The NRA and National Association for Gun Rights are wading into the battle over Governor Edwards’ veto of constitutional carry legislation. Matt Doyle has the story.
____________________________________
COVID cases topped 1,500 today and now just over 500 people are hospitalized. Health officials say we’re in the midst of another surge. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (31) …I’m Brooke Thorington”.
______________________________________
The State Fire Marshal is investigating a tragic fire that claimed the life of a child and left a woman badly burned in the Franklin community of Centerville. Marshal Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue describes what responders found when they arrived at the mobile home Tuesday night.
49-year old Derwin Hamilton has been booked into the St. Mary Parish Jail for second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.
Rodrigue says the female victim was able to tell responders that she and Hamilton were involved in an argument.
The child is reportedly the suspect’s great-nephew. Rodrigue says the incident has shaken the small community.
___________________________
National gun rights organizations are hoping a last-minute campaign to sway lawmakers into heading back to Baton Rouge to override the Governor’s veto of constitutional carry legislation will pay off.
The NRA and National Association for Gun Rights have peppered the state with ads and mailers. NAGR spokesperson Chris Stone says if the veto stands Louisiana will be a regional outlier…
Stone says currently there are 21 states that allow the concealed carry of a firearm without needing a permit.
Opponents of the bill are concerned that overturning that veto will lead to more shootings, but Stone says there’s no data from states with similar laws that back up that claim.
Some Louisiana Sheriffs and the Louisiana Chiefs of Police Association oppose the bill, saying it will make life hard on law enforcement. Stone says that is not the case…
Lawmakers have until midnight tonight to submit their ballots requesting the upcoming veto override session be canceled.
_____________________________
As COVID cases continue to surge across the state and nation, health officials say the highly transmissible Delta variant is a driving factor along with low vaccination rates. LSU Health Shreveport Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Vanchiere…
The state has gone from an average of a hundred cases a day to over 1,200 daily. Vanchiere says the vaccine is still your best protection against the virus, but even fully vaccinated, it is possible to catch the highly contagious Delta variant.
While many think the pandemic is coming to an end with eased health restrictions, Vanchiere says we are only at the halfway mark. He says we are beginning to see more cases among those 40 and under as opposed to previous surges among those 60 and older.
Vanchiere says vaccination hesitancy is a major factor for the increase in COVID cases and only one out of three are fully vaccinated.
Today the state reported 1,500 new cases along with 504 hospitalizations and 13 fatalities.
________________________________________________
In northwest Louisiana, the Jimmie Davis Bridge along Highway 511 that crossed the Red River in Bossier and Caddo Parishes will be closed over the weekend for scheduled repairs. DOTD Spokesperson Erin Buchannan says work will begin on Friday at 8 pm.
They expect work will be completed by 6 am on Monday.
The two-lane Jimmie Davis Bridge was completed in 1968 and an average of 26,000 vehicles use the bridge daily.
As for an alternate route, Buchannan says two are available.
Cut 13 (09) “…Barksdale bridge”
Buchannan says they chose this weekend because there aren’t any large events scheduled in the area and they wanted to disrupt traffic as little as possible. Weather permitting, they will complete repairs by Monday.
Buchannan says this is not replacing any upcoming rehabilitation projects on the bridge and this weekend’s closure is for planned repairs.
___________________________