Higher education officials are celebrating the 38 billion dollar budget approved by the Legislature. Matt Doyle has the story.
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If you’re hitting the waterways you are not alone on this Memorial Day. A boat towing company says to expect a jump in the number of boaters and new navigators. Brooke Thorington has more…
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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UL System President Jim Henderson calls the budget for the fiscal year starting in July the biggest investment in higher education the state has seen in 13 years.
The 38 billion dollar spending plan is headed to the Governor’s desk. Henderson says it features a faculty pay raise that breaks down to about a two to two and a half percent increase.
Henderson says UL System faculty are still about 8,000 to 10,000 dollars a year behind the southern regional average and this increase gets them about a quarter of the way there.
Henderson says the budget fully funds TOPS and even increases the size of the Go Grant program.
Despite the big increase in higher ed funding this year, Henderson says the still hasn’t made up for the steep budget cuts enacted during the Jindal Administration.
Per-student funding is still below where it was in 2009 and the Henderson says the funding mechanism for higher ed has “flipped” in the last decade. Previously up to 70 percent of college budgets were state-funded, now 75 percent of college budgets are sustained by student tuition and fees.
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Not only are there more drivers on the road for Memorial Day this year, but according to a Sea Tow Services survey, 52-percent of the boaters say they plan to spend more time on the water this year compared to 2020. Sea Tow President Kristen Frohnhoefer (Frone – hoffer) says expect waterways to be crowded.
With a record number of new boat sales and an influx of new boaters, Sea Tow says new navigators are 142-percent more likely to need ungrounding services. Frohnhoefer says if you’re a neophyte to boating, get properly trained before you leave the dock.
Cut 7 (11) “…courteous boater.”
Frohnhoefer says their Sea Tow affiliates in Louisiana have experienced a large increase of ungrounding calls due to the record low tides. She says another hazard, due to the recent floods, is more debris in the water. She recommends assigning someone to serve as a lookout when cruising.
She also recommends checking that you are properly fueled before you leave the dock as well.
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Hurricane season starts tomorrow and Louisiana residents know all too well about storm preparedness. David Maurstad, the head of the National Flood Insurance Program with FEMA, says every homeowner should have a flood insurance policy
There’s no way to completely eliminate flood damage but Maurstad says a good policy can help with the recovery process.
Louisiana residents experienced an unprecedented flood back in 2016 due to a variety of reasons. Maurstad says the NFIP policy protects from all types of flooding.
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Americans observe Memorial Day today, remembering those who died serving our country.
Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Colonel Joey Strickland says today is partially about remembering those who have served in the military, but…
Strickland says while you’re enjoying your day off take some time to think about the Louisiana National Guardsmen who are overseas…
Dating back to the Revolutionary War an estimated 70,000 Louisianans have died while serving in the military, but Strickland says that number is likely much higher when you factor in uncounted civil war deaths.