May and June were very wet months in Louisiana. August – not so much. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

Bit of a scary sight at the UL Lafayette baseball park yesterday as a fire at M.L “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park sent huge plumes of smoke into the sky.  We’re told one of the advertising billboards next to the scoreboard caught fire and the flames were quickly put out. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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Louisiana lawmakers heard from frustrated foster parents upset they are receiving less money from the state to provide care for kids in state custody.  Starting July first, DCFS raised the foster care board rate payments from 600 to 900 dollars a month but stopped reimbursing families for incidental expenses. Danielle Eley from Franklin Parish says it was packaged as a raise for foster parents, but in reality that’s not the case.

Cut 9 (06)  “…go up.”

LSU fifth-year senior offensive guard Bo Bordelon has earned his starting spot the old-fashioned way. The Raceland native spent four years as a backup but has stood out as the likely week one starter during spring and fall practices. He says he just put his head down and worked.

Cut 12 (14) “…100-percent.”

Louisiana lawmakers heard from frustrated foster parents upset over a new policy change that gives them less money to provide care for kids in state custody.   Starting July first, DCFS raised the foster care board rate payments from 600 to 900 dollars a month but stopped reimbursing families for incidental expenses. Danielle Eley cares for three children and she says the reimbursements help pay for a lot of incidental expenses.

Cut 10 (11) “…theater.”

Eley testified before the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children. Covington Senator Patrick McMath is a member of that panel and based on the testimony urged DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris to bring back the reimbursements.

Cut 11 (09) “…this fiscal year.”

Harris agreed and reimbursements will return for the remainder of this fiscal year, which will end on June 30th, 2027.

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After a really wet May and June, Louisiana’s seeing quite the opposite so far this month. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says the unusually dry August is due in part to El Nino, and a lot of high pressure in the Gulf of Mexico.

Cut 4 (12) “…Gulf into Louisiana.”

A more than two million dollar grant from the Louisiana Department of Health means good news for ULM…as it’s expending its health science offerings.  Dr. Wendy Bailes, the dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences, says one of three initiatives of the grant is to increase nursing school enrollment.

Cut 7 (08) “…students per year.”

The other two initiatives are adding a Diagnostic Medical Sonography concentration to the Bachelor of Science in Radiological Technology program, and establishing a Nurse Residency Hub serving rural hospitals in northeast Louisiana.

Foster parents went before state lawmakers to say a recent policy change has made it more difficult to care for children in state custody. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck north of Coushatta around 3 yesterday afternoon.  According to the US Geological Survey, it was the third biggest since a magnitude 4.9 earthquake in the same area on March 5, which was the largest ever recorded in Louisiana.

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What a difference a couple months make in Louisiana.  While we saw quite a bit of rain in May and June, August has been a different story so far.  LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says this month has been almost completely devoid of rain throughout the state.

Cut 3 (09) “…way, way behind.”

ULM is expanding its health science offerings, thanks to a grant of more than two-million dollars from the Louisiana Department of Health through the Rural Transformation Project. Dr. Wendy Bailes, the dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences, says the grant will allow the school to provide well-educated medical professionals to rural hospitals.

Cut 6 (09) “…becomes very expensive.”

May and June were very wet months in Louisiana. August – not so much. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

Bit of a scary sight at the UL Lafayette baseball park yesterday as a fire at M.L “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park sent huge plumes of smoke into the sky.  We’re told one of the advertising billboards next to the scoreboard caught fire and the flames were quickly put out. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

————————

Louisiana lawmakers heard from frustrated foster parents upset they are receiving less money from the state to provide care for kids in state custody.  Starting July first, DCFS raised the foster care board rate payments from 600 to 900 dollars a month but stopped reimbursing families for incidental expenses. Danielle Eley from Franklin Parish says it was packaged as a raise for foster parents, but in reality that’s not the case.

Cut 9 (06)  “…go up.”

LSU fifth-year senior offensive guard Bo Bordelon has earned his starting spot the old-fashioned way. The Raceland native spent four years as a backup but has stood out as the likely week one starter during spring and fall practices. He says he just put his head down and worked.

Cut 12 (14) “…100-percent.”

August has been extraordinarily dry in Louisiana, with the state getting less than an inch of rainfall. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says whereas May and June reversed drought conditions throughout much of the state, August could be bringing them right back.

Cut 5 (13) “…on the surface.”

Louisiana lawmakers heard from frustrated foster parents upset they’re receiving less money from the state to provide care for kids in state custody. Starting July first, DCFS raised the foster care board rate payments from 600 to 900 dollars a month but stopped reimbursing families for incidental expenses. Danielle Eley from Franklin Parish says it was packaged as a raise for foster parents, but in reality that’s not the case.

Cut 9 (06)  “…go up.”

ULM is expanding its health science offerings, thanks to a grant of more than two-million dollars from the Louisiana Department of Health through the Rural Transformation Project. Dr. Wendy Bailes, the dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences, says one of the three initiatives of the grant is to increase nursing school enrollment.

Cut 7 (08) “…students per year.”

After four years riding the bench, LSU fifth-year senior offensive guard Bo Bordelon has finally cracked the starting lineup. Despite his time on the bench, the former four-star prospect out of Isidore Newman High School says he never considered transferring. When Lane Kiffin and his staff came to Baton Rouge, the Raceland native asked them to give him a chance.

Cut 13 (08) “…what I can do.”

Bordelon and the rest of the LSU Tigers take on Clemson in Baton Rouge September 5th.

The Senate Select Committee on Women and Children heard from frustrated foster parents upset they’re getting less money from the state to provide care for kids in state custody. Covington Senator Patrick McMath says based on the testimony he heard, it’s harder to be a foster parent in Louisiana and urged DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris to bring back the reimbursement policy.

Cut 11 (09) “…this fiscal year.”

ULM receives a grant of more than two-million dollars from the Louisiana Department of Health through its Rural Transformation Project, allowing it to expand its health science offerings. Dr. Wendy Bailes, the dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences, says the grant will allow the college to admit more students.

Cut 8 (12) “…win for everyone.”

May and June were very wet months in Louisiana. August – not so much. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

Up north, it’s not only the hot, dry air that’s shaking people up, it’s a magnitude 3.4 earthquake. That’s what people in Red River Parish felt Friday afternoon. It was about five miles deep, with the epicenter just over four miles north-northwest of Edgefield. Some people reported their furniture shaking and their photos falling off the walls.

Foster parents went before state lawmakers to say a recent policy change has made it more difficult to care for children in state custody. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The U.S. National Guard will conclude its New Orleans deployment on Monday and leave the city at the end of August. Guardsmen spent the last 8-months in the Crescent City after Governor Jeff Landry requested their assistance to support local law enforcement.

ULM is expanding its health science offerings, thanks to a grant of more than two-million dollars from the Louisiana Department of Health through the Rural Transformation Project. Dr. Wendy Bailes, the dean of the ULM College of Health Sciences, says the grant will allow the school to provide well-educated medical professionals to rural hospitals.

Cut 6 (09) “…becomes very expensive.”

LSU offensive lineman Bo Bordelon is in line to finally get his chance to start after four seasons in Baton Rouge. Bordelon was rated as high as a four-star prospect out of Isidore Newman High School but made just one start his first four years. Despite his time on the bench, he says he never considered transferring and always gave his best to the team.

Cut 12 (14) “…100-percent.”