A deer buck that died from Chronic Wasting Disease in Mississippi has Louisiana wildlife officials concerned. State Wildlife Veterinarian, Doctor Jim LaCour says C-W-D is similar to mad cow disease and although there’s no evidence it affects humans, there are concerns about eating deer meat with the disease.

Cut 14 (10) “…in an area.”

LaCour says a case of C-W-D has never been documented in Louisiana… but cautions that landowners in East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parish should curtail supplemental feeding of deer.

A survey by offers-dot-com finds the average consumer will spend 55-dollars on Valentine’s Day this year. Spokesperson Sarah Hollenbeck says 27-percent of Louisiana shoppers admitted they wait until the week of Valentine’s Day to buy their gifts. She says many will get their sweetheart something for their sweet tooth…

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A quick reminder that Valentine’s Day is tomorrow if you need to find a gift for someone.

The Baldwin Police Department is damaged and one inmate is injured following a fire. Jim Shannon has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jim Shannon.”

Global sports entertainment leader Top-Golf has a 10 million dollar venue planned in Baton Rouge and it’s set to open later this year. Spokesperson Caroline Jerome says the Baton Rouge location will be a first of a kind in Louisiana…

Cut 10 (10) “a whole.”

The Baton Rouge operation is projected to create 325 full time and part time jobs.

The Baldwin Police Department was heavily damaged in a fire yesterday afternoon.  State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says a person in a holding cell was severely injured…

Cut 3 (07) “burn injuries.”

Browning says they continue to conduct interviews and will talk with the jailed man when he has sufficiently recovered.

A survey by offers-dot-com finds the average consumer will spend 55-dollars on Valentine’s Day this year. Spokesperson Sarah Hollenbeck says consumers in Louisiana are more traditional when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts…

Cut 6 (07)  “diamond rings”

Some wait until the last minute.  Some 27-percent of Louisiana shoppers admit they wait until the week of Valentine’s Day to buy their gifts.

Chronic Wasting Disease has been found in a Mississippi deer near East Carroll and Madison parishes. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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A big part of Mardi Gras is food and family. On St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, many people there are celebrating Fat Tuesday with blood relatives and a few strangers…

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The partying will all end at midnight tonight.  Parades are currently underway in the Big Easy.

Chronic Wasting Disease has been found in a Mississippi deer near East Carroll and Madison parishes. State Wildlife Veterniarian Dr Jim LaCour says, C-W-D has never been documented in Louisiana, but infected deer can spread the disease even before symptoms develop and its something they don’t want in the Bayou State…
cut 13 (08) “….of the deer”
L-D-W-F is working with Mississippi wildlife officials on sampling and containment.

There’s a big party in New Orleans this afternoon as the Mardi Gras celebration is reaching its peak. And when you are spending time outside all day with family, catching throws, you also need plenty of food. But the parade goers on St. Charles Avenue are prepared
cut 16 (09) “…fish too”
So far the rain has held off too.

The investigation continues into the fire that destroyed a good portion of the Baldwin Police Department in St. Mary Parish. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says his deputies are still trying to determine the exact location of where the fire started….
cut 4 (11) “…that soon”
Browning says a prisoner in a holding cell suffered severe injuries from burns. There have been reports an inmate set himself on fire, but Browning can’t confirm that.

Louisiana is getting a Topgolf. Ground has been broken to build one off of I-10 near Seigan Lane in Baton Rouge. Spokesperson Caroline Jerome…
cut 10 (10) “”…as a whole”
It’s basically a bowling alley for golfers and those who just want to swing a club for fun.

The Baldwin Police Department was heavily damaged in a fire yesterday afternoon.  State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says a person in a holding cell was severely injured. It will be a while before normal operations can resume in the Baldwin Police Department.  Browning says the building sustained quite a bit of damage…

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Browning says they will continue to interview those who were there, including the jailed man once he has sufficiently recovered.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s department is trying to find the owner of what appears to be a very friendly goat.  Authorities picked up “Rowdy” after he was found wandering on Dianne Street in Shreveport.  Spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says it appears to be someone’s pet. If the owner doesn’t claim “Rowdy”, Chadwick says he may get a new start somewhere else…

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If the owner wants to reclaim their goat, they can contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department at 318-681-1120.

New Orleans isn’t the only place getting down for Mardi Gras. Matt Doyle takes a look at two other long running Louisiana Fat Tuesday traditions.
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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is in Washington D-C to promote the state’s tourism slogan, Feed Your Soul.” Nungesser is handing out king cake and there’s also Louisiana-wrapped food trucks doing the same in Houston. Dallas and Atlanta. Those are three cities Louisiana gets many of its visitors.

Chronic wasting disease in deer has been detected in Mississippi and Louisiana wildlife officials are concerned the fatal disease will end up in the Bayou State. A four-year-old buck was found dead of C-W-D near the Louisiana border. State Wildlife Veterinarian, Doctor Jim LaCour says East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parish landowners should curtail supplemental feeding of deer…
cut 12 (07) “…our infected”
C-W-D is similar to mad cow disease and deer infected with it can spread the disease even before symptoms develop.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s department is trying to find the owner of what appears to be a very friendly goat. Authorities picked up “Rowdy” after he was found wandering on Dianne Street in Shreveport. Spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says it appears to be someone’s pet…
Cut 6 (11) “that number.”
Rowdy’s story is generating a lot of interest, even media from New York are calling about him.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is celebrating Mardi Gras, he’s just not in Louisiana. He’s helping to promote the state’s new travel tourism slogan “Louisiana: Feed Your Soul.” The new brand is being promoted in several states, including the nation’s capital…
Cut 7 (12) “the world.”
Louisiana-wrapped food trucks will also serve Mardi Gras king cakes in Houston, Dallas and Atlanta.

An invasive species of snail is posing a threat to crawfish harvests. The apple snail is indigenous to South America, and can devour vegetation crucial to the development of Louisiana crawfish. An abundance of apple snail shut down a 220 acre farm in Acadia Parish. LSU Ag Center Agent Mark Shirley says so far, there is no solution to the problem.
Cut 14 (06) “just yet”
The invasion is being blamed on aquarium owners who decided to dump the snails into the water way.
The Baldwin Police Department was heavily damaged in a fire yesterday afternoon. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says an inmate was severely injured in the blaze.
Cut 3 (07) “burn injuries.”
Browning says the investigation is in its early stages and they are still trying to determine the exact location where the fire started.

There’s a big Mardi Gras celebration in Houma as four parades roll. Houma Vistors Bureau Communications Director Joey Pierce says Houma offers the fun of a New Orleans parade, minus the massive crowds. But while there may not be as many people, there may be just as many beads…
cut 13 (08) “….Gras throws”
Big parades in Lafayette today as well, and plenty of Mardi Gras activities in Shreveport as well today.

In New Orleans the Krewe’s of Zulu and Rex are making their way throughout the crescent city streets. By order of the King of Carnival… Rex… all “normal activities” are suspended for the day. Outside of New Orleans…Houma will display some of the more impressive celebrations. The city’s visitor bureau spokesperson, Joey Pierce says their floats are worth the drive.

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Pierce says part of the Houma Mardi Gras charm is the “lack” of huge crowds.

Could a group of South American Snails put the brakes on an otherwise promising crawfish season? Lsu Ag officials say it’s possible and already one crawfish farmer is pulling his nets. The South American Apple Snail clogs crawfish nets and is particularly hard to exterminate. So for now there’s only one thing to do.

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Louisiana food trucks are canvassing cities like Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta, today passing out King Cakes. It’s part of Lt. Governor Billy Nunguesser’s new tourism slogan “Louisiana: feed your soul.” While hundreds of thousands are in New Orleans for Mardi Gras…nunguesser want’s to attract more visitors to the state.

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In Baton Rouge a golfing complex will be breaking ground to attract both hackers and scratch players alike. A multi-level digital driving range will feature chef driven menu’s and top-shelf beverages. “TOPGOLF”, The sports and entertainment venue will employ 325 positions. It’s expected to open late this year.

Patchy rain is expected throughout the morning, putting a damper on some parade goers. But according to the state climatologist Barry Keim warmer temperatures are headed our way.

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High’s in the 70’s tomorrow.

The state’s tourism leader, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, is in Washington D-C on this Fat Tuesday. He’s there to promote the state’s new tourism slogan “Louisiana: Feed Your Soul.” Nungesser says the new branding perfectly typfies the kind of activities visitors can expect when they come to Louisiana…
cut 8 (09) “…Gras week”
Nungesser will be talking with traveling writers and passing out King Cake in the Nation’s capitol. State tourism officials will do the same in Atlanta, Dallas and Houston.

High temperatures will be in the mid 60s in New Orleans for their Mardi Gras festivites and there’s a chance for a shower this afternoon. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it will be a little cooler in southwest Louisiana for their Mardi Gras festivites….
cut 5 (07) “…actually is”
High temperatures in the 70s tomorrow.

The LSU Ag Center is concerned about an invasive species known as the apple snail. It became so abundant in an Acadia Parish that a farmer there had to shut down his crawfish farm. Agent Mark Shirley says the resilient and slimy snails can rapidly infect a large area….
cut 16 (11) “…larger snails”
Shirley says the apple sails devour vegetation crucial for crawfish and there’s no way to kill off the snails.

Old time Mardi Gras celebrations will take place in small southwest Louisiana towns like Mamou and Iowa. In Iowa, the chicken run starts at the Knights of Columbus Hall and Organizer Rodney Victorian….
cut 10 (10) “…chasing it”
After the run is done, gumbo will be served featuring the chicken collected that day and there you’ll also hear plenty of zydeco music.

An invasive water species known as the ‘apple snail’ shut down a 220 acre crawfish farm in Acadia Parish. Problem is the snail clogs the crawfish trap creating a harvesting problem. Jeff Palermo on the threat posed by this South American crustacean.

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Officials say the snail can carry a fatal disease called “rat lungworm.’

Grab an umbrella if you’re heading to the mardi gras parades. Forecasters are calling for showers throughout the day but fortunately the temps will be in the high 60’s.

The new state tourism slogan “Feed Your Soul” is being debuted around the country as part of Mardi Gras celebrations.  Kelley Ray spoke with Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser in Washington D.C….

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

Over a million visitors are estimated to be at Mardi Gras in New Orleans this year, but it’s not the only place to celebrate the eve of Lent. The town of Iowa (I-O-Way) will keep a decade’s old tradition alive this year, the chicken run starting at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Chief Chicken Run Organizer Rodney Victorian says the town not only has a unique way of celebrating Fat Tuesday.

But says it’s tradition, started by his family, that brings the community together to celebrate the season.

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Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards says it’s the rural areas of the state that stand to benefit the most from President Trump’s infrastructure plan. Edwards has already proposed three projects, all in urban areas, prior to the meeting with Trump. Afterwards however Edwards endorsed the presidents’ rural Block grant development portion.

Of course today is fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras 2018 is about to roll. New Orleans though isn’t the only place to pass a good time. Matt Doyle explains.

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If you’re loading up to head for today’s mardi gras parade’s it’s a good idea to pack some rain gear. Parades in New Orleans and as far north as Shreveport could see some significant rain. State climatologist Barry Klien says watch out for the wet stuff.

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The state’s top tourist cheerleader is on the road this mardi gras to promote tourism in the bayou state. Lt. Governor Billy Nunguesser is hawking a new tourism slogan…”Feed your soul.”

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Food trucks and King Cakes are being distributed all over, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta as part of the promotion.