The gift giving season is upon us once again.  Don Molino has more on what people want this year…

Cut 1 (27) “I’m Don Molino.”

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A magical holiday drive through attraction is opening this holiday weekend in Ouachita Parish.  Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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State Police plans to focus on impaired driving and occupant protection this Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 3  (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”  

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State Police is reminding holiday travelers that buzzed driving is drunk driving. Sgt. James Anderson says 10 people died and over 700 injured in crashes in Louisiana during the last Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Cut 4  (11) “a crash”

Anderson says troopers will be out in full force under the Zero Deaths for the Holidays campaign to put an end to drunk driving.

Cut 5  (10)  “the wheel”

State Police will proactively patrol our state’s highways during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period focusing on impaired driving and occupant protection. Anderson says Troopers urge all drivers to ensure everyone in the vehicle is property restrained

Cut 6 (11) “seat belt”

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A state audit finds that the Louisiana Department of Health is not calculating Medicaid rates for nursing facilities accurately.  Louisiana Legislative Office Director of Performance Audits Karen LeBlanc says they discovered 19.7 million dollars the state could have saved this past year was spent on patients not covered by Medicaid…

Cut 7 (07)  “not eligible.”

Medicaid payments to the 260 private nursing home facilities in Louisiana reached one-billion-dollars last year, yet nursing home populations went up less than one-percent.  LeBlanc says better procedures are needed to ensure the nursing homes are compensated accurately…

Cut 8 (09) “disallowed costs.”

The number of nursing care residents have remained the same, yet Medicaid payments have increased over all by about one-billion-dollars in the last ten years. LeBlanc says she’s afraid nursing home rates and payments from Medicaid will continue to rise since an inflated rate methodology gets to stay in place…

Cut 9 (10)  “them reduced.”

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A Christmas light extravaganza is set to light up the night in Calhoun in Ouachita Parish.  Candy Cane Lane opens Thanksgiving night and will take visitors on a magical on a mile long journey.   Owner Ben Hanson says the planning has been underway for nearly a year…

Cut 10 (10)  “million lights.”

Lights started to be strung on August 3^rd and Hanson and his family have been working nonstop since looping lights around trees and plywood cutouts of characters, even constructing two light tunnels over 100 feet each.  Hanson says this year is just a start and hopes to grow the attraction in the future…

Cut 11 (08) “live entertainment.”

Hanson says the attraction will be so bright, travelers along I-20 will be able to see it.  So how much electric does it take to power it?

Cut 12 (05) “house meters.”

They will be open Thursday through Sunday nights until December 21^st, then will be open nightly through January 1^st.

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Holiday shopping is expected to increase in Louisiana. That’s the view of LSU Marketing Professor Dan Rice who says households have largely recovered from the 2016 floods and the state’s unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been since 2008…

Cut 13 (11) “intend too.”

National Retail Federation spokesperson Ana Searfin Smith says they are anticipating a 3-percent increase in shopping over…

Cut 14 (12) “Christmas tree.”

But the big question for shoppers may not be what gifts to buy as much as where to get them.  Smith says consumers will keep using the internet to fill out their shopping lists…

Cut 15 (10) “the past.”

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Just one more regular season game left for LSU, as the Tigers are set to host Texas A-and-M on Saturday. LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron calls the Aggies a strong SEC opponent…

Cut 16  (14)  “this week”

LSU beat Texas A-and-M 54-39 last season in College Station. Nick Starkel has started at quarterback in the last two games for the Aggies and has played well. Orgeron says LSU’s defensive backs allowed three big pass plays last week and they need to be better this Saturday…

Cut 17 (19)  “great receivers”

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Saints defensive end Alex Okafor will miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over Washington. The 26-year-old Okafor had four and a half sacks and Coach Sean Payton says losing Okafor is a difficult loss. Okafor’s injury means Trey Henderickson will get more playing. Here’s what Payton had to say about the rookie from Florida Atlantic

Cut 18 (18) “his play” 

Yesterday the Saints reviewed the tape from Sunday’s improbable win. Payton says it was good to be on the positive side of that crazy comeback

Cut 19 (22)   things up” 

A new study finds that black students are two times as likely to be suspended as white students. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Human remains have been found in Amite in Tangipaoha Parish.   A rabbit hunter made the discovery today.  Police believe they are the remains of a middle aged man.  The cause of death remains uncertain.  The investigation continues.

Today in Atlanta, the Georgia Dome was imploded after 25 years in existence.  The Mercedes Benz Superdome General Manager Alan Freeman says the New Orleans landmark is a viable building in a city that thrives on hosting major events with plans to make the facility even better.

Cut 13 (12)  30 years”

Freeman says the state owns the arena and provides the funds needed to operate.

Orthopedic specialists in the Bayou State are using a new post-surgical procedure to control pain and decrease the need for oral painkillers. Dr. Judson Penton from Louisiana Orthopedic Specialist in Lafayette says they are using a specially designed disposable pump to deliver medication that blocks pain only in the area of the surgery.

Cut 5  (10)  “after surgery”

Black public school students in Louisiana are more likely to be suspended than white students according to a study done by the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans. Researcher Nathan Barrett says they also found that punishments resulting from fights between a black student and white student are different…
cut 9 (10) “…day difference”

There’s been an increase in opioid abuse in Louisaina, but the Louisiana Orthopedic Specialists in Lafayette, says they are peforming a post-surgical procedure that leads to quicker recovery times and the patients are not as dependenant on oral painkillers for relief…
cut 7 (11) “….60-percdent”
Doctor Judson Penton says they are using a specially designed disposable pump to deliver the medication.

Prices are the lowest they have been in a few years for Thanksgiving dinner….
Voicer 5 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray

A north Louisiana chef who was named the 2016 Louisiana Seafood King has been arrested on a stalking charge. Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s office spokesperson Glen Springfield says 35-year-old William Blake Phillips called and texted the victim 54 times and then went to her house….
cut 3 (07) “…the complianant”
The arrest affidavit says Phillips denies some of the accusations.

A new study out of the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans at Tulane University finds from 2001 to 2014, black students were twice as likely as white students to be suspended. Low income students were about 1.75 times more likely as non-low income students to be suspended. Researcher Nathan Barrett….
Cut 8 (08) “within incidents”

The Georgia Dome was destroyed today after 25 years in existence but the Mercedes-Benz Superdome continues to thrive. General Manager of the Dome Alan Freeman credits their success to the great relationship they have with the New Orleans Saints. He says the state owns the arena and provides the funds to keep up with improvements as the building ages, especially after Hurricane Katrina did major damage.
Cut 12 (11) “Wrestlemania”

 
Louisiana orthopedic specialists are practicing a method to reduce the need for oral painkillers after surgery. Michelle Southern has more…
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

A Shreveport man and two others are dead after a medical helicopter crashed in eastern Arkansas last night. 26-year-old John Auld III was on the flight that went down about 60 miles southeast of Little Rock. The helicopter was flying from Pine Bluff to DeWitt. Auld was a member of the Krewe of Centaur.

A report finds that black students in Louisiana public schools are twice as likely as white students to face suspensions. The study also finds low-income students are likely to face longer suspension than non low-income children. Researcher Nathan Barrett hopes school officials look at the report to reduce discipline disparities based on race and income…
cut 10 (09) “….of school”

A well known north Louisiana chef was arrested after allegedly stalking a woman by calling and texting her 54 times, and showing up at her house. Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Glen Springfield says 35-year-old William Blake Phillips was asked several times to quit calling. Phillips denies the allegation of showing up at her house…
Cut 4 (11) “the residence.”
Phillips was named the 2016 Louisiana Seafood King.

Orthopedic specialists in Louisiana say they are using a post surgical procedure to decrease the need for oral painkillers. Doctor Judson Penton, who practices in Lafayette at Louisiana Orthopedic Specialists, says they insert small disposable pain pumps near the incision site next to the nerves in the surgical area. He says the pumps are portable and will only administer an amount of medication approved by a physician…
cut 6 (08) “…throughout the state”
Penton says they’ve seen patients have quicker recovery times and they were not dependent on opioids for relief.

Today in Atlanta, the Georgia Dome was imploded after 25 years in existence. Meanwhile, the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans continues to be one of the top entertainment venues in the country. Alan Freeman, General Manager of the Dome, says when the facility was built, the architects took a long range view.
Cut 11 (10) “practical”

A new study finds that black students are two times as likely to be suspended as white students. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The woman who was found fatally shot last night in St. Claude is the mother of a 7-year-old boy that was reported missing. New Orleans Police say the child has been found safe and was with a neighbor when the incident occurred. Authorities made the connection that the missing child was the son of the deceased after the investigation was launched.

The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office says well known Louisiana chef William Phillips has been arrested after allegedly stalking a woman by calling and texting her 54 times. OPSO Spokesperson Glen Springfield says the 35-year-old was told multiple times to stop contacting her but the woman says Phillips went a step farther.
Cut 3 (07) “the complainant”
Phillips was named the 2016 Louisiana Seafood King and has managed restaurants in the Monroe area.

How about the Saints, they won their eighth straight yesterday in dramatic fashion coming from behind to beat the Redskins 34-31 in overtime. Rookie Alvin Kamara scored a touchdown and added a two-point conversion to tie it and Pat Randazza with Purple and Gold Sports and Black and Gold Sports says Kamara’s jersey is a very hot item…
cut 14 (10) “…always the hottest”

According to the American Farm Bureau, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is a little cheaper than a year ago. Neil Melancon says the price for a turkey is lower, because of a large surplus of frozen birds…
cut 30 (10) “…that stuff out”
The American Farm Bureau Marketbasket survey estimates it will cost $43.27 on average for a turkey and 15 other items that make up a Thanksgiving feast. That’s three dollars lower than a year ago.

Newly elected State Treasurer John Schroder plans to serve as a fiscal hawk while serving the remainder of John Kennedy’s term as the state’s banker. Schroder says he’ll work with the state legislature and Governor Edwards to come up with a fiscally responsible budget…
cut 27 (10) “…of Louisiana”

Louisiana orthopedic specialists are practicing a method to reduce the need for oral painkillers after surgery…
Voicer 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

A Shreveport man and two others were killed in an air ambulance accident late Sunday night in Arkansas.  John Auld III was on the helicopter when it went down in a rural area 60 miles southeast of Little Rock.  FAA investigators are traveling to the site to investigate.  Auld also was a former rural volunteer firefighter for Caddo Parish.

A well known north Louisiana chef was arrested after allegedly stalking a woman by calling and texting her 54 times, and showing up at her house.  Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Glen Springfield says 35-year-old William Blake Phillips was asked several times to quit calling.  Phillips denies the allegation of showing up at her house…

Cut 4  (11) “the residence.” 

Phillips was named the 2016 Louisiana Seafood King and has managed restaurants in the Monroe area.

John Schroder is Louisiana’s new treasurer.  He defeated Derrick Edwards in Saturday’s runoff election.  Schroder says government has become a burden and the state’s infrastructure has become unaffordable. He plans to stay a budget hawk, as he’s been since he was elected as a state representative 10 years ago.

Cut 8 (09) “get done”

Schroder won with 56 percent of the vote.

Orthopedic specialists in the Bayou State are using a new post-surgical procedure to control pain and decrease the need for oral painkillers. Dr. Judson Penton says they are using a specially designed disposable pump to deliver medication that blocks pain only in the area of the surgery.

Cut 5  (10) “after surgery”

A well known north Louisiana chef was arrested after allegedly stalking a woman by calling and texting her 54 times. Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Glen Springfield says 35-year-old William Blake Phillips was asked several times to quit calling. However the woman claims Phillips went a step farther…
Cut 3 (07) “the complainant.”
Springfield says Phillips, who was the 2016 Louisiana Seafood King, has denied some of the allegations.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation has found the average price for a 16-item Thanksgiving dinner cooked at home should cost about 43-dollars, which is three-dollars cheaper than a year ago. Neil Melancon says turkeys are cheaper this year and that should cost you around 13-dollars…
cut 11 (08) “…dollar range”
Newly elected State Treasurer John Schroder plans to serve as a fiscal hawk while serving the remainder of John Kennedy’s term as the state’s banker. Schroder says he’ll work with the state legislature and Governor Edwards to come up with a fiscally responsible budget…
cut 7 (10) “…of Louisiana”
Schroder defeated Democrat Derrick Edwards this past weekend in a runoff election.

What a victory for the Saints yesterday to improve to 8-and-2 on the season. New Orleans rallied from 15 down to tie it and then they won it overtime over the Redskins. The Saints success on the field is great news for those who sell Black and Gold merchandise…
cut 13 (10) “…it gets”
That’s Pat Randazza with Purple and Gold Sports and Black and Gold sports in Baton Rouge.

Republican John Schroder has been elected as the new state treasurer. Emelie Gunn on Schroder’s plans…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The Saints won their eighth consecutive game yesterday a memorable victory over the Redskins in overtime. Their good play on the field, should lead to good holiday sales for those who sell Saints merchandise. Pat Randazza says jersey sales are hot at her store and so are…
cut 15 (08) “…automobile with”

High School students involved with the F-F-A can now receive a 500-dollar scholarship to attend a community college or technical schoool….
cut 5 (09) “…the award”
That’s Louisiana Community and Technical College System President Monty Sullivan.

The American Farm Bureau Marketbasket survey has found that the average price for a 16-item Thanksgiving Dinner is $43.27, which is three dollars lower than a year ago. Neil Melancon with the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, says the cost of a turkey is cheaper this year and you can pay less for locally grown items….
cut 12 (07) “…four cents”
Melancon says a frozen, self-basting young tom turkey should cost around 13-dollars.