With the saltwater intrusion expected to move up the Mississippi Rover residents are panic buying bottled water. Brooke Thorington has more.
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Gas prices in Louisiana are down by nearly one cent compared to last week’s statewide average for a gallon of regular gas at $3.40. Teiko Foxx has more.
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Tonight’s Powerball Jackpot is worth $785 million. Dustin Annison with the Louisiana Lottery says it has a cash value of $367 million and it’s the fourth largest jackpot in the game’s history…
Tickets must be purchased by 9 o’clock to be eligible for tonight’s drawing. The current jackpot has been rolling over since July 22nd and tonight will be the 29th drawing.
So why have we been seeing so many large jackpots recently, Annison says it’s all chance and they tend to come in cycles.
Sales for this Powerball Jackpot in Louisiana through Sunday were close to $14 million, and the last week alone sales have been $2 million in the Bayou State.
Annison says to be sure to check your ticket because even if you don’t win the jackpot there are multiple ways to win a cash prize. So far with this Powerball jackpot run, in Louisiana, there have been two $100,000 winners and five $50,000 winners.
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People have begun to panic buy bottled water ever since the announcement of an anticipated saltwater intrusion headed up the Mississippi River was announced. Lieutenant General Russell Honore says this could severely impact local water systems in southeast Louisiana.
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The City of New Orleans has already declared a state of emergency.
Honore says the Army Corps of Engineers has done some ingenuous work in trying to put a submersible type of levee to block the saltwater from intruding north, but the initial attempt did not work, and they are adding more materials.
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In addition to local water systems, Honore is worried the saltwater could corrode pipes at oil refineries along the Mississippi River. Honore says you can bring in bottled water and you can bring in desalination units…
Honore encourages residents not to panic but to remain aware of the situation.
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The statewide average for a gallon of regular gas in the Bayou State dropped below $3.40 a month ago to $3.36 a gallon. Triple-A fuel analyst Don Redman says currently, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular gas is down four cents from a week ago but higher than around this time last year.
The average price for regular gas in Louisiana a year ago was $3.12 a gallon. The average cost for regular gas in the nation today is $3.85.
Redman says the drop is due to both Louisiana being an oil-producing state and seeing ease in demand.
Redman expects the price of fuel to remain under $3.40 a gallon statewide for September and may ultimately drop again some more next month.
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