High school principals have voted for select and non-select playoffs in basketball, baseball and softball, just like what’s already in place for football. Many Principal Norman Booker says the split needs to be expanded, because private schools have an advantage in how they can enroll their students:
CUT 12 (08) “20 years”
60-percent of the principals at the LHSAA convention voted for the expanded split, which goes into effect for the 2016-17 school year.

Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles Ieyoub is back in state government. Governor John Bel Edwards has appointed Ieyoub as the state’s Commissioner of Conservation. He’s in charge of conserving and regulating oil, gas and lignite resources in the state. Ieyoub served as A-G from 1992 to 2004.

Carnival season has arrived across Louisiana and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says expect to see more officers looking for drunk drivers. It’s part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign. L-H-S-C executive director Lt. Colonel John Leblanc says don’t get behind the wheel if you have been drinking…
cut 7 (08) “…enjoy yourself”
Last year, there were nearly 600 fatal and injury crashes and 10 fatalities in the five days leading up to Fat Tuesday.

The deadline to enroll for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is this Sunday. Healthcare-dot-gov CEO Kevin Counihan says over 200,000 Louisianians have already signed up for coverage through the federal insurance marketplace. He says financial assistance through healthcare-dot-gov can really help in making insurance more affordable…:
CUT 4 (07) “financial assistance”
Counihan says if you don’t have health insurance in 2016, you could face a penalty of up to 695-dollars.

Skimming devices, which document credit card numbers, keep popping up on gasoline pumps throughout the state. Michelle Southern reports…:
voicer 4 (30) “…I’m Michelle Southern”

The Mardi Gras parade season has arrived and law enforcement is putting more officers on the roads as part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, Executive Director Lt. Col John Leblanc…:
CUT 8 (07) “really needed”
Last year, there were were nearly 600 fatal and injury crashes and 10 fatalities during the five-day Mardi Gras weekend.

Starting with the 2016-17 school year, split playoffs will expand from football to high school basketball, baseball and softball. That’s the result of a vote of high school principals who attended the LHSAA convention. 60-percent of them voted for it. LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine says he’s heard from many who are against a further expansion of the split…
cut 14 (09) “…differently”
The vote came after heated discussion from supporters and opponents of the proposal.

The LSU Board of Supervisors athletic committee approves changes to its statue rules that would allow a likeness of Pete Maravich to be errected on campus. Currently statues aren’t allowed of people who didn’t graduate from LSU. But Board member Scott Angelle says it’s terrible that they actually have to debate this issue…:
CUT 10 (10) “fix it”
A couple of steps still need to be taken before this becomes reality.

High school principals within the LHSAA have voted to extend the select-non-select split to basketball, baseball and softball, meaning those sports will have the same postseason format as football. Beekman Charter principal Roy McCoy says further division in the LHSAA is not good.
cut 13 (09) “…skirt the rules’
The split playoffs for the three additional sports will go into effect for the 2016-17 school year.

Sunday at midnight is the deadline to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act in order to avoid a penalty of up to 695-dollars. Healthcare-dot-gov CEO Kevin Counihan says you only need four pieces of information to get started…
cut 3 (11) “….financial help”
He says financial assistance is available for most Louisiana residents.

The LSU Board of Supervisors is changing the rules so they could build a statue of former LSU star Pete Maravich. Since “Pistol Pete” never graduated college, the school can’t move forward to put a life-size statue next to the building that’s named after him. LSU board member Stephn Perry says it’s time to do what they should have done a long time ago…
cut 11 (10) “….earned this right”
Maravich is still the NCAA record holder for most points scored in college basketball.

Starting today and running through Fat Tuesday, law enforcement will have more officers on the road looking for drunk drivers as part of their Drive Sober or Get Pulled over Campaign. Lt Colonel John Leblanc is the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission…
cut 6 (10) “….impaired driving”

Split playoffs that separate public and private schools are coming to the LHSAA in the sports of basketball, baseball and softball. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
CUT 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The deadline to enroll for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is this Sunday. Healthcare-dot-gov CEO Kevin Counihan says the penalty for choosing not to have health insurance has gone up this year…:
CUT 5 (07) “household income”

The Mardi Gras parade season has arrived and law enforcement is putting more officers on the roads as part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, Executive Director Lt. Col John Leblanc, says law enforcement increases its presence on the roads during the times of the year when fatal crashes are most prevalent…:
CUT 8 (07) “really needed”
Last year, there were were nearly 600 fatal and injury crashes and 10 fatalities during the Mardi Gras holiday.

The LSU Board of Supervisors athletic committee approves changes to its statue policy, which could clear the way for a Pete Maravich statue in front of the building that’s named after him. For a life size statue to be erected on LSU’s campus of a former athlete that person must have graduated from the school. The board is looking to eliminate graduation provision and require the former student athlete to achieve at least 100 credit hours or attend school for three years.

High school principals have voted for select and non-select playoffs in basketball, baseball and softball, just like what’s already in place for football. The vote took place today, the final day of the LHSAA convention. Many Principal Norman Booker says the split needed to be expanded, because private schools have an advantage in how they can enroll their students:
CUT 12 (08) “20 years”
The vote was 182-120 for the expanded split.

The statewide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign begins today and runs through Mardi Gras. Executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, Lt. Col John Leblanc, says Fat Tuesday celebrations often involves alcohol, and they want to stress the alternatives to drunk driving:
CUT 7 (08) “enjoy yourself”
Increased patrols will be out during the campaign.

The LSU Board of Supervisors athletic committee approves changes to its statue rules that would allow a likeness of Pete Maravich to be errected on campus. Currently statues aren’t allowed of people who didn’t graduate from LSU. But Board member and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle says it’s terrible that they actually have to debate this issue about the best basketball player ever play at LSU…:
CUT 10 (10) “fix it”
The policy would say instead of a degree, 100 credit hours would be required and Maravich would meet that. The matter still needs a full board approval.

A 12-year-old boy is under his arrest for his role in the death of an elderly nun. It’s reported that an incident occured in October where 87-year-old Sister Rosario O’Connell was helping the child with his homework, when he became enraged and slammd her into a wall which caused brain damage that could have killed her. O’Connell died this week.

The LSU Board of Supervisors discussed a proposal today that would alter rules and allow a statue of Pete Maravich to be erected on campus. An athletics policy currently blocks a statue of Pistol Pete, because he didn’t graduate. Former star LSU basketball player Collis Temple, who integrated the team, says the legacy of Maravich must be preserved…:
CUT 9 (06) “college basketball”
The policy would say instead of a degree, 100 credit hours would be required and Maravich would meet that. It must still be approved by the full board.

Louisiana High School Athletic Association principals voted 182-120 to not only continue the select/non-select playoff split but also expand it to basketball, baseball and softball. The vote means there will continue to be nine championship football games. Before the split, there were five classes with five championship games. The change will go into effect July 1, 2016.

The deadline to enroll for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is this Sunday. Healthcare-dot-gov CEO Kevin Counihan says over 200,000 Louisianians have already signed up for coverage through the federal insurance marketplace. He says financial assistance through healthcare-dot-gov can really help in making insurance more affordable…:
CUT 4 (07) “financial assistance”
He says there is still plenty of time to get coverage before Sunday night’s midnight deadline, but encourages people to not wait until the last minute.

Troy ‘Choot em’ Landry, of Swamp People is now offering a $1000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible for damaging his gate on a canal. The canal is located just south of Bayou Tranquil and is better known as the Mitchell Canal in Lake Verret.

The Mardi Gras parade season has arrived and law enforcement is putting more officers on the roads. It’s part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled over Campaign, which will last through Fat Tuesday. Executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, Lt. Col John Leblanc, says law enforcement is publicizing this increase in officers in the hopes that it will deter people from drunk driving…:
CUT 6 (10) “impaired driving”

An elderly nun is dead in Houma after she was reportedly pushed into a wall by a 12-year-old boy, who is now facing charges. Apparently the victim suffered brain damage that authorities believed killed her. The report indicates the incident happened as the nun was helping the student with his homework at the Louis Infant Crisis Center in October, when the child became angry and tackled her into a wall. Sister Rosario O’Connell died this week at the age of 87. The juvenile faces second-degree battery charges.

The deadline to enroll for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is rapidly approaching. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association has voted to aplit the playoffs in the sports of basketball, baseball and softball, just like they’ve done for football the last three years. The vote was 182-120. The split will go into effect next school year and the LHSAA will have a lot of work to do to figure out how this will work logistically.

The deadline to enroll for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is this Sunday. Healthcare-dot-gov CEO Kevin Counihan says over 200,000 Louisianians have already signed up for coverage through the federal insurance marketplace. He says it’s easy to sign up and you only need four pieces of information to get started…:
CUT 3 (11) “financial help”
He says 62-percent of Louisiana residents are able to find plans for $75 or less with financial assistance.

Today the LHSAA is set to vote on the future of playoffs for high school athletics in Louisiana. They are going to decide whether or not to continue the select/nons-elect split. The convention could also choose to expand the system to other sports. The issue was discussed through several meetings on Thursday.

Another candidate has entered the race for US Senate, but this one will run as an Independent….:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Tulane University and Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System researchers say they have created a painkiller that’s just as strong as morphine but non-addictive. Lead Investigator Dr. James Zadina says in recent years, we’ve seen an increase in overdose deaths from opioid uses…:
Cut 15 (06) “some extent”

Researchers from Tulane University have developed a non-addictive pain killer as an alternative to morphine. Emelie Gunn has more on the new drug…

cut 3 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The number of Louisianians purchasing health insurance under the Affordable Care Act continues to grow. Over 198,000 residents have enrolled for health care coverage through the federal insurance marketplace. That’s approximately 12,000 more than last year. Open enrollment for the Afordable Care Act ends Sunday.

The Department of Ag & Forestry continues to locate skimming devices on gas pumps across Louisiana. Commissioner Mike Strain says 25 skimming devices have been discovered throughout the state since last June. He says if you are using a card at the pump, you should run it as a credit, not a debit…

cut 12 (10) “you can see them”

These devices steal a consumer’s credit card or debit card information.

The Department of Transportation is warning drivers of a single lane closure on eastbound I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish just before the Mississippi River Bridge beginning today. DOTD Spokesperson Rodney Mallett says the construction will patch and pave the road starting at I-10 at LA 1. He says you can visit 511-LA-dot-org for current traffic updates…

cut 9 (09) “alternative route”

The lane will close tonight at 8:30 and reopen Monday morning at six.

Skimming devices, which document credit card numbers, keep popping up on gas pumps throughout the state…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Governor John Bel Edwards’ Medicaid expansion plan will get its first legislative test today. The Edwards administration is seeking to hire health department workers to sign residents up for the expanded coverage. The joint House and Senate budget committee is expected to consider the hiring plan today. The proposal would cost $10.3 million this budget year, that would be paid by the federal government and health providers.

Former state legislator and Alcohol and Tobacco Control Commissioner Troy Hebert announces he’s running for the US Senate. A television station reported this week that Hebert is being investigated by the FBI for allegedly receiving sexual favors from a New Orleans woman who was having trouble with their liquor license. Hebert says those accusations are completely false…

cut 6 (12) “U.S. senator”

Hebert will run for Senate as an Independent.

The Department of Transportation is alerting drivers of a single lane closure beginning today on eastbound I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish just before the Mississippi River Bridge. DOTD Spokesperson Rodney Mallett says construction is necessary to maintain the integrity of the roadway. But he says they tried to schedule the road work during times with the least amount of traffic.

cut 7 (07) “at six”

Mallett says visit 511-LA-dot-org for current traffic updates.