The national hurricane center says Tropical Storm Cindy could produce life-threatening flash flooding along the Gulf Coast. State climatologist Barry Keim says the tropical storm is expected to make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border on Thursday, but the largest rain totals will occur to the east of the storm’s center.
Cut 6 (08) “15 inches”
For local emergency preparedness officials street and river flooding are the biggest concerns. St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister says they do not have many drainage pumps so they rely on gravity…:
Cut 11 (08) “the parish”
A flash flood watch has been issued from Wednesday night until Friday morning for a large part of north Louisiana.

As demand for state childcare assistance rises, the Department of Education announces beginning July 1, new applicants will be placed on a waiting list. The program grew exponentially when DOE lowered the work threshold for families to qualify, from 30 to 20 hours a week. Assistant superintendent of early childhood development Jenna Conway…:
Cut 4 (10) “dramatically increased”
Conway says the program is underfunded, which is why a wait list is necessary.

Public schools will no longer be permitted to physically punish children with developmental disabilities after a measure was signed into law by Governor Edwards. Senate Education Chairman Blade Morrish:
Cut 13 (06) “those students”
He says schools didn’t push back against this legislation.