Governor Edwards is praising the state’s level of readiness in the face of Barry but reminds everyone the hurricane season just started. The Governor singled out some impressive feats, such as a record-breaking 900,000 sandbags distributed statewide. He says now is the time to figure out what residents can do even better…
Cut 13 (09) “as well.”
As of this morning, five-thousand Cleco customers were still without power, while Entergy has 56-hundred customers impacted by outages.

The Bonnet Carre Spillway will remain open longer than officials hoped because of Hurricane-slash-Tropical Storm Barry. Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett says before they can close the Spillway, the Mississippi river must drop to 21 feet at the structure in St. Charles Parish, but that has yet to happen…
Cut 6 (10) “…to us.”
There was hope before Barry arrived that the Corps could begin closing Bonnet Carre Spillway in mid-July.

A 50-year-old St. Francisville man is dead after being struck by a truck on LA Hwy 10 in West Feliciana Parish driven by 60-year-old Salvatore Euggino of Ethel. State Trooper Taylor Scrantz says this is the second time in less than four months that troopers have arrested Euggino for negligent homicide.
Cut 3 (11) “…survive the crash.”
The pedestrian in Monday’s crash was identified as Ricky Pourciau.

The optimism of small business owners has seen a modest downturn, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. NFIB State Director Dawn Starns says business owners are more cautious with spending and credits politics on both the federal and state level…
Cut 10 (07) “…to the vest.”
But Starns says small business optimism is still at historically high levels.