Two named storms have formed before the June 1st start of the hurricane season. Matt Doyle spoke to an expert about what that could mean for the rest of the year…
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The Louisiana Department of Education is helping ensure childcare centers reopen safely, Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”
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The second named storm of 2020 formed today prior to the official start of the 2020 hurricane season beginning June 1st. State Climatologist Barry Keim says this is highly unusual.
Tropical Storm Bertha formed today off the coast of the Carolinas.
Keim warns that history shows storm activity this early in the year is often a harbinger of a busy season to come. Looking back at the other five years recorded since 1851…
One of those years was 2012 when southeast Louisiana was slammed by Hurricane Isaac.
This is the third time since 2012 we’ve had two named storms form before the season started, so what’s behind the recent trend?
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The House Natural Resources Committee has approved legislation that would terminate lawsuits filed by parishes that seek compensation from oil companies for contributing to coastal land loss. The bill’s author, Houma Senator Michael Fesi, says these types of lawsuits should be filed by the state
Former state senator and current director of the Port of Iberia Craig Romero says the lawsuits are a big problem for an oil and gas industry that’s already seen a big downturn as a result of a COVID-19 pandemic
According to the Advocate, seven parishes have filed suit against oil and gas companies. Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng says the timing is curious as they are close to reaching a settlement
St. Benard Parish president Guy McInnis says if you don’t want to get sued then don’t pollute. He also questions the timing of trying to pass this legislation during a global pandemic
Similiar legislation has also passed out of a Senate committee, but never received a vote on the Senate floor. Fesi’s bill still needs full House and Senate approval before the regular session ends June 1.
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The Louisiana Department of Education has announced every childcare provider in the state will receive free supplies to help ensure a healthy reopening following the COVID-19 outbreak. Assistant Superintendent Jessica Baghian says the state worked with vendors to acquire supplies for 16-hundred childcare providers
The supplies include no-touch thermometers, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, and other cleaning products. The supplies were purchased with federal emergency relief funds.
Bagian says they used guidance from the Office of Public Health to choose which supplies to purchase for the childcare centers.
Dedicated federal funds were made available to purchase the supplies and Bagian says the first round has already been distributed to open centers.
Baghian says the department feels an obligation to support childcare providers and they want them to reopen safely as the economy reopens.
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Louisiana reported 443 new coronavirus cases today to bring the state’s total number of cases to 38,497. But Governor John Bel Edwards says the state continues to make progress in its battle against COVID-19
Edwards says the number of active coronavirus cases is about 10-thousand and that figure has remained steady over the last month or so. He adds 28,700 have been estimated to recover.
The governor says the state is also getting closer to its goal of testing 200-thousand people this month…
Edwards says the number of COVID-19 patients who are ventilators and in the hospital continues to decline. He says as of Wednesday 798 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized…