As the drought continues and the heat returns to the forecast, contained wildfires in Sabine Parish are being closely monitored. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (32) “….I’m Brooke Thorington.”
_______________________________________________
Employers in the Bayou State rank third in the country when it comes to finding workers to fill positions according to WalletHub. Teiko Foxx has the story…
_______________________________________________
Raising Cane’s restaurants near and far donated $125 thousand dollars and 15 percent of all profits from stores across the world to help people impacted by the wildfires in Maui on Thursday. Teiko Foxx has more…
________________________________________________
The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana held a candidate forum featuring treasurer candidates Democrat Dustin Granger, and Republicans Scott McKnight and John Fleming. Each candidate was asked about their stance on investing in ESGs, or Environment, Social, and Governance companies that support sustainable energy.
McKnight says ESGs are not a good return on investment and that it goes against what the state’s economy is built on the oil and gas industry. And while he’s not against diversifying investments…
Granger says the treasurer is a fiduciary of state funds and should not act as a lobbyist for the oil and gas industry.
Fleming says ESGs are a poor return on investment, but he won’t necessarily rule them out.
To view the entire forum visit LouisianaRadioNetwork.com for a link.
________________________________________________
As the drought continues, firefighters in Sabine Parish remain vigilant to keep two wildfires that erupted earlier this week contained. South Sabine Fire Chief Douglas Downs says there are still a few hotspots burning.
He says firefighters are monitoring the area 24/7.
Visibility in the area remains limited and he discourages any sightseers, so they won’t interfere with responding fire and power crews.
Downs says the extreme heat and dry conditions made for a perfect storm and it’s only exacerbated the situation for firefighters. As for the original cause of the blaze…
Downs says the wildfires would not have been contained without the assistance of neighboring parishes and state resources. He says the outpouring of support they’ve received from the community is overwhelming.
Downs also asks the public to be extremely mindful of anything that could spark another wildfire as the drought continues.
On Wednesday a volunteer firefighter was injured as a firetruck was backing up. Downs says he was airlifted as a precaution and has since been released from the hospital.
____________________________________________
A new report by the personal finance website, WalletHub finds employers in Louisiana have the third biggest hiring struggle in the U-S. WalletHub Analyst Jill Gonzales says in the last month it comes to around 7.4 percent which is significantly higher than other states…
Louisiana’s job opening rate fell below Alaska at 7.9 percent and tied with West Virginia at 7.4 in the latest month. Gonzales says wages, benefits, and a flexible work schedule is critical in attracting employees…
Gonzales says employers who are able to continue to accommodate employees working from home are going to find themselves at a competitive advantage in recruiting. She says in this labor market, workers feel less tied down to a job.
Cut 12 (12) “…family support.”
The labor force participation rate is at 63 percent, one of the lowest rates in decades.
__________________________________________
Raising Cane’s chicken fingers restaurant chain donated $125 thousand dollars plus 15 percent of their profits from 750 plus restaurants nationwide to a Maui-based homeless shelter on Thursday. Spokesperson Zach Corbin says thousands of people in Maui have supported Raising Cane’s and now their crisis is our crisis…
Corbin says the funds will be used to support people displaced and in the rebuilding efforts of the shelter’s Westside Center. He says the money will go to an organization that has done so much to serve the people of Maui…
The Westside Center was a 78-unit housing center in Lahaina that was completely lost as the deadliest wildfire in modern U-S history made its way across the island. Corbin says it’s Todd’s vision to give back to the communities they serve…
___________________________________________________________________
The Saints are in Los Angeles for joint practices ahead of their game against each other on Sunday, Aug 20. Head Coach Dennis Allen says why he likes doing these practices before the regular season.
Allen was previously the Saints’ defensive coordinator, so he was primarily with the team’s defense. He says what he saw from his defense during practice.
New quarterback Derek Carr played just the first series in the preseason week 1 against the Chiefs, and he says he knows just as much as anybody about how much he will play.
_____________________________________________________________________________
LSU football coach Brian Kelly spoke to the media on Wednesday and says how linebacker Omar Speights can improve the defense.
Kelly also says why he has seen improvement in this year’s quarterback room.