An Opelousas man with a history of mental illness is injured and under arrested after setting his family’s home on fire. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The Bayou state is notorious for having some of the highest premiums in the nation, but many Louisiana drivers may be seeing their insurance rates drop. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the state’s largest auto insurer, State Farm, who covers about one million drivers in the state, has seen about an 8% drop last year. Donelon says he believes one of the main contributors to the high rates, distracted driving, has seen its peak in Louisiana, and now is on the decline.
Cut 8 (10) “…auto insurance upward.”

Congressman Garret Graves legislation that would revive the National Scenic Byways program flew through the House with little opposition, potentially reopening a program that would protect and promote two iconic wilderness trails in Louisiana.
Louisiana hosts two scenic byways, the Creole Nature Trail that winds through the wetlands of the southwest, and the Great River Road that accompanies the Mississippi River.
Graves says by reopening the program, they’ll have the opportunity to hopefully get additional areas of the state designated and protected. He says major, nationally recognized designations like this can help put unknown cultural treasurers on the map, and pump millions into rural communities.
Cut 5 (12) “…this country.”

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says many drivers in the Bayou State may see a reduction in their auto insurance premiums. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
Congressman Garret Graves legislation that would revive the National Scenic Byways program flew through the House with little opposition, potentially reopening a program that would protect and promote two iconic wilderness trails in Louisiana. Graves says reopening the program will help drum up more interest in Louisiana for nature tourists.
Cut 4 (10) “…byways.”
Despite a trade demand superstar forward Anthony Davis is still a Pelican, and will be at least until the season ends, and the Pels have confirmed he will play out the remainder of the season, if healthy. Bourbon Street Shots writer Jesse Brooks says Davis hasn’t played since injuring his finger three weeks ago, but was medically cleared to play earlier this week.
AD has been the face of the franchise since 2012 but with him out of the picture Brooks says he’s been told the team will pivot to building around All-Star guard Jrue Holiday by surrounding him with young talent he can nurture from a potential Davis megadeal.
Cut 11 (10) “….76ers”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has arrest an Opelousas man for igniting a fire inside his family’s home. Investigators say 26 year old Amad Redding was the sole occupant of the home at the time of the blaze and was injured in the incident. Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue…
Cut 13 (12) “…caught fire.”

A Baton Rouge Congressman’s bill may breathe new life into a federal program that helps bring big tourism bucks to small rural communities…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Despite a trade demand superstar forward Anthony Davis is still a Pelican, and will be at least until the season ends, and the Pels have confirmed he will play out the remainder of the season, if healthy. Bourbon Street Shots writer Jesse Brooks says with The Brow’s injury history, it’s a very risky move with little to gain from it.
Cut 10 (12) “…significantly”

The Bayou state is notorious for having some of the highest premiums in the nation, but many Louisiana drivers may be seeing their insurance rates drop. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the state’s largest auto insurer, State Farm, who covers about one million drivers in the state, has cumulatively seen about an 8% drop per year.
Cut 7 (09) “…auto insurance premiums.”

Pig guts

A Baton Rouge Congressman’s bill may breathe new life into a federal program that helps bring big tourism bucks to small rural communities…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

____________________________

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says many drivers in the Bayou State may see a reduction in their auto insurance premiums.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

_______________________________

An Opelousas man with a history of mental illness is injured and under arrested after setting his family’s home on fire.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

__________________________________

Congressman Garret Graves legislation that would revive the National Scenic Byways program flew through the House with little opposition, potentially reopening a program that would protect and promote two iconic wilderness trails in Louisiana. Graves says reopening the program will help drum up more interest in Louisiana for nature tourists.

Cut 4 (10) “…byways.”

Louisiana hosts two scenic byways, the Creole Nature Trail that winds through the wetlands of the southwest, and the Great River Road that accompanies the Mississippi River.

Graves says by reopening the program, they’ll have the opportunity to hopefully get additional areas of the state designated and protected. He says major, nationally recognized designations like this can help put unknown cultural treasurers on the map, and pump millions into rural communities.

Cut 5 (12) “…this country.”

The bill passed 404-19, and Graves says even in the midst of a contentious debate over the southern border, positive legislation can still make it through with bi-partisan support.

Cut 6 (10) “…make progress.”

The bill is headed to the Senate.

___________________________________________________

The Bayou state is notorious for having some of the highest premiums in the nation, but many Louisiana drivers may be seeing their insurance rates drop.  Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the state’s largest auto insurer, State Farm, who covers about one million drivers in the state, has cumulatively seen about an 8% drop per year.

Cut 7 (09) “…auto insurance premiums.”

Donelon says he believes one of the main contributors to the high rates, distracted driving, has seen its peak in Louisiana, and now is on the decline.

Cut 8 (10) “…auto insurance upward.”

Donelon says althought State Farm covers about one million of the over 4 million people in the state, the rate cuts may also be attributed to the 10% drop in policy count State Farm has seen since the end of last year.

Cut 9 (08) “…in recent years.″

Donelon is running to maintain his position in the November election as a Republican, and is being challenged by fellow Republican Tim Temple.

_________________________________

Despite a trade demand superstar forward Anthony Davis is still a Pelican, and will be at least until the season ends, and the Pels have confirmed he will play out the remainder of the season, if healthy. Bourbon Street Shots writer Jesse Brooks says with The Brow’s injury history, it’s a very risky move with little to gain from it.

Cut 10 (12) “…significantly”

Davis hasn’t played since injuring his finger three weeks ago, but was medically cleared to play earlier this week.

AD has been the face of the franchise since 2012 but with him out of the picture Brooks says he’s been told the team will pivot to building around All-Star guard Jrue Holiday by surrounding him with young talent he can nurture from a potential Davis megadeal.

Cut 11 (10) “….76ers”

Holiday’s contract runs through 2022.

Many fans have expressed concerns about the franchises viability in New Orleans playing second favorite to the Saints in a smaller market without a superstar like Davis.  Brooks says the team is not in danger of leaving anytime soon because Gayle Benson considers the Pels a long term investment, one that’s paid off handsomely so far.

Cut 12 (10)“…the team”

The team traded to forward Nicola Mirotic to the Bucks, and Wesley Johnson to the Wizards on deadline day.  The NBA played a part in the decision to play The Brow.

_____________________________

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has arrest an Opelousas man for igniting a fire inside his family’s home.  Investigators say 26 year old Amad Redding was the sole occupant of the home at the time of the blaze and was injured in the incident.  Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue…

Cut 13 (12) “…caught fire.”

Rodrigue says Redding had been making threats as recently as the week leading up to the fire of burning the home down.

Cut 14 (08) “…for that.”

Rodrigues says not only was the family’s home damaged, but a business next to the home, resulting in multiple charges for Redding.

Cut 15 (10) “…that he needs.”

The 61^st GRAMMY Awards takes place in Los Angeles this weekend and the Bayou state is well represented.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

And it was a great year of recruiting for LSU football, and Tiger Rag Associate Editor Tyler Nunez  says with the exception of one player, Coach Ed Orgeron took on all the recruits he wanted from within the state, easing many of the worries of his ability to effectively entice talent to the LSU program.

Cut 10 (09) “…worries to rest.”

Senator John Kennedy says to avoid another government shutdown, he thinks President Trump will declare a national emergency if negotiations fail to provide adequate funding for additional physical wall at the southern border by the February 15^th funding deadline.

Cut 8 (11) “…a wall.”

A wanted criminal from Arkansas is now behind bars in Caddo Parish after allegedly threatening to beat a man with a bat, shooting a moving car, crashing into that car, and later leading a high speed chase after the law finally caught up to him. Sherriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says 33-year-old James Shultz day began by attacking his neighbor, and then leading police on a high-speed chase that involved wrecking not one, but two cars. During the chase, Chadwick says police anticipated his path and set up just ahead of him with a classic technique for stopping vehicles on a rampage.

Cut 14 (12) “…a ditch.”

Caddo Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says it was a busy Tuesday in Oil City for a wanted man from Arkansas…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

A rideshare driver for Lyft has been arrest and accused of kidnapping and raping an intoxicated passenger in Jefferson Parish.  Authorities say 30 year old Yousef Hamed picked up the victim from a bar and instead of taking her to her home, he then took her to his home in Harvey and raped the woman.

Hamed is still behind bars as of Thursday in lieu of a $400,000 bond.

National Signing Day has come and gone and saw LSU wrapping the day with the fifth-ranked class in the nation. Tiger Rag Associate Editor Tyler Nunez says grabbing the attention of many is the commitments of five star Destrehan running back John Emery and five star Baton Rouge cornerback Derek Stingley.

Cut 9 (13) “…go that far.”

Senator John Kennedy says to avoid another government shutdown, he thinks President Trump will declare a national emergency if negotiations fail to provide adequate funding for additional physical wall at the southern border by the February 15^th funding deadline. If the President makes the declaration, it would likely be immediately challenged in Congress, but would likely require two thirds of both chambers to support ending the emergency due to president veto power. Kennedy says after that, it would likely be taken up in the high court.
Cut 7 (09) “…heading.”

It’s the end of the NBA trade deadline and Anthony Davis is still a Pelican despite reports of a furious push from the Los Angeles Lakers to get him paired with Lebron James this season. Reports indicate the Boston Celtics informed the Pels that they were best to wait until summer, when the green could offer them a better deal.

While Davis remains a Pelican, his front court partner in crime Nicola Mirotic has been sent packing to the frigid north. The Milwaukee Bucks sent the Pels old favorite, Center Jason Smith, along with 8^th overall pick in the 2015 draft forward Stanley Johnson, and four second round picks.

The Pels are in full on yard sale mode now as they transition out of an era defined by the uni-browed paint wrecking forward. Now the team is faced with an important question, whether or not to play him this year. Most analyst agree the most likely outcome is that he is benched until summer to prevent to possibility of an injury that could destroy his trade value.

National Signing Day has come and gone and LSU wrapping the day with the fifth ranked class in the nation. Tiger Rag Associate Editor Tyler Nunez says grabbing the attention of many is the commitments of five star Destrehan running back John Emery and five star Baton Rouge cornerback Derek Stingley.

Cut 9 (13) “…go that far.”

Nunez says with the exception of one player, Coach Ed Orgeron took on all the recruits he wanted from within the state, easing many of the worries of his ability to effectively entice talent to the LSU program.

Cut 10 (09) “…worries to rest.”

Nunez says Orgeron highlighted that LSU is one of the only Power 5 teams in the country that doesn’t have an upperclassman in the transfer portal.

Cut 11 (12)   “…stay and go.”

A wanted criminal from Arkansas is now behind bars in Caddo Parish after a threatening to beat a man with a bat, shooting a moving car, crashing into that car, and later leading a high speed chase after the law finally caught up to him. Sherriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says the busy Tuesday began when 33-year-old James Shultz threatened a neighbor with a bat, then later encountered him on the road.

Cut 12, 12 seconds, ever reason

Police later caught up Shultz that afternoon where he led them on a high speed chase where he wrecked his car, stole another car, wrecked that one, and was ultimately apprehended.

Music’s biggest night takes place this weekend as the 61^st GRAMMY Awards takes place in Los Angeles.  Many Louisiana artists have been nominated throughout the years and this year is no different.  Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says Louisiana has teamed up with Memphis and Mississippi to highlight artists from the region in an event tonight in LA known as “The Night on the River”

Cut 3 (09) “…per capita anywhere..”

Senator John Kennedy says to avoid another government shutdown, he thinks President Trump will declare a national emergency if negotiations fail to provide adequate funding for additional physical wall at the southern border by the February 15^th funding deadline. Kennedy says he doesn’t view it as a severe option, but it may not be a popular in Congress.

Cut 6 (08) “…approach.”

Presidential allies have stated declaring a national emergency would allow the president to use disaster relief and military construction funds to begin constructing a wall.

Analysts say LSU’s fifth ranked recruiting class was a resounding success, and Tiger Rag Associate Editor Tyler Nunez says the team is now in an interesting position, as LSU is one of the only Power 5 teams in the country that doesn’t have an upperclassman in the transfer portal.

Cut 11 (12)   “…stay and go.”

The 61^st GRAMMY Awards takes place in Los Angeles this weekend and the Bayou state is well represented.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

_____________________________________________

Caddo Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says it was a busy Tuesday in Oil City for a wanted man from Arkansas…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________________________

Music’s biggest night takes place this weekend as the 61^st GRAMMY Awards takes place in Los Angeles.  Many Louisiana artists have been nominated throughout the years and this year is no different.  Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says Louisiana has teamed up with Memphis and Mississippi to highlight artists from the region in an event tonight in LA known as “The Night on the River”

Cut 3 (09) “…per capita anywhere..”

The event takes place tonight at the Clive Davis theatre at the GRAMMY Museum and will feature entertainment from various Louisiana performers.  Nungesser says in total, Bayou State artists have 12 nominations this year from various cities across the state.

Cut 4 (11) “…be more proud.″

Nungesser says the word GRAMMY originated from Louisiana.

Cut 5 (09) “…many years ago.”

_________________________________________________

Senator John Kennedy says to avoid another government shutdown, he thinks President Trump will declare a national emergency if negotiations fail to provide adequate funding for additional physical wall at the southern border by the February 15^th funding deadline. Kennedy says he doesn’t view it as a severe option, but it may not be a popular in Congress.

Cut 6 (08) “…approach.”

Presidential allies have stated declaring a national emergency would allow the president to use disaster relief and military construction funds to begin constructing a wall.

If the President does declare a national emergency, it would likely be immediately challenged in Congress, but would likely require two thirds of both chambers to support ending the emergency due to president veto power. Kennedy says after that, it would likely be taken up in the high court.

Cut 7 (09) “…heading.”

Analysts predict such a move would tie up wall construction well into 2020.

Kennedy says such a move would only be necessary if Democrats refuse to back down on their opposition to border wall construction, and negotiations hinge on one thing…

Cut 8 (11) “…a wall.”

_______________________

National Signing Day has come and gone and LSU wrapping the day with the fifth ranked class in the nation. Tiger Rag Associate Editor Tyler Nunez says grabbing the attention of many is the commitments of five star Destrehan running back John Emery and five star Baton Rouge cornerback Derek Stingley.

Cut 9 (13) “…go that far.”

Nunez says with the exception of one player, Coach Ed Orgeron took on all the recruits he wanted from within the state, easing many of the worries of his ability to effectively entice talent to the LSU program.

Cut 10 (09) “…worries to rest.”

Nunez says Orgeron highlighted that LSU is one of the only Power 5 teams in the country that doesn’t have an upperclassman in the transfer portal.

Cut 11 (12)   “…stay and go.”

_______________________________

A wanted criminal from Arkansas is now behind bars in Caddo Parish after allegedly threatening to beat a man with a bat, shooting a moving car, crashing into that car, and later leading a high speed chase after the law finally caught up to him. Sherriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says the busy Tuesday began when 33-year-old James Shultz threatened a neighbor with a bat, then later saw him on the road…

Cut 12 (12)   “…ever reason”

Shultz hails from Fouke, Arkansas.

Later that day a 911 tip led deputies to a car Shultz was a passenger in, and Chadwick when approached he jumped into the driver’s seat and took off, and led police on a high speed chase through Oil City. His luck did not hold for long though…

Cut 13 (11) “…pursuit.”

That was the second of what was ultimately three cars Shultz wrecked that day.

Chadwick says police anticipated his path and set up just ahead of him with a classic technique for stopping vehicles on a rampage.

Cut 14 (12) “…a ditch.”

Afterwards Shultz hopped out, and led deputies on a foot chase through a nearby forest until he was ultimately apprehended. Shultz faces a litany of charges as a result.

The 61^st GRAMMY Awards takes place in Los Angeles this weekend and the Bayou state is well represented.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The NBA trade deadline has passed and the Pelicans have decdied not to take the Los Angeles Lakers trade offer for forward Anthony Davis, who will remain on the team at least until the summer after requesting a trade last week. The Pels did ship off Nicola Mirotic to the Bucks for Jason Smith and Stanley Johnson. New Orleans is now faced with the question of what to do with their star big man, start him, or sit him for the rest of the year to insure he is not injured.

National Signing Day has come and gone and saw LSU wrapping the day with the fifth-ranked class in the nation. Tiger Rag Associate Editor Tyler Nunez says with the exception of one player, Coach Ed Orgeron took on all the recruits he wanted from within the state, easing many of the worries of his ability to effectively entice talent to the LSU program.
Cut 10 (09) “…worries to rest.”
Senator John Kennedy says to avoid another government shutdown, he thinks President Trump will declare a national emergency if negotiations fail to provide adequate funding for additional physical wall at the southern border by the February 15^th funding deadline. Kennedy says such a move would only be necessary if Democrats refuse to back down on their opposition to border wall construction, and negotiations hinge on one thing…

Cut 8 (11) “…a wall.”