A new poll by Southern Media and Opinion Research finds Governor John Bel Edwards’ approval rating is up 13 points since May, while 6 out of 10 Louisiana voters disapprove of democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

 Today is the start of autumn. Emelie Gunn has more on what kind of weather we can expect throughout the season…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards is back in Washington for the third time trying to get federal aid for the ongoing flood recovery efforts in Louisiana. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________

A new poll released by Southern Media and Opinion Research finds Governor John Bel Edwards’ approval rating is at 63-percent. That’s a 13-percent increase from May. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says there is a saying by a lot elected officials, you never let a crisis go by without taking advantage of it. He says that what Edwards did by being very visible during the tragic shootings and the flooding.

cut 4  (10)  “wish for”

Pinsonat says the governor still faces some hurdles, especially with housing issues after the flooding. But he says this popularity will likely benefit him during the upcoming legislative session.

Cut 5  (09)  “tough issues”

The survey also finds presidential candidate, Democrat Hillary Clinton, has an unfavorable rating in Louisiana of 60-percent. Pinsonat says Republican Donald Trump has shot in front of her by a good margin and is very popular with white voters in Louisiana.

Cut 6 (10) “his corner”

According to the poll, if the election were held today, 49-percent would vote for Trump, 33-percent for Clinton, and 8-percent for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Pinsonat says Trump has high negatives in Louisiana, at 47-percent, but that’s not anywhere near as bad as Clinton’s.

CUT 7 (10)  “to win”

_____________________________________________

Today is the start of the fall season and Louisianans can expect above average temperatures and below normal rainfall. That’s according to state climatologist Barry Keim. Keim says the basis for this forecast is due to a high probability for a La Nina.

Cut 8 (08) “the state”

Keim says we’re still seeing high temperatures but we just need to sit tight because fall weather is coming soon.

Cut 9 (08)  “temperatures”

Keim says Louisiana had one of the wettest summers on record in 2016 but there will be a shift in that pattern with dryer than normal conditions over the next three months.

Cut 10 (10) “from August”

________________________________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards is in Washington, D.C., today continuing the ongoing battle to get federal funding for flood recovery efforts in Louisiana. Edwards says he is optimistic they can get something done before lawmakers recess at the end of the month for the November election.

cut 11 (10) “meaningful assistance”

Republican lawmakers are making the push for Louisiana funding, but Democrats want to include funding for the Flint, Michigan water crisis in the spending bill as well. The state has requested $2.6 billion in federal funding, but Edwards doesn’t expect to get the full amount at once.

cut 12 (09) “relief package”

The initial flood recovery dollars would be contained in a stop-gap funding bill that would prevent a government shutdown. Edwards hopes it will be approved this month and Congress will approve more funding during the “lame duck” winter session. He says what we need immediately is help with housing.

Cut 13 (07) “with housing”

_______________________________________________________

The investigation is ongoing in Lafayette parish about a body that was discovered in a tool box on the side of the road. Cpl. Bridgett Dugas says they have connected the victim, Alannah Montalvo, with the naked man who was recently shot and killed while trespassing.

cut 14 (09)  “Fanny Street”

Dugas says Montalvo was in a relationship with the naked trespasser, 36-year-old Barrett Farabee. She says they still do not know the exact cause of death for Montalvo, but they do have a suspect in Farabee.

Cut 15 (05) “death”

Dugas says police are actively searching for the vehicle the couple was travelling in, a green Honda Accord. She asks anyone who sees the vehicle to contact police.

Cut 16  (09)  “license plate”

_______________________________________________________

The Saints have put cornerback PJ Williams on injured reserve, after the second-year pro as carted off the field last Sunday after taking a knee to the helmet twice while trying to make a tackle. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says the Saints are snakebit at this position as they’ve lost several cornerbacks this year because of injuries…

Cut 17 (12)  “tough loss”

The Saints have lost several cornerbacks this season due to injuries. They are expected to get Delvin Breaux back, but he’ll still miss several weeks because of a broken fibula. Detillier says the Saints defense played well last week, but it will be tough for them to keep that level of play up…

Cut 18 (25) “period”

The Saints will host Atlanta on Monday night. New Orleans is looking for its first win of the season and Detillier says despite the injuries, he likes the Black and Gold’s chances against the hated Falcons…

Cut 19 (19) “wins”

A new independent poll on Louisiana’s US Senate race shows its tightening. Jeff Palermo has the story..

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

================

A new app has been developed to help identify the more than 350 caskets that were uprooted in the recent flood in south Louisiana. Don Molino has more…

CUT 2 (26)  “I’m Don Molino”

==============================================

A new independent poll on the election for US Senate in Louisiana finds a tight race. Republican State Treasruer John Kennedy still leads the Southern Media and Opinion Research survey of 500 likely voters with 17-percent. But Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says GOP Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany is only two-percentage points back….

CUT 3 (10)  “his ads”

The poll was conducted from September 15th to the 17th. Pinsonat says Democrat Caroline Fayard has improving poll numbers as well as she’s up to 11-percent…

CUT 4 (06)  “in New Orleans”

The poll shows Democrat Foster Campbell at nine-percent and Republican Congressman John Fleming at eight percent. Pinsonat says this survey shows there’s five candidates who can still make the runoff…

CUT 5 (06)  “barn burner”

==================================================

While the August flood destroyed homes and impacted thousands of people in south Louisiana, the living were not the only ones affected. Department of Health Program Manager in Emergency Preparedness, Henry Yennie, says over 350 graves were disrupted in at least 8 parishes, and they’ve come up with a solution to get the deceased back to their final resting place.

CUT 6 (09) “the carrier”

Yennie says so far they have identified roughly 15-percent of the caskets that were disrupted in the recent flood. He says the hardest hit cemeteries are in northern Livingston parish and St. Helena parish. He says they’ve already starting using the new app as they identify the disrupted caskets.

CUT 7 (11) “identify people”

Yennie says it will be a while before the barcode system can be implemented on a larger scale. But he says in the next six months they want to put it to use targeting at risk cemeteries.

CUT 8 (10) “these barcodes”

==================================================

Millions of drivers waste money on premium gasoline, according to a new study from AAA. Spokesperson Don Redman says over 16 million drivers are putting higher octane gas in their cars, and paying more for it, when their vehicle doesn’t require it.

CUT 9 (10) “regular gasoline”

Redman says they encourage people to check their car’s owner’s manual to see what kind of gas their car requires. He says 70-percent of vehicles on the road just need regular gas.

cut 10 (09)  “your money”

Redman says some high end vehicles do require premium gas because of the way the engine is calibrated. He says the only differences between regular and premium gas are the octane levels and the price.

Cut 11 (08) “gallon difference”

===================================================

Lafayette Police are trying to get some answers in the case of a body that was discovered in a tool box. Corporal Bridgette Dugas says they received a call around 4pm Tuesday in reference to a possible deceased person enclosed in some type of bin…:

cut 12 (04) “inside a tool box”

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact authorities. Dugas says they are working to identify the victim and also the cause of death. She says details about how the box got there are scarce…:

Cut 13 (04)  “inside of the tool box”

===================================================

A West Monroe police officer who fatally shot a man in 2014 has been found not guilty of negligent homicide. Officer Jody LeDoux shot Raymond Martinez, who according to the evidence was drunk and belligerent outside of a store. Defense Attorney Mickey Dubose says despite the controversy surrounding the case, he was confident LeDoux acted properly….

cut 14 (11)  “to fire”

Dubose says Martinez reached for a silver object inside a newspaper bin that LeDoux believed to be a gun, but it turned out to be a silver flip phone. A total of nine witnesses were called during the trial, including the accused. Dubose says experts also testified about the incident.

cut 15 (10) “to surrender”

If convicted, LeDoux was charged with five years in prison. Dubose says he’s not sure whether or not LeDoux will go back to work at WMPD.

cut 16 (08) “future holds”

===================================================