Avoyelles Parish received a 911 call yesterday from the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse saying an unknown male entered the courthouse in Marksville covering his face and possessing fake plastic guns and carrying packages and bags. Local law enforcement agencies responded and searched the man, his bags, and the courthouse. Fortunately, no explosives were found.  APSO Detectives identified the man as Jaymes Edward Baker of Mulberry, Florida and learned that Baker allegedly went there to make a statement about his dissatisfaction with civil proceedings in a child custody matter.  Baker was arrested and booked for Terrorizing and Simple Assault.  No bond has been set.

Entergy Louisiana crews are working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible. VP of Customer Service Michelle Bourg (BORG) says in the coastal parishes including Assumption, Terrebonne and Lafourche, full restoration will take a little longer.

Cut 5 (08) “…two to three days.”

Bourg notes that South Louisiana’s geography makes it challenging for crews, with many power poles being located in marshes, swamps and heavily wooded areas.

Cleanup and recovery continue in the coastal parishes. In St. Mary Parish, President Sam Jones says things are almost all the way back to normal.

Cut 8 (09)  “…we’re cleaning up.”

Jones says the progress is incredible considering the parish was among those hit hardest by Francine.

Second Harvest Food Bank is mobilizing to address the immediate needs of communities in parishes impacted by Hurricane Francine. The organization is providing food, water, and essential supplies. President and CEO Natalie Jayroe says Second Harvest aims to ensure that necessities reach those in need as quickly as possible.

Cut 10 (09) “…lives back together.”

To volunteer or make donations to Second Harvest, visit no dash hunger dot org.

Entergy crews are working around the clock to restore power to everyone left in the dark by Francine. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Coastal parishes hit hard by Wednesday night’s hurricane are working diligently to get life back to normal as quickly as possible. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Entergy Louisiana crews are working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible. VP of Customer Service Michelle Bourg (BORG) says with manpower quadrupled, crews are making great progress.

Cut 3 (09) “…to the storm.”

Bourg says in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, full restoration will happen even sooner.

Cut 4 (12) “…restored before then.”

But in the coastal parishes including Assumption, Terrebonne and Lafourche, full restoration will likely take a little longer.

Cut 5 (08) “…two to three days.”

Bourg notes that South Louisiana’s geography makes it challenging for crews, with many power poles being located in marshes, swamps and heavily wooded areas. She notes, however, that they have the equipment to effectively navigate those areas, including drones and helicopters.

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Cleanup and recovery continues in the coastal parishes. In Terrebonne Parish, President Jason Bergeron (BAA-zher-on) says one of the biggest challenges is that power poles are in hard to reach areas such as marshes and swamps.

Cut 6 (09) “…and those lines.”

Bergeron says they also had to take time to document the damage so that the parish can be promptly reimbursed.

Cut 7 (10) “…as we go.”

In St. Mary Parish, President Sam Jones says things are almost all the way back to normal.

Cut 8 (09)  “…we’re cleaning up.”

Jones says the progress is incredible given the fact that the parish was among those which took the brunt of the storm

Cut 9 (07)  “…cleaned out already.”

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Second Harvest Food Bank is mobilizing to address the immediate needs of communities in parishes impacted by Hurricane Francine. The organization has provided food, water, and essential supplies to those affected by the storm. President and CEO Natalie Jayroe says Second Harvest aims to ensure that necessities reach those in need as quickly as possible.

Cut 10 (09) “…lives back together.”

Second Harvest is distributing emergency food boxes, hot meals, and bottled water to shelters and community centers in the hardest-hit areas. Jayroe says they have supplied more than 200-thousand pounds of food and nearly three thousand meals and counting…

Cut 11 (12) “…provide snacks there.”

Second Harvest is working to stock food pantries and coordinate long-term relief efforts as the region begins the recovery process. Volunteers and donations are being requested to sustain these efforts in the coming weeks.  Jayroe says volunteers and donations are crucial…

Cut 12 (08) “…for a family.”

Jayroe says Second Harvest remains focused on providing relief and helping families and individuals regain stability after the hurricane.  For more information on how you can donate or volunteer visit no-dash-hunger-dot-org.

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The 16th ranked LSU football team kicks off SEC play on Saturday by facing a confident South Carolina squad, coming off a 31-to-6 road win against Kentucky. Tigers Coach Brian Kelly expects the Gamecocks to use their run game to move the ball down the field…

Cut 13 (12) “…early on.” 

It’s an early kick in Columbia as this one gets underway at 11 AM.

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Saturday is the Southland Conference opener for McNeese as the Cowboys welcome back Stephen F Austin back to the league by hosting the Lumberjacks at 7 PM. Pokes head coach Gary Goff on the S-F-A defense…

Cut 14 (16) “..protection.”

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The Saints looked great in beating Carolina in the season opener, but Dallas is a much a better team. New Orleans visits the Cowboys on Sunday. The Cowboys top playmaker is receiver CeeDee Lamb. Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu says Lamb is one of the top receivers in the NFL…

Cut 15 (12) “…coverages.”

Kick off is at noon.

Coastal parishes hit hard by Wednesday night’s hurricane are working diligently to get life back to normal as quickly as possible. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Entergy Louisiana crews are working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible. VP of Customer Service Michelle Bourg (BORG) says with manpower quadrupled, crews are making great progress.

Cut 3 (09) “…to the storm.”

Bourg says in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, full restoration will happen even sooner.

Second Harvest is working to stock food pantries and coordinate long-term relief efforts as the region begins the recovery process. President and CEO Natalie Jayroe says they are seeking volunteers and donations to sustain these efforts in the coming weeks. She says volunteers and donations are crucial…

Cut 12 (08) “…for a family.”

Jayroe says Second Harvest remains focused on providing relief and helping families and individuals regain stability after the hurricane.  For more information on how you can donate or volunteer visit no-dash-hunger-dot-org.

The 16th ranked LSU Tigers kick off SEC play on Saturday by facing a confident South Carolina squad, coming off a 31-to-6 road win against Kentucky. Tigers Coach Brian Kelly expects the Gamecocks to use their run game to move the ball down the field…

Cut 13 (12) “…early on.” 

It’s an early 11 AM kick off in Columbia.

Entergy crews are working around the clock to restore power to everyone left in the dark by Francine. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Avoyelles Parish received a 911 call yesterday from the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse saying an unknown male later identified as Jaymes Edward Baker of Mulberry, Florida reportedly entered the courthouse in Marksville with plastic guns, carrying packages and bags, and covering his face. Local law enforcement agencies responded.  The courthouse and Baker’s bags were searched, and no explosives were found.  Baker allegedly was making a statement about his dissatisfaction with a child custody matter.  He was arrested and booked for Terrorizing and Simple Assault.  No bond has been set.

Cleanup and recovery continues in the coastal parishes. In Terrebonne Parish, President Jason Bergeron (BAA-zher-on) says they also had to take time to document the damage so that the parish can be promptly reimbursed.

Cut 7 (10) “…as we go.”

Second Harvest Food Bank is distributing emergency food boxes, hot meals, and bottled water to shelters and community centers in the hardest-hit areas. President and CEO Natalie Jayroe say they have supplied more than 200-thousand pounds of food and nearly three thousand meals and counting…

Cut 11 (09) “…Orleans Parish.”

Jayroe says Second Harvest remains focused on providing relief and helping families and individuals regain stability after the hurricane.  For more information on how you can donate or volunteer visit no-dash-hunger-dot-org.

Cleanup and recovery continues in the coastal parishes. In Terrebonne Parish, President Jason Bergeron (BAA-zher-on) says one of the biggest challenges is that power poles are in hard to reach areas such as marshes and swamps.

Cut 6 (09) “…and those lines.”

Bergeron says they also had to take time to document the damage, including taking pictures, for FEMA so that the parish can be promptly reimbursed.

As of noon today, 114-thousand utility customers are without power. Entergy of Louisiana Vice President of Customer of Service Michelle Bourg says in Assumption, Terrebonne and Lafourche, full restoration will take a few days.

Cut 5 (08) “…two to three days.”

Points of distribution areas have opened in Morgan City, Houma, Montegu, Chauvin and Schrieber. Residents without power can get meals, bottled water and ice at these locations. Go to emergency.la.gov for exact locations.

Second Harvest Food Bank is mobilizing to address the immediate needs of communities in parishes impacted by Hurricane Francine. The organization has provided food, water, and essential supplies to those affected by the storm. President and CEO Natalie Jayroe says Second Harvest aims to ensure that necessities reach those in need as quickly as possible.

Cut 10 (09) “…lives back together.”

Hurricane Francine spared southwest Louisiana so in Lake Charles, they are getting ready for a big football game between McNeese and Stephen F Austin. Cowboys Coach Gary Goff on the S-F-A defense…

Cut 14 (16) “…protection”

Kick off is at 7 PM. LSU will play at South Carolina at 11 AM.

Entergy Louisiana crews are working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible. VP of Customer Service Michelle Bourg (BORG) says crews are especially making progress in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.

Cut 4 (12) “…restored before then.”

In the coastal parishes, full restoration will likely take a couple more days.

Governor Landry, Senator John Kennedy and others took a helicopter tour of Terrebonne Parish to survey the damage left behind by Hurricane Francine. Afterwards, Landry said one purpose is to come up with ways to improve coordination with federal partners like FEMA.

Cut 10 (09) “…some weak links.”

Landry says while damage was extensive, it would have been much worse had investments in hurricane safety not been made years earlier.

A Ruston elementary school PE teacher is under arrest after allegedly threatening a third-grade class. Union Parish Sheriff’s Investigators say 70-year-old Robert Mitcham became angry and told the kids he had a gun and would use it. The sheriff’s office says while Mitcham maintains that he wasn’t genuinely threatening the kids, they must take threats seriously – even though it is usually students who make threats and unfortunately, act on them.

The 16th ranked LSU football team kicks off SEC play on Saturday by facing a confident South Carolina squad, coming off a 31-to-6 road win against Kentucky. Tigers Coach Brian Kelly expects the Gamecocks to use their run game to move the ball down the field…

Cut 13 (12) “…early on.” 

It’s an early kick in Columbia as this one gets underway at 11 a.m.

Just over 120-thousand customers are without power from Hurricane Francine. Entergy Louisiana Vice President of Customer Service Michelle Bourg (BORG) says with manpower quadrupled, crews have been very effective thus far.

Cut 3 (15) “…Hurricane Francine’s landfall.”

Bourg says residents in St Bernard, St. Martin and Plaquemines Parish should be restored today.

The Federal Highway Administration is sending the state an additional 104 million dollars that will help the state pay for construction projects that have gone over budget because of inflation. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says 22-million dollars will go to the I-10 rehab project in Acadia Parish…

Cut 6 (06) “…thousands of people”

A Downsville Community Charter School PE teacher was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening a third-grade class. Union Parish Sheriff’s Investigators say 70-year-old Robert Mitcham became angry and told students he had bullets for his gun, and he would bring it to the school and shoot, adding, some of the students would not survive. Sheriff Dusty Gates…

Cut 13 (12)  “…Ruston, Louisiana.”

Mitchem told the authorities he was overwhelmed and wanted to say something to settle the children down.

LSU is at South Carolina tomorrow. The Tigers have yet to get their run game on track, but offensive tackle Emery Jones says it continues to be a point of emphasis

Cut 16 (11)   “…better at it”

Kick off is at 11 AM.

Governor Landry, Senator John Kennedy and others took a helicopter tour of Terrebonne Parish to survey the damage left behind by Hurricane Francine. Senator Kennedy reiterated to those affected by the storm that the state will get the federal money that it’s entitled to under President Biden’s emergency declaration.

Cut 12 (07) “…worry about that.”

Morgan City was hit especially hard by Francine. Franklin Senator Robert Allain says the cooperation of all agencies greatly mitigated the damage.

Cut 9 (09)  “…fund that program.”

Allain says the rain was coming down so hard and so fast there that there was no way that the pumps in the area could keep up. The pumps are designed to stop working when rainfall exceeds ten inches. Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna and a group of volunteers secured two pumps to spare one neighborhood near Lake Palourde of any major flooding..

A Ruston elementary school PE teacher is under arrest after allegedly threatening a third-grade class. Union Parish Sheriff’s Investigators say 70-year-old Robert Mitcham became angry and told the kids he had a gun and would use it. Sheriff Dusty Gates says they must take threats seriously.

Cut 15 (06) “…this way.”

Mitcham has also been barred from the campus.

DOTD is awarded $104 million in redistributed funds by the Federal Highway Administration. DOTD Spokesman Rodney Mallet says the money will help pay for new roadways, bridges, and other large essential projects.

Cut 5 (10) “…funding.”

This redistribution occurs annually, allocating unused federal funds from other states to those that have met certain requirements and can use the funds efficiently.

Hurricane Franciene left behind damage, but it could have been worse. During a press conference in Terrebonne Parish. Governor Jeff Landry credited the millions of dollars in federal and state investments into hurricane and flood protection…

Cut 11 (18) “…in this area”

State and local officials also acted as the storm was approaching. Franklin Senator Robert Allain says Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna and a group of volunteers secured two pumps to spare the Lakeside subdivision near Lake Palourde of any major flooding.

Cut 8 (09) “…into Lake Palourde.”

In the River Parishes, an estimated 300 homes were flooded as nine inches of rain fell in St. Charles Parish.

The state has received an additional 104-million-dollars in federal funds as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s annual redistribution of unused federal transportation dollars. Sean Richardson has the story.

Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A Lafayette businessman was killed in a plane crash yesterday morning. The private aircraft went down on the golf course at Oakbourne Country Club, shortly after takeoff from Lafayette Regional Airport. The owner of Manuel Companies, Greg Manuel, was the lone occupant and died in the crash.