State and local officials attempt to get an estimate on how much damage was created by a series of tornadoes on Tuesday. Jeff Palermo has more…
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The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office says a man who was jailed on a probation violation was beaten to death by at least a dozen inmates. Michelle Southern reports.
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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The cleanup continues today after the Governor’s Office estimates at least 7 tornadoes touched down in southeast Louisiana on Tuesday. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says the state is very lucky that no one was killed.
A total of 39 injuries were reported. Steele says damage assessment is underway in the impacted areas. He says teams are gathering data, so Louisiana can make a case for federal assistance to help those that lost everything and rebuild public infrastructure.
New Orleans East was the hardest hit area, but twisters also touched down in Jefferson, Livingston, Ascension, St. James, Tangipahoa, and St. Tammany Parishes. Steele says shelters have been set up in New Orleans and Donaldsonville for those whose homes were destroyed.
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Just one day after a tornado ravaged the town of Donaldsonville, Mayor Leroy Sullivan says residents have a lot to be thankful for. He says 15 to 20 homes inside the city limits sustained at least moderate damage, while several more were impacted outside the city, but fortunately no one was seriously injured.
Sullivan says cleanup and damage assessment is underway throughout the city. He says they’re hopeful the feds will be able to provide some assistance for those who lost their homes. He says many are still without power as they pick up the pieces. Entergy reports more than 18-hundred Donaldsonville residents do not have electricity yet. Sullivan asks that people stay clear of the area, as crews are working to clear debris out of the roadways.
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East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore addressed the thought on many people’s mind: when will the results of the federal investigation into the officer-involved shooting of Alton Sterling be made public? Moore says since his office recused itself early on in the case, he can’t be exactly sure but…
Moore says Baton Rouge has proved itself to be a city of non-violent protests and encourages everyone, regardless of the ruling in the case, to protest peacefully when the U.S. Department of Justice announces the results its probe.
Moore says protests are also allowed on sidewalks as long as it does not obstruct other pedestrians. He also encourages everyone to work with city officials and law enforcement to ensure all protests in the future are done peacefully and factually.
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An explosion near DeRidder has killed at least three and injured several others, according to the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Joe Toler says authorities received a call just after 11 a.m. of an explosion at Packaging Corporation of America on U.S. 190. He says the scene has been contained and the fire is out.
Toler says the facility was previously the Boise paper mill and PCA took over the operations in 2013. He says he is not sure the exact number of people injured in the explosion…
Toler says authorities are working to determine what caused the explosion. He says this is an all hands on deck situation.
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State Police are seeking a father and son from Thibodaux in connection with a kidnapping of a Lafayette man. Trooper Jesse Lagrange says four men have already been arrested.
Lagrange says the four men arrested range in ages 19 to 32 years old and they’ve been charged with aggravated kidnapping. The 19-year-old is from Monroe and the others are from south Louisiana. He says police are still actively seeking 45-year-old Jeffery Slack Sr. and 20-year-old Jeffery Slack Jr.
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