During a Joint Medicaid Oversite Committee meeting today at the Capitol, River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot questioned Attorney Stephen Russo, with the Department of Health, over who approves nursing home evacuation plans. This comes just after a mass evacuation to a Tangipahoa warehouse that’s resulted in several deaths. Talbot questioned Russo as to why patients from the Orleans, Jefferson, Terrebonne, and Lafourche were sent to Tangipahoa when storm models indicated it was in Hurricane Ida’s path…:

CUT 13(09)      “…advice of counsel”

Baton Rouge businessman Bob Dean owns the nursing homes AND the warehouse. He and LDH are being sued by residents and some surviving family members.

A District Court judge in Lafayette tosses out a lawsuit filed by employees of one of two Acadiana hospitals, who say being ordered to get a COVID vaccination or face firing is unconstitutional. The judge says employers are within their rights as a business to make COVID shots a condition of continued employment. A hearing for the other hospital is scheduled for Saturday.

In Shreveport … one child is dead and another injured – while crews search for a third missing child; all related to an incident at Cross Lake. It’s believed all three kids are siblings and one source says they were thrown off a bridge over part of the lake. Little else is known at this time. We’ll have updates as they become available.

Hurricane Ida’s negative fiscal impact on Louisiana agriculture is estimated at over a half-billion bucks. More from Jeff Palermo…:

CUT 01(31)      “…Palermo”