One rain gauge in Avoyelles Parish measured 29 inches of rain in 12 hours during Tropical Storm Arthur. Kace Kieschnick reports.
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The race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate is coming down to the wire. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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Animal advocates are hailing the signing of a bill aimed at protecting Louisiana white-tailed deer. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says House Bill 1248 was spawned by a pair of high-profile incidents, in which LDWF agents seized deer from those caring for them and killed them.
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So Greenwell Springs Representative Lauren Ventrella, who’s an animal advocate, drafted the bill that sailed through the legislature without a single dissenting vote. Dorson says it gives licensed rehabbers the green light to care for white-tailed deer who need help.
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Dorson says there are certain procedures licensed rehabbers will need to adhere to when taking in one of these deer.
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The new law takes effect August 1st.
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A rain gauge between Cottonport and Plaucheville measured 29 inches of rain during the downpours caused by Tropical Storm Arthur. State climatologist Jay Grymes is meeting with the National Weather Service in Avoyelles Parish to check and verify the rain gauges in the area. Grymes says if it’s made official, the total would be a new state record.
Grymes says he expects the measurement to be validated. There have been numerous gauges in the area reporting 20 or more inches of rain across the same time period. He says officials just need to make sure the rain was collected properly.
Grymes says the massive rain was possible due to numerous thunderstorms forming over the same area. The rainfall will likely be deemed a thousand-year event, and Grymes says it’s similar to the 2016 thunderstorms that caused flooding in south Louisiana with the same designation.
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Just four days to go until the runoff elections. Ron Faucheux with Lunchtime Politics says polls in the Republican U.S. Senate race between Julia Letlow and John Fleming indicate that it’s anyone’s contest.
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Faucheux says the Republican runoff has the ability to break all norms in national Republican contests this year.
Faucheux says Letlow has only one path to secure the Republican nomination.
Faucheux says with a low turnout expected, the Republican race will come down to whether Letlow or Fleming does a better job in getting the vote out.
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Louisiana officials are urging those impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur to report damages and losses to damage-dot-la-dot-gov. Governor Jeff Landry says the data collected on the website will help the state appeal for federal disaster assistance.
The website has a survey for flood victims to provide photos and descriptions of the damage to their homes. The survey is not for reporting damages to businesses, and multiple reports should not be submitted for the same residence. Landry says these pictures can also be used to make FEMA claims if assistance is received.
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Some residents experienced issues with the website Sunday. Landry says those problems have been fixed and the survey is ready to receive more reports.
There are two types of federal declarations, each with a different threshold: public assistance and individual assistance. The individual assistance threshold is the one Landry says he is targeting, and the declaration will provide aid to secure temporary housing and basic home repair for flood victims.