Colleges and universities will publicly report on-campus COVID-19 case data each week with the total weekly tally of cases appearing on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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The National Hurricane Center is forecasting two hurricanes will be in the Gulf of Mexico next week. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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Colleges and universities will publicly report on-campus COVID-19 case data each week. Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says the main goal is to pinpoint where outbreaks occur in an effort to mitigate further spread.

Cut 3 (11)  “…early as possible.”  

Billioux says it will be a challenge to handle college outbreaks in the same way of dealing with certain types of business or buildings as on a campus, you’ve got both on-campus and off-campus living, sprawling buildings, and a variety of places that could be linked to outbreaks.

Cut 4 (11)“ …to the public.” 

Some colleges, including LSU, are doing their own contact tracing and surveillance efforts. Billioux says state officials are working with school officials to answer any questions they may have and give them policy recommendations.

Cut 5 (10)  “…being paid for.”

The total weekly tally of cases reported by universities will appear on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.

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An Ochsner anti-body survey of the Baton Rouge region uncovers some unsettling data about COVID-19.

Ochsner Research Scientist Dr. Amy Feehan says they discovered 61 percent of those who tested positive for a contagious infection were not showing symptoms and likely didn’t know they were carrying the virus.

Cut 6 (04) “…or not”

The survey says a demographically representative sample of 2,100 people in the roughly 550,000 person region were tested. The survey provided data similar to what was found in a New Orleans region study that Blacks were three times as likely as whites to get infected.

Feehan says those who reported the loss of smell and taste were eight and a half times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, and it’s no simple allergy season kind of sensory loss…

Cut 7 (10) “…severe.”

During the summer second wave Baton Rouge became a nationally recognized hotspot of COVID transmission, but Feehan says despite that only about 10 percent of the population has antibodies…

Cut 8 (05) “area”

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There’s the potential for two hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico next week. State Climatologist Barry Keim says one of the storms is expected to enter the Gulf on Sunday after moving over the Yucatan Penisula. Keim says the official forecast track calls for this system to develop into a hurricane as it approaches the Louisiana-Texas coastline

Cut 9 (08) “…very good”

Keim says southwest Louisiana needs to be on guard and so does southeast Louisiana as that part of the state is in the cone of uncertainty for Tropical Storm Laura which will most past south Florida on Monday

Cut 10 (07) “…successive days.”

Weather experts say it’s been since 1933 since there have been two named storms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Laura is expected to make landfall as a hurricane on the northern gulf coast on Wednesday while the other storm system could make landfall in Louisiana or Texas on Tuesday.

Cut 11 (08) “…both of them.”

Heavy rainfall is the greatest threat to the area, with two to six inches forecasted Monday through Thursday. Strong winds and elevated tides are also possible.

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A Baton Rouge man who killed a woman in a high-speed wreck last summer after he says God told him to kill himself is found not guilty by reason of insanity. 19-year-old Jack Jordan’s attorney, James Manasseh, says three medical experts observed his client and said he was not of sound mind at the time of the incident, and the district attorney agreed.

Cut 12 (10) “…that time”

Stephanie Payne was idling at a Baton Rouge intersection on July 22^nd when Jordan slammed his vehicle into hers at over 90 miles per hour.

Manasseh says it’s the definition of a tragedy and one no one saw coming from Jordan who was described as a good student on his way to college.

Cut 13 (08) “…tragedy” 

Jordan does not appear to have had a history of drug or alcohol use or a criminal record.

Manasseh says Jordan’s next court hearing is in October.

Cut 14 (11) “…released”

Manasseh says his client is responding well to medication and therapy and has acknowledged that he does have a severe mental illness.

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The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is bracing for the potential of two tropical systems impacting Louisiana next week.  GOHSEP spokesperson Mike Steele says conference calls with coastal parishes have already begun

Cut 15 (13) “at that time.” 

Steele says the storms are a reminder that it is important for residents to develop a plan of action and shore up their hurricane supply kits with enough supplies to sustain every member of the family for at least three days.

Cut 16 (11) “…things become strained.” 

American Airlines will suspend flights to 15 smaller US cities starting October 7^th. Matt Doyle spoke with the Lake Charles Regional Airport Director about their inclusion on the list…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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Two tropical depressions should have the attention of residents along the Gulf Coast. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (28) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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American Airlines is suspending flights out of Lake Charles from October 7^th through November 3^rd.

American says it the first step in an evaluation of their network, but Lake Charles Regional Airport Director Heath Allen says it’s surprising considering how strongly they’ve bounced back.

Cut 3 (11)  “…percent”  

American has also canceled flights to 14 other smaller US cities through the same period.

Allen says their data indicates they had been filling American flights out of Lake Charles at 70 percent, which is a healthy number right now.

Cut 4 (09)“ …the fall.” 

American received ten billion dollars in federal stimulus funds on the condition that flights and their workforce were maintained. That requirement ends September 30^th. American reported losses of more than two billion in the last quarter.

Allen says thankfully they still have United providing flights to Dallas, but the loss of access to the American network will be difficult to recover from.

Cut 5 (05)  “…away”

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Eight SEC teams have announced their plans for fans at football games this season, with all of them having capacities somewhere between 20 and 25 percent. Governor Edwards expects we will know the situation at Tiger Stadium in the next ten days…

Cut 6 (09) “…26th”

LSU opens the season in Baton Rouge on September 26^th against Mississippi State.

Edwards says the capacity limits won’t just be based on how safely you can space people out in the stadium, but how safely you can move people around the stadium.

Cut 7 (12) “…the game.”

Face coverings will also be mandatory at all SEC games.

Edwards says he is also waiting on plans from ULM, UL Lafayette, and La Tech as well as LSU. He’s confident their proposals will be adequate.

Cut 8 (08) “look like.”

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All eyes are on the tropics as two tropical depressions are expected to form into named storms today.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says the closest system to Louisiana is tropical depression 14 and is currently getting organized in the Western Caribbean.

Cut 9 (13) “…cone of uncertainty.”

The storm is expected to peak at tropical storm strength.

Keim says the tropical depression 13 is also gaining steam but is about 750 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands in the Atlantic.

Cut 10 (10) “…as a hurricane.”

Keim says both storms are likely to impact the US and Louisiana could be a landing spot for either or both.

Cut 11 (10) “…both of them.”

A tropical wave coming off of Africa is a third area of concern.

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The Louisiana Treasury Department announces they returned a record 63-million dollars in unclaimed property for the fiscal year that ended June 30th. State Treasurer John Schroder says the previous record was 52-million dollars, which was set during the previous fiscal year

Cut 12 (11) “…keeps climbing”

Each year millions of dollars in unclaimed cash, such as payroll checks, royalties, and life insurance proceeds are turned over to the State Treasurer’s Office. Schroder says this past year his office returned more than two million dollars to a family in New Orleans and he has another great example

Cut 13 (08) “…$268,000 too” 

Schroder says he’s pleased to set a new record during a pandemic

Cut 14 (10) “…better timing”