Governor Edwards is surveying the devastation in Ruston at this hour by helicopter as the National Guard has mobilized and is on it’s way to the city that was slammed by a deadly tornado around 2AM this morning. Chief Deputy with the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s office, Stephen Williams, says at least half of the city is without power and will be for some time.
Cut 4 (06) “ are gone”
While power is out across half of Ruston, the Louisiana Tech campus has lights on from it’s personal generator, but classes have been canceled to allow students to contact family. Tech President Les Guice says thankfully the tornado skirted the edge of the core academic buildings, but the residential halls weren’t so lucky.
Cut 14, 12 seconds, fields
A mother and son who’s house was struck by a tree that had been uprooted are confirmed to have died in the event.
_______________________________________
Following a 5-1 vote, an amendment that aims to raise the minimum wage in Louisiana to 9 dollars and hour by 2020 is headed to the Senate floor, where the effort died last year. Senator Troy Carter of New Orleans says the bump in minimum wages shows people the state is serious about taking care of the working poor.
Cut 10 (12) “…government to survive.”
A bill to legalize the growing and processing of Industrial hemp is on it’s way to the full House after unanimously passing in the House Agriculture Committee. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain priased the crop, saying colonists began harvesting hemp in the early 1700s, and had a number of uses for it, including paper. He says these days hemp can be found in a range of products.
Cut 8 (12) “…capacitors”
The first few drafts of the Declaration of Independence were on hemp paper.