The story about a 3-year-old Brazilian girl who had a large, rare tumor removed from her face by doctors in Shreveport is making national headlines. Michelle Southern reports…:
Voicer 2 (29) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The state’s flu bug expert, Doctor Frank Welch, says flu cases are still relatively low for this time of the year. But Welch advises residents to continue to take proper precuations to prevent the spread of influenza…
cut 8 (11) “….that properly”

The American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control gives the Bayou State F grades for access to cessation and prevention programs and for the amount of taxes placed on tobacco products. Regional Policy Director Ashley Lyerly says they also want to see the state raise the minimum age for the sale of tobacco products…
cut 5 (10) “…of F”
Latest statistics show 22-percent of Louisiana adults smoke.

Louisiana has issued a standing order that makes Naloxone, which is an antidote that reverses an opiod overdose, available at pharmacies without a prescripition. Chief Medical Officer for Louisiana Medicaid, Dr SreyRam Kuy (Sray-rum Kuh-ee) says no longer is a medical professional needed…
cut 16 (07) “….police officer”
The governor says narcotic overdose deaths surpassed homicide deaths in both East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes by mid-year 2016.

With 22-percent of Louisiana adults currently smoking, the American Lung Association believes the state has a lot of work to do when it comes to tobacco prevention. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (25) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

President Donald Trump says he’s asking for a major investigation into voter fraud; specifically probes into whether people are registered in two states, illegal or dead. The Louisiana Office of the Secretary of State says there were no widespread irregularities here or fraud during the 2016 Presidential Election Cycle; as there are several layers of legal protection to prevent any such thing. The Trump Administration believes illegal ballots cost him the popular vote.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance announces they recovered $7.6 million for policy holders last year as a result of efforts by their consumer affairs division who work to resolve consumer complaints. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says that money is in addition to what companies offered to pay customers, and it’s a significant increase over the previous year…:
Cut 9 (10) “the past year”
Policyholders can file complaints online at ldi.la.gov/fileacomplaint.

The flu season in Louisiana has been slow thus far, but Department of Health Dr. Frank Welch says that will likely change when it gets colder again this weekend…:
CUT 7 (12) “flu season”
Welch advises everyone to get their flu shots to avoid getting the flu and to avoid spreading it to others.

The story about a 3-year-old Brazilian girl who had a large, rare tumor removed from her face by doctors in Shreveport is making national headlines. It all started when Dr. Celso Palmieri at LSU Health Shreveport was reading an online publication from his home country. He says he ran across a Brazlian article about little Melyssa Delgado Braga
CUT 12 (09) “could help Melyssa”
Dr. Palmieri says several organizations and doctors agreed to help the family get here. On December 20th, they removed the 5 pound tumor from Melyssa’s face and she has regained full use of her tongue.

Republican state Representative Franklin Foil says he will try to bring a bill in the upcoming session to raise the TOPS GPA requirement to rein in costs. He says this proposal would make the program more of a merit-based scholarship, like it was intended to be…:
cut 14 (06) “college education”

The American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control report finds Louisiana is failing in efforts to reduce tobacco use.Regional Policy Director Ashley Lyerly (Liar-lee) says the report assigned F letter grades in the areas like tobacco taxes and access to cessation programs…:
Cut 3 (10) “tobacco use”
An estimated 22-percent of Louisiana adults smoke.

At the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis was asked about the reports that they’ve been looking to trade coach Sean Payton…:
cut 30 (15) “…public domain”

Lawmakers are once again proposing more changes to the TOPS scholarship program as budget problems continue to plague the state. State Representative Franklin Foil says the GPA requirement is currently a 2.5, but he says it should be increased to a 3.0 over the next three years…:
Cut 13 (10) “in the state”
Foil says all options need to be considered, so lawmakers can keep TOPS intact for the future.

President Donald Trump tweeted this morning that he’s ordered a major investigation into voter fraud, but state officials insist there is no evidence that supports claims of scams. Mr. Trump says the probe will involve registered voters who are illegal or who have been dead. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office says they participate in one of the most robust programs aimed at keeping registration records clean.

Louisiana isn’t seeing as many flu cases as we usually do this time of year, but it’s only a matter of time. That’s according to Frank Welch with the Department of Health.
Cut 6 (11) “slow season”
He says about 4 out of every 100 doctor visits are for the flu right now, but as the weather cools down, like this weekend, you’ll see that number rise.

President Donald Trump has signed two orders that move forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, so what does that mean for Louisiana? Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says there is a renewed optimism…:
Cut 10 (06) “that commitment”
He says this also creates more hope of the construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline.

With budget problems still looming, state lawmakers are once again looking at possible changes to TOPS. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 3 (28) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The Baton Rouge Advocate reports that the Edwards administration will likely not increase aid to public schools when they present a budget to lawmakers for next fiscal year. But the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would like to see a 35-million dollar increase in funding for K-12 schools. Funding for public schools has been relatively stagnant since 2009.

Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Acting President Gifford Briggs says President Donald Trump’s executive order giving the go-ahead to build two major pipeline projects is a huge step towards energy security. Briggs is also pleased that Mr. Trump plans to reduce 75% of regulations on the industry..:
CUT 11 (07) “lower cost”
He says this would mean jobs, economic security and growth.

The Louisiana Family Forum is once again searching for the longest married couple in the state. President Gene Mills says for th epast two years, Lawrence and Varrie Player of Benton, have received the honor as they’ve been married for 82 years…
cut 5 (08) “…with that”
If you know someone that’s been married for 70-plus years contact the Louisiana Family forum at la-family-forum-dot-org.

President Donald Trump has signed two orders that moves forward with construction on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, so what does that mean for Louisiana? Many people are concerned about the safety of using pipelines compared to other methods of transporting oil. But Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs right now we’re struggling with aging infrastructure…:
cut 12 (09) “other systems”

Could changes again be coming to TOPS? State representative Franklin Foil proposes raising the GPA requirement to rein in costs and encourage high school students to perform better…:
Cut 15 (10) “good grades”
He plans to introduce the bill in the upcoming legislative sessions.

Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District has been appointed to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. He says continuing the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups will be a key item on the committee’s agenda, especially as threats persist both at home and abroad…:
Cut 9 (10) “recognize that”
He’s also been appointed to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

The Louisiana Family Forum is looking for the top 10 longest married couples as they do every year with Valentine’s Day approaching. President Gene Mills says entries for couples married over 70 years must be submitted by February 5th…:
Cut 6 (06) “family member”
Contact the Louisiana Family Forum at (800) 606-6470.

President Trump has signed two orders moving forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines. Jeff Palermo has more on what this means for Louisiana…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday approved more than $1.5 million in grant awards for state universities and school systems to advance the shift to full-year residencies for all aspiring teachers. BESE says this is key to ensuring that new teachers enter the classroom ready on day one.

Republican state Representative Franklin Foil says he will try to bring a bill in the upcoming session to raise the TOPS GPA requirement to rein in costs. He says this proposal would make the program more of a merit-based scholarship, like it was intended to be…:
cut 14 (06) “college education”
The GPA requirement is currently a 2.5, but Foil says it should be increased to a 3.0 over the next three years.

Freshman 4th District U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Benton was named to both the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security and Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. He says this puts him on the forefront of the lines when it comes to policy concerning building a wall on the southern US border, and what would work best…:
Cut 8 (11) “illegal crossing”
He says continuing the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups will be another key item on the agenda.

With budget problems still looming, state lawmakers are once again looking at possible changes to TOPS. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Halen Doughty”

What does it mean for Louisiana that President Donald Trump signed two executive orders giving the go-ahead to two major pipeline projects? Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says it’s great that Mr. Trump mentions reducing 75% of regulations on the industry..:
CUT 11 (07) “lower cost”
He says this would mean jobs, economic security and growth.

US Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District has been appointed to two subcommittees of House Judiciary including one on Immigration and Border Security. The northwest Louisiana Congressman says this is an important position in a Trump Administration that reaffirms its commitment to building a wall along the southern border:
CUT 7 (07) “border security”
Johnson has also been appointed to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and the Louisiana Family Forum is once again searching for the state’s longest married couple to share their love story. President Gene Mills urges anyone who knows a couple married for longer than 70 years to contact their office..:
cut 4 (07) “unique way”
You can get more information on submitting an entry online at lafamilyforum.org.

President Donald Trump has signed two orders that move forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, so what does that mean for Louisiana? Acting President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says there is a renewed optimism…:
Cut 10 (06) “that commitment”
He says this also creates more hope of the construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline.

Lawmakers are once again proposing more changes to the TOPS scholarship program as budget problems continue to plague the state. State representative Franklin Foil says the GPA requirement is currently a 2.5, but he says it should be increased to a 3.0 over the next three years…:
Cut 13 (10) “in the state”
Foil says all options need to be considered, so lawmakers can keep TOPS intact for the future.

The Louisiana Family Forum is once again searching for the state’s longest married couple as Valentine’s Day is approaching. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Today Governor John Bel Edwards will deliver remarks at the Plaquemines Parish Association of Business and Industry meeting.

Lawmakers are split on whether or not to tap into the state’s rainy day fund to close a $304 million budget gap. Lake Charles Representative Mark Abraham sits on the Appropriations Committee and says he’s still not sure if that’s the way to go.

Cut 3 (12) “rainy day fund”

The Edwards Administration will unveil its budget plan on Friday.

Former-Angola Warden Burl Cain defends himself amid allegations he misused public funds. A legislative audit says taxpayers footed the $27-thousand bill for appliances and TVs at Cain’s home on prison grounds. But he says he also spent his own money on the public home.

Cut 15 (09) “my pocket”

Cain made the comments during an interview with Talk 107.3 in Baton Rouge.

New Orleans officials proposed a plan to reduce crime on Bourbon Street, including requiring bars to close their doors at 3 a.m. but crime analyst Jeff Asher says last year only 20-percent of shootings in that area occurred between 3 and 7 a.m.

Cut 7 (11) “of crime”

Asher says improving police response time would be a better way to reduce crime.

The state Fire Marshal’s Office says a Covington man is dead after he set his house on fire during a dispute with his father. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson says Brandon Kellum’s father, Jamie Kellum, has burns to 85% of his body.

Cut 11 (10) “his body”

Thompson says alcohol is believed to be a factor.