A lot of Louisianians will be hitting the roadways to visit friends, family and loved ones this Christmas. Louisiana Department of Transportation spokesman Rodney Mallett says there are some resources to help with heavy traffic, like the “Way to Geaux” app, which is available for your smart phone…
CUT 4 (12) Q: “alternate route”

Today is Christmas Eve and one of the most sought after items here at the VERY last minute is a gift card. Tucker Group Financial Educator Jeanette Tucker says it’s best not to rush your decision, and to use a card direct from a vendor instead of the rack at a store, because sometimes they could have been used fraudently and returned to the rack empty…
CUT 10 (05) Q: ‘invalid card’
She says make sure the gift card is good for 5 years.

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A Baker man has been arrested on training dogs for dog fighting and possession of a firearm by a convicted fellon. Forty-nine year old Eugene Bernard Grayer-who reportedly had over a dozen pitbulls in his possession- was arrested by Baker police.

A thief with a heart three sizes too small is behind bars in Washington Parish, after a tip on the location of Mr. Grinch…
CUT 3 (32) Q: “reporting”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is offering up to a $7,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the illegal killing of a black bear found in Avoyelles Parish. Spokesman Adam Einck says they were first contacted about the incident on December 5th…:
CUT 12 (09) “was shot”
Einck says anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call their Operation Game Thief hotline.

Today on Christmas Eve by far one of the most sought after items here at the VERY last minute is a gift card. Tucker Group Financial Educator Jeanette Tucker it’s best not to rush your decision because you want to make sure you’re getting a card that will actually be used by the person you’re buying it for…:
CUT 9 (06) “for the consumer”
She says if you get a card make sure you use it up even if you just have a couple of dollars left on it.

Entergy is reporting over 300 customers are still without power in Tangipahoa Parish in the aftermath of a tornado that damaged several homes in Amite. The company doesn’t know when they can get everybody back up. There were no injuries in the storm.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has already started tracking Ole Saint Nick on his equipped present delivering journey around the world. NORAD spokeswoman Major Beth Smith says the NORAD military command is well equipped to track anything that travels in the sky including Santa…:
CUT 7 (09) “continent”
Smith says trackers can call 1-877-Hi-NORAD to inquire about Santa’s whereabouts or go to www.noradsanta.org.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation has a few resources drivers can use to check on traffic and road conditions on Louisiana roadways for their holiday travel. Eric Gill has more…:
CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

Gas prices continue to drop and according to the American Automobile Association they’ve been falling for 90 straight days…the longest on record. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular in Louisiana according to AAA is $2.21 down two cents from last night and falling.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has already started tracking Ole Saint Nick on his present delivering journey around the world. NORAD spokeswoman Major Beth Smith says making sure the skies are safe is part of their mission and they began tracking Santa in 1955 when a number for the jolly guy was misprinted in the media and instead kids were calling their center
CUT 6 (08) “track Santa for him”
She says the tradition continues and you can track St. Nick and noradsanta.org.

The annual Bonfires on the Levee takes place tonight in St. James Parish. Rhonda Lee, President of the Festival of the Bonfires, says this is a tradition in the parish dating back more than 100 years. She says, this year, 130 bonfires will be lit…:
CUT 1 (09) “along the levee”
If you plan to go, it’s recommended that you get into the area before 6PM.

Many Louisianians will be hitting the roadways to visit family and loved ones this Christmas. Department of Transportation spokesman Rodney Mallett says there are many different resources drivers can use to check on traffic and road conditions in Louisiana. He says you can plan your travel through their 511LA-dot-org website…:
CUT 3 (10) “on the website”
He reminds motorists to be extra courteous this Christmas.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s office says they got a tip that a Mr. Grinch was trying to steal Christmas so they immediately launched an investigation. Sheriff Randy Seal says they caught up with him thanks to help from his dog and put him in jail…:
CUT 11 (08) “really are a heel”
He says now the people of Washington Parish can sleep easier knowing the cuddly as a cactus suspect has been caught.

The annual Bonfires on the Levee takes place tonight in St. James Parish. Scott Carwile has more…:
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

It’s a little chilly out this morning but State Climatologist Barry Keim says the REAL cold will move in for Christmas morning. He says you can expect temps in the 30s for present-time and Thursday highs will get into the 50s…:
CUT 6 (05) “Christmas should be”

Clean-up and recovery will take place today in Tangipahoa Parish near Amite where a tornado touched down yesterday afternoon causing damage to nearly 20 homes. Jeff McKneely, spokesperson for Tangipahoa Parish Emergency management, says thankfully no one was hurt as a result of the twister…

cut 13 (05) “severe damage”

It is reported that at least a dozen families have been displaced as a result of the tornado.

Now that we have the nasty weather conditions behind us, State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can expect to have some nice weather for Christmas in the Bayou State. He says colder temperatures are now being seen across Louisiana…

cut 4 (09) “bottom line”

But he says Christmas morning is when the real cold weather is going to settle in.

Two Louisiana movie theaters will participate in the limited release of the controversial Sony Pictures movie “The Interview”. The film’s wide release, which was scheduled Christmas Day, was cancelled by Sony after threats were made by computer hackers. Chalmette Movies in Chalmette and the Robinson Film Center in Shreveport will screen the movie beginning tomorrow.

A thief with a heart two sizes too small is behind bars after the Washington Parish Sheriff’s office got a tip that Mr. Grinch was trying to steal Christmas. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 3 (32) “reporting”

Nearly 20 homes were damaged after a tornado touched down yesterday in Tangipahoa Parish. Jeff McKneely, spokesperson for Tangipahoa Parish Emergency Management, says with the weather much better today, they’ll continue to survey the damage, but they do have a lot of property damage east of Amite…

cut 15 (05) “was destroyed”

No injuries were reported. At least a dozen families are reportedly displaced as a result of the damage from the tornado.

Tonight it’s the annual Bonfires on the Levee in St. James Parish. Rhonda Lee, President of the Festival of the Bonfires, says the popularity of the Christmas Eve bonfires has been growing steadily over the last 25 years. There are several stories about how the bonfires started in St. James Parish, but Lee says one stands out…

cut 9 (06) “little children”

They will light the bonfires around 7 o’clock tonight.

Now that the bad weather day is behind us, we can expect beautiful, yet chilly, conditions for Christmas. Michelle Southern reports…

cut 1 (27) “reporting”

Lake Charles Police say a 37-year-old man is under arrest accused of kidnapping a woman. They say a witness saw Oscar Pete of Lake Charles throw a woman into a vehicle and drive off. When the pair got to Iowa, the victim escaped the vehicle and contacted authorities. Shortly after, officers spotted Pete’s vehicle and arrested him. Pete was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center on a charge of simple kidnapping.

Today in Tangipahoa Parish clean-up and recovery will take place near Amite where a tornado touched down yesterday afternoon causing damage to nearly 20 homes. Jeff McKneely, spokesperson for Tangipahoa Parish Emergency management, says the whole incident happened really quick…

cut 14 (13) “this storm”

It is reported that at least a dozen families have been displaced as a result of the tornado. No injuries were reported.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says now that those storms are behind us we can expect to have some nice Christmas weather. He says colder temperatures are now descending upon the state with the real cold weather settling in Christmas morning…

cut 5 (09) “chilly morning”

Keim says temperatures this morning range from the upper 30s across northern parishes to about 50 degrees along the coast, but most of the state is in the 40s.

Tonight in St. James Parish it’s the annual Bonfires on the Levee. Rhonda Lee, President of the Festival of the Bonfires, expects the levees to be packed with revelers. Lee says people from all over the United States plan their Christmas vacations to check out the bonfires…

cut 8 (06) “time with us”

If you plan on attending, it’s recommended that you get into the area before 6PM.

A thief with a heart two sizes too small is behind bars after the Washington Parish Sheriff’s office got a tip that the infamous Mr. Grinch was trying to steal Christmas. Sheriff Randy Seal says they did some investigating and were able to apprehend the suspect’s dog and attach a surveillance recorder to it…

cut 10 (08) “put him in jail”

Seal says the people of Washington Parish can sleep easier now that the cuddly as a cactus suspect has been caught.

Clean-up and recovery will take place today in Tangipahoa Parish near Amite where a tornado touched down yesterday afternoon causing damage to nearly 20 homes. Jeff McKneely, spokesperson for Tangipahoa Parish Emergency management, says thankfully no one was hurt…

cut 13 (05) “severe damage”

The twister also knocked down trees and power lines, causing power outages in the area. In a statement, Governor Bobby Jindal says the state stands ready to assist the people of Tangipahoa Parish.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says now that we have the nasty conditions behind us we can expect to have some nice weather for Christmas in Louisiana. He says colder temperatures are now descending upon the state…

cut 4 (09) “bottom line”

He says Christmas morning is when the real cold weather is going to settle in with highs on Thursday in the 50s…

The annual Bonfires on the Levee takes place tonight in St. James Parish. Rhonda Lee, President of the Festival of the Bonfires, says this is a tradition in the parish dating back more than 100 years. She says, this year, 130 bonfires will be lit…

cut 7 (09) “along the levee”

Lee says the popularity of the Christmas Eve bonfires has been growing steadily over the last 25 years or so and expects the levees to be packed tonight. If you plan on heading to the Bonfires on the Levee celebration, it’s recommended that you get into the area before 6PM. The fires will be lit around 7 o’clock.

East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner, Doctor Beau Clark, has determined the cause of death for a four-year-old child found in a water filled hole near his home last night. Doctor Clark says says Jassiah Clark drowned to death, with hypothermia as a contributing factor.

Severe weather has impacted much of the state today. We’ve had reports of hail across south Louisiana and portions of the northern half of the state as well. The National Weather Service says a tornado touchdowed down in Tangipahoa Parish, damaging several homes near Amite. At least one house had its roof torn off, but no injuries.

State Police say a West Monroe woman was killed this morning in a two-vehicle wreck in Ouachita Parish. Troopers say the victim, 30-year-old Jennifer Hale was ejected from her vehicle after losing control of her Nissan Versa and striking a Dodge Challenger. Hale was pronounced dead at the scene, the driver of the other vehicle had minor injuries.

A group of people in St. John Parish have a constructed a “Hands up!” bonfire on the Mississippi River West Bank. Michelle Southern reports…
cut 1 (31) “….reporting”

If you like fighting the crowds in the final hours of Christmas shopping, the Chairman of the Louisiana Tech Marketing Department Barry Babin says you can still get some great deals, since many retailers have already started their post-Christmas sales…
cut 14 (08) “they don’t like”
He says gift cards are very popular here at the last minute.

The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down this afternoon in Tangiphoa Parish near Amite. The twister knocked down trees and power lines in the area and damaged between 15 to 20 homes. In one case, a roof was torn off a home. No injuries have been reported.

Baton Rouge Police say the search for four-year-old Jassiah Clark came to a sad end last night when the boy’s body was found in a deep hole less than ten yards from his home. Eric Gill reports…
cut 5 (27) “….reporting’
The coroner has ruled Jassiah’s death a drowning with hypothermia as a contributing factor.

Time is running out to get your Christmas shopping done. For many last minute shoppers, gift cards are the way to go. Chair of the Louisiana Tech Marketing Department, Barry Babin, says some gifts cards are very useful for the recipient…
cut 22 (08) “….really need”

Tomorrow night, about 130 bonfires will be lit up on the levee of the Mississippi River in St. James Parish. One of the bonfires was structured as a person, with its arms up, in recognition of Michael Brown, who was shot to death by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Harold LaGrange built that bonfire and hopes it results in positive discussion about what happened…
cut 28 (07) “…about being negative”