Livingston Parish students and teachers are looking forward to a year of normalcy as they begin classes today just ahead of the one year anniversary of the 2016 flood. Livingston Superintendent Rick Wentzel says this year all students in the parish will receive free breakfast and lunch through the USDA…:
Cut 5 (11) “parents”

State Police in the Troop C area, which covers parishes in the Deep South of Louisiana, is concerned about the recent increases in preventable traffic fatalities in the area. Troop Commander Captain Frank Besson (Bay-sawn) says not wearing seat belts and impaired driving are the biggest factors…:
Cut 7 (10) “the crashes”
He says they have investigated 31 fatality crashes, resulting in 37 deaths, so far this year.

The controversy over how the pumps operated in the city of New Orleans during the weekend flooding event is not over. The city council called a meeting just before Sewerage & Water Board Executive Director Cedric Grant announced his retirement. The board’s Superintendent, Joe Becker, said that the system is not designed to handle that much rain in a short period…:
Cut 13 (11) “four and five hundred more pumps”
But the board admitted to not being totally honest about pump capacity during the event. Mayor Mitch Landrieu said he is going to recommend the termination of Becker.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch through this evening for East Carroll, Madison, Morehouse, Richland and West Carroll parishes. Forecasters say thunderstorms in northeast Louisiana could produce rainfall amounts of one to two inches in a short period that could lead to flash flooding.