A pedestrian who was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Interstate 10 in St. Tammany Parish was found Thursday, after lying on the roadside injured for hours. A highway crew found the victim. Authorities say an 18-wheeler hit the man, then sped on. The man is now in the hospital in serious condition. State Police are investigating.

A major cold front will enter the state Saturday bringing rain, wind, and near-freezing temps. Brooke Thorington has more…:

CUT 01(31)      “…Thorington.”

The State Fire Marshal’s office says a Lacombe man died after going back into a burning home to rescue his pets. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says the home caught fire early Tuesday morning. Two people in their 60’s made it safely outside, but the man went back inside to save the family dogs…:

CUT 15(07)      “…died a day later.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reports thousands of fish – and and over a hundred birds, snakes and other animals – were killed as a result of a pipeline spill in St. Bernard Parish. LDWF Oil Response Coordinator Laura Carver says 75 alligators have also been captured for rehabilitation…:

CUT 06(06)      “…for rehab.”

The spill was caused by a severely corroded pipeline. Cleanup work continues.

Deputies in Lafourche Parish are investigating a reported helicopter crash near Larose this morning. A citizen called to report the chopper going down just west of the South Lafourche Levee. An air & water search is underway. More as it develops.

Governor Edwards says he’s alarmed at hearing of people intentionally getting the COVID virus. Intentionally? Brooke Thorington has more…:

CUT 02(33)      “…Thorington.”
The governor’s office announces Louisiana is receiving about a billion dollars that can be used to repair bridges in poor condition. The federal money is coming from Infrastructure Law passed last year. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says the Federal Highway Administration allocated the dollars to states based on need, and Louisiana is getting a BIG slice…:

CUT 12(08)      “…our condition.”

Nearly 800 state-owned bridges need to be rebuilt or repaired.

Fans of Betty White are giving the beloved actress a true Mardi Gras send-off on what would have been the day before her 100^th birthday Sunday. Retired New Orleans realtor, Santa T Claus says it began as a passing thought the day after her death and has now grown into a full-blown parade and fundraiser…:

CUT 03(04)      “…I think now.”

The parade begins at 4 o’clock at the corner of Bourbon and Canal.

Governor Edwards is extremely concerned over a trend where people intentionally expose themselves to COVID. Edwards says if individuals deliberately infect themselves the outcome affects more than just that one person.

Cut 9 (12)  “…if that happens.”

Edwards says those cases could overwhelm the healthcare delivery system.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reports thousands of fish were killed and over one hundred other animals, including snakes and birds, died as a result of a pipeline spill in St. Bernard Parish. LDWF Oil Response Coordinator Laura Carver says 75 alligators have also been captured for rehabilitation…

 Cut 6 (06) “…for rehab” 

The spill from a severely corroded pipeline that ruptured was discovered in late December

A new report shows the number of smokers in Louisiana at an all-time low. More on that from Kevin Gallagher…:

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.” 

Louisiana will receive one billion over a five-year period from the Federal Highway Administration. The funding is earmarked to improve some 400 bridges in need of repair or replacement across the state. Governor Edwards applauds the funding and DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says the funding is timely as many of our bridged are 45 to 65 years old.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the White House COVID vaccine mandate for private businesses. Six conservative justices voted for the block, while 3 liberal justices voted against it. Loyola University law professor Dan Ciolino…

Cut 13 (13) “…a democratic president.”
The court did rule to uphold the mandate to require the vaccine for health care workers

President Biden announced the administration is purchasing another 500-million home COVID tests to be distributed.  Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the effort is too late amid the Omicron surge. Cassidy shared with reporters that his own wife told him she’s also unable to find a home test.

Cut 6 (10) “…herself.”

Governor Edwards warns of a dangerous trend to intentionally catch COVID so individuals can put the virus behind them. He says it’s irresponsible and increases the chances of overwhelming the healthcare delivery system. Edwards says even the cases that are referred to as mild will make you feel sick.

Cut 8 (10) “…long time.”

New data shows the number of Louisianans who smoke cigarettes is at an all-time low. A report from the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living says the percentage of adults who smoke is down to just over 18-percent; down from about 22-percent in 2019. TFL director Dr. Earl Benjamin Robinson says this is great news:

Cut 10 (07) “…contextualize that drop.”
For help kicking the tobacco habit, visit “QuitWithUsLA.org”.

The Supreme Court says private businesses with over 100 employees can’t require workers to get the Covid vaccine, but they did keep a mandate in place for healthcare workers. Brandon Trosclair who owns grocery stores in Louisiana and Mississippi was among the first business owners to legally challenge the White House mandate. He says the High Court got this one right..:
Cut 14 (09) “just super-relieved”
It’s a loss for the Biden Administration which sought to use the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration to enforce the vaccines for workers.

Governor John Bel Edwards says Louisiana is set to receive approximately $1 billion dollars to repair and upgrade bridges under the new Bridge Formula Program, with over $200 million of that allocated for this fiscal year. He says this is great news from the Federal Highway Administration as Louisiana’s funding needs for infrastructure projects are massive.

New data shows the number of Louisianans who smoke cigarettes is at an all-time low. A report from the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living says the percentage of adults who smoke is down to just over 18-percent. TFL director Dr. Earl Benjamin Robinson says the report is encouraging and inspires optimism..:
CUT 12 (11) “individuals are protected”
For help kicking the tobacco habit, visit “QuitWithUsLA.org”.

The White House announces they’ve purchased another 500 million home Covid tests in addition to the 500 million already ordered. But Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says with Omicron surging the way it is now this should have been done sooner…:
Cut 5 (08) “tests now”
The White House also plans to distribute high-quality masks at no cost and next week a website will be launched so Americans can order the free home COVID tests.

Governor  John Bel Edwards says it’s not wise to try to contract Covid on purpose…:
Cut 2 (33) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office says a man from St. Tammany Parish died in a house fire when he ran back inside to try to save his dogs. They say when fire crews responded to the blaze, they found one person had safely escaped but another individual went into the fire to rescue the pets but never came back out.

The U.S. Supreme Court blocks the White House COVID vaccine mandate for private businesses. They did however uphold the requirement for employees of health care providers. Loyola University law professor Dan Ciolino feels the justices were right to leave that mandate in place…:
CUT 16 (15) “surely does have that”

A report from the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living says the number of smokers in Louisiana is at an all-time low with just over 18 percent of people here who light up. TFL director Dr. Earl Benjamin Robinson says people in lower income households are quitting at a high rate indicating additional tobacco taxes are effective. He says their efforts to encourage people to quit are working…:
CUT 11 (12) “smoke can do”

The U.S. Supreme Court blocks the White House mandate ordering COVID vaccines for employees of private companies. Kevin Gallagher gets some reaction…:
Cut 1 (32) “I’m Kevin Gallagher”

President Biden announces they’ve purchased another 500-million home COVID tests, but Louisiana Senator & physician Bill Cassidy believes this should have come sooner…:
Cut 4 (08) “didn’t prioritize it”
To locate the nearest testing site call 2-1-1.

Upon hearing of a trend to intentionally catch COVID so individuals can put the virus behind them, Governor John Bel Edwards says that’s not a good idea. He says the Omicron variant is mild for some people but not everyone…:
Cut 7 (10) “can’t do that”
In hopes that the Omicron peak is coming soon, Edwards did not issue another statewide mask mandate during his Covid news conference Thursday.

Cops in Baton Rouge have arrested the woman who in early December allegedly fired a gun inside a beauty store after the manager busted her stealing a wig. They say when 18-year-old Janiya Wattley was confronted for shoplifting she pulled out the weapon and fired a round into the ceiling. A tip from Crimestoppers helped officers locate the suspect.

There will be plenty of LSU fans wearing orange and black tomorrow as former LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow makes his NFL playoff debut when the Bengals host the Raiders. Kickoff is at 3:30.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the White House COVID vaccine mandate for private businesses. Six conservative justices voted for the block, while 3 liberal justices voted against. Loyola University law professor Dan Ciolino says he doesn’t see it as a purely partisan decision…:
Cut 13 (13) “…a democratic president.”
Brandon Trosclair, who employs nearly 500 people at grocery stores across Louisiana and Mississippi, says the Supreme Court got this one right. He says he’s not against the vaccine — but whether or not his workers get the shot is their business…:
CUT 15 (06) “the vaccine itself”
But the court did rule to uphold the mandate to require the vaccine for employees of health care providers.

New data shows the number of Louisianans who smoke cigarettes is at an all-time low. A report from the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living says the percentage of adults who smoke is down to just over 18-percent; down from about 22-percent in 2019. TFL director Dr. Earl Benjamin Robinson says this is great news:
Cut 10 (06) “contextualize that drop”
For help kicking the tobacco habit, visit “QuitWithUsLA.org”.

The Louisiana Marathon is coming back to Baton Rouge for its 11th year. Thousands of runners from all over the world are expected to be in this weekend. Officials say the Louisiana Marathon weekend generates between $2 million and $4 million in economic impact each year.

The state reports 2,081 COVID hospitalizations today; an increase of 82 from Wednesday and just under 15-thousand new cases. Governor Edwards continues to remind the public of the importance of being fully vaccinated and boosted with the Omicron variant. He says statistics show that being inoculated is in your favor.

Cut 8 (11) “…to die.” 

43-year-old Caleb Barfield and 30-year-old Kimberly Breaux of Lake Charles were arrested after being found with over one-million dollars’ worth of illegal narcotics. Lake Charles Police Chief Shawn Caldwell says the seizure will save numerous lives because of the growing number of drug overdose deaths.

Cut 14 (11)  “…are OD-ing.” 

Two people have been arrested in connection to the murder and kidnapping of 27-year old Deven Brooks. Ball Police Chief Marshall Deen says Brooks’ body was found on Tuesday and officers say he was shot in the head. Deen credits good collaboration with the Alexandria Police Department in making an arrest so quickly…

Cut  11 (12)  “…theres.”

Brooks’ body was located along the Red River.

A new report from the personal finance website “WalletHub” ranks Louisiana among the worst states in which to raise a family. WalletHub data analyst Jill Gonzales says factors like health & safety, education, cost of childcare, poverty, and child mortality were all considered…:

Cut 3 (07) “…raising a family.”

To see the full report visit WalletHub’s website.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked President Biden’s vaccine mandate on private businesses. The mandate would have required employers with over 100 workers to mandate the COVID vaccine or weekly testing. And while Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy encourages individuals to get a COVID vaccination…

Cut  16 (05) “..Supreme Court agrees”

The state reports 2,081 COVID hospitalizations today; an increase of 82 from Wednesday and the state is also tracking COVID re-infections. Governor Edwards says the department of health is analyzing reinfections and will soon share the percentage of those who are unvaccinated.

Cut 7 (10) “…start of the pandemic.” 

The CDC estimates 60-percent of reinfections from September to December in the US are among the unvaccinated.

A new report from the personal finance website “WalletHub” ranks Louisiana among the worst states in which to raise a family. WalletHub data analyst Jill Gonzales says families should view the report if they are considering moving their family to the Bayou State for a job opportunity…:

Cut 5 (15) “…be a little bit better.”

43-year-old Caleb Barfield and 30-year-old Kimberly Breaux of Lake Charles were arrested after being found with over one-million dollars’ worth of illegal narcotics. Among the drugs seized were 170 grams of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, Lake Charles Police Chief Shawn Caldwell explains what a lethal dose of fentanyl is.

Cut 13 (10) “…rice worth of fentanyl.”

The two face numerous drug charges.