WAITR releases their pre-game predictions for the top ten deliveries for Super Bowl Sunday in the Bayou State. Brooke Thorington has the dish.

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In 2020 the Louisiana Department of Insurance helped Louisiana policyholders win 22 million dollars from insurers through mediating complaints about underpayments. Matt Doyle has more.

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Beginning Monday those age 65 and above will be eligible in Louisiana for the COVID vaccine. Brooke Thorington explains.

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For WAITR the Super Bowl is one of the top five deliveries days of the year and they’ve ranked what they will think will be the top 10 delicacies to be ordered Sunday in the Bayou State. Media Relations for WAITR, Dean Turcol says number one on the list shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Cut 4 (11)“…a while.

Wings are followed by fries, burgers, chips & dip, and mozzarella sticks round out the top five.

Turcol says when you look specifically at individual cities the favorites are regional.

Cut 5 (10)“…Louisiana.”

Another regional surprise is doughnuts. The pastry made the list in Shreveport and Lafayette but didn’t make the playoffs for the state.

Rounding out the top ten is Sushi in 6^th place, followed by Onion Rings, Nachos, Quesadillas, and in 10^th place shrimp.

Turcol says sushi in the top ten for the state caught them by surprise as a Super Bowl favorite.

Cut 6 (11) “…us too.”

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Last year the Louisiana Department of Insurance collected more than 22 million dollars for insurance policyholders who filed complaints against their insurers for underpayments.

About 19 million of that was related to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says that’s more than triple what was collected in 2019.

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The three storms combined to cause 7.7 billion dollars in paid claims by insurers in Louisiana.

Donelon explains what a typical complaint looks like…

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Once that impasse is reached and the insurer refuses to pay for the new roof, the policyholder can file a complaint with LDI.

Donelon says they don’t have the authority to force companies to pay you a certain amount, but they can help you reach a mediated settlement. If you’d like to file a complaint visit their website…

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The Office of Consumer Services, which handles the complaints, was formed in 2015.

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Beginning next week Louisianans over 65 and older will be eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Governor John Bel Edwards made the announcement at his weekly coronavirus briefing Thursday. Edwards recognizes that demand is still high for the vaccine.

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This allows for approximately a quarter of a million more in the state to be vaccinated.

All first responders will also have access to the vaccine along with certain election workers ahead of the March election, some state officials, and the unified command group.

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Edwards says getting everyone vaccinated is going to be a long process, it’s going to measured in months, not days.

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Edwards announced that the state is also participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy program allowing 57 Walmarts to offer the vaccine. That program begins on February 11^th.

For a list of providers visit CovidVaccine.la.gov

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New Iberia City Marshal 67-year-old Haywood Migues has been arrested for allegedly falsifying subpoena signatures.

State Police Trooper Thomas Gossen says the investigation began last month…

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Gossen says Migues was booked into the Iberia Parish Jail without incident yesterday.

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Gossen says Migues forged signatures showing individuals had been served a subpoena in lieu of making personal service.

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The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.

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Former LSU running back Leonard Fournette will suit up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday in Super Bowl LV.  Fournette is a New Orleans native and he says he never thought he’d make it this far when he was sleeping on a bridge after Hurricane Katrina.

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The man carrying the ball for his opponent is former Tigers running back Clyde Edwards-Heliare, who earned the starting job with the Chiefs as a rookie.  Fournette says he’s not surprised that Clyde has had so much success.

Cut 17 (19) “…happy for him.”

In a game that contains six former LSU Tigers, Fournette might be most familiar with Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu.  Not only are they both from New Orleans, but they went to the same high school and both wore the coveted number seven jersey while at LSU.  Fournette says he can’t wait to face the Honeybadger on Sunday.

Cut  18 (13) “…each other better.”

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The La Tech men’s basketball team begins a two-game series at the Super Pit tonight as they visit North Texas. The Bulldogs are coming off a two-game sweep of Southern Miss. Tech struggled to shoot the ball in those victories and coach Eric Konkol credits his defense for getting the Ws

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Tech enters the game with a 7-3 record in Conference USA, while the Mean Green and the defending Conference USA regular-season champs. U-N-T has won four straight and has not lost at home this season. While North Texas is a good opponent, Konkol says his team will treat it like any other matchup.

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Starting Monday those 65 and older will be eligible to get a COVID vaccine, meaning 250,000 additional Louisianans can now register at a local eligible pharmacy for a vaccine appointment. This comes as Moderna has ramped up production and we’ll be seeing a five percent increase in our allocation next week as a result. 400,000 Louisianans have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine shot.

Flu cases are down in Louisiana, as well as the rest of the country as social distancing and handwashing helps crush the usually nasty flu season. State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says we’ve all learned some good lessons this year about what it takes to keep viruses at bay and he hopes we don’t forget them once the pandemic is past…

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This number has tracked across all of North America.

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Videos of a shoulder to shoulder packed Bourbon Street last weekend have New Orleans officials pledging to crack down on gatherings ahead of Mardi Gras. New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson says Mardi Gras must be different this year and the city will be breaking up large crowds that gather for celebrations.

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State Police report two people were killed in a head-on crash in Thibodaux on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Trooper Jesse LaGrange says the high impact collision occurred when 33-year-old Lathisha Bellanger of Gray entered the northbound lane on L-A 1 in an attempt to pass several vehicles.

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The other driver who died at the scene has been identified as 57-year-old Ricky Zeringue of Thibodaux.

Normally right now we’d be at the peak of flu season, but so far, the state reports very few cases.

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Those now 65 and older are eligible to receive a COVID vaccine starting Monday. This comes as the state is expecting to see a five percent increase in the total vaccine allotment for next week and we hit 400,000 total people who’ve received at least their first of two doses. Approximately a quarter-million more Louisianans will be eligible with this decision.

A 33-year-old Natchitoches man faces over 500 counts of child porn, 30 counts of mail theft, eleven counts of identity theft, and drug charges. Captain Tony Moran, with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, says their investigation into Christopher Stanfield began when a duffle bag containing several pieces of mail was found during a search of his vehicle

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State Police report two people were killed in a head-on crash in Thibodaux on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Trooper Jesse LaGrange says the high impact collision occurred when 33-year-old Lathisha Bellanger of Gray entered the northbound lane on L-A 1 in an attempt to pass several vehicles, but could not confirm if it was a no-passing zone…

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The other driver who died at the scene has been identified as 57-year-old Ricky Zeringue of Thibodaux.

Beginning Monday those 65 and older are eligible to be vaccinated for COVID in Louisiana. the governor made the announcement today at his weekly COVID press briefing. The age has been lowered from 70 to 65, adding approximately 250-thousand more to be eligible for the vaccine.

State Police report two people were killed in a head-on crash in Thibodaux on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Trooper Jesse LaGrange says the high impact collision occurred when 33-year-old Lathisha Bellanger entered the northbound lane on L-A 1 in an attempt to pass several vehicles. The other driver has been identified as 57-year-old Ricky Zeringue. LaGrange says it’s unknown if the two victims were wearing a seat belt…

Cut 13 (10)“.  are pending”

In New Iberia, 67 year old Marshall Haywood Tony Migues was charged and booked in the Iberia Parish Jail for 8 counts of forgery, injuring public records and malfeasance in office. An investigation by State Police received information alleging multiple signatures has been forged by Migues on official court documents.  Migues was booked without incident. The investigation is ongoing.

33-year-old Christopher Stanfield of Natchitoches faces over 500 counts of child porn, and 30 counts of mail theft charges. Captain Tony Moran, with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, says the case volume caused detectives to summon assistance from the State Police and the Bossier City Marshal Task Force Unit…

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Stanfield also faces eleven counts of identity theft and drug charges.

Cases of the flu are down across the country compared to last year as COVID mitigation measures have more folks keeping their distance and washing their hands.  State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says people had good reason to play it safe.

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The low outbreak of flu this year, Welch says is reflective of the southern hemisphere who also had low cases of the flu during their winter.

State Police report two people were killed in a head-on crash in Thibodaux on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Trooper Jesse LaGrange says the high impact collision occurred when 33-year-old Lathisha Bellanger of Gray entered the northbound lane on L-A 1 in an attempt to pass several vehicles

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The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office says an investigation into mail theft resulted in dozens of felony charges against a 33-year-old man. 

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At least 400,000 Louisianans have now received their first dose of a COVID vaccine and 130,000 have completed their full series as of this week’s vaccination update from the Louisiana Department of Health. 1,956 providers are now involved in the state’s vaccination program as well.

A 33-year-old Natchitoches man faces over 500 counts of child porn, 30 counts of mail theft, eleven counts of identity theft, and drug charges. Captain Tony Moran, with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, says Christopher Stanfield was pulled over in Rapides Parish and several pieces of mail were discovered, which led deputies to search his home and they found child pornography.

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Videos of a packed Bourbon Street last weekend have New Orleans officials pledging to crack down on gatherings ahead of Mardi Gras. New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson says this year for carnival stay home and stay socially distant from others.

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The New Orleans City Council has pledged to develop a plan to stop this year’s carnival from becoming another super spreading event.

The state is reportedly experiencing an extremely low outbreak of the flu. State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says in order to have widespread disease you have to have lots of people with it. He credits those who have practiced COVID mitigation measures properly with curbing the spread of the flu.

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There’s also been an increase in the number of flu vaccines this year as well.

The Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines look set to join Pfizer and Moderna in obtaining FDA approval soon and by spring there could be four different vaccines in use. Tulane School of Medicine Professor Dr. Lisa Morici says if they are approved we will see a major uptick in the number of weekly vaccinations, particularly because the J&J vaccine is only one injection…

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Another vaccine, NovaVax, is expected to be approved in the summer.

The New Orleans City Council pledges to develop a plan to stop Mardi Gras 2021 from turning into the super-spreading event that Mardi Gras 2020 was after videos of a packed and maskless Bourbon Street emerged over the weekend. That provoked an impassioned plea from New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson…

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All New Orleans parades have been canceled this year.

Flu is down this year as COVID mitigation measures have folks stay distant and washing their hands, two key moves in also insuring the flu season stays limited. State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says he hopes folks will keep up the good flu-fighting work even after the COVID pandemic ends…

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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser explains how The Louisiana Civil Rights Trail became a reality.

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The LSU men’s basketball team suffered a 78-60 loss at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide.  It was a tough shooting night for the Tigers as they shot just 30 percent from the floor as a team and 23 percent from 3 point range.  LSU was led offensively by freshman guard Cam Thomas who scored 22 points to go along with 5 rebounds.  With the loss, LSU is 11-6 on the season.

The New Orleans Pelicans earned a 123-101 win over the Phoenix Suns at home.  Zion Williamson led the team with 28 points while Brandon Ingram added 23 and Steven Adams had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.  The team’s next game is tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers on the road.

The LSU Tigers added two more signees to its football team yesterday as 4-star defensive end Saivion Jones from St. James and 3-star offensive lineman Kimo Makaneole from Florida both signed their letters of intent.  This gives LSU 22 signees in the 2021 class.  The team has three spots left in the class and could look to the transfer portal to fill the remaining spots.

According to 247 Sports, the Ragin Cajuns football program signed the second-best recruiting class involving teams in the Sun Belt.  The class includes a nice mix of high school stars as well as some quality transfers.  A handful of signees are already on campus and head coach Billy Napier is excited to see what they can do.

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Louisiana Tech only signed one player on Wednesday, and that’s junior college transfer Demarcus Gordon from Tunica Mississippi.  Coach Skip Holtz says Gordon is an important piece of the puzzle that they need.

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The state along with the rest of the country is reportedly experiencing a low amount of flu cases this season. State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch believes COVID mitigation measures along with more people choosing to be vaccinated for the flu are responsible.

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There’s still time in the season to get your flu shot.

A 33-year-old Natchitoches man faces over 500 counts of child porn, 30 counts of mail theft, eleven counts of identity theft and drug charges. Captain Tony Moran, with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, says their investigation into Christopher Stanfield began when a duffle bag containing several pieces of mail was found during a search of his vehicle

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Videos of a shoulder to shoulder packed Bourbon Street last weekend have New Orleans officials pledging to crack down on gatherings ahead of Mardi Gras. New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson says Mardi Gras must be different this year and the city will be busting up large crowds that gather for celebrations.

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Traditionally Mardi Gras would be ramping up exponentially between now and Fat Tuesday on February 16^th.

Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca are closing in on FDA approval, and Tulane School of Medicine Professor Dr. Lisa Morici says once they get the green light the state’s vaccine supply will increase significantly, particularly because the J&J vaccine is only one shot…

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J&J is expected to receive approval before AstraZeneca.

Lafayette attorney Barry Rozas denies the charge of rape after his arrest Tuesday. The complaint was one of 28 provided to the Evangeline Council of the Boy Scouts of America and turned over to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in November. Rozas says a commission working on a class-action suit against the Boy Scouts of America created an anonymous hotline.

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Rozas faces a first-degree rape charge.

The Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines will soon look to join Pfizer and Moderna in obtaining FDA approval for use in the U-S. Tulane School of Medicine Professor Dr. Lisa Morici says each vaccine has its own efficacy but the best one for you is whichever one is available…

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Peninsula Pacific is looking at moving its riverboat casino license for Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City that closed last May to Slidell. The company reportedly is interested in constructing a 250-million-dollar casino resort. St. Tammany President Mike Cooper says several steps have to take place, including a vote to undo a 1996 referendum in which St. Tammany voters rejected casinos and video poker…

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The state has launched the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the trail consists of 15 site markers, commemorating the Civil Rights movement in Louisiana.

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The website is LouisianaCivilRightsTrail.com.