A funeral mass for former Governor Kathleen Blanco will take place on Saturday in Lafayette after the state’s first female Governor passed away Sunday from cancer. Governor John Bel Edwards remembers Blanco as a woman of abiding faith, unconditional love for her family and the people she served.

Cut 3 (08) “…and our state.”

Blanco will also lie in state at Louisiana’s State Capitol.

Congressman Ralph Abraham pledges that if he is elected Governor any new tax increases passed in the Legislature will be offset with equal or greater tax reductions in other areas. The candidate made the pledge this morning on KEEL after being asked if he would pledge to reject new taxes on any front.

Cut 6 (11) “…and on”

Abraham previously mentioned he would support efforts to repeal a .45 percent sales tax passed in 2018.

For the fourth straight month, the state remains at full employment.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart ”

Louisiana is mourning the passing of former Governor Kathleen Blanco who died Sunday at the age of 76 from cancer. Kevin Barnhart looks back at her life…
Voicer 2 (43) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Blanco will lie in state at the state Capitol on Thursday.

A new report shows the Asian market’s craving for hot sauce is on the rise and is expected to push international hot sauce sales from 2.3 billion dollars to 3.7 billion by 2026. The report by Fortune Business Insights says that’ll be a real boon to Louisiana products like Tabasco which Chef Kevin Belton says has a unique flavor…
Cut 10 (10) “…sauces.”
Belton adds that other Bayou State hot sauces like Crystal and Louisiana also share that distinctive vinegar profile.

U-L Lafayette football coach Billy Napier is facing criticism for a new policy that asks his players give at least 50-dollars every year to the Ragin Cajuns Athletic Foundation while they are on scholarship. Critics say how can you ask a student-athlete who isn’t getting paid to give to a school’s booster club. Napier says none of his players have told him they have a problem with it…
Cut 15 (12) “…student athlete.”

Louisiana’s only elected female governor, Kathleen Blanco, has passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer. Blanco was a mother to six children and a former school teacher. It wasn’t until her early 40s that she got into politics when she was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1983. Her former communications director in the governor’s office, Bob Mann

Cut 6 (12) “…more honest government”

20 months into her administration the state was hit with two killer storms, Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Many people said Blanco was unprepared, indecisive and overwhelmed, but Mann says the criticism against the former governor has softened as time went on…

Cut 8 (12) “…as governor.”

Blanco did not seek re-election in 2007.

The international hot sauce market is expected to see a 61 percent increase over the next seven years as Asia’s craving for liquified pepper heats up. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

One person is dead and two others rescued following a Sunday afternoon seaplane crash of the coast of St. Bernard Parish.  The deceased has been identified as Theophile Bourgeois, owner of Bourgeois Fishing Charters.  The company offered overnight and day fishing trips, using seaplanes to get customers to the destination.  The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Former Governor Kathleen Blanco will lie in state at the state Capitol on Thursday. The state’s only elected female governor died Sunday at 76 after a battle with cancer. In her final public appearances, the former governor said she had made peace with her future and the devout Catholic said she had an extraordinarily full life. Blanco’s former communications director Bob Mann says her final weeks were inspiring…
Cut 9 (10) “…around her”
Additional public services for Blanco will take place Friday in Lafayette and a funeral mass is scheduled for Saturday in her hometown.

Popular charter fisherman Theophile (Toe-fill) Bourgeois died Sunday when his plane crashed off the coast of St. Bernard Parish. Two others were on the seaplane. The condition of the other two victims is not known.

And funeral services for New Orleans TV anchor Nancy Parker are Friday. She was one of two people who died in a small plane crash in New Orleans East.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July is down almost a full percentage point from this time last year. L-W-C Secretary Ava Dejoie says the number of people looking for work has declined by 14-thousand over the last year…
Cut 4 (09) “…month of July.”
But the Republican Governor’s Association says the nonfarm seasonally adjusted numbers show, Louisiana lost 1,000 jobs over the last year.

Fortune Business Insights predicts hot sauce sales will jump from two-point-three billion dollars to three-point-seven billion dollars by 2026, because of the growing international demand of the hot stuff. Chef Kevin Belton says Tobasco, which is made at Avery Island, broke open the worldwide hot sauce market…
cut 11 (09) “…countries”
The other big Bayou State hot sauce is Crystal and Louisiana.

Louisiana is mourning the passing of former Governor Kathleen Blanco who died Sunday at the age of 76 from cancer. Kevin Barnhart looks back at her life…
Voicer 2 (43) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Blanco will lie in state at the state Capitol on Thursday.

Fortune Business Insights predicts the hot sauce market will grow from two-point-three billion dollars to three-point-seven billion dollars in 2026. Chef Kevin Belton says the international demand for hot sauce continues to grow because people outside of Louisiana are catching on to the idea that hot sauce isn’t just about the heat…
cut 12 (06) “…hot”
This news should benefit Louisiana food manufacturers like Tobasco, Crystal, and Louisiana.

U-L Lafayette football coach Billy Napier is facing criticism for asking his scholarship athletes to give 50-dollars to the Ragin Cajuns Athletic Foundation. Napier says giving 50-dollars is a nice gesture to support a foundation that makes the student-athlete experience great….
cut 14 (12) “….their opportunity’
Napier says if a player can’t afford the 50 dollars or has a problem with giving money to the R-C-A-F, he’ll cover the cost.

Louisiana’s only elected female governor, Kathleen Blanco, has passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer. It wasn’t until her early 40s that she got into politics when she was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1983. Her former communications director in the governor’s office, Bob Mann
Cut 6 (12) “…more honest government”
She will forever be remembered as the governor during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says the state’s labor market is at full employment for a fourth consecutive month, with one-point-six million working in the private sector. L-W-C Secretary Ava Dejoie says there are more vacancies than there are people to fill those jobs…
cut 5 (07) “…job seekers market

A new report shows the Asian market’s craving for hot sauce is on the rise and is expected to push international hot sauce sales from 2.3 billion dollars to 3.7 billion by 2026. The report by Fortune Business Insights says that’ll be a real boon to Louisiana products like Tabasco which Chef Kevin Belton says has a unique flavor…
Cut 10 (10) “…sauces.”
Belton adds that other Bayou State hot sauces like Crystal and Louisiana also share that distinctive vinegar profile.

Despite criticism, U-L Lafayette Football Coach Billy Napier says he’s still asking his scholarship players to give 50-dollars annually to the Ragin Cajuns Athletic Foundation, which supports the athletic department. Napier says he wants a culture where players are grateful for the opportunity
Cut 13 (12) “…college education.”

After a long battle with cancer, former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco passed away at the age of 76. In 2003, Blanco defeated Bobby Jindal to become the state’s first female governor. Her former communications director Bob Mann says education was her top priority…
cut 7 (12) “….them better”
20 months into her administration the state was hit with two killer storms, Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Critics said Blanco was unprepared, indecisive and overwhelmed, but Mann says the criticism softened as time went on…
cut 8 (12) “…as governor”
Blanco had a rare eye cancer in 2011 that she was able to defeat, but the cancer came back and spread to her liver. She died in her hometown of Lafayette.

For the fourth straight month, the state remains at full employment according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart ”

The Saints rallied to beat the Chargers 19-17 in preseason action yesterday, but back-up quarterback Teddy Bridgewater struggled.

A multiple emmy-award winning TV news anchor and a stunt pilot are dead after a fiery plane crash in New Orleans East yesterday afternoon. Nancy Parker was shooting a story about the stunt pilot, who has been identified as 69-year-old Franklin J-P Augustus of New Orleans. Parker was from Alabama and a beloved on Fox 8 television in New Orleans.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics show since July 2018, seasonally adjusted private-sector employment increased by 11-hundred jobs. L-W-C Secretary Ava Dejoie says Education and Health services gained 8,700 jobs year-to-year and is at a record high at 323,000 jobs.
Cut 6 (11) “…of our regions”
But it’s not all good news, Shreveport lost 3,100 jobs over the year, while Houma lost 2,900 jobs.

A Caddo Parish court judge has ruled that Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton does not live in Senator Greg Tarver’s district and she’s not eligible to run against him in the fall elections. Norton has 48 hours to appeal. If her appeal is unsuccessful, Republican Jim Slagle will be Tarver’s lone opponent on the October 12th ballot.

Despite criticism, U-L Lafayette Football Coach Billy Napier says he still wants his scholarship players to give 50-dollars annually to the Ragin Cajun Athletic Foundation, which raises funds for the athletic department. Napier says his goal is to create a culture where players are grateful for the opportunity…
cut 13 (12) “…college education”
Napier says if a player can’t afford the 50 dollars or has a problem with giving money to the R-C-A-F, while being an unpaid student-athlete, he’ll cover the cost

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July is down almost a full percentage point from this time last year. L-W-C Secretary Ava Dejoie says the number of people looking for work has declined by 14-thousand over the last year…
Cut 4 (09) “…month of July.”
The Republican Governor’s Association says based on the nonfarm seasonally adjusted numbers, Louisiana lost 1,000 jobs over the last year, the only state to lose jobs during this period.

Ruston High School plans to unveil a new logo this week after Rutgers University asked the school to change its current logo. Both use an identical block R, but Rutgers holds the trademark. Principal Dan Gressett…
Cut 3 (09) “…ready to roll.”

Today is the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Camille’s devastating landfall along the Mississippi coast in 1969. Before Hurricane Katrina, Camille was the Gulf Coast’s defining storm. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the impact was so devastating that it led to the creation of the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which categorized hurricanes in a way the public could understand.
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The system is one of only four Cat 5s to make landfall.

“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is underway and numerous police agencies have ramped up patrols looking for drivers under the influence. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman says efforts to curtail drunk or drugged driving in the bayou state are making an impact.
Cut 13 (07) “…numbers at bay
Recent stats indicate 376 people died in traffic crashes around the country during the Labor Day holiday.

Award-winning New Orleans TV reporter and anchor Nancy Parker was killed in a small plane crash yesterday near the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. Parker was on assignment when the crash occurred as she was shooting a story in a stunt plane. The pilot, Franklin J-P Augustus, was also killed. He was known as someone who taught kids the dangers of drugs and youth violence.

Today marks 50 years since Hurricane Camille ravaged the north-central Gulf Coast. Matt Doyle spoke with State Climatologist Barry Keim….
Voicer 2 (28) I’m Matt Doyle”

The President’s decision to delay implementing a new 10 percent tariff on a range of items from China likely spares Krewe members increased prices on beads. The tariffs were set to take effect on September 15th, but that sparked fears Christmas shoppers could have sticker shock. December 15th is the new date, and Beads by the Dozen president Dan Kelly says…
Cut 6 (10) “…imposed”
Kelly says a ten percent tariff would have translated to about a seven percent increase on retail prices.

Cops are stepping up patrols to get impaired drivers off the road with the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” national law enforcement campaign underway. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman says there is no excuse for getting behind the wheel if you are impaired.
Cut 14 (09) “…are beefed up.”
Rid sharing services are now offered statewide.