Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statement following his meeting today with President Obama regarding the on-going flood relief efforts in Louisiana. He said as they continue to work with Congress in the coming days, the Louisiana delegation has done a great job stressing the importance of securing badly needed funds for our state. He says there is still a lot of work to do, but he’s confident they will get what Louisiana citizens need to rebuild their lives.

Monroe-based CenturyLink announces company wide layoffs. CenturyLink spokesperson Annmarie Sartor says after careful consideration the telecommunications company has made the difficult decision to reduce its employee related costs. She says in order to reduce its workforce, they are seeking employees who are looking to leave the company voluntarily..:
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The reduction could be about 35-hundred employees throughout the company.

A man from Denham Springs who hit a horse in the road has died, and so has the animal. Brooks David with State Police says the horse did substantial damage to 24-year-old Joshua Marange’s vehicle…:
CUT 7 (10) “as well”
He says it happened on US 190 in Livingston Parish.

A Lafayette homeowner fatally shot a naked man who was holding a gun in his backyard this morning. Cpl. Bridgette Dugas says authorities received a call around 8 a.m. about the nude man trespassing on Fanny Street and they are working to determine why the he was there and with no clothes on…:
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Dugas says the naked suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. No charges have been brought against the homeowner as the investigation continues.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana has alerted public schools they can’t punish or threaten to punish students who refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Louisiana ACLU executive director Marjorie Esman says they sent a letter to all public school systems to ensure that everyone’s rights are protected…
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Esman says students are more aware of their rights as a result of the actions by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

New census data finds Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. Demographer Greg Rigamer says Louisiana’s median household income of about $45-thousand is well below the national average, which is over $55-thousand…:
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The national poverty rate is just under 15%, almost 5% lower than Louisiana.

A Denham Springs man has died after hitting a horse in the road. State Trooper Bryan Lee says one of their troopers came upon the accident around 1 am.
CUT 6 (08) “the roadway”
Lee says 24-year-old Joshua Marange was killed in the accident.

Department of Transpiration Secretary Shawn Wilson is travelling the state in an 18-wheeler for National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Halen Doughty has more…
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The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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Gas prices in Louisiana are now back at the $2 per gallon mark and AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says you can expect it hover there the rest of the year…:
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He says there may be a slight uptick in October, but the price will go back down as we approach the holidays.

New census data shows Louisiana is the 3rd poorest state in the nation, and Demographer Greg Rigamer says that’s not surprising…:
CUT 9 (09) “nation either”
He says Louisiana has the 6th lowest median household income. The national median income increased by 3.8% from 2014-15, while Louisiana’s only went up by 2.5%.

The US Department of Education has awarded the state up to $1.5 million dollars to support school districts hardest hit by recent storms and historic flooding. In a statement, US Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. says this money will help recovery efforts and work to restore the learning environment for students across the state.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2017 nominees are out, and former New Orleans Saint Darren Sharper, who is in jail on rape charges, is on the list.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been making headlines for refusing to stand during the National Anthem at games, and the ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about schools punishing kids for sitting during the Pledge. ACLU-LA Executive Director Marjorie Esman says nobody can be forced to stand for the Pledge, salute the flag or anything of that nature…:
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They sent a letter to schools reminding them about the First Amendment.

Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. That’s according to new census data which shows almost 20 percent of people in the state are poor, which is a slight decrease over the prior year…:
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That’s Demographer Greg Rigamer.

Monroe based CenturyLink reportedly sent a company wide memo indicating that it plans to lay off as much as 8% of its workforce by the end of the year. The letter said the layoffs are related to the decline in revenue due to more and more people choosing not to have a landline. It is not known how the announcement will affect the local workforce. The company currently has about 43,000 employees worldwide.

This week is National Truck Driver Awareness Week and DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson has been traveling the state in a big rig to see what it’s like. He says a lot of drivers like to take advantage of the fact that trucks can’t speed up as quickly in traffic, but that can be dangerous…:
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Wilson says most of the things we buy are transported by big trucks, and people should all be appreciative of the important job trucks have in moving commerce.

Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the nation, according to new census data. Don Molino has more…:
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The statewide average for a gallon of regular gas is $2. Don Redman with AAA expects that trend to continue as refineries transition to the less expensive winter-grade gasoline. He says there may be a slight price increase in October though…:
cut 4 (09) “the consumer”

This week is National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says there have been several wrecks involving truck drivers around the state recently. He says the most important thing we can do to make the roads safer for everyone is bring attention to the issue…:
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Wilson says it’s up to everyone on the road to drive safely, not just truckers.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they’ve recovered the bodies of two men from Bayou Teche in St. Martin Parish. They say 21-year-old Reese Hebert and 20-year-old Timothy Guidry set out to go fishing in a pirogue around 1am Thursday, and authorities were called when they did not return later that afternoon. Agents found the men soon after. The St. Martin Parish Coroner’s Office is investigating cause of death.

The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports about students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says they sent a letter to the superintendents of all Louisiana public school districts reminding them about the First Amendment:
Cut 10 (10) “stand for the pledge”
She hopes this won’t be an issue moving forward.

New census data finds Louisiana has the third highest poverty rate in the country. Demographer Greg Rigamer says Louisiana’s median household income of about $45-thousand is well below the national average, which is over $55-thousand…:
CUT 7 (07) “poorest states”
The national poverty rate is just under 15%, almost 5% lower than Louisiana.

Department of Transpiration Secretary Shawn Wilson is travelling the state in an 18-wheeler this week for National Truck Driver Awareness Week. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Gov. John Bel Edwards today will participate in a bipartisan meeting at the White House to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Officials of both parties from around the country will participate, including Gov. John Kasich of Ohio.

During today’s Senate Small Business Committee meeting, US Senator David Vitter says many flood victims are having an extremely hard time cutting through the red tape to get federal aid. He says today’s hearing is an important step to getting more assistance and helping his colleagues understand the level of devastation from this flood.

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According to the Governor’s Office, construction is underway in 357 homes in the Shelter at Home program. Deputy Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office, Julie Baxter Payer, 850 homes are in the process of getting work orders and 4 are complete. She says once construction begins, the homeowners can get back in their homes soon after.

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Payer says more than 2-thousand home inspections are scheduled.

An arrest has been made in connection with the murders of an elderly couple found in a barn in Avoyelles Parish. Chief Deputy Steven Martel says the grandson of the victims, 28-year-old Michael Mayeaux, has been charged with two counts of first degree murder. He says Mayeaux does have a record but no previous violent crimes.

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Martel says there is a known motive, but they are not releasing it publicly.

Congressman Charles Boustany says allegations that he was involved with prostitutes who were killed in Jefferson Davis Parish are false. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says when it comes to the politics of all this, it’s really up to voters to decide who to believe and what to believe.

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The allegations were made in a new book about the murders.

Congressman and US Senate candidate Charles Boustany denies allegations that he was involved with prostitutes who were killed in Jefferson Davis parish. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says no real evidence supports the claims that were published in a new book.

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The author of the book stands by what he wrote.

Only four of the 18-thousand homes in the Shelter At Home Program have been repaired. Deputy Chief of Staff with the Governor’s Office, Julie Baxter Payer, says it’s taken them a while to get a team put together for the brand new program. She says they started with just five contractors.

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Payer says construction is underway in 357 homes.

Flood victims testified at a meeting of the Senate Small Business Committee this morning to voice their concerns about the federal flood response. Halen Doughty has more…

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The ACLU of Louisiana says they are getting reports of students being punished for sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. Executive Director Marjorie Esman they sent a letter to the superintendents of all Louisiana public school districts saying nobody can be forced to stand for the Pledge, salute the flag or anything of that nature.