It looks like has found itself a passing game. Jeff Palermo has more on the Tigers 35-28 win over Florida…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

The State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is calling on waterfowl hunters to voice their opinions on proposed changes to hunting zones. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (23) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

NOAA weather forecasters predict that a very strong El Nino will bring some much needed rain to Louisiana in the coming months. Eric Gill has more…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

______________________________________

An LSU Public Policy Research Lab report surveying people’s opinions about the 2015 election cycle found that 56-percent of Louisianans believe the state is heading in the wrong direction. Dr. Michael Henderson says only 29-percent of voters surveyed thought the state was going in the right direction

cut 4  (07)  “wrong direction”

Henderson says none of the gubernatorial candidate have capitalized on this pessimism. He says the closer we get to the election the more negative voters feel about the future of Louisiana.

Cut 5  (06)  “up today”

Henderson says even though voters feel this way, these negative sentiments don’t seem to be translating into positive or negative attitudes toward the candidates. He says none of the four major candidates have succeeded in consolidating the support of the dissatisfied voters.

Cut 6 (08)  “or another”

______________________________________

Recent polls show Republican David Vitter has the highest unfavoribility ratings out of the four candidates running for governor, but yet, analysts believe Vitter has the best shot at succeeding Bobby Jindal. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says once Vitter makes the runoff, his negatives will begin to go away.

CUT 7 (10)  “John Bel Edwards”

Based on the latest poll from LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab, Vitter’s unfavorable rating is 41-percent, the three other candidates were in the teens or single digits. Pinsonat says Vitter’s high unfavorability is due to a strong stance against President Obama.

Cut 8  (10)  “Medicaid expansion”

Many analysts predict a Vitter versus John Bel Edwards runoff. Pinsonat says if that’s the case, Vitter can still win because Louisiana voters are expected to vote for a Republican over a Democrat

Cut 9 (08) “looking for” 

______________________________________

The State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries wants to hear from hunters about the proposed changes to the waterfowl hunting zones.  Waterfowl program manager Larry Reynolds says they’re seeking public comment through November 5^th and the changes they are proposing could be significant for some hunters.

Cut 10 (10) “good ideas”

Reynolds says it’s important to get public input because it’s the hunters who are influenced by these decisions more than anyone else. He says time is short to get your voice heard.

cut 11 (10) “2016 season”

Reynolds says the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission can alter waterfowl hunting zones every five years and want to make sure these choices are what hunters want. He says these are pretty significant changes being purposed.

Cut 12 (11) “season dates”

______________________________________

NOAA weather forecasters predict that a very strong El Nino will bring some much needed rain to Louisiana in the coming months. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the state can expect cooler and wetter than normal conditions for the coming winter and spring…

Cut 13 (07)  “above normal”

He says rainfall typically runs about 25-percent above average during an El Nino event. Forecasters call this El Nino one of the strongest on record. In addition to rainfall, Keim says El Ninos tend to bring more freezing weather, too…

Cut 14 (06) “that’s incredible”

He says, during El Nino years, the number of freeze days in Louisiana doubles. Because of the strength of this El Nino, Keim says it could cause some adverse weather conditions for Louisiana this winter…

Cut 15  (07)  “this winter”

______________________________________

LSU kicker Trent Domingue will be big man on campus this week after scoring on a fake field goal to help the Tigers beat the previously unbeaten Florida Gators 35-28. Coach Les Miles called for Domingue to take a pitch from Brad kragthorpe and Domingue did the rest, running 16 yards for the score…

Cut 16  (13)  “for sure”

Domingue was LSU’s second leading rusher, behind Leonard Fournette who had 180 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Brandon Harris threw for 202 yards and two scores and Fournette is proud of his sophomore QB…

Cut 17 (12) “good overall” 

 Harris has thrown for over 200 yards in back-to-back games and admits he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder…

Cut 18 (11) “can’t do”

The state fire marshal’s office and Department of Agriculture and Forestry has issued a statewide burn ban due to extremely dry conditions across the state.  Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

================

Federal fundraising reports show that Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential campaign raised less than $600,000 during the third fundraising quarter. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

===================

The state fire marshal’s office and Department of Agriculture and Forestry has issued a statewide burn ban due to extremely dry conditions across the state. The US Drought Monitor reports that 86-percent Louisiana is currently in drought. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the burn ban was issued because of dry conditions, abnormal emergency responses, and adverse future weather forecasts…

CUT 3 (09)  “rain predicted”

The burn ban is in effect until further notice. The ban applies to all private burning. Browning says violators of the ban could face consequences…

CUT 4 (08)  “of burning”

Violation of the burn ban could result in criminal and/or civil penalties. Private burning will only be allowed by permission of your local fire department or local government. Browning says the main reason this ban is in place is safety…

CUT 5 (07) “these fires”

============================

The four men seeking to become the state’s next governor discussed their plans to solving the state’s budget problems during a televised debate on Louisiana Tech’s campus. Republican David Vitter, who has served in Congress since 1999, blamed his three opponents for helping to create the financial mess…

CUT 6 (08) “we speak”

Vitter says if elected, he’ll look at ways on how the state can reduce its spending. But Republican Scott Angelle says Vitter is not the guy who should be in charge of getting Louisiana’s fiscal house in order

CUT 7 (12)  “it works”

When a new governor and state legislature is sworn-in in January, they’ll face a 700-million dollar budget shortfall. Republican Jay Dardenne says he’ll look to make funding higher education a priority and cut elsewhere

CUT 8 (12)  “we can cut”

Democrat John Bel Edwards says he plans on calling two special sessions when he takes office to address the fiscal mess left behind by Governor Bobby Jindal

CUT 9 (12)  “items”

=======================================

Federal fundraising reports show that Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential campaign raised less than $600,000 during the third fundraising quarter. The report further states that the governor has only $261,000 on hand. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says this report is not good news for Jindal…

cut 10 (07)  “in the bank”

Jindal’s $579,000 fundraising total pales in comparison to efforts by other Republican presidential hopefuls, like Ben Carson whose campaign raised over $20 million during the same time frame. Hogan says Jindal’s recent surge of support in Iowa might make it possible for him to go back to some people who have donated money in the past…

Cut 11 (07)  “to his campaign”

A Jindal spokesperson says the election is not an auction and they are running a lean, mean campaign. Hogan says it is possible to run a campaign on a shoestring budget if the candidate focuses on one state, as Jindal is doing in Iowa. Hogan says he believes there is support for the issues Jindal is pushing, but the crowded Republican field is definitely hurting him…

cut 12 (07)  “reflects that”

===========================================

The Saints convincing 31-21 win over Atlanta on Thursday night has the Who Dat nation thinking the Black and Gold can turn this season around. In the victory, there was a blocked punt for a touchdown, the defense forced three turnovers and quarterback Drew Brees threw for over 300 yards

cut 13 (10)  “pay off”

The victory improves the Saints record to 2-and-4 and they still have a lot work to do to get themselves in position to make the playoffs. But Brees says how they played on Thursday night against a team that was undefeated, gives them hope

cut 14 (09)  “next week”

=======================================================

Louisiana is in for another beautiful weekend and possibly even some nighttime sweater and jacket weather. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we could even see some low temps in the 40s in northern parishes…:

cut 15 (07)  “low 50s”

Keim says daytime highs won’t get out of the 70s in most areas of the state. He says if you’re going to some nighttime football games, it might be a good idea to bundle up…:

cut 16 (07)  “moving in”

============================

The Louisiana Army National Guard has made significant jumps in their overall strength and retention of force. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

______________________________________

Tomorrow is the last day to early vote for the October 24th primary and the Secretary of State’s office says turnout looks to be about average. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

A survey from LSU finds that a majority of Louisiana residents are still not paying attention to the governor’s race. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

The Louisiana Army National Guard has made significant jumps in their overall strength and retention of force. LANG ranks number four among all other states’ National Guards in overall strength of its force and first for retaining personnel. Col. Pete Schneider praises everyone at the Guard for helping raise Louisiana’s rankings…

cut 4  (10)  “our state”

He says Louisiana ranked number 15 last year in overall strength. In the last year, LANG was able to increase their numbers to 9,650, better than 100-percent of their strength goal. Schneider credits the state with providing fantastic to benefits to our National Guard…

Cut 5  (09)  “in Louisiana”

He says LANG also surpassed its goal on retaining National Guardsmen. Schneider says as important as it is for the Guard to have new recruits, it’s also important that they keep as many experienced soldiers in their ranks as possible…

Cut 6 (10)  “coming in”

______________________________________

Tomorrow is the last day to early vote for the October 24th primary and the Secretary of State’s office says turnout looks to be about average. Spokeswoman Meg Casper says, so far, the numbers are only slightly behind what they saw for the Congressional elections in 2014…:

CUT 7 (10)  “several cycles”

The 2015 gubernatorial early voting period began October 10th and will be over tomorrow at 6pm. Casper says every day they’ve seen about 20 to 30 thousand people participating in early voting statewide. She says it’s becoming more popular for people to make their choices ahead of election day…:

Cut 8  (09)  “cast their ballot”

Casper says they can’t remind voters enough to make sure your schedule is clear on election day because there’s a lot going on with football and hunting next Saturday. She says this is a really big election with nearly 1,070 offices up for grabs, about 2,000 candidates running and 4 constitutional amendments..:

Cut 9 (08) “well informed” 

______________________________________

A new poll from LSU shows voters are getting more interested in the October 24^thprimary, with about 40 percent of voters following election news, up from 25-percent last spring. Dr. Michael Henderson with the LSU Public Policy Research Lab says even though we’ve seen an increase, it’s still lower than last fall’s election.

Cut 10 (08) “under construction”

Henderson says several gubernatorial candidates have higher name recognition compared to the spring and summer. He says Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle and state Representative John Bel Edwards have made the most gains in name recognition. He says with name recognition, comes changes on how voters feel about the candidates.

cut 11 (09) “each other”

 Henderson says voters’ opinions of the major candidates are evolving. He says this is especially true for Vitter, who has both the highest share of favorable opinions at 30-percent and the highest share of unfavorable opinions at 41-percent.

Cut 12 (10) “I thought”

______________________________________

Leonard Fournette and the LSU Tigers will face eighth ranked Florida on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Last year, the Tigers beat the Gators 30-27, as Fournette rushed for, at that time, a career-high 140 yards and 225 all-purpose yards. The sophomore expects another tight contest in Death Valley

Cut 13 (07)  “out and compete”

LSU is coming off a win over South Carolina that took place in front of a half-empty Tiger Stadium. Fournette says LSU fans are more than prepared for this Saturday and he’s looking forward to it…

Cut 14 (08) “be crazy”

Florida’s back-up quarterback, Treon Harris, will start for the Gators against LSU. He takes the place of Will Grier, who has been suspended for taking a banned over the counter supplement. Coach Les Miles says he doesn’t see a drop-off in talent with Florida’s number two QB….

Cut 15  (15)  “pocket presence”

______________________________________

The four major candidates for governor squared off in the final televised debate before the October 24^th primary and for most of the 60 minutes the four men stuck to discussing issues and how they would solve problems in the state. But Republican Scott Angelle did take one shot at the GOP frontrunner in the race David Vitter.

Cut 16  (11)  “of America”

At the end of the debate, all the candidates discussed why they should be elected governor. Democrat John Bel Edwards says he has learned leadership throughout his life and is ready to serve the people of Louisiana.

Cut 17 (09) “next governor” 

Republican David Vitter says he will be an effective governor because he’s fighting for the people. He says he has proven to be effective time and time again and will continue to do so if elected.

Cut 18 (10) “for you”

Republican Jay Dardenne says we need a leader who has the vision and skillset to run our state. He says Louisiana is at a crossroads, but we have the opportunity to make a positive change….

Cut 19 (09) “us apart”

___________________________

Republican David Vitter was not at a gubernatorial debate hosted by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, but that didn’t keep the candidates from talking about him. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

================

The federal government announces there will be no increase in benefits for Social Security. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

===================

In a gubernatorial debate on Louisiana Public Broadcasting, the three candidates who were there, let out their frustrations over the attack ads during the campaign. Republican Jay Dardenne denied accusations the state paid for his wife during an overseas trip and he voted for pro-choice legislation. Dardenne blamed the attacks on Republican David Vitter, who didn’t attend the debate

CUT 3 (09) “sick of it”

Democrat John Bel Edwards says the Republican Governor’s Association is trying to distract and mislead voters in attack ads against him…

CUT 4 (12) “have taken”

Republican Scott Angelle says Vitter is the only candidate in the race running untruthful ads and criticized the Senator for missing debates because he doesn’t want to answer questions about his prostitution scandal…

CUT 5 (10) “means yes”

============================

A Jennings woman, with the help of DNA testing and technology, has been able to find information about her mother was who had not been seen in Louisiana since 1982. Katherine Renee Kratzer filed a missing persons report on her mother, Leejan Marie Kratzer, last year. Jeff Davis Sheriff Ivy Woods says the truth came out when a Tennessee woman began looking into her late mother, Lisa Neese’s, past…

CUT 6 (10) “LSU Faces”

Elizabeth Neese contacted authorities after seeing a photo that resembled her mother on the LSU Faces website. Woods says they began their investigation and were able to use DNA testing to prove Leejan Marie Kratzer and Lisa Neese were the same person…

CUT 7 (10) “are sisters”

Woods says it turns out Leejan started a whole new life in Memphis as Lisa Neese. Unfortunately Leejan/Lisa passed away in 2008. He says Katherine is ecstatic to learn the truth about her mother. Woods says this is a reminder that one should never give up on a missing person…

CUT 8 (06) “missing relative”

============================

The federal government has announced there will not be an increase in benefits for millions of Social Security recipients. Brenda Hatfield with Louisiana A-A-R-P says this is especially devastating because next year Medicare costs are expected to increase for seniors, veterans and the disabled.

CUT 9 (10) “from Social Security”

The main reason there is no Social Security increase is because of low gas prices. Hatfield says that’s unfair for seniors, because a good portion of them don’t drive long distances…

cut 10 (08) “health care”

This is the third time in 40 years that benefits will remain flat. Hatfield says A-A-R-P has written multiple letters pleading with our congressional representatives to prevent an increase to Medicare costs, if they will not receive a cost of living adjustment.

Cut 11 (10) “them significantly”

============================

Lack of rainfall in Louisiana in the past several weeks has put much of the state in drought conditions. The United States Drought Monitor reports that 86-percent of Louisiana is currently dealing with drought conditions. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the last 90 days have been extremely dry in the Bayou State…

cut 12 (09) “three months”

He says the state has received less than half of its normal rainfall over the past 90 days. The report shows that 51-percent of Louisiana is suffering from extreme drought conditions. Keim says this problem is most severe in the north-central part of the state…

cut 13 (10) “90 days”

He says that region has recorded only about an inch of rain over the last three months. Keim says El Nino tends to send rain across Louisiana, but that pattern has yet to kick in. He says these dry conditions are historic in some portions of the state…

cut 14 (06) “to 1895”

============================

The four major gubernatorial candidates will face off one last time on television before the October 24^th primary. Emelie Gunn has more….

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

The 2016-17 Louisiana Economic Outlook report shows low oil prices will continue to hurt some areas, while industrial booms benefit others. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

Two people were killed in a plane crash at the Hammond Airport on Wednesday afternoon. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (27) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

The four major candidates for governor will appear in a statewide televised debate at six o’ clock on Louisiana Tech’s campus. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says he expects to see the two frontrunners, Republican David Vitter and Democrat John Bel Edwards, maintain their position and the other two candidates, Republicans Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne, attempt to break out and distinguish themselves.

cut 4  (10)  “voters attention”

 In a Raycom Media poll of 600 registered voters, Edwards and Vitters are polling above 21-percent, while Dardenne and Angelle are in the single digits. Dubos says Vitter will likely be a target tonight….

Cut 5  (10)  “everything else”

 Dubos says this will likely be the last chance voters will see all four candidates together before the October 24^th election.

Cut 6 (05)  “leading candidates”

______________________________________

The LSU Mammal Curator has discovered a new species while surveying in Indonesia. Jake Esselstyn found a new rodent never seen before. He says he and his team trapped a type of screw rat, while traveling up a mountain on the island of Sulawesi (Sue-lu-way-see).

CUT 7 (10)  “small range”

Esselstyn says he often visits Indonesia to see how mammal diversity has evolved over time. He says this species, called the Hog-nosed rat, has a large pink nose, extremely large ears and long legs.

Cut 8  (10)  “beetle larvae”

Esselstyn says they found a similar species last year and expect to find even more in years to come. He says there are many other tropical, mountainous islands like Sulawesi (Sue-lu-way-see) that are yet to be surveyed for mammal diversity.

Cut 9 (06) “on the planet” 

______________________________________

The 2016-17 Louisiana Economic Outlook report shows the state’s economy will continue to feel the effects of low oil prices, but industrial booms in certain areas will create major job growth. Economist and co-author of the report Dr. Loren Scott says the biggest gains will be seen from Baton Rouge to Lake Charles…:

Cut 10 (11) “under construction”

Meanwhile Scott says growth in the northern part of the state will remain mostly stagnant over the next couple of years with just a small amount of job losses predicted. He says areas in the oil patch around Houma and the Acadiana region will continue to struggle…:

cut 11 (08) “price of oil”

The forecast projects, overall, Louisiana will add 15,400 jobs in 2016 and 19,600 in 2017. He says the report clearly indicates that Louisiana would really benefit by a rebound in the energy sector…:

Cut 12 (10) “much much better”

______________________________________

Even though it’s mid-October it will feel like summer again today as high temperatures will be in the 90s across much of Louisiana. Shreveport broke a 134 year-old record when temps reached the mid-90s yesterday. Brandi Hughes, with the National Weather Service, says dry conditions are helping to produce summer like weather…

Cut 13 (10)  “upper 90s”

The high temperatures today are expected to be in the mid-90s in north Louisiana, which would break the previous record high of 91 that was established in 1947 in both Monroe and Shreveport. Hughes says the record broken yesterday goes back even further…

Cut 14 (11) “particular day”

Hughes says it will feel more like fall this weekend as a cold front will knock high temperatures back down to the 70s for much of the state

Cut 15  (10)  “for Sunday”

______________________________________

The Saints look to turn their season around tonight when they host the Atlanta Falcons. The Dirty Birds are undefeated, while New Orleans is 1-4 and rank last in the NFL in total defense. But Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan believes they have enough talent to become one of the better teams in the league…

Cut 16  (17)  “be great”

The Saints defense will have its hands full tonight. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is third in the NFL in passing yards and second-year running back Devonta Freeman is the league’s second leading rusher and has also caught 24 passes out of the backfield. Ryan says Freeman has looked impressive on the game film…

Cut 17 (18) “the defense” 

__________________________________________

Louisiana Tech will face on Mississippi State on Saturday. Tech has won three in a row, but head coach Skip Holtz wants to see his defense stop giving up big plays

Cut 18 (11) “safety”

Holtz says Mississippi State is playing well on offense and defense, but they may excel the most on special teams…

Cut 19 (21) “any time”

Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator is Manny Diaz, who was the defensive coordinator at Tech last season. Holtz says that does present some challenges…

Cut 20 (20) “normally be”

Authorities in north Louisiana are searching for an arsonist responsible for several fires. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (27)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

================

Republican David Vitter will be missing tonight’s statewide televised LBP debate, while the other three candidates will be there. Jeff Palermo reports…:

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

===================

State Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain say authorities are searching for an arsonist who was responsible for several fires set across north Louisiana. Strain says state firefighters were battling ten fires in six different parishes yesterday and he believes some of them were intentionally set.

CUT 3 (11)  “another one”

Strain says crews worked to put out fires in Caddo, Claiborne, Morehouse, Bienville West Carroll and Sabine parishes. He says it took until 1 AM this morning to get all of the fires under control. The commissioner says unfortunately one home in Bienville Parish was destroyed, but no one was injured….

CUT 4 (08)  “the home”

Strain says one of the fires was caused by a lightning strike, another caused by a person burning a tree stump, while the others were deliberately set. He warns people that if you commit arson, law enforcement will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.

CUT 5 (10) “was lost”

============================

Republican David Vitter will be missing tonight’s televised gubernatorial debate to be aired statewide by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. His campaign has come under fire by opponents for frequently opting out of such forums. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says Vitter likely thinks he’s going to make the runoff no matter what he does

CUT 6 (11) “probably don’t need to”

The other Republicans, Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle, will be at LPB’s debate tonight as well as Democrat John Bel Edwards. Some say that Vitter is not attending forums because he doesn’t want to answer the question about whether or not he broke the law, referring to the prostitution scandal. Cross says Vitter doesn’t want to be asked about the past:

CUT 7 (09)  “probably better”

The debate begins at 7pm. Vitter’s campaign has repeatedly cited the reason for the US Senator’s absence is because he’s casting votes in Washington D.C., but the Senate is not in session this week. Cross says the fact that Vitter is missing debates may sway some voters away from him, but for the most part people are not paying attention to this race…:

CUT 8 (08)  “very unlikely”

Vitter’s Campaign Response: “Senator Vitter is doing the debate tomorrow night. He’s done several televised debates already this week that Angelle and Edwards skipped, and he’s participated in 35 debates and forums this year – an unprecedented amount.”

============================

Although many people say this year’s governor’s election got off to a slow start, it appears the ad war is in full swing. The Center for Public Integrity reports nearly 18,500 campaign ads have aired statewide in this year’s governor’s race, as of October 5th. Michael Henderson with LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab says when you compare this race to the state’s last competitive open election in 2003, there are similarities…

CUT 9 (09)  “passed them up”

At this point in the 2003 election, a little less than 9,000 ads had aired. Henderson says it appears that negative ads showed up earlier this year than back in 2003. He says, twelve years ago, negative ads didn’t begin popping up until the week before the primary…

cut 10 (09)  “governor’s elections”

He says the first attack ads in this year’s race appeared in early September. Henderson says voters can expect to see more negative ads as we approach election day and head into a runoff…

Cut 11 (09)  “2000 to 2014”

============================

The 16-year-old Baton Rouge teenager accused in the stabbing death of a St. Amant High School senior over the weekend will be tried as an adult. A district judge in Ascension Parish has ruled that Jacob Westbrook will be tried on a count of second degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Todd Toups. Legal analyst Tim Meche says the judge had very little discretion…

cut 12 (07)  “as adults”

Authorities say Toups was fatally stabbed by Westbrook while he was trying to give another student a ride to the homecoming dance. The judge ordered Westbrook to be transferred to the Ascension Parish Prison. Meche this case has a long way to go and a lot could happen before it’s over…

cut 13 (10)  “plea deal arrangement”

He says Louisiana law mandates that 16-year-olds who are alleged to have committed murder be tried as adults. Meche says it’s too early in the process to anticipate how this case will turn out…

cut 14 (04)  “make predictions”

============================

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”

______________________________________

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”

______________________________________

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”

______________________________________

 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”

______________________________________

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” 

______________________________________

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”

______________________________________

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”

______________________________________

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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