Governor John Bel Edwards is in Puerto Rico today along with leaders of the Louisiana National Guard and GOHSEP to observe and give support to the island nation as it recovers from Hurricane Maria. Edwards’ spokesperson Shauna Sanford says Louisiana understands the immense recovery effort Puerto Rico is undergoing…:
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Sanford says the governor will offer Puerto Rico advice on ways to make recovery quick and efficient.

Two out of state residents were killed in an overnight crash involving four 18-wheelers on Interstate 10 in West Baton Rouge Parish. State Police Trooper Bryan Lee says there was congestion on I-10 East between Gross Tete and the Lobdell exit from a previous wreck, when an 18-wheeler didn’t notice other vehicles had slowed down..:
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Traffic is being diverted at I-10 east to I-49, to US 190.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning reminds the public to watch out for potential fire hazards while dressing up and decorating for Halloween:
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Changes to the state’s sentencing laws go into effect Wednesday, and some 14-hundred non-violent offenders will be released from jail. State Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says most of the prisoners that will be let go this week were already nearing release.:
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Governor John Bel Edwards is traveling to Puerto Rico today to meet with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello (Rose-a-oh) and other officials to discuss and see first hand the recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria.  Louisiana launched a donation drive to help Puerto Rico collecting over 100 pallets worth of donated goods along with heavy equipment were sent to help in their recovery along with more than 300 members of the Louisiana National Guard.  About half of those members remain.  Governor Edwards will return tomorrow.

Changes have been made to Mega Millions. It will result in larger multi-state jackpot prizes, but the price of a ticket has increased from one to two dollars. Louisiana Lottery Spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says since they know larger jackpots will start at 40-million-dollars, it will lead to more players for Mega Millions.

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The first drawing under the revised rules is tomorrow night.

A paperless drywall is being installed in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans homes 12 years after Hurricane Katrina.  LSU’s AgCenter Science Instructor Bill Robinson calls it wet proofing.  He says he is finding homeowners are willing to upgrade to his method once they see the benefits…

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The experiment is also on the campus of LSU at the Louisiana House.

Halloween is a time for celebration, but State Fire Marshal Butch Browning reminds the public some costumes and decorations are highly flammable. Browning says costumes should have a fire retardant coating, so they don’t easily burn. He also says nearly half of all home fires during Halloween are a result of decorations too close to a heat source.

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Jack o lanterns and dried cornstalks are some of the most flammable decorations.

Prison reform measures go into effect Wednesday when some 14-hundred non-violent offenders will be released. Caddo Parrish Sheriff Steve Prator was critical of the reform saying he learned of one inmate being let go that had been arrested 52 times under 34 different names. But Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says Prator was using bad information…:
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He says lowering the incarceration rate is estimated to save the state 262-million-dollars over ten years.

Halloween is a time for celebration, but State Fire Marshal Butch Browning wants folks to know that many house fires start from flamable costumes and decorations…:
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According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are over 10-thousand fires in America each year in the days leading up to and following Halloween.

There is a new material being developed in Louisiana that can keep homes drier when flooded…:
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Former LSU Tiger shortstop Alex Bregman hit the game-winning single in Game 5 of the World Series early this morning for the Astros. Houston topped the Dodgers 13-12 in 10 innings, in a five hour long game, and now lead the best of 7, 3-2. The Stros and Dodgers play game 6 tomorrow night in LA.

Hundreds of non-violent inmates at parish jails are set to be released later this week as part of the state’s criminal justice reform effort…:
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Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson was taken to the hospital after New Orleans’ victory over Chicago Sunday, only as a precautionary measure. The 90-year-old had reportedly started to feel weak but a spokesman said Benson was only going to get checked out, then home for rest.

The Louisiana Lottery says the Mega Millions game is changing so that jackpots will be bigger, but that means the ticket price is now $2. Spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin says the odds of winning of the jackpot will increase, but other enhancements to the game will lead to more winners for the smaller prizes…:
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She says they anticipate the average jackpot to be 371-million dollars.

The LSU Ag Center is testing out a new method to “flood proof” homes. The research is lead by Bill Robinson, building science instructor. He says homeowners should use paperless drywall such as fiber cement that could be dried out and put back in place. He says the only downside is the cost being about 25 percent more in construction; but worth it in the long run:
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He says this method would allow families to move in sooner, and make homes more resistant to future floods.

Criminal justice reform measures go into effect Wednesday, and 14-hundred non-violent offenders will be released as a result of changes to the state’s sentencing laws. Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says lowering the incarceration rate is estimated to save 262-million-dollars over ten years, with most of that going towards rehabilitation programs..:
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He says most of the inmates getting out Wednesday were nearing release anyway.

Governor John Bel Edwards and other top disaster recovery leaders are traveling to Puerto Rico to meet with officials and discuss Hurricane Maria aftermath and devastation. The Governor says Louisiana has a lot of experience in disaster management, and will be able to provide assistance as survivors recover. Edwards and the first lady are expected to arrive in San Juan this morning, and return tomorrow night. The governor has already sent GOHSEP personnel and more than 300 members of the national guard to the island to offer on the ground assistance in recovery and response.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning reminds the public to watch out for potential hazards over Halloween. He says jack-o-lanterns, paper spiders and dried cornstalks are very common decorations but are highly flammable:
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He says Halloween fires account for 83 million dollars in damages and losses every year.

The Louisiana Lottery says the Mega Millions game is changing to result in larger multi-state jackpots; but a ticket price now up to $2. Spokeswoman Kimberly Chopin…:
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The first drawing for the revised Mega Millions game is tomorrow night.

Changes to the state’s sentencing laws go into effect Wednesday, and some 14-hundred non-violent offenders will be released from jail. It’s part of the governor’s effort to lower Louisiana’s highest-in-the-world incarceration rate. State Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says most of the prisoners that will be let go this week were already nearing release.:
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He says lowering the incarceration rate is estimated to save the state 262-million-dollars over ten years.

LSU AgCenter building science instructor, Bill Robinson, says he’s found an effective way to repair flooded homes faster. He says wet proofing would use paperless drywall which is more water resistant…:
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He says the downside is that this method would cost about 25 percent more to repair.

Halloween is a time for celebration, but State Fire Marshal Butch Browning reminds the public some costumes and decorations are highly flammable. He says nearly half of all home fires during Halloween are a result of decorations too close to a heat source…:
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According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are over 10-thousand fires in America each year in the days leading up to and following Halloween.

I-10 East remains closed at I-49 in Lafayette, as authorities continue to work the site of a deadly crash involving four 18-wheelers. State Police say it happened between Grosse Tete and LA 415 in Iberville Parish, and two people died. Drivers should use I-49 and US 190 as an alternate route. I-10 West remains open.

A federal judge in Baton Rouge sided with 80 Alton Sterling protesters in a class action lawsuit against law enforment in the Capital City. Executive Director of the ACLU of Louisiana Marjorie Esman applauds the ruling and hopes police in Baton Rouge have learned a lesson.
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The plaintiffs will receive a combined total of about 136-thousand dollars.

A Louisiana Highway Safety Commission survey finds there is an upward trend across the state with more African American drivers and passengers wearing their seat belts. Executive Director Dr. Katara Williams says in 2015, there was a 10-percent gap between black and white drivers who buckled up.
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She says those riding in pick up trucks still use seat belts at a lower rate at 82-percent compared to cars at 89-percent.

The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office says they arrested a suspect in Grambling State University’s deadly shooting. Kelley Ray has the story…
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Governor John Bel and First Lady Donna Edwards will travel to Puerto Rico on Monday to meet with officials and discuss recovery after Hurricane Rita. Soldiers with the Louisiana National Guard and personnel with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness are currently in Puerto Rico helping with relief efforts. Edwards says he hopes to provide some insight into recovery and rebuilding using the lessons learned from previous natural disasters in Louisiana.

As a cold front moves across the state temperatures are dropping to near freezing in some northern areas. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the cool Canadian air will affect all of Louisiana and we’ll see temperatures in the 30s around the state and 40s in the coastal zones. He says we can expect sub normal temperatures for Halloween.
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Today is National Prescription Drug Takeback Day at all State Police Troops across the state. Trooper Bryan Lee says 900-thousand pounds of prescritption drugs were truned in during last year’s event. He says the number could go higher if people become aware of the kinds of prescritptions they may have forgotten about.
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The service is free and anonymous and takes place from 10 am to 2 pm.

 
A survey from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission finds pickup truck drivers still aren’t buckling up as much as those in other vehicles. Jeff Palermo has more…
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The body of a Zachary man was recovered in Chalmette after he was reported missing from a boat on Thursday. The State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries say Haskin Payne was fishing with his wife when he went overboard on Bayou Bienvenue. Payne was an avid fisherman.