The Louisiana Department of Health says Monday’s severe weather resulted in three storm-related deaths. Mel Bridges reports two of the fatalities occurred in West Baton Rouge Parish…
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A bill that sought to dramatically restrict the public’s access to records within Governor Jeff Landry’s office is dead for the session. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
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The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed three-storm related deaths from yesterday’s severe weather, including a woman who was nine months pregnant. The fetus did not survive and is counted as the third storm related death. West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s office Sergeant Landon Groger says the double fatality occurred in Port Allen when a tree fell on a trailer in which she resided…
The woman has been identified as 31-year-old Kristin Brown of Port Allen.
Groger says there are multiple reports of trees and powerlines down…
A wind gust of 83 miles per hour was reportedly recorded at the nearby Erwinville Community Center at that time. Groger says they are asking the public to stay off the roads in storm damaged areas…
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A 24-year-old woman from Texas died in St. Martin Parish from a suspected tornado. Major Ginny Higgins with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office says the woman was in a camper…
One of the St. Martin Parish’s most famous restaurants, Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant in Henderson sustained some damage. Higgins says the restaurant is not a total loss, but repairs will be needed…
Cut 7 (11) “…during the storm.”
Higgins says most of the damage that occurred in St. Martin Parish is in Henderson and Cecilia…
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The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is in contact with local emergency partners and receiving damage assessments. GOHSEP director Jacques Thibodaux says a squall line with hurricane force winds and possible tornadoes caused damage from southwest Louisiana through south central Louisiana…
As of 1 PM this afternoon, Entergy reported 39-thousand customers without power. Governor Jeff Landry says a storm out of Texas converged with another story system coming out of the Gulf of Mexico to produce the deadly results…
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West Monroe Senator Jay Morris has withdrawn his legislation that would have restricted the public release of records and internal communications from Governor Jeff Landry’s office. Morris made the announcement on the Senate floor
Cut 11 (14) ” … hide anything”
There is pushback against Governor Landry’s efforts to restrict public access to certain government records. Morris says he agrees with the governor’s desire to keep certain records out of public view, but it’s hard to find a balance between transparency and keeping government information hidden
There are still two other bills alive in the legislative session that would limit public access to state government records, but it remains to be seen if they can get approval in the Senate.