Five Louisiana children from the Marskville area on their way to Disney World are among the seven dead in a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in north Florida on Thursday. Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Patrick Riordan says the five vehicle wreck started when a big rig and passenger car heading north collided
Cut 3 (12) “…semi truck.”
Riordan says the van from Louisiana was heading south and there was as many as a dozen people inside of it. Reports out of central Louisiana says the van belonged to a Marksville Church, called the Avoyelles House of Mercy.

Authorities says the ages of the deceased are as young as eight-years-old, up to teenagers. The drivers of the two big rigs were also killed. There’s another six to eight people injured.

The state department of corrections is bringing back its New Beginnings program thanks to a 750-thousand dollar federal grant. Assistant Corrections Secretary Rhett Covington says when the program was previously in place, it reduced the recidivism rate for released inmates that deal with mental illness and substance addictions…
cut 9 (09) “…program in place’
Corrections officials hope to keep the program running with state dollars, once the federal money runs out.

We will find out this weekend who the Saints will play on January 13th in the divisional round of the N-F-L Playoffs. If the Seawhawks beat the Cowboys in Dallas on Saturday, Seattle could head to New Orleans. NFL Analyst Mike Detillier says the Hawks are playing well…
cut 14 (11) “….NFC”
If the Eagles upset the Bears on Sunday, then the Super Bowl champs will face the Black and Gold next week.

Five children in a church van from the Avoyelles House of Mercy died yesterday in a fiery five car wreck outside of Gainesville, Florida while the group was on its way to Disney World. The dead include children as young as eight to nine, and includes teenagers. The wreck occurred after a big rig collided with a vehicle in the northbound lane, resulting in both vehicles crashing through the guardrails into the southbound lane, where the church van, and other vehicles, were struck, and several of the occupants were ejected. A truck in the southbound lane then drove through the flaming wreckage of the scene, running over members of the church van that had been ejected. The two dead adults have been identified as truck drivers, and six to eight people are currently hospitalized.

The Second Chance Act program that works with prisoners returning to the Baton Rouge and St. Tammany areas has been revived.  Department of Corrections Assistant Secretary Rhett Covington.

Cut 7 (11) “…money is gone.”

Seven suspects who allegedly staged a 2016 crash are in a bit of a bind…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The Saints have the week off, but the Black and Gold will be visited by the Eagles next Sunday if they somehow topple the 3^rd seed Bears. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says with the former champ’s backup QB back in the captain’s chair, anything is possible.

Cut 15 (10) “…could happen”

Kickoff in that game is Sunday at 3:40PM, and the Bears are favored by six.

The DASH Diet, developed in part by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been named number two diet of 2019 according to U.S. News and World Report. Researcher Catherine Champagne says the diet emphasizes more greens, and shares similarities to the popular “Mediterranean diet”.
Cut 4 (11) “of fat”
The number one goal of the Dash Diet is lower blood pressure.

State Police arrest seven suspects for insurance fraud for allegedly staging a crash in Orleans Parish back in 2016. Senior Trooper Melissa Matey says after filing the crash report with police, the suspects went after insurance claims.
Cut 10 (10) “…a monetary settlement.”
Matey says the Louisiana Insurance Department alerted them about the fraudulent scheme.

Louisiana receives a 750-thousand dollar federal grant to revive a program that aims to reduce recidivism among inmates with mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

President Trump has signed the legislation that paves the way for Saints legend and A-L-S activist Steve Gleason to receive a Congressional Gold Medal. Gleason will receive the medal later this year that’s yet to be scheduled. The 41-year-old has spearheaded efforts to provide technology for A-L-S patients to live a longer and more fulfilling life.

The state department of corrections is excited it’s bringing back its New Beginnings program thanks to a 750-thousand dollar federal grant. Assistant Corrections Secretary Rhett Covington says when the program was previoulsy in place, it helped reduce the recividism rate for released inmates that deal with mental illness and substance addictions…
cut 9 (09) “…program in place’
Corrections officials hope to keep the program running with state dollars, once the federal grant money runs out.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office has seized a 58-acre tract of land that contains the home and production studios of “Dukes of Hazzard” star and country singer John Schneider. Court records indicate Schneider is way behind on his mortgage and the sheriff’s office will put the land up for sale on January 16th.

The Dash Diet, which LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center helped create, ranks as the second best diet for 2019 according to the U.S. News and World Report. Pennington researcher Catherine Champagne says it’s been successful in lowering blood pressure and it can lead to weight loss…
cut 6 (07) “….calories”
Champagne says the Dash Diet is big on fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

State Police arrest seven individuals after they allegedly staged a crash between two vehicles in an effort to collect on the insurance money. Senior Trooper Melissa Matey says six of the seven people booked into the Orleans Parish Prison are from St. Bernard Parish and the seventh person is from New Orleans…
cut 12 (10) “…public records” (2x)
Matey says the Louisiana Insurance Department alerted them about the possible fraud.

The Dash Diet, which LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center helped create, has been ranked the second best diet for 2019 by US News and World Report…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

Lafayette Public Library officials will no longer require the public to fill out a form pledging they will not use the library meeting rooms for drag queen story time events. The library implemented the form policy after they were hit with a federal lawsuit that seeks to prevent the library from sanctioning a Draq Queen story time event after they tried to hold one in October.

State Police arrest seven suspects for insurance fraud for allegedly staging a crash in Orleans Parish back in 2016. Detectives say a Chevy Malibu and a rented GMC pickup truck were used in the collision. Senior Trooper Melissa Matey says after filing the crash report with police, the suspects went after insurance claims.
Cut 10 (10) “…a monetary settlement.”
Matey says State Police’s investigation began in August, after receiving a tip from the Louisiana Insurance Department.

We will find out this weekend who the Saints will play on January 13th in the divisional round of the N-F-L Playoffs. If the Seawhawks beat the Cowboys in Dallas on Saturday, Seattle could head to New Orleans. NFL Analyst Mike Detillier says the Hawks are playing well…
cut 14 (11) “….NFC”
If the Eagles upset the Bears on Sunday, then the Super Bowl champs will face the Black and Gold next week.

Louisiana has received a federal grant worth 750-thousand dollars that will go towards reducing the recidivism rate for inmates that suffer from mental illness and substance abuse. Assistant Corrections Secretary Rhett Covington says the money will go towards a program called New Beginnings and it’s been successful in the past…
cut 8 (09) “…navigate things”
Covington says without help, inmates with mental illness and substance addictions almost always return to prison.

Seven people have been booked into the Orleans Justice Center for allegedly staging a motor vehicle crash and making false insurance claims for injuries and property loss. State Police Trooper Melissa Matey says a confession from one of the suspects was the big break in the case…
cut 11 (08) “…New Orleans”
The suspects face several different charges.

The Dash Diet which LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center helped developed has been ranked as the second best diet of 2019 by U.S. News and World Report. The Dash Diet calls for two to three daily servings of dairy, six to eight servings of lean meats, two to three servings of fats and oils, six to eight servings of whole grains, and eight to ten servings of fruits and veggies. Pennington researcher Catherine Champagne says fruits and vegetables are the key to this diet.
Cut 5 (09) “…certain levels.”
The number one goal of the Dash Diet is to lower blood pressure, but Champagne says if you stick with it, you’ll consume fewer calories.

A diet created in part at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center has been ranked the second best diet for 2019 by US News and World Report…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

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Louisiana is receiving a federal grant to revive a program that aims to reduce recidivism among inmates with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

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Insurance Fraud isn’t something the state takes lightly, and that’s the lesson seven suspects who allegedly staged a 2016 crash are learning the hard way.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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The DASH Diet, developed in part by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been named number two diet of 2019 according to U.S. News and World Report. Researcher Catherine Champagne says the diet emphasizes more greens, and shares similarities to the popular “Mediterranean diet”.

Cut 4 (11) “of fat” 

The Mediterranean diet, which features more oils and less meat, was ranked number one, and the “flexitarian” diet, a vegetarian diet that permits occasional meat consumption, came in at three.

The Dash Diet calls for two to three daily servings of dairy, six to eight servings of lean meats, two to three servings of fats and oils, six to eight servings of whole grains, and eight to ten servings of fruits and veggies. Champagne says fruits and vegetables are the key to this diet.

Cut 5 (09) “…certain levels.”

It also recommends four to five weekly servings of nuts, seeds, and beans, and only five or fewer servings of sweets a week.

The number one goal of the Dash Diet is not weight loss, but lowering blood pressure. That being said, if you stick to DASH, you’ll likely be on the right side of the “calories in, calories out” weight loss equation.

Cut 6 (07) “…calories.”

The full diet is available online at the Mayo Clinic’s website.

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Louisiana is receiving a federal grant to revive a program that aims to reduce recidivism among inmates with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.  The revised Second Chance Act program, now known as the New Beginnings program, will work with prisoners returning to the Baton Rouge and St. Tammany areas.  Department of Corrections Assistant Secretary Rhett Covington says the original program was discontinued due to lack of funding.

Cut 7 (11) “…money is gone.”

Covington calls the program a warm handoff into society to help overcome obstacles and barriers for the person to continue in treatment.

Cut 8 (09) “…them navigate things.”

Covington says the program provides a cost savings to tax payers as it reduces recidivism.

Cut 9 (09) “…program in place.″

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Seven suspects have been arrested for insurance fraud in a staged crash in Orleans Parish that occurred in October 2016.  Through the investigation, detectives determined Chevy Malibu and a rented GMC pickup truck were used in the collision.  State Police spokesperson Sr. Trooper Melissa Matey says after filing the crash report with police, that’s when the suspects went after insurance claims.

Cut 10 (10)   “…a monetary settlement.”

Matey says through an investigation, detectives secured a confession from one of the suspects.

Cut 11 (08) “…from New Orleans.”

Matey says the insurance fraud is not something law enforcement takes lightly.

Cut 12 (10)   “…false public records.”

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The top-seeded Saints have the weekend off from playoff football, but there are three teams playing this weekend to keep an eye on. Depending on how the games shake out, the Cowboys, Seahawks, or Eagles could head to the Big Easy next Sunday. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says the most dangerous of the three, Dallas, gave the Black and Gold one of their three losses this year…

Cut 13 (08) “…Dak Prescott.”

They take on the Seahawks in Arlington on Saturday night, where the winner will likely head to New Orleans, barring a stunning upset in the Eagles/Bears game.

That Seattle team beat Dallas earlier in the year, and has six wins in their last seven games after a rocky start that saw devastating injuries on defense the crippled the once vaunted “Legion of Boom”. Detillier says the Hawks ability to bounce back is a testament to the coaching genius of Pete Carol.

Cut 14 (11) “…the NFC.”

Kickoff is set for 7:15, and Dallas is favored by two points.

The biggest wildcard of the wildcard weekend may the Eagles, who head into the Windy City to take on the Bears and their league best defense. Last year’s champs have struggled, but Detillier says with their former backup QB back in the captain’s chair, anything is possible.

Cut 15 (10) “…could happen”

Kickoff in that game is Sunday at 3:40PM, and the Bears are favored by six.

A 64-year-old scam artist from Texas is behind bars after he allegedly convinced a  victim in Rapides Parish to pay him over $60,000, so he can pay US taxes and fees in Nigeria…

Cut 1 (33) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

68-year-old William Hood died earlier today while driving a U-Haul in a crash that authorities are attributing to storm related conditions in Sulphur. The vehicle was traveling along the road when a large tree was uprooted due to wind and heavy rain saturation on the ground, and then fell on the road and landed on the truck’s cab. Hood’s son, and passenger, was transported to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Louisiana is one of nine states reporting a high activity level for flu-like illnesses. That’s according to CDC’s latest U-S Influenza Surveillance report. The CDC says 4.5 percent of the hospital visits in Louisiana during the Christmas week were because of the flu or flu-like illnesses. LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist, Doctor Fred Lopez, says that’s concerning, but not a cause for alarm just yet.

Cut 7 (06) “…right now”

Last year saw record numbers of flu cases state wide.

A steady rain continues to fall across an already saturated Louisiana today. National Weather Service Lake Charles Senior Forecaster Kent Kuyper says the rain, which could be heavy at times, will come to an end later today or early tomorrow morning

Cut 12 (10)   “…rest of the afternoon.” 

Flooding concerns have popped up across the state, with authorities keeping an eye on Lake Sibley, cane River Lake, rivers in Covington, Lake Wallace, and others.

Louisiana is one of nine states reporting a high activity level for flu-like illnesses. That’s according to CDC’s latest U-S Influenza Surveillance report. LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist, Doctor Fred Lopez, encourages Louisiana residents to get the flu shot now

Cut 6 (09) “…be protected”

The CDC says 4.5 percent of the hospital visits in Louisiana during the Christmas week were because of the flu or flu-like illnesses.

A 64-year-old Texas man is in the Rapides Parish detention center accused of scamming a victim out of over $60,000 over the course of several months.  The scammer convinced the victim, he would be given a million dollars, but needed assistance paying US taxes and fees from Nigeria.  Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Tommy Carnline says the scammer claimed to be a retired FBI agent.

Cut 3 (09) “…is so unfortunate.”

Southeastern Louisiana University is asking area residents to donate their Christmas trees for wetland restoration.This marks the 24th straight year Southeastern has conducted its recycled tree program, and it’s estimated that 40,000 trees have been deployed since then. Southeastern’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station manager Rob Moreau says Middendorf’s Restaurant in Manchac has an offer for donors…

Cut 11 (10) “…free lunch”
For directions to drop off sites and available drop off times visit the southeastern.edu

Parts of Caddo Parish have received nearly twice as much rainfall in December as they normally do, leading to concerns the saturated ground could prevent flood waters from draining in a timely fashion. South Caddo and Wallace Lake will likely see the biggest impacts from deluge, with the Lake at risk of hitting a flood stage that would flood access roadways, and require cattle to be moved to higher ground. Authorities are monitoring the situation.

A 64-year-old Texas man is in the Rapides Parish detention center accused of scamming a victim out of over $60,000 over the course of several months. Detectives got a break in the case when one of the persons that was wired money was identified as Scott Alan Romans, and he was arrested following a traffic stop in Gulfport, Mississippi. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Tommy Carnline says it can be tough to make busts in these cases.

Cut 4 (12) “…that money immediately.″

The scammer convinced the victim, he would be given a million dollars, but needed assistance paying US taxes and fees from Nigeria.

A steady rain continues to fall across an already saturated Louisiana today. National Weather Service Lake Charles Senior Forecaster Kent Kuyper says there is an end to all of this rain. He says the weekend looks dry and mild…

Cut 14 (10) “…this event.”

Louisiana is one of nine states with a high number of flu cases. Jeff Palermo spoke with LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Diseases specialist Doctor Fred Lopez…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

There was an officer involved shooting in Monroe around 2:20AM this morning at the Super 8 Motel. Officers say they were responding to a disturbance complaint, and once they arrived on scene, shots were fired resulting in one policeman, and two subjects being hit. Both subjects hit were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then arrested. The officer shot was also treated for non-life-threatening injuries.