The state Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Baton Rouge pastor who refused to comply with Governor Edwards’ COVID lockdown. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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As we return to a pre-COVID routine, Governor Edwards says they continue to monitor case counts and positivity rates. Brooke Thorington has more
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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Another former LSU Tiger is coming home as Jarvis Landry agrees to a one-year deal with the Saints. David Grubb has more…
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m David Grubb.”
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The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Baton Rouge area pastor who refused to stop church services during the governor’s COVID lockdown. Pastor Tony Spell, of the Life Tabernacle Church in Central was arrested for flouting stay-at-home orders. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino on the High Court’s decision…:
Cut 4 (11) “…religious institutions.”
Spell was arrested in 2020 for violating the Governor’s emergency order limiting gatherings to no more than 50 people. At that time, he said anywhere up a thousand persons might attend services at his church. Ciolino says, despite rulings from lower courts, the state Supreme Court Justice’s opinions were 5-to-2 in Spell’s favor…:
Cut 5 (09) “…different from churches.”
Does the ruling mean the Governor’s future emergency orders might lack the strength of enforcement? Ciolino says he doesn’t think so…as along as things are dealt with evenly and fairly going forward. Does the ruling mean Pastor Spell can now sue the Governor and/or the state for damages?
Cut 6 (13) “…First Amendment rights.”
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As we return to somewhat of a pre-COVID lifestyle Governor John Bel Edwards says there’s been a slight bump in daily case counts. On Friday the state reported 730 new cases. Edwards says the positivity rate is also increasing.
Edwards acknowledges that daily case counts can be somewhat misleading because of the availability of home tests that aren’t included in those counts. He says most likely case counts are higher. However, the good news is the number of hospitalization have not increased significantly
Edwards says they are also keeping a watchful eye on cases as festival season and large gatherings return. And as in previous surges, it’s expected that case counts will increase along with the high temperatures.
Edwards says while the vast majority of residents have either had COVID or have been vaccinated those protections do wane over time and to stay up to date on your booster shots.
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The Senate Finance Committee approved a proposed budget for next fiscal year that does not match Governor John Bel Edwards’ wish list. Edwards has asked the Senate to give teachers a two-thousand dollar pay raise, but House Appropriations Chairman Jerome Zeringue, the author of the budget bill says a 15-hundred dollar raise is more appropriate…
Cut 10 (10) “…Southern average.”
The governor is also looking for 500-million dollars for a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge. The Senate is proposing to allocate 300-million dollars for a new bridge. There’s also 200-million for I-49 south and 200-million to replace the I-10 Lake Charles bridge.
Senate President Page Cortez says a lot of one-time money investments will go toward higher education needs
The Senate Finance Committee heard from a couple of members of the public who wanted eight million dollars appropriated to install cameras in special ed classrooms…
White says the money for cameras in special education classrooms is contained in a supplemental funding bill. The Senate plans to vote Thursday on the spending bills.
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There will be a changing of the guard, or more accurately, a changing of the chiefs this morning as Butch Browning, the state’s longest-serving fire marshal, hands the baton to Daniel Wallis after 14 years of leadership. Here’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue…
Cut 13 (11) “…state for decades.”
Wallis has been Browning’s right hand throughout his term, and Rodrigue says the two share a similar vision that will continue the growth and development that the agency has seen over the years.
Browning moves on to the position of executive director of the National Association of State Fire Marshalls. Rodrigue says Browning is excited about the new challenge and opportunity to improve safety on a national scale, as well as the future of the agency he leaves behind.
Cut 15 (13) “…national impact.”
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Last season, the New Orleans Saints had one of the worst wide receiving corps in the NFL. Not a single wideout caught 50 passes or topped 700 yards, something that hadn’t happened since the 80s. This season they may have one of the best, with All-Pro Michael Thomas expected back at full strength, the addition of first-rounder Chris Olave, and now the signing of five-time Pro Bowler and former LSU star Jarvis Landry…
Landry made the Pro-Bowl each year between 2015 and 2019 with the Dolphins and Browns, averaging 96 receptions and over 1000 yards per season during that span. Injuries have slowed him the last two years, but NOLA-dot-com’s Rod Walker says a healthy Landry brings plenty to the table
Perhaps no one is happier about the signing of Landry than quarterback Jameis Winston. The Saints have given him a much better arsenal to work with this season than he had last year.
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A tough weekend for the LSU baseball team as the Ole Miss Rebels swept the Tigers, dropping their RPI from 16 to 37. The disastrous weekend puts LSU on the bubble for hosting a regional. Coach Jay Johnson says staying away from the big inning was a problem against the Rebels and LSU pitching allowed eight home runs…
Johnson surprised everyone in the ballpark on Sunday when he allowed starting pitching Samuel Dutton to throw to one hitter, Justin Bench, who hit a double. Dutton was removed and Jacob Hasty pitched the next four innings. Johnson explained his game plan to reporters afterward…