It’s a day to be aware of the weather as a line of thunderstorms in front of a cold front will move across Louisiana this afternoon…
cut 11 (08) “…across the state”
That’s State Climatologist Barry Keim says who now says all of southwest Louisiana and much of central Louisiana including Leesville, Alexandria, and Marksville are under a tornado watch until 4 PM today.

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.
Cut 4 (12) “…and isolation.”
That means a student should quarantine if they were in close contact for an accumulation total of 15 minutes with someone who tests positive for COVID.

The federal government has informed Louisiana the state will receive 595-million in community development block grant dollars that can be used to repair homes and businesses damaged by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. But Edwards says they can’t put these funds to use yet…
cut 15 (09) “….design our programs”
Edwards did not provide a timeline on when the grant dollars will become available to 2020 hurricane victims.

U-S Senator Bill Cassidy says the pandemic has resulted in a surge in opioid overdose deaths…
cut 8 (11) “….drug deaths”
Cassidy says over 19-hundred Louisianians lost their lives to a drug overdose last year, a 48-percent increase from the year before.