NOAA predicts there could be as many as 19 named storms this hurricane season. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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The State Department of Education announced today that students in public schools increased average ACT scores for the 4th year in a row. Michelle Southern reports…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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Baton Rouge authorities are searching for the gunman who fatally shot a Tennessee truck driver, while he was changing a tire on his 18-wheeler yesterday morning. Sgt. Don Coppola says this is another tragic incident that claimed the life of 49-year-old Keith Odom.
Detectives believe Odom was making a delivery at a Florida Boulevard warehouse. He was shot in the parking lot of the Longbow shopping center. Coppola says after being robbed, Odom’s encounter with the suspect turned deadly.
Coppola says Odom was transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. He says detectives are still trying to identify a suspect in this case, and they’re seeking the public’s help.
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NOAA has increased its projected total of named storms for this hurricane season. In May, government forecasters predicted 11 to 17 named storms, now they believe we’ll see anywhere from 14 to 19 named storms. NOAA lead hurricane season forecaster Gerry Bell….
He says this could be the most active season since 2010. That year there were 19 named storms, 12 hurricanes and five major hurricanes. But only Tropical Storm Bonnie as a remnant low made landfall in Louisiana. Bell says they anticipate an extremely active season, because wind patterns are conducive for storm development and sea surface temperatures are well above normal…
There’s been six named storms this season. Bell says the chance of an El Nino weather pattern forming has dropped significantly, which is another factor why they raised the storm total..
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The State Department of Education announced today that students in public schools increased average ACT scores for the 4th year in a row, from 19.1 in 2013 to 19.6 today. Superintendent of Education John White said there is also a substantial rise in the number of students achieving college acceptable scores….:
Cut 9 (10) “college benchmark”
The average score last year was 19.5, so it’s only up slightly for 2017. Leading the state in ACT scores this year is the St. Tammany Parish School District with an average of 22. White says the number of students who qualify for TOPS also grew at every level of the award this year…:
Cut 10 (10) “than did in 2012”
There were also gains among African Americans who scored an average of 17.5 this year. The overall national average was 20.8 in 2016. White says even though Louisiana remains below the nation, the steady gains are significant…:
Cut 11 (09) “expectations high”
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Kids are heading back to school, which means school buses are getting back on the road. Kip Diggs with State Farm reminds drivers to be extra cautious when a bus is stopped for loading and unloading. He says it is never safe to pass a stopped school bus.
Louisiana law requires vehicles to stop 30 feet away when children are getting on or off the bus. Diggs says motorists should always drive with caution and slow down when the encounter a school bus on the road. He says if there’s a bus on the road, school children are guaranteed to be nearby.
Diggs says buses usually move a little slower than regular traffic. Reduced speed zones are also in effect near schools and buses. He says drivers should consider that and leave a little earlier because if you get stopped behind a bus, all you can do it wait.