The Pastor of Life Tabernacle Church who continues to hold large church services was arrested at the Central Police Department after he allegedly tried to run over a protestor Sunday. Brooke Thorington has more.

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Louisiana’s COVID-19 death toll increases by 77 in the latest report, rising to 1,405. Total cases: 24,854… up by 331. Hospitalizations increases to 1,798, up by 4.

The Louisiana Department of Education will award nearly 10 million dollars to childcare providers who are hurting for cash during the coronavirus shutdown. Applicants must complete an assistance form by Thursday, and the money is expected to be disbursed in early May. Assistant State Superintendent Jessica Baghian says it’s a vital injection of funds.

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The money comes courtesy of the congressionally passed CARES Act.
A survey of crawfish producers shows the decreased demand for their crop has pummeled the industry at a time when producers usually make their most money. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says a dip in demand has resulted in lost income of about $500 per acre.

Cut 12 (07) “…farm gate value.”

The survey findings are being used to showcase the pandemic’s impact on the industry to the US Department of Agriculture and Louisiana congressional delegation.

Life Tabernacle Church Pastor Tony Spell was arrested for aggravated assault, this morning. Police allege Spell backed a bus in the direction of a protester in front of his suburban Baton Rouge church Sunday. Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran says Spell wanted to be arrested at his church with a press conference, but that wasn’t going to happen.

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Spell has posted bond and plans to hold services tonight.

The Louisiana Department of Education will award nearly 10-million dollars to childcare providers who are hurting for cash during the coronavirus shutdown. Assistant State Superintendent Jessica Baghian (Bog-eh-ohn) says only about 30 percent of childcare centers are still open, and even the ones still open are bleeding cash.

Cut 3 (08)  “…and it happens.”  

Congressman Garret Graves is optimistic Congress will approve additional funding for a program designed to help small businesses. The 350-billion-dollar program ran out of money after 13 days. It offers forgivable loans to companies with fewer than 500 employees who spend 75 percent of their loan allotment on payroll. Graves says it was highly popular.

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A survey of crawfish producers shows the decreased demand for their crop has pummeled the industry at a time when producers usually make their most money. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says producers who hired foreign labor to bring in the catch are still on the hook to pay those workers for a guaranteed amount of a full season’s work due to contractual obligations.

Cut 14 (07) “…pay for that.”

After his arrest, this morning in Central for allegedly backing a church bus in the direction of a protester Sunday, Life Tabernacle Church Pastor Tony Spell has posted bond. Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran was questioned if he thought today’s arrest would deter Spell from holding large services in the future.

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Spell’s attorney Joe Long says the church will hold services tonight as usual.

A survey of crawfish producers shows the decreased demand for their crop has pummeled the industry at a time when producers usually make their most money. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says a dip in demand has resulted in lost income of about $500 per acre.

Cut 12 (07) “…farm gate value.”

The survey findings are being used to showcase the pandemic’s impact on the industry to the US Department of Agriculture and Louisiana congressional delegation.

The Louisiana Department of Education is asking childcare providers impacted by the economic shutdown to apply for a piece of a 10-million-dollar federal award. Matt Doyle has more.

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According to the latest numbers the state’s death toll increases by 77 from COVID-19, rising to 1,405. Total cases: 24,854… up by 331. Hospitalizations increased by 4 to 1,798.

Defiant Life Tabernacle Church Pastor Tony Spell is arrested in Central for allegedly backing a church bus into the direction of a protestor Sunday. Spell’s attorney Joe Long says the pastor was only going to confront the protestor not run him over.
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Spell was booked in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for aggravated assault, improper backing, plus two outstanding bench warrants. Long says the church plans to hold services tonight as usual.
A survey of crawfish producers shows the decreased demand for their crop has pummeled the industry at a time when producers usually make their most money. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says a dip in demand has resulted in lost income of about $500 per acre.
Cut 12 (07) “…farm gate value.”

Governor Edwards gives the go-ahead for some time-sensitive elective medical procedures that have been canceled under the stay at home order to resume next Monday. The relaxed restrictions are a result of lessening pressure on hospitals due to a flattening of the curve. National reports show a growing problem of people canceling vital treatments that are needed for chronic issues. State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says this order helps encourage those folks to get back to a doctor.

Cut 16  (11)  “…corona” 

Louisiana’s COVID-19 death toll increases by 77 in the latest report, rising to 1,405. Total cases: 24,854… up by 331.

Life Tabernacle Church Pastor Tony Spell is arrested for aggravated assault, improper backing, plus two outstanding bench warrants. Police allege Spell backed a bus in the direction of a protester in front of his suburban Baton Rouge church Sunday. Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran says Spell wanted to be arrested at his church this morning with a press conference, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Cut 6 (11) “…to here”

Congressman Garret Grave is optimistic Congress will approve additional funding for a program designed to help small businesses maintain payroll. The 350 billion dollar program ran out of cash just 13 days after it began dispersing money earlier this month, and Graves says now many businesses can’t access the funds.

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Some elective medical procedures will be allowed to proceed starting Monday. State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says the state is allowing time sensitive medical surgeries to be conducted, which includes abortion.

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It’s the first relaxing of the statewide stay at home order to be announced, with other relaxed restrictions likely to be announced after the order ends April 30^th.

Nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing are now being 3-D printed at LSU Health Shreveport. The swabs, which are a crucial part or the testing kit, have been in short supply.  Molecular and cellular physiology professor Dr. Steven Alexander hopes the extra swab availability will lead to an expansion of testing eligibility.

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Alexander says they hope to produce nearly 1,000 swabs daily.

Beginning April 27th time-sensitive elective medical procedures will be permitted under the state’s coronavirus social distancing guidelines. Matt Doyle has more.

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Rev. Tony Spell surrenders and is in the custody of law enforcement after Central Police issue a warrant for his arrest.  The warrant comes after Spell nearly hit a protestor with a church bus.  The preacher leads the Life Tabernacle Church who continues to violate the Governor’s stay at home order during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Louisiana House GOP Leader Blake Miguez says Louisiana needs to reopen its economy on a parish by parish basis, but Governor Edwards disagrees.  Miguez wrote a letter to the Governor calling on him to implement Phase One of the federal reopening plan after the stay-at-home order ends April 30^th.
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Phase One allows for limited reopening like dine-in restaurants while calling for sustained social distancing and use of public PPE.  Edwards says he’s leaning towards issuing any guidance at a state level.

Nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing are now being 3-D printed at LSU Health Shreveport. The swabs, which are a crucial part or the testing kit, have been in short supply.  Molecular and cellular physiology professor Dr. Steven Alexander says the light-activated printing technique can produce medical devices which are chemically inert, sterile, and compatible with accurate testing procedures.

Cut 6 (07) “…to existing swabs.”

Many Louisiana residents are anxious to see if the governor will begin to re-open parts of the economy on May 1st. His current stay at home order expires April 30th. Governor Edwards says he will use certain benchmarks, one being that Louisiana has the capacity to test 140-to-150-thousand people a month…
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Edwards says there also needs to be a two-week window where there is a downward trajectory in the numbers of people with COVID-19 symptoms.

The state department of education has found all 69 school districts are offering continuous education, even though schools are closed. D-O-E spokesperson Sydni Dunn…
cut 8 (12) “…other online platforms”
Dunn says their survey found about 32-percent of school systems are connecting with students every day, but 28-percent of students do not have access to a computer.

Louisiana’s COVID-19 death toll has reached 1,328 and that includes the head warden and medical director at the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Avoyelles Parish. Corrections officials say Sandy McCain served as head warden for the past four years and battled COVID-19 for nearly a month. The center’s medical director Doctor Casey McVea also passed away.

In northwest Louisiana, 3-D printing is helping to increase the number of COVID-19 tests…
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House Republican Caucus Chairman Blake Miguez has asked the governor to reopen the state’s economy on a parish-by-parish basis, starting on May 1st. Miguez says a long-term statewide shutdown is not sustainable…
cut 13 (09) “….detrimental”
But Governor Edwards says a re-opening of the economy will occur once the state meets certain thresholds that the White House has laid out. He says Louisiana needs to have a two-week window where there is a downward trajectory in the numbers of people with COVID-19 symptoms, which includes known cases and hospitalizations…
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The governor’s current stay at home order lasts until April 30th.

LSU Health Shreveport is using a 3D printer to produce nasal swabs for its COVID-19 testing lab. Molecular and cellular physiology professor Doctor Steven Alexander says the goal is to produce about a thousand swabs a day…
cut 5 (06) “….324 day”
Doctor Alexander says once they produce enough for their own lab, they plan to share with other hospitals in their area.

The state department of education has conducted a survey that has found all 69 school districts are offering some level of continuous education. But state department of education spokesperson Sydni Dunn says they also found 28-percent of students do not have access to a computer and one out of four students are also not getting feedback on the work they are doing…
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Chairman of Louisiana’s House delegation Blake Miguez is encouraging Governor John Bel Edwards to reopen businesses on May 1st under the guidelines provided by the White House…
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But Edwards says the state has yet to meet the thresholds under White House guidelines that would allow him to re-open businesses after the current stay at home order expires April 30th.

But the Governor is revising his order so that starting on Monday surgical procedures can resume to treat an emergency or time-sensitive medical condition. A surgery can also take place to avoid an underlying health condition from getting worse. But State Health Officer Doctor Jimmy Guidry says not every procedure will be deemed necessary…
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The state Department of Education releases a survey that finds all 69 public school districts are offering some level of distance education while campuses are closed. But D-O-E spokesperson Sydni Dunn says…
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The study found that many students and teachers do not have the right technology to maximize learning, 28-percent of students do not have access to a computer.

LSU Health Shreveport is using a three-d printer to produce nasal swabs for COVID-19 test. Molecular and cellular physiology professor Dr. Steven Alexander hopes the extra swab availability will lead to testing of individuals who are not showing any symptoms
Cut 4 (09)_ “…with the COVID-19.”
Alexander hopes they’ll be able to produce a thousand nasal swabs a day by the end of the week.

Louisiana will allow elective medical procedures to resume next Monday. State Health Officer Doctor Jimmy Guidry says this order covers surgeries that could keep medical conditions from getting worse…
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Guidry says the state is reviewing what this order will mean for abortions.

The state department of education has found that all 69 school district is offering continuous education, even though schools are closed. D-O-E spokesperson Sydni Dunn…
cut 8 (12) “…other online platforms”
Dunn says their survey found about 32-percent of school systems are connecting with students every day, but 28-percent of students do not have access to a computer.

The Louisiana House GOP Leader and Governor disagree on just how the state should begin to reopen in May. Matt Doyle has the story.
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