Car insurance rates in the Bayou State are on the rise again and a few factors could be the major culprits. Emelie Gunn has more…
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With help from the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, a pregnant mother from Haughton is donating her terminal baby’s tissue for research. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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UNO represents Louisiana in the NCAA Tournament tonight as they face Mount St. Mary’s in a First Four contest in Dayton, Ohio. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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Louisiana car insurance rates are on the rise again and one big culprit could be the smartphone. The National Highway Safety Administration finds distracted driving is the cause for 20-percent of crashes in the state. State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says drivers are having a hard time putting down the cell phone and focusing on the road.
Donelon says the Bayou State’s auto insurance rates have been rising for the last five years with the biggest jump of an 8 percent increase last year. He says the growing sophistication of vehicles also adds to higher auto insurance rates.
A report by the LSU Highway Safety Group finds from 2011 to 2015, the number of motor vehicle accidents rose by over 12 percent. Donelon says with gas prices around two bucks a gallon, there are move vehicles on the road, creating an increased risk for a wreck.
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A Haughton woman with a fatal pregnancy is making a selfless contribution to science with the help of the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency. Kirsten Heintz with LOPA says at 18 weeks pregnant, Brittney Walls found out her baby suffers from a fatal disease that causes the brain and skull to be underdeveloped. She says Walls decided to donate her baby’s neonatal tissue for research.
Heintz says Walls’ baby is not eligible to be an organ donor, but with research donation she can help millions of people, instead of just one. She says Walls will carry her child to term before being induced to donate the infant’s tissue. She says this donation can bring a sense of fulfillment for mothers who will inevitably lose their child.
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Walls has decided to name the child Anastacia Faith, and doctors say she may live a few hours or a couple of days, but no more than that. Heintz says LOPA strives to make the little time these mothers have with their children as precious as possible.
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The Louisiana Office of Tourism is promoting the Bayou State to travelers from Germany, as Condor Airlines prepares to offer direct flights to New Orleans this summer. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says representatives from his office spent the last week in Berlin promoting Louisiana’s food, culture, and history to the German-speaking market. But their efforts don’t stop there.
Nungesser says his office has established multiple websites, brochures, and social media sites in German to sell the Louisiana lifestyle to German travelers. He hopes these direct flights into the Crescent City allow these tourists to see more of the Bayou State.
Cut 11 (11) “all around Louisiana”
Nungesser says while in Louisiana, German visitors stay about 7 days and spend an average of $400 per day. He says German visitors make up nearly 10-percent of all international visitors to Louisiana. He says Louisiana is on the right track to boost international tourism even more, especially with this new direct flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
Cut 12 (08) “international travel”
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The Governor’s Office says speculation that State Police Col. Mike Edmonson will step down is just a rumor. The State Police Superintendent has been surrounded in controversy over questionable travel by state troopers, and now troopers are being subpoenaed for a federal investigation looking into illegal campaign donations. President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, Rafael Goyeneche, says none of this looks good for LSP.
Cut 13 (10) “the superintendent”
Goyeneche says the investigations are undoubtedly a distraction for the agency. The Legislative Auditor’s Office says they will launch their own investigation into state police travel spending. Goyeneche says the public deserves to know how LSP is spending public funds.
Goyeneche says questionable acts involving Edmonson have been taking place for the last few years. In 2014, a bill was approved to increase Edmonson’s pension. The Colonel denied knowing about the legislation. He says Edmonson did the same when it was learned that someone signed off on the troopers’ controversial side trips.
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UNO will play in its first Division one NCAA Tournament game tonight since 1996 when they face Mount St. Mary’s in a First four matchup in Dayton, Ohio. The Privateers secured an invite to the Big Dance by winning the Southland Tournament Championship game on Saturday night. Head Coach Mark Slessinger says it’s been a crazy last couple of days…
Tonight’s game will tip-off at 5:30 on Tru-TV. Slessinger is pumped about the national exposure UNO is and will receive
Mount St. Mary’s is located in Maryland and they won the regular season and tournament titles in the Northeast Conference. Slessinger says the Mountaineers up tempo style is quite different from what the Privateers do…