According to the latest Southern Media and Opinion Research poll, likely voters in Louisiana don’t have an answer for how the legislature should fill a $1.4 billion dollar budget hole next year. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says the numbers show people don’t want to see any more cuts to higher education, but they also don’t want taxes raised…

cut 7 (06) “on what to do”

Pinsonat says it’s going to take the next Governor to come up with with a program that combines a few taxes here, a few cuts there…then get out and try to sell the plan to voters.

The 2014 year in weather will go down as the year of the polar vortex. State Climatologist Barry Keim says this polar vortex produced four rounds of mixed precipitation here…:

cut 4 (11) “Mardi Gras Day”

He says this large pocket of very cold air has been around for a while but it was really brought to life this year in Louisiana.

This time of year in Louisiana sees an increase of deer spotted on roadways and state officials are urging motorists to use extreme caution to avoid deer collisions. State Farm spokesman Gary Stephenson says a collision with a deer could be costly and even deadly. He says Louisiana had about 9800 deer-auto collisions in the past year ending July 1…

cut 13 (11) “hit a deer”

He says there was about $38 million in damage from deer-auto collisions in the past year.

As the result of this rain event, the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for all of south Louisiana. This watch will remain in effect through tomorrow afternoon. Showers started late last night and are now more widespread across the region. The precipitation will be heaviest along the Basin and areas to the east with places between Baton Rouge and New Orleans getting several inches of rain.

US Senator David Vitter is asking Louisianans to go see the movie “The Interview”. Eric Gill reports..:
CUT 2 (27) “reporting”

It’s unhappy Christmas present return time and another busy few days at stores and malls as folks exchange or bring back gifts they didn’t like. Cynthia Albert, with the Better Business Bureau says there are a few things to be aware of if you’re making a return. She says first of all you need to find out what the store’s policy is…:
CUT 6 (08) “store policy”
She says if you have any trouble making a return you think you’re entitled to, give them a call at the BBB.

The Duck Commander Independence Bowl kicks off tomorrow afternoon in Shreveport. South Carolina will play the University of Miami. Media Relations Director, Stefan (STEF-an) Nolet (NO-lay), says both squads have passionate fan bases and is hopeful the distance to Shreveport doesn’t keep them away…:
CUT 13 (07) “play each other”
The game will kickoff at 2:30 and be televised on ABC. This is the first time the I-Bowl will be on national broadcast network television since 1991.

There’s a flash flood watch in effect for southeast Louisiana as scattered heavy rain and thunderstorms are rolling through…:
CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they hope to release 14 young whooping cranes into a southwest Louisiana swamp tomorrow. Biologists say adults released in earlier years show up when the young birds are penned. The cranes arrived December 4th from Maryland and Wisconsin.

US Senator David Vitter wants us to go see the movie “The Interview”. The film depicts the assassination of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and had originally been pulled from release after Sony was hacked apparently by the country. It is now being shown in select theaters and Vitter says it’s important that ALL Americans stand up to dictatorship:
CUT 9 (08) “The Interview”
Vitter says he will be seeing the movie with adult members of his family at Chalmette Movies on Monday. It is also being shown at Hollywood Cinemas in LaPlace and the Robinson Center in Shreveport.

The Duck Commander Independence Bowl kicks this afternoon in Shreveport. The matchup features South Carolina and the University of Miami. Media Relations Director, Stefan (STEF-an) Nolet (NO-lay), says the excitement level has been high for this game since they made the announcement…:
CUT 12 (09) “that’s huge”
The game will kickoff at 2:30 and be televised on ABC.

There is a flood watch in effect for southeast Louisiana this weekend until 6pm tomorrow. Rain projections could be between 2-5 inches with locally higher amounts possible according to Gavin Phillips with the National Weather Service in Slidell. He says dryer conditions and cooler temperatures lie ahead as we enter next week…but wet weather will be back soon…:
CUT 5 (08) “time period”

Might be a good weekend to catch a movie inside. That’s what Senator David Vitter is hoping we’ll do to go see The Interview and send a message to North Korea that America doesn’t tolerate cyber attacks. Vitter says he’s also written a letter to President Obama asking him to show the movie at the White House for Members of Congress…:
CUT 11 (10) “and cyber attacks”
Vitter also cautions the movie is rated R and might be considered crude to some.

Lots of folks will be out and about shopping this weekend and returning Christmas presents that either weren’t popular or didn’t fit. Cynthia Albert, with the Better Business Bureau says there are a few things to be aware of if you’re making a return. She says first of all you need to find out what the store’s policy is…:
CUT 6 (08) “store policy”
She says if you are having a problem returning something and think you’re entitled to a refund you can call your local Better Business Bureau.

A national media report has labeled Louisiana as the number one place to produce movies. The report , featured on morning television Friday, pointed out Louisiana leads Canada and California as locations of productions. Eighteen movies released last year were shot here.

US Senator David Vitter is asking Louisianans to go see the movie “The Interview”. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 2 (27) “reporting”
Speaking of movies Louisiana has been proclaimed the movie capital of the world by CBS news.

With today’s check on the nice gas prices, the American Automobile Association says the current statewide average for a gallon of regular in Louisiana is $2.18. That’s down 12 cents from this time last week and it’s 92 cents lower than this time in 2013.

A flood watch is in effect for southeast Louisiana until 6 p.m. Sunday. Gavin Phillips, with the National Weather Service in Slidell, says Louisiana will see a lot of rain this weekend…:
CUT 4 (07) “amounts possible”
Phillips says the storms should end late Sunday afternoon into the evening.

The Duck Commander Independence Bowl kicks off tomorrow afternoon in Shreveport. South Carolina will play the University of Miami. Media Relations Director, Stefan (STEF-an) Nolet (NO-lay), says both squads have passionate fan bases and is hopeful the distance to Shreveport doesn’t keep them away…:
CUT 13 (07) “play each other”
The game will kickoff at 2:30 and be televised on ABC. This is the first time the I-Bowl will be on national broadcast network television since 1991.

Scattered heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to roll through Louisiana this weekend. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

A man was killed and two juveniles were injured in a downtown Shreveport shooting early this morning. Police say the deaceased, 52-year-old Robert Swenson, was likely an innocent bystander when he was gunned down in the Best Western Parking lot after the teens had just been kicked out of a Christmas Party for fighting. The shooting remains under investigation.

US Senator David Vitter sent a letter to campaign supporters Friday morning urging them to go see the movie the Interview. The cyber-attack on Sony Pictures, apparently from communist North Korea, has the conservitive Republican inviting people to see the film to send a message that Americans don’t tolerate such actions. Vitter says please keep in mind that the movie is rated “R” and some people may consider it crude.
CUT 10 (09) “to North Korea”
Vitter has also asked President Obama to screen the film at the White House for Congress.

If you’re returning some gifts today there are a few things you shuold know. Cynthia Albert with the Better Business Bureau says they get a lot of calls after Christmas with complaints about stores not taking back items like that sweater that didn’t fit…:
CUT 7 (04) “it may be theres”
She says know the return policy beforehand and if you need help you can call the BBB.

Scattered heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to roll through Louisiana this weekend. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

A man was killed and two juveniles were injured in a downtown Shreveport shooting early this morning. Police say the deaceased, 52-year-old Robert Swenson, was likely an innocent bystander when he was gunned down in the Best Western Parking lot after the teens had just been kicked out of a Christmas Party for fighting. The shooting remains under investigation.

US Senator David Vitter sent a letter to campaign supporters Friday morning urging them to go see the movie the Interview. The cyber-attack on Sony Pictures, apparently from communist North Korea, has the conservitive Republican inviting people to see the film to send a message that Americans don’t tolerate such actions. Vitter says please keep in mind that the movie is rated “R” and some people may consider it crude.
CUT 10 (09) “to North Korea”
Vitter has also asked President Obama to screen the film at the White House for Congress.

If you’re returning some gifts today there are a few things you shuold know. Cynthia Albert with the Better Business Bureau says they get a lot of calls after Christmas with complaints about stores not taking back items like that sweater that didn’t fit…:
CUT 7 (04) “it may be theres”
She says know the return policy beforehand and if you need help you can call the BBB.

Scattered heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to roll through Louisiana this weekend. Gavin Phillips, with the National Weather Service in Slidell, says a Flash Flood Watch is being placed in effect for a majority of southeast Louisiana starting at midnight tonight…:
CUT 3 (08) “and evening”
Two to five inches of rain is expected, with locally higher amounts possible.

It’s unhappy Christmas present return time and another busy few days at stores and malls as folks exchange or bring back gifts they didn’t like. Cynthia Albert, with the Better Business Bureau says there are a few things to be aware of if you’re making a return. She says first of all you need to find out what the store’s policy is…:
CUT 6 (08) “store policy”
She says if you’re having trouble returning something and you think you’re entitled to a refund, you can call your local BBB.

US Senator David Vitter is asking Louisianans to go see the movie “The Interview”. The film depicts the assassination of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un and had originally been pulled from release after Sony was hacked apparently by the country. It is now being shown in select theaters and Vitter says it’s important that ALL Americans stand up to dictatorship:
CUT 9 (08) “The Interview”
Vitter says he will be seeing the movie with adult members of his family at Chalmette Movies on Monday.

The Duck Commander Independence Bowl kicks off Saturday afternoon in Shreveport. This year’s matchup sees South Carolina facing off with the University of Miami. Media Relations Director, Stefan (STEF-an) Nolet (NO-lay), says the excitement level has been high for this game since they made the announcement…:
CUT 12 (09) “that’s huge”
The game will kickoff at 2:30 and be televised on ABC.

Christmas is over but that doesn’t mean shoppers are done with finding great deals. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 1 (29) “reporting”

In Alexandria, a local artist is under arrest accused of shooting and killing his son-in-law. The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office says 64-year-old Tony Forrest is charged with second degree murder in the Wednesday morning death of 45-year-old Tommy Thompson of Alexandria. Authorities say the shooting stemmed from an argument the two men had the previous evening.

After being called a Chihuahua twice by Opelousas State Senator Elbert Guillory, Baton Rouge Representative Ted James decided to create a fake caucus named for the dog. James says members of the Chihuahua caucus simply wore their dog pins for the Louisiana Legislature’s annual holiday party…

cut 11 (15) “light out of it”

The name calling incident happened on The Jim Engster Show.

Many people are still celebrating on this day after Christmas and experts advise us to continue to take it easy. Michele Many, a clinical social worker with the LSU Department of Psychiatry says it’s perfectly fine to “get away” from the festivities if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed…

cut 7 (10) “very helpful”

She also says too much alcohol can contribute to seasonal blues.

We’re still in the middle of the Holiday season and experts advise us to continue to take it easy. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 2 (29) “reporting”

Lafayette Police say a Christmas Day shooting has left one man dead and injured another. When officers arrived, they found one victim, a 21-year-old male, having been shot in the foot and transported him to a local hospital. A second male victim was found with two gunshot wounds to the torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

Christmas is over but that doesn’t mean shoppers are done with finding great deals. Louisiana Tech Marketing Professor, Barry Babin, says, if you’re still hunting, you can still find great deals on electronics…

cut 4 (10) “discounts on now”

He says you can still find deals because retailers need to make up for lost sales, if they had a sub par Christmas season, and make room for new merchandise that will arrive in the spring.

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs face the University of Illinois in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on ESPN this afternoon. Senior quarterback Cody Sokol feels the Bulldogs are ready for today’s matchup. Sokol says this football team has done a great job this season responding to losses…

cut 14 (11) “football team”

Kickoff is at noon.