The Powerball jackpot is now the largest in US history at a whopping estimated 800 million dollars. UNO Mathematics chair, Dr. Tumulesh (Too-muh-lesh) Solanky (soe-LAWN-key), says the odds of one person winning the jackpot is about one in 292-million. He says obviously the more tickets you buy, the better your chances are…:
cut 12 (08) “292 million”
The cash value is 496 million for tomorrow night’s drawing, and Metairie CPA Jennifer Bored says if you happen to hit the big prize, there is no financial incentive if you take the lump sum or the annuity…:
CUT 14 (08) “an attorney”

There were reports that Mississippi State had offered its defensive coordinator position to LSU defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, but Fox Sports college football insider Bruce Feldman says that’s the not case and Orgeron really wants to stay at LSU.

The US Army Corps of Engineers announces plans to begin diverting river water from the Mississippi into Lake Pontchartrain. Jeff Palermo has the details…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

LSU legendary quarterback Bert Jones has been elected to the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame Class, the National Football Foundation announced today. The Ruston Rifle becomes the ninth former LSU player named to the College Football Hall of Fame. He finished fourth in the 1972 Heisman Trophy Race. Jones graduated from LSU in 1983 with a degree in Business Administration.

The White House announces that President Barack Obama will make his first trip to Baton Rouge as president on Thursday, January 14th. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 2 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

Four Louisiana universities have now banned the use of hoverboards on campus. LSU, U-L Lafayette, Nicholls, and Southeastern have all decided these devices are a hazard because they have been found to burst into flames while charging and unfamiliar riders tumble to the ground. SLU spokes woman Rene Abadie…:
CUT 9 (10) “campus”

The timeline for the opening of the Bonnet Carre and Morganza Spillways has changed due to recent changes in river forecasts. The US Army Corps of Engineers says they’ll open the Bonnet Carre beginning at 10am Sunday. Corps spokesperson Ricky Boyett says the Bonnet Carre allows them to control the Mississippi River coming into New Orleans…:
CUT 3 (10) “in New Orleans”
He says no decision has been made at this time but there’s is a strong possibility of opening the Morganza on January 12th.

The already record Powerball jackpot got another boost this morning as lottery officials raise the prize to a record $800 million dollars. The cash value is now $496 million.

The White House announces that President Barack Obama will make his first trip to Baton Rouge as president next week. The president will visit the Capital City Thursday, January 14th, two days after his State of the Union address. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says it’s not uncommon for the president to hit the road after the State of the Union…:
CUT 6 (08) “president’s policies”
Hogan says this may be a move by the president to pat Democrats in the state on the back for working to elect John Bel Edwards as governor.

The US Army Corps of Engineers says they will open the Bonnet Carre spillway beginning 10am on Sunday, a day after originally planned due to a change in river forecasts. The Morganza Spillway is expected to open no sooner than Tuesday. The structures are being opened to alleviate flood threats due to rising water levels on the Mississippi River.

The Louisiana Lottery says the jackpot for tomorrow night’s drawing is now $800 million dollars, the largest in US history and a cash value of $496 million. As of close of business Thursday, Powerball sales in Louisiana totaled more than $22 million for this jackpot run and are expected to climb ahead of the drawing.

Bobby Jindal will end his two terms as governor when John Bel Edwards is sworn into office on Monday. Jeff Palermo has more on Jindal’s eight years in office…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Louisiana Lottery Corporation says the Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night’s drawing has been increased to $800 million dollars with a cash value of $496 million. They say there could be more increases before Saturday’s draw. Spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin says sales are ridiculous..:
CUT 15 (09) “4.2 million dollars”
She says with this many people playing, and coverage of the numbers at this level, there will more than likely be multile winners when the jackpot does get hit.

Bobby Jindal’s two terms as governor comes to a close Monday as Governor-elect John Bel Edwards is sworn in. U-L-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says, looking back, Jindal had early successes in ethics and education…:
CUT 10 (10) “are evaluated”

The red snapper season begins today and there are new regulations that are sure to make anglers happy. Emelie Gunn has more…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Due of recent changes in river forecasts, the US Army Corps of Engineers has announced the timeline for opening the Bonnet Carre and Morganza Spillways has changed. The opening of the Bonnet Carre will now begin at 10AM Sunday. They also say the floodgates of the Morganza Spillway will open no sooner than Tuesday. The spillways are being opened to alleviate flood threats due to rising water levels on the Mississippi River.

The PowerBall jackpot reaches the highest mark for a lottery prize in US history at $700 million dollars. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 3 (29) “I’m Michelle Southern”

President Barack Obama is coming to Baton Rouge. The White House announced that the president will visit the Capital City Thursday, January 14th. The announcement states that President Obama will focus on state gains in the past seven years, including a drop in the unemployment rate and new aid for Louisiana’s early childhood education programs. This will be the 10th time the president has visited Louisiana and his first trip to Baton Rouge.

Bobby Jindal will officially step down as governor on Monday as Governor-elect John Bel Edwards is sworn in. U-L-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says Jindal came into office with the promise of making Louisiana a better state. He says the governor tried to put Louisiana government on smaller footing…

cut 12 (08) “to Louisiana”

Cross says budget problems led to deep cuts to higher education during Jindal’s two terms, which is how many will remember him.

The red snapper fishing season opens today and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has extended the limit from three to nine miles offshore for recreational fishing. Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina says the department worked hard to change those rules with the help of anglers who recorded how much red snapper they caught…

cut 9 (11) “do that”

Pausina says they were able to prove that a longer red snapper season will not hurt the population.

Bobby Jindal’s two terms as governor ends on Monday with the inauguration of Governor-elect John Bel Edwards. U-L-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says Jindal is leaving on somewhat bad terms because the people of Louisiana got sick of his absence during the end of his eight years in office.

cut 11 (06) “president”

He says Jindal came into office as a bright young man with the promise of making Louisiana a better state.

There’s a new law in effect in Louisiana designed to prevent marriage fraud, especially in cases where illegal immigrants scam to gain fraudulent US citizenship. Denham Springs State Representative Valarie Hodges, who sponsored the measure, says this legislation really tightens marriage laws in Louisiana ensuring immigrants are here legally before getting married…

cut 6 (06) “agree with me”

She says marriage fraud is a common way for foreign nationals to gain permanent residency in the United States.

Saturday’s PowerBall jackpot has reached the highest mark for a lottery prize in US history at $700 million dollars. Louisiana Lottery spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin says when prize levels get this huge, more than likely when the jackpot does get hit there will be multiple winners…

cut 14 (07) “something to behold”

The cash value for Saturday’s jackpot is $428.4 million.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announces that red snapper fishing season opens today and they’ve extended the recreational fishing limit from three to nine miles offshore. Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina says they’re opening the season in January because they were able to prove that a longer season will not hurt the population….

cut 8 (08) “anglers”

Pausina says for years the red snapper season didn’t begin until June 1st because of federal regulations.

Bobby Jindal will end his two terms as governor when John Bel Edwards is sworn into office on Monday. Jeff Palermo has more on Jindal’s eight years in office…

cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Due of recent changes in river forecasts, the US Army Corps of Engineers has announced the timeline for opening the Bonnet Carre and Morganza Spillways has changed. The opening of the Bonnet Carre will now begin at 10AM Sunday. They also say the floodgates of the Morganza Spillway will open no sooner than Tuesday. The spillways are being opened to alleviate flood threats due to rising water levels on the Mississippi River.

The red snapper fishing season opens today and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has extended the limit from three to nine miles offshore for recreational fishing. Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina says Texas and Florida have always had nine nautical miles and they worked hard to get the same boundary here…

cut 7 (10) “a start”

Pausina says it’s also unique to open the season in January.

A new Louisiana law aims to cracks down on marriage fraud, especially in cases where illegal immigrants attempt to fraudulently gain US citizenship. Bill sponsor, Denham Springs State Representative Valarie Hodges, says this measure not only protects the reliability of information on marriage licenses, it also tackles a bigger issue…

cut 5 (08) “United States”

She says the law will protect the institution of marriage.

Bobby Jindal’s two terms as governor ends on Monday as Governor-elect John Bel Edwards is sworn in. U-L-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says Jindal came into office as a bright young man with the promise of making Louisiana a better state and had early success in ethics and education.

cut 10 (10) “are evaluated”

Cross says budget problems led to deep cuts to higher education during his two terms, which is how many will remember Jindal.

It’s clear that more people than ever are playing the PowerBall as it reaches the highest mark for a lottery prize in US history at $700 million dollars. The cash value is $428.4 million and Louisiana Lottery spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin says this jackpot has shattered all records…

cut 13 (09) “in US history”

Chopin says the prize could go even higher before Saturday’s drawing.

A new law is in effect in Louisiana that cracks down on marriage fraud, especially in cases where illegal immigrants attempt to fraudulently gain US citizenship. Denham Springs State Representative Valarie Hodges, who sponsored the measure, says state marriage licenses haven’t been updated for about 40 years. She says these changes protect the institution of marriage…

cut 4 (09) “to fraud”

The changes will bar anyone from receiving a marriage license without a birth certificate, valid international ID, or passport and require the couple to attest, under oath, that they did not lie on their paperwork.

Education Week Magazine’s Quality Counts report ranks Louisiana 49th in academic achievement as the state does not compare well with others when it comes the performance of fourth and eighth graders in the areas of math and reading. But Holly Yetcick says with Education Week says Louisiana is making slight gains. She says the biggest improvement was seen with fourth graders and their reading ability…
cut 15 (10) “….pretty low”

The Attorney General’s office is not happy that the town of Springfield in Livingston Parish re-hired Jimmy Jones as its police chief after he pled guility to misdemeanor criminal mischief last year. Prosecutor David Caldwell calls it a dumb idea, but Town Attorney Brian Abels says the community has faith Jones will do a good job as police chief…
cut 12 (05) “…somehow envisioned”
Jones started work as the town’s police chief this week.

The Louisiana National Guard is mobilizing to assist, local, parish and state emergency officials in advance of flooding threats due to near record crests expected on the Mississippi River. Eric Gill has more…
voicer 1 (28) “….I’m Eric Gill”

The man suspected of stabbing LSU tight end Dillon Gordon during a bar fight earlier this week has been arrested. Twenty-year-old Jamal Joseph Vaughn of Gonzales has been charged with aggravated second-degree battery.

And the voice of the Tigers, Jim Hawthorne, has been chosen as the master of ceremonies for Governor elect John Bel Edwards inauguration ceremonies.

The Morganza Spillway will be opened on Monday by the US Army Corps of Engineers in efforts to contain the rising waters of the Mississippi River. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says water will be diverted from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya Basin…:
CUT 6 (08) “down the river”
But with the opening of the spillway, there is the potential risk of flooding from Butte La Rose down to Morgan City.

The suspect accused of stabbing an LSU football player during a bar fight Tuesday has been located and arrested. Baton Rouge Police Department Cpl. L’Jean McKneely says 20-year-old Jamal Joseph Vaughn is charged with aggravated 2nd Degree Battery. He says Tiger tight end Dillon Gordon was stabbed multiple times…:
CUT 10 (07) “the scene”
Gordon was hospitalized but soon released.

Nobody hit the more than $500 million dollar Powerball jackpot last night, but there are two new Louisiana millionaires. A ticket at a New Roads gas station matched 5 for $1 million dollars and so did a ticket sold in New Iberia. The Louisiana Lottery says you can expect more winners this weekend as the estimated jackpot for Saturday tops $700 million dollars.

Louisiana’s public schools rank 49th in the nation in academic achievement. It’s the second year in a row Education Week Magazine found Louisiana barely gets a passing grade for classroom performance. Center director Holly Yetcick (Yet-ick) says their report looks at a variety of factors, including how schools are financed and Louisiana saw its score drop in that category..:
cut 14 (05) “this year”
She says Louisiana scored a 69 out of 100 for classroom performance.

And the Bronocos have announced that New Orleans native Peyton Manning will start at quarterback for them in the playoffs.