A survey finds that excitement over this Sunday’s Big Game has dipped.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

A federal judge has denied a request to have the NFC Championship game replayed, a request stemming from a lawsuit filed by a group of New Orleans Saints fans who sued the NFL after the no-call that sent the Rams to the Super Bowl. The suit stemmed from thoughts that an obscure NFL rule could be invoked to replay the game if the contest had been deemed “unfair”.

A section of gypsum containment wall in St. James Parish holding back 720 million gallons of acidic and lightly radioactive wastewater is in danger of failing, potentially releasing contaminated water into the nearby Blind River, which feeds Lake Maurepas. The initial discovery was made by a farmer who grew sugar cane adjacent to the acidic pool of wastewater. A few weeks ago he noted the wall had been creeping outward, and Department of Environmental Quality Spokesperson Greg Langley says further review confirmed that.

Cut 9 (11) “the base″

The 139 acre, 30-40 foot deep lake of waste is the by-product of a Mosaic fertilizer plant.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge released the names today of 37 clergy members who have been credibly accused of abuse involving children. Bishop Michael Duca says the list is not a final piece when it comes to child abuse…

Cut 13 (10) “…from abuse.”

Baton Rouge is the third diocese to reveal the names of those clergy.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge released the names today of 37 clergy members who have been credibly accused of abuse involving children. Bishop Michael Duca says he’s heard some victims share their stories and there are no words to express the depth of their sadness and shame. He imagines today could be a difficult day for victims who never came forward

Cut 12 (12)   “…alone.”

Baton Rouge is the third diocese to reveal the names of clergy who have been credibly accused of abuse. New Orleans and Houma are the other two.

A 16-year-old Houma boy is dead after 74-year-old Lawrence Legnon allegedly ran a stop sign yesterday afternoon on LA 311. Authorities says they do not know if either of the drivers were intoxicated, and charges have yet to be filed in the incident. State Police Trooper Jesse LaGrange says they do not know why Legnon ran the stop sign shortly before the wreck.

Cut 14 (11) “…vehicle.”

The loss of excitement in Sunday’s Super Bowl is not just contained to Louisiana.  A national poll shows compared to last year, the number of people intrigued with the big game is down quite significantly. Half of those polled have zero interest in the game, which is up from 45% last year. Pollster Ron Faucheux says ultimately, this could be a concern to the league if it becomes a concern to advertisers.

Cut 5 (05) “…audience is there.”

Don’t tell Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry the NBA franchise plays second fiddle to the Saints. A recent report said one reason for Anthony Davis’ trade demands is that the Saints are more of a priority for ownership. Gentry points to the world-class practice facility the Bensons built for the team. He says it really upsets him that people would think the Pelicans are treated like second class citizens…

Cut 7 (08) “…but supportive”

Gentry made the remarks following Wednesday’s loss to Denver.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge released the names today of 37 clergy members who have been credibly accused of abuse involving children. Bishop Michael Duca says hopes this will help the abuse victims whose lives were violated and a chance for the diocese to re-establish trust

Cut 11 (10) “the victims”
A wastewater containment wall in St. James Parish is in danger of failing, and could potentially release  into the Blind River….

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Don’t tell Pelicans  Coach Alvin Gentry the NBA franchise plays second fiddle to the Saints. A recent report said one reason for Anthony Davis’ trade demands is that the Saints are more of a priority for ownership.  Following Wednesday’s loss to Denver, Gentry stood up for owner Gayle Benson and her late husband, Tom, and what they’ve done for the basketball team…
Cut 6 (11) “…win games”

The loss of excitement in Sunday’s Super Bowl is not just contained to Louisiana.  A national poll shows compared to last year, the number of people intrigued with the big game is down quite significantly.  Pollster Ron Faucheux says the decline in the interest in the NFL has been going on for quite some time on a number of different measurements and says he believes this year’s drop is tied to the NFC Championship mishap.

Cut 4 (05) “…a part in that.″
Half of those polled have zero interest in the game, which is up from 45% last year.

The Baton Rouge Archdiocese has released a list of priests who they feel have been linked to credible allegations of abuse. The 39 names are available on their website, along with the location they served at.

A section of gypsum containment wall in Convent holding back 720 million gallons of acidic and lightly radioactive wastewater is in danger of failing, potentially releasing contaminated water into the nearby Blind River, which feeds Lake Mauraspas. The 139 acre, 30-40 foot deep lake of waste is the by-product of a Mosaic fertilizer plant. Department of Environmental Quality Spokesperson Greg Langley.

Cut 8, 7 seconds, that possibility

The Mississippi River is also visible from the wastewater lake in St. James Parish. The initial discovery was made by a farmer who grew sugar cane adjacent to the acidic pool of wastewater. A few weeks ago he noted the wall had been creeping outward.

It’s not just who-dats who’ve lost interest in the Rams-Pats Super Bowl showdown, excitement over this Sunday’s Big Game has dipped.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

The loss of excitement for Sunday’s Super Bowl is not just contained to the state of Louisiana. A recent national poll shows compared to last year, the number of people intrigued with the big game is down significantly. Pollster Ron Faucheux says last year, 21% of those polled had a high interest in the game, but this year is a different story.
Cut 3 (08) “…year to another.”
And Faucheux says the poll shows that 50-percent of those surveyed have no interest at all, which is up from 45-percent from the year before.

Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry went on a rant last night following his team’s loss to Denver. He’s upset over a report that said one reason for Anthony Davis’ trade demands is that the Saints are more of a priority for ownership. Gentry says that couldn’t be farther from the truth…
cut 7 (07) “…supportive”
Gentry says the Pelicans practice facility is one of the best in the NBA.

A Tulane study raises concerns that scientists are underestimating the rate of sea level rise in low lying coastal zones. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

There are reports LSU and football coach Ed Orgeron are working on a contract extension, but it make take a few weeks to get finalized. The LSU Board of Supervisors’ next meeting is in March and they would have to approve a new deal. Tiger Rag Editor James Moran…
cut 14 (05) “…resistance this”

The American Lung Association says Louisiana needs to consider a dramatic increase in their cigarette tax….

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Two people are dead following a head on crash in Sabine Parish. State Police say a Mazda Miata being driven by Joy Rains of Robeline lost control of her vehicle while traveling on LA Hwy 1217 and crossed into the path of a Chevy driven by Jackie Hardy.  Neither of the drivers survived and neither were wearing seat belts.  A passenger in the Chevy received serious injuries and was transported to a hospital.

There are reports that LSU and Coach Ed Orgeron are working on a contract extension. Orgeron’s current deal expires after the 2021 season. Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says it’s not surprising to hear this news, with the traditional signing day for college football coming up on Wednesday…
cut 15 (08) “…to your program”
Orgeron’s current contract pays him 3.5 million dollars a year.

According to the American Gaming Association, 1-in-6 viewers of the Super Bowl will have money on the game.  Currently, sports betting is legal in eight states.  AGA spokesperson Sara Slane says two of the states that legalized sports betting last year, Mississippi and Rhode Island, have introduced bills to fully legalize wagering via mobile devices.

Cut 12 (08) “…offer convenient access.”
Legislation is likely to be introduced this year to have sports betting legalized in Louisiana.

The American Lung Association has released a series of recommendations on how the state can reduce the percentage of adults who use tobacco, which is 29-percent. They suggest raising the cigarette tax, strengthen existing statewide smokefree laws and Director of Advocacy Ashley Lyerly says increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21-years-old….
cut 6 (09) “…the adults”
The C-D-C says 12-percent of high schoolers smoke cigarettes in Louisiana.

A Tulane study finds that the sea level could be rising faster than originally thought in low-lying areas of Louisiana. Researcher Molly Keough says tide gauges are only telling part of the story, because the land is also sinking. Keough says one way to help build up the coast is river diversion projects that have been talked about for several years…
cut 9 (11) “….through science”

The details are apparently still being finalized, but reports say LSU football Coach Ed Orgeron will receive a contract extension. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Still waiting on a ruling from a federal judge in New Orleans regarding the no call lawsuit filed against the NFL by two Saints season ticket holders. The upset fans are trying to get the courts to force the NFL to invoke a rule that could result in a do over the NFC Championship game. But the Super Bowl is only a few days away and legal analysts say it was a long shot lawsuit to begin with.