Victims in Terrebonne Parish left homeless by Hurricane Ida are STILL awaiting viable temporary housing. More from LRN’s Dave Brannen…:

CUT 02(34)      “…Brannen”

Five people were injured last night in an explosion in an ethylene production unit at the Westlake Chemical facility near Lake Charles. The unit was undergoing maintenance at the time. Three of those contract workers have been treated and released from the hospital; two are still being treated.

Governor John Bel Edwards has decided the statewide mask mandate will remain in effect through October 27^th, at least. He says the state’s mask mandate includes K-through-12 schools and college campuses…:

CUT 16(12)      “…are masked”

The governor is encouraged by recent COVID numbers, but says the state’s level of COVID is over twice what the CDC considers high.

Gas prices usually decline in the fall, but that’s not the case this year. According to the Louisiana AAA, the statewide price for a gallon of regular is $2.90. About eight cents higher than a month ago. AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says the big culprit in keeping pump prices high is the price of crude oil…:

CUT 09(09)      “…of the year”

Redman says most Louisiana refineries are running again, so hopefully, gas prices will stabilize and possibly decline as demand slacks off.

Governor John Bel Edwards extends the statewide mask mandate for another 30 days. During his briefing this afternoon, the Governor says COVID is trending in a downward direction, but the number of cases in Louisiana is still just too high…:

CUT 15(10)      “…of that”

Thousands in Terrebonne Parish are still resorting to living in tents or even under storm debris; four weeks after Hurricane Ida. Houma Representative Tanner Magee says federal officials are working to get trailers sent to residents with significant storm damage, but red tape is his biggest concern there. He also questions why FEMA didn’t move faster to get mobile homes for survivors, relying instead on hotels and apartments…:

CUT 07(12)      “…at temporary housing”

Thirty days after Hurricane Ida, the Louisiana Public Service Commission reports nearly eight thousand customers are still without power. Entergy Louisiana VP of Distribution Operations John Hawkins says for coastal communities it’s a question of a total rebuild versus a restoration.  He says crews are working 16-hour days in an effort to get those residents’ power back on…:

CUT 04(11)      “…restored”

He says gear used in these replacement grids will be rated to withstand winds OVER 150 miles-an-hour.

Preparing a resume for a job? Along with your education, experience and references…you may want to include your vaccination status. UNO Business Professor Mark Rosa sees employers rallying around the vax movement, and this is information they’ll want…:

CUT 13(10)      “…vaccinated workforce.”

Bond has been set at $75-thousand for the step-father of a Baton Rouge 2-year-old found dead in Hancock Country, Mississippi Sunday. More from Jeff Palermo…:

CUT 1    (28)        “…Palermo”

The DEA is warning the public that illicitly purchased prescription meds could well be dangerous doses of home-cooked fentanyl and methamphetamine. Drug labs are making the pills so that they look exactly like legitimate doses of OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Xanax and others. Even a tiny amount of fentanyl can be lethal. The DEA says only take meds from a legitimate and prescribed source.

A Schriever man is held on a four-million-dollar bond after a Saturday night shooting on Bull Run Road that left a woman dead and a State Trooper wounded. Troopers responded to the scene Saturday, where they say 38-year-old Patrick Waddle had shot 51-year-old Lisa Eschete.  Trooper Ross Brennan says Waddle exchanged gunfire with officers as they arrived and he was making his getaway…:

CUT 04(09)      “…a wooded area”

Waddle was apprehended and taken to jail early Sunday. He faces charges of 2^nd-degree murder and attempted murder of the state trooper.

Have you bought Powerball tickets lately? Tonight’s drawing is for one of the highest jackpots in recent history. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says – if a Louisianan wins – it’ll be the first Powerball jackpot winner in the Bayou State since 2018…:

CUT 14(11)      “…Lottery history”

Lump sum cash payout tonight? $392-million!!

Here’s some good news: for the first time in over 2 months, state health officials report fewer than a thousand COVID patients in hospitals statewide. Don Molino reports…:

CUT 02                  (29)        “…Molino.”

President Biden has approved additional federal funding measures requested by Gov. John Bel Edwards to assist Louisianans with recovery from hurricanes Laura last year and Ida last month. The Governor’s office says Biden approved an increase in the overall federal cost share to 90 percent for FEMA Public Assistance funding.

The Shreveport woman accused of throwing two of her three kids off the Cross Lake Bridge Friday – killing one of them – has been extradited back from Texas, where she was arrested. Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon says 38-year-old Ureka Black faces charges of 2^nd-degree murder and attempted murder. She was arrested Friday in Waskom, Texas and is now in jail in Shreveport…:

CUT 11           (10)     “…video arraignment”

The New Orleans Saints are back at home in Metairie, after nearly a month away due to Hurricane Ida. Coming off weeks practicing in Texas, then a road win over New England Sunday, they next face New York at home in the Dome. Linebacker Demario Davis says it wasn’t easy to be away from home for so long…:

CUT 07           (10)     “…own bed”

The Giants are winless going into the weekend; the Saints are 2 and 1.

The Shreveport woman accused of tossing her children off the Cross Lake Bridge – killing one of them – is back in our state after her arrest in Texas Friday. Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon says they aren’t releasing a motive of why 32-year-old Ureka Black allegedly threw her infant son and five-year-old son into the water. The 18-month-old did not survive… Bordelon says there were witnesses to Black’s acts, but police are withholding their testimony…:

CUT 10            (12)      “…ongoing”

Black faces 2^nd-degree murder and attempted murder charges.

A Baton Rouge man has been charged in the death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter, whose body was found in Mississippi. 30-year-old Phillip Gardner initially told police he awoke from a nap to find the toddler missing. After a search this weekend, she was found in Hancock County. Gardener is charged with unlawful disposal of remains and obstruction of justice. More charges may be pending.

A Schriever man is held on a $4-million bond after a Saturday night shooting that left a woman dead and a man wounded. State troopers responding to the scene were fired on as they arrived and 38-year-old suspect Patrick Waddle drove off, wounding one of the troopers. State Police Trooper Ross Brennan…:

CUT 03            (07)      “…he passed them”

The victim is 51-year-old Lisa Eschete. Waddle faces murder and attempted murder charges.

While it’s a long shot at a get-rich scheme, tonight’s your chance to become an instant multi-millionaire with the right set of Powerball numbers.  Kim Chopin with the Louisiana Lottery Corporation says the jackpot for the drawing is near historic level…:

CUT 12             (06)      “…jackpot ever”

Chopin says no one in the U.S. has won a Powerball jackpot since early summer. Louisiana hasn’t had a Powerball jackpot winner since 2018.

At the State Capitol Friday morning, tense exchanges during a Joint Medicaid Oversight committee meeting wherein lawmakers questioned LDH’s attorney about nursing home evacuations plans. Brooke Thorington has more…:

CUT 02             (34)      “…Thorington”

Shreveport Police arrest a Texas woman for allegedly tossing her three kids off a bridge into the city’s Cross Lake. An 18-month old baby is reported drowned, but two other siblings – ages 6 and 8 – are going to be OK. Fast police work and tips from witness led to an arrest before 2pm Friday. As of news time, the suspect’s name has not been released.

LSU AgCenter experts say the state’s agriculture industry suffered at least 584-million dollars in damages as a result of Hurricane Ida. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says timber was hit the hardest as a total of 168-thousand acres of trees were affected costing the industry more than 300-million dollars…:

CUT 06             (09)      “…to be salvaged”

You may be surprised to learn that only 22 livestock animals were killed by Ida, but still – many older ranchers say they’re getting out of the business.

Already approved by the U.S. Senate by a bipartisan vote, the $1-trillion infrastructure bill goes to a vote Monday in the U.S. House. Louisiana DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson hopes for final passage, as the bill will mean about $6-billion for road, bridge and other projects in our state. Wilson says that amount is about a billion dollars in federal funds more than we’d normally get over five years. Opponents of the bill says too much of it is social programs and pork.

Tough questions asked by state lawmakers today at the Capitol; wanting to get to the bottom of the deaths of nursing home residents from four parishes who were evacuated to a warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish before Hurricane Ida. Committee members questioned why people were evac’ed to an area IN the storm’s path. Abbeville Senator Bob Henssgens says legislation or amended legislation is clearly needed to prevent a repeat…:

CUT 14(02)      “…solve the problem”

Bob Dean, a Baton Rouge businessman owns the nursing homes and the warehouse in Independence. He AND L.D.H. are being sued by residents and family members of the deceased.

Shreveport Police report an infant was found dead today in Cross Lake, and another child was rescued from the water and will be OK. He says his mother threw him and his siblings off a bridge into the water. The third child was found safe and alive. At this hour police report they have made an arrest – a Texas woman, but the suspect’s identity has not been revealed.

An organization called “Schoolplies” and others are working to help kids get back to school after Ida. CEO Allie Casey has a Sunday school supplies giveaway in Terrebonne and Lafourche. She says her group will keep working to get more supplies where they need to be..:

CUT 10(06)      “…the efforts going”

More information is online at “Schoolplies.com”

Still plenty of hurricane recovery problems in Lafourche Parish. The town of LaRose still has a foot of water & muck in places. Lafourche President Archie Chaisson says it’s frustrating for residents, but he asks for their continued hope…:

CUT 05(10)      “…and better”

He says clearing all roads and ditches could take another two or three weeks.

During a Joint Medicaid Oversite Committee meeting today at the Capitol, River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot questioned Attorney Stephen Russo, with the Department of Health, over who approves nursing home evacuation plans. This comes just after a mass evacuation to a Tangipahoa warehouse that’s resulted in several deaths. Talbot questioned Russo as to why patients from the Orleans, Jefferson, Terrebonne, and Lafourche were sent to Tangipahoa when storm models indicated it was in Hurricane Ida’s path…:

CUT 13(09)      “…advice of counsel”

Baton Rouge businessman Bob Dean owns the nursing homes AND the warehouse. He and LDH are being sued by residents and some surviving family members.

A District Court judge in Lafayette tosses out a lawsuit filed by employees of one of two Acadiana hospitals, who say being ordered to get a COVID vaccination or face firing is unconstitutional. The judge says employers are within their rights as a business to make COVID shots a condition of continued employment. A hearing for the other hospital is scheduled for Saturday.

In Shreveport … one child is dead and another injured – while crews search for a third missing child; all related to an incident at Cross Lake. It’s believed all three kids are siblings and one source says they were thrown off a bridge over part of the lake. Little else is known at this time. We’ll have updates as they become available.

Hurricane Ida’s negative fiscal impact on Louisiana agriculture is estimated at over a half-billion bucks. More from Jeff Palermo…:

CUT 01(31)      “…Palermo”

Governor John Bel Edwards says two bills are moving through congress to fund Louisiana disaster relief. Brooke Thorington has more from his trip to D.C…:

CUT 01(31)          “…Thorington”

Westbound lanes of the I-10 Bridge over the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles are reopened, but eastbound lanes remain closed at this hour. DOTD says inspectors want to assure the fiery big rig crash that happened last night has not compromised the bridge’s already fragile stability. Traffic is being diverted onto I-210.

A federal grand jury indicts former Monroe area State Trooper Jacob Brown on charges he violated the civil rights of Aaron Bowman during a 2019 roadside arrest. Legal analyst Tim Meche says Brown’s defense will have a tough job convincing a jury that hitting Bowman 18 times with his MagLite was appropriate, but…
CUT 28  (05)        “…and sit down”

Brown could face up to ten years in prison if convicted.

As feared, Hurricane Ida dealt a serious blow to Louisiana’s multi-billion dollar seafood industry. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says 150-mile-an-hour winds caused major damage to fishing boats and oyster beds have been shut down; leading to big shortages. He says federal assistance will certainly be needed to get commercial fishermen back on their feet…:

CUT 08  (11)        “…the most”

Nungesser says oyster beds could reopen soon, once state inspectors determine they’re uncompromised.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been in DC this week meeting with lawmakers in hopes of getting disaster relief money for the state. He says he feels it’s been a productive week and measures have been introduced in both chambers for disaster relief for the nation as a whole for 2020 and 21…:

CUT 03(11)      “…which state.”

Opposition to the bills are concerned with the trillions they will add to the national debt, and the increases in federal spending for things other than disaster help.

Public Service Commission member Foster Campbell supports the Democrat spending bills because of the billions for Louisiana hurricane relief, and feels state Republicans who oppose are voting against helping victims of recent storms…:

CUT 14(09)      “…have to do.”

A former Monroe area State Police trooper seen on viral video beating a man with his flashlight during a traffic stop has been indicted. A federal grand jury returned the indictment for excessive force; charging him with deprivation of rights related to the May 2019 incident in which he used the flashlight on an arrestee identified only as “A.B.” If 31-year-old former trooper Jacob Brown is eventually convicted, he could face up to ten years in prison and heavy fines.

Hurricane Ida delivered another blow to the state’s seafood industry, which annually produces millions of pounds of fish, shrimp, crabs, and more. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says oysters are in short supply because oyster beds are closed, and then there’s all the damaged fishing boats. He says shrimpers could have it pretty bad as well…:

CUT 07(06)      “…were sunk.”

Nungesser says thousands of fishermen will need federal help to get back on their feet.