A late Christmas gift for tens of thousands of people in the greater Baton Rouge area. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Two years ago today, Governor Jeff Landry officially took office. Jeff Palermo looks back at the first half of his four-term.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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It’s a late Christmas gift for some 17-thousand people in the greater Baton Rouge area. The Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation and Undue Medical Debt teamed up to erase their medical debt, totaling 22-million dollars. Tristi Charpentier (SHARP-in-tay), the vice president of people-centered initiatives at the foundation, says those people didn’t have to do anything – the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt took the first step.

Cut 3 (06) “…third-party debt collectors.”

Charpentier says the foundation researched the people who owed the debts to determine which ones met its qualifications to have those debts wiped out.

Cut 4 (08) “…family’s annual income.”

Charpentier says in the ten-parish Capitol area, there are many people who could use the assistance when faced with medical expenses.

Cut 5 (11) “…month to month.”

While the endowed foundation has donated more than 90-million dollars to increase access to healthcare in the region over the last 25 years, this is the first time it has done a medical debt relief program.

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The Louisiana Department of Economic Development is celebrating the state’s second straight Platinum Deal of the Year. This year, the publication Business Facilities singled out the Hyundai Steel mill in Ascension Parish for its top honor. Secretary Susan Bourgeois says one of the biggest wins with that project was Hyundai building it in Louisiana in the first place.

Cut 6 (06) “…ultimately choosing us.”

Bourgeois says the Hyundai Steel mill will be innovative in every way.

Cut 7 (10) “…steel that exists.”

Louisiana has become the first state to win two straight Platinum Deal of the Year awards from Business Facilities. Bourgeois says now the big challenge is to do it again.

Cut 8 (06) “…looking at it.”

Last year’s Platinum Deal of the Year was the Meta A-I data center in Richland Parish. Bourgeois says the two projects speak to the diversity of the economic development projects going on in the state.

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Today marks the two-year anniversary of when Jeff Landry was sworn in as the state’s 57th governor. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Landry’s biggest accomplishment was the tax reform legislation he urged legislators to approve in 2024.

Cut 9 (11)  “…did it.”

A flat income tax rate of three percent went into effect on January 1st, 2025.

One month after he took office in January 2024, Landry called a special session that resulted in several tough on crime bills being passed, including legislation that rolled back reforms approved in 2017.

His first year in office also saw the passage of a bill that requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The courts have yet to rule if that legislation is constitutional, but the governor also signed bills that prohibits public school teachers from discussing sexual orientation, and a transgender bathroom ban was enacted. Pinsonat says Landry will focus more on economic development in the next two years of his term.

Cut 10 (12) “…get involved in.” 

Pinsonat says Landry has done a good job in getting most of his legislative agenda approved. The Louisiana Senate failed to go along with his idea for a constitutional convention, and Landry has received criticism for getting too involved in LSU athletics, the firing of A-D Scott Woodward and having a live tiger on the field for the 2024 Alabama game. Pinsonat says those missteps have not hurt him too much.

Cut 11 (07) “…been involved in.”

The Louisiana Department of Economic Development is hailing the state’s second straight Platinum Deal of the Year. This year, the publication Business Facilities singled out the Hyundai Steel mill in Ascension Parish, which Secretary Susan Bourgeois says will be innovative in every way.

Cut 7 (10) “…steel that exists.”

Last year’s Platinum Deal of the Year was the Meta A-I data center in Richland Parish.

Two groups team up to wipe out 22-million dollars worth of medical debt for some 17-thousand people in the greater Baton Rouge area. Undue Medical Debt bought the debt, and Tristi Charpentier the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation chose the beneficiaries based on certain qualifications.

Cut 5 (11) “…month to month.”

Two years ago today, Governor Jeff Landry officially took office. Jeff Palermo looks back at the first half of his four-term.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The Louisiana Department of Health says a child has died from the flu. It is not releasing any details about the patient due to privacy concerns. Flu activity is in the very high category in all but two states in the country. The CDC says there are about 11-million flu cases across the country, including about five-thousand deaths.

Today marks the two-year anniversary of when Jeff Landry was sworn in as the state’s 57th governor. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Landry’s biggest accomplishment was the tax reform legislation he urged legislators to approve in 2024.

Cut 9 (11)  “…did it.”

A flat income tax rate of three percent went into effect on January 1st of last year.

The Louisiana Department of Economic Development is celebrating the state’s second straight Platinum Deal of the Year. This year, the publication Business Facilities singled out the Hyundai Steel mill in Ascension Parish for its top honor. Secretary Susan Bourgeois says one of the biggest wins with that project was Hyundai building it in Louisiana in the first place.

Cut 6 (06) “…ultimately choosing us.”

Some 17-thousand people in the greater Baton Rouge area had their medical debt wiped out. The Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation and Undue Medical Debt teamed up to erase 22-million dollars of medical debt. Tristi Charpentier (SHARP-in-tay) with the foundation says Undue Medical Debt bought the debt, and the foundation chose the beneficiaries based on qualifications.

Cut 4 (08) “…family’s annual income.”

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says 16 black bears were harvested during bear hunting season.  Large Carnivore Program Manager John Hanks says it’s the second straight year Louisiana had a black bear hunting season after not having one for 35 years while the animal was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Cut 23 (10) “…was 341 pounds.”

New dietary guidelines issued by the Trump Administration urge Americans to prioritize proteins and healthy fats, like fats found in red meat and whole milk, and limit ultra-processed foods and added sugar. Cathy Champagne, a professor of nutrition at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, applauds the call to limit processed foods and added sugars.

Cut 13 (10)  “…metabolic risk factors.”

The number of Chronic Wasting Disease detections in wild deer is up to 49. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says lab results came back positive for CWD on a buck harvested in Concordia Parish. Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says CWD has been detected in three parishes.

Cut 10 (12) “…detection in Concordia.”

Due to the confirmed detection during the ongoing deer season, hunters are encouraged to submit additional hunter-harvest samples for testing.

A late Christmas gift for tens of thousands of people in the greater Baton Rouge area. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, says a player from Baton Rouge won one-point-one million dollars on a penny slot machine. The Wheel of Fortune game on the main casino floor at Beau Rivage is a statewide progression. It’s linked to other Mississippi casinos and each spin increases the total jackpot.

It’s a late Christmas gift for some 17-thousand people in the greater Baton Rouge area. The Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation and Undue Medical Debt teamed up to erase their medical debt. Tristi Charpentier (SHARP-in-tay), the vice president of people-centered initiatives at the foundation, says those people didn’t have to do anything – the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt took the first step.

Cut 3 (06) “…third-party debt collectors.”

Work is underway to replace the Tech Drive bridge over I-20 in Ruston. State transportation officials say the bridge was originally built in 1963 and has outlived its usefulness. Erin Buchanan with DOTD says they will try to keep traffic disruptions to a minimum during the project.

Cut 6 (09) “…it typically does.”

The project is four years at a cost of 39-million dollars.

Local nutrition experts are expressing concerns about some parts of the new federal nutrition guidelines, including the one that places no limitations on the consumption of red meat. Cathy Champagne, a professor of nutrition at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, points out that the fat in red meat is saturated fat. She says eating red meat in moderation is okay, and she urges you to choose the cut of meat wisely.

Cut 15 (10) “…for cardiovascular disease.”

The number of Chronic Wasting Disease detections in wild deer is up to 49. Because of that, hunters are encouraged to submit additional hunter-harvest samples for testing. Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says a CWD sample drop-off site is located along Highway 15 near the Richard K Yancey WMA.

Cut 11 (09) “…to diagnostic testing.”

If you bought your auto insurance policy from Flo, your premium will likely go down at renewal time. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (25) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Construction began this week on replacing Tech Drive, also known as LA 544 overpass over I-20 in Ruston. The 39-million dollar project is expected to take until late 2029 to be completed. DOTD spokesperson Erin Buchanan says in the meantime, motorists can continue to use the existing LA 544 overpass…

Cut 5 (10) “….to do that’

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says 16 Louisiana Black Bears were harvested during the state’s legal black bear hunting season that took place last month. LDWF’s Large Carnivore Program Manager, John Hanks, says a bear that is well over 300 pounds supplies 200 plates of food, and he says bear fat is also useful.

Cut 9 (06)   “…waterproof their boots.” 

A deer shot and killed by a hunter on the Richard K Yancey Wildlife Management Area in Concordia Parish has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, bringing the total number of CWD detections in wild deer up to 49. CWD was first detected in Louisiana in 2022. Deer Program Manager Jonthan Bordelon says cases of neurodegenerative disease of White-tailed deer in Louisiana have been confined to the Delta Parishes…

Cut 12 (10) “…north-south pattern”

CWD is 100-percent fatal in affected deer.

New dietary guidelines issued by the Trump Administration urge Americans to prioritize proteins and healthy fats, like fats found in red meat and whole milk, and limit ultra-processed foods and added sugar. Cathy Champagne, a professor of nutrition at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, applauds the call to limit processed foods and added sugars.

Cut 13 (10)  “…metabolic risk factors.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says 16 black bears were harvested during a 16-day hunting season in December. LDWF’s Large Carnivore Program manager, John Hanks, say it’s the second straight year Louisiana had a black bear hunting season after not having one for 35 years because the animal was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Cut 8 (10) “…was 341 pounds.”

The largest bear harvested was 565 pounds.

Governor Landry says he will travel to Greenland in a couple months as part of his new side hustle as special envoy to Greenland. It comes as President Trump has ramped up talk of acquiring the island nation from Denmark. Both Denmark and Greenland are staunchly opposed to the idea. Landry told Brian Kilmeade of Fox News that the United States could do more for Greenland than Denmark.

Cut 28 (09) “…and partner.”

The number of Chronic Wasting Disease detections in wild deer is up to 49. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says lab results came back positive for CWD on a buck harvested in the Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area in Concordia Parish. Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon says CWD has been detected in three parishes.

Cut 10 (12) “…detection in Concordia.”

Due to the confirmed detection during the ongoing deer season, hunters are encouraged to submit additional hunter-harvest samples for testing.

The Trump Administration has published new dietary guidelines, and it recommends that Americans should eat more whole foods and protein and stay away from processed foods and added sugar. The guidelines also suggest Americans should choose whole-food sources of saturated fat—such as meat and whole fat dairy. Cathy Champagne, a nutrition professor at LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center, says while whole fat dairy may be good for some, it may cause complications for others…

Cut 14 (07) “…. advantageous to you”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says 16 Louisiana Black Bears were harvested during the state’s legal black bear hunting season that took place last month. LDWF’s Large Carnivore Program Manager, John Hanks, says a bear that is well over 300 pounds supplies 200 plates of food, and he says bear fat is also useful.

Cut 9 (06)   “…waterproof their boots.” 

A major bridge replacement project in Ruston is now underway. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

If you have Progressive Auto Insurance, you could see your rates go down this year. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple has approved a six-point-six percent average rate decrease for Progressive Security Insurance Company customers and a four-percent average decrease for Progressive Paloverde Insurance. The rate decreases will impact 470-thousand policyholders.