Some Louisiana hospitals are suspending nonemergency surgeries that require admission as a result of a sharp rise in COVID-19 patients. Jim Shannon has more
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Community leaders in southwest Louisiana are intensifying their effort to secure federal disaster relief funding from the federal government. Jeff Palermo has more…
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With the dramatic rise of COVID-19 patients in the hospital, several hospitals are suspending non-essential surgeries again. The L-C-M-C hospital system in New Orleans and Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge have taken this action. Dean of the LSU Health Sciences School of Medicine in New Orleans, Dr. Steve Nelson, expects other hospitals to do the same…
Health care facilities also halted nonurgent and elective surgeries during the first couple surges of the coronavirus last year. Nelson says unfortunately the move is necessary, but it also creates problems for people with non-COVID health issues…
Louisiana has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. The state is seeing a slight uptick in vaccinations, but Nelson says because two of the vaccines available require two doses, slowing this latest spike in cases will take some time…
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Three teenagers were killed in a crash Monday afternoon in Lincoln Parish and a fourth teenager is fighting for his life. State Police spokesperson Trooper Michael Reichardt says a Kia Optima driven by 19-year old Lajermanique Nichols was traveling on Works Road south of Ruston and for unknown reasons left the road and struck a tree.
17-year old Lajavion Nichols and 16-year old Javious Holden were pronounced dead on the scene and 18-year old Edward Kary was transported to a local hospital.
Reichardt says speed was a factor in the crash and the teens were all well thought of in the community.
The crash remains under investigation and Reichardt says toxicology samples were taken. He also reminds motorists to always take time to put on their seatbelts before they get behind the wheel.
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On the eleven-month anniversary of Hurricane Laura’s landfall, community leaders launched the Help Southwest Louisiana Now campaign. It’s an effort to convince the feds to provide the area with federal disaster relief funding. Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter says this type of funding is usually awarded in a much shorter time period
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Hunter says this grassroots effort called Help Southwest Louisiana is a way for the region to come together to communicate with Congress and the President about the dire need for disaster relief dollars
Hunter says the total unmet housing need for the state exceeds 900-million dollars as a result of last year’s hurricanes. He says the President is aware of the situation in southwest Louisiana, but the Lake Charles mayor says it is time for action…
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An East Baton Rouge judge is offering some offenders on probation the option to be vaccinated for COVID in lieu of completing community service. So far Judge Fred Crisfasi (Sir-Fassey) has allowed two people the option in exchange for completing their court-ordered service. Baton Rouge Attorney Franz Borghardt says the Judge is the one who orders community service and the keyword is an option.
Borghardt says the vaccine option might appear strange in a courtroom setting but the judge has the ultimate discretion.
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While this is the first Judge, that Borghardt says he’s heard of offering the vaccine option, he doesn’t believe it will be the last in light of the now fourth surge of COVID, also known as the pandemic of the unvaccinated.
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The Louisiana Department of Corrections is also offering state prison inmates a five-dollar canteen credit for vaccinations. Approximately 68-percent of inmates are currently vaccinated.