Governor Edwards extends the state’s current Phase Two order and COVID health restrictions for another two weeks as Louisiana reports another 1,700 cases today, along with the highest level of hospitalizations since early May.

This spike in cases across most of the southern US has led the Southwestern Athletic Conference to call it quit on all sports, including football, for the fall. The current plan is to come back and play those seasons in an abridged form in the spring, but Grambling President Rick Gallot says the virus will dictate if football can be played

Cut 7 (09) “vaccine”

Southern University Athletics Director Roman Banks says the league is still deciding what the schedule will look like, but they know they’ll play Grambling and once a date is set, they’ll talk with Bayou Classic and New Orleans officials

Cut 9 (07) “…site.”

Qualifying for the November ballot begins at 8 AM tomorrow and as of now, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy does not face a major Democratic challenger. Outgoing State Democratic Party Director Stephen Handwerk says there’s time for a prominent Democrat to get in the race.

Cut 3 (11)  “…race”  

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins’ name has come up as a possible challenger.

New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell says one of the bodies that has been trapped in the Hard Rock Hotel collapse site is likely to be recovered by the end of the week and the other by the middle of next week. McConnell says Rescue workers had thought that it was going to be possible to recover the two bodies last week, but more hurdles got in the way that could have an impact on the current timeline too… weather.

Cut 12 (09) “…with bad weather.” 

The National Hurricane Center is giving a disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms near Cuba a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next five days as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico. State Climatologist Barry Keim says sea surface temperatures are prime for development…
cut 14 (09) “….problem”
That being said Keim does not expect the system to develop into a hurricane.

New Orleans Fire Superintendent Tim McConnell is optimistic they will recover the remains of two New Orleans construction workers who died when the Hard Rock Hotel construction site collapsed last October. McConnell says they hope to get to one of the bodies by the end of the week and other by July 29th….
cut 11 (10) “…for a living”

The Southwestern Athletic Conference has made the decision to postpone fall sports, including football, to the spring. Southern University Athletics Director Roman Banks says by the time 2021 gets here, he’s hopeful scientists are closer to a vaccine and there are fewer COVID-19 cases…
cut 8 (12) “…responsible’
The postponement will mean the Bayou Classic will be played in the Spring, instead of Thanksgiving weekend.

Qualifying begins tomorrow for Louisiana’s U-S Senate race. Republican Bill Cassidy is seeking his second-term and at this moment, the doctor from Baton Rouge does not face a serious Democratic challenger. Louisiana Democratic Party executive director Stephen Handwerk says there will be Democratic candidates on the ballot…
cut 4 (03) “….yet”
Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins is a rumored candidate.

The state reported 36 more COVID-19 deaths today to bring the state’s death toll to just under 35-hundred. The 36 deaths recorded over the last 24 hours is the highest since May 22nd, when the state reported 39 deaths. Governor John Bel Edwards will hold a press conference at 2:30. The state’s Phase 2 coronavirus order expires on Sunday.

It’s been ten months since the Hard Rock Hotel collapse and the bodies of two workers might finally be recovered from the rubble within a matter of days. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (25) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The National Hurricane Center now gives a tropical wave over western Cuba a 40-percent of developing into at least tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico this week. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a hurricane hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system tomorrow to get a better idea of what this disturbance is doing…
cut 15 (06) “…wrong”
Gradual development of this system is possible as it moves west-northwest during the next few days.

Tomorrow begins the three-day qualifying period for the federal election in November. A well-funded opponent from the Democratic party has yet to emerge to challenge Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. Louisiana Democratic Party executive director Stephen Handwerk believes they’ll have a formidable candidate…
cut 5 (08) “….M-I-A”
Handwerk was a guest this morning on Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster.

New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell says one of the bodies that has been trapped in the Hard Rock Hotel collapse site is likely to be recovered by the end of the week and the other by the middle of next week. McConnell says the rubble is very delicate and potentially dangerous to recovery workers.

Cut 10 (13) “…that could change.”

It’s been ten months since the construction site partially collapsed, killing three.

Forecasters are upgrading the chance of development for a tropical system that’s currently hovering over Cuba and making its way into the Gulf. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there’s a medium chance the system will develop into a tropical depression over the next five days. 

Cut 13 (06) “…Mexico.” 

The system is set to enter the Gulf of Mexico later today, move into the central Gulf tomorrow, and the northwestern Gulf Thursday and Friday.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference has decided to postpone its fall sports season to the spring. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

Nearly 1,700 new COVID positive cases have been reported in Louisiana along with 19 new hospitalizations for people suffering from the virus. Over the past ten days the percentage positive of cases has averaged just under ten percent.

Qualifying for the November ballot begins at 8 AM tomorrow morning and as of now no Democrats with statewide name recognition have stepped up to challenge Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. Outgoing State Democratic Party Director Stephen Handwerk says we may see a last-second addition of a prominent Democrat if they feel those announced couldn’t run a competitive race.

Cut 3, 11 seconds, race

Antoine Pierce, A Baton Rouge progressive activist, and Peter Wenstrup, a New Orleans teacher, are the only announced Democrats in the race so far.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference has made the decision to move its fall sports, including football, to the spring. The SWAC is planning to have a seven-game football schedule but Grambling President Rick Gallot says the virus will dictate if football can be played

Cut 7 (09) “vaccine”

More than a third of Louisiana residents lack access to an adequate food source because of the pandemic unemployment rates. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

185,000 Louisiana workers applied for the 250 dollar front line worker rebate in the first five days of the program, which was designed to send aid to about 200,000 total workers who were employed in healthcare, first response, and grocery stores during the early days of the pandemic.

Baton Rouge Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that killed a domestic violence suspect at his Tigerland apartment early Monday morning. The officers and the deceased have not been identified, but a portion of the body cam footage has been released.
Cut 13 (11) “…got a gun *bang*.” 
Four officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave. A K-9 officer injured in the gunfire is in stable condition.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has made the decision to move its fall sports, including football, to the spring. Grambling President Rick Gallot says the decision was made to protect the health of their student-athletes
Cut 6 (10) “…deadly virus”
The SWAC is planning to have a seven-game football schedule that would include six conference contests and one nonconference game in the spring.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association predicts a 25-30 percent drop in restaurant revenue for 2020 due to the pandemic. LRA CEO Stan Harris says they projected 11 billion dollars for the year before the pandemic, generating over a billion dollars in state and local taxes. That’s no longer the case…
Cut 4 (06)_ “…operation.”
The National Restaurant Association is projecting a 240 billion dollar nationwide impact to revenue for 2020.

People who chose to mask up in New Orleans could be given a raffle ticket for a 10,000 dollar drawing. The project is being led by several city Mardi Gras Krewes, and Krewe of Red Beans founder Devin De Wulf says if they see you in the city being a responsible citizen and masking up…

Cut 12 (10) “…distance” 

The program started Monday and will continue until August 3^rd. The drawing will be held on August 4^th.

A new study finds more than one in three Louisiana residents lack access to an adequate food source and the coronavirus pandemic has made the problem of food insecurity worse. Center for Planning Excellence is behind the analysis and CEO Camille Manning-Broome says food insecurity has increased dramatically in New Orleans and Baton Rouge…
cut 8 (08) a humanitarian crisis”
The report says the number of Louisiana residents living in food insecure communities has increased by over 500-thousand since the pandemic began.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association predicts that 25-percent of the state’s restaurants will close as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. Economist Loren Scott says much of that is linked to problems making rent…
cut 6 (08) “…right now”

People who choose to mask up in New Orleans could receive a raffle ticket for a 10,000 dollar drawing. The project is led by several Mardi Gras Krewes. Krewe of Red Beans founder Devin De Wulf says the idea was inspired by his time as a teacher, where he learned about the power of positive reinforcement.
Cut 10 (12) “prize.”
De Wulf says they started handing out raffle tickets yesterday and a drawing will be held on August 4th.

Friday Ellis will be sworn in as the new mayor of Monroe this afternoon. Ellis defeated longterm mayor Jamie Mayo in the July election 10 days ago.

Governor Edwards will hold a COVID-19 press briefing at 2:30. An announcement is expected on Phase 2, which is set to expire on Sunday.