AM NEWSCALL
Governor Edwards lifts the statewide indoor mask mandate however it remains in effect for K-12 schools. Brooke Thorington has more
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Another weather change is happening today as a cold front comes in from the west across Louisiana. More from Dave Brannen.
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The federal door is now open for Louisiana to receive disaster aid funds for Laura and Delta, but how it will be spent may be a while in the making. More from Dave Brannen.
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Governor Edwards has lifted the statewide indoor mask mandate however the mandate remains in effect for K-12 schools. Schools may opt-out of the mask mandate, however, as long as they continue to follow CDC quarantine guidance.
State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says we now know how COVID is spread and it’s not enough to say if you feel sick stay home because of asymptomatic transmission. In school, because you are in close proximity to others for an extended period it’s important to quarantine if exposed.
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Kanter says if you’ve tested positive for COVID in the last 90 days you don’t have to quarantine after an exposure.
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The duration of quarantine is typically 10-14 days from the day of exposure, or can it be shortened to a week if you have a negative test on days five, six, or seven. Kanter says when you compare Louisiana’s COVID school disruptions to other southern states, Louisiana has 10 to 20 times fewer interruptions due to schools following CDC best practices.
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Senator Bill Cassidy addressed fellow lawmakers in DC about the opioid crisis in Louisiana. Cassidy, who is also a physician, says the Bayou State had the highest increase of opioid deaths in the nation in 2020.
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In 2018 Congress passed landmark opioid legislation and Cassidy says and for the first time in almost 30 years, the number of opioid deaths decreased. But all that changed when the pandemic struck.
Cassidy says the opioid abuse took a backseat to COVID during the pandemic but he’s encouraging lawmakers to renew focus on the drug epidemic because there’s no vaccine for addiction.
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We’re saying goodbye to another streak of warm weather and hello to another cold front moving across Louisiana today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the lower temps will be preceded by some possibly rough weather.
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Rainfall should average at about one to two inches while high temperatures dip into the 70s and low 80s as the front passes over the state.
Keim says at times the weather could get a bit rough today as the front ushers in cooler temperatures.
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The cool front won’t be short-lived, bringing with it some really nice weather that’ll last through the weekend according to Keim with weekend lows in the 40’s and highs in the 70s.
Low temperatures are expected to drop into the 50s in the northern parishes tomorrow morning and into the 60s in south Louisiana and then highs Thursday in the 60’s in north Louisiana and 70s in the southern part of the state.
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Federal dollars are being earmarked for recovery needs in southwest Louisiana in association with hurricanes Laura and Delta. That word came Tuesday from Governor John Bel Edwards who says the state is being allocated 595-million-dollars in block grant aid funding.
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The block grant funds will be overseen by HUD, with Louisiana required to outline its plans for spending the funds and the state’s Office of Community Development overseeing the actual spending.
Edwards says the 595-million-dollars still falls short of what the state needs in its recovery from Laura and Ida, but is hopeful for more appropriations when Congress meets December 3rd.
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Edwards says it’s important to point out that the block grant aid for Laura and Delta is not money in the bank at this point.
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LSU Quarterback Max Johnson says he expects the Tigers to keep fighting for wins when they come back from the bye week. Johnson says his teammates have not given up on the season….
Johnson had a shaky performance against Ole Miss, but Coach Ed Orgeron says Max is still the Tigers starting Q-B. Johnson on how he’ll try to get better during the bye week…
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ULM football coach Terry Bowden is making a run at Sun Belt Coach of the Year. The Warhawks went winless during 2020, but they are 4-and-3 this season and riding a two-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s game at Appalachian State. Bowden admits he’s having fun after not being a head coach since 2018….
Bowden’s Warhawks are now two wins away from becoming eligible to play in a bowl game. The coach says he doesn’t want to look too far ahead with a big game at App State this Saturday…
ULM has caught the attention of national college football writers and analysts by upsetting their last two opponents, Liberty and South Alabama. Bowden says it’s nice being the underdog, but the goal is to become a front runner…