LRN PM Newscall April 26

Ruston is beginning the recovery from an EF 3 tornado that damaged hundreds of homes and left a mess to clean up in its path. Jeff Palermo has the latest…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

____________________________

 A bill to legalize the delivery of low content alcohol passes committee and is headed to the House. Matt Doyle talked to the bill sponsor.

cut 2 (30) I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________________________

Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker says they are bouncing back after an EF-3 tornado ripped through their town Thursday morning. Walker says the volunteerism has been unbelievable, especially from Louisiana Tech students. He relayed this story from a woman who lost several trees on her property

Cut 3 (12) “…started crying”

Walker says the biggest immediate concern is restoring the power by the end of the weekend and also getting trees off of homes…

Cut 4 (07) “ restoring homes” 

Walker estimates the damages to homes and businesses in the hundreds…

Cut 5 (10) “…houses”

The EF 3 tornado also produced damage in Union Parish. Officials there say about 80 structures damaged, including 15 to 20 chicken houses.

_________________________________________________

The House will consider whether or not delivery services should be allowed to bring low alcohol content booze with their food to your front door.

Shreveport Representative Thomas Carmody says his legislation specifies that the alcohol must be brought with food, and must be in the original manufacturer’s seal container, so that means no margaritas…

Cut 6 (12) “…gunna fly”

The bill is the result of recommendations of the E-Commerce Committee’s fall recommendation about how to allow alcohol delivery, and deal with the potential liability issues.

Carmody says delivery people would be authorized to refuse to drop off the order if they’re suspicious about the recipient’s age, or level of inebriation.

Cut 7 (10) “…for it.”

Currently food delivery services do not require their workers to have all of the same certifications that a waiter has, but Carmody says under this legislation…

Cut 8 (09) “…waiter”

The same committee that passed this bill also passed other alcohol related legislation like allowing delivery people to accept the LA Wallet app.

_______________________

The National Weather Service has survey teams looking at the impacted areas from the Wednesday night into Thursday morning tornado outbreak. Ruston was the hardest hit area and NWS forecaster CS Ross says their experts say the damage falls in line with an EF-3 tornado.

Cut 9 (11) “…community as well.

Ross says the current count of tornadoes for the area is at seven, but the number can still rise.

Cut 10 (08) “…rural Union Parish.”

A storm team is also surveying rural La Salle Parish today from a separate storm cell.

The storm started over Texas, moving northeast into Louisiana.  Ross says this week’s severe weather will likely go down as a significant event in history for the National Weather Service’s Shreveport office coverage area if the storm also produced tornadoes in Arkansas as well.

Cut 11 (10)   “…if you will.”

_______________________________

The LSU Board of Supervisors approves new Athletic Director Scott Woodward’s six year, eight million dollar contract.

LSU Vice President for Legal Affairs Thomas Skinner says the contract includes hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses, and includes a base pay that increases every year.

Cut 12 (12) “…five.”

Woodward also receives a $250,000 relocation bonus and $250,000 if he stays on the job for five years.

The Baton Rouge native is the first LSU AD to make over one-million dollars a year. But Skinner says only $525,000 of it comes from taxpayer dollars.

Cut 13 (09) “…contracts.”

The contract is also is a higher salary than Woodward’s old job as Texas A&M’s AD.

Board member Valencia Jones thanked Woodward for his decision to join the Purple and Gold, and says the AD is a high caliber talent who will bring success to the Ole War Skule…

Cut 14 (11) “together ”

The board also approved the amendments made to basketball coach Will Wade’s contract, which takes away his bonus pay for winning an SEC title and reaching the NCAA Tournament. Wade’s new contract also allows LSU to fire him, if the NCAA determines he committed violations.