The long-awaited Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project – to help restore the state’s coast – gets the funding needed to get underway…:
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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Kaplan oilman and Army veteran Jeff Istre announces he’s running for Governor and will be a candidate “of the people.” Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
(name pronounced “EAST”)
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The CDC issues an alert to immediately discontinue the use of a popular brand of artificial tears. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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Federal and state agencies have approved over $2-billion to fund the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project. State Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority executive director Bren Haase says the project has been in planning and development stages for decades…:
Cut 4 (07) “…rather than later.”
The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion will connect the Mississippi River to the coast; distributing sediment, soil, and nutrients carried in the river along the state’s rapidly eroding coast. Haase says the majority of the funds come from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. He says $2.26-Billion is coming Louisiana’s way to get it done…:
Cut 5 (11) “…for that project.”
Haase says private contractors will do the work, and that means a large number of jobs associated with the project. He says the idea is to undo what decades of technology and engineering on canals and levees have done to the coastline…:
Cut 6 (08) “… a good portion of it.”
Haase says work on the project should ramp up by mid-year and last about 5 years to complete.
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Another candidate announces he will run for governor of Louisiana this fall. He is 56-year-old Jeffrey Istre (pronounced EAST), a resident of Kaplan, an Army veteran, and an oilfield professional. Istre has never held political office, and is running as an independent and says the choice of either a republican or a democrat is a lot of the reason why Louisiana is in shape it’s in…:
Cut 7 (07) “…really OF the people.”
Istre joins another independent, Lake Charles lawyer Hunter Lundy, in the race…plus GOP candidates Jeff Landry, John Schroder, Sharon Hewitt, and Richard Nelson. No democrats have yet announced a run. Istre understands running for office requires a lot of campaign cash. Will he be able to raise enough funds to compete…?
Cut 8 (11) “…very big challenge.”
Istre says his priorities if elected, would be working to fight poverty in Louisiana; especially for the state’s 16 percent “working poor.” He says he wants to revitalize the state’s oil & gas industry, increase teacher pay again and do major reform of the teachers’ state retirement system…:
Cut 9 (10) “…be fixed. Badly.”
Find him online at “facebook.com.JeffIstreforGovernor”
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If you use artificial tears for dry eyes you need to check the brand name and if they are made by EzriCare, stop using them immediately. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says the CDC issued an alert after someone died of a bacterial infection linked to its use.
Cut 10 (11) “…artificial tears.”
Kanter says these are not prescription eyedrops they are over the counter and Ezri is spelled E-z-r-i.
There have been no reported cases in Louisiana, but it’s still recommended to dispose of EzriCare eyedrops.
Kanter says in addition to one death, a total of 55 patients from 12 states suffered serious complications as a result of using EzriCare eye drops.
Cut 11 (09) “…this infection.”
If you show any signs of eye infection Kanter says to seek medical care.
If you do find these eyedrops in your medicine cabinet Kanter says to dispose of them so no one accidentally uses them. He says the drops are packaged in a blue box…
Cut 12 (06) “…EzriCare.”
The use of artificial tears is very common for individuals with allergies and/or dry eyes.
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The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has begun work on restoring orphaned wells across the state. Louisiana received $25 million as part of the Infrastructure Law Funding in October of 2022. After contractors were selected work began in mid-January, and 22 well sites have been plugged since then. DNR spokesperson Patrick Courreges says the goal is to use the funding as efficiently as possible…
Cut 13 (14) “….back either.”
The DNR is still ramping up operations with seven crews operating now and ten more to become available in the next month. There are roughly 4,500 orphaned well sites in Louisiana, and Courreges says they can pose a significant environmental risk…
Cut 14 (13) “…concentrated brine.”
More than 3,100 of all the state’s orphaned well sites are located in the Office of Conservation’s Shreveport and Monroe districts. Courreges hopes contractors can work at double the normal rate and restore 400-500 sites before the funding deadline in October of this year. Courreges says much of the work is being done in north Louisiana…
Cut 15 (13) “…most part.”
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The Saints were able to trade back into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft after sending their 10th overall selection to the Eagles last year. New Orleans now has the 29th overall pick after the deal to send Sean Payton to Denver. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says the quarterback position needs to be the top priority this offseason, bringing in a veteran and addressing it in the draft…
Cut 16 (17) “…situation first.”
The Saints are known for their early-round picks of linemen, picking an offensive or defensive lineman in the first round in 7 of the last 8 drafts. Detillier says defensive tackle is a spot that needs to be looked at specifically as David Onyemata and Kentavius Street both become free agents. Another position group he says needs to be bolstered is Alvin Kamara who’s facing a suspension after being arrested for battery at last year’s Pro Bowl. The Bears are looking to trade the number one overall pick, but with so many needs Detillier says New Orleans will need as many picks as possible…
Cut 17 (16) “…minimum wage.”
With the exception of wide receiver Chris Olave, the Saints’ recent first-round picks have been somewhat disappointing. Marcus Davenport, who will be a free agent this year, Cesar Ruiz, Payton Turner, and Trevor Penning have all struggled with injuries to start their careers, and even though they’ve shown promise at times, have not panned out how the front office and fans may have hoped. Detillier says that the most important thing for the Saints is making sure they make the right choice…
Cut 18 (19) “…defensive line.”
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LSU has already named Air Force transfer Paul Skenes as the Friday night starter on the mound. Skenes headlined the Tiger’s top-ranked transfer class and is MLB Pipeline’s 4th-ranked draft prospect. Pitching Coach Wes Johnson says Skenes is an elite-level player…
Cut 19 (20) “…comes out.”
LSU made a splash this offseason when they hired Johnson away from the Minnesota Twins. He made history when he became the first pitching coach to go straight from the collegiate level to the MLB. Johnson said if he did come back to the college level it would have to be for a historic program and a loyal fan base…
Cut 20 (17) “…national title.”
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