Lack of rainfall in Louisiana in the past several weeks has put much of the state in drought conditions. The US Drought Monitor reports that 86-percent of Louisiana is currently dealing with drought conditions. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the last 90 days have been extremely dry in the Bayou State…:
cut 12 (09) “three months”
The report shows that 51-percent of Louisiana is suffering from extreme drought conditions.

The federal government has announced there will not be an increase in benefits for millions of Social Security recipients. Brenda Hatfield with Louisiana AARP says this is especially devastating because next year Medicare costs are expected to increase for seniors, veterans and the disabled:
CUT 9 (10) “from Social Security
The main reason given is low oil prices.

The four candidates for governor will debate tonight at Louisiana Tech in Ruston, but only three were present last night when LPB hosted. Republican David Vitter was heavily critized by his opponents for not showing up and for running attack ads against them. Republican Scott Angelle criticized Vitter for skipping debates because he doesn’t want to answer questions about his prostitution scandal…
CUT 5 (10) “means yes”
Tonight’s TV debate is set for 6pm. Voting day is October 24th.

The 1-4 New Orleans Saints host the undefeated Atlanta Falcons tonight. The Black and Gold are 3.5 underdogs in the game. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is third in the NFL in passing yards and second-year running back Devonta Freeman is the league’s second leading rusher and has also caught 24 passes out of the backfield. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm on CBS.