Vice President Mike Pence visits the Crescent City this afternoon for a trip to the World War Two Museum and then a fundraising event with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. This while polls show Republicans in an increasingly perilous positions in key November races. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says it’s a chance for local rich Republicans to help…
Cut 3 (11) “…the country”
And if Republicans can keep control of the House, Scalise has a chance to move up in ranking to House Majority Leader.

The USA Today network reports Vidalia Representative Andy Anders, considered one of the most liked members of the legislature, has been released from intensive care. Anders remains hospitalized in Monroe after suffering a possible heart attack and he’s also batting a blood infection.

Louisiana leads the nation in the number of cases of the serious form of the West Nile virus. 31 people in the Bayou State developed the neuroinvasive disease, which can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage. State epidemiologist, Doctor Raoult Ratard, says it’s a bad year for West Nile and weather conditions are to blame…
cut 11 (09) “…will multiply”
Ratard says residents need to take precautions against mosquito bites.

LaFourche Parish Sheriff deputies have arrested 30-year-old Cody Toups of Thibodaux for allegedly killing a cat with a machete. Lt. Brennan Matherne says the cat belonged to his girlfriend and Toups initially threw the cat in the bayou, but then took the brutal crime a step further…
cut 14 (09) “…with the machete”
Toups has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

The Louisiana Department of Health is urging residents to take precautions against mosquitoes and the spread of the West Nile Virus. That’s because the state has the most human cases in the country this year with 53, including two deaths. State Epidemiologist Dr. Raoult Ratard says the number of cases can vary from year to year.
Cut 10 (13) “…be fairly high.“
Out of the 53 cases, 31 are neuroinvasive, the more serious form of the disease that can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage.

A member of the Hammond police department has been booked on sexual battery and carnal knowledge of juvenile charges. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s office says 44-year-old Brad Core of Hammond surrendered to detectives without incident.

A Thibodaux man has been arrested after he allegedly threw his girlfriend’s cat into a bayou, then killing it with a machete. Matt Doyle has the story.
Voicer 2 (30) ”I’m Matt Doyle”

A task force set up by the Department of Insurance has begun its work on coming up with recommendations that could reduce the state’s high auto insurance rates. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot chairs the task force and says there are state laws that can be changed, which can possibly reduce rates…
cut 5 (08) “…awarding damages”
Insure-dot-com says Louisiana has the second-highest auto insurance rates in the country.

A state task force has begun a series of meetings to develop recommendations that will attempt to lower auto insurance rates. Insure-dot-com says Louisiana has the second highest auto rates in the country and chairman of this new task force, River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says…
cut 6 (11) ” better school”
Talbot says tort reform is one way to reduce rates.

A Thibodaux man is behind bars after he allegedly killed his girlfriend’s cat with a machete. Lt. Brennan Matherne with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office say 30 year old Cody Toups was booked with aggravated cruelty to animals. Matherne says before Toups used a machete, he apparently tried to drown the cat…
Cut 13 (08) “…into the bayou.”
Matherne says the cat was found floating in the bayou.

Louisiana leads the nation with 53 human cases of West Nile. That includes two deaths stemming from the virus. Kevin Barnhart spoke with State epidemiologist Dr. Raoult Ratard.
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The NBC News Affiliate in Monroe reports a former football coach at Sterlington High School who was arrested for allegedly providing alcohol to a minor and also beating up a 16-year-old, is now a teacher at West Monroe High School. Jack Goode pleaded guilty to lesser charges from the April 2017 incident. West Monroe released a statement saying they do not believe Goode’s employment poses a risk to the safety of their students.

A task force set up by the Department of Insurance has begun its work on coming up with recommendations that could reduce the state’s high auto insurance rates. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot chairs the task force and says there are state laws that can be changed, which can possibly reduce rates…
cut 5 (08) “…awarding damages”
According to Insure-dot-com, Louisiana has the second-highest auto insurance rates in the country.

Louisiana leads the nation when it comes to cases of the most serious form of the West Nile Virus. State Epidemiologist Doctor Raoult Ratard says 31 people have developed the neuroinvasive disease, which can lead to death…
cut 12 (06) “…permanent disablility”
Ratard says there have been two deaths this year associated with West Nile, which means residents need to take precautions to minimize the chance of getting biten by a mosquito.

A Thibodaux man has been arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend’s cat with a machete. Lt. Brennan Matherne with the LaFourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, says 30-year-old Cody Toups first grabbed the cat and threw it into Bayou Lafourche. When the girlfriend’s father attempted to save the cat, Toups grabbed a machnete and struck the feline. Matherne has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and faces other charges as well…
cut 15 (10) “…against the girlfriend”
Toups bond has been set at 15-thousand dollars.

Vice President Mike Pence will be in New Orleans this afternoon. Pence will tour the National World War Two Museum and visit with veterans. Afterwards, Pence and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise will host a fundraiser for Republican Congressional members who are in a tough re-election battle. Ticket sales for the event have reportedly been brisk.

A task force aimed at tackling Louisiana’s sky high auto insurance rates has begun meeting….
voicer 1 (31) “…Kevin Barnhart”

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff deputies arrested two women after they went door-to-door and said they were raising money for a young girl suffering from leukemia, when it turned out they were allegedly trying to pay for their heroin addiction. 28-year-old Brooke Thibodeaux and 23-year-old Heather Reichert-Jackson of Denham Springs were booked on fraud charges.

Louisiana leads the nation in the number of cases of the serious form of the West Nile virus. 31 people in the Bayou State developed the neuroinvasive disease, which can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage. State epidemiologist, Doctor Raoult Ratard, says it’s a bad year for West Nile and weather conditions are to blame…
cut 11 (09) “…will multiply”
Ratard says residents need to take precautions against mosquito bites.

A nationwide prison strike saw prisoners in 17 states participate in a call for prison reform and an end to prison labor, with reports saying there may have been strike activity in Louisiana as well. People’s Assembly New Orleans Organizer Christina Nesheiwat says these kinds of strikes can take many forms…
Cut 7 (10) “…visitation

An auto insurance rate task force had its first meeting to address the state’s incredibly high insurance rates. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot is chairing the task force and the panel wants to address the elephant in the room that’s keeping insurance companies away.
Cut 4 (11) “…business here”
Talbot says along with tort reform, legislation designed to prevent distracted driving could help lower rates.

LaFourche Parish Sheriff deputies have arrested 30-year-old Cody Toups of Thibodaux for allegedly killing a cat with a machete. Lt. Brennan Matherne says the cat belonged to his girlfriend and Toups initially threw the cat in the bayou, but then took the brutal crime a step further…
cut 14 (09) “…with the machete”
Toups has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

The Louisiana Department of Health is urging residents to take precautions against mosquitoes and the spread of the West Nile Virus. This coming on the news the state has the most cases of the virus in the country this year with 53 human cases, including two deaths. State Epidemiologist Dr. Raoult Ratard says the number of cases can vary from year to year.
Cut 10 (13) “…be fairly high.“
Out of the 53 cases reported, 31 of them have been neuroinvasive, which is the more serious form of the disease that can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage.

A task force aimed at tackling Louisiana’s sky high insurance rates met for it’s first meeting on Tuesday. Kevin Barnhart has more.

Cut 1 (31)  “I’m  Kevin Barnhart”

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A Thibodaux man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after allegedly throwing his girlfriend’s cat into a bayou, then killing it with a machete.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (32) ”I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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Louisiana has had the most cases of the West Nile Virus in the country this year with 53 human cases so far, including two deaths stemming from the ailment.  Kevin Barnhart spoke with State Entomologist Dr. Raoult Ratard for more details.

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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An auto insurance rate task force had its first meeting to address the state’s incredibly high insurance rates. The commission, appointed by State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is composed of leaders from multiple industries, as well as state officials, and legislators. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says the task force wants to address the elephant in the room keeping insurance companies away.

Cut 4 (11) “…business here”

Louisiana has the highest auto insurance in the nation, while neighboring Mississippi sits at 22^nd highest, and Alabama at 30^th highest.

He says along with looking at Tort Reform, and distracted driving legislation that could help cut costs for insurance companies, they’ll also be addressing a quirk of Louisiana law that leaves the state a notable outlier.

Cut 5 (08) “…awarding damages”

Efforts to address insurance rates by attacking distracted driving and allowing seatbelt information into court proceedings all crashed and burned during the regular legislative session in spring. Talbot says he’s more optimistic this time do to a rising appreciation from legislators on both sides of the isle about how insurance rates hit the working class.

Cut 6 (12) “…better school”

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A nationwide prison strike saw prisoners in 17 states participate in a call for prison reform and an end to prison labor, with reports saying there may have been strike activity in Louisiana as well. Angola was the site of the state’s last prison strike, which occurred in earlier May. People’s Assembly New Orleans Organizer Christina Nesheiwat says these kinds of strikes can take many forms.

Cut 7 (10) “…visitation

Nesheiwat says one of the primary motivations for the strikes involves concerns about labor conditions in prisons, where prisoners are often made to work creating products not just for the state, but for private companies.

Cut 8 (06)  “…slave labor”

Nesheiwat says they hope the strikes will draw attention to the plight of the country’s prisoners.

Cut 9 (11)  “…about it”

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The Louisiana Department of Health is urging residents to take precautions against mosquitos and the spread of the West Nile Virus.  This coming on the news the state has the most cases of the virus in the country this year with 53 human cases so far, including two deaths.  Those that contract of the virus may be asymptomatic, experience flu-like symptoms, or even the most severe symptoms with neuroinvasive disease.  State Entomologist Dr. Raoult Ratard says the number of cases can vary from year to year.
Cut 10 (13)   “…be fairly high.“

Ratard says the number of cases depends on various conditions pertaining to the weather.
Cut 11 (08) “…virus will multiply.” 

Ratard says those with the worst cases of the virus could result in long term issues.
Cut 12 (06) “…have a permanent disability.”

The doctor says mosquitos do not fly far, so reduce breeding grounds by eliminating standing water around your home.

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A Thibodaux man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after allegedly throwing his girlfriend’s cat into a bayou, then killing it with a machete.  Authorities with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office say 30 year old Cody Toups is now charged with aggravated cruelty to animals in the incident. Agency Spokesperson Lt. Brennan Matherne…

Cut 13 (08) “…into the bayou.”

Matherne says when Toups returned to the home after throwing the cat into the bayou, his girlfriend’s father asked him to leave.

Cut 14 (09) “…with the machete.”

Matherne says Toupes don’t end with just the animal cruelty charge.

Cut 15 (10) “…against the girlfriend.”

Toups bond was set at $15,000

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There’s been plenty of off the field news for the LSU Tigers this month. Three players have been suspended because of arrests, two quarterbacks have left the team and suspended cornerback Kristian Fulton’s attempt to get reinstated by the NCAA has been denied. Defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko says despite the distractions, the team remains close…

Cut 16 (19) “…brotherhood”

The Tigers enter the season ranked 25th in the AP preseason poll. LSU is usually ranked much higher at the beginning of the season. Fehoko, who transferred in from Texas Tech, says the preseason ranking is extra motivation…

Cut 17 (17)  “..get out there”

Cut 18 (13) “…well together”

The Louisiana Nation Guard’s 139^th Regional Support Group are back in Louisiana today after an extended stay in Iraq. 84 troops, 60 of those from the New Orleans area, and the rest from Alexandria, returned from a deployment that began in December. The guard worked at Taji and Al Asad in Iraq, and Erbil Air Base in Iraqi Kurdistan. Sergeant First Class Denny Ricou says they were there as part of the fight against the Islamic State.
Cut 4 (10) “…the base.”

Lafayette-Mayor President Joel Robideaux believes the Lafayette public library should cancel an event called Drag Queen Story Time. The library’s newsletter says the October 6th event will be an afternoon of books, songs and activities led by drag queens. Several appeared at last night’s city-parish council meeting to support the event, high school teacher Caleb Powell says it’s very important that children are read to at a young age…
Cut 7 (09) “no matter what”

A Baton Rouge Rouses’ employee whose act of kindness toward an autistic teen became a viral video, now has a new set of wheels.  Jordan Taylor already received six-figures for his college education and is enrolled at Grambling State, so he did not attend the presentation of the car from Neighbors Federal Credit Union.  His mother, Teresa Taylor says the act of kindness of her son was a great showcase of his character.

Cut 10 (10) “…appreciative of it.”

A Katrina Museum is open to the public today after a morning ceremony christened the exhibit showcasing the extensive damage many homes suffered after the levees broke in New Orleans. Levees.org Founder Sandy Rosenthal says a new generation of Crescent City kids just don’t know what it was like.

Cut 13 (10) “…the country.”