Alexandria Lawmaker Lance Harris is challenging incumbent Louis Gervich for the State Republican Party Chairmanship. Matt Doyle has the story.
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The state department of health reports the second and third cases of the UK variant of COVID in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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The Main Street Recovery Grant Program has completed its work. Jeff Palermo reports it helped over 20-thousand small businesses across Louisiana…
Cut 3 (26) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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It’s the final weekend of January and that means we are another week closer to the heart of the crawfish season. Acadia Parish crawfish farmer Alan Lawson says the crawfish season is off to a slow start, but he expects the catch will come around in another few weeks…
Lawson says January is really a slow time for harvesting crawfish, which is why prices are high and supply is low. He says once the weather gets a little warmer, the catch will improve…
Lawson says March and April is usually the best time of the year for crawfish consumers…
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Saturday Republicans decide who will be the next chair of the state party, incumbent Louis Gurvich or his challenger, Alexandria Lawmaker Lance Harris.
LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeff Sadow says this is another attempt by Harris to seek more influence in politics.
Gurvich has served as chair since 2018, taking over for longtime chairman Roger Villere. Sadow says under Gurvich Republicans nearly took a supermajority in the Legislature. His 2019 showing was strong…
Earlier in the race, former gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone rose to challenge Gurvich but bowed out.
Sadow says if there is any discontent amongst Republicans it likely won’t be over election results, but over the failure to turn wins into conservative state policy like lower taxes and spending…
The election will be held in Baton Rouge, the electors being the 230 member Republican State Central Committee.
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The Louisiana Department of Health confirms the state’s second and third cases of the UK variant of COVID-19. Governor John Bel Edwards addressed the issue at his briefing Thursday that the new cases were found in Region 5, in Southwest Louisiana, and Region 1, the greater New Orleans area. Edwards says the new variant is 50-percent more contagious.
There are also 14 other cases pending confirmation, eight are suspected cases are in Region 1, and six are in Region 5. The state’s first confirmed case was detected in Region 1 the greater New Orleans area two weeks ago.
With a new variant of the virus entering the state, Edwards calls on residents to be even more diligent about mitigation measures of masking and social distancing.
The arrival of the UK variant in the state has health officials concerned because it spreads faster and Edwards says we are in a difficult situation already due to the high level of cases the state is experiencing.
The CDC has also confirmed variants of the virus from Brazil and South Africa in the United States. Edwards says so far, they have not been reported in Louisiana.
Edwards says makers of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have stated the vaccine should be effective for the UK variant of the virus.
On Thursday the state reported 2,517 new cases, 55 new fatalities, and 1,590 patients are currently hospitalized with the virus.
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State Treasurer John Schroder announces his office distributed 262-million dollars in main street recovery grants to just over 20-thousand small businesses. Schroder says the pandemic devastated small businesses and the Main Street Recovery Grant Program gave them a fighting chance to survive
The state legislature established the Main Street Recovery Grant Program in June. It used federal coronavirus relief aid to provide up to 15-thousand dollars to small businesses. Schroder says the average grant handed out was worth 12-thousand dollars and they surpassed their goal of providing assistance to minority and veteran-owned businesses
Cut 14 (06) “…four times that.”
Schroder says they helped small businesses in every parish, but unfortunately, there were some who tried to take advantage of the program. He says 107 suspected fraudulent applications have been turned over to the Office of the Inspector General for investigation…