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As plenty of motorists are hitting the roadways for Thanksgiving, State Police want to remind everyone in the car to buckle-up. Sergeant James Anderson says the majority of fatalities in the Bayou State involve 15 percent of vehicle occupants who do not wear seat belts.

Cut 4 (11) “…to see.”

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s Click it or Ticket campaign runs through the weekend.

The National Retail Federation is predicting a three to four-percent growth in revenues this year, especially with the trend of promotions beginning well before Black Friday. LSU Marketing professor Dan Rice believes that trend will begin to normalize a bit more…

Cut 12 (08)  “…the pandemic.”  

Louisiana “Celebration Gator” float is set to roll in the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade for the third time tomorrow morning. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx” 

A Covington family has extra reason to celebrate the holidays, after receiving a double-lung transplant, five-year-old Ava Thomas is home for Thanksgiving this year. Ava who has cystic fibrosis underwent a transplant three years ago but wasn’t able to leave Houston until she was weaned off of oxygen and pain meds following her surgery.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has lifted the burn ban that’s been in place since August 7^th but Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue encourages residents to remain vigilant when conducting outdoor burns. She says to never leave what you are burning unattended, have a water source readily available, create a water ring around your burn…

Cut 8 (11) “…went wrong.” 

Also, know what you can and cannot burn. For example, vegetation, leaves, branches, and grass clippings are allowed. Plastic, tires, paint, chemicals, newspaper, and cardboard are not permitted.

The Fortify Homes Program is opening a Fourth round of grants starting Monday November 27th. There are only 750 of the grants available to homeowners who need to repair or replace their roof to the Fortified Roof Standard of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. The grants are awarded to those who qualify on a first come first served basis. Requirements and Criteria can be found on the Louisiana Department of Insurance website at LDI dot LA dot gov slash fortifyhomes

The National Retail Federation is predicting as much as a four-percent growth in revenues this year from holiday shoppers. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

Louisiana’s “Celebration Gator” float will make its third appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tomorrow.  Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says over the last two years tourism numbers have grown. He says this is a great opportunity to promote Louisiana to the world.

Cut 11 (11) “…Louisiana shine.”

The state burn ban which officially went into effect on August 7^th has been lifted. After conversations with the National Weather Service, local fire departments, and the Fire Service the decision was made to remove the ban. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says most of the state remains in drought conditions but the cooler temperatures that have settled in for the fall dramatically reduce the chances of a wildfire erupting…

Cut 7 (12) “…can be.” 

Rodrigue encourages residents to remain vigilant when conducting outdoor burns.

The Bayou State’s “Celebration Gator” float will crawl down the streets of New York for a third appearance in the 97^th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tomorrow.  Lt. Billy Nungesser says it’s proven to be a great return on investment for state tourism.

Cut 9 (08) “…tourism industry.” 

The 60-foot-long alligator float will blow confetti out of its mouth and wag its tail along the parade route. The parade will air tomorrow at 8:30 am on NBC.

Triple A says 55 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving… Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The holiday season is here and there’s no better way to start the holidays than by giving back to your local food bank….
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has lifted the burn ban that’s been in place since August 7th. Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says after conversations with the National Weather Service, local fire departments, and the Fire Service the decision was made to remove the ban.
Cut 6 (10) “…a safety perspective.”

As millions of drivers hit the roadway for the Thanksgiving holiday, State Police are reminding Louisianans to buckle up and travel safely. Sergeant James Anderson says wearing a seatbelt is the most effective measure to minimize injury in the event of a crash.
Cut 3 (13) “….best defense.”

There will be a lot of food on the table tomorrow and some dropped on the floor. So do your best to make sure your pets do not eat any table food, especially chocolate, grapes, raisins and onions. They are toxic to pets. LSU Vet school spokesperson Ginger Guttner has this advice if your pet gets a hold of something they normally don’t eat…
cut 11 (09) “….to to someone”
Guttner saysit’s a good idea to find out if your Vet will be open or available during the holidays and what to do in case of an emergency.

Triple A says 55 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving… Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

It will be a nice day to travel in Louisiana today and State Climatologist Barry Keim says it will be cool tomorrow with a high around 60-degrees…
cut 14 (10) “….with family”

At this time of year, demand is up at Louisiana food banks. Director of Feeding Louisiana Pat Van Burkleo says monetary donations are greatly appreciated and so are turkeys….
cut 6 (11) “….be outstanding”
To support Louisiana food banks, visit feeding-louisiana-dot-org.

Family and Friends are visiting and connecting over the holidays and the LSU Vet School wants us to keep our 4 legged friends safe during all our celebrations. Spokesperson Ginger Guttner says to use caution because foods safe for us are toxic for dogs and cats…
Cut 10 (09) “…dogs and cats.”
Turkey bones can also be a source of obstructions in the esophagus and stomach.

AAA expects 55-million Americans will travel over the Thanksgiving weekend, the third highest number since they began tracking holiday travel in 2000. Spokesperson Don Redman says most people will hit the road, while nearly five-million will travel by air…..
cut 8 (07) “…behind the wheel”
Hotel prices are down 12-percent from last year and rental cars are down 20-percent.

Looking at cool temperatures for Thanksgiving as the high temperature will struggle tor reach 60-degrees. But what about on Friday and Saturday, which are big shopping days and big days for high school and college football. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we are expecting highs near 60 in north Louisiana and a little warmer for central and south Louisiana…
cut 15 (07) “…bundled up”

The Holidays are a wonderful time for family and friends but can be a challenge for our four-legged friends. Colleen Crain has more…
cut 30 (29) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Louisiana’s spirit will be a part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow in New York City. A 60-foot float called Celebration Gator will be in the parade for the third year in a row. It celebrates the birthplace of jazz, Cajun and Creole cuisine and Mardi Gras. Louisiana musicians Amanda Shaw and Alex Smith perform on the alligator-themed float.

Triple A says 55 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving… Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The statewide burn ban has been lifted. It was issued on August seventh as a result of extremely dry conditions that helped produce multiple wildfires, some still burning today. But recent rainfall has given officials confidence that residents can return to burning vegetation and ordinary yard waste like leaves, tree branches and grass clippings.

Thanksgiving is the ultimate food holiday, but for thousands of Louisiana residents they are unable to get a good meal. Director of Feeding Louisiana Pat Van Burkleo says demand is up and boxes of food are down at food banks…
cut 5 (12) “….to give”
To support Louisiana food banks, visit FeedingLouisiana.org.

Are you putting up Christmas Decorations this weekend? Ginger Guttner with the LSU Vet School says be mindful of your pets as you hang those lights and put up the tree….
cut 12 (10) “…chew on those”

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has been placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. He’ll miss at least the next four games. New Orleans is at Atlanta on Sunday.

Triple-A predicts 55-million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving holiday and many of those travelers will take to the road and skies today. Triple-A spokesperson Don Redman says leave this morning if you can…
cut 9 (12) “….on Sunday”

Many families will hit the grocery store today to buy items for the Thanksgiving feast, unfortunately there are thousands of families unable to have a nice meal. Director of Feeding Louisiana Pat Van Burkleo says there’s a growing need for donations to food banks…
Cut 4 (12) “…those families.”
More than 683 thousand people in Louisiana live with food insecurity.

Dominique McKane is counting her blessings this Thanksgiving. She was one of four people stabbed last week on the Louisiana Tech campus. Mckane told a Monroe TV station she never thought something like that could happen to her. Mckane is back home after suffering seven stab wounds, a C6 vertebrae fracture and a collapsed lung. A 23-year-old student has been charged in the incident.

The Holidays are a wonderful time for family and friends but can be a challenge for our four-legged friends.
Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

AAA expects 55-million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving. That’s the third-highest Turkey holiday travel forecast since 2000. Spokesperson Don Redman says overall travel is up more than two-percent over last year…
cut 7 (08)_ “…..on the road”
In Louisiana, gas prices are 32-cents lower than at this time last year, for a statewide average of $2.83 for a gallon of regular gasoline.

We are looking at a cool Thanksgiving weekend forecast….
cut 13 (07) “….of rain”
That’s state climatologist Barry Keim who says high temperatures over the next couple of days will be in the low 60s and we are looking at a long stretch cooler than normal days.

The holiday season is here and there’s no better way to start the holidays than by giving back to your local food bank. Teiko Foxx has more…
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

Jazz Fest is hoping 2024 will be the year they finally get some Satisfaction. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (34)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

The State Fire Marshal announced the statewide burn ban issued on August 7th has been lifted.  Louisianans are reminded the only legal items that can be burned in Louisiana are vegetation and ordinary yard waste items like leaves, tree branches, and grass clippings.

More than 46 million turkeys will be cooked this Thanksgiving according to USDA.  USDA Food Safety Expert Meredith Carothers says the best way to defrost your turkey is in the refrigerator.  When it comes to stuffing a turkey, Carothers suggests placing the turkey in the oven right away especially when using hot stuffing.

Cut 8 (12) “…cooking process.” 

According to Triple A fuel analyst Don Redman the statewide average for a gallon of regular gas today is $2.85.

Cut 9 (09) “…(x2)time last year.” 

The national average for a gallon of regular gas at $3.30.