There are reports of several fatalities after low visibility caused by fog and marsh fires this morning in southeast Louisiana caused a massive traffic pile-up on I-55 in both directions. Brooke Thorington has more.

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The Blood Center and local hospitals are urging people to donate blood as several people were injured and taken to local hospitals for treatment. For a list of donation center locations, visit thebloodcenter.org

U.S. Representative Mike Johnson from Benton will make his case before House Republicans today to be the next Speaker of the House. Eight other Republicans are also seeking the post. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says Johnson’s chances are as good as the other candidates

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Johnson’s announcement comes after Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan of Ohio failed short of the 217 votes needed as House Speaker.

A second person has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Northwestern State football player Ronnie Caldwell. Natchitoches police spokesperson John Greely says a former teammate of Caldwell’s, 22-year-old Maurice Campbell of Memphis, has been booked on multiple charges

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At least two people are reportedly dead after a massive pile-up on Interstate 55 in Saint John the Baptist Parish this morning. Reports say hundreds of vehicles are involved and the interstate is closed in both directions.  State Police is the lead agency investigating the pile-up and Sergeant Kate Stegall says to expect lengthy closures as a result.

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Visit LA511-dot-org for road closure information.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Northwestern State football player Ronnie Caldwell. Natchitoches police spokesperson John Greely says a former teammate of Caldwell’s, 22-year-old Maurice Campbell of Memphis, has been booked on multiple charges along with Caldwell’s roommate but so far no one has been charged with murder.

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In Alexandria, after reports of several individuals waving guns around a parking lot and what appeared to be filming of a video Saturday night, police have made two arrests. A 15-year-old has been charged with Juvenile in Possession of a Firearm, resisting arrest, and possession of a stolen firearm. 20-year-old Robert Drakes was arrested and among his charges are terrorizing. The investigation is ongoing.

Louisiana Congressman Republican Mike Johnson will officially make his bid as U-S House Speaker before his party today. Teiko Foxx has more…

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Two people are reportedly dead as a result of multiple wrecks involving hundreds of vehicles on Interstate 55 in St John the Baptist Parish. The interstate is closed in both directions and first responders from multiple agencies are on-site….
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That’s State Police Sergeant Kate Stegall who says low visibility from the fog and smoke from nearby marsh fires led to reduced visibility. For a listing of road closures visit LA511-dot.org or visit LSP’s social media channels.

Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson is one of nine Republicans seeking to be next Speaker of the House. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says Johnson is one of the more conservative members and that may help him as he lobbies his colleagues.
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For the next Louisiana Secretary of State, purchasing new voting machines will be a top priority. The Republican in the run-off Nancy Landry says the new machines should produce a paper back up…
cut 28 (08) “…are accurate”
The Secretary of State’s Office is where businesses also must register. The Democratic candidate in the November 18th run-off, Gwen Collins Greenup says she wants to put procedures in place to prevent business identity theft…
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Today, Governor-elect Jeff Landry urged voters to vote for the three Republican candidates seeking a statewide office in the November 18th run-off. Meanwhile, the Louisiana Democratic Party has endorsed Collins-Greenup in the Secretary of State’s race.

Interstate 55 is closed in both directions between Ruddock and Manchac after 25 crashes this morning. The crashes are in three different spots in St. John Parish and at least two people have been killed and 30 reported injuries. Three 18-wheelers were also fully engulfed in flames. Fog and smoke from the marsh fires were contributing factors to the accidents.

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is asking parents of children ages 5 and under for their input in the 2023 Parent Poll.

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

U.S. Representative Mike Johnson from Benton wants to be the next Speaker of the House. Johnson currently serves as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says having GOP leadership in the chamber should help Johnson’s chances.

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Eight other Republicans are also seeking the post.

A second person has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Northwestern State football player Ronnie Caldwell. Natchitoches police spokesperson John Greely says a former teammate, 22-year-old Maurice Campbell of Memphis, faces multiple charges including obstruction of justice.TO date no one has been charged with murder, but Greely says Campbell interfered with the investigation.

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The investigation is ongoing…

Representative Mike Johnson from Benton will make his case before House Republicans today to be the next Speaker of the House. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says Johnson could possibly get a nod from the GOP.

Cut 3 (13) “the caucus.”

A second person has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Northwestern State football player Ronnie Caldwell. Natchitoches police spokesperson John Greely says a former teammate of Caldwell’s, 22-year-old Maurice Campbell of Memphis, has been booked on multiple charges.

Cut 6 (09) “…dangerous substance”

Caldwell’s roommate has also been charged with having a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance. But no one has been charged with Caldwell’s murder.

For the next Louisiana Secretary of State, purchasing new voting machines will be a top priority. The Republican in the run-off Nancy Landry says the new machines should produce a paper backup…

Cut 11 (08) “…are accurate” 

The current voting machines date back to 2006. Landry currently serves as First Assistant Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State’s Office is where businesses must also register. The Democratic candidate in the November 18th run-off, Gwen Collins-Greenup says she wants to put procedures in place to prevent business identity theft…

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Collins-Greenup is a Baton Rouge attorney and accountant.

The runoff for Secretary of State is a contest between two women, Republican Nancy Landry and Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup. Landry currently serves as First Assistant Secretary of State and knows how to organize and run a statewide election…
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Collins-Greenup is a Baton Rouge attorney and accountant. She previously worked as the clerk of court in East Feliciana Parish. The Democrat says her first priority will be purchasing new voting machines and she will also work on increasing voter participation…
Cut 12 (08) ” most elections”

Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson is one of nine Republicans seeking to be the next Speaker of the House. Johnson is the vice chairman of the Republican Conference.

Data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the Bayou State continues to set records for low unemployment.
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A fatal shooting in Monroe on Saturday night claimed the life of a 14-year-old. Monroe Police say it occurred in the 31-hundred block of Renwick Street. Authorities have not released any other information.

Alexandria P-D arrested a 15 and 20-year-old for waiving guns around in a parking lot on Enterprise Road. Cops say it appears they were making a video.

There are nine Republicans running for U-S House Speaker, including Louisiana’s Mike Johnson. Johnson and the eight other candidates will make their case before House Republicans behind closed doors tonight and a vote on the floor could happen tomorrow.

For the next Louisiana Secretary of State, purchasing new voting machines will be a top priority. The Republican in the run-off Nancy Landry says the new machines should produce a paper back up…
cut 11 (08) “…are accurate”
The Secretary of State’s Office is where businesses also must register. The Democratic candidate in the November 18th run-off, Gwen Collins Greenup says she wants to put procedures in place to prevent business identity theft…
cut 13 (12) “….business name”

According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the number of people unemployed in September is just under 68-thousand which is a record low since they started keeping track of that sort of thing. U-L Lafayette Economist Gary Wagner says the state has added nearly 280-thousand jobs since the worst of the pandemic….
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For working families with small children, child care and early childhood education is very important. The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children has a survey they would like these families to complete. Institute Director Doctor Libbie Sonnier says the poll explores a variety of family issues…
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You can fill out the survey at policy-institute-la-dot-org.

The runoff for Secretary of State is a contest between two women, Republican Nancy Landry and Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup. Landry currently serves as First Assistant Secretary of State and knows how to organize and run a statewide election…
Cut 10 (11) “…election”
Collins-Greenup is a Baton Rouge attorney and accountant. She previously worked as the clerk of court in East Feliciana Parish. The Democrat says her first priority will be purchasing new voting machines and she will also work on increasing voter participation…
Cut 12 (08) ” most elections”

Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson is one of nine Republicans seeking to be the next Speaker of the House. Johnson is the vice chairman of the Republican Conference.

The number of people looking for work, but unable to find a job reached an all-time low in September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 68-thousand people were considered unemployed. The state’s unemployment rate held steady at three-point-three percent, tying a record low. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Economist Gary Wagner says hiring has escalated over the last year…
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The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children wants to hear from parents with small children about their experience with child care and early childhood education. Institute director Doctor Libbie Sonnier says the survey can be found on their website and they will take answers through November first…
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The poll can be found at policy-institute-la-dot-org.

House Republicans meet again today to discuss who should be the next Speaker of the U-S House. After failed attempts by Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise and Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, Mike Johnson from Benton is now a candidate. There are nine Republicans running for Speaker.

Two women are in the run-off for the Secretary of State’s race. Jeanne Burns looks at the candidates…
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The number of unemployed individuals in the month of September was a record low 67,930 according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. The state’s workforce has grown by 16-thousand over the last year and Univeristy of Louisiana at Lafayette economist Gary Wagner says there are encouraging signs for the state’s oil and gas industry…
cut 6 (09) “….gains there”

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children’s 2023 Parent Poll is open. Institute Director Dr. Libbie Sonnier says the survey is a way to check on how families with children 5 years and under are doing. They’ve partnered with the Louisiana Department of Education to gather important data.
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The poll can be found at PolicyInstituteLA.org.

Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson has announced he will throw his hat in the ring to become the next US Speaker of the House. The 51 year old evangelical Christian lawyer is vice-chair of the House Republican Conference now. He and any other candidates will make their pitch before that Conference in a closed door meeting on Monday

Car-jackings are down by 44% in New Orleans since the end of August, compared to the same time last year. That’s according to a report by the Metropolitan Crime Commission. But the issue is front and center since Orleans DA Jason Williams and his mother barely escaped a carjacking on Monday. Williams says it’s true, progress has been made, but everyone must continue to be on guard.

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Neither Williams not his mother was injured in the incident on Monday.

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Louisiana continues to post historic unemployment numbers. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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Big night in Death Valley as LSU hosts the Black Knights of Army for the first time. Army comes into Tiger Stadium with a two-and-four record. Kelly says the option offense they run is not easy to defend…

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