Cox Communications announces their south Louisiana customers will be put on a data plan starting July 6th and it allows them to upload or download one terabyte of data. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is hoping to reform the SNAP program and put more people back to work. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Entergy will build a new plant in Westlake after the Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously approves construction of the Lake Charles Power Station. Jeff Palermo has more…
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Residents of St. John the Baptist Parish could have an increased risk of cancer, as the EPA finds the Denka Performance Elastomer plant in Laplace is releasing carcinogens into the air. Wilma Subra with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network says the facility is releasing huge quantities of chloroprene into the air, which can pose a serious health risk to the community.
Cut 4 (10) “respiratory problems”
Air testing found residents had been subjected to 88 times the concentration of chloroprene the EPA allows. EPA inspectors found 31 valve leaks in the plant, which did not have the proper tools to measure the chemical emissions. Subra says the company argues not all the violations were made under their watch.
Denka officials could face criminal charges if the company is determined to have been negligent. But the company has agreed to retrofit the facility and reduce emissions by 85 percent before the end of the year. Subra says the carcinogenic chemical must be kept out of the air in such high concentrations.
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The Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously approved construction for a new Entergy plant in Westlake. Entergy spokesperson Michael Burns says the new Lake Charles Power Station plant will save customers a lot of money.
Customer savings are expected to exceed the $872 million cost of the plant in less than a decade. Burns says the new plant will also be cleaner and more energy efficient than older natural gas-fired plants.
The plant should be up and running by June of 2020. Burns says once the plant is complete, it will employ approximately 30 people. He says it will also create new jobs during construction.
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Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says he’s filed a common-sense approach to reforming the food stamp program that would impact able-bodied adults without dependents. Graves says his bill would connect SNAP recipients with job search and job training programs to help them find work opportunities.
Graves says we need a safety net for people who fall on hard times, but for many, government assistance has become a way of life. He says the number of people in these programs has more than doubled in the last 15 years.
Cut 11 (08) “self-sufficiency”
Graves says the national debt is more than $20 trillion, and a majority of that is a result of these welfare programs. He says we need to incentivize people to work, not to stay home. He says states that passed similar bills saw significant improvements.
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A two-year-old is among the three dead after a car chase ended with a crash in New Orleans east. Louisiana State Police spokesperson, Trooper Melissa Matey, says state police units attempted to stop the vehicle in downtown New Orleans for a stolen license plate. Matey says the driver fled the scene and collided with a truck and ran off the road.
Cut 13 (06) “both are deceased”
Matey says a third person took their own life after the crash. She says the tragic incident began when troopers attempted to stop a vehicle on Canal St. in New Orleans, but the driver refused to comply.
Matey says a chase ensued that led troopers onto the interstate, back off the highway, and onto a local street. She says as the driver rounded a corner, he came upon a box truck that was attempting to make a right turn.
None of the passengers, including the toddler, were properly restrained in the vehicle.