The Fourth of July is just a day away and folks are packing into fireworks stands to get some pyrotechnics to celebrate America’s independence, but every year people get busted for firing off the displays in jurisdictions that have outlawed the use of fireworks. So how can you be sure it’s legal to shoot fireworks on your property? State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says one way is by calling your city, and parish authorities, but an easier way to know if it’s legal in your area…

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He adds make sure your yard has at least 200 feet of open space.

US 90 from I-10 in Lafayette to Louisiana Highway 308 in Raceland has been designated Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Highway. Blanco served as governor from 2004 to 2008. She received criticism for her administration’s handling of recovery from two devastating hurricanes. But Blanco says, in the end…

Cut 5 (12) “…thrive in.”

The ceremony was held last night.

St. Bernard Parish President Brian McInnis pleads for federal aid for the struggling seafood industry. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.” 

The ridesharing service, Uber, will begin to operate statewide today. Uber South spokesperson Trevor Theunissen says if you want to drive for Uber go to their website.

cut 12 (11)”…throughout the state”

US 90 from I-10 in Lafayette to Louisiana Highway 308 in Raceland has been designated Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Highway. It’s another honor for Blanco who is battling cancer. This October she will also be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame. The state’s 54th governor appreciates the love she’s receiving in her final days…
Cut 4 (10) “…go”
Blanco served as governor from 2004 to 2008.
St. Bernard Parish President Brian McInnis calls on the feds to provide immediate financial relief for the struggling seafood industry.  Freshwater pouring from the Mississippi River into the area due to the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway is having devastating effects on the region’s largest economic driver.McInnis says Congress must require the 30 other states that drain into the Mississippi to do their part to manage the flow of water.

Cut 8 (07) “…supplies the world.”

A record 48.9 million Americans are expected to make a trip for the 4thof July, a 4.1 percent increase over last year. Record numbers of travelers means congestion for some of the state’s troubled spots for heavy traffic. AAA Analyst Don Redman says be prepared for a longer commute home today…
Cut 6 (11) “…area”
AAA estimates the average traffic delay to increase by 9% today.

Among the extra cars on the road, more Uber drivers… Over the last several years, the popularity of rideshares services such as Uber and Lyft has grown, but it hasn’t been a transportation option in all areas of Louisiana.  But Uber South spokesperson Trevor Theunissen says Uber services begin in statewide today ahead of the 4^th of July holiday.

Cut 10 (10) “…and rural areas.”

Theunissen says an aggressive campaign is kicking off to recruit drivers who want to make a little extra money.

St. Bernard Parish President Brian McInnis pleads for federal aid as fresh water from the lengthy opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway continues to destroy the seafood industry in their parish…
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office announces the arrest of two volunteer firefighters for their connection to three fires in Webster and Claiborne parishes. Matthew Crane of Springhill and Montana Ludlum of Cullen have reportedly confessed to there involvement.

Beginning today, Uber will be available in every parish in Louisiana as a result of a statewide rideshare law passed in the 2019 legislative session. Uber south spokesperson Trevor Theunissen says Uber has been operating in Louisiana’s largest cities, but no rules were in place for rural or suburban communities…
cut 11 (09) “….that applied”
Theunissen says those wishing to drive for Uber can sign up on their website and Louisiana residents looking for a ride, should download the Uber app.

US 90 from I-10 in Lafayette to Louisiana Highway 308 in Raceland has been designated Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Highway. A dedication ceremony took place last night and the state’s only female governor was there…
cut 3 (11) “…going up

Uber goes statewide today. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
voicer 3 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

There’s good news in the state’s battle to reduce the number of H-I-V cases. There were 989 people diagnosed with H-I-V in 2018, which is the lowest number in more than a decade and the number of newly diagnosed H-I-V cases has declined 12-percent over the last three years. State health officials also say there’s also been an increase in the number of people receiving medical care within 30 days of their diagnosis.

Triple-A projects a record 48-point-nine million Americans will travel during the Fourth of July holiday. That’s a four-percent increase over last year. Triple-A spokesperson Don Redman credits an improved economy and friendly gas prices…
cut 5 (09) “….go up”
And that increase at the pump has occurred, as the statewide average is up seven cents over the last week to $2.38 a gallon for regular gasoline.

U-S 90 from I-10 in Lafayette to Raceland has been officially named as the Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Highway. Franklin Representative Sam Jones served in the Blanco Administration and remembers national media slamming the governor just days after Hurricane Katrina’s landfall…
Cut 15 (13) “…was”
Blanco did not seek a second term.

St. Bernard Parish President Brian McInnis calls on the feds to provide immediate relief in the form of disaster aid to help the struggling seafood industry. Freshwater pouring from the Mississippi River into the area due to the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway is having devastating effects on the region’s biggest economic driver.
Cut 7 (11) “…gulf seafood harvesting.”
McInnis says they need at least 150-million dollars.

U-S 90 from I-10 in Lafayette to Highway 308 in Raceland has officially been designated as Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Highway. Franklin Representative Sam Jones says it’s a great honor for the former governor who did a lot for the state during trying times following Hurricane Katrina…
cut 14 (09) “….New Orleans”

48.9 million Americans will travel for the 4th of July holiday according to AAA. Matt Doyle has more on the record-breaking numbers…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

The ridesharing service, Uber, will begin to operate statewide today. Uber South spokesperson Trevor Theunissen says if you want to drive for Uber go to their website…
cut 12 (11)”…throughout the state”

A record 48.9 million Americans are expected to make a trip for the 4th of July, a 4.1 percent increase over last year. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says locally in the Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas region, 4.7 million people will travel…
Cut 4 (06) “…airplane.”
Gas prices have jumped heading into the Fourth of July holiday. Triple-A says the statewide average has increased seven cents since last week to $2.38 for a gallon of regular gasoline.

U-S highway 90 from I-10 in Lafayette to Raceland was officially designated as Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Highway during a ceremony last night. Franklin Representative Sam Jones says it’s a fantastic way to honor one of the great Cajuns in state history.
Cut 13 (11) “…pathfinder”

St. Bernard Parish President Brian McInnis says fishermen in his parish are facing a crisis because of the amount fresh water that has flowed into Lake Borne and the Mississippi Sound as a result of the lengthy opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Crabs, shrimp, and fish have moved out of their bays and oysters are dying in the fresh water. McInnis says it’s destroying a four-billion-dollar industry in Louisiana. He says the federal government would be quick to respond if one of their two refineries were to shut down…
cut 9 (12) “….take so much”
The parish has organized a trip to DC to state their case next week.

A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says police responded to call about a woman walking on the interstate near the I-110 Split.

Cut 6 (10) “…of the interstate.”

Coppola says the suspect, 28-year-old Gerry Byrd, fled to Mississippi where he was shot by law enforcement, he’s recovering in Baton Rouge.

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish is nearing an end after the arrests of 18 suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of drugs. Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daigre says the taskforce has made some major seizures.

Cut 9 (10) “…as well.”

The drugs’ street value topped a million dollars.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries raises the nutria bounty from $5 to $6 per tail for the upcoming season in hopes it will entice hunters to step up the fight against the invasive species. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (28) I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

After suffering catastrophic damage from an EF-3 tornado in April, Louisiana Tech has made the decision to demolish the baseball, softball, and soccer stadiums sometime this summer. The Tornado caused hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of damage, and took the lives of two people. McClelland says they’re working on cutting a deal for fall baseball and softball practice at nearby high schools, and are setting up to hold most soccer practices and games at a nearby rec center.

Former Marksville Deputy Marshal Norris Greenhouse Junior, sent to jail for his role in the shooting death of a six-year-old boy during a 2015 car chase, is a free man after serving less than two years of a 7.5 year sentence for negligent homicide and malfeasance in office. Attorney General Jeff Landry says he’s disappointed by Greenhouse’s early release but Legal analyst Franz Borghardt says…

Cut 4 (09) “…resolve it”
The other Marskville deputy involved in the shooting, Derrick Stafford, is serving a 40-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction.
A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says the suspect fled, but was shot by Mississippi police and was brought back to Baton Rouge to be treated for his injuries.

Cut 8 (09) “…at this time.”

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish is nearing an end after the arrests of 18 suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of drugs.
Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daige says the taskforce included Sherriff’s departments from nearby parishes and State Police and ran for about two years unearthing the drug trade.

Cut 10 (10) “…the way”

The task force secured over a million dollars in street value worth of drugs during the two-year operation.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is raising the bounty on nutria tails for the season that starts November 1^st.  LDWF biologist Catherine Normand says the bounty program has been in place since 2002, and has resulted in reducing the toll the invasive species of rodent has taken on the wetlands.

Cut 12 (09)   “…the upcoming season.”

A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola says the suspect, 28-year-old Gerry Byrd, fled to Mississippi where he was shot by law enforcement in the Woodville area after they were alerted he was in a parking lot, waving two semi-auto pistols in the air.
Cut 7 (10) “…officer-involved shooting.”
Coppola says the suspect was brought back to Baton Rouge to be treated for his life threatening injuries. The victim’s wounds appear to be non-life threatening.

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish is nearing an end after the arrests of 18 suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of drugs.
Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daige says it drew it’s catchy title from the group at the center of this particular drug bust.

Cut 11 (11) “…murder gang.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is raising the bounty on nutria from $5 to $6 per tail for the season that starts November 1^st.  LDWF biologist Catherine Normand says the bounty program has been in place since 2002, adding at one point, there was a fur market for the nutria and the state didn’t have an issue with rodents causing damage to the wetlands because of the number of hunters keeping the population down and keep them from overgrazing.

Cut 14 (10) “…along our coast.” 

The State Fire Marshal’s Office announces the arrest of two volunteer firefighers for their connection to three fires in two parishes. Since being taken into custody, Matthew Crane of Springhill and Montana Ludlum of Cullen have made confessions of there involvement. Both men have been dismissed from the fire department.

The former Marksville deputy marshal sentenced to 7.5 years for his role in the 2015 fatal shooting of a six-year-old boy during a chase is out of prison after serving less than two years..

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

A female is recovering after being shot and being dumped off on the side of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola…

Cut 6 (10) “…of the interstate.”

The suspect fled to Mississippi where he was shot by authorities, and is in Baton Rouge recovering.

“Operation Murder Gang Meltdown”, a cross agency narcotics taskforce in Terrebonne Parish is nearing an end after the arrests of 18 suspects and the seizure of significant amounts of drugs. Terrebonne Parish Chief Deputy Terry Daigre says the taskforce has made some major seizures.

Cut 9 (10) “…as well.”

The task force secured over a million dollars in street value worth of drugs during the two-year operation.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is raising the bounty on nutria tails for the season that starts November 1^st. LDWF biologist Catherine Normand says  the money is provided by the feds and the raise comes with the hope that the higher bounty will entice more catches, getting numbers back to average.

Cut 13 (10) “…of nutria damage.”  

The new price per tail is six bucks a pop, up from five.