An 11-year-old girl with Down Syndrome from DoSoto Parish is making international headlines after a video went viral of her reaction to making the cheerleading squad. Michelle Southern has more….

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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A report finds Louisiana ranks number 47^th in the nation for having the least financially secure residents. Emelie Gunn has more….

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Members of Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential campaign are looking to change the current debate criteria so Jindal will be included in the next Republican presidential debate on October 28th. Eric Gill reports…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

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 An 11-year-old girl with Down Syndrome from the DeSoto Parish town of Stonewall is making international headlines this year after a video of her reaction to being accepted on the cheerleading squad spread like wildfire. Renee Parker is Lacey Parker’s mother. She says after weeks of practicing difficult cheers and routines, Lacey tried out just like everyone else and eagerly waited for the results while her sister was capturing the reaction on video.

cut 4  (09)  “and screaming”

 Parker says she’s blown away by all the attention the video is getting and it’s more than 30 million views, but knows this is a feel good story that makes people smile. She says Lacey has made appearances on news sites everywhere and is influencing people all over the world.

Cut 5  (10)  “home videos”

 Parker says the principal at North DeSoto Middle School called them to ask Lacey to try out for the squad because cheering is about having heart and passion and nobody has more than she does. She says having Down Syndrome has never stopped Lacey from doing anything and she encourages more parents of special needs children to let their kids get involved.

Cut 6 (11)  “for her”

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Louisiana ranks number 47^th in the country for financial wellbeing according to a report by Gallup-Healthways. Tulane Business Professor Mark Rosa says he didn’t expect the Bayou State to rank among the least financially secure states but there are reasons why we’re ranked so low…

CUT 7 (09)  “of that”

The report also found Louisiana comes in at number 48^th in the nation for residents having enough money for food and 49^th for the ability for people to pay for health care. Rosa says there are a lot of low income areas here and we don’t live in a high wage environment.

Cut 8  (07)  “it’s sad”

Entergy and CenturyLink are the only two Louisiana based companies on the Fortune 500 list. Rosa says the lack of major corporations in the Bayou state contributes to Louisiana ranking low on this list.

Cut 9 (11) “small businesses” 

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Members of Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential campaign are looking to change the current debate criteria so Jindal will be included in the next Republican presidential debate on October 28th. The campaign argues that basing criteria on national polls is meaningless at this point in the race. Senior strategist Curt Anderson says national polls are predictive of nothing since there is no national primary…

Cut 10 (06) “be voting”

Current Republican National Committee/CNBC criteria requires a candidate average at least 2.5-percent in six different national polls to make a debate. Jindal Pollster Wes Anderson says the governor’s recent surge to six-percent support in Iowa should put him in the main debate…

cut 11 (10) “upcoming debate”

The campaign says ignoring polls in early primary states does not reflect reality. Campaign manager Timmy Teeple says by doing this, voters are being ignored…

Cut 12 (10) “who will lose”

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Republican David Vitter’s latest TV commercial for governor features his wife Wendy, who says her husband has the courage and vision needed to turn around Louisiana. ULM political science professor Joshua Stockley says this is a significant moment in the campaign, because of Vitter’s past scandal involving prostitution…

Cut 13 (11)  “are united”

In the ad, Wendy Vitter also talked about how her husband was the one who authored a bill that led to term limits in the state legislature. Stockley wonders why the campaign decided to have Wendy Vitter talk about this issue…

Cut 14 (10) “interesting”

Stockley says having an ad that features his wife can help Vitter with women voters…

Cut 15  (10)  “is lagging”

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LSU continues preparations for its top ten matchup with undefeated Florida on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. While Alabama is consider the Tigers biggest rival, LSU linebacker Deion Jones says while growing up in New Orleans, Florida was always the big game on the schedule…

Cut 16  (14)  “as a kid”

LSU’s starting quarterback the last five games will not play against LSU. Will Grier has been suspended by the NCAA for one year for taking a banned over-the-counter supplement. Treon Harris will start for the suspended Grier and LSU defensive tackle Christian Lacouture gives this scouting report on Harris…

Cut 17 (14) “do our job” 

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The Saints are 1-and-4 and in last place in the NFC South heading into Thursday night’s match-up with the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Drew Brees always has a positive take on things, but admits the losing is eating at him inside…

Cut 18 (11) “something positive”

The Falcons are one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this year. First-year coach Dan Quinn has Atlanta out to a 5-0 start. The Falcons had a losing record last year and Brees says the personnel is not much different from last year…

Cut 19 (17) “well right now”

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a mother and daughter accused of neglecting more than 40 animals at their home in Bogalusa. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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LSU star running back Leonard Fournette is on the cover of this week’s national Sports Illustrated magazine. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a mother and daughter accused of neglecting more than 40 animals at their home in Bogalusa. Terri Turner and Frannie Fisher are charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says the Sheriff’s Office was aware of the poor condition of the animals…

CUT 3 (08)  “to the authorities”

He says authorities advised the accused on numerous occasions to take better care of the animals and the women refused to do so. The Humane Society was able to remove more than 20 dogs, 20 cats, a duck, and a rabbit from the property. Dorson says since Washington Parish does not have an animal control department, care for all these animals falls on the Humane Society…

CUT 4 (09)  “off the top”

He says all the animals are in need of veterinary care. The Humane Society is seeking donations from the public to help with those costs. Dorson says they plan to go to court and present evidence against Turner and Fisher of long-term, chronic neglect for all of these animals…

CUT 5 (06) “everything shows”

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Through two days of early voting, the Secretary of State’s office reports just over 60-thousand ballots have been casted. That’s seven-thousand fewer voters than during the same period last year for the Congressional election. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says he’s anticipating an overall turnout below 50-percent for the October 24th primary

CUT 6 (09) “hold true” 

Schedler says early voting totals may pick up later in the week, because there’s still a large contingent of voters who remain undecided on the key races…

CUT 7 (07)  “statewide elections”

East Baton Rouge Parish has the most early votes after two days, as 41-hundred ballots have been casted. Jefferson Parish is next at 34-hundred and Schedler says so far more women have taken advantage of early voting than men

CUT 8 (10)  “51-hundred”

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LSU star running back Leonard Fournette is on the cover of this week’s national Sports Illustrated magazine. The No. 6 Tigers remain undefeated on the year thanks to help from the sophomore who has averaged more than 200 yards per game and scored 12 touchdowns. LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette says Fournette is also a great guy and teammate off the field…:

CUT 9 (05)  “he enjoys it”

Bonnette says it’s only October and there’s a lot of ball left to play, so one of the things they are focusing on is keeping Fournette in check. He says Coach Les Miles has asked team leaders to keep in mind that Leonard is at LSU to go to school and play football and doesn’t want too much on his plate…:

cut 10 (10)  “one of these”

A quote on the SI cover from Fournette says “In that ball, the whole of Louisiana is in your hands.” Bonnette says being on the cover of Sports Illustrated is a huge honor for Leonard and for LSU…:

Cut 11 (11)  “not very many”

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The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has launched a statewide campaign to educate Louisiana patients and families on how to use available health information technology. DHH Secretary Kathy Kliebert says the campaign is called “Your Health in Your Hands”…

cut 12 (08)  “health care cost”

She says the goal of the campaign is to help families use health IT tools to improve their health and health care decision making. A main component is its website, makemyhealth-dot-me. Kliebert says the site contains resources and information designed to help Louisianians become more engaged in their health care…

cut 13 (11)  “healthier outcomes”

The website also contains information about how to request copies of medical records and how to use those to improve your health. Kliebert says Louisiana is the first state in the country to have a consumer engagement tool like this…

cut 14 (08)  “health care options”

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The game this Saturday night in Tiger Stadium between No. 6 LSU and No. 8 Florida is one of the most anticipated matchups of the week. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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 The US Supreme Court will hear a case from an Angola inmate who was convicted of the murder of a police officer in 1963 when he was 17-years-old. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (25) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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 The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com endorses Republican David Vitter for governor. Jeff Palermo looks at what this means for Vitter’s campaign…

Cut 3 (27) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The game this Saturday night in Tiger Stadium between No. 6 LSU and No. 8 Florida is one of the most anticipated matchups of the week. Cameron Papp with StubHub says this is the best selling LSU game of the season on their online ticket marketplace…:

cut 4  (08)  “upper level seat”

The game in Death Valley kicks off at 6pm and will be televised on ESPN. Papp says the average ticket price for the LSU/Florida game in Baton Rouge is about $220. He says tickets aren’t impossible to find, but you’ll have to dig deep in your wallet if you want a good seat..:

Cut 5  (08)  “lower level seat”

Things got more interesting Monday after it was announced that starting Gator QB Will Grier is suspended indefinitely for failing a drug test when a banned over the counter substance was discovered in his system. Papp says it’s definitely a big year for LSU, but they always see a lot of demand for the Tigers anyway…:

Cut 6 (08)  “home games”

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The four candidates running for Lt. Governor discussed how they would improve the film industry in the state at a forum hosted by the Baton Rouge Press Club. Republican Billy Nungesser says when many people see movies filmed in Louisiana, they’re drawn to visit so we need to make changes to the current film tax credit incentive program to keep filmmakers coming to the state.

CUT 7 (10)  “our buck”

Republican John Young says before this most recent legislative session, Louisiana was number one in the world for film production. He says people from all over the country travel to the state to visit the Duck Commander Warehouse in West Monroe and the Swamp People in Pierre Part.

Cut 8  (07)  “from scratch”

Democrat Kip Holden says it’s time to close the loopholes in the film tax credit incentive program that could lead to fraud and wasteful spending.

Cut 9 (09) “criminal penalties” 

Republican Elbert Guillory says we shot ourselves in the foot when we made the changes to the film tax credits and we need to cap each movie rather than capping the entire industry. He says every movie filmed here projects Louisiana.

Cut 10 (10) “tax credit”

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The US Supreme Court will hear arguments today from the lawyers of an Angola inmate who is serving a life sentence for murdering a sheriff’s deputy as a teenager in 1963. In 2012, the US Supreme Court banned automatic life sentences for teens. Legal analyst Tim Meche says Louisiana prisoner Henry Montgomery wants the Supreme Court to make that ruling retroactive, so he has a chance at parole.

cut 11 (11) “the category”

 When Montgomery was 17-years-old, he shot Deputy Charles Hurt to death while playing hooky from school. Meche says Montgomery has a solid argument to make and a number of Justices on the court will be sympathetic of him.

Cut 12 (09) “retroactive”

Meche says we should know the Supreme Court’s decision by the end of the year. He says if the nation’s highest court rules in favor of Montgomery, hundreds of inmates sentenced to life for murder for a crime they committed as teenager will seek an opportunity at parole as well….

(The state department of corrections estimates there are about 300 inmates who were sentenced to life for crimes they committed as teenagers.)

Cut 13 (10)  “for relief”

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he Times-Picayune and NOLA.dot com endores Republican David Vitter for governor. NOLA’s editorial staff  says Vitter is committed, a resolute chief executive that has a desire to govern and lead on many fronts. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this is a big deal for Vitter’s campaign, who is  facing attacks from the three other candidates and supporting groups…

Cut 14 (10) “David Vitter”

Pinsonat says newspaper endorsements don’t guarantee victory on election day, but it’s definitely a boost for a candidate that has endured many personal attacks…

Cut 15  (08)  “for Vitter”

Republicans Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne have brought up Vitter’s past and his involvement in a prostitution scandal. Democrat John Bel Edwards has also questioned whether Vitter is the right leader for Louisiana. Pinsonat says an endorsement from a credible newspaper is a big boost for the Senator’s campaign…

Cut 16  (08)  “for him”

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There will be a lot of hype leading up to Saturday night’s showdown in Tiger Stadium between sixth ranked LSU and eighth ranked Florida. Players from the two teams were in a twitter war over the summer, over which school can lay claim to D-B-U, which stands for defensive back university. Coach Les Miles doesn’t want see trash talking from his team leading up to Saturday’s game…

Cut 17 (13) “recognize that” 

Both teams are undefeated heading into Saturday’s contest. The Gators have allowed just 13 points in their last two SEC games and they are one of the best teams at defending the run. Miles is interested to see if LSU can have success running the football against the Gators…

Cut 18 (13) “a war”

An achilles heel for LSU has been special teams. This past week they gave up a 96-yard kick off return for a touchdown. Their kicking game has also been flagged on numerous occasions. Miles says they are looking at making personnel changes and kicking the ball in different spots, but in the end it comes down to the players

Cut 19 (15) “correct it”

Fall is in the air in Louisiana and unfortunately so are allergies. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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A recent poll conducted for WWL-TV and The Advocate shows that only 46-percent of Louisiana African-American voters are in favor of removing or renaming monuments that honor Confederate leaders. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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Fall is definitely in the air and so are allergies. LSU Health Sciences Center Professor, Dr. Sanjay Kamboj (KAM-boje), says ragweed is, by far, the biggest allergy trigger of the season. He says ragweed plants produce a lot of pollen as autumn gets underway…

CUT 3 (07)  “fall allergies”

Kamboj says they are seeing an increase of patients coming in for allergy problems than in years past. He says warm temperatures and high humidity levels help increase pollen production so Louisiana can have a longer pollen season compared to other parts of the country. Kamboj says if you’re allergic to ragweed, you are quite familiar with the symptoms…

CUT 4 (10)  “of the skin”

He says over-the-counter allergy medications, such as Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin, can help manage symptoms and it’s also important to rinse nasal passages with a saline rinse. Kamboj says pollen production peaks daily between 9 and 11AM so it’s important to avoid contact during that time…

CUT 5 (11) “wear a mask”

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State Police is investigating an officer involved shooting in Lake Charles which claimed the life of a male suspect. Sgt. James Anderson says the Lake Charles Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence early Sunday morning…:

CUT 6 (08) “a handgun” 

Anderson says officers saw the suspect, 44-year-old Kevin Lau, standing in the doorway of the house with a gun…:

CUT 7 (09)  “subsequently shot”

Anderson says officers fatally shot Lau after repeatedly asking the man to drop his weapon as he pointed it at the cops. No officers were injured in the incident. The Lake Charles Police Department requested that State Police conduct the investigation into the incident…:

CUT 8 (06)  “office”

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A recent poll conducted for WWL-TV and The Advocate shows that less than half of Louisiana African-American voters are in favor of removing or renaming monuments that honor Confederate leaders. The Clarus Research Group survey shows only 46-percent of black respondents support removal of the monuments. Pollster Ron Faucheux…

CUT 9 (11)  “as well”

The poll shows 31-percent of African-Americans oppose the removal of the monuments. Overall, only 18-percent of voters support removing or renaming the monuments while 68-percent oppose the move. Faucheux says Louisiana voters are attuned to the issue of Confederate monuments…

cut 10 (06)  “those changes”

Faucheux says he expected a larger number of black voters to be in favor of removing the monuments. He says the poll shows voters are more certain about the Confederate monuments issue than they are about the governor’s race…

Cut 11 (09)  “monuments issues”

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The State Department of Education released “preliminary” results to Common Core tests Monday, and found that just 22-40 percent of Louisiana students show “mastery” in skills it says are needed for the next grade. The tests were administered to grades 3-8 in the Spring. State Superintendent John White says the results are not surprising…:

cut 12 (06)  “in the past”

The results showed that, on average, 37 percent of students are at the needed skill level in English Language Arts, while nearly 30 percent show mastery skills in mathematics. White says in November they will be releasing specific data from the tests that will show performance on groups of standards for individual students…:

cut 13 (10)  “individual skills”

BESE will vote tomorrow on whether or not Louisiana will adopt the same skill scoring levels as other states, called cut scores, that determine mastery, advanced, basic, approaching basic and unsatisfactory. White says cut scores are a key point in declaring who did well and who didn’t:

cut 14 (11)  “us as adults”

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Voters in Louisiana will have the opportunity to vote on some Constitutional amendments on the October 24th ballot. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”

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 The four candidates for Lt. Governor are slated to speak at a forum in Baton Rouge today. Emelie Gunn has more on how the race is going….

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The LSU Student Senate is asking Facility Services on campus to mark single stall bathrooms as gender neutral. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Voters in Louisiana will have the opportunity to vote on some Constitutional amendments on the October 24th ballot. Robert Scott, President of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says the ballot will feature four new amendments to the Louisiana Constitution. Scott says if you know nothing about these amendments, it could be overwhelming…

cut 4  (09)  “be confused”

He says this is better than last year when 14 amendments were on the ballot. Scott says Amendment number one is the one that would probably have the most impact for the state. It would create a new transportation fund for the state in addition to the existing one…

Cut 5  (10)  “transportation fund”

You can find a guide to all four amendments at parlouisiana-dot-org. Scott says Louisiana’s Constitution has been changed 181 times since 1974. He encourages voters to do a little research on these amendments before entering the voting booth…

Cut 6 (09)  “and so on”

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The four candidates for Lt. Governor are slated to be at a forum hosted by the Baton Rouge Press Club today. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says it’s a very close race between the Democrat Kip Holden and Republicans John Young and Billy Nungesser, because they have the most money and name recognition….

CUT 7 (11)  “the runoff”

 Dubos says the odds favor the only democratic candidate, Kip Holden, entering the runoff. He says the trouble for Nungesser and Young is trying to differentiate themselves from each other because they come from similar backgrounds.

Cut 8  (10)  “three weeks”

 Dubos says nothing is certain in Louisiana politics, so it’s very difficult to predict how anyone will do. He expects Nungesser and Young to go after each other during the forum.

Cut 9 (08) “the campaign” 

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The Student Senate at LSU has passed a resolution asking Facility Services to change the signs on single stall restrooms on campus to read “gender neutral.” Matthew Patterson, with Equality Louisiana, says this is a cost effective way of ensuring that all students, faculty and staff feel safe when using the restroom…:

Cut 10 (09) “already there”

Patterson says there are several single occupancy bathrooms on campus, designed for people with mobility issues, that are obviously gender neutral facilities but they aren’t marked that way. He says often times transgender people don’t feel safe or are denied access to the bathroom of the gender they identify as, because it makes others uncomfortable…:

cut 11 (07) “who else is using it”

Patterson says this doesn’t mean transgender people are trying to make a statement, they are just trying to use the bathroom…:

Cut 12 (07) “take for granted”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy says state revenues for the first quarter of this fiscal year are down 13-percent compared to the first quarter of last year. Kennedy says tax collections from individuals and businesses are down, while sales tax receipts are flat….

Cut 13 (08)  “part of it”

Kennedy says the national economy and the fact that the legislature raised taxes 800 million dollars last spring are some other factors in play with Louisiana’s declining revenue. He says you can’t raise taxes without having economic implications and the state is still spending more money than we take in.

Cut 14 (09) “like a fish”

 Kennedy believes the Jindal administration created much of the revenue problem and it has a moral obligation to deal with it. He says Jindal should at least try to come up with a plan to deal with the reality right now.

Cut 15  (07)  “going to get”

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LSU finally found its passing game in a 45-24 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. Quarterback Brandon Harris threw for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns. And the Tigers rushed for an impressive 396 yards. Harris says it was only a matter of time before the offense put it all together…

Cut 16  (17)  “do my part”

LSU running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown and became the fastest Tiger to reach 1,000 yards rushing in a season. Fournette says Harris’ confidence is gaining…

Cut 17 (10) “tremendous job” 

Fournette was not LSU’s leading rusher. That honor went to freshman running back Derrius Guice, who had 161 yards and one touchdown. Coach Les Miles likes what he saw from the Baton Rouge native..

Cut 18 (13) “efficient”

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The Saints are now 1-and-4 on the season after a dismal performance in Philadelphia. The Eagles scored 29 second half points to beat New Orleans 39-17. The Saints turned it over four times, quarterback Drew Brees was sacked five times and New Orleans only ran the ball for 96 yards, while the defense gave up over 500 yards of total offense. Coach Sean Payton on the disappointing loss…

Cut 19 (17) “other today”

The Saints were also penalized seven times for 78 yards. Payton says its hard to overtime four turnovers on the road….

Cut 20 (10) “obviously”

A television ad targeting Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards has been released by the Republican Governors Association. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 1 (31)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Red Cross will be set up at Tiger Stadium for the LSU/USC game collecting donations for South Carolina flood relief efforts. Eric Gill reports..:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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David La Certe has resigned as secretary for the state Department of Veterans Affairs. La Certe did not provide a reason and neither did the governor’s office, who named Thomas Enright as interim secretary. But Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera says his office has investigated the department and its handling of the state’s five nursing homes for vets and uncovered problems

CUT 3 (11)  “on that”

It’s been reported there have been complaints about physical and sexual abuse inside the Veterans homes, and excessive drinking by some of the residents. Purpera would not comment on specific allegations, but said their report found 531 areas of noncompliance

CUT 4 (08)  “that deficiency”

Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street also says they are investigating the state Department of Veterans Affairs, but would not go into anymore details.  Purpera, who appeared on the Jim Engster Show, says they are still investigating the state agency as well…

CUT 5 (06) “some of the homes”

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A television ad targeting Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards has been released by the Republican Governors Association. In the commercial, the RGA tries to link Edwards to President Barack Obama. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this is a strategy that has worked for Republicans for the last several years…

CUT 6 (10) “Barack Obama” 

The ad claims Edwards has repeatedly supported President Obama and that he plans to raise taxes. The RGA is reportedly spending $1 million to spread this message across the state. Pinsonat expects that Edwards’ negative ratings will increase as more people view this commercial…

CUT 7 (09)  “about him”

In a statement, Edwards says this is a last ditch effort to stop the only candidate for governor that will truly expose and change Governor Jindal’s broken policies. Pinsonat feels Edwards will fight the ads by focusing on what he plans to do as governor to make things better in Louisiana…

CUT 8 (11)  “national Democrats”

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During Saturday’s game between LSU and the Gamecocks in Tiger Stadium, the Red Cross will be on hand collecting donations for flood relief efforts in South Carolina. The game was moved to Baton Rouge while Columbia continues to recover. Nancy Malone with the Red Cross says LSU has always stepped up in disasters…

CUT 9 (10)  “drop off your donation”

Malone says the American Red Cross is working hard on a massive relief operation in South Carolina — making sure people have shelter, food and a shoulder to lean on. She says devastation like this is personal to LSU fans, who know what it’s like to deal with flood waters and the destruction that goes with it..:

cut 10 (11)  “directly to them”

Malone says in addition to donating on the LSU campus Saturday, you can always give a gift to Red Cross disaster relief online at redcross.org or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. She says Tiger fans have always stepped up when our friends needed up…:

Cut 11 (11)  “Hurricane Isaac”

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After a lengthy investigation, authorities in St. Martin Parish have busted a cockfighting ring in Breaux Bridge. Major Ginny Higgins says three men were arrested for their part in cockfighting and were booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center.

cut 12 (10)  “the cockfighting”

Higgins says animal cruelty is taken very seriously. She says on the property authorities found and confiscated 48 roosters and over 300 hens and chicks.

cut 13 (05)  “animal control”

Higgins says 30-year-old Dallas Grossie of Butte La Rose and 28-year old Brandon Cormier of Breaux Bridge are both charged with 24 counts of Cruelty to Animals and 24 counts of Cockfighting. She says 50-year-old Patrick Stelly of Washington is charged with 48 counts of Cruelty to Animals and 48 counts of Cockfighting.

cut 14 (08)  “his possession”

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Early voting for the October 24th election begins Saturday and runs through October 17th. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Eric Gill”

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In an effort to make South Carolina feel at home, LSU’s Tigerband will play U-S-C’s fight song on Saturday. Emelie Gunn has more….

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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State Police and the Louisiana Department of Transportation team up to relay info about traffic conditions on social media and smart phone apps. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Early voting for the October 24th election begins Saturday and runs through October 17th, excluding Sunday. Secretary of State spokesperson Meg Casper says early voting is becoming quite popular among voters…

cut 4  (08)  “their schedule”

Early voting will be available from 8:30AM to 6PM daily at registrar of voters offices across the state and other select locations. Casper says there’s a lot on this ballot in addition to the governor’s, lt. governor’s, and attorney general’s races…

Cut 5  (10)  “parishes statewide”

She says you can go online to geauxvote-dot-com to find out where to vote and what’s exactly on your ballot. Casper expects early voting for this election to be busy…

Cut 6 (10)  “line quickly”

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State Police announces they will use the Louisiana Department of Transportation’s website, twitter accounts, and smart phone app to relay information about traffic crashes, congestion and roadway construction. Trooper Dustin Dwight says L-S-P currently uses the Nixle alert system to provide notifications but now they’ll work even more closely with D-O-T-D to give traffic updates.

CUT 7 (11)  “significant improvement”

Dwight says State Police and DOTD are teaming up to give drivers a more unified message about what’s going on in your specific region. He says drivers can see real time traffic updates on the “Way to Geaux” app, which is available in the iTunes App store and Google Play.

Cut 8  (10)  “your vicinity”

Dwight says DOTD has eight twitter accounts for different regions across the state to give the most current updates. He says motorists can additionally receive quick access to traffic conditions by visiting 511-L-A-dot-ORG. (511LA.org).

Cut 9 (08) “alternate route” 

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To make South Carolina feel as much at home as possible when playing in Tiger Stadium, LSU’s Golden Band from Tigerland will play U-S-C’s fight song tomorrow. LSU Band Director Roy King says the Tiger Band is full of talented musicians and hopes they can play it as well as U-S-C’s band performs it.

Cut 10 (10) “play it”

King says we’re going to play South Carolina’s alma mater, “We Hail Thee Carolina,” during the pregame show before the LSU alma mater. He says the Tiger Band felt this was an appropriate gesture considering the circumstances.

cut 11 (09) “as well”

 King says they’re excited to get the chance to plan for an extra home game. He says many students in the Tiger Band had plans to visit family or be out of town but every member agreed to play in Tiger Stadium on Saturday.

Cut 12 (08) “their turn”

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Three people are dead and two others seriously injured from an explosion and fire at the Williams Partners’ natural gas facility in the Terrebonne Parish town of Gibson. State Police spokesperson Evan Harrell says the workers were performing maintenance on the facility, which was not operational at the time and did not have gas flowing through the system…

Cut 13 (08)  “that facility”

Harrell says the two workers who were seriously hurt are now in the care of doctors who treat burn victims…

Cut 14 (08) “Baton Rouge area”

Harrell says prayers go out to the victims…

Cut 15  (12)  “you’re at”

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Instead of boarding a plane today, the LSU football team will play in Tiger Stadium tomorrow against South Carolina. The Gamecocks are headed to Baton Rouge because of severe flooding in the Columbia, South Carolina area. LSU Coach Les Miles is glad to play another home game, but doesn’t believe its the one advantage that will carry them to victory…

Cut 16  (13)  “fired up”

LSU is coming off a 44-22 win over Eastern Michigan, but the Tigers passing game didn’t look good. Miles says the wide receivers have been motivated in practice this week to get better…

Cut 17 (17) “good week” 

Miles is hoping for a big crowd at Tiger Stadium, even though fans only had a couple of days to make plans….

Cut 18 (18) “of noise”

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The Saints will visit Philadelphia on Sunday to take on the Eagles. Both teams are 1-and-3 and who ever losses this game, will likely not make the playoffs. New Orleans running back CJ Spiller is expecting an intense battle

Cut 19 (12) “give us”

Saints Coach Sean Payton says Philadelphia’s up tempo offense makes it difficult to substitute, so that’s a concern going into this game…

Cut 20 (18) “they desire”

In the most recent televised gubernatorial debate, the three major candidates discussed Louisiana’s budget problems. Emelie Gunn has more..

CUT 1 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Internationally-known Louisiana superstar chef Paul Prudhomme has died following a brief illness. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its deputy who was killed in an off-duty crash involving a juvenile driver. 32-year-old Deputy Troy Verheyden was killed in the Tuesday night crash in Deville.  Lt. Tommy Carnline says State Police conducted the investigation into the crash…

CUT 3 (11)  “the intersection”

Authorities say a car, driven by a 16-year-old juvenile, ran a stop sign and collided with a truck driven by Deputy Verheyden. Verheyden was pronounced dead at the scene. Carnline says Verheyden had been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2013…

CUT 4 (09)  “2006 to 2010”

The two juveniles in the car received moderate injuries and were transported to local hospitals. Deputy Verheyden leaves behind a wife, a daughter, and a son. Carnline says the public outpouring of support is appreciated by the Verheyden family and the Sheriff’s Office…

CUT 5 (10) “tragedy like this”

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In the latest televised gubernatorial debate, three of the candidates discussed how they would solve the state’s budget problems. Republican Jay Dardenne says he would consider an income tax increase on residents but also look at other options as well…

CUT 6 (11) “options are” 

Democrat John Bel Edwards says he will not raise personal income tax because we don’t have to do that to tackle our budget problems. He says he will expand the Medicaid programs to create more money and lower tax rates.

CUT 7 (09)  “dollars home”

Republican David Vitter did not attend the debate because he was attending to business in Washington D.C. Republican Scott Angelle says we don’t have a revenue problem in Louisiana, we have a priority problem and he plans to create a commission to look at the various tax breaks the state gives out.

CUT 8 (08)  “to Louisiana”

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State Police say a 5-year-old child was struck and killed by a passing vehicle on LA 83 in St. Mary Parish. Master Trooper Brooks David said the child was outside chasing his dog when the animal ran into the road…:

CUT 9 (09)  “in time”

David says the driver of the vehicle traveling on the road at the time, 38-year-old James Hopkins III of Baldwin, hit the dog and the child…:

cut 10 (05)  “into angry people”

David says the crash took place when it was dark outside, around 7:30pm Wednesday. He says Hopkins was properly restrained and is not suspected of being impaired so he will not be cited in this incident…:

Cut 11 (11)  “was unable to”

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Internationally-known Louisiana superstar chef Paul Prudhomme has died following a brief illness. Prudohmme’s New Orleans restaurant, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, confirmed the news this morning. Wendy Waren, Vice-President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, says this is a tremendous loss for the Louisiana restaurant family…

cut 12 (13)  “John Folse”

The Opelousas native was 75-years-old. Prudhomme first gained fame as a chef at Commander’s Palace where he became executive chef in 1975. In 1979, he opened K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen and introduced the blackened redfish craze. Waren says part of Prudhomme’s popularity was his personable, relatable personality, but it was the food kept people coming back…

cut 13 (10)  “and produce”

Over the years Prudhomme authored nine cookbooks and hosted five nationally televised cooking shows on PBS. In 2013 Prudhomme was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame. Waren says Chef Paul was one of the first people to promote Louisiana cuisine to the world…

cut 14 (07)  “contact with”

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The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness sends personnel to South Carolina in response to the devastating floods. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Eric Gill”

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 A U-L Lafayette grad student took an alternate route when it came to developing her thesis project and it benefits women who love the water. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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LSU is getting ready to host a football game on Saturday afternoon in Tiger Stadium. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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With the unexpected change of venue to Baton Rouge for the LSU-South Carolina game the Capital City is getting a little extra tourism. President of Visit Baton Rouge Paul Arrigo says they’re excited to welcome the fans from all over and hope everyone has enough time to make plans and attend the game.

cut 4  (09)  “positive impact”

Arrigo says although Baton Rouge is hosting a soccer tournament, a major business conference and a beer festival this weekend, the city is able to handle an unexpected increase in visitors.

Cut 5  (10)  “again and again”

Since the South Carolina game was originally a road game for LSU, Arrigo says many people already have plans for this weekend, and that includes weddings, but he hopes people can adjust their schedules to go to the games.

Cut 6 (11)  “to them”

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The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is sending personnel to South Carolina in response to the devastating floods impacting the state. Director Kevin Davis says South Carolina sent his office a request for assistance…

CUT 7 (06)  “South Carolina”

He says personnel from his office will work with South Carolina officials in conducting damage assessments. Davis says South Carolina requested aid through the federal Emergency Management Assistance Compact…

Cut 8  (09)  “relief efforts”

He says GOHSEP stands ready to help those in other states who face disasters such as this one. Davis says damage assessment can be exhausting work and our friends in South Carolina definitely need support…

Cut 9 (07) “on the ground” 

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U-L Lafayette industrial design graduate student Kate Brown decided to take an alternative route for her senior thesis project. Brown entered the Innovations in Life Jacket Design Competition where she designed a comfortable and form fitting life preserver, made especially for women. She says growing up on the water in Basile, she found regular life jackets didn’t let her move comfortably.

Cut 10 (09) “connection with”

Brown says her live jacket is different from traditional vests because it’s specially designed to fit a more feminine body form. She says the Comfort Flex Life Vest has a relief cut under the arms so it won’t ride up over your shoulders while in the water.

cut 11 (10) “to it”

 Brown came in third place and won two-thousand dollars in the competition. She says she’s now working to get a patent and wants to ensure the life vest meets Coast Guard approval.

Cut 12 (08) “safety requirements”

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LSU football season ticket holders have until 5 PM Thursday night to purchase tickets for Saturday’s game against South Carolina in Tiger Stadium. At six PM Thursday, tickets will be available to the general public. LSU Athletics Director Joe Alleva says since they only had a short time to prepare for Saturday’s game, lines at concession stands could be longer than usual

Cut 13 (09)  “normally do”

A decision was made Wednesday morning to re-locate the game from Columbia, South Carolina, because of severe flooding in the Palmetto state. Alleva says they will attempt to make South Carolina feel at home, but they are NOT painting the field in Gamecock colors

Cut 14 (11) “LSU game”

Alleva says at this time they are not anticipating a crowd of 100-thousand for Saturday’s 2:30 kickoff, but they hope to have a great atmosphere inside Tiger Stadium….

Cut 15  (10)  “both teams”

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The UL Lafayette football team is getting ready for its first Sun Belt game of the year as they host Texas State on Saturday. The Cajuns are a disappointing 1-3 and coming off two straight blowout losses. But Coach Mark Hudspeth says a new season starts this Saturday…

Cut 16  (15)  “five years”

Turnovers are one reason for the Cajuns slow start. They’ve turned it over eight times and only forced three turnovers. Hudspeth says that trend needs to change…

Cut 17 (13) “field position” 

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Undefeated McNeese State is getting ready to host two-time Southland conference champion, Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. The Cowboys are 4-0 and have allowed only 27 points this season. McNeese Coach Matt Viator says his defense is playing with a lot of confidence, but the Lions offense presents some big challenges

Cut 18 (18) “they do”

The Lions are 3-and-1 overall, coming off a 30-27 win over Lamar. S-L-U quarterback D’Shaie Landor threw for 283 yards in that game and his coach, Ron Roberts, says Landor is healthy now and ready to perform at a high level…

Cut 19 (19) “to stop”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards’ newest campaign ad spotlights his anti-abortion position by sharing a personal story. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (31)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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The LSU Faculty Senate has voted to censure LSU President F. King Alexander for firing a tenured professor. Emelie Gunn has more….

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The newest campaign ad from Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards spotlights his anti-abortion position by sharing a personal story. In the commercial, Edwards’ wife Donna tells of how the couple decided to carry their first child to term after being advised by a doctor to abort the pregnancy. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says Edwards is sending a strong message…

CUT 3 (07)  “powerful advertisement”

Donna says they were advised to end the pregnancy after it was discovered the unborn child had spina bifida. The commercial features family photos that include pictures from Edwards’ time in the Army. Stockley says this is a way for Edwards to remind voters of his background…

CUT 4 (08)  “in this race”

Samantha Edwards is now 20-years-old and, according to the commercial, is getting married next spring. Stockley feels the final line in the ad, “John Bel Edwards lives his values every day”, is a subtle shot at Republican candidate David Vitter…

CUT 5 (10) “on his record”

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This Saturday’s LSU-South Carolina football game has been moved to Baton Rouge because of the catastrophic flooding in the Columbia, South Carolina area. The announcement was made just after 10:30 this morning, shortly after Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier appeared on the SEC Coaches teleconference

CUT 6 (12) “against LSU” 

LSU Coach Les Miles says the uncertainty on where the game will be played has not been a distraction for his team…

CUT 7 (09)  “in play”

In 2005, LSU had to move one of its scheduled home game against Arizona State to Tempe, Arizona because of Hurricane Katrina. So Miles understands what Spurrier and the Gamecocks are going through. LSU won that game in 2005 and Miles credits the players…

CUT 8 (09)  “great leadership”

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In a blog post following the mass shooting at an Oregon community college, Governor Bobby Jindal says the gunman’s father is partly to blame for the deadly incident. Jindal says the killer’s father was never in his son’s life and failed to raise his son. LSU Health Sciences Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Kristopher Kaliebe (ka-LEE-bee) says the governor does have a point.

CUT 9 (10)  “within their family”

The gunman’s father says he had not seen his son in the two years since he moved to Oregon with his mother. Kaliebe says it’s true that when children are not raised in warm loving households, bad results can happen…

cut 10 (09)  “into angry people”

The gunman killed nine people and wounded nine others before turning a gun on himself. Kaliebe says lack of parental guidance is just part of the issue… (The mother of the shooter told investigators that her son was struggling with mental health issues.)

Cut 11 (11)  “parental involvement”

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The LSU Faculty Senate has voted to censure LSU President F. King Alexander and two other individuals for the firing of a teacher who is accused of using profanity and sexual content that allegedly made students feel comfortable. Early childhood education teacher Teresa Buchanan was a tenured professor and dismissed in June. LSU Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope says they’re disappointed how Alexander handled the situation…

cut 12 (09)  “the future”

In a statement from F. King Alexander, he says students have the right to learn in an environment free of sexual harassment and verbal abuse. Cope says they’re not talking about the guilt or innocence of the teacher, just the process by which she was fired.

cut 13 (11)  “was inflicted”

Alexander says LSU firmly supports tenure but when the rare exception occurs, action must be taken to prevent the continuation of the damaging and counterproductive environments. Cope says the censure is a signal from the academic community that Alexander isn’t providing the kind of leadership needed at LSU.

cut 14 (10)  “great university”

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