AM Newscall December 26

The Louisiana Office of Community Development says they are now encouraging flood victims who have already filled out the Restore Louisiana survey, to complete a formal application for aid. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (30) “Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

A southern media and opinion research poll shows a majority of Louisianans disagree with the direction the state is going. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30) “Matt Doyle reporting.”

______________________________________________

The Louisiana Office of Community Development says they are now encouraging flood victims who have already filled out the Restore Louisiana survey, to complete a formal application for aid. OCD Executive Director Pat Forbes says they’ve received about 46,300 survey submissions…:

Cut 3 (10) “an application”

Restore Louisiana’s process is in two parts so that homeowners wouldn’t be forced to stop repairs on their home while they applied for aid. Forbes says they know that about 38,400 homeowners have been extended invitations to apply for aid…:

Cut 4  (08) “and see” 

Find out more online at Restore.La.Gov. The homeowner assistance program so far has offered grant awards totaling $122 million dollars to 4200 applicants. Forbes says they are now serving every phase of the process to get people the help they need…:

Cut 5  (10)  “more applications”

_________________________________________________________

It’s another big shopping day as stores view after-Christmas sales the final round of the 2017 retail rush. LSU Marketing professor Dan Rice says today is a great day to stock up on Christmas decorations and wrapping paper which are dramatically reduced in price as shops look to unload the inventory. He says it’s also a big day for returns and exchanges…:

Cut 6 (10)  “for those”

Whether you’re looking for items that were in short supply before the holiday, or simply out to treat yourself with special bargains, Rice says post-Christmas deals feature all kinds of savings. He says retailers are looking at the shelves and considering how easy will it be to hold on to that stock or not, and that’s where the sales come in…:

Cut 7 (08)  “future”

Rice says the 2017 holiday shopping season will go down as a huge one for retailers, but it remains to be seen if it’s because people actually have more money in their pockets…:

Cut 8 (04) “better pay”

________________________________________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards says he came into office looking to end the yearly cuts to education, and secure funding for the TOPS scholarship program. As Edwards looks back on the year, he’s proud to say Louisiana’s public colleges did not receive a cut in state funding…

Cut 9 (06)  “previous year”

During the governor’s first year in office, state funding to TOPS was reduced and recipients had to pay a portion of their tuition for the first time in the program’s history. Edwards says they were able to fully fund the tuition assistance program this year and it led to a record level of enrollment in applications for state colleges in 2018…

Cut 10 (08) “rate education”

In November, the governor announced DXC Technology would employ two-thousand workers in New Orleans as part of an expansion effort by the global tech company. Edwards says maintaining higher ed funding was critical in DXC’s decision to do business in Louisiana…

Cut 11 (12) ” such project”

_________________________________________________________

Only 36% of Louisianans feel that the state is moving in the right direction according to a southern media and opinion research poll conducted in November. 45%, and a majority of republican voters disagree. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says the numbers show a huge divide…:

Cut 12 (10) “Trumpism”

Pinsonat says the trickle down from a hostile national political environment is even damaging typically safe state republicans…:

Cut 13 (09)  “very popular”

Pinsonat says negative national media coverage is responsible…

Cut 14 (07) “in Louisiana”