I-49 & I-220 in Shreveport are closed until further notice this hour, as slippery road conditions from a winter storm affect the I-20 corridor tonight. Jeff Palermo has the details…:

CUT 01(27)      “…Palermo.”

A weird story out of Baton Rouge. Police there say a California man, arrested for shooting and killing his co-worker and hotel roommate, tells investigators that Santa Muerte told him to do it. Santa Muerte is a Mexican, sort of, folk saint or boogeyman. 45-year-old David Mendez is charged with 2^nd degree murder. He was arrested Wednesday without resistance.

Authorities in Rapides Parish arrest an Alexandria psychiatric nurse practitioner for allegedly trading prescription meds for sex. Sheriff’s spokesman Tommy Carnline says Mark Declouet (dih-CLOUT) Jr. paid men cash to introduce him to females, with which he’d make the trade. He says a good number of those victims are struggling with addiction..:

CUT 13(05)      “…someone in need.”

He says they believe more victims are out there, and they urge them to come forward.

A Morehouse Parish school teacher is arrested for striking a student. Deputies say 61-year-old Helen Anderson allegedly hit a student at Delta Elementary school in Mer Rouge. She’s charged with Cruelty to a Juvenile.

Two sisters from Shreveport have a deal to have their line of men’s & women’s fashion carried at Target stores. Kim & Keyondra Lockett say they first thought the email from the national retail chain was spam or a hack attempt, but it proved real. Their Jolie Noire line of active and casual wear is available now at “Target.com.”

Areas along the I-20 corridor and north, should prepare for possible rough driving conditions, as a winter weather advisory is posted for the area through 9 tonight. Rain will likely turn to sleet or perhaps freezing rain as temperatures drop. National Weather Service forecaster Charlie Woodburn says be ready for slippery highways…:

CUT 05(11)      “…earlier today.”

A psychiatric nurse practitioner has been arrested on human trafficking and narcotics charges after authorities learned he was providing drugs for sexual favors. Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office chief of staff Tommy Carnline says 40-year-old Mark Declouet (dih-CLOUT) Jr., of Alexandria, was taken into custody without incident…:

CUT 12(09)      “…sexual favors.”

Declouet apparently worked at health care providers in Lafayette and Alexandria.

Police in New Orleans report yet another motorist has been shot and killed while driving on Interstate 10. NOPD says the un-named male victim was discovered inside his car, which crashed into a guardrail near Louisa Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshots. A number of people have been shot while on the city’s superhighway in recent months.

The Louisiana startup company known for creating interior football helmet cooling fans is now using that tech to help out construction workers. Tigeraire founder and CEO Jack Karavich says the Tornado helmet system is OSHA compliant, designed to work with multiple hardhat designs and the waterproof device weighs only about 3.5 ounces. He says it pumps out air at over 40 miles-an-hour…:

CUT 07(09)      “…gotta tell you.”

The effects of being overheated are connected with on-the-job accidents caused by mental errors.

Slippery road conditions from a winter storm are possible along the I-20 corridor tonight. Jeff Palermo has the details…

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Louisiana-based Tigeraire, the company that created cooling fans for athletic helmets has another hit on their hands with helping construction workers beat the heat. Brooke Thorington explains

Cut 2 (33)…I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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The entire I-20 corridor is under a winter weather advisory until nine o’clock tonight as freezing rain, sleet, and light snow will be possible through the evening. Charlie Woodrum with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says ice accumulations will be mainly less than a tenth of an inch

Cut 3 (09) “…this evening”

Woodrum says the rain should switch over to winter precipitation near the Louisiana-Arkansas border and icy conditions could start to develop for the Monroe-Shreveport areas around seven and eight o’clock…

Cut 4 (11) “…areas”

Woodrum says with the temperature dropping below freezing across north Louisaina plan on slippery road conditions…

Cut 5 (11) “.earlier today”

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The Louisiana startup company known for creating interior football helmet fans is now helping those in the construction industry cool off. Tigeraire founder and CEO Jack Karavich says their latest design for hard hats known as the Tornado provides the same reprieve for construction workers as it does for athletes.

 Cut 6 (10) “…we’re getting.” 

The Tornado was unveiled recently at the World of Concrete Event in Las Vegas and Karavich says demand for the cooling fan has been overwhelming. The company has plans to build a manufacturing plant in Baton Rouge but in the meantime, fans are being constructed overseas.

Karavich says the Tornado fan is quite the upgrade from the Cyclone that was first designed for athletes. The Tornado is OSHA compliant, designed to work with multiple hardhat designs and the waterproof device weighs about 3.5 ounces. Karavich says it pumps out about 42 miles per hour of airflow.

Cut 7 (09) “…gotta tell you.” 

Tigeraire hopes the Tornado will not only make working in the heat more comfortable but most importantly make it safer. Karavich says construction accidents and fatalities tend to increase in warmer months linked to human error.

Cut 8 (11) “….human beings.”  

The Tornado comes in two models and prices range from $75.00 to $95.00.

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The cost for a barrel of oil could rise to nearly $100 later this year. Increased demand as more and more Americans take to the roads and airways has caused the spike, but Baton Rouge economist Loren Scott says plans by OPEC Plus, a coalition of oil exporters that includes Russia, should begin to bring prices back down, sooner rather than later.

Cut 9 (12) “…the investigation basically.”

Of course, the first place most Americans will feel the impact of higher oil prices is at the gas pump. With the state average for regular gas at more than $3.13, that could be a major hit, even if it doesn’t last long.

Cut 10 (13)  “…pump go up.” 

While folks may feel a pinch on their pocketbooks for a few weeks, Louisiana should reap some financial benefits from those higher oil prices, both for the state’s coffers and for businesses.

Cut  11 (13)   “….gas extraction employment.”  

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A psychiatric nurse practitioner has been arrested on human trafficking and narcotics charges after authorities learned he was providing drugs for sexual favors. Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office chief of staff Tommy Carnline says 40-year-old Mark Declouet (dih-CLOUT) Junior of Alexandria was taken into custody without incident…

Cut 12 (09) “…sexual favors”  

Declouet’s Linkedin page says he’s worked at Axis Behavioral Health and Recovery which is based in Lafayette and he was reportedly an attending clinician at Longleaf Behavior Hospital in Alexandria. Carnline says it’s likely some of Declouet’s victims are recovering addicts…

Cut 13 (05) “…someone in need”

Carnline says they believe there are more victims of this suspect out there…

Cut 14 (11)  “…too long” 

The I-20 corridor is under a winter weather advisory until nine o’clock tonight as freezing rain, sleet, and light snow are in the forecast. National Weather Service forecaster Charlie Woodrum says rain should switch over to winter precipitation near the Louisiana-Arkansas border and icy conditions could start to develop for the Monroe-Shreveport areas around seven and eight o’clock…:

CUT 04(11)      “…of all the areas.”

He says avoid driving tonight, if you can.

The cost for a barrel of oil could rise to nearly $100 later this year. That’s largely due to increased demand, as more people start getting out and about again. That of course means increasing gasoline and diesel prices. Economist Dr. Loren Scott says that could be a major hit, albeit a brief one…:

CUT 10(13)      “…the pump go up.”

Police in Baton Rouge arrest a California man for shooting a man that  – he says – he was ordered to shoot “by spirits.” 45-year-old David Mendez reportedly told officers the folk saint, Santa Muerte, told him to kill his co-worker, 46-year-old Juan Reyes Lugos. Mendez is charged with 2^nd degree murder.

Louisiana-based Tigeraire, the company that created cooling fans for athletic helmets, has another hit on their hands with helping construction workers beat the heat. Here’s Brooke Thorington…:

CUT 02(33)      “…Thorington.”

High gas prices could be on the horizon as the cost for a barrel of oil could rise to nearly $100 later this year. Increased demand as more and more Americans take to the roads and airways has caused the spike, but Baton Rouge economist Loren Scott says plans by OPEC, plus a coalition of oil exporters that includes Russia, should begin to bring prices back down, sooner rather than later.

Cut 9 (12) “…the investigation basically.”

The Louisiana startup company known for creating interior football helmet fans is now helping those in the construction industry cool off. Tigeraire founder and CEO Jack Karavich say their latest design for hard hats known as the Tornado provides the same reprieve for construction workers as it does for athletes.

 Cut 6 (10) “…we’re getting.” 

Slippery road conditions from a winter storm are possible along the I-20 corridor tonight. Jeff Palermo has the details…

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

The state reports 1,891 people are in the hospital with COVID-related issues, a decline of 21 from the day before and it’s the first time we’ve been below 1900 since January 9^th.

Governor John Bel Edwards’ Climate Initiatives Task Force has approved the state’s first-ever Climate Action Plan. It contains over two dozen strategies to reach the governor’s goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gases by 2050.

The Louisiana Chemical Association voted in support of the plan but L-C-A President Greg Bowser says they are concerned about possible regulations placed on their industry when the technology is not there to accomplish the demands…
cut 10 (09) “….less stringent”
Harry Vorhoff is the chairman of the Climate Initiatives Task Force says he appreciates the LCA’s concerns…:
Cut 9 (14) “…availability of electricity.”

The entire I-20 corridor is under a winter weather advisory until nine o’clock tonight as freezing rain, sleet, and light snow will be possible through the evening. Charlie Woodrum with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says ice accumulations will be mainly less than a tenth of an inch…
cut 3 (09) “….this evening”
For central and south Louisiana, they can expect periods of heavy rain today.

The state department of wildlife and fisheries is reporting Louisiana’s first suspected case of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer. It was found in an adult buck harvested in Tensas Parish. CWD is 100-percent fatal in deer. LDWF veterinarian Doctor Jim Lacour says they hope the neurodegenerative disease does not spread through the deer population and they ask hunters to monitor…
cut 13 (10) “….is acting abnormally”

A cold front will bring heavy rounds of rain and there’s a winter weather advisory with the possibility of mixed precipitation along the I-20 corridor this afternoon. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the mercury will drop throughout the day…

Cut 14 (11)  “…into Louisiana.”
The cold temps will linger into next week.

Debate is underway on new Congressional District maps. Chairwoman and Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt….

Cut 4 (07) “…possible.” 
Hewitt’s proposal would extend Julia Letlow’s District, further south into the Florida parishes. Black members of the Senate have proposals to create a second majority-minority congressional district, making significant changes to Letlow’s district.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reporting the state’s first suspected case of chronic wasting disease. The tentative diagnosis was made from samples of an adult buck in Tensas Parish. LDWF veterinarian Doctor Jim Lacour says they sent those samples to a lab in Iowa for confirmation…

Cut 12 (12) “…of that area.”
A special task force appointed by Governor Edwards approves a Climate Action Plan for Louisiana, designed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050.

Louisiana Chemical Association (LCA) president Greg Bowser says his while they support the basic plan, they do have concerns it could prove costly for them, and others…

Cut 8 (10)  “….disastrous for our economy.”

The legislature is expected to begin debating new congressional districts in the redistricting session. When asked about Democratic Senator Cleo Fields plan to add a second minority-majority district, Republican Senator Sharon Hewitt says just because a district qualifies as a 50-percent plus one minority district….

Cut 5 (08) “…their choice.”

The session will also consider BESE, legislative, and Public Service Commission districts and possibly Supreme Court districts.

Temperatures are going to drop throughout the day as the cold front makes its way across the state today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it looks like the groundhog was right about winter lingering, especially into to weekend and next week for Louisiana.

Cut  16 (12)  “…and Sunday.”

After receiving a tip that a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner was providing narcotics for sexual favors the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement has arrested 40-year-old Mark Declouet Jr of Alexandria. Agents say Declouet would solicit men with cash to locate and provide females for sexual purposes. The suspect faces multiple drug charges and human trafficking charges.

Louisiana may have its first reported case of a Chronic Wasting Disease that attacks white-tailed deer. David Grubb has the story…

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m David Grubb.” 

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee will discuss redrawing the state’s Congressional district lines today. Black lawmakers have submitted proposals to create a second majority-minority congressional district in an effort to get two African-Americans in Louisiana’s U-S House delegation. But Slidell Senator and Chairwoman of the committee Sharon Hewitt says that would result in taking black voters out of District Two, Troy Carter’s district…
cut 6 (12) “…minority district”

A cold front will push through Louisiana bringing heavy rounds of rain and the possibility of winter precipitation north of I-20. State Climatologist Barry Keim says temperatures will drop after the front moves through…
cut 14 (11) “….into Louisiana”

This week, a special task force appointed by Governor Edwards approved a Climate Action Plan for Louisiana, designed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. Harry Vorhoff chairs the Climate Initiatives Task Force and says the plan has 28 strategies and 84 specific actions to attain that goal. He says a lot of the state’s emissions come from the energy and chemical industries, and their concerns were kept in mind…:
Cut 7 (08) “…or no-carbon market.”
But the Louisiana Chemical Association supports innovation and not regulation in an effort to reduce emissions.

Louisiana may have its first reported case of a neurodegenerative disease that attacks white-tailed deer. Samples from an adult buck hunter-harvested in Tensas Parish showed signs of Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD. Dr. Jim LaCour says LDWF has been preparing for CWD to make its way from neighboring states into Louisiana.
Cut 11 (10) “…not totally unexpected.”

A special task force appointed by the Governor approves its climate action plan for reaching net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 … but some are less than enthused.
Cut 2 (38) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Northern parishes are under a winter weather advisory today as rain will transition to freezing rain, sleet and snow throughout the day today.

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to debate new Congressional District maps today. Chairwoman and Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt….
cut 4 (07) “…as possible”
Hewitt’s proposal would extend Julia Letlow’s District, further south into the Florida parishes. Black members of the Senate have proposals that would create a second majority-minority congressional district by making significant changes to Letlow’s district.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reporting Louisiana’s first suspected case of chronic wasting disease. The tentative diagnosis was made on samples taken from a hunter-harvested adult buck taken on private land in Tensas Parish. LDWF veterinarian Doctor Jim Lacour says they sent those samples to a lab in Iowa for confirmation…
cut 12 (12) “…that area”
Tensas Parish has been an area of heightened surveillance for CWD since a case was confirmed on the other side of the Mississippi River in 2018.