Louisiana’s highways rank 34th in the nation for overall performance, according to the Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report. Jeff Palermo has more…
______________________________________
State and federal officials are defending the Shelter at Home program as criticism increases about the quality of the work done to the flooded homes. Emelie Gunn has more….
______________________________________
Lafayette police release more details about the deceased woman found in a toolbox. Halen Doughty has more on the bizarre story…
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”
______________________________________
Monday is the deadline for Livingston parish pet owners to claim pets that were lost in the flood, and then shelters will start adopting them out. Executive Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, Jeff Dorson, says they have been sheltering over 500 pets from the Livingston parish area since the flood, but they could only hold them for 45 days.
Dorson says people who lost a pet should check the Livingston Reuniting Pets Facebook page or contact the Humane Society of Louisiana. He says adoption counselors can help people find their lost pets.
Dorson says pets are being sheltered around Louisiana and in other states, so finding a pet after this deadline will be a challenge. He says there is a local shelter people can visit if they want to adopt a pet that was displaced during the flood.
_____________________________________________
The Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report ranks Louisiana’s roadways 34thin the nation for overall performance, up 6 spots from the previous year. Louisiana ranked poorly in the areas of fatality rate and urban interstate pavement condition. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says the state has announced two different interstate widening projects that should lead to safer and smoother traveling on I-10 in the Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.
CUT 7 (10) “these investments”
The Bayou State came in 40th for the number of deficient bridges in the state. Wilson admits the state is not spending enough to keep up with the maintenance of our bridges.
Wilson says there’s almost a $13 billion backlog in transportation projects, and it will take more consistent funding resources in order to improve Louisiana’s overall ranking.
_______________________________________________________
State and federal officials are defending the Shelter at Home program after there have been complaints that the jobs aren’t done to the flood victim’s satisfaction. Deputy Chief of Staff with the Governor’s Office Julie Baxter Payer says the Shelter at Home program is for temporary basic repair. She says the state is constrained by FEMA guidelines so they cannot help with permanent rebuilding.
Alice O’Connor of Baton Rouge, is a shelter at home program recipient. O’Connor says she’s appreciative of the program because she is finally able to live in her house, which is close to work, rather than living in a crowded apartment with family members. She says the first thing contractors did was kill the live electrical wires that could electrocute her.
There are also concerns by many about the Temporary Housing Units and why there aren’t more flood victims already living in the manufactured homes. FEMA representative Tito Hernandez says these mobile homes are a last resort, because it takes a long time to get them set up in a flooded homeowner’s yard.
_______________________________________________________
An unusual homicide in Lafayette becomes more and more bizarre as the details unfold. Lafayette Police Officer Karl Ratcliff has confirmed the body of 23-year-old Alannah Montalvo was dismembered in a toolbox on the side of the road, four days after her boyfriend, 36-year-old Barrett Farabee, was shot while trespassing in someone’s backyard.
Montalvo’s body parts were found on Tuesday. Ratcliff says a few days before that Farabee was fatally shot by a homeowner after he spotted him naked and armed with two guns in his backyard on Fanny Street. He says at this time, they are still not sure why the man was naked at 8am.
Ratcliff says they are not releasing any details about Montalvo’s murder at this time out of respect for her family. He says Montalvo and Farabee had been in a relationship for quite some time prior to these horrific events.
Cut 15 (07) “that relationship”
_______________________________________________________
It’s LSU versus Auburn tomorrow on the Plains in a big SEC Western Division contest. Last year Tigers running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn. Last week, Fournette had two fumbles and Coach Les Miles says Fournette has worked hard on protecting the ball….
Cut 16 (16) “ball security period”
LSU quarterback Danny Etling will make his first road SEC start. Miles says spent the week at practice getting him ready for the atmosphere he’ll face at Jordan-Hare Stadium…
______________________________
The Ragin Cajuns and Tulane meet Saturday at Yulman Stadium in a non-conference instate match-up. UL Lafayette is 2-1, while the Green Wave are 1-and-2 under first-year head coach Willie Fritz, who runs a spread-option offense. Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says it’s difficult to defend…
Hudspeth likes how his defense has performed since defensive coordinator Melvin Smith was replaced by Mike Lucas after the season-opening loss to Boise State….
______________________________________________________
Louisiana Tech begins Conference USA play by visiting Middle Tennessee. After losing 59-45 to Texas Tech, Bulldogs Coach Skip Holtz says we can see another shootout in Murfreesboro…