Governor John Bel Edwards has delayed an 18-million dollar cut to public colleges as part of his plan to eliminate a $313 million budget deficit. Monroe Representative Katrina Jackson asks for another month to see if there’s a way they can cut the budget, without impacting universities..:
cut 12 (09) “has input”
The Revenue Estimating Conference meets again December, and there’s a chance the state’s budget shortfall could increase by then.

The Public Service Commission has approved Entergy’s request to build a new 869 million dollar plant in St. Charles Parish. Entergy Spokesperson Michael Burns says the facility it will be a modern, highly efficient plant…:
Cut 6 (10) “ten years”
The plant is scheduled to be up and running by June of 2019.

LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva has sent a letter to Tiger fans outlining the qualities he’s looking for when hiring a new head football coach. He said the guidelines include integrity, work ethic, relentless recruiter and accomplished leader. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says one of the items in Alleva’s letter stuck out…:
Cut 9 (08) “Les Miles”
He said this isn’t necessarily a groundbreaking letter but it could mean Alleva just wanted to put something on paper to hopefully dampen rumors.

State Officials say 8,000 homes have been repaired through the Shelter at Home Program. In a statement, leaders say they are working extremely hard to get families affected by the August flooding back to their homes in time for the holidays. They say another 1,900 homes are under construction through the program.

Where the first round of flood recovery dollars will go is the topic of the Restore Louisiana Taskforce meeting, which is currently underway. Michelle Southern has more…

Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Get ready to bundle up this weekend. State climatologist Barry Keim says a cold front is sweeping across the state today.

Cut 13 (07) “and Monday”

Duck season officially opens statewide this weekend, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says there are twice as many ducks this year. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says they’re not sure why we’re seeing more ducks, but they have some theories.

Cut 7 (10) “migrants down”

Reynolds says the ducks could also be here because there are a lot of dry patches between Louisiana and Iowa.

The Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights gets underway this weekend across north Louisiana. Executive Director of the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lynn Dorsey, says there are different festivals being held in Alexandria-Pineville, Monroe-West Monroe, Shreveport-Bossier, Minden and Natchitoches.

Cut 3 (09) “interest is”

For more information, go to HolidayTrailOfLights.com.

The Restore Louisiana Taskforce is meeting today to discuss how the state will distribute the first round of federal disaster aid for flood victims. Congress approved 438 million dollars worth of assistance. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter Payer, says they are recommending a program that has three different ways the money will be dispersed….
cut 10 (09) “….for reimbursement”
Payer says about 307-million dollars of this first round of money will go to low to moderate income families first.

A strong cold front will move through Louisiana today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Saturday will be one of the coldest days we’ve experienced in a while…
cut 14 (10) “…quite sometime”
There is a chance for rain today as the front moves through.

Good news for duck hunters, there are twice as many waterfowl in Louisiana as there were last year at this time, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Don Molino has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

For the second straight game, the Saints had a kick blocked and it played a huge role in a second consecutive defeat for the Black and Gold. Coach Sean Payton on the special team miscue in the 23-20 defeat to the Panthers…
cut 30 (08) “….it’s disappointing”

GOP leaders in Washington are planning for the next Congress now that they know a Republican will be in the White House. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Metairie says a strong border security bill is a priority, because the U.S. lacks strong enforcement of the border…
cut 5 (10) “…national security
Scalise says improving the national economy is also a priority.

Duck hunting season opens statewide tomorrow morning as the east zone, joins the West and Coastal zones, which opened last weekend. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says their surveys indicate there are over twice as many ducks than last November, so it should be a good weekend for some hunters…
cut 8 (10) “…few areas”
The Restore Louisiana Task Force meets at this hour to decide how they’ll allocate 438-million dollars in federal flood aid that was approved by Congress in September. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter Payer, says the state wants to first provide relief for those, who are most at risk of losing their home due to a lack of immediate resources…
cut 11 (11) “…and disabled”
Payer says they still anticipate Congress will approve another round of federal aid before the end of the year to help all flood victims

Also at this hour, the joint legislative budget committee meets where they’ll vote on Governor John Bel Edwards plan to eliminate a budget deficit that’s over 300-million dollars. The governor’s proposal includes an 18-million cut to higher education.

The Restore Louisiana Taskforce meets this morning where it’s expected they’ll approve a plan on how the state will distribute the 438-million dollars in federal flood aid that was approved by Congress in September. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter, says they anticipate Congress will approve another round of federal aid next month…
cut 12 (10) “….the recovery”
Payer says this first round of federal cash will likely be available to low and moderate income flood victims.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Metairie says GOP leaders in Congress are looking at passing a bill early next year that removes provisions from Obamacare that he says are raising health care costs…
cut 4 (11) “…their doctors”
Scalise says another priority for the new Congress is a strong border security bill.

Duck hunters will love this news. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says their surveys have found three million ducks are in the state, which is almost two million more than last November. But Reynolds is not sure how long we’ll see this large duck count….
cut 9 (09) “…the season”
Duck hunting season will be open statewide, starting tomorrow morning.

There’s a chance for rain today as a strong cold front swings through the state. But State Climatologist Barry Keim says not everyone will see rain drops…
cut 15 (08) “…that regard”
It will be a chilly Saturday. Highs in the low 60s with a good breeze from the north.

GOP leaders in Congress are optimistic about having a Republican in the White House again. Halen Doughty has more…
CUT 1 (27) “I’m Halen Doughty”

For the second straight game, the Saints had a kick blocked and it played a huge role in a second consecutive defeat for the Black and Gold. Coach Sean Payton on the special team miscue in the 23-20 defeat to the Panthers…
cut 30 (08) “….it’s disappointing”
Carolina turned that blocked field goal into seven points right before halftime.

Good news for duck hunters, surveys find there are over twice as many ducks in Louisiana as there were at this time last year. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says they really aren’t sure why there are so many more ducks, but they have some theories….
cut 7 (10) “…migrants down”
Duck hunting season opens in the east zone tomorrow morning.

Get ready for a change in the weather. State climatologist Barry Keim says a significant cold front is sweeping over the state today, which will usher in much colder air. He says tomorrow is expected to be cool and breezy, with temperatures dropping even more by the end of the weekend…
cut 13 (07) “…and Monday”
There’s a chance for a shower or thunderstorm today.

The Restore Louisiana Taskforce meets today to discuss how the state will distribute the first round of federal disaster aid for flood victims. Congress approved 438 million dollars worth of assistance. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter Payer, says they are recommending a program that has three different ways the money will be dispersed….
cut 10 (09) “….for reimbursement”
Payer says this round of money will likely go to low to moderate income families first.

A strong cold front will move through Louisiana today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Saturday will be one of the coldest days we’ve experienced in a while…
cut 14 (10) “…quite sometime”
There is a chance for rain today as the front moves through.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Metairie says the Republican controlled Congress and White House are ready to move forward with an agenda that seeks to improve the economy. Scalise says G-O-P leaders want to get the oil and gas industry going and that means removing regulations so the U.S. can become more energy independent…
cut 6 (09) “….in America”
Oil is trading at around 45-dollars a barrel.

The Saints are now 4-and-6 on the season after losing to Carolina 23-20 last night. Once again a blocked kick played a huge role in this one. The Panthers blocked a field goal before halftime, which resulted in seven points for the defending N-F-C champs.

GOP leaders in Congress are optimistic about having a Republican in the White House again. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (27) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Good news for duck hunters, there are twice as many waterfowl in Louisiana as there were last year at this time, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Don Molino has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

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Where the first round of flood recovery dollars will go is the topic of today’s Restore Louisiana Taskforce meeting. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Republicans in Congress are looking forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Jefferson Parish says one of their top priorities will be to replace the Affordable Care Act. He says GOP leaders in Congress have a bill that takes out provisions from Obamacare that are raising costs and hurting healthcare.

cut 4  (11) “their doctors”

Scalise says they also want to work on a strong border security bill, as well as go after radical Islamic terrorists. He says the GOP also wants to work to halt the flood of illegal immigrants into the U.S. because right now there’s no enforcement of the border.

Cut 5  (10)  “national security”

Scalise says another priority is to save the oil and gas industry. He says there’s too much government overhead in the industry, and we need to cut back on those regulations so the U.S. can become more energy independent.

Cut 6 (09) “in America”

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Surveys by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries find there are over twice as many ducks in Louisiana as there were at this time last year. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says they really aren’t sure why there are so many more ducks this year, but they have some theories.

CUT 7 (10)  “migrants down”

Reynolds says it could also be because there’s a lot of dry patches between north Louisiana and Iowa. He says duck season has already opened in the West and Coastal Zones, and it opens this weekend in the East Zone. He adds it should be a good weekend for some hunters, but probably not all of them.

Cut 8 (10) “few areas”

Reynolds says based on their flyovers, they estimated there’s three-million ducks in the state, which is almost two million more than their November 2016 projection. He says just because we’re starting out with more ducks than usual doesn’t mean it will last.

Cut 9 (09)  “the season”

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The Restore Louisiana Taskforce meets today to discuss how they will distribute the first round of federal disaster aid for flood victims. Congress approved 438 million dollars worth of assistance for Louisiana. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter Payer, says they are recommending a program that has three different ways the money will be dispersed.

Cut 10 (09)  “for reimbursement”

Payer says unfortunately this first sum of cash from Congress is not enough to help all homeowners and businesses who experienced flood damage. She says the state wants to first provide relief for those, who are most at risk of losing their home due to lack of immediate resources.

cut 11 (11) “and disabled”

Payer says they still anticipate that Congress will approve another round of federal aid before the end of the year to help all flood victims…

cut 12 (10) “the recovery”

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Get ready for a big change in the weather. State climatologist Barry Keim says a significant cold front is sweeping over the state today, which will usher in much colder air. He says tomorrow is expected to be cool and breezy, with temperatures dropping even more by the end of the weekend.

Cut 13 (07) “and Monday”

Keim says the kickoff temperature for LSU is expected to be 59 degrees. He says Saturday will be one of coldest days we’ve experienced in quite a while.

cut 14 (10) “white sometime”

Keim says this front is going to bring some scattered showers and a small chance of some severe weather. But he expects most of the state will remain dry through the weekend.

Cut 15 (08) “that regard”

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LSU’s Arden Key enters tomorrow’s game against Florida three sacks away from tying the school record for most sacks in a season. Oliver Lawrence holds the record. He had a dozen in 1989. The sophomore pass rusher, who said before the season he would get 20 sacks, says he would love to tie the school record on Senior Day…

Cut 16 (12)” good bang”

LSU will honor 19 seniors before the game, including defensive back Tre’ Davious White. The Shreveport native likes how the team has come together since Head Coach Ed Orgeron took over…

Cut 17 (12) “next to none”

The Gators are the second best team, behind Alabama, when it comes to defending the run. Tigers center Ethan Pocic says Florida is excellent at swarming towards the football…

Cut 18 (17) “ limit that”

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The Ragin Cajuns play their final non-conference game of the year on Saturday when they visit the S-E-C’s Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. UL Lafayette is 4-and-5 on the season, but Coach Mark Hudspeth believes his young team is better than what their record shows

Cut 19 (18)   “moving forward”

Hudspeth says the team is also looking to make Acadiana proud with a good showing at Sanford Stadium. The football program has received negative criticism as a result of a viral vieo that showed four players using vulgarity and singing an anti-Donald Trump rap song. He says the players have learned from that mistake…

cut 20 (19) “you that”

The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested a mother for allegedly trying to kill her 8-year-old son by slitting his throat. Cpl. L’Jean McKneely says 40-year-old Gloria Ross’ two other children and the victim were able to escape and call 911. He says when Ross was questioned she told investigators she had a reason.

Cut 13 (06) “parish prison”

The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Many people are concerned about changes that will come after president-elect Donald Trump takes office. Governor John Bel Edwards says one policy he does foresee going into effect is the ability to buy health insurance across state lines. He says he hasn’t heard much opposition to it from members of Congress.

Cut 11 (09) “prices down”

Edwards says at this point, he’s ready to see the country come together.

There are statewide gains in student achievement, according to the Louisiana Department of Education’s annual school report cards. But Superintendent John White says at the same time there are challenges the school grading system doesn’t reveal. He says the system doesn’t fully reflect the gains made by many schools that are making progress.

Cut 7 (10) “quality is”

The report finds the number of schools receiving A grades has increased to 16, up from 10 last year.

Duck Dynasty, featuring the Robertson family of West Monroe, will be coming to an end in April after 130 episodes. The show originally drew in over 10 million views but has since declined. But Korie Robertson, Willie’s wife, says that decline hasn’t stopped people from visiting West Monroe.

Cut 5 (10) “from everywhere”

Governor John Bel Edwards has released a statement on the state’s $313 million budget shortfall on the eve of a budget stabilization meeting. The governor says Louisiana is still recovering from years of mismanagement, and unfortunately our options are limited. He says they are working with government agencies to prepare for more cuts. He says if lawmakers can work together in the next session, Louisiana will be in a strong financial position in the future.

The Louisiana Department of Education has released its yearly school report cards. Emelie Gunn has more on those results…

Cut 2 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

An 8-year-old boy is recovering in a Baton Rouge hospital after his mother tried to slit his throat. Baton Rouge Police Cpl. L’Jean McKneely says the boy was transported to a local hospital with a non-life threatening laceration to the throat. He says the mother, 40-year-old Gloria Ross is charged with attempted first degree murder and second degree cruelty to a juvenile.

Cut 14 (07) “issues”

Ross told police she attacked her son because Jesus told her to.

The Robertson family of West Monroe say they are hanging up their reality show Duck Dynasty following this final season. President of the West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce, Courtney Hornsby, says even though the show is ending, she doesn’t see them slowing down, as the family has also opened a diner and boutique in town.

Cut 4 (09) “our community”

The show is scheduled to end in April after 130 episodes.