistance for March flood victims who are rebuilding their homes and he’s talking with Congressional leaders about that need.

Cut 15 (08) “very quickly”

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LSU Football Coach Les Miles is not revealing who will be the starting quarterback for Saturday’s SEC opener against Mississippi State. Danny Etling sparked the Tigers to a win over Jacksonville State last weekend, after Brandon Harris struggled in the first quarter. Miles was asked if Etling’s emergence on the field led to the team playing with a greater level of enthusiasm

Cut 16  (13)  “the field”

Harris also struggled in the season opening loss to Wisconsin. But Miles has no regrets about not playing Etling against the Badgers. He says Etling was in a better position to take the field against Jacksonville State…

Cut 17 (19)  “to improve”

Because of Harris’ struggles, LSU has yet to score any points in the first quarter this season. Miles says they scripted and rehearsed their first few plays and he’s surprised by Harris’ ineffectiveness…

Cut 18 (08) “fast”

Governor John Bel Edwards announces Delta Regional Authority is making investments in two programs designed to grow Louisiana’s workforce, as part of a $72 million economic investment. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden speaks out about being in Taiwan rather than in DC testifying before Congress. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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A Baton Rouge woman is behind bars after she accidentally fatally shot her boyfriend during an argument. That’s according to Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola, who says 25-year-old Larriana Hughes came home to her boyfriend, 27-year-old Christopher Payne, after receiving a text from him. Coppola says they began to argue, and Payne began slapping Hughes in the face.

CUT 3 (08)  “of him”

Coppola says Hughes was trying to put the gun away when she accidentally shot her boyfriend in the torso.

CUT 4 (11)  “the firearm”

Coppola says Payne was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. He says Hughes sustained minor injuries in the dispute before her arrest.

CUT 5 (10)  “negligent homicide”

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Delta Regional Authority announces $72 million in investments in Louisiana to strengthen infrastructure, prepare for disasters, build the workforce, and support small businesses. Federal Co-chairman Chris Masingill says they are investing $275-thousand for two water pumps in Assumption parish. He says the water pump near Paincourtville was damaged by the tornado in February, leaving many residents without clean water if the pump broke or the power went out.

CUT 6 (10) “of need”

Masingill says they are investing more than $1 million for waterworks improvements in Monroe to support CenturyLink’s new Century Village project. He says they are also investing $150-thousand into the geauxBiz program to provide support for small businesses in central Louisiana.

CUT 7 (09) “startup community”

Masingill says another investment will expand sewer capacity in Boyce, where many of the components were constructed in the late 1950s. He says this investment is leveraging an additional $30 million from Sundrop Fuels for new research and development.

CUT 8 (07) “win-win”

Masingill says they are also growing the state’s Jobs for American Graduates Program by 30-percent. He says this program seeks to keep at risk youth in school.

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is investigating a boat crash in St. Mary Parish that claimed the life of a 7-year-old girl. LDWF Spokesperson Adam Einck says at around 2 p.m. yesterday a bass boat with one passenger, collided with an aluminum vessel carrying four people in Bayou Cheramie. He says the collision caused Jaidyn Montet to hit her head.

CUT 9 (03) “boat.”

Einck says Motet was pronounced dead at Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City. He says LDWF officials are going to recreate the crash to determine if anyone was at fault.

cut 10 (10)  “wrong way”

The driver of the aluminum boat was also treated for minor injuries. Einck says this is devastating.

Cut 11 (09) “good ending” 

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Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden is under scrutiny for being in Taiwan last week rather than speaking before Congress with the mayors of Central, Denham Springs and Walker about flood relief. Holden says he went out of the country to attend a forum about building sustainable port cities. He says he did not go to Washington D.C. because his office was not invited.

cut 12 (09) “this area”

Holden says no area of Baton Rouge will be left untouched by the services the government is providing after the flooding and there is still a lot to be done. He says he is completely engaged in the recovery process.

Cut 13 (08)  “their lives”

Holden says some candidates for Baton Rouge mayor are attacking his lack of presence in the city during this tough time. He says Baton Rouge isn’t going to fall apart because there is communication between his staffers and everyone is working together.

cut 14 (11)  “Rouge Parish”

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