10:30 LRN Newscast Aug 30

Louisiana’s Congressional delegation is asking FEMA for a cost-share reduction for flood relief efforts. Congressman Ralph Abraham says they are asking the federal government to cover 90% of the cost for both historic floods. He says 49 parishes were declared federal disaster areas at some point this year.

Cut 8 (07) “two events”

The US Senate race in Louisiana has taken a back seat to other dramatic events in the state. Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com says things should start to heat up soon because the unofficial start date for the election cycle is usually after Labor Day. But he says Republican Congressmen John Fleming and Charles Boustany are not waiting.

Cut 5 (12) “congressional districts”

US Representative Garrett Graves is not pleased with FEMA’s financial aid for flood victims. He says the largest FEMA payment he’s heard of is around $8-thousand, but the max is $33-thousand. He says FEMA needs to be respectful of the fact that some of these victims just lost everything.

Cut 15 (11) “whatever else”

Graves says he doesn’t understand why people are still in shelters when there are 13-hundred FEMA housing units around the country.

A report from the personal finance website Kiplinger shows Louisiana is the sixth most tax-friendly state in the country. Sandra Block with Kiplinger says the state did well in several categories.

Cut 10 (09) “very low”

She says Louisiana also has the third lowest property taxes in the US.

09:30 Newscast, August 30th, 2016

Louisiana’s Congressional delegation sent a letter to FEMA asking for a flood relief cost-share reduction for the March and August historic floods. Under the current disaster funding level, the state and local governments will pay 25 percent of costs and the government 75 percent. Congressman Ralph Abraham of Richland Parish says 49 parishes were declared federal disaster areas at some point this year…:
CUT 9 (08) “very long”
He says they are asking the feds to cover 90% of costs instead of 75%.

According to the governor’s office, about 6300 applications have been put in for the Louisiana Shelter at Home Program. Registration opened Monday for flood victims to register to receive up to $15,000 for home repairs that would make a space livable while the rest of the house is rebuilt. The site to register is shelterathome.la.gov.

The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Depression Nine is expected to become a tropical storm today in the Gulf of Mexico, as it moves away from Cuba on a westward path. They say the system will make a turn back toward Florida over the next two days where it is expected to make landfall — probably on Thursday. TD9 is virtually no threat to Louisiana or the central Gulf Coast according to forecasters.

According to the personal finance website Kiplinger, Louisiana is the sixth most tax-friendly state in the US. Spokeswoman Sandra Block says Louisiana’s gas tax is 10-cents below the national average, and the income tax rate is about 3%. She says the state did not do well in the sales tax category, which is now up to 5-cents…:
cut 11 (09) “sales tax”
Wyoming came in first in the study as the most tax-friendly state, and California came in last.

 

08:30 Newscast, August 30th, 2016

Baton Rouge Congressman Garrett Graves took Florida Congressman John Mica on a tour of flood devastated areas in south Louisiana, and the two were critical of FEMA’s response in getting people out of shelters. Graves says victims are going through tons of red tape including the fact that FEMA
won’t allow the temporary governrment trailer homes to be set up in a flood plain…:
cut 14 (09) “trailer park”
Graves is also not happy that the largest FEMA payment he’s heard of being awarded is around $8,000.

State Police say four children who were reported missing out of California have been found in Louisiana – and two adults, including the mother of the young kids (aged 4,6,7 and 8), have been arrested. Investigators say troopers found the group in Acadia Parish acting on information from the US Marshal’s Service. The man, 37-year-old Joseph Moreno, was booked on a warrant listing three counts of “lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14.” The woman was arrested on a child abduction charge.

Louisiana is the sixth most tax-friendly state in the nation, according to a new report from the personal finance website Kiplinger. Don Molino has more…:
Cut 2 (28) “I’m Don Molino”

Between a police ambush and historic flooding, the US Senate race has taken a backseat. But Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com says the campaign should start to ramp up soon and one of the front-runners, Republican Charles Boustany is already running ads…:
cut 4 (08) “as well”

 

07:30 Newscast, August 30th, 2016

US Representative Garrett Graves of Baton Rouge is not pleased with FEMA’s slow response getting displaced flood victims into long term housing. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The flooding and prior police ambush has put the Louisiana US Senate race on the back burner. But Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com says there’s still 10 weeks to go before the election day, which can be an eternity in politics, especially in Louisiana…:
Cut 6 (09) “paying attention”

Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham of Richland Parish and the rest of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, asking for a flood relief cost-share reduction for not only the south Louisiana flood, but also the one that hit north Louisiana in March. Abraham says the feds will cover 75% of the flood response and relief costs, while state and local governments are on the hook for the other 25%…:
CUT 7 (07) “afford it”
Abraham says they are asking that the federal government cover 90% of the cost for both historic floods, leaving only state and local governments to pay 10-percent.

According to the personal finance website Kiplinger, Louisiana is the sixth most tax-friendly state in the US. Sandra Block with Kiplinger says there are tradeoffs in states with lower taxes, because there are less dollars for schools, public services, and roads…:
cut 12 (09) “bad shape”

 

06:45 Sportscast, August 30th, 2016

The 5th ranked LSU Tigers will kick-off the season on Saturday against an unranked Wisconsin squad, who will start a fifth year senior quarterback. Twenty-three-year-old Bart Houston is set to make his first collegiate start and LSU Coach Les Miles says he’s a talented kid from California…:
Cut 18 (10) “with the ball”
LSU running back Leonard Fournette enters this game 13 rushing yards shy of reaching three-thousand for his career. He will likely become the fastest player in school history to three-thousand rushing yards.

Fans going to the game at historic Lambeau Field are being reminded of the stadium’s carry in policy. It’s the same as every NFL stadium meaning only bags or purses allowed inside must be clear plastic and no larger than 12x6x12. Kickoff between the Tigers and Badgers is set for 2:30 p.m.

Redshirt freshman J’mar Smith gets the nod over Price Wilson and Smith will start at quarterback for Louisiana Tech this Saturday when they kick-off the season at Arkansas. Coach Skip Holtz on how he arrived to the decision for Smith to start against the Hogs..:
Cut 16 (19) “three weeks”
Smith is taking the place of Ryan Higgins as the starting quarterback. Higgins will not start because he was arrested on DWI charges before the start of fall camp.

Grambling State football coach Broderick Fobbs announced that wide receiver Chad Williams is suspended for the season opener against Virginia University of Lynchberg. Williams was arrested last May and charged with possession of marijuana and guns.

 

06:30 Newscast, August 30th, 2016

US Representative Garrett Graves criticizes FEMA for being slow to get people into temporary housing units. Graves says he understand there are 1,300 FEMA manufactured homes available around the country, but as far as he knows only one has been set up in Louisiana…:
Cut 13 (07) “these folks”
Graves is also not happy that the largest FEMA payment he’s heard of being awarded is around $8-thousand, and the max is $33-thousand.

According to the personal finance website Kiplinger, Louisiana is the sixth most tax-friendly state in the US. Sandra Block with Kiplinger says Louisiana’s property taxes are the third lowest in the country, and the state also did well in other categories…:
Cut 10 (09) “very low”
Louisiana’s gas tax is 10-cents below the national average, and the income tax rate is about 3%.

The US Senate race in Louisiana has taken a backseat to other major events, like a tragic police ambush followed by historic flooding. Halen Doughty has more…:
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Depression Nine is expected to become a tropical storm today in the Gulf of Mexico, as it moves away from Cuba on a westward path. They say the system will make a turn back toward Florida over the next two days where it is expected to make landfall.

 

18:30 LRN Newscast Aug 29

The Governor’s Office announces registration is now open for the Shelter At Home Program. Communications Director Richard Carbo says registering for FEMA does not register someone for this program. He encourages everyone to register for federal aid, but reminds people they need to apply for this program separately.

CUT 4 (09)  “dot gov”

He says the program awards up to $15-thousand for home repairs so that people can get back into their homes quickly.

Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain announces pets that were lost in the flood are being moved from the shelter at the River Center to a new shelter at the Dixon Correctional Institute in Baton Rouge. He says the move comes as a result of a donation from the Humane Society.

cut 12 (10) “at Dixon”

Today is the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and right now south Louisiana is experiencing a similar aftermath and recovery from flooding: Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

State troopers have arrested a wanted California sex offender who was travelling through Louisiana. Master Trooper Brooks David says they also rescued four missing children who were in the vehicle with 37-year-old Joseph Moreno and 37-year-old Penny Rascon. David says the children were ages 4, 6, 7 and 8, and all were missing out of California

LRN AM Newscall Aug 29

The US Senate race in Louisiana has taken a backseat to other major events, like a tragic police ambush followed by historic flooding. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Louisiana is the sixth most tax-friendly state in the nation, according to a new report from the personal finance website Kiplinger. Don Molino has more…

Cut 2 (28) “I’m Don Molino”

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US Representative Garrett Graves of Baton Rouge is not pleased with FEMA’s slow response getting displaced flood victims into long term housing. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

Between a police ambush and historic flooding, the US Senate race has taken a backseat. But Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com says the campaign should start to ramp up soon and one of the front-runners, Republican Charles Boustany is already running ads.

cut 4  (08)  “as well”

Alford says a favorite to make the run-off, Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy, is holding off on running ads because the flooding in south Louisiana continues to dominate headlines. He says the unofficial start date for the election cycle is usually after Labor Day, but Republican Congressmen John Fleming and Charles Boustany are not waiting.

Cut 5  (12)  “congressional districts”

Alford says with things getting off to a slow start, we haven’t seen any secondary candidates making headway in the race. He says there’s still 10 weeks to go before the election day, which can be an eternity in politics, especially in Louisiana.

Cut 6 (09) “paying attention”

_______________________________________________

Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham of Richland Parish and the rest of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, asking for a flood relief cost-share reduction for not only the south Louisiana flood, but also the one that hit north Louisiana in March. Abraham says the feds will cover 75% of the flood response and relief costs, while state and local governments are on the hook for the other 25%.

CUT 7 (07)  “afford it”

Abraham says they are asking that the federal government cover 90% of the cost for both historic floods, leaving only state and local governments to pay 10-percent. He says 49 parishes were declared federal disaster areas at some point this year, and some parishes were impacted by both floods.

Cut 8 (07) “two events” 

Abraham says reducing the cost-share statewide will lessen the financial burden on Louisiana as the recovery effort continues. He says we got through this together, and we will be a stronger state if we rebuild together.

Cut 9 (08)  “very long”

___________________________________________________________

According to the personal finance website Kiplinger, Louisiana is the sixth most tax-friendly state in the US. Sandra Block with Kiplinger says Louisiana’s property taxes are the third lowest in the country, and the state also did well in other categories.

Cut 10 (09) “very low”

Louisiana’s gas tax is 10-cents below the national average, and the income tax rate is about 3%. Block says Louisiana did not do well in the sales tax category, as the state sales tax is now up to 5-cents.

cut 11 (09) “sales tax”

Wyoming came in first in the study as the most tax-friendly state, and California came in last. Block says there are tradeoffs in states with lower taxes, because there are less dollars for schools, public services, and roads.

cut 12 (09) “bad shape”

_______________________________________________________

US Representative Garrett Graves of Baton Rouge toured the flood devastated areas of the state with Florida Congressman John Mica, and Mica then criticized FEMA for being slow to get people into temporary housing units. Graves says they understand there are 1,300 FEMA manufactured homes available around the country, but as far as he knows only one has been set up in Louisiana.

Cut 13 (07) “these folks”

Graves says he is not pleased that FEMA won’t let people set up the manufactured homes in their yards if they’re in a flood plain.

cut 14 (09)  “trailer park”

Graves is also not happy that the largest FEMA payment he’s heard of being awarded is around $8-thousand, and the max is $33-thousand. He says FEMA needs to be respectful of the fact that some of these flood victims just lost everything.

Cut 15 (11) “whatever else”

_______________________________________________________

Redshirt freshman J’mar Smith gets the nod over Price Wilson and Smith will start at quarterback for Louisiana Tech this Saturday when they kick-off the season at Arkansas. Coach Skip Holtz on how he arrived to the decision for Smith to start against the Hogs

Cut 16  (19)  “three weeks”

Smith is taking the place of Ryan Higgins as the starting quarterback. Higgins will not start because he was arrested on DWI charges before the start of fall camp. Higgins could play against Arkansas. The Razorbacks are known for their power run game and Holtz says it will be a test for his defense…

Cut 17 (21)  “of football”

____________________________________________________________

The 5th ranked LSU Tigers will kick-off the season on Saturday against an unranked Wisconsin squad, who will start a fifth year senior quarterback. Twenty-three-year-old Bart Houston is set to make his first collegiate start and LSU Coach Les Miles says he’s a talented kid from California..

Cut 18 (10) “with the ball

For the first time during the Les Miles era at LSU, both coordinators Cam Cameron and Dave Aranda will coach from the sidelines, instead of the press box. Miles says both guys wanted to be on the field, which means part-time coaches, like graduate assistants, will be the eyes in the sky

Cut 19 (19) “this will change”

LSU running back Leonard Fournette enters this game 13 rushing yards shy of reaching three-thousand for his career. He will likely become the fastest player in school history to three-thousand rushing yards. Fournette is set to play in his 26th collegiate game and Miles says that kind of experience should benefit him well…

Cut 20 (20) “he’s had”

17:30 LRN Newscast August 29th

This is the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and many in south Louisiana recall similar storm recovery images of what can be seen on the roads today in the aftermath of The Great Flood of 2016. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser was the Plaquemines Parish President in 2005. He says we’ve learned from Katrina that rushing cleanup is not a good idea…:
CUT 9 (11) “back up”

After Hurricane Katrina hit , there was a huge population shift out of New Orleans. Will we see a similar event again? Demographer Greg Rigamer says that will depend largely on what kind of government assistance flood victims can receive…:
Cut 15 (08) “the community”

Registration is underway for flood victims who want to apply for the Shelter At Home Program. This allows for the federal government to pay up to 15-thousand dollars so a flooded home is livable, while more extensive repairs are done. The governor’s communications director, Richard Carbo, says people who do not qualify, have other options…
cut 5 (10) “….for you”
Go to gov-dot-louisiana-dot-gov for more details.

Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says pets separated from their displaced owner during the flood have been moved from their mobile shelter to a new shelter at the Dixon Correctional Institute in East Feliciana Parish. Strain says many of the pet owners are in a shelter in Baton Rouge…
cut 14 (07) “their pets”
The mobile shelter was housing 45 dogs and 34 cats.

16:30 LRN Newscast Aug 26

Registration is now open for the Shelter At Home Program. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The state department of health has confirmed three more travel-related Zika cases in Louisiana, bringing the total number of Louisiana cases to 26, but there has not been local transmission yet in Louisiana. LDH also confirms 14 cases of West Nile virus in the state, but officials say they are not related to the recent flood.

Today is the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and many Louisianans are once again recovering from a historic flood. Overall, at least 1,245 people died in Hurricane Katrina and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest US hurricane since the 1928. 13 fatalities have been confirmed following the recent flooding, and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says it’s incredible that number isn’t higher…:

cut 10 (10)  “remarkably well”

Forecasters are still monitoring Tropical Depression 9. State climatologist Barry Keim says the system could become a tropical storm by the end of today or overnight and it should move into the center of the Gulf by tomorrow. He says it will basically be aimed at Louisiana, but a front should push the storm to the northeast.

CUT 7 (10) “Florida”