An Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress, including Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Garret Graves, hit a garbage truck near Charlottesville, Virginia….:
Cut 2 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Gas prices keeping on rising. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular is $2.43, up 6 cents from last week. AAA Fuel Analyst Don Redman says prices will be even higher during busy travel months…:
Cut 7 (09) “in Louisiana”

I-10 westbound was closed for several hours this morning at the West Pearl River Bridge in Slidell due to multiple accidents involving two 18-wheelers that were hauling live bees. Trooper Dustin Dwight says thankfully they were able to contain the bees fairly quickly, but it was quite a task…:
Cut 10 (09) “plus career”
He said no one was seriously injured in the crashes.

Louisianans looking to buy local products at their grocery store should look for a new logo. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says the new, certified images are bigger and flashier than before, which he hopes spurs more interest in home grown products…:
Cut 16 (10) “buy Louisiana”
The certified logos include: Certified Louisiana, Certified Cajun, Certified Creole and Certified Farm to Table.

An Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress to a retreat in West Virginia, including Senator Bill Cassidy and Baton Rouge Representative Garret Graves, collided with a garbage truck near Charlottesville, Virginia. Cassidy says one of the occupants of the garbage truck died. He explains what happened…:
Cut 11 (06) “got stuck”
Cassidy and his wife, and Graves’ office says they are all okay.

Today is the deadline for retailers to mail notices to Louisiana residents who purchased products online, but did not pay sales tax. Customers are required to include these forms so they can pay those taxes when they file this year. Louisiana Department of Revenue spokesperson Byron Henderson:
Cut 3 (10) “our website”
Amazon already charges sales tax at the time of purchase.

The state Department of Agriculture announces a new logo to look for if you’re interested in purchasing home grown products at the grocery store.
Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says they have overhauled their Certified logo program with a flashier, more diverse image to further highlight goods made in the Bayou State…:
Cut 14 (10) “of Louisiana”
Visit ldaf.la.gov to check out the new logo.

A Jefferson Parish man imprisoned for nearly four decades is free after being cleared in a 1979 rape. 58-year-old Malcolm Alexander’s conviction and life sentence were thrown out Tuesday by a state judge in Gretna.

Motorists continue to see higher gas prices, and a return to $3.00 a gallon may not be too far off. The current average for a gallon of regular gasoline is 2.43, up from six cents a week ago. Triple A fuel analyst Don Redman says this is unusual for this time of year as demand is typically down:
Cut 6 (11) “seen that”
A year ago we were paying $2.15 a gallon.

I-10 westbound is closed at the West Pearl River Bridge in Slidell due to multiple accidents involving two 18-wheelers that were hauling live bees. Trooper Dustin Dwight says there are a total of 8 vehicles involved in the crash and first responders are dealing with a mess…:
CUT 9 (10) “hands full”
He doesn’t know when they will be able to re-open the interstate.

A TOPS task force is meeting at the capitol at this year and changes could be coming to the popular scholarship program…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The State Health Department is offering free flu shots today at parish health units, in hopes more people will be vaccinated. Regional Health Director Dr. Marilyn Reynaud says over ten percent of doctor visits are for influenza related symptoms…:
Cut 25 (11) “healthy sick”
Visit ldh.la.gov for participating health units.

The TOPS task force is meeting and they are looking at several recommendations to change the popular scholarship program. Governor Edwards has said he doesn’t want to make major changes, but Senate Education Chairman Blade Morrish is proposing a four-thousand dollar stipend for those TOPS Opporutunity recipients, but the award amount would go up for students who achieve a higher ACT score and GPA…
cut 9 (07) “….21st century”
Morrish’s proposal would need legislative approval.

Louisiana has been experiencing a horrendous flu season and today the state is offering free vaccinations for the virus. Regional Health Director Dr. Marilyn Reynaud details who is at the highest risk of getting the flu…
Cut 11 (13) “of age”
The free flu shots will be available from 1-4:30 at more than 60 parish health units.

House Speaker Taylor Barras provides Governor Edwards with budget cutting proposals as part of the negotiations to solve next fiscal year’s billion dollar shortfall. House Republican delegation chairman Lance Harris says they are pushing for a lower spending cap…:
cut 14 (11) “budget reforms”
Edwards asked Republican lawmakers to present a plan on how to address the fiscal cliff which could be discussed in a special session next month.

One of the special guests at last night’s State of the Union was 14-year-old Bella Reed, who was born with cystic fibrois. Congressman Clay Higgins says he’s worked with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to support critical research and advances in eradicating the fatal disease….
cut 5 (10) “…cure it”

The state is holding a day of free flu vaccinations today at health units across Louisiana for those who have not yet been vaccinated…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal accident involving a pedestrian who was struck by a Sheriff’s Office vehicle. They say Sgt. Pat Brooks had just left an off-duty job around 9:45 last night when he made impact with a black male wearing a black shirt and black pants on a street with no lights. The pedestrian later died.

Republican House Speaker Taylor Barras provides Governor John Bel Edwards with budget cutting proposals as part of the negotiations to solve a nearly billion dollar shortfall. GOP delegation chairman Lance Harris says if the governor supports their budget reforms, House Republicans can look at making tax changes in order to create the revenue to cover the gap…:
Cut 15 (06) “with it”
Governor Edwards says he looks forward to seeing full details, including fiscal notes and bill language.

St. Landry Parish Congressman Clay Higgins echoes many of the things President Trump talked about last night in the State of the Union address. The Republican says it’s time for Congress to put aside their differences and quit obstructing progress on issues such as immigration and healthcare:
Cut 6 (10) “conservative agenda”
Mr. Trump’s first State of the Union is the most-tweeted joint address to Congress ever, according to Twitter.

House Republicans have provided Governor John Bel Edwards with their ideas on how to reduce state spending…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

If you’ve already set out ladders on public land in New Orleans as a Mardi Gras parade route placeholder, they are probably gone. City officials say it’s illegal to put out property more than 24 hours before a parade.

Gas prices keep rising. The statewide average stands at $2.43, up 6 cents from the prior week.

Could changes be coming to the popular TOPS scholarship program? A task force is slated to vote on a series of recommendations today they hope will bring long-term sustainability to TOPS. Jennings Senator Blade Morrish says under his proposal some students wouldn’t have their tuition fully covered:
Cut 7 (07) “and brightest”
Morrish proposes a 4,000 dollar stipend for TOPS recipients, those are incoming freshman that have a C average from high school.

Louisiana has been experiencing a horrendous flu season and today the state is offering free vaccinations for the virus. Baton Rouge Regional Health Director Dr. Marilyn Reynaud details those at higher risk of getting the flu
Cut 11 (13) “of age”
Visit ldh.la.gov for participating health units offering free flu shots.

A TOPS task force could vote on recommendations today to change the popular scholarship program. Matt Doyle has more on one proposal supported by the chairman of that panel…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A Jefferson Parish man imprisoned for nearly four decades is free after being cleared in a 1979 rape. 58-year-old Malcolm Alexander’s conviction and life sentence were thrown out Tuesday by a state judge in Gretna.

Republican House Speaker Taylor Barras provides Governor John Bel Edwards with budget cutting proposals as part of the negotiations to solve a nearly billion dollar shortfall. House Republican delegation chairman Lance Harris says they are pushing for a lower spending cap…:
cut 14 (11) “budget reforms”
Edwards asked Republican lawmakers to present a plan on how to address the fiscal cliff which could be discussed in a special session.

If you haven’t gotten a flu shot yet, today the state is offering them for free at parish health units. Dr. Marilyn Reynaud, the Office of Public Health regional medical director in Baton Rouge, says everyone is at risk:
Cut 12 (10) “the flu”
Visit ldh.la.gov for participating health units.