The first home game of the season for the reigning National Champs is tomorrow but for the 25-thousand ticketed fans the game the experience will be completely different. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”
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160,000 Louisianans have until October 15th to claim their 1,200 dollar pandemic stimulus check or they’ll have to wait until next year to see the money. Matt Doyle has the story.
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A state rental assistance program set up to help struggling low-income workers make rent during the pandemic has so far failed to be of much help. Matt Doyle has the story…
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Before you dress up in your best purple and gold face mask to attend Saturday’s season opener, LSU ticket holders age 18 and older must complete a COVID-19 screening. LSU Senior Associate AD Robert Munson says the simple questionnaire can be found on the LSU Sports Mobile App
The LSU Sports Mobile app will also give fans easy access to their tickets and up-to-date alerts.
Instead of 100-thousand fans in Tiger Stadium for the season opener, only 25-thousand fans have tickets to the game. Munson says all gates will be accessible to ticket holders to enter Death Valley to deter long lines.
All concession stands will be cashless so don’t leave home without a card, clear bags will still be enforced and face masks can be temporarily removed while consuming beverages and food provided social distancing is observed.
Munson says RVs will be allowed on campus but only to be treated as a hotel, not a base for tailgating, tailgating is not permitted whatsoever.
If you have issues downloading the app, a paper form for the COVID screening will be available outside Gates 9 and 20 and near Gate 1.
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The Audubon Institute, which manages New Orleans’ famous Zoo and Aquarium, is going to need to borrow ten million dollars to stay afloat.
Audubon Institute President Ron Foreman says they started off the pandemic losing a million a week, but due to staff reductions are down to 300,000 a week and can’t get any lower.
The loan, which will come out of an escrow account set up to fund the transformation of a stretch of the riverfront in downtown, is pending approval by the city.
Foreman says they’ve had to lay off over 600 of the Institute’s 1000 employees to survive, but they can’t drop any lower or they couldn’t provide care for the Institute’s 15,000 animals, stretching everyone thin.
A 25 percent pay cut for remaining employees has also been put into place.
Foreman says they project the pandemic will end up costing them 18 million dollars, even with some visitors returning since they reopened in August.
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About 160,000 Louisianans who did not claim their pandemic stimulus checks will receive a letter in the mail asking them to contact the IRS.
IRS spokesperson Raphael Tulino says nine million Americans will get these letters in an attempt to make sure they get their 12-hundred dollar stimulus check.
The letter comes in English and Spanish and includes information on eligibility.
Tulino says most of these recipients are people who are not required by law to file an income tax return either because they do not make enough money, or they’re senior citizens living on social security.
Married couples can receive up to 2,400 dollars, and those with kids can receive 500 dollars per child under the age of 17.
The deadline to claim a check in order to receive it by the end of the year is October 15th. Tulino says if you don’t claim your money by the deadline then it will be a while before you see it…
If you’ve yet to claim your money go to IRS.gov.
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A 24 million dollar state rental assistance program established in July has so far only distributed just under 300,000 dollars to struggling low-income renters, according to Jonesboro Representative Jack McFarland.
McFarland calls it unacceptable that of the 40,000 applications the program has received only about 120 people have actually received financial assistance.
The application period for the program was closed just three days after it opened due to “overwhelming demand” according to the Louisiana Housing Corporation.
McFarland says the company running the program was paid 3.6 million dollars to distribute the aid.
Individuals eligible for the program could earn no more than roughly 13,000 dollars a year, and for households of four, that limit was 25,000.
McFarland says the Division of Administration has requested to speak with lawmakers about the issue.
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A short-handed Ragin Cajuns team will host Georgia Southern on Saturday in the home opener for U-L Lafayette. Several starters miss the game because of COVID-19 and a school spokesperson says a total of 12 players were in COVID-19 protocol as of mid-week. The other challenge for the Cajuns is defending the Eagles option offense. Coach Billy Napier
After playing the first two games on the road, Napier is looking forward to their first game at Cajun Field…
Cut 17 (16) “…community proud”
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Two games into the 2020 season and analysts, sports reporters and fans who believe that Saints quarterback Drew Brees has lost the arm strength needed to throw the football down the field. But the 41-year-old says there’s nothing wrong with him
Saints All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas is not expected to play again this week, because of a high ankle sprain. Veteran Emmanuel Sanders was brought in to help the passing game, but he’s only caught four passes. Brees expects Sanders will become a bigger part of the offense