US Representative John Fleming has made it official. The republican from Minden has announced his candidacy for US Senate, as he’ll seek the seat that David Vitter is giving up. Fleming made his announcement with a posting on YouTube…:
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Fleming says he wants to work on legislation to fight terrorism, remove Obamacare and help small businesses grow.

Multiple sources are reporting that Governor-elect John Bel Edwards will announce today he’s selected Republican Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne as the incoming commissioner of administration. Edwards takes office January 11th. Dardenne had recently confirmed that he’s considering joining Edwards’ administration in an important roll.

For only the second time in school history, Louisiana Tech will appear in back-to-back bowl games as they head to the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl to take on Arkansas State on December 19th. The Bulldogs bring an 8-4 record to the bowl game, while Arkansas State has won its last eight games. Coach Skip Holtz says he’s impressed with what he’s seen from the Red Wolves…:
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This is Tech’s first appearance in the New Orleans Bowl.

The LSU Tigers are set to face Texas Tech in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl in Houston on December 29th at NRG Stadium. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN and kickoff at 8pm.

If your kids are asking for a “hoverboard” for Christmas, the State Fire Marshal’s Office is putting out a warning. They say some reports around the country, including Louisiana, say the motorized scooters catch fire and explode in some cases. They urge parents to read up on these devices before buying one.

Governor-elect John Bel Edwards announced his transition committee for healthcare today and says expanding Medicare is one of his top priorities. State Treasurer John Kennedy estimates it will cost about 1.5 billion dollars to add 300-thousand new people to Medicaid and he hopes the state will negotiate some terms that other states have in place…:
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He suggests offering incentives to patients who quit smoking or lose weight — and require able-bodied recipients to take job training or get a job.

This afternoon, Edwards is expected to announce the appointment of Republican Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne as his incoming commissioner of administration — the governor’s chief budget officer. Dardenne crossed party lines to endorse Edwards in the runoff and there were some in the GOP who called him a traitor for doing so. Edwards has promised a bipartisan cabinet when he takes office on January 11th.

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating four recent heroin overdoses in the parish that have resulted in two deaths. Captain Dawn Foret says an arrest warrant is out for 27-year-old Shantelle White in connection with the overdose death of 35-year-old Christy Hurst…:
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She says investigators are also looking into the death of 28-year-old Terry Braud of Shriever who died of an apparent overdose Thursday.

Motorists continue to enjoy falling gas prices as we get further into December. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular is $1.83 according to GasBuddy.com.

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate murder of a 56-year-old woman in Bourg. Capt. Dawn Foret says Pamela Johnson was found dead of a gunshot wound last Tuesday and the two children she was caring for were kidnapped by the shooter. Foret says they now have a description of the suspect…:
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They believe the murder took place Monday night and the young girls, age 7 and 10, were left in a vehicle overnight where they asked a stranger to contact police the following morning. Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to contact authorities.

The East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office is reportedly investigating the case of two people, a man and a woman, who were found dead near Clinton. Detectives have said there is foul play suspected and the case is being treated as a homicide. No other details on this incident have been released at this time.

Governor-elect John Bel Edwards is holding a news conference at LSU this afternoon where it’s expected he’ll announce that Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne will be appointed commissioner of administration. The event is scheduled for 3:30.

Louisiana Tech is heading to the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl where the Bulldogs will play Arkansas State. It’s only the second time in school history that Tech will appear in back-to-back bowl games and its the Bulldogs first appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. Coach Skip Holtz is looking forward to the game…:
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The R and L Carriers New Orleans bowl takes place Saturday December 19th at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. Kickoff is 8pm.

The 20th ranked LSU Tigers will play Texas Tech in the 10th annual Advocare V-100 Texas Bowl on December 29th in Houston. Both bowls will be televised on ESPN.

Many kids and teens have a “hoverboard” on their Christmas lists this year, but the self balancing scooter has been linked to fires because some of them explode. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning encourages folks to read up on these devices before purchasing one…:
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Browning says in November, a Lafitte resident was harmed by a fire started from an exploding “hoverboard,” but events like this are happening all over the country.

Governor-Elect John Bel Edwards is holding a news conference this afternoon at LSU to make what he calls a “personal announcement.” It’s wildly reported that Edwards will say he’s naming Republican Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne as his commissioner of administration. The two have not confirmed this…the news conference is set for 3:30. Dardenne crossed party lines to endorse Edwards in the runoff election.

A UNO Philosophy Professor has received a grant to study alternatives to incarceration. Eric Gill reports…:
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The 2016 Grammy Award nominations were announced this morning, and several artists from Louisiana received nods. Those include Lafayette’s “The Revelers Band” and New Orleans singer Jon Cleary who were each nominated in the best regional roots music album. North Louisiana native Tim McGraw’s recording of “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools, is up for best country song.

It looks like a stiff competition is brewing in the race to be Louisiana’s next Speaker of the House. Governor-elect John Bel Edwards is backing New Orleans Democratic Representative Walt Leger, while conservatives are working to drum up support for Republican Representative Cameron Henry of Metairie. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says the House votes on their choice for speaker, but they have never gone against the governor’s pick…

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That election takes place January 11th.

If you plan on giving a “hoverboard” as a gift this holiday season, you should be aware that these self-balancing, motorized scooters have been known to burst into flames. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says the highest risk of fire is when the device is charging…

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He suggests reading up on these devices before purchasing one.

A possible double homicide investigation is underway in East Feliciana Parish after two people were found dead Sunday afternoon. Sheriff’s Office officials say the victims, a man and a woman, were found dead in their home just east of Clinton. Authorities have released no further details about the victims or their manner of death, but they do suspect foul play.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has received 11 new whooping cranes to be released into the wild in a couple of weeks. Emelie Gunn has more…

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Those looking to give hoverboards as a gift this holiday season need to be wary as they’re known to burst into flames. Jeff Palermo reports…

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The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office says one man is dead and three others injured after a weekend shooting at a house party in Raceland. They say when officers arrived at the scene, they found 20-year-old Tra’von Folse with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A 23-year-old man received wounds to the neck and arm. At last report, he was listed in stable condition. Two others were shot in the incident. Both have been treated and released. The police investigation is ongoing.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has received 11 young whooping cranes, 8 females and 3 males, to be released at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. Spokesperson Bo Boehringer says they’re working to create a flock that is able to survive in the wild…

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Boehringer says they’ve experienced some hardships since the project began six years ago, like illnesses and birds being illegally shot.

A philosophy professor at UNO has received a grant to study alternatives to incarceration. Professor Chris Suprenant says the grant will help them study America’s approach to punishment. He says they will look at other forms of punishment around the world that are currently being used or have been used historically…

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Suprenant says the project will consider under what conditions incarceration is legitimate and should be implemented.

It appears the race to be Louisiana’s next Speaker of the House is heating up. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says these kinds of leadership struggles always take place in the months leading up to a session, but this time the mainstream media is paying attention…

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Some are wondering if this battle could be a sign of what’s to come when lawmakers convene for a special session in February to address the budget issue.

The “hoverboard” is one of the hottest gifts this holiday season, but recently they’ve been making news for bursting into flames. State Fire Marshall Butch Browning says advises buyers to go through the operation manual before using the device…

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Browning says they haven’t deemed all hoverboards unsafe because some do undergo proper testing.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has received 11 young whooping cranes to be released at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. Spokesperson Bo Boehringer says he’s optimistic with hard work the whooping crane population will increase and flourish…

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Boehringer says the population will increase to 46 with the addition of the 8 females and 3 males.

A UNO Philosophy Professor has received a grant to study alternatives to incarceration. Professor Chris Surprenant says this project will consider under what conditions incarceration is legitimate and should be implemented. He says locking people up doesn’t always achieve the desired goal…

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The grant, from the Charles Koch Foundation, will fund an academic conference and studies related to the topic.