Legislative leaders are meeting today to discuss the possibility of a special session to entice property insurance companies to the state. But one lawmaker has questions. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has discovered five additional suspected cases of chronic wasting disease in deer in Tensas Parish. Kace Kieschnick has the story…
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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2022 saw record-breaking high rental prices in Louisiana, but what might this year bring for renters? Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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Legislative leaders and the governor’s office are meeting today to discuss the possibility of holding a special session to entice more property insurers to write policies in Louisiana. Since 2021 up to twenty insurance companies have either left or gone insolvent. But Jonesboro Representative Jack McFarland says not so fast.
Cut 4 (09) “…up to $45-million.”
Last month Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne and Senate President Page Cortez were leaning towards addressing the matter during the regular session in April, but Insurance Commissioner Jay Donelon says the state can’t wait that long. McFarland questions if the proposal will benefit existing insurance companies.
Cut 5 (08) “…significantly increase.”
The north Louisiana Republican questions why they should be called in to address the issue when they haven’t for other markets, like the trucking industry when very few companies would even write policies in Louisiana.
Cut 6 (12) “…insurance program.”
If called it’s expected the session will be held in early February to avoid conflicts with the height of carnival season.
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Five additional suspected cases of chronic wasting disease have been discovered in deer harvested by hunters on private land in Tensas Parish. This comes after a second case of CWD was confirmed last month. The first CWD-positive case in Tensas Parish was confirmed in January of last year, and the area has been under heightened surveillance since a case was found in Issaquena County, Mississippi, in 2018. State Wildlife Veterinarian Jim LaCour says the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is working on zeroing in on the outbreak…
Cut 7 (12) “…infection in deer.”
CWD is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an infectious, misfolded protein particle, and it is 100 percent fatal to deer after an indeterminate incubation period. Infected deer may show signs of weight loss, salivation, frequent drinking and urination, and a lack of fear of people. CWD has not been found to be contagious to humans, but the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization recommend against human consumption of deer known to be positive. LaCour says the LDWF provides free testing for hunters across the state…
Cut 8 (08) “…prior to consumption.”
Testing is performed on the brainstem and lymph nodes of the head, meaning the head and five inches or more of the neck may be removed and submitted to the LDWF for testing, and hunters may remove the antlers and skull plate prior to testing if desired. LaCour says coolers will be placed throughout the CWD Control Area for hunters to submit samples, and testing results across the state will be posted on the LDWF website. LaCour hopes efforts of hunters and biologists across the state will help to manage the spread of the disease…
Cut 9 (12) “…throughout Louisiana.”
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2022 saw record-breaking high rents, plus very high demand and often-low supply. Jonas Bordo, co-founder of renters’ resource website “Dwellsy.com,” says rentals in Louisiana are a mixed bag. In New Orleans and Baton Rouge, 2 and 3 bedroom home rentals are up as much as 20-percent for 2022, but apartment rents have gone down slightly. Bordo says he expects to see rentals drop some over the coming year, as more and more rental properties come online…:
Cut 10 (09) “…for this country.”
Bordo says, because so many new apartment complexes will be coming available for rents, consumers should expect to see median rents go down…:
Cut 11 (06) “…to a lot of people.”
Bordo says apartment rentals tend to be lower the farther one gets from I-10. Shreveport rents, for instance, are considerably less than in New Orleans, Baton Rouge or Lafayette…:
Cut 12 (11) “…about $950 there.”
Bordo says Dwellsy feels inflation will ease over the coming months and rental prices will ease with it.
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Xavier University is partnering with Ochsner Health in creating a new college of medicine. University President Reynold Verret says the partnership will help create a strong physician pipeline to address inequities in healthcare.
Cut 13 (07) “…physicians in the U.S.”
Verret says Xavier, the only historically Black and Catholic University in the county, is grounded in the premise of social justice.
Cut 14 (09) “…serve this country.”
This isn’t the first partnership between the two institutions, in the 1980s Ochsner offered clinical training spots for Xavier pharmacy students. Verret says together they can increase the number of Black physicians and better serve the healthcare needs of marginalized populations.
The university’s pre-med program has the distinction of sending more Black students to medical school than any other college. Xavier’s College of Medicine will be the fifth Black medical school in the country.
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Running back John Emery is coming back for a fifth season at LSU. Many thought the former five-star prospect would turn pro, but Emery did not submit his name for the NFL draft prior to Monday’s deadline. LSU beat reporter for Bengal Tiger On Three, Shea Dixon, says Emery has not had the college career many expected coming out of Destrehan High School…
Cut 16 (15) “…academic suspension”
Emery did not play in 2021 and returned this past season to rush for 375 yards and six touchdowns. He also had two touchdown catches. Dixon says with Emery’s return that means LSU’s top five rushers from 2022 plan to play for the Tigers in 2023…
Cut 17 (27) “…starting running back'”
Dixon says Emery will look to improve his draft stock by coming back for a fifth season…
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The LSU men’s basketball team was blown out by No. 4 Alabama over the weekend in a 106-66 loss to the Crimson Tide. The Tigers kept it within 4 for the first 7 minutes of play before Alabama jumped out on a 10-nothing run and were up 37 by halftime. Coach Matt McMahon says there were little-to-no positives for the Tigers Saturday, but what matters now is their response…
Cut 19 (20) “…player’s response.”
The Tigers’ biggest struggle of the season so far has been creating production offensively. LSU ranks 11th in the SEC in points per game and 10th in shooting percentage. McMahon says the Tigers will need to look to more than just half-court sets if they want to create offense in the SEC…