Today is the first day casinos can open since a state ordered closure in mid-March. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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Movie theaters can reopen under Phase One guidelines, but most stay closed. Brooke Thorington explains.

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Ochsner  says its treating three children in Louisiana for an illness the CDC believes is linked to COVID-19 infection. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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Today is the first day casinos and video poker parlors can open since the governor ordered them closed in mid-March. State Police had to approve each casino’s spread mitigation procedures and operators are looking at whether they can still break even with occupancy limits in place. Casino Association of Louisiana executive director Wade Duty says not every casino will open today.

Cut 4 (06)_ “…them to open.”

Diamond Jacks Casino and Hotel in Bossier City has announced a permanent closure due to market conditions from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, the casino brings in $7.5 million to the state and $1.5 million to Bossier City in tax revenue. More than 300 will be without a job.

Duty says getting fully staffed is tricky.

Cut 5 (12)  “…taken other positions.”

Casinos are allowed to open with 50% of their gaming positions in operation, but an over occupancy limit of 25-percent. Duty says they are optimistic players will visit Louisiana casinos and they should get out of state visitors too.

Cut 6 (09) “ …first to benefit.”

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Movies theaters are allowed to welcome customers back under the Governor’s Phase One reopening plan, however, most of the marquees remain dark. President of the Tristate Independent Theatre Association, Adam Holland says theatres didn’t know when Phase One would actually go into effect until the announcement on May 11^th and they also have to coordinate with studios for product.

Cut 7 (08) “…mid-July.”

Due to a lack of new releases to show and business procedures that must be implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Holland says most theaters will open next month.

Cut 8 (12) “…this virus”

Holland says when theaters do reopen, you’ll see some changes like sneeze guards at the concession stand and more ushers.

Cut 9 (10) “…by the orders.”__

Holland is confident the industry will survive because many people still like to watch movies in a theaters.

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The CDC warns physicians to be on the lookout for a possibly COVID-linked illness that has impacted over a hundred children across the country.

Ochsner Lafayette Pediatric Cardiologist Dr. Katherine Lindle says the symptoms do not look like COVID-19 in adults.

Cut 10 (10) “…breathing.”

Lindle says other symptoms include rrashes and inflamed tongues that look like strawberries.

Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome appears to take hold in many patients after their initial COVID-19 infection has passed. Lindle says sometimes it’s several weeks later.

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Ochsner reports having treated three such cases in Louisiana, and Lindle says fatal outcomes for children afflicted by the disease are rare.

Cut 12 (09) “…aware.”

More than half of the reported cases have been found in New York.

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The full Senate is scheduled to tackle two major bills today, one being tort reform aimed at reducing auto insurance rates and the other revoking local governments’ ability to sue oil companies for coastal damages. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says there are enough votes in the upper chamber to pass tort reform…

Cut 13 (12) “…states” 

Opponents of the tort reform bill say it would not lower auto insurance rates and would make it harder for victims of negligence to be properly compensated.

The coastal land loss lawsuit legislation had strong GOP support, but Pinsonat says local leaders are pushing coastal Republicans away from the bill.

Cut 14 (09) “…debt”

Pinsonat says it is possible the bill will be shelved today due to a lack of votes. He says the governor does not support both of these proposals…

Cut 15 (11)“…weaken it.”

The Senate will convene today at 2 PM.

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With the return of Bo Pelini as LSU’s defensive coordinator, the Tigers will also move to a four-three defensive front. During the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s Virtual Coaches tour, Pelini said there are enough talented defensive ends on the roster to make the switch

Cut 16 (23) “…be special”

Pelini says they will have some schemes that are the same ones used by former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, but there will be some new packages as well

Cut 17  (25) “…any offense” 

Pelini is excited to have Jacoby Stevens back in the defensive secondary

Cut 18  (20) “…of guy”   

A real estate expert predicts the COVID Crisis will have a lasting impact on the way office spaces are laid out. Matt Doyle has the story.

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The Lt Governor says saving the state’s tourism economy starts with getting more Louisianans to take in-state road trips. Jeff Palermo has the story.

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Parts of southeast Louisiana are drying out today after over a foot of rain fell in an area north of Lake Ponchartrain. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service in Slidell says their highest rainfall total was 15 inches

Cut 3 (11)  “ten inches”  

Grigsby says up to ten inches of rain fell in St. Charles Parish. Officials say floodwaters entered over 120 homes in the Destrehan area.

Rivers continue to rise and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff deputies were still conducting water rescues on Friday morning.

Grigsby says the Tchefuncte River, which starts in Tangiaphoa Parish and drains into Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany will crest at major flood stage level. He says water has flowed into some homes

Cut 4 (11)_ “…St. Charles Parish.”

A handful of people had to be rescued from their homes last night as the water kept rising. High water has also closed some roads and there are also power outages.
Grigsby says heavy rain bands from a low-pressure system produced the flooding and more rain is in the forecast…

Cut 5 (09)  “…last evening.”

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Many of Louisiana’s 450,000 small businesses are struggling to make rent amid the COVID-driven economic crisis.

Beau Box Commercial Real Estate New Orleans VP Cress Gardner says the divide between which sectors are and are not having trouble paying rent is significant.

Cut 6 (09) “ 50/50”

Gardner says if your business is struggling to make rent reach out to your landlord with detailed accounting demonstrating how your business will bounce back after the crisis cools.

Cut 7 (11) “.accsessed”

Gardner says if you’ve been a reliable tenant than it’s unlikely your landlord will want to let you go over a few months of delinquency.

Gardner also expects when workers are cleared to return to office spaces those environments will reflect the New Normal.

Cut 8 (09) “…Thursday”

Gardner also expects the future of office spaces will be a return to less dense spacing with more personal offices.

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The National Federation of Independent Business indicates optimism as Louisiana begins phase one of the economic reopening.  But NFIB state director Dawn Starns says there are still challenges, such as limiting businesses to 25-percent capacity.

Cut 9 (09) “…past few months.”

Starns says the phase one proclamation creates winners and lowers. She says bowling alleys are still closed, while movie theatres can reopen.

Cut 10 (10) “…up and running.”

Spas, massage and tattoo parlors are not allowed to open under phase one guidelines. Starns says bars that do not serve food also remain shuttered…

Cut 11 (12) “…challenges with it.”

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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser calls on Louisianans to kick start the tourism economy by making 2020 the “Year of the Louisiana Road Trip”. South Louisianans are missing their spring festivals but Nungesser says you can still have some quality time with the family and social distance by loading up the car and heading north…

Cut 12 (12) “…meat pie”

Nungesser says you can extend your north Louisiana excursion by wrapping up your trip at Poverty Point World Heritage Site in West Carrol Parish.

And while south Louisiana’s iconic festivals have been canceled, Nungesser says you can still enjoy the coast’s natural offerings.

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Nungesser says tourism dollars saved every Louisianan 1,100 dollars in taxes last year, and if Louisianans can prove you can safety tour the state more out of state visitors will return.

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You can built an itenerary at LouisianaTravel.com/RoadTrip.

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Governor Edwards says if you get a call from a number that reads 877-766-2130, it’s a contact tracer. Edwards says it’s important you answer the contact tracer’s questions because they will inform you that a person you’ve been in contact with has tested positive for the coronavirus. He says it’s been used in Louisiana before…

Cut 15 (07)“ hepatitis A.”

The state previously had 70 contact tracers employed, but they’ve just trained about 300 more.

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This is the first weekend of loosened restrictions on businesses since the coronavirus pandemic began. Governor Edwards thinks the state can do this and still keep cases down and manageable…

Cut 16 (15) “…their opportunity.”

The state reported 348 new cases on Friday and 31 more COVID-19 deaths. But hospitalizations dropped by 102 to less than eleven-hundred.