State Superintendent of Education Doctor Cade Brumley Louisiana first through third graders showed improved on a literacy test. Brumley says second graders saw the biggest improvement, nearly two percent….
cut 5 (13) “…around reading”
But overall, about of half of K-through-third graders are reading at grade level.

Covington Police Sergeant Edwin Masters says an autopsy has confirmed the identity of one of the victims in the double homicide investigation where the victims were burned beyond recognition.
cut 11 (05) “…the second victim”
And the identity of that second victim will be released this afternoon at one o’ clock. Retired priest Otis Young has been positively I-D and the community fears pastoral associate at Saint Peter Catholic Church in Covington Ruth Prats is the second victim.

The state department of transportation has an interactive map that allows the public to provide input on proposed highway projects. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

Caddo Parish Sheriff Deputies have arrested 53-year-old Emmanuel Barrett of Shreveport after a K-9 allegedly discovered 29 grams of methamphetamine in his pockets. Lt Darin Marshall says meth problem continues to get worse and they are doing all they can to contain it…
cut 15 (06) “…near future”

The St. Tammany Parish coroner confirms the badly burned remains of a murder victim found Monday Are those of a retired local priest who went missing last weekend, Father Otis Young. Covington Police spokesman Edwin Masters says they are still awaiting identification of the other victim, who MAY be Ruth Prats, a church assistant who is also missing. He says a suspect is in custody and being held without bond…:

CUT 12  (12)        “…a false name.”

Want to give your input on highway projects the state is considering? DOTD now has an interactive map you can use online to do that. Spokesman Rodney Mallett says just click on the map for the project you want to talk about…:

CUT 08(09)      “…make comments.”

Find that map at “DOTD.la.gov.”

The state Department of Education released its fall 2022 Reading Report and it shows an improvement in reading skills for students in 1st-through-3rd grade, but kindergarten scores declined two-percent. Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says that’s due to closing schools for the pandemic…:

CUT 04(13)      “…language acquisition.”

Brumley says overall the Reading Report shows just under 50% of K-through-third graders scoring on or above benchmark.

There’s always a Louisiana connection. The passenger in that small aircraft that crashed into a high-voltage electrical tower in Maryland this week is identified as 66-year-old Janet Williams of Marrero. She and the pilot sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, but were rescued. First responders say it’s a miracle the plane didn’t fall to the ground, and that the plane’s occupants were not electrocuted.

The St. Tammany Parish town of Covington mourns the death of retired local priest, Father Otis Young, from a grisly double murder. Badly burned remains found Monday behind a local business have been confirmed by the parish coroner to be those of Father Young. Covington Police Sgt. Edwin Masters…:

CUT 10(09)      “…double homicide.”

Father Young and a church assistant, Ruth Prats, were reported missing Sunday. Two charred bodies were found Monday behind a local business. Sgt. Masters says they cannot yet confirm the other remains are those of Ms. Prats. The suspect is 49-year-old Antonio Tyson, who was just released from prison in August, after serving over 30 years for rape and burglary. Masters says Tyson is being held without bond.

The National Weather Service says the tornado that ripped through parts of Caldwell Parish Tuesday was an EF-3, with winds up to 165 miles an hour. It was on the ground for about 9 minutes; long enough to damage numerous buildings and injure two people.

Louisiana’s first through third graders showed improvement on a literacy test this fall, but Whitney Thomas reports the state’s public school education leader is concerned the percentage of kindergartners reading below grade level has declined…:

Cut 01  (28)      “…Thomas.”

Who couldn’t use a little extra cash for the holidays? One way to get some is check the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property website. One in six people have unclaimed property or cash owed back to you. You can check to see if you have cash coming by visiting “LaCashClaim.org” or by calling then at 888-925-4127.

The coroner in St. Tammany Parish confirms charred remains found Monday in a double murder case as those of a missing local priest…:

CUT 03(32)      “…Thorington.”

Lake Charles Police arrest a man from Welsh for a shooting earlier this week at a local hookah lounge that left seven people shot and wounded. Cops tracked a vehicle used in the getaway to 20-year-old Damien Guidry Jr., who is now facing seven counts of attempted murder. Three of his victims are in critical condition.

A month-long narcotic investigation in Caddo Parish leads to the arrest of 53-year-old Emmanuel Barrett of Shreveport. Caddo Sheriff’s Drug Task Force head Lt. Darin Marshall says when they searched Barrett’s home, they found a significant amount of illegal substances…:

CUT 13(06)      “…methamphetamines.”

He says those drugs were worth about $7-thousand on the street.

If you want to give input on highway projects the state is considering, the Louisiana Department of Transportation is making it easier. Spokesman Rodney Mallett says there’s a new interactive map on the DOTD website…:

CUT 07(07)      “…January 6^th.”

Now you can click on the map instead of going to a meeting or sending an email. It’s on the DOTD website.

5:30 (17) 8:30 (20)

Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s deputies have arrested 61-year-old Jeffery Brant of Ville Platte after he was allegedly found in bed with a seven-year-old girl in Bunkie Tuesday morning.  Captain Tim Ryan says the girl’s parents held Brant at gunpoint until they arrived, and it doesn’t appear that anyone was harmed, including the seven-year-old or her four-year-old sister.

Cut 4 (10)  “…by Mr. Brant” 

Brant faces multiple charges that include indecent behavior with juveniles.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy says his “No Surprises Act” has saved 9 million Americans from receiving surprise medical bills this year alone. Cassidy authored the legislation that went into effect at the beginning of the year.

Cut 6 (07)  “…Americans.”

According to the National Retail Federation, a record 197 million consumers shopped either in a store or on the internet over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, which included Cyber Monday. N-R-F President Matthew Shay says the kick-off to the holiday shopping season saw a big increase of in-store shoppers…
Cut 9 (10 “…last year”
The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana is $3.03 today, that’s down 28 cents from this time last month. And AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria (Cha-BEAR-ee-uh) credits a drop in crude oil prices for relief at the pump. He says crude oil prices account about for 50 to 60 percent of what motorists pay at the pump.

Cut 13 (10) “…last year.”  

He says the statewide average for gas should drop be $3.00 this week.

Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a Ville Platte man allegedly found in bed with a seven-year-old girl in Bunkie early yesterday morning.  Captain Tim Ryan says the girl’s parents held 61-year-old Jeffrey Brant at gunpoint until authorities arrived…:

CUT 03(10)      “…invited in.”

He’s charged with home invasion, criminal trespass, and indecent behavior with juveniles. The little girl and her younger sister are apparently unharmed.

Thanksgiving holiday weekend shopping gives retailers hope for a good Christmas season. National Retail Federation president Matt Shay says figures from the weekend indicate there could be a 6-to-8-percent increase in retail sales over last year…:

CUT 11(10)      “…four weeks.”

197-million Americans did some shopping between Friday and Monday; either online or in stores.

Police in Covington confirm the murder of a retired local priest, Father Otis Young, who had been reported missing last Saturday. A coroner confirmed the badly burned remains found Monday were Young’s. He was apparently bludgeoned to death. A second victim’s identity has not been confirmed yet, but it is believed she is Ruth Prats, a church assistant. A suspect is in custody.

The statewide average for regular gas today is $3.03 a gallon, and AAA expects it to continue to drop…:

CUT 02(32)      “…Thorington.”

Caldwell Parish is recovering after a confirmed tornado strike last night during strong thunderstorms. Two people are reported injured and numerous buildings took heavy damage near the town of Clark on Highway 126. The National Weather Service is working to establish where the twister fell on the Extended Fujita scale, but it was likely an EF-1 Fortunately, no one was reported killed.

An Evangeline Parish man faces serious charges after he broke into a Bunkie home and climbed into bed with a seven-year-old girl…:

CUT 01(27)      “…Golsby.”

Senator Bill Cassidy celebrates his No Surprises Act; a law to protect us from getting unexpected medical bills. The law has been in effect since January and he says 9-milion Americans have been spared the pain of a surprise wallop of out-of-network charges. He says, under the law he co-authored with New Hampshire Democrat Senator Maggie Hasson, patients can only be required to pay in-network costs for medical services…:

CUT 08(03)      “…the past.”

Cassidy says if you do receive a higher medical bill than expected, let the state Department of Insurance know right away, or call the U.S. Health & Human Services.

Gasoline prices still slowly dropping. The statewide average for regular gas is $3.03. AAA’s Nick Chabarria says that could drop below 3 bucks by the week’s end…:

CUT 14(07)      “…last year.”

Gas is down an average of 12-cents from one week ago.