PM Newscall January 19

The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to conserve energy Thursday morning in the cold. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

The Commissioner of Higher Education is worried about possible cuts to the TOPS program.  Kelley Ray has a look at the far reaching repercussions…

Cut 2 (32) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

_________________________________________________

The Louisiana Public Service Commission wants to know why utility customers were asked to reduce energy consumption for a time Thursday morning over concerns the grids may not be able to handle the high demand in the cold. PSC Chairman Eric Skrmetta says nobody’s power was going to be shut off:

Cut 3 (08) “to happen”

Skrmetta says the situation was bad enough yesterday that industrial customers were warned that their power could be turned off which flows to households. He says there is no reason that should ever happen and it’s the PSC’s job to make sure that power is always there for consumers to use..:

Cut 4  (11) “to be taken” 

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which manages the flow of electricity, said they had set a record Wednesday morning for peak winter power usage. Skrmetta says the PSC’s ultimate goal is to make sure the resources are there, and that people have what they need to live their lives…:

Cut 5  (11)  “marketplace”

__________________________________________________________

The Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo is concerned about the possible lack of funding for the TOPS program.  Governor Edwards will present his budget proposal on Monday. Rallo says if funding for TOPS is eliminated, it will be devastating for students who benefit from the program…

Cut 6 (13)  “to school.”

Rallo says he hopes Governor Edwards can make good on his promise for not cutting funding for TOPS, but says money to cover the one billion dollar shortfall once the one-penny sales tax drops off the end of June has to come from somewhere.  Rallo says if TOPS doesn’t get funding, it could affect Louisiana’s job market…

Cut 7 (09)  “those graduates.”

Governor Edwards has said he will ask for a special session next month to consider the budget if there isn’t an agreement in principle in place.  Rallo says time is of the essence in getting a financial plan in place since nationwide faculty recruitment is currently underway…

Cut 8 (11) “of state.”

_________________________________________________________

Roads were shuttered and pipes shattered as Louisiana suffered record lows this week. Many Louisianans woke up to the sound of running water and nasty surprises across their property. Pipes “R” Us owner Danny Griffin says there’s a good way to avoid the hassle going forward…

Cut 9 (10) “out tremendously.”

Griffin is asking for patience as calls flood in asking for repairs…

Cut 10 (06) “phone calls”

Louisiana is no stranger to disasters, and the fraudsters that chase them. Griffin has some advice on how to avoid a bad deal…

Cut 11 (10) “for it”

Griffin says if you don’t have experience working with plumbing, leave the work to the professionals.

_______________________________________

Vermilion School Board President Anthony Fontana has announced he is resigning immediately.  This comes amid the controversy surrounding school teacher Deyshia Hargrave and her arrest two weeks ago.  A non-partisan group CrowdPac is concerned about the recent volatile actions of the board and wants to see changes.  Crowdpac spokesperson Mason Harrison says Fontana’s resignation is perfect timing for a seminar coming to Abbeville to train citizens to become prepared to run for a school board position…

Cut 12 (07) “do that.”

During the meeting, Fontana tried to silence her when she voiced concerns about the superintendent’s raise.  Harrison says the other seven board members are as much as fault as Fontana in the incident and find themselves in a precarious situation…

Cut 13 (08) “this year.”

Harrison says with the nationwide news coverage this story has received, interest in the seminar has been high…

Cut 14 (10) “help out.”

The seminar is scheduled for January 30th at the Sunbelt Lodge in Abbeville.

____________________________________________________________