Another enhanced drunk driving enforcement operation begins today. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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State Treasurer John Fleming was in a giving mood this week. Jeff Palermo reports.
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Louisiana Tech football coach Sonny Cumbie has agreed to a three-year reconstructed contract. Andre Champagne reports.
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Another enhanced statewide drunk driving enforcement operation gets underway today. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over goes from now through Mardi Gras, February 17th. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says Carnival is traditionally one of the deadliest periods in Louisiana.
Cut 4 (12) “…an impaired driver.”
Fischer says Carnival is one of four times a year the state does a Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, in which it gets federal funding to pay law enforcement officers overtime to look for impaired drivers.
Cut 5 (09) “…enforcement units available.”
Fischer says with so many options for you to get home safely, there is simply no excuse for you to ever get behind the wheel after you’ve had too much to drink.
Cut 6 (06) “…designated driver option.”
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State Treasurer John Fleming was in a giving mood this week. On Tuesday, while speaking to members of the Logansport Chamber of Commerce, Fleming presented a pair of checks totaling more than 400-thousand dollars to Shreveport native James Willett and his son. Fleming says he was simply returning their unclaimed property — presenting the largest unclaimed property checks in state history.
Fleming says after the family member passed away, the money went untouched for a few years.
Fleming says he wanted to present it publicly to create public awareness of the state’s unclaimed property fund, which currently stands at about 1.2-billion dollars. He says one in six people in Louisiana has unclaimed property, averaging about 900 dollars – and he says that money always belongs to its rightful owner.
Cut 9 (09) “…not the legislature.”
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Qualifying for Louisiana’s federal elections will take place next week, and there are two interesting races to watch. Incumbent Bill Cassidy could face three well-known challengers in the Republican U.S. Senate primary — John Fleming, Julia Letlow and Eric Skrmetta. LaPolitics publisher Jeremy Alford says President Trump’s endorsement of Letlow will help with fundraising.
Cut 10 (12) “…to Julia Letlow.”
The Republican primary for the fifth district congressional race has announced candidates as they are looking to replace Letlow, who represents a district that stretches from northeast Louisiana to Baton Rouge. State Senator Blake Miguez is running, even though he doesn’t live in the fifth district. Alford says we’ve seen that before.
Cut 11 (10) “…anchored House district.”
Miguez also has President Trump’s endorsement. Alford says it remains to be seen if the endorsement of the President trumps the issue of an Acadiana lawmaker representing a district that’s based in northeast Louisiana.
Cut 12 (06) “…of that chatter.”
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Louisiana Tech and head football coach Sonny Cumbie have agreed on a new three-year contract worth 760-thousand dollars a year. It’s a 155-thousand dollar annual pay cut for Cumbie, but Athletic Director Ryan Ivey says Cumbie could earn more per year if he reaches several different performance-based incentives.
Cut 13 (10) “…that moving forward.”
Some of Cumbie’s notable incentives include 50-thousand dollars for five conference wins, which increases by 25-thousand with each conference win. Cumbie could also make 50-thousand dollars for a conference title game appearance or 100-thousand dollars for a conference title game win.
Ivey says the 155-thousand dollars that are no longer part of Cumbie’s annual salary will go towards revenue sharing deals with the players, which will help with recruiting efforts and roster retention.
Cut 14 (12) “…character as well.”
Cumbie is 19-and-31 at Tech and is coming off an 8-5 season with an Independence Bowl victory. Ivey says Cumbie’s reconstructed contract is more than just a financial move.
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There will be four former LSU Tigers playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Anthony Bradford is a starting guard for Seattle, and the Patriots have K’Lavon Chaisson, Will Campbell and Kayshon Boutte. Boutte averages 18 yards a catch and has a touchdown in the postseason. The New Iberia native has the utmost confidence in second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Campbell never played for a championship at Neville High School or at LSU. But as a rookie in the NFL, he gets his opportunity after the Patriots used the fourth overall pick to select him.
Cut 17 (17) “…it’s been awesome.”
Super Bowl 60 is on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. in Santa Clara, California. Campbell says he will certainly take a moment to take it all in before kickoff.
The Patriots also have former Louisiana Tech standout Milton Williams. The defensive tackle won a Super Bowl with the Eagles last season.