LRN PM Newscall April 23

The Legislative Economic Recovery Task Force began the difficult assignment today of providing the state legislature with ideas on how to jump-start the economy. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

____________________________

A Rapides Parish woman was killed by a suspected tornado and a DeSoto Parish man died in a flash flood yesterday as severe weather battered the state again. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

_____________________________

The coronavirus pandemic could result in an unemployment rate above 20-percent in Louisiana. Economist Loren Scott estimates 349-thousand unemployment claims for the month of April, because of the economic shutdown…

Cut 3 (07)  “…22-percent”  

The Tax Foundation estimates about 16-percent of the workforce has applied or is receiving unemployment benefits in Louisiana. Scott says low oil prices will prevent Louisiana from bouncing back as fast as other states…

Cut 4 (06)_ “…Lafayette”

Scott made the comments during the first meeting of the Louisiana Economic Recovery Taskforce which legislative leaders formed in an effort to provide the Legislature with policy recommendations on how to jump-start the economy.

Chairman Jason DeCuir says the regular legislative session is expected to resume next month and lawmakers are looking for immediate triage ideas by May 7th…

Cut 5 (10)  “…immediately.”

Decuir says a special session dealing with the economic recovery issues is expected later this year, so the task force will also have a chance to develop long-term solutions.

House Speaker Clay Schexnayder has confidence in the group of private-sector business leaders they have on this task force…

Cut 6 (11) “…the economy back ”

_________________________________________________

Car dealerships are seeing slow sales and not as much work for their service departments as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association President Will Green says they are certainly impacted by the stay at home order…

Cut 7 (09) “…more than that.”

Green says implementing social distancing guidelines means they are moving the transactions from the showroom to the internet. He says car buyers can test drive a vehicle and not even go to the dealer.

Cut 8 (08) “…get your vehicle.”

Green says car shoppers should be able to find great deals…

Cut 9 (08) “…vehicle than now.″

______________________________________

Deadly storms slammed central and north Louisiana yesterday, killing two in DeSoto and Rapides Parishes.

In DeSoto, rains sparked flash floods that claimed the life of an unidentified Mansfield man.  Sherriff’s spokesperson Mark Pierce says the heavy rainfall produced a strong current in a drainage ditch…

Cut 10 (10) “…too strong”

The current reportedly carried the man about 50 yards before his body was recovered.

Sheriff Jayson Richardson told local media that the flooding was “water like I’ve never seen in many, many years if ever”. Pierce says rains just hammered the region.

Cut 11 (10) “…rain”

In Rapides Parish 67-year-old Becky Roberts was killed by a potential tornado in Lecompte. National Weather Service forecaster Seth Warthen says the suspected supercell was highly unusual for the area.

Cut 12 (08) “…assesment.”

There were reports of two potential tornadoes in the area.

Warthen says the potential tornadoes were part of a long track supercell that appeared to have traveled a long distance.

Cut 13 (10) “…Parish.”

______________________________

The state has surpassed 15-hundred COVID-19 deaths as the Louisiana Department of Health reported 67 additional fatalities bringing the death toll to 1,540. Governor John Bel Edwards

Cut 14 (12) “…Hurricane Katrina.”

Edwards says the state continues to flatten the curve. Louisiana reported 481 new cases and the number of patients hospitalized and on ventilators continues to decline.

During his daily COVID-19 briefing, Governor Edwards was asked if there will be high school football this year. The governor says he remains optimistic…

Cut 15 (07)“…to be”