Thousands of LSU fans are on their way to Atlanta today to see the 2nd ranked Fighting Tigers battle Georgia in the SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs have the second-best scoring defense in the nation, and Quarterback Joe Burrow credits the play of Richard LeCounte the III and JR Reed.
Cut 5 (11) “…dominant”
LSU beat Georgia 36 to 16 in Tiger Stadium last year.

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta served as the Co-Chairman on the Trump Louisiana Campaign in 2016 and now he’s been named the Vice-Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Skrmetta says he’ll have the ear of the White House…
cut 15 (07) “….regulatory process”
Skrmetta says the goal is to improve utilities, while also protecting consumers.

An Ouachita Parish man is behind bars on a 300-thousand bond after he allegedly kidnapped and beat a woman at multiple locations for two days. Authorities say the victim has a broken tooth, bruising to her head, chest, and stomach as she was struck numerous times, including with a baseball bat. 22-year-old Michael Vincent Vaughn of Calhoun faces numerous charges.

Three Louisiana men have been cited for transporting parts of harvested deer from Texas into Louisiana, violating a state ban on such activity…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

A new poll shows support for vaccines is near-unanimous in Louisiana, but legally mandated vaccinations are not as popular…
Cut 3 (32) “ I’m Matt Doyle.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has told the University of Louisiana system that he plans to increase funding for the state’s public college campuses. But Edwards did not give a dollar figure on how much of an increase. The governor will propose his budget for the new fiscal year that begins on July 1st to lawmakers in February.

Chronic wasting disease is a major concern and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reminding hunters it is illegal to bring into Louisiana out of state deer carcasses. LDWF Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says three Louisiana men from the Acadiana area were recently cited for transporting parts of harvested deer from Texas.
Cut 7 (10) “…Louisiana’s deer herd.”
The ban has been in place since March of 2017.

LSU fans have been waiting a long time to see their team play in the SEC Championship game. They get that chance tomorrow as the second-ranked Tigers take on fourth-ranked Georgia. LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow…
cut 4 (10) “…for it”
LSU is a touchdown favorite. Kick-off is at 3 PM.

LSU’s explosive offense will have it’s work cut for it tomorrow against Georgia’s dominant defense. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

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Three Louisiana men have been cited for transporting parts of harvested deer from Texas into Louisiana, violating a state ban on such activity. Kevin Barnhart has details on the significance of the infraction.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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A new poll shows support for vaccines is near unanimous in Louisiana, but legaly mandated vaccinations are not as popular…

Cut 3 (30) “   I’m Matt Doyle.”

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LSU takes on Georgia tomorrow for an SEC Championship game that could have major implications for the college football playoffs.

Tigers QB Joe Burrow understands the significance of Saturday’s matchup and says it’s incredibly important to keep LSU’s perfect season alive with another win.

Cut 4 (10) “…for it.”

LSU are 6.5 favorites in the contest, up from four-point favorites earlier in the week.

Georgia features the best defense LSU has played all year. The Bulldogs have the second-best scoring defense in the nation, and Burrow says it’s largely due to the work of Richard LeCounte III and JR Reed.

Cut 5 (11) “…dominant”

One place where the dogs aren’t so dominant; pass rush. Georgia has only nabbed 26 sacks this year, below LSU’s 30.

LSU made waves last year disposing of the then 5^th ranked Georgia 36-16 in Tiger Stadium. Burrow was only 15/30 for 200 yards and no touchdowns in that game, but this year is a whole other animal.

Cut 6 (10) “…scheme.”

Kickoff is set for 3PM tomorrow.

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Chronic wasting disease is a major concern for the state, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reminding hunters returning from other states of the ban on bringing into Louisiana out of state deer carcasses.  LDWF Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says the reminder comes as three Louisiana men were cited for transporting parts of harvested deer from Texas.

Cut 7 (10) “…Louisiana’s deer herd.”

The ban has been in place since March of 2017 in an effort to mitigate the spread of the deer-killing virus.  Bordelon says the disease has been detected in 26 other states, including the three bordering Louisiana.

Cut 8 (08) “…us CDW free.”

There are some provisions that would allow hunters to bring in deer parts from other states.  Bordelon says the transport of meat will be given the green light if the meat has been cut and wrapped with no part of the spinal column or head attached.

Cut 9 (10) “…finished taxidermy mounts..”

More details of the provisions can be found at wlf.la.org.

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A JMC Analytics poll shows near unanimous support for the use of vaccines on adults and children in Louisiana.

The anti-vax movement has made a lot of public hay over the issue, but JMC Publisher John Couvillon says his poll shows only three percent of adults disagree that vaccines are important for public health.

Cut 10 (07) “for it”

Support drops to 91 percent agreement when those surveyed were asked if mandatory immunization should be required for children to attend public schools.

Generic support for vaccines may be high, but only just over half of respondents think it should be illegal to refuse to get your kid vaccinated.

Cut 11 (10) “overwhelming”

23 percent of respondents thought vaccines often cause serious side effects.

Couvillon says the biggest take away for lawmakers is that just because a very vocal minority of people have expressed heavy opposition to vaccines, doesn’t mean they’re anything other than widely popular.

Cut  12 (11) “…Legislators” 

700 people were polled by phone for the survey.

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Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta will serve part of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Skrmetta received the appointment from the organization’s President Brandon Presley of Mississippi.  Skrmetta breaks down what the job entails.

Cut 13 (12) “…of NARUC.”

Skrmetta says among the concerns he plans to spearhead, rural broadband internet access.

Cut 14 (12) “…in the state.” 

Skrmetta will also serve as a liason to the White House to build a bridge between the organization and the federal administration.  Skrmetta served as the co-chair of the Trump Louisiana campaign in 2016.

Cut 15 (07) “…and regulatory process.”
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Southern is at Alcorn State on Saturday for a rematch of the last year’s SWAC Championship game. The Braves won last year’s title game and beat the Jags again in late October. But Coach Dawson Odums’ team has won four straight since that game, including SWAC victories over Alabama A-and-M, Jackson State and Grambling…

Cut 16  (20)  …go out there” 

Alcorn had last Saturday off, while Southern had an emotional win over Grambling in the Bayou Classic. Odums says the Jaguars have to bring that emotion again tomorrow…

Cut 17  (14)  football game ” 

The Saints take on the 49ers Sunday in a battle that may determine who takes the 1 seed and home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs.

San Fran has the number two scoring defense in the NFL, only allowing 15 points a game. Saints QB Drew Brees says unlike other teams, there are no holes for the Black and Gold offense to exploit…

cut 18  (17) stout group 

The 49ers are also number two in the league with 45 sacks on the season and are led by a dominant front four. Brees says that allows San Fran to drop seven back in coverage and still get a great pass rush.

cut 19 (17)   four ”  

The line is led by rookie Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, who’ve combined for 18 sacks.

The Saints’ offense will have to play that sought after near-perfect game they’ve openly discussed aiming for to have a chance Sunday. Drew says if there’s any time to pull it off, it’s now…

cut 20 (15) “be ok”    

A new Hepatitis C treatment agreement allows the Louisiana Department of Health to treat 2,290 Medicaid and Corrections patients in just 75 days, more than all of 2019 combined. Office of Public Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says Hep C kills more Americans than all other infectious diseases combined, but you might not be aware of how deadly it is because of how slowly symptoms progress.

Cut 5 (09) “…body”

The CDC estimates 3.5 million Americans are infected.

Jennings Police arrest five people in the shooting death of a 22-year-old at a party Friday night. Chief Danny Semmes says it was a tough case to crack, but surveillance footage finally broke it open…

Cut 10 (13) “…for three others.”

Savoie’s Sausage announces plans to expand its production facility in St. Landry Parish…

cut  2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”    

Grambling raises 6.6 million over three years for it’s latest fund drive. University Vice President of Advancement Marc Newman says the money will support scholarships and the institution’s programs.

The second ranked Tigers head for Atlanta today so they can practice at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium tomorrow, ahead of Saturday’s SEC Championship game against Georgia. Tigers Center Lloyd Cushenberry says he can’t wait…
cut 18 (12) this week
The key matchup is LSU’s offense versus the Georgia defense. The Tigers rank second in the nation, averaging 49 points a contest, while Georgia is allowing just 10 points a game and they’ve pitched three shutouts.

The 6-and-15 pelicans host the nine and eleven Phoenix Suns tonight at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans has lost six straight. The last time they won a game, it was November 21st against the Suns in Phoenix.

Louisiana Tech is at Mississippi State. State has won 26 straight non-conference home games. Tech is good at forcing turnovers, while M-S-U is good on the glass. Tip-off is at seven o’ clock.

Two of the top teams in the N-F-C square off on Sunday in the Superdome as the Saints host the 49ers. San Francisco leads the NFL in total defense, but on offense the 49ers lead the conference in rushing, averaging 148 yards a game. Coach Sean Payton on defending San Fran’s run game…
cut 19 (22) come from it ”
If New Orleans wins, they’ll be in good position to earn homefield advantage throughout the N-F-C playoffs. Kick-off is at noon.

Two high school football state title games are tomorrow night. At Tulane’s Yulman Stadium, Rummel faces Catholic High for the Division One Title. St. Thomas More will host De La Salle in the Division Two title game on their home field.

Nearly 2,300 Medicaid and Corrections patients received Hepatitis C treatments in a two and a half month period starting July 15^th, more than all of Fiscal Year 2019 treatments combined. Office of Public Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says that’s thanks to a new agreement with Asegua that’s given Louisiana unlimited access to a pill that treats the nation’s deadliest infection…

Cut 4 (08) “…infection”

The homeless, drug users, and those who live or work in non-sterile environments are most at risk for catching Hep C.

Grambling State completes one of the institution’s largest fundraising campaigns, collecting more than $6.6 million over the course of three years. University Vice President of Advancement Marc Newman says basketball star Magic Johnson’s company was the biggest contributor…

Cut 8 (12) “…higher education in general.”

Jennings Police arrest five people connected to a Friday night shooting that left 22-year-old Dakota Chaisson dead.  The incident happened at the Wade Event Center during a private party attended by 150 people.  Chief Danny Semmes says a motive in unclear.

Cut 9 (10) “…fled the scene.”

Police are still seeking Keghan Moore of Lake Charles and Dymond Brown of Welsh.

Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products announces a 12.7-million dollar expansion at its St. Landry Parish production facility.  President Frederick Lafleur says the expansion will take about eight months to complete and it will allow them to nearly double their production.

Cut 13 (11) “…Louisiana.”

Lafleur says once construction is completed, he’ll hire six more workers. They currently have 100 employees. The project is also expected to generate an estimated 172 construction jobs.

Louisiana treats more Medicaid and Corrections Hepatitis C patients in 75 days than they did the entire last fiscal year thanks to a deal with Asegua that kicked in July 15^th. Office of Public Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says the agreement with Asegua for “Subscription Model” access has resulted in 2,290 people getting treatment.

Cut 3 (09) “…folks.”

The “Subscription Model” plan runs through the next five years.

Grambling raises over 6.6 million dollars at the end of their three year fundraising drive. University Vice President of Advancement Marc Newman says the school saw more than 5,700 gifts over the course of the campaign.

Cut 6 (10) “…to do that.”

Jennings Police arrest five people connected to a Friday night shooting that left 22-year-old Dakota Chaisson dead. Chief Danny Semmes says three other people are still being sought, and it’s unusual to have so many suspects.

Cut 11 (05) “…was planned out.”

The incident happened at the Wade Event Center during a private party attended by 150 people.

Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products announces a 12.7-million dollar expansion at its St. Landry Parish production facility. President Frederick Lafleur says construction will begin next month on a 41-thousand square foot facility on their existing property near Opelousas

Cut 12 (09) “more customers” 

The expansion will add six new jobs at the company that employs about 100 people.

A new agreement for Hepatitis C medications is paying off big for Louisiana Medicaid and Corrections patients. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Three Louisiana men were cited for transporting harvested deer from Texas into Louisiana and now the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reminding hunters returning from other states of the ban put in place to mitigate the risk of spreading the deer-killing virus known as Chronic Wasting Disease to local herds. CWD has been detected in 26 states, including the three that border Louisiana.

Jennings Police arrest five people connected to a Friday night shooting that left 22-year-old Dakota Chaisson dead.  The incident happened at the Wade Event Center during a private party attended by 150 people.  Chief Danny Semmes says there was a lack of cooperation from the public, making the case challenging, but after reviewing surveillance video and witness statements, the initial arrests were made yesterday.
Cut 10 (13) “…for three others.”
A motive is unclear.
Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products announces a 12.7-million dollar expansion at its St. Landry Parish production facility. President Frederick Lafleur says they started talking with the state last year about expanding and they received an incentive package that includes a performance-based, forgivable loan of 100-thousand dollars…
Cut 14 (11) “…in the future”
Lafleur says once construction is completed, he’ll hire six more workers. They currently have 100 employees.