Louisiana officials are asking residents who suffered damage during last week’s winter weather to report it, as the state plans to submit that information to the federal government. Taylor Sharp has more
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Louisiana Strawberry farmers are pulling up tarps and surveying damage from last week’s winter storms. Brooke Thorington has more.
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The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is seeking information via survey on damage.la.gov from anyone who sustained damage from the winter weather, which could potentially lead to federal assistance. GOHSEP Spokesperson Mike Steele says filling out a survey will help speed up the recovery process.
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Steele says that reporting the damage will also help state officials determine where the most damage occurred.
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Steele explains that this doesn’t guarantee federal assistance but it could certainly help.
Steele wants Louisiana residents to understand that this should not replace reporting damage to your insurance agency.
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Strawberry farmers are surveying crops after last week’s winter storm and it appears 30 to 35 percent of the crop is lost according to one farmer. Owner of Harris Farmers in Springfield, Trey Harris says despite covering the berries, the length of the storm also impacted the crops.
Harris says the last time a winter storm impacted the crops this bad was four years ago, his first season in the strawberry business. Harris says but the December 2017 snow gave them enough time to recover because it takes 21 days for a bloom to produce a strawberry.
As for prices on strawberries, Harris says they should stay up for a while because of lack of volume, and it’s not just Louisiana that’s having issues with strawberries.
Harris says the peak of the season is mid-April giving farmers time to salvage their season.
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A Bienville Parish man was fatally shot Sunday morning by a truck driver after allegedly attempting to break into his 18-wheeler. Bienville Sheriff John Ballance says 35-year-old Jonathan Raney of Ringgold kicked in the front door of a liquor store, then targeted a nearby semi…
Raney did not enter the liquor store after kicking in its front glass door.
Ballance says the truck driver woke up and warned Raney to leave…
The driver was parked at the store’s parking lot overnight with permission.
Ballance says the driver fired four shots and they believe the shooting was justified.
Ballance speculates Raney’s erratic behavior was the result of drug use but says they are awaiting toxicology results to determine if that is the case.
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The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office releases new details about a fatal shootout at a Gretna gun store on Saturday.
Sheriff Joe Lopinto says video evidence and witness reports show 27-year-old Jamal Williams was not confrontational while in the store, and was exiting the premises after being asked to unload his weapon by staff when he fired a round out the door and across the street, then turned around and shot his first victim…
Williams held a concealed carry permit, had no major criminal history, and was allegedly at the store with his brother and a minor to purchase ammo, and was in the store for seven minutes before he began shooting.
Lopinto says contrary to their initial impressions…
Two people were fatally shot, 59-year-old Veronica Billiot a customer who was the first victim in the spree, and 47-year-old store employee Noah Fiscbach, who was shot while lying on the ground.
Video shows Williams exiting and entering the store and moving through the building exchanging fire with store employees before being shot in the parking lot. Lopinto says it could’ve been worse…