LSU says they won’t be able to host Bayou Country Superfest at Tiger Stadium for 2016 and 2017 due to renovations that need to be made during the off season. Visit Baton Rouge President Paul Arrigo says it’s disappointing, but they are glad LSU was nice enough to allow BCS to be held there for the past several years…;
CUT 11 (09) “could describe”
BCS Producer Quint Davis says they are exploring alternative locations to hold the festival.

A former Assistant Administrator at a war veteran’s home in Monroe has been arrested after stealing thousands of dollars from a patient there. Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street says 51-year-old Tommy Shoemaker gained access to the man’s credit card and banking information…:
CUT 8 (09) “his account”
Street says Shoemaker has been booked on counts of exploiting persons with infirmities and theft of an aged or disabled person.

Lafayette Metro Narcotics and the Sheriff’s Office are warning the public about a dangerous drug believed to be responsible for multiple deaths. Lafayette Police Corporal Paul Mouton says the drug’s name is Fentanyl and it’s a potent synthetic opioid that’s similar to Heroin. He says when the supply is cut off for people addicted to prescription drugs, they often turn to Heroin…:
cut 14 (08) “as heroin”
Mouton says if you know someone who is a drug user, it’s time to get them help before they purchase Fentanyl.

The state’s annual sales tax holiday is underway and continues tomorrow. Instead of a five-percent sales tax, customers will pay 3-percent on most purchases. NFIB Director for Louisiana, Dawn Starns, says people are always looking for a chance to save a little money, so she still expects shoppers will be out this weekend…:
Cut 1 (09) “community partners”

The 17th annual National Farmers Market Week kicks off Saturday in Alexandria at Inglewood Farms and runs until the 13th. USDA State Conservationist Kevin Norton says this is an opportunity to celebrate the connection that these markets bring for farmers and agriculture in urban settings…:
CUT 6 (08) “agriculture”
Every child who attends will receive a 5-dollar token to use with the vendors to buy healthy snacks.

A Thibodaux man has been arrested after stealing donation containers from multiple convenience stores in Houma. Maj. Malcom Wolfe with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office says they were investigating a video showing the robbery taking place…:
CUT 4 (09) “their stores”
34-year-old Walter Richard was booked on four counts of theft for stealing those containers.

Public school students will learn more about money and finances in school this year, thanks to a bill by Minden Representative Gene Reynolds. says managing money is a crucial skill that kids need to have when they graduate and this will prepare them for the real world. He says school shouldn’t just be about passing a test…:
cut 12 (09) “test score”

The National Federation of Independent Business isn’t pleased that for this year’s sales tax holiday, the sales tax isn’t completely waved. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 1 (25) “….I’m Emelie Gunn”

Louisiana Tech startering quarterback Ryan Higgins was arrested this morning and charged with a DWI. Higgins was stopped near Louisiana Tech’s campus and allegedly performed poorly on a field sobriety test and his BAC was .119. Bulldogs Head Coach Skip Holtz says they are still trying to gather all the facts, before commenting any further.

A Thibodaux man has been arrested after stealing donation containers from multiple convenience stores in Houma. Maj. Malcom Wolfe with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office says 34-year-old Walter Richard was caught on video at one of the stores….
cut 3 (09) “…conveneience stores”
Wolfe says they gained information that Richard also took donation jars from three other locations. It’s uknown how much he actually took.

The Great American Seafood kick-off is tomorrow in New Orleans. It will take place in front of a live audience at Ernest Morial Convention Center at 11:30. Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Karen Profita, says eleven chefs from around the country will have one hour prepare their special dish and then judges will review and taste…
cut 14 (07) “….come in”
Chef Blake Phillips from Restaurant Sage in Monroe represents Louisiana this year.

Public school students will learn more about money and finances in school this year, thanks to a bill by Minden Representative Gene Reynolds. He says the law does not establish a class just for financial literacy but allows teachers to incorporate it into their lessons. He says most text books have at least a small part that deals with money…:
cut 11 (08) “and objectives”
Reynolds says managing money is a crucial skill that kids need to have when they graduate and this will prepare them for the real world.

Officials have identified body of a pilot whose helicopter crashed in the Atchafalaya Basin as 29-year-old Casey Clark of Great Falls Montana. Authorities say he was the only person on board the aircraft at the time, and was known to have left Gonzales around 4pm Wednesday, but never made it to its destination.

Louisiana Tech Quarterback Ryan Higgins was arrested early this morning for a DWI and speeding, according to authorities. The Bulldogs are slated to begin fall camp on Sunday. Ruston Police arrested Higgins at 3:20 am, and he was booked at 5 on a $1,750 bond.

The 13th annual Great American Seafood Cook-off gets underway tomorrow in New Orleans as chefs compete for the title of King of American Seafood. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Louisiana students will learn more about financial literacy this year, under a new law. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

With kids starting to head back, the Department of Health reminds parents to make sure their kids are up to date on their vaccinations because there is an immunization law in Louisiana…:
cut 4 (10) “school rush”

Today and tomorrow it’s the state’s annual sales tax holiday. Instead of a five-percent sales tax, customers will pay 3-percent on most purchases. NFIB Director for Louisiana, Dawn Starns, says even though it’s not the ideal sales tax break as in years past, consumers will still see a little savings. She says many stores are offering additional end of summer sales:
Cut 8 (10) “the fall”
She says they hope the full state sales tax holiday will be back once the budget crisis is over.

The 13th annual Great American Seafood Cook-off is tomorrow, where chefs from around the country will compete for the title of King of American Seafood. Chef Blake Phillips from Restaurant Sage in Monroe will represent Louisiana this year. Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board Executive Director, Karen Profita, says Chef Phillips is very passionate:
CUT 15 (07) “of chef”
The cook-off will take place in front of a live audience at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans tomorrow at 11:30.

The state’s annual sales tax holiday is underway and continues tomorrow. Instead of a five-percent sales tax, customers will pay 3-percent on most purchases. It’s not the full state sales exemption this year due to budget issues, and the NFIB of Louisiana isn’t happy about it.
CUT 7 (07) “their advantage”
That’s Louisiana NFIB Director Dawn Starns.

With school underway, the Department of Health is reminding parents the importance of getting your child vaccinated. Dr. Frank Welch says despite contrary reports, vaccines are safe and help keep others safe…:
Cut 6 (07) “in school”
Welch says parents can get their children vaccinated at their pediatrician’s office or family doctor or at a parish health unit.

Chefs from around the country will compete in New Orleans tomorrow for the title of King of American Seafood. Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Karen Profita, says the 13th annual Great American Seafood Cook-off will take place at the Morial Convention Center at 11:30. She says eleven chefs will work up their best seafood dish…:
Cut 13 (09) “to that”
Chef Blake Phillips from Restaurant Sage in Monroe will represent Louisiana this year.

Could LSU be bowing out of hosting Bayou Country Superfest for good? The athletic department announced late Thursday that BCS will not be held in Death Valley for 2016 and 2017, due to renovations that need to be made during the off-season. BCS Producer Quint Davis says they are exploring alternative locations to hold the festival. Some are speculating that this is a sign BCS will never return to Tiger Stadium.

LSU is ranked sixth in the preseason coaches poll. That’s the Tigers highest preseason ranking since 2012. Linebacker Corey Thompson was a freshman that year. The fifth year senior says he wants to leave LSU with a championship…:
Cut 20 (16) “this year”
The team will again hold morning practice with mostly veterans and starters today, then freshman will practice this afternoon.

Could LSU be bowing out of hosting Bayou Country Superfest? The athletic department announced late Thursday that BCS will not be held in Death Valley for 2016 and 2017, due to renovations and updates to concession stands that need to be made during the off-season. BCS Producer Quint Davis says they are exploring alternative locations to hold the festival.

The Saints have brought in several veteran players in the hopes of improving a defense that’s been one of the worst in the NFL the last two seasons. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley signed a one-year contract for three million dollars in the off-season and he’s expected to help defend the run and eat up space in the middle of the field. Coach Sean Payton expects Fairley to have a big role on this team…:
Cut 16 (15) “noticeably”
Practice continues in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia this morning.

In the MLB, Former UL-Lafayette standout Jonathan Lucroy got his first homer with Texas, as the Rangers defeated former SLU pitcher Wade Miley and the Orioles 5-3 Thursday.

Former LSU standout Alex Bregman was 1 for 4 for the Astros as Houston falls to the Blue Jays 4-1.

Public school students will learn more about money and finances in school this year, thanks to a bill by Minden Representative Gene Reynolds…:
Cut 10 (07) “high school”
He says the law does not establish a class just for financial literacy, but allows teachers to incorporate it into their lessons.

So with students already starting to go back, the Louisiana Department of Health has some reminders for parents. Dr. Frank Welch says your child should be vaccinated at two important times in their life…:
CUT 5 (07) “needs shots”

LSU announced last night that Tiger Stadium will not be hosting Bayou Country Superfest for 2016 and 2017, due to renovations and updates to concession stands that need to be made during the off-season. BCS Producer Quint Davis says they are exploring alternative locations to hold the festival.

The National Weather Service confirms an EF-0 tornado touched down in the New Orleans area through Treme Thursday afternoon. The storm damaged at least six buildings in all, according to officials. According to the NWS the tornado had winds of 80 miles per hour.

The National Federation of Independent Business isn’t pleased that for this year’s sales tax holiday the sales tax isn’t completely waved. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (25) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

More public school students scored “mastery” on the English and Math sections of the LEAP test last year, according to the state Department of Education. But Superintendent John White says unfortunately some white and higher income students are doing significantly better than others.
CUT 10 (11) “our state”
White is also concerned that too few students are fully prepared for college.

Governor John Bel Edwards announced today the state plans to invest over $20-million to address the congestion near the Washington Street exit on I-10 in Baton Rouge.

Cut 13 (11) “….the contestion”
The governor says this is only area in the country where the interstate goes down to one lane.

Authorities are trying to identify the remains of a woman who was murdered near Bogalusa. Washington Parish Sheriff’s office Chief Deputy Mike Haley says 41-year-old Joey Mixon has been charged with 2^nd degree murder for the woman’s death. Haley says they know Mixon knew the victim and got into an argument with her, but there’s still a lot of unanswered questions.
cut 5 (07) “…the crime”
Officials believe the victim is from St. Tammany Parish.

The hurricane forecast team at Colorado State University continues to predict a near average Atlantic hurricane season. Researcher Dr. Phil Klotzbach says they’re expecting to see 10 named storms and four more hurricanes. But he says given how quiet the last three years have been, this season will seem a lot more active.

Cut 6 (10) “the storms”

According to the state department of education, Louisiana students showed improvement on their LEAP test scores. Superintendent of Education John White says even though overall student performance improved, the achievement gap between African-American students and white students at the Mastery level is at 26-percent.

Cut 11 (08) “their peers”

The forecast team at Colorado state University is predicting a near normal hurricane season this year. Researcher Dr. Phi Klotzbach says an El Nino the last couple of years kept hurricane activity down. He says we don’t have an El Nino, which will lead to more tropical storms.

CUT 8 (10) “season”

The Department of Transportation announces that a new on-ramp will be built in place of the Washington Street exit on Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge. Governor John Bel Edwards says alleviating congestion on I-10 is important for shipping commerce across the country.

cut 12 (09) “the country”

Edwards says the project will be funded through state dollars because a federal grant freed up more money in the construction budget.

Authorities are working to determine the identity of a woman who was murdered and burned beyond recognition near Bogalusa. Washington Parish Sheriff Chief Deputy Mike Haley says they received a call early Wednesday morning about a murder at the residence of 41-year-old Joey Mixon.

CUT 3 (10)  “her body”