A US Senate debate featuring the three major candidates, Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican challengers, Congressman Bill Cassidy and retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness takes place tonight. Scott Carwile has a preview.

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Clean-up efforts will continue in northeast Louisiana where a line of strong storms knocked down trees and caused property damage. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (29 “reporting”

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With election day three weeks away, the Secretary of State’s office wants voter to know that there’s an app for your smart phone that can help you become educated about the election. Jimmy Frederick has more…

Cut 3 (60) “November fourth”

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Tonight voters will finally  see a US Senate debate featuring all three major candidates. Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican challengers, Congressman Bill Cassidy and retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness will face off in Shreveport at 7PM. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley expects Landrieu to be aggressive since she’s trailing Cassidy in a potential runoff…

Cut 4  (10)  “that she has”

He feels Maness will be aggressive in the debate as well because he needs to prove that he’s still a relevant candidate. Stockley feels Cassidy will be the most laid back of the three candidates. He thinks Cassidy is probably the front runner, at this point, and has to play it safe during the debate…

Cut 5  (13)  “used against him”

The debate, sponsored by Council for a Better Louisiana in partnership with Louisiana Public Broadcasting, will be televised statewide on LPB stations. Stockley predicts this will be an exciting debate…

Cut 6 (08)  “to represent us”

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Election day is three weeks away and Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging Louisiana voters to download their GeauxVote mobile phone app. The app is convenient way to get all of the election information you may need. Schedler says Louisiana is a front runner in the country for this technology…

CUT 7 (10)  “we’re doing here”

The app, which is available for iPhone and Android phones, provides information on local polling locations, updated ballots, and much more. Schedler says it even provides up-to-the-minute election results…

Cut 8 (11)   “64 parishes”

Election day is November 4th. Schedler says the app is absolutely free and very easy to get…

Cut 9 (13)  “I just indicated” 

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A judge in Baton Rouge grants a temporary restraining order that keeps the ashes from the incineration of a Dallas Ebola victim’s belongings from being disposed in a Calcasieu Parish landfill. Attorney General Buddy Caldwell sought the order and it was supported by state officials, including House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, who is a lawmaker from Lake Charles…

Cut 10 (09)  “this time”

The company that owns the landfill involved in this controversy released a statement that says it will not take take the Ebola waste, until state officials determined it would not pose a health threat. Kleckley says we sound understand all the risks before transporting this material to a Louisiana landfill….

cut 11 (07)  “our area”

Linen, bedding and carpet from the apartment of Thomas Duncan, who died from Ebola, was destroyed at an incinerator in Port Arthur, Texsas and was set to be transported to a landfill in Calcasieu Parish.  Cleckley agrees with Caldwell, there’s too many unknowns with Ebola to have potentially hazardous Ebola waste come across state lines..

cut 12 (05)  “risks are”

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Governor Bobby Jindal has issued a state of emergency as a result of the severe weather that moved the through the state on Monday. Kevin Davis, director of the governor’s office of homeland security and emergency preparedness, says Ouachita Parish is cleaning up from a possible tornado or damaging straight line winds

Cut 13 (05)  ” roadways blocked”

At one time, nearly 40-thousand people were without power in north Louisiana. And ULM cancelled all classes until 11 o’ clock Tuesday morning.  Davis says Ouachita Parish appears to be one of the hardest hit areas

Cut 14 (06)  “went out”

Davis says some areas experienced 60 mile per hour winds when the storm system moved through. He says the declaration is designed to help local governments…

Cut 15  (05)  “go through this”

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The UL Lafayette football team gets some national TV exposure tonight as they visit Texas State in a game that will be televised by ESPN 2 at six P-M. The Ragin Cajuns easily defeated the Bobcats 48 to 24 last season, but ULL Coach Mark Hudspeth expects a tougher test tonight

Cut 16  (17)   “last week alone”

Tuesday is an unusual day to play a football game, but Hudspeth says his team proved they can handle the unique situation last year

Cut 17  (16)   “for this game”

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The Tigers wild 30-27 victory over Florida was win number one 100 at LSU for Coach Les Miles. The mad hatter joins Charles McClendon as the only two coaches in LSU history to win at least 100 games. Miles says one of his players gave him the game ball after the win and he’s glad it was the type of victory that exemplifies how his teams play

Cut 18 (16)  “it was “

Miles will go after win number 101 this Saturday at home against Kentucky. The Wildcats have improved and head into this game with a 5-and-1 overall record. Miles is impressed with Kentucky’s offense

cut 19 (20)  “throw it”

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Affiliates here’s an interview with Secretary Tom Schedler on there Geaux Vote app that you can use for your talk shows or public affairs programs.

Cut 20 (4:10) “go vote”

Officials in Sabine Parish believe a ten-month-old child spent three days living underneath her deceased father’s body. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (32) “reporting”

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Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell seeks a court order to prevent Ebola waste from entering Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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A cold front continues to move across the state today bringing thunderstorm activity along the frontal edge. Gavin Phillips, with the National Weather Service in Slidell, says the front began rolling through northwest Louisiana earlier today…

CUT 3 (07) “across the state”

Phillips says the squall line of thunderstorms will work its way southeastward across the state this afternoon and tonight. He says we can expect one to three inches of rain as a result of this cold front. Phillips says thunderstorm activity will be heavy, at times, but it will be brief…

CUT 4 (04)  “pretty rapidly”

He says once the front moves through, you can expect to feel fall-like temperatures. Phillips says temperatures will begin to drop in north Louisiana as tonight…

CUT 5 (04)  “tomorrow morning”

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A ten-month-old infant is recovering at a hospital in Shreveport after she spent nearly three days under her father’s body. Sabine Parish Deputy Coroner Ron Rivers says 43-year-old Jason Fields of Pleasant Hill suffered a massive heart attack in her bedroom and fell back on top of the infant, who was resting on the bed

CUT 6 (09)  “long period of time”

Rivers says the infant, Betty Jean Fields, was dehydrated and suffering from blisters on her skin. He says there was also an indentation on her forehead from her father’s body lying on top of her

CUT 7 (09) “trauma unit”

Rivers says the last report he’s received, the infant is doing okay. He says there was a five-year-old child also in the home, but it took him three days to alert a neighbor about what happened. The coroner believes the heart attack was so severe that Fields was dead before he fell back on the child

CUT 8 (09) “he did not”

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The Louisiana Attorney General wants a state judge to stop the disposal of the incinerated personal belongings of a Dallas Ebola victm from going into a Calcasieu Parish landfill. AG Buddy Caldwell says there are too many unknowns and it’s absurd to transport potentially hazardous Ebola waste across state lines…

CUT 9 (10)  “these issues”

The A-G’s office says six truckloads of possible contaminated material collected from the apartment where the Dallas Ebola victim became ill, were brought to an incinerator in Port Arthur, Texas. From there, the remains are expected to go in a landfill in Carlyss, Louisiana. Caldwell says they filed a temporary restraining order to keep the Ebola Waste out of  Louisiana…

CUT 10 (05)  “accept this”

Legal action may not be needed. The waste disposal facility that was expected to take the controversial ash said in a news release that it will no longer accept the waste until Louisiana officials agree it’s safe. Caldwell says there’s probably a safer way to dispose of it, instead of bringing it across state lines…

CUT 11 (07) “alternatives“

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A strong line of thunderstorms moving across the state has knocked out power and caused property damage in north Louisiana. Marty Mayeaux (My-you) with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says they are receiving a lot of damage reports from Ouachita Parish…

CUT 12 (10) “all that area”

Mayeaux says damage survey teams will go out tomorrow to determine if a tornado hit the Monroe area

CUT 13 (08) “line winds”

Mayeaux says power outages are widespread across north Louisiana…

cut 14 (06) “across the area”

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We’re a little more than three weeks away from the November election and voters have yet to see or hear a commercial from Former Governor Edwin Edwards in the sixth district race. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 1 (27) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Attorney General’s office warns residents of a scam that continues to go around that attempts to victimize Entergy residential customers and small business owners. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (32) “reporting”

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A State Police sergeant faces charges of DWI and hit-and-run driving after causing another vehicle to flip onto its roof on Interstate 10. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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We’re a little more than three weeks away from the November election and voters have yet to see or hear a commercial from Former Governor Edwin Edwards in the sixth district Congressional race. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Edwards has the luxury of not having to run TV ads…

Cut 4  (05)  “personally”

Pinsonat says voters already  know Edwards and he doesn’t have to spend money on TV spots to garner name recognition. He says you don’t see that very often, but there is nothing about Edwards that is normal or usual…:

Cut 5  (10)  “Republican type district”

According to Edwards last campaign finance report, he had 145-thousand dollars in cash on hand. Pinsonat says Edwards will likely finish in the top 2 in the primary, but he’ll need to spend some money and probably get on TV to win the run-off election..

Cut 6 (12)  “with just $150,000”

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The run of warm and humid weather comes to an end today thanks to a cold front that will move through the state, bringing us more fall like weather. State Climatologist Barry Keim says this cool front will bring are low temperatures tomorrow morning into the low to mid 50s

CUT 7 (10)  “more pleasant”

Last week it felt more like summer than fall, with high temperatures in the upper 80s and humidity levels. Keim says this cold front will give us high temperatures in the 70s across the state tomorrow

Cut 8 (11)   “or so”

Keim says before the cooler temperatures we’ll get rain and there’s the potential of severe weather today

Cut 9 (09)  “heavy rainfall” 

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The Louisiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section is investigating reports of scammers targeting Entergy residential customers and small business owners. Amanda Larkins, with the A-G’s office, says a con artist, claiming to be with Entergy, calls a customer’s home or business and the victim is told they need to make an immediate payment, because they are behind on their bill…

Cut 10 (07)  “payment method”

Larkins says this scam has been around for a while, targeting elderly and other residential consumers, but now these scammers are moving on to small business owners with larger utility expenses

cut 11 (09)  “last year”

Entergy will place courtesy calls to customers at risk of disconnection, but they’ll never demand immediate payment. Larkins says if someone contacts a consumer claiming to be from a utility company and uses high pressure tactics to force immediate payment, the best thing you can do is hang up

cut 12 (10)  “utility company”

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A sergeant with the Louisiana State Police faces charges of DWI and hit and run, after causing a crash on Interstate 10 early Saturday morning. State Police Captain Doug Cain  says 34-year-old Damien Dyson Sr of Baton Rouge was heading west on I-10 in Ascension Parish, when he struck the rear of another vehicle at a high rate of speed. Cain says Dyson kept going, but eventually pulled over and State Police responded to the scene

Cut 13 (09)  “DWI”

Dyson was booked into the Ascension Parish jail and immediately placed on administrative leave. Cain says State Police will review all of the findings in this matter and take swift steps to ensure an impartial and appropriate course of action

Cut 14 (09)  “higher standard”

Cain says Dyson’s blood alcohol content was over twice the legal limit. The crash occurred when Dyson was off duty. He says the driver of the other vehicle that he hit, survived the crash despite his vehicle ending up on its roof….

Cut 15  (10)  “uninjured”

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The LSU Tigers finally have their first SEC win of the season and it wasn’t easy. LSU and Florida went back-and-forth in a crazy fourth quarter on Saturday in Gainesville, but it was the Tigers who came out on top 30-27. Coach Les Miles says the victory shows what these Tigers can accomplish…

Cut 16  (18)   “after that”

The Tigers defense had a good performance. They forced three turnovers and Florida was just 2-of-12 on 3rd down. Quarterback Anthony Jennings made a couple of good throws in the fourth quarter and finished with 110 yards on the game, with one touchdown and zero interceptions. Miles says they got what they wanted from the quarterback position

Cut 17  (13)   “we’re coming”

The big offensive star for the Tigers was freshman running back Leonard Fournette. He rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Fournette says he’s feeling more comfortable

Cut 18 (11)  “me a lot”

The LSU Health Tumor Registry discovers the rate of colon cancer in Acadiana is among the highest in the United States. Michelle Southern has the story…

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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Gas prices keep dropping and we can expect that trend to continue. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

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An arrest has been made in the case of the woman in Houma who was found dead under a house just before 1am Friday. Chief Todd Duplantis says they learned 22-year-old Dashanta Brown and her boyfriend, 41-year-old Michael Tucker, had been involved in a huge fight at the victim’s residence…:

CUT 3 (04) “altercation”

Duplantis says Tucker was located in this home this morning and he was arrested for second degree murder. Brown’s cause of death has not yet been determined pending results of an autopsy. Duplantis says the altercation took place at the victim’s home…:

CUT 4 (09)  “under the house”

Duplantis says they are working to determine if the suspect moved his girlfriend to that location after he allegedly killed her…:

CUT 5 (08) “we’re not sure”

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A new leader has been chosen to oversee higher education in Louisiana. Joseph Rallo, who is a Texas Tech System administrator, has has been picked by the Board of Regents as the state’s next Higher Education Commissioner. Rallo says the challenges here in Louisiana are the same as you see nationally

CUT 6 (10)  “should be”

Rallo’s job as higher ed commissioner will be to oversee the implementation of policies enacted at colleges and universities statewide. He’ll also be a voice for Louisiana’s four-year institutions at the state legislature, something he’s confident he can handle

CUT 7 (12) “the legislature”

Rallo hopes to be on the job full-time by January. He says once in Baton Rouge he’ll look at the need for tuition hikes and state funding for the TOPS scholarship….

CUT 8 (12) “for it”

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Louisianians are enjoying super low prices at the pump these days and analysts say expect to pay even less as the year goes on. Friday the current statewide average for a gallon of regular gas is $3.09 down two pennies from the night before. Don Redman with the American Automobile Association says summer’s over and demand is down…:

CUT 9 (11)  “an $100 a barrel”

Redman says there’s potential we could see prices the lowest they’ve been since 2010 when the average price in October was $2.68 cents a gallon. Wall Street had what some say was their worst day of the year Thursday and Redman says the economy and fuel prices go hand and glove…:

CUT 10 (10)  “economy”

Redman says usually when gas prices tumble it’s a sign that there is something going on with the economy…:

CUT 11 (11) “and out of Asia“

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The LSU Health tumor registry has found colon cancer rates in the Acadiana parishes are among the highest in the United States.  The study was led by Doctor Jordan Karlitz, who is also at the Tulane University of Medicine and he says their research focused on 18 parishes in the Acadiana area and colorectal cancer rates were significantly higher than both Louisiana and US rates….

CUT 12 (10) “white males”

Karltiz says colorectal cancer rates are high in French speaking homes in Acadiana and those families with a Cajun heritage, which raises the possibility of a genetic predisposition. But he says more research is needed…

CUT 13 (11) “colon cancer”

Karlitz says another possible explanation could be contained within the environment….

cut 14 (08) “this region”

Former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain is coming to Louisiana to appear with US Senate candidate Bill Cassidy at a series of veterans rallies.  Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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Attorney General Buddy Caldwell says some AT&T mobile customers could receive a refund as a result of a 105 million dollar settlement reached with the cell phone provider over unauthorized text message fees. Eric Gill reports.

Cut 2 (30) “reporting”

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Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says Poverty Point will be officially inscribed as 1001st site on the World Heritage List Saturday in Epps near Delhi. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

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Former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain is coming to Louisiana to appear with US Senate candidate Bill Cassidy at a series of veterans rallies.  The Arizona Senator’s first appearance with Cassidy is Sunday night in Metairie.  Political analyst Clancy Dubos says this is evidence of how the Republican Party has turned Louisiana’s US Senate race into a national election…

Cut 4  (11)  “reinforces that”

Monday the pair will make stops in Covington, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Bossier City.  Dubos says one thing that separates Cassidy and incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu is their position on veterans issues…

Cut 5  (08)  “on that issue”

With control of the US Senate potentially lying in the balance, Dubos doesn’t think this is the last of nationally known politicians coming to Louisiana…

Cut 6 (09)  “a local light”

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Attorney General Buddy Caldwell says some AT&T mobile customers could receive a refund as a result of a 105 million dollar settlement reached with the cell phone provider over unauthorized text message fees. Chris Styron is an assistant AG and he says this refund is specific to customers who have been “crammed”…:

CUT 7 (11)  “a month”

Styron says consumers who are victims of “cramming” are charged for “premium” text message subscription services that the consumer has never heard of or requested. He says AT&T will be notifying these customers…:

Cut 8 (12)   “the consumers”

Styron says sometimes it’s difficult to find the charges on your phone bill. He says they encourage AT&T mobile customers in Louisiana who believe they may have been affected by cramming to submit a claim through the restitution program…:

Cut 9 (11)  “dot-gov” 

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Based on filings with the Louisiana Insurance Department, health care policies purchased through the Affordable Care Act’s health exchange will see a double digit rate increase.  State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says policy holders will notice the difference next year…

Cut 10 (11)  “the years prior”

Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, and Vantage Health have all filed for rate increases ranging from 10 to 20 percent.  Donelon says three aspects of the Affordable Care Act have contributed to these rate hikes…

cut 11 (13)  “these days”

Over 100,000 Louisiania residents have signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.  Donelon says while all rate increase information is sent to his office, he is powerless to reject or lower such rate filings…

cut 12 (08)  “of Insurance”

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Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says Poverty Point will be officially inscribed as 1001st site on the World Heritage List tomorrow in Epps near Delhi. He says the ceremony will begin at 10am when the plaque will be unveiled that recognizes Poverty Point as only the 22nd World Heritage site in the United States…:

Cut 13 (10)  “enjoy free food”

Dardenne says there will be demonstrations throughout the day of cooking and different activities they believe took place there 3400 years ago…:

Cut 14 (08)  “who will be up there”

Dardenne says Poverty Point is considered one of the most culturally significant Native American sites in the US. Programs and tours are offered daily and show visitors how life may have been for the prehistoric inhabitants of the area. Dardenne says they contacted Hersheys to see if they could donate some “Mounds” candy bars…:

Cut 15  (11)  “guests”

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The LSU Tigers leave today for the Sunshine state where they’ll face Florida tomorrow night in Gainesville. On social media and radio call-in shows, Tigers fans have expressed their frustrations with the 0-and-2 record in SEC play, but Coach Les Miles says there’s been a lot of positive energy at practice and in meeting rooms…

Cut 16  (17)   “they’ve responded”

No word on who will start at quarterback for the Tigers. It will either be Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris. Harris did not perform well on the road last week, but Miles is optimstic the former Parkway star will handle environment better this time…

Cut 17  (19)   “need to do”

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In the Southland Conference…Northwestern State will play its first home game in 43 days when they host Incarnate Word on Saturday night in Turpin Stadium. The Demons are coming off a four-game road trip, where they went two and two. Coach Jay Thomas is encouraged with how his team played on the road

Cut 18 (22)  “is great”

Nicholls State seeks its first win of the season on Saturday when they visit Stephen F Austin. The Lumberjacks, who are 3-and-2 on the season, have scored 35 or more points in their last four games. Colonels interim head coach Steve Axman says Stephen F Austin presents problems for his struggling defense…

cut 19 (18)  “defensive standpoint”

Louisiana Economic Development has launched “Come Home, Louisiana”, a nationwide campaign to lure former residents back to Louisiana to explore new employment opportunities. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Governor Bobby Jindal issues an executive order to ensure that teachers can publicly complain about Common Core. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (32) “reporting”

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Louisiana Economic Development has launched a nationwide campaign to lure former residents back to Louisiana to explore new employment opportunities. LED Secretary Stephen Moret says “Come Home, Louisiana” is a campaign targeted at Louisiana natives who are living out of state…

CUT 3 (09) “all those jobs”

The campaign is tied directly to LED’s new LouisianaJobConnection-dot-com website which matches job seekers with Louisiana jobs that match their skill set. Moret says this is mainly an online and social media campaign. He says they have launched a website for the campaign, ComeHomeLouisiana-dot-com…

CUT 4 (08)  “their dream jobs”

Moret says there are more job openings in Louisiana than can be filled by current residents. He hopes that the stories told on the website by Louisianians who returned to the state for a great career will encourage out-of-staters to come back. Moret says they have not have an exact number of people they are looking for to move back to Louisiana…

CUT 5 (08) “exciting opportunity”

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The Shreveport Police Department has arrested three people as a result of an undercover operation targeting human trafficking and prostitution. This is a joint operation with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Corporal Marcus Hines says the trio was arrested at a motel on Monkhouse Drive after they recieved information of suspected illegal activity…

CUT 6 (13)  “of human trafficking”

27-year-old Allen Nash of Dallas and 19-year-old Rodisha Johnson of New Orleans were booked into the Shreveport City Jail on one count of human trafficking, each. The third suspect, 17-year-old Natay Barret of Dallas was arrested on one count of prostitution. Hines says human trafficking occurs anytime someone transports a person across state lines for the purpose of sex or prostitution…

CUT 7 (06) “and Allen Nash”

Hines says they believe that Barret was a willing participant in the prostitution for which she was charged. He says further arrests are possible as this is an ongoing investigation…

CUT 8 (06) “arrests forthcoming”

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American Horror Story: Freak Show, the FX anthology series which was shot in New Orleans, debuts tonight. This season the show is about a traveling carny sideshow troupe of “mistakes of nature” as the script says. Louisiana Entertainment Executive Director Chris Stelly expects this one will be as successful as American Horror Story: The Coven which was also shot in The Big Easy…:

CUT 9 (12)  “certainly strong”

This American Horror Story season includes Academy Award winner Kathy Bates playing a bearded lady, and Sarah Paulson with two heads. The spooky begins at 9pm. Stelly says New Orleans provides such a perfect backdrop for a horror show like this…:

CUT 10 (09)  “in the world”

Stelly says one of the things people always tell him about what they love so much about shows filmed in Louisiana, is that the state plays a character in the show by itself…:

CUT 11 (10) “driving that story“

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Governor Bobby Jindal issues an executive order to protect a teachers’ right to freedom of speech after hearing a teacher in Rapides Parish was “written up” by school administrators, because she criticized Common Core on her facebook page. Louisiana Federation of Teachers spokesperson Les Landon supports Jindal’s action

CUT 12 (08) “in the discussion”

The Alexandria Town Talk published the story that claims a teacher was reprimanded for voicing her concerns over Common Core. Another teacher in the story says some teachers are scared to speak up. But Landon says they have not heard of local school officials using intimidation tactics to keep teachers quiet

CUT 13 (08) “investigate it”

The executive order is directed towards school administrators and Jindal makes it clear a teacher’s constitutional freedom of speech shall not be denied. Landon says teachers should have the freedome to express their views on important educational topics…

cut 14 (09) “this is important”

A new independent poll conducted on the 5th District Congressional race shows Democratic Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo with a slight lead in a very tight field.  Scott Carwile reports…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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According to analysis done by The Wesleyan Media Project, the US Senate race in Louisiana is the most negative campaign in the nation. Jeff Palermo reports…:

Cut 2 (27) “reporting”

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The State Department of Health and Hospitals says a case of rabies has been confirmed in a dog in the West Monroe area. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 3 (32) “reporting”

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A new independent poll conducted on the 5th District Congressional race shows Democratic Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo with a slight lead in a very tight field.  The poll was conducted by Cygnal (signal) and surveyed just over 500 voters in the district.  Pollster Brent Buchanan says the results are not surprising…

Cut 4  (09)  “of the pack”

Mayo polled 19-percent of the vote, followed by Republicans incumbent Vance McAllister with 17-percent, Zach Dasher with 13-percent, and Dr. Ralph Abraham with 11-percent.  But Buchanan says there is still a lot up for grabs…

Cut 5  (05)  “at this point”

Over 20-percent of the voters polled said they were undecided at this point.  Buchanan says, with less than a month to go, this election is still too close to call…

Cut 6 (11)  “make a runoff”

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According to analysis done by The Wesleyan Media Project, the US Senate race in Louisiana is the most negative campaign in the country. The Wall Street Journal found that 0% of the ads run by Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy, over a two week period, were positive. Erica Franklin Fowler is the co-director on the Wesleyan Media Project:

CUT 7 (13)  “the opposing candidate”

Fowler says since this race could go a long way in determining which party would control the US Senate, it’s not a surprise that Landrieu and Cassidy are going the negative route. She says for the most part, negative ads contain more concrete material than positive ads…:

Cut 8 (13)   “a vote choice”

Fowler says campaigns across the country this year are more negative this year than they were in 2012 or 2010, but she says in Louisiana BOTH Landrieu and Cassidy have opted against puppies and families in their commercials…:

Cut 9 (05)  “positive spots” 

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The State Department of Health and Hospitals says a case of rabies has been confirmed in a dog in the West Monroe area. Last month a cat in Washington Parish also tested positive for rabies and so was a dog in Lafayette Parish in January according to DHH. State Veterinarian Dr. Gary Balsamo says this is an unusual occurrence…:

Cut 10 (12)  “their animals”

The state is reminding residents that, by law, anyone who owns a dog, cat or ferret over three months old must have their animal vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian. Balsamo says, unfortunately, some people seem to be downplaying the seriousness of vaccinating for rabies, especially for pets who always remain indoors:

cut 11 (13)  “vaccinated”

Balsamo says people should make sure their pets avoid stray animals and report them to animal control. He says your animals need to avoid contact with wildlife, especially skunks and bats. Balsamo says if you think your animal has rabies, you should call your vet immediately.:

cut 12 (13)  “Cujo lookin’ dog”

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It looks like this year’s most popular movies and television show characters will be knocking on your doors looking for Candy October 31. Spirit Halloween is one of the season’s largest retailers in North America and spokeswoman Lisa Barr says you can’t expect to see plenty of Disney’s “Frozen” characters…:

Cut 13 (12)  “this year”

Barr says also in their top 10 costume trends for the coming season are the usual Superheroes including Batman, Captain America, Spiderman and Transformers. She says DIY is a big trend this year with themes around Burlesque, Punk and Leopard. Barr says there is a huge demand for costumes featuring characters from HBO’s Game of Thrones…:

Cut 14 (12)  “different looks for Khaleesi”

Barr says you can also expect to see nostalgic characters trick or treating this year like Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat and Where’s Waldo. She says by far one of the hottest costumes this year, as in years past because of a popular AMC show, zombies will be out in full force…:

Cut 15  (11)  “this year”

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Louisiana Tech men’s basketball is the favorite to win the Conference USA title. That’s based on a vote by the league’s coaches. Coach Michael White says winning a league championship and reaching the NCAA Tournament are two big goals this year…

Cut 16  (18)   “NCAA Tournament”

The Bulldogs return four starters from last year’s team that earned a share of the league title, three of those players….Kenneth Smith, Alex Hamilton and Raheem Appleby…have received preseason all-conference honors. White says Appleby is once again healthy after missing most of C-USA action last season due to an ankle injury

Cut 17  (17)   “out of em”

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The LSU Tigers are 0-and-2 in the SEC for the first time since 2001 and many Tiger fans are wondering when they’ll win again. NFL Analyst Mike Detillier believes it will happen this Saturday at Florida. Detillier says this young team will figure out a way to get a “W”….

Cut 18 (18)  “like that”

But Detillier says this Saturday’s game against Florida is winnable, but it doesn’t get any easier after that…

cut 19 (16)  “moments”

Detillier says the play of the offensive and defensive lines have been the biggest disappointments this season. He says the Tigers have struggled to develop their young defensive linemen…

Cut 20 (15) ” defensive linemen”

The US Drug Enforcement Agency has reclassified hydrocodone-based drugs, such as Lortab and Vicodin, into a new, more restrictive category. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is offering a $7,000 reward for information about the shooting death of a black bear. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is seeking leads in the illegal killing of a black bear in Concordia Parish. Spokesman Adam Einck says this bear was part of their Black Bear Restoration Program and was radio collared to track her movements. He says the bear was normally tracked in the Turnbull Island area…

CUT 3 (11) “September 1st”

Authorities believe the female bear was killed in Concordia Parish and thrown in the river where the body floated downstream. A fisherman found the bear, badly decomposed, in the Atchafalaya River in St. Martin Parish. Einck says they are asking for the public’s help in finding those responsible…

CUT 4 (13)  “442-2511”

LDWF is offering a reward of up to $7,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. Einck says there has been a number of hunter-black bear incidents in the past few years and information from the public has been helpful…

CUT 5 (12) “that information”

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Drugs like Lortabs and Vicodin will now be much harder to obtain through your pharmacy. The US Drug Enforcement Agency has put hydrocodone-based drugs in a more restrictive category. LSU Health’s Emergency Medicine Chairman, Dr. Tom Arnold, says the federal government is trying to reign in an epidemic of prescription drug abuse…

CUT 6 (13)  “in the past”

Under the new rules, doctors will only be able to prescribe a 30-day supply, with no automatic refills. You will also not be able to call a prescription in to the pharmacy. Arnold says the intended purpose of these new rules is simple…

CUT 7 (06) “unintended purposes”

He says the US uses 99% of the world’s hydrocodone and the federal government is doing what they can to try to get the problem under control. But Arnold says as these prescription drugs are becoming harder to obtain, there has been an uptick in heroin use across the nation, even in Louisiana…

CUT 8 (09) “within our borders”

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If you’re a fan of checking out rare events in the sky, you’ll be in for a treat tomorrow morning. On October 8th a total eclipse of the moon is going to take place while the sun is rising. Louisiana Tech astronomer Lee Sawyer says we get lunar eclipses each year, but what makes this event rare for us is where we’re located…:

CUT 9 (09)  “in the east”

Sawyer says the total eclipse is going to start at close to 5:27 for us…:

CUT 10 (04)  “in the morning”

Sawyer says viewers will have between 2-9 minutes to simultaneously see the sun rising in the east, while the eclipsed moon is setting in the west. He says what makes this so cool is that you’ll actually be able to see the shadow of the earth as it starts to go across the moon during the partial eclipse…:

CUT 11 (12) “be able to see that“

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Even though it’s not even Halloween yet, retailers are already reporting they expect this Holiday shopping season to be the best in three years. The National Retail Federation says they expect sales in November and December to be up 4.1 from 2013. These Louisiana residents we spoke with say they’re ready to spend…:

CUT 12 (04) “ready for it”

The NRF says consumer confidence is high this year as key economic indicators like retail sales, jobs and housing data are seeing improvement. But these Louisiana residents say they aren’t among those planning to shell out lots of dough this Christmas…:

CUT 13 (06) “in the next year”

Shop.org says online shopping is expected to up as much as 11% this year. Some Louisiana residents we spoke with said they’d not even thought about shopping yet, but others say they’re halfway done…:

cut 14 (07) “up yet”

The Louisiana Democratic Party is slamming Governor Bobby Jindal for making continued travel stops around the country. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (33) “reporting”

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We’re now 4 weeks away from the November elections and political voters can expect to see and hear a lot more from the candidates. Scott Carwile reports.

Cut 2 (28) “reporting”

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LSU Coach Les Miles has faith the Tigers will be able to turn their season around, but who will start at quarterback is a question mark. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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The US Department of Agriculture announces a Colorado based biofuels company receives a $91 million loan guarantee to build a processing plant in Alexandria. Cool Planet makes green fuels and biochar. CEO Howard Janzen says this funding is tremendously important…

Cut 4  (12)  “very critical”

Biofuels are seen as critical to the country’s energy future. Cool Planet broke ground on the Alexandria facility earlier this year. Janzen says their company not only manufactures biofuel, but also a product called “Cool Terra”…

Cut 5  (11)  “plant productivity”

The company expects to start construction on the facility in early 2016. This facility will not only create construction jobs for central Louisiana, but also jobs in the processing of Cool Planet’s products. Janzen is thankful for the welcome his company has received from the state…

Cut 6 (08)  “like ours”

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The Louisiana Democratic party is bashing Governor Bobby Jindal over his speech yesterday at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington D.C. calling for a strengthening of the US military. Chairwoman Senator Karen Carter Peterson says Jindal needs to stop putting so much effort into matters outside of Louisiana…:

CUT 7 (09)  “across the country”

Peterson says even though his own constituents think he shouldn’t run for president, Jindal keeps courting D.C. insiders. She says instead of increasing federal military funding, she’d rather hear Jindal explain why he cut hundreds of millions of Louisiana’s higher education dollars…:

Cut 8 (05)   “Louisiana’s families”

Peterson says Jindal should be addressing the devastating effect the higher ed cuts have had on our economy. Jindal is in South Carolina today to give a similar speech he did Monday and Peterson says these travel habits are extremely disappointing…:

Cut 9 (10)  “national promotion” 

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We’re now 4 weeks away from the November elections and political voters can expect to see and hear a lot more from the candidates. LSU political research director Michael Henderson says the “air war” will continue over radio and television. He says in the US Senate race, Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy will keep tying Senator Mary Landrieu to President Obama…:

Cut 10 (10)  “and independence”

Henderson says candidates will be putting a lot more resources toward the “ground game” here over the next couple of weeks to mobilize core voters to get out the vote. He says in the 5th & 6th Congressional District races, it’ll be all about making it to the runoff…:

cut 11 (06)  “we don’t often see”

Henderson says the negative campaigning is going to ramp up over the next few weeks as will knocking on doors. He says one of the biggest issues for some of the candidates is getting their name out there..:

cut 12 (10)  “that other spot”

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office says a woman is under arrest on animal cruelty charges for allegedly trying to throw puppies away. They say cops were called by a witness saying they’d seen the woman, who was wearing a blue dress, commit the crime…:

Cut 13 (05)  “at a local gas station”

Carnline says deputies responded and made contact with 31-year-old Christie Lasyone of Ball and discovered she had an outstanding contempt of court warrant on her…:

Cut 14 (08)  “into this dumpster”

Carnline says a deputy rescued the puppies and returned them to their rightful owner. He says they have no idea why this woman was trying to dump puppies but she was arrested and charged with three counts of cruelty to animals…:

Cut 15  (09)  “of a police officer”

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LSU Coach Les Miles is holding off on naming a starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against Florida. Miles says he’ll let Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris battle for that opportunity during practice this week. Despite only scoring seven points in a loss to Auburn, Miles believes the offense is not that far away from getting on track. He says the biggest thing they need to do is relax

Cut 16  (14)   “very quickly”

Miles is also optimistic the defense can turn things around after giving up 11-hundred yards of offense in two SEC games. He says they just need to get fix some technical issues, which should produce better results

Cut 17  (12)   “important piece”

Governor Jindal laid out his concept for rebuilding US military strength during a speech today in Washington, D.C. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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A statewide survey conducted by CBS News and the New York Times shows Republican US Representative Bill Cassidy with a six percentage point lead over Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu in the US Senate race. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says the body of a Houma man has been found after a boating accident inSt. Mary Parish yesterday. Spokesman Adam Einck says a father and son were traveling in the Intracoastal Waterway 9AM Sunday…

CUT 3 (08) “into the water”

Witnesses say 38-year-old Wallace Bailey Jr. was operating a small aluminum skiff with his father, 64-year-old Wallace Bailey Sr., when the accident occurred. Einck says witnesses sprang into action…

CUT 4 (05)  “never resurfaced”

Bailey Sr. was pulled from the water by witnesses, but Bailey Jr. never resurfaced. Bailey Jr.’s body was recovered this morning and turned over to the St. Mary Parish Coroner’s Office. Neither man was wearing a personal flotation device. Einck says LDWF encourages all boaters to wear a life jacket while on the water…

CUT 5 (06) “personal flotation device”

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Governor Jindal laid out his concept for rebuilding US military strength during a speech today in Washington, D.C. Jindal spoke at the American Enterprise Institute. He says we must take steps to rebuild America’s military. The governor says we should return to the 2011 budget proposed by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates…

CUT 6 (14)  “our force’s readiness”

He says a bolstered military will lessen the threats by groups around the world, like ISIS. Jindal says the federal government should spend approximately 4-percent of America’s Gross Domestic Product on defense…

CUT 7 (12) “of military power”

Jindal stated that the nation’s military has suffered devastating budget cuts under President Obama and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The governor says now the need is for more funding, not less…

CUT 8 (08) “around the world”

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A statewide survey conducted by CBS News and the New York Times shows Republican US Representative Bill Cassidy leading Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu 47-to-41 percent in a head-to-head match-up. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says we are seeing more and more Senate race polls that have Cassidy with a slight lead

CUT 9 (10)  “vote for”

Stockley expects the results of this poll will change after the primary which is November fourth, especially if Louisiana’s Senate race could decide the control of the US Senate…

CUT 10 (07)  “square one”

Stockley says it’s not a surprise to see that the poll shows 12-percent of the voters are undecided. He says while from different parties, Cassidy and Landrieu agree on a lot of issues

CUT 11 (11) “conflicted“

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The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s office says an 18-year-old is in jail on murder charges for allegedly killing someone over a cell phone. Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says they received a call last night where the victim, 24-year-old Hancy Sanchez, is reported to have been approached by a man who asked to use his cell phone…:

CUT 12 (08) “grab his cell phone back”

Hicks says a witness reported Sanchez tried to get his cell phone back from the suspect…:(Hicks says they were able to identify the suspect as 18-year-old James Mills and he was booked into prison on charges of first degree murder, armed robbery and illegal use of a weapon.)

CUT 13 (06) “shot him in the head”

Hicks says the witness told investigators that the suspect shot Sanchez in the head when he tried to get his phone back. She says the victim died this morning…:

cut 14 (10) “as well as robbery”