Today in the House Homeland Security Committee meeting, lawmakers grilled a FEMA administrator on why it’s taking so long to get flood victims assistance. FEMA Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar says 111-thousand home inspections have been ordered but only 56-thousand have been conducted.
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Stolar says there are 23-hundred FEMA personnel working on this disaster.

Today, State Treasurer John Kennedy told lawmakers the one-cent increase in the state sales tax should be suspended for flood victims, even if it means calling a special session, which upset New Orleans Senator JP Morell. Kennedy says Morrell is entitled to his opinion.

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Morrell says the tax code doesn’t allow them to suspend taxes on the fly.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has donated over 1.6 million dollars in flood relief and plans to give even more. Michelle Southern has the story…

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Louisiana federal prosecutors have indicted six officials with Explo Systems Incorporated for leaving 78-hundred tons of explosives at a Louisiana National Guard Facility. The indictment alleges the officials lied to get a contract to demilitarize the explosives then improperly stored them at Camp Minden, and all six are charges with criminal conspiracy.

FEMA came under fire from state lawmakers today for not getting assistance to flood victims quickly. But FEMA Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar says there are 23-hundred FEMA personnel working on this disaster.

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Stolar says 131-thousand people have registered for federal aid, and $315 million has been approved for FEMA.

State Treasurer John Kennedy told lawmakers they should suspend the one cent increase on the state sales tax for flood victims. But New Orleans Senator JP Morrell says this is not something that Kennedy should be proposing, because it’s not feasible.

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Kennedy says the increase in the sales tax should be revisited, even if it means calling a special session.

A former employee at an assisted living facility has been arrested for rape. Mandeville Police Officer Becky White says 58-year-old Jerry Kan worked as cook at Beau Provence Memory Care. She says he was booked after authorities received a call about inappropriate behavior between Kan and a 78-year-old resident.

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White says Kan has worked at Beau Provence since April of this year.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has given over 1.6 million dollars to help flood victims. BRAF Communications Director Mukul Verma says they’ve given dozens of grants to local nonprofits working in the field of flood relief. He says a lot of the money is donated from people around the country through online platforms.

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Verma says companies around the region have donated about a million dollars to BRAF.

State lawmakers say FEMA is moving too slow when it comes to setting up manufactured homes for flood victims. The government agency says only one unit has been installed and Gonzales Representative Clay Schexnayder says that’s not getting the job done…
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FEMA regional director Gerard Stoler says the mobile homes are not easy to install and couldn’t say when more will be in place.

A cook at an assistant living center in Mandeville has been charged with one count of rape and his alleged victim is a 78-year-old resident at Beau Provence Memory care. Mandeville Police Officer Becky White says the incident occurred last week in the victim’s room and 58-year-old Jerry Kan resigned two days later…
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Kan was hired by Beau Provence earlier this year.

State Treasurer John Kennedy is urging lawmakers to consider suspending the one cent sales tax increase for flood victims, when they purchase items to rebuild their homes. Kennedy says the state should not reap a financial windfall from people’s tragedy…:
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Lawmakers added an extra penny to the state sales tax earlier this year. New Orleans Senator JP Morrell says Kennedy’s proposal would be very difficult to implement.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation announces they’ve distributed one-point-six million dollars in flood relief grants. A third of the money handed has gone towards helping schools and students who lost classroom supplies. BRAF spokesperson Mukul Verma says they are raising about 20-thousand dollars a day in online donations…
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A frustrated Ascension parish lawmaker wants to know why it’s taking so long to get temporary housing for flood victims. FEMA Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar says 2-thousand flood survivors are still in hotels, and more than 15-hundred are in shelters. Gonzales Representative Clay Schexnayder says FEMA is not moving fast enough…

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The Baton Rouge Area foundation is raising money for flood victims. Director of Communications Mukul Verma says companies around the region have donated about a million dollars to BRAF. He says 600-thousand dollars have been distributed to schools and education organizations to assist with new classroom supplies and restoring water logged schools.

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State Treasurer John Kennedy told lawmakers today the one-cent increase in the state sales tax should be suspended for flood victims, even if it means calling a special session, and the comment upset New Orleans Senator JP Morell. Kennedy says Morrell is entitled to his opinion.

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Morrell says Kennedy has been in government for years, and he should know that the state’s tax code just doesn’t allow lawmakers to immediately suspend a tax for certain people.

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Tropical Storm Hermine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to pick up speed and intensity as it moves towards the Florida coastline. At this point, forecasters do not expect any impact on Louisiana.

Legislators questioned a FEMA administrator today in the House Homeland Security Committee meeting trying to determine why it’s taking so long to get flood victims assistance. FEMA Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar says 111-thousand home inspections have been ordered but only 56-thousand have been conducted.
cut 7 (09) “hundred.”

Legislators told Stolar that there needs to be more of an emphasis to set up manufactured homes for flood victims.

Mandeville police have arrested a former cook at an assisted living facility for first degree rape. Officer Beck White says 58-year-old Jerry Kan was arrested after authorities received information about inappropriate behavior between Kan and a 78-year-old resident.
Cut 14 (03) “the facility”

White says Kan was a cook at Beau Provence Memory Care since April and the incident occurred on August 21st.

 
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has donated over 1.6 million dollars in flood relief and plans to give even more. Michelle Southern reports.
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The Tropical Depression in the Gulf of Mexico is now Tropical Storm Hermine. The National Hurricane Center says maximum sustained winds are about 40 miles per hour and the storm is moving north at around 2 miles per hour. Forecasters believe the area of low pressure will continue to move towards Florida and increase speed tomorrow.

An Ascension Parish lawmaker wants FEMA to move faster in providing manufactured homes for flood victims. Halen Doughty has more…:
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The Mandeville Police Department is investigating the disturbing case of a former nursing home kitchen worker who is accused of raping a 78-year-old resident. They say 58-year-old Jerry Kan, who was the Beau Provence cook, allegedly went inside the Memory Care Facility room of the elderly victim and forced sexual intercourse upon her. Kan is booked with first degree rape.

State Treasurer John Kennedy told lawmakers today that they should consider suspending the one cent sales tax increase for flood victims rebuilding their homes. He said the state should not reap a financial windfall from people’s tragedy, when they’ll have to pay an extra penny on items needed to rebuild their lives…:
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But New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, who chairs the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee, say this is not something that Kennedy should be proposing as feasible on the fly, because it’s not…:
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He says all Kennedy is trying to do is makes a good sound bite.

Hurricane Hunters have found that Tropical Storm Hermine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. The system is in the Central Gulf of Mexico and looks scary for Louisiana and Mississippi as it’s moving north, but forecasters say a sharp turn toward the northeast with increasing forward speed is expected on Thursday.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has given over 1.6 million dollars to help those affected by the historic flooding that tore through south Louisiana. Director of Communications Mukul Verma says they’ve given dozens of grants to local nonprofits working in the field of flood relief. He says most of these donations have been made online by people throughout the country…:
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Donations can be made online at braf.org.

State Treasurer John Kennedy told lawmakers today that they should consider suspending the one cent sales tax increase for flood victims rebuilding their homes. He said the state should not reap a financial windfall from people’s tragedy. But New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, who chairs the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee, calls this a half-baked idea that shouldn’t be presented as feasible on the fly because it’s not.

Lawmakers slammed FEMA today saying aid is not getting to flood victims fast enough. 200 households have been approved for FEMA manufactured homes, but only one has been set up in Louisiana. Gonzales Representative Clay Schexnayder told FEMA today during the House Homeland Security Committee meeting that he doesn’t care how it happens, but the process needs to be expedited…:
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FEMA responded saying that this recovery is going to be long due to the concentration and scale and scope of the damage.

Louisiana native and five-time Grammy nominee Hunter Hayes has been added to the lineup of the flood relief concert, “Louisiana Rising.” The benefit, which will be produced for broadcast and is not open to the public, is taking place on Labor Day in Baton Rouge and will be hosted by Randy Jackson and Harry Connick Jr — also both Louisiana natives.