The high school graduation rate saw a slight decline from 2018 to 2019, but Louisiana schools did graduate a new record number of students. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

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Minden Senator Robert Mills is asking Governor Edwards to allow clergy to enter health care facilities to support the mental health of patients. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

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Governor Edwards addressed the pandemic’s impact on the state’s incarcerated population in his most recent coronavirus press conference. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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The state graduation rate declined from 81.4 percent for the class of 2018 to 80.1 percent for the class of 2019.

New Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says it’s a disappointing development after years of gains in the graduation rate.

Cut 4 (08)_ “…direction”

Louisiana high schools did graduate a record 42,650 students for the class of 2019.

In some good news, the number of students graduating with college credit or industry credentials went up ten percent. Brumley says further increasing that number will be a focus during his tenure.

Cut 5 (11)  “…this state”

Just over half of all students in the 2019 class graduated with college credits or credentials.

Brumley says it’s too early to determine whether the pandemic will result in an even lower graduation rate, that being said…

Cut 6 (11) “…do that”

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A Minden Senator is asking the Edwards administration to allow clergy members into healthcare facilities to tend to sick and/or dying patients.

The current public health emergency bars family from entry, but Robert Mills says clergy should be considered mental health support personnel.

Cut 7 (10) “…community.”

This would include nursing homes, hospitals, and adult residential facilities.

Mills says it’s not just a quality of life issue, but a quality of death issue for those with little time left.

Cut 8 (06) “…hospital.”

A recent lawsuit in Maryland was resolved in favor of allowing clergy to enter healthcare facilities to see patients.

Mills says Governor Edwards could make this happen with a simple executive order, but…

Cut 9 (11) “…out.”

Capital observes estimate that another session will be held sometime in October to reevaluate state revenue.

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Business Facilities Magazine ranks Louisiana Economic Development’s FastStart program as the top workforce development program in the nation for the eleventh consecutive year.  Executive Director of the FastStart program Paul Helton, says there is no secret to the success, they just produce results.

Cut 10 (12) “…delivers on that.”

The magazine also ranks Louisiana number one for best industrial electricity rates, New Orleans number one among logistics leaders, and the Port of South Louisiana number one for imports.

Helton says the program incentivizes business development in the state by providing workforce training, recruitment, and selection services for companies.

Cut 11 (12) “…things like that.”

Helton also credits for the program’s use of innovative methods of training for the high marks.

Cut 12 (09) “…for our clients.”

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Governor Edwards addressed concerns about COVID-19 among the state’s incarcerated population during his most recent coronavirus press conference.  Edwards says another corrections officer recently died from the virus.

Cut 13 (09) “…worker at Angola.” 

As of Tuesday, Edwards says two inmates are currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

Cut 14 (07) “…who have died.”

Edwards says coronavirus testing is being done with both staff and inmates at all facilities.

Cut 15 (11) “…our parish jails.” 

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LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says he’s preparing his team for the season to start on time with the season opener in Tiger Stadium versus U-T-S-A on September 5th. Orgeron says if the schedule changes, they will not blink…

Cut 16 (11) “…pasture” 

Orgeron made the comments during a Facebook Live Interview with the Baton Rouge Rotary Club. The SEC is expected to make an announcement soon on what the upcoming college football season might look like. Orgeron says when the players returned to campus in June they had a cluster of coronavirus cases

Cut 17  (16) “…the country” 

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Saints Coach Sean Payton says he would not be surprised if there are NFL games suspended this season because of a coronavirus outbreak. Each team has to follow social distancing guidelines at their facilities and players could also be fined if they do something that puts themselves in jeopardy of getting infected. But Payton says that’s probably not enough to prevent an outbreak

Cut 18  (19) “…this year”   

The players will need to test negative for COVID-19 three times in a four-day period. If they do, they will undergo a physical this weekend. Even though there was no offseason conditioning program, Payton expects the players will be in great shape

cut 19 (24) “…liviliehood”  

Next week will be a lot of weight training and conditioning. Starting August 12th the entire team can get on the field for practice, but padded practices do no start August 17th. Payton says they can’t allow the protocols that are in place to be an excuse for not getting ready to play

cut 20 (30) “  of the season”  

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the recent slowing case growth is making him confident that fall football will be played. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to provide funding for states to replenish their unemployment insurance trust funds. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (28) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

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The Louisiana Department of Agricultural says since Friday its office has received about 300 calls from people who say they received a mysterious package of seeds. The seeds have a mailing address from either China, United Arab Emirates, or Uzbekistan. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says this could be brushing scam

Cut 3 (10)  “…seeds”  

Strain says the packages have arrived in mailboxes across the country…

Cut 4 (09)_ “its seeds”

Strain says if you receive the seeds call the state department of agriculture’s office and do not take them out of the bag or throw them away and most importantly do not plant them…

Cut 5 (07)  “…our crop”

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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is optimistic that football and Mardi Gras will not have to be canceled due to the pandemic, and is celebrating yet another record weekend for state parks.

Nungesser says the recent slowing in new cases is likely due to the mask mandate and closing of bars, and if this keeps up he expects football to be a go for the fall and Mardi Gras to be back next year.

Cut 6 (06) “…months.”

He also added he is meeting soon with the Sugar Bowl Committee and is committed to holding the bowl game in New Orleans at the start of next year.

Nungesser says if the recent trend holds he’s hopeful that the state is set to move to Phase Three in three or four weeks and not impose additional restrictions.

Cut 7 (10) “…we won’t’”

The state has now seen two consecutive days of cases under 2,000 after last week’s numbers averaging clear over 2,000 a day.

After breaking records earlier in the pandemic Nungesser is celebrating the fact that last weekend was the biggest attendance weekend in Louisiana State Park history.

Cut 8 (09) “safely”

Attendance records were first recorded in 2008.

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Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to consider funding Louisiana’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund in the current proposal for COVID-19 relief legislation.  Edwards says the benefit of the extra help would be widespread.

Cut 9 (12) “…are shored up.”

Edwards says the state’s unemployment was 17^th strongest in the nation before the pandemic took a toll on the fund.

Cut 10 (11) “…the solvency.”

Louisiana law mandates the Louisiana Workforce Commission impose a surtax on businesses up to 30% on taxable payroll.

Edwards says if the fund gets to the point where it needs to borrow money from the feds, that borrowing is available interest free, but a mechanism has to be set up to pay it back.

Cut 11 (09) “…and their payroll.”

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A mystery philanthropist makes a 20 million dollar donation to Xavier University, a historically black college in New Orleans. Xavier President Dr. Reynold Verret calls it a historic contribution.

Cut 12 (08) “…received.” 

The Associated Press suggests the donation may have been made by MacKenzie Scott, the recently divorced former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Verret says representatives of the anonymous donor requested that the funds be used to create a tuition endowment.

Cut 13 (10) “…ability” 

Verret says the donor understands the importance of institutions like Xavier and the role they play in helping to bridge the nation’s achievement gap.

Cut 14 (06) “…country”