Senator Bill Cassidy faces his first reelection effort with Democrat and Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins his biggest threat on tomorrow’s ballot. Matt Doyle has more.

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Holden Matthews, who is charged with intentionally setting fire to multiple African American churches in Opelousas spring of 2019, will be sentenced in court at 1:30 today. Matthews was originally scheduled to be sentenced in state and federal court last month and it was rescheduled twice. A judge set a continuance due to new evidence last week, the nature of the new evidence is unknown.

State Police Captain Lamar Davis has been promoted to LSP Superintendent, replacing Col. Kevin Reeves who retired after three years running the department. Governor John Bel Edwards says Davis is a 25-year LSP vet who has worked a lot of different jobs in the department. Edwards, a former paratrooper, says he’s a fan of Davis’ military background.

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A department of Justice grant to the LSU Law Center and Innocence Project New Orleans will establish a Wrongful Conviction Clinic at the school. Assistant Dean of Experiential Education Robert Lancaster says the half a million grant will allow students to learn about the causes and remedies of wrongful convictions and procedures.

Cut 11 (08) “wrongfully convicted”

Just under 300-thousand Entergy customers remain without power in southeast Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Zeta. Over half of the residents in St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and Jefferson Parishes do not have electricity. Entergy CEO Phillip May says Zeta delivered heavy wind damage in many places but thankfully didn’t damage core pieces of the Entergy grid. That being said…

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May is hopeful a lot of progress can be made today.

But with election day right around the corner, Governor John Bel Edwards says it’s likely some polling stations in southeast Louisiana will be without power…

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Edwards says they are working to identify every polling station that will not be in service Tuesday so they can select alternate locations.

When residents are picking up the pieces after a hurricane, “storm chasers” as they are known routinely descend upon the area to take advantage of homeowners. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says always get a written contract of work to be performed and that the contractor is responsible for acquiring all required permits.

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Donelon also recommends asking the contractor’s insurance carrier to mail a certificate of coverage directly to you.

Louisiana’s congressional delegation request for a 100-percent Federal Cost Share of debris removal from Hurricane Laura receives approval from President Trump. Senator Bill Cassidy says this will take the burden off local communities.

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Officials anticipate a majority of customers will have their power back in southeast Louisiana by the end of the weekend, but some areas might still be out through Tuesday. Matt Doyle has the story.

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Governor Edwards announced the appointment of Louisiana State Police Captain Lamar Davis as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Superintendent of LSP. Davis replaces outgoing Superintendent Kevin Reeves who is retiring after 30 years of service. Davis is a Baton Rouge native and has been with the LSP since 1998.

Louisiana’s congressional delegation request for a 100-percent Federal Cost Share of debris removal from Hurricane Laura receives approval from President Trump. Senator Bill Cassidy says this isn’t the first time Trump has approved a 100-percent cost share, it was approved in 2018 for Hurricane Michael and it prompted their request for the same for Louisiana.

Cut 11 (05) “…taxpayer.”

The Department of Transportation and its contractors alone have removed more than 1.4 million cubic yards of debris.

McNeese State plans on students returning to campus for the 2021 spring semester. President Daryl Burckel says Hurricane Laura alone produced 77-million dollars in damages to the academic portion of the campus. Burckel says students, faculty, and alumni can keep track of the rebuild process by visiting come-home-cowboys-dot-com

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Despite sustaining 200-million dollars in damages from two hurricanes, McNeese State plans to have students back on campus for the 2021 spring semester. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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Officials anticipate a majority of customers will have their power back in southeast Louisiana by the end of the weekend but some areas might still be out through Tuesday. Matt Doyle has the story.

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McNeese State plans on students returning to campus for the 2021 spring semester. President Daryl Burckel says Hurricane Laura alone produced 77-million dollars in damages to the academic portion of the campus and multiple contractors have been hired so at least 30-percent of classes will be face-to-face instruction in January…

Cut 3 (07)  “…for the spring”  

Burckel says the speed in recovery is vital because their budget is based on student tuition. McNeese’s enrollment is around seven-thousand and Burckel says despite two hurricanes the school’s enrollment is only down 225 students from the Fall of 2019. He says as they rebuild the campus, student housing is a top priority

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Total damage to the entire university when you also combine water damage from Hurricane Delta is 200-million dollars.

Burkel says students, faculty, and alumni can keep track of the rebuild process by visiting come-home-cowboys-dot-com

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When residents are picking up the pieces after a hurricane, “storm chasers” as they are known routinely descend upon the area to take advantage of homeowners. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says always get a written contract of work to be performed with a separate break out of labor cost and cost of materials.

Cut 6 (10) “…being achieved”

Donelon also recommends adding to the contract that the contractor is responsible for acquiring all required permits.

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Donelon says before you sign a contract, make sure they are a licensed contractor with the state licensing board for contractors and check with the Better Business Bureau.

Cut 8 (11) “..your business”

Donelon also recommends asking the contractor’s insurance carrier to mail a certificate of coverage directly to you.

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Louisiana’s congressional delegation request for a 100-percent Federal Cost Share of debris removal from Hurricane Laura receives approval from President Trump. Senator Bill Cassidy says both COVID and two hurricanes have exhausted several communities with recovery efforts. Cassidy says this is great financial news for those areas devasted by Laura.

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The 100 percent of federal cost-share will last for a continuous period of 30 days. Before the request was amended by Congressional members, cities and parishes were required to pay 25-percent of debris removal.

Cassidy says this will take the burden off local communities.

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The Department of Transportation and its contractors alone have removed more than 1.4 million cubic yards of debris.

Cassidy says this isn’t the first time Trump has approved a 100-percent cost share, it was approved in 2018 for Hurricane Michael and it prompted their request for the same for Louisiana.

Cut 11 (05) “…taxpayer.”

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Officials are optimistic that the power won’t be out for much longer in southeast Louisiana for most customers.

Entergy CEO Phillip May says crews have been working around the clock and they now have a good estimation as to when you should have your lights back on…

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328,000 Entergy customers remain without power (12PM).

May says Zeta delivered heavy wind damage in many places but thankfully didn’t damage core pieces of the Entergy grid. That being said…

Cut 13 (08) “…forth”

May estimates 90 percent of customers will be on within the week.

Governor Edwards says Election Day is Tuesday and it appears likely some polling stations in the southeast will be without power…

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Edwards says they are working to identify every polling station that will not be in service Tuesday so they have an opportunity to select alternate locations…

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Edwards expects they will have an answer to which stations are viable by sometime Saturday.

Officials are optimistic that the power won’t be out for much longer in southeast Louisiana for most customers. Entergy CEO Phillip May says crews have been working around the clock and they now have a good estimation as to when you should have your lights back on…

Cut 12 (09) “ .restored” 

As of noon, 328,000 Entergy customers remain without power.

When residents are picking up the pieces after a hurricane, “storm chasers” as they are known routinely descend upon the area to take advantage of homeowners. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says always get a written contract of work to be performed that the contractor is responsible for acquiring all required permits.

Cut 7 (11) “…of construction”

Governor Edwards announced the appointment of Louisiana State Police Captain Lamar Davis as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Superintendent of LSP. Davis replaces outgoing Superintendent Kevin Reeves who is retiring after 30 years of service. Davis is a Baton Rouge native and has been with the LSP since 1998.

McNeese State plans on students returning to campus for the 2021 spring semester. President Daryl Burckel says Hurricane Laura alone produced 77-million dollars in damages to the campus and the speed in recovery is vital because their budget is based on tuition. Current enrollment is around seven-thousand and Burkel says despite two hurricanes enrollment is only down 225 students from last Fall. He says as they rebuild the campus, student housing is a top priority

Cut 4 (06)   “for them to live”   

The absolute deadline to request an absentee ballot for the November 3^rd election is today at 430 PM, and the deadline to return any outstanding ballots is Monday at 430 PM. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says if you’ve procrastinated this long and haven’t requested an absentee ballot your best bet is…

Cut 4 (12) “Monday”

Southeast Louisiana parish leaders are asking residents for patience and compliance as they work to get electricity back up and running and clean the streets. St. Tammany Parish. President Mike Cooper says tens of thousands are still without electricity, but power crews are swarming the area.

Cut 15 (08) “entire parish”

McNeese State plans on students returning to campus for the 2021 spring semester. President Daryl Burckel says Hurricane Laura alone produced 77-million dollars in damages to the academic portion of the campus and multiple contractors have been hired so at least 30-percent of classes will be face-to-face instruction in January…

Cut 3 (07)  “…for the spring”  

Burkel says the speed in recovery is vital because their budget is based on student tuition.

When residents are picking up the pieces after a hurricane, “storm chasers” as they are known routinely descend upon the area to take advantage of homeowners. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says always get a written contract of work to be performed and a separate break out of labor cost and cost of materials.

Cut 6 (10) “…being achieved”

Donelon also recommends asking the contractor’s insurance carrier to mail a certificate of coverage directly to you.

Today’s the last day to request an absentee ballot for the November 3^rd election. Matt Doyle explains.

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Federal investigators are looking for a Louisiana absentee voter in Texas whose mail-in ballot was found open and left in the trash. The ballot is presumed stolen from a post office in Houston. KPRC-TV in Houston says the ballot addressed for Baton Rouge was found in a dumpster at an apartment complex, it showed a vote for President Trump. Security camera footage shows two men dumping white postal bins into the dumpster.

We still don’t have a timeline for when power will be restored for most customers impacted by Hurricane Zeta, but it appears it could be out in some areas through the November 3^rd election. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says he’s confident that one way or another they can deliver this election to the people of southeast Louisiana, whether that means generators or other options…

Cut 9 (10) “to them”

As COVID cases across the country are on the rise, comparatively Louisiana’s case rates have been steady for the past month. However, Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter says they are starting to see an uptick in the Bayou State. Dr. Kanter says contract tracing indicates outbreaks at religious services, high school football games, and small gatherings in backyards.

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Today’s the last day to request an absentee ballot for the November 3^rd election. Matt Doyle explains.

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Power could still be out in some Hurricane Zeta-impacted areas on November 3^rd making for a potential Election Day mess. Matt Doyle has the story.

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COVID case rates are steadily increasing in Central and Northeast Louisiana, and with the holidays approaching, health officials are concerned. Brooke Thorington explains

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The absolute deadline to request an absentee ballot for the November 3^rd election is today at 430 PM, and the deadline to return any outstanding ballots is Monday at 430 PM.

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says if you’ve procrastinated this long and haven’t requested an absentee ballot your best bet is…

Cut 4 (12) “Monday”

If you turn in an absentee ballot on time you are not allowed to vote in person on Election Day.

Ardoin says they received over 200,000 requests for absentee ballots this cycle, and over 146,000 have been turned in, and about 16,000 people who requested one ended up voting in person instead.

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Ardoin says if your ballot has not been received by 430 PM November 2^nd…

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Election Day is this Tuesday, November 3^rd. Polls open at 6 AM and close at 8 PM. Information on your local polling station can be found on the Secretary’s website, or on the GeauxVote Mobile app.

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We still don’t have a timeline for when power will be restored for most customers impacted by Hurricane Zeta, but it appears it could be out in some areas through the November 3^rd election.

Governor Edwards says there’s not much time left for the state to alter Election Day plans in hurricane-impacted areas of southeast Louisiana.

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Edwards says if you didn’t early vote it is vital that you stay up to date on potential changes for Election Day polling station changes.

Cut 8 (12) “…voters.”

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says he’s confident that one way or another they can deliver this election to the people of southeast Louisiana, whether that means generators or other options…

Cut 9 (10) “to them”

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As COVID cases across the country are on the rise, comparatively Louisiana’s case rates have been steady for the past month. However, Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter says there are two areas of the state that have health officials on alert, Central and Northeast Louisiana.

Cut 10 (12) “…us concerned”

According to the health department Richland, Tensas, Caldwell, and Concordia parishes are showing increasing positivity rates.

Dr. Kanter says contract tracing in the state indicates outbreaks at religious services, high school football games, and small gatherings in backyards.

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Dr. Kanter says about 50-percent of people who have COVID have no idea they are infected because they show no symptoms, but they can still expose others.

Cut 12 (09) “accounted for”.

The state has been in Phase Three since mid-September. The reopening status and capacity limits are dependent upon the parish being at or below 5-percent for two weeks.

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Southeast Louisiana parish leaders are asking residents for patience and compliance as they work to get electricity back up and running and clean the streets.

Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng asks residents to produce the least amount of wastewater possible while the power is out due to concerns over the unpowered sewer system.

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New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell says over 100,000 customers are still without power and trees are down across the city.

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The city also had the first reported fatality related to Zeta, a 55-year-old man who was electrocuted by a downed powerline.

Zeta was still a cat one when it roared into St. Tammany Parish. President Mike Cooper says tens of thousands are still without power but power crews are swarming the area.

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LSU is a three-point favorite heading into tomorrow’s SEC West matchup against the Auburn Tigers. The Bayou Bengals have won the last three games in this series and Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn says it’s time for them to get a victory

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LSU Freshman Quarterback TJ Finley is set to make his first road start, while Auburn’s offense features a freshman running back. Malzahn says Tank Bigsby’s emergence has helped get their running game on track

cut 17 (20)   Auburn football”

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The Saints head into Sunday’s game with Chicago ranked last in the NFL in red-zone defense. Opponents have made 22 trips inside New Orleans’ 20-yard line and they’ve scored 19 touchdowns. Coach Sean Payton says they want to at least force field goals

cut 18 (18) ” matchup” 

The Bears have a 48-percent efficiency offensively in the red zone, which is the fourth-worst in the NFL.

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Louisiana Tech will look to snap a two-game losing streak tomorrow when they host UAB tomorrow afternoon at Joe Aillet Stadium. The Bulldogs are coming off a tough one point loss on the road to UTSA and they are 3-3 on the season with five games left. Coach Skip Holtz is looking to finish out the season strong

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Senior running back Israel Tucker on what it will take to beat the Blazers…

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Southeast Louisiana is recovering from the fifth named storm to make landfall in the state this year, the near category three Hurricane Zeta. Governor Edwards says unfortunately we are reporting the first storm-related death, a 55-year-old New Orleans man who died from electrocution due to a downed powerline.

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The PSC reports power has been restored for approximately 30-thousand customers and 439-thousand are still without power.

Weather in the Bayou State has run the gamut this week, after a Category Two hurricane strikes the state, now we are experiencing much cooler temperatures in less than 24 hours. State Climatologist Barry Keim says temps will be even chillier on Friday.

Cut 13 (12) “…time of year”

Hurricane Zeta was still a Category One storm when the center of the storm reached St. Tammany Parish.  Parish President Mike Cooper says that even though the storm had weakened by the time it got there, St. Tammany still felt some significant wind which caused power outages and downed trees causing unsafe driving conditions for citizens in the area.

Cut 7 (07) “…power outages”

St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis says winds of 100-miles per hour were clocked at their emergency operations center in Chalmette as Zeta ripped through the parish. McInnis says there were no serious injuries during the storm, and he would like to keep it that way…

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The  St Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office is imposing a strict curfew tonight from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Friday

Governor John Bel Edwards is once again surveying damage following a powerful hurricane that struck the state.

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The LSU athletics department announced a department-wide reduction in salary and several layoffs amid decreases in revenue. Employees earning more than 80-thousand are subject to a 5-percent salary decrease in 2021. Head Coach Ed Orgeron and Athletic Director Scott Woodward agreed to voluntarily reduce their annual salary by 5-percent next year.

The only levee failures from Hurricane Zeta occurred in Grand Isle as the Category Two storm caused three breeches in what as known as the burrito levee, a large roll of plastic filled with sand. Jefferson Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Joseph Valiente says the breeches have led to flooding in the coastal town…

Cut 12 (12) “ .down there” 

The governor’s office says they have pumps trying to drain the water.

To say the Bayou State is experiencing weather extremes is an understatement, after a Category Two hurricane strikes the state, now we are experiencing much cooler temperatures in less than 24 hours. State Climatologist Barry Keim says this is a very odd one-two punch.

Cut 13 (12) “…time of year”