Here on Christmas Eve, many last-minute shoppers have been purchasing gift cards for presents this year, and Tucker Group Financial Educator Jeanette Tucker says it’s best to make sure there is a toll-free number on the back so the card, so the receipient can know how much money is on there and how much is left when they use it….
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And gift cards make great AFTER Christmas gifts.

With holiday travel underway on Louisiana roads, State Police have increased their patrol numbers, reminding everyone to buckle up, keep your hands on the wheel; off your phone, and your eyes on the road, paying attention to the highway message boards…
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That’s DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett.

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Louisiana State Police are investigating a late-night crash around 10:30 last night, that involved a stopped 18 wheeler on the shoulder of I-20, and a GMC truck that drifted over from the road, crashing into the truck. The driver- 73 year-old Charles Dillard – survived, but his passenger-56 year-old Regina Dillard of west Monroe died at the scene.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has already started tracking Ole Saint Nick…:
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A lot of Louisianians will be hitting the roadways to visit friends, family and loved ones this Christmas. Louisiana Department of Transportation spokesman Rodney Mallett says there are some resources to help with heavy traffic, like the “Way to Geaux” app, which is available for your smart phone…
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Today is Christmas Eve and one of the most sought after items here at the VERY last minute is a gift card. Tucker Group Financial Educator Jeanette Tucker says it’s best not to rush your decision, and to use a card direct from a vendor instead of the rack at a store, because sometimes they could have been used fraudently and returned to the rack empty…
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She says make sure the gift card is good for 5 years.

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A Baker man has been arrested on training dogs for dog fighting and possession of a firearm by a convicted fellon. Forty-nine year old Eugene Bernard Grayer-who reportedly had over a dozen pitbulls in his possession- was arrested by Baker police.

A thief with a heart three sizes too small is behind bars in Washington Parish, after a tip on the location of Mr. Grinch…
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is offering up to a $7,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the illegal killing of a black bear found in Avoyelles Parish. Spokesman Adam Einck says they were first contacted about the incident on December 5th…:
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Einck says anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call their Operation Game Thief hotline.

Today on Christmas Eve by far one of the most sought after items here at the VERY last minute is a gift card. Tucker Group Financial Educator Jeanette Tucker it’s best not to rush your decision because you want to make sure you’re getting a card that will actually be used by the person you’re buying it for…:
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She says if you get a card make sure you use it up even if you just have a couple of dollars left on it.

Entergy is reporting over 300 customers are still without power in Tangipahoa Parish in the aftermath of a tornado that damaged several homes in Amite. The company doesn’t know when they can get everybody back up. There were no injuries in the storm.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has already started tracking Ole Saint Nick on his equipped present delivering journey around the world. NORAD spokeswoman Major Beth Smith says the NORAD military command is well equipped to track anything that travels in the sky including Santa…:
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Smith says trackers can call 1-877-Hi-NORAD to inquire about Santa’s whereabouts or go to www.noradsanta.org.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation has a few resources drivers can use to check on traffic and road conditions on Louisiana roadways for their holiday travel. Eric Gill has more…:
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Gas prices continue to drop and according to the American Automobile Association they’ve been falling for 90 straight days…the longest on record. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular in Louisiana according to AAA is $2.21 down two cents from last night and falling.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has already started tracking Ole Saint Nick on his present delivering journey around the world. NORAD spokeswoman Major Beth Smith says making sure the skies are safe is part of their mission and they began tracking Santa in 1955 when a number for the jolly guy was misprinted in the media and instead kids were calling their center
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She says the tradition continues and you can track St. Nick and noradsanta.org.

The annual Bonfires on the Levee takes place tonight in St. James Parish. Rhonda Lee, President of the Festival of the Bonfires, says this is a tradition in the parish dating back more than 100 years. She says, this year, 130 bonfires will be lit…:
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If you plan to go, it’s recommended that you get into the area before 6PM.

Many Louisianians will be hitting the roadways to visit family and loved ones this Christmas. Department of Transportation spokesman Rodney Mallett says there are many different resources drivers can use to check on traffic and road conditions in Louisiana. He says you can plan your travel through their 511LA-dot-org website…:
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He reminds motorists to be extra courteous this Christmas.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s office says they got a tip that a Mr. Grinch was trying to steal Christmas so they immediately launched an investigation. Sheriff Randy Seal says they caught up with him thanks to help from his dog and put him in jail…:
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He says now the people of Washington Parish can sleep easier knowing the cuddly as a cactus suspect has been caught.

The annual Bonfires on the Levee takes place tonight in St. James Parish. Scott Carwile has more…:
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It’s a little chilly out this morning but State Climatologist Barry Keim says the REAL cold will move in for Christmas morning. He says you can expect temps in the 30s for present-time and Thursday highs will get into the 50s…:
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Clean-up and recovery will take place today in Tangipahoa Parish near Amite where a tornado touched down yesterday afternoon causing damage to nearly 20 homes. Jeff McKneely, spokesperson for Tangipahoa Parish Emergency management, says thankfully no one was hurt as a result of the twister…

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It is reported that at least a dozen families have been displaced as a result of the tornado.

Now that we have the nasty weather conditions behind us, State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can expect to have some nice weather for Christmas in the Bayou State. He says colder temperatures are now being seen across Louisiana…

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But he says Christmas morning is when the real cold weather is going to settle in.

Two Louisiana movie theaters will participate in the limited release of the controversial Sony Pictures movie “The Interview”. The film’s wide release, which was scheduled Christmas Day, was cancelled by Sony after threats were made by computer hackers. Chalmette Movies in Chalmette and the Robinson Film Center in Shreveport will screen the movie beginning tomorrow.

A thief with a heart two sizes too small is behind bars after the Washington Parish Sheriff’s office got a tip that Mr. Grinch was trying to steal Christmas. Michelle Southern reports…

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Nearly 20 homes were damaged after a tornado touched down yesterday in Tangipahoa Parish. Jeff McKneely, spokesperson for Tangipahoa Parish Emergency Management, says with the weather much better today, they’ll continue to survey the damage, but they do have a lot of property damage east of Amite…

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No injuries were reported. At least a dozen families are reportedly displaced as a result of the damage from the tornado.

Tonight it’s the annual Bonfires on the Levee in St. James Parish. Rhonda Lee, President of the Festival of the Bonfires, says the popularity of the Christmas Eve bonfires has been growing steadily over the last 25 years. There are several stories about how the bonfires started in St. James Parish, but Lee says one stands out…

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They will light the bonfires around 7 o’clock tonight.

Now that the bad weather day is behind us, we can expect beautiful, yet chilly, conditions for Christmas. Michelle Southern reports…

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Lake Charles Police say a 37-year-old man is under arrest accused of kidnapping a woman. They say a witness saw Oscar Pete of Lake Charles throw a woman into a vehicle and drive off. When the pair got to Iowa, the victim escaped the vehicle and contacted authorities. Shortly after, officers spotted Pete’s vehicle and arrested him. Pete was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center on a charge of simple kidnapping.

Today in Tangipahoa Parish clean-up and recovery will take place near Amite where a tornado touched down yesterday afternoon causing damage to nearly 20 homes. Jeff McKneely, spokesperson for Tangipahoa Parish Emergency management, says the whole incident happened really quick…

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It is reported that at least a dozen families have been displaced as a result of the tornado. No injuries were reported.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says now that those storms are behind us we can expect to have some nice Christmas weather. He says colder temperatures are now descending upon the state with the real cold weather settling in Christmas morning…

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Keim says temperatures this morning range from the upper 30s across northern parishes to about 50 degrees along the coast, but most of the state is in the 40s.

Tonight in St. James Parish it’s the annual Bonfires on the Levee. Rhonda Lee, President of the Festival of the Bonfires, expects the levees to be packed with revelers. Lee says people from all over the United States plan their Christmas vacations to check out the bonfires…

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If you plan on attending, it’s recommended that you get into the area before 6PM.

A thief with a heart two sizes too small is behind bars after the Washington Parish Sheriff’s office got a tip that the infamous Mr. Grinch was trying to steal Christmas. Sheriff Randy Seal says they did some investigating and were able to apprehend the suspect’s dog and attach a surveillance recorder to it…

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Seal says the people of Washington Parish can sleep easier now that the cuddly as a cactus suspect has been caught.