A lawsuit has been filed against the City of New Orleans and city contractors by seven victims of the terror attack on Bourbon Street. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

_____________________________________________

The oldest institute of higher education in Louisiana is celebrating a milestone this year. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

_____________________________________________

The New Orleans Police Department is bringing in some outside assistance to help devise counterterrorism strategies ahead of two major events coming up. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

______________________________________________________

Seven victims of the New Year’s Day terror attack on Bourbon Street have filed a lawsuit against the City of New Orleans and city contractors. The lawsuit claims the defendants ignored repeated warnings about security risks.  Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says it’s an interesting angle.

Cut 4 (14) “…were being constructed.”

They argue that stronger protections could have prevented the incident, which caused severe injuries and trauma. Ciolino says targeting private contractors instead of police officers could be successful.

Cut 5 (09) “…dead on arrival.”

The lawsuit seeks accountability for the oversight and damages to cover medical expenses and pain and suffering endured by the victims. Ciolino says there is a lot of litigation to be done in these cases.

Cut 6 (07) “…would otherwise get.”

______________________________________________________

The oldest higher education institution in Louisiana is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Centenary College in Shreveport was founded in 1825, with its original campus in Jackson, Louisiana. Centenary President Dr. Christopher Holoman says the school takes a unique approach to its liberal arts curriculum.

Cut 7 (15) “…variety of situations.”

Dr. Holoman says for two centuries, the college has prepared students for a wide variety of professions, including the medical profession.

Cut 8 (09) “…200 years now.”

Holloman says in recent years, the school has rolled out new majors, such as kinesiology and sports management. Speaking of sports, Centenary has recently added some new athletic teams, who go by the nicknames “Ladies” and “Gentlemen.”

Cut 9 (12)  “…baseball and gymnastics.”

Dr. Holoman says a couple years ago, started the Centenary Affordability Pledge, in which the school does not charge any additional tuition for students who carry full Pell scholarship and a full TOPS scholarship. The school will be holding bicentennial celebrations throughout the year.

______________________________________________________

Southeastern Louisiana University and its partners are offering Christmas tree recycling in Hammond and Ponchatoula to support wetland restoration efforts. Discarded trees, instead of going to landfills, are used to combat erosion and create wildlife habitats in the Manchac (MAN-shack) Swamp Wetlands. Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station Manager Rob Moreau says this initiative marks its 30th year.

Cut 10 (11) “…the 600 range.”

Moreau says residents can drop off trees at various locations, and trees must be free of decorations, stands, and flocking.

Cut 11 (06) “…discarded Christmas trees.”

This program continues thanks to local collaboration despite the end of state grants and Moreau says it’s a great hands-on activity to get people connected more to the environment.

Cut 12 (08) “…into the wetlands.”

______________________________________________________

With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras happening in New Orleans in the aftermath of a terror attack on Bourbon Street, the New Orleans Police Department is bringing in an expert to recommend strategies to prevent another attack. NOPD is bringing aboard former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, a renowned security expert. At his introductory news conference, Commissioner Bratton says he will be bringing in a team of experts.

Cut 13 (10) “…and counterterrorism issues.”

Commissioner Bratton says identifying strategies to bolster public safety will be a learning experience.

Cut 14 (12) “…that might evolve.”

Bratton says he and his team will be getting to work right away.

Cut 15 (10) “…already been generated.”

Bratton’s team will be an additional layer of counterterrorism, with both the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras being given the highest Special Event Assessment Rating by the Department of Homeland Security.

______________________________________________________

Sean Payton has the Denver Broncos in the playoffs in his second season in Denver. The Broncos will visit the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Payton was nine and eight in the postseason as the head coach of the Saints and he had Drew Brees as his quarterback. Rookie Bo Nix is the starting quarterback for the Broncos, and Payton expects the former Auburn and Oregon star to do just fine…

Cut 16 (15) “…bigger games.”

The Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday to clinch a playoff spot.

__________________________________________________

Rookie Jayden Daniels has led the Washington Commanders to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at LSU is not building up the matchup against the Buccaneers on Sunday night too much…

Cut 17 (17)  “…play ball” 

January 2006 is the last time the Washington franchise won a playoff game. Daniels says there’s no added pressure in trying to break the postseason victory drought…

Cut 18 (13)   “…through it all.”

We now have a report of a death from this arctic blast. The Louisiana Department of Health says a 65-year-old Rapides Parish man died of hypothermia. The department did not go into any further details of how the man died.

While temperatures in Rapides Parish are certainly much lower than normal, they’re not as low as those in areas further north, where a winter storm warning remains in effect. Snow is falling in Texas and Arkansas, but Louisiana is mainly dealing with rain.

SWEPCO is prepared to respond to power outages when they occur from the winter storm. Michelle Marcotte with SWEPCO says they’ve been getting the trucks and crews ready.

Cut 14 (13) “…to restore power.”

Marcotte says they also have extra personnel ready to respond.

The frigid temperatures have led to several house fires; and so far eight across the state have turned deadly. 11 people have been killed in those eight fires. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality.

Cut 9 (08)  “…my team.”

The Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal says there were no fire deaths last night, and it’s urging you to do your part in ensuring that it stays that way. That includes placing nothing within three to five feet of space heaters.

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.” 

The shirts sell for 35 dollars apiece.

Snow is falling in Arkansas and Texas, but it’s mostly rain in Louisiana. SWEPCO is prepared in case there are downed power lines from icing. Spokesperson Michelle Marcotte says more than 500 on-site contract crews are positioned in areas predicted to be affected by the storm…

Cut 15 (10) “…we need them”

Schools are closed in Caddo and Bossier parishes tomorrow and ULM is also closing its campus tomorrow because of the winter weather.

LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says south Louisiana can expect heavy rainfall tonight and tomorrow…

Cut 13 (10)  “…eastward”

And we are not looking at any real warm-up until next weekend.

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.”

Whitsell says they are selling for 35-dollars a piece on the Saints and Pelicans’ websites, with proceeds going towards the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says we could see fish kills because of the below freezing temperatures. LDWF fisheries biologist Jason Adriance…

Cut 8 (04) “…dead or dying fish”

Coastal species commonly impacted by low water temperatures are White Trout, Red Drum, Black Drum and Spotted Seatrout.

Winter storm warnings and winter storm advisories are in effect for much of north Louisiana. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin reports Texas and Arkansas will get the brunt of this storm, not Louisiana…

Cut 2 (30) “…dark paved surfaces.”

Because of the winter weather, the ULM campus will be closed tomorrow.

The city of Alexandria has opened a warming station on Bolton Avenue. It will remain open through the weekend. Cots and Ready to Eat meals are available.

Eleven people have died in eight separate fires this year and in each case, the home did not have a working smoke detector. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says if you need a smoke alarm, call you local fire department and they will come out and install them for you…

Cut 11 (10) “…so, so important.”

Adams also says if you are using a space heater, make sure it’s three to five feet away from combustible objects.

The Saints and Pelicans have been seen wearing special love for New Orleans warm-up shirts in response to the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. The shirts are available to the public for 35-dollars. Brittany Whitsell, director of charitable giving and development, says proceeds will support the victims…

Cut 4 (09) “…the Saints”

You can purchase the shirts on the teams’ websites.

Wintry precipitation is possible north of Interstate 20 today and into tomorrow, which has SWEPCO prepared in case there are downed power lines from icing. SWEPCO spokesperson Michelle Marcotte says more than 500 on-site contract crews are positioned in areas predicted to be affected by the storm…

Cut 15 (10) “…we need them”

Marcotte says forecasters have told them the Texarkana and Longview areas in Texas are expected to see significant ice accumulation.

LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says south Louisiana can expect heavy rainfall today and tomorrow…

Cut 13 (10)  “…eastward”

The city of Alexandria has opened a warming station on Bolton Avenue. It will remain open through the weekend. Cots and Ready to Eat meals are available.

You can help support those affected by the Bourbon Street tragedy by buying special Saints and Pelicans warmup shirts.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

An emotional state funeral service was held today in Washington D-C for our 39^th President Jimmy Carter. After his one-term in office Carter was involved with many organizations including Habitat for Humanity. Kathy Gardner is the CEO of the Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana…

Cut 29 (10) “…to him”

Precipitation is falling in north Louisiana, and we’ll wait to see if it becomes freezing rain, sleet or snow. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says it could snow tomorrow morning near the Arkansas state line…

Cut 12 (09) “…slip and slide.”

Four parishes in northwest Louisiana, Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne, are under a winter storm warning, and a winter weather advisory is in place for several other north Louisiana parishes.

SWEPCO is prepared to respond to power outages when they occur from the winter storm. Michelle Marcotte with SWEPCO says they’ve been getting the trucks and crews ready.

Cut 14 (13) “…to restore power.”

Marcotte says they also have extra personnel ready to respond.

So far this year, 11 people have died in eight separate fires across the state amid brutally cold temperatures. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says none of the homes involved in these deadly fires had a working smoke detector…

Cut 10 (10) “…free of charge.”

Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries warns of potential fish kills along the coast amid these freezing temperatures. Fisheries biologist Jason Adriance notes that slower temperature drops give fish a better chance to acclimate and survive.

Cut 7 (07) “…more severe impact.”

One coastal species most at risk is the Spotted Seatrout which struggles when water temperatures drop below 40-degrees for over a day, while Red Drum begins to experience issues in the mid-30s.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) warns of potential fish kills along the coast as freezing temperatures and an arctic blast sweep across the state. Fisheries biologist Jason Adriance says water temperatures haven’t dropped enough yet.

Cut 6 (08) “…that can happen.”

So far this year, 11 people have died in eight separate fires across the state. The two latest deadly fires were in Shreveport and in Rapides Parish, with elderly victims in each. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality…

Cut 9 (08)  “…my team.”

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says the Saints and the Pelicans both worked with the NFL and the NBA, respectively, to crank out as many shirts as possible.

Cut 5 (08) “…soon as possible.”

The legislature is expected to take up soaring homeowners and auto insurance premiums in its next regular session this year. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says one state that had a similar plight is Florida, where homeowners saw their insurance premiums skyrocket after Hurricane Ian in 2022. He says just as Louisiana homeowners are experiencing, it took time for them to start seeing results.

Cut 15 (11) “…benefit of that.”

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect for much of north Louisiana. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin reports Texas and Arkansas will get the brunt of this storm, not Louisiana…

Cut 2 (30) “…dark paved surfaces.”

Utilities are getting ready to respond to issues caused by the winter storm. SWEPCO has spent the last several days getting their trucks stocked and ready and making sure crews have proper winter attire so that they can go out and restore power. SWEPCO has more than a thousand additional personnel ready to respond should they be needed.

It’s the national day of mourning for President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100. One organization near and dear to President Carter’s heart was Habitat for Humanity. After leaving office, Carter helped the organization build a countless number of homes. Kathy Gardner, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana, says Carter set the example for everyone else to follow.

Cut 4 (13) “…in North Louisiana.”

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.”