500-million dollars in federal flood aid has been contained in a spending bill in Congress that will be voted on next week. US Senator Bill Cassidy says if the legislation is approved, it will be up to Governor Edwards on how the money will be appropriated…
cut 13 (07) “…flood mitigation”
Cassidy is also confident Congress will consider another federal flood recovery package when they come back for a lame duck session in November.

Governor Edwards has responded to a viral video that shows shoddy work done as part of the Shelter at Home Program. Edwards says many people have the wrong expectation of what their home will look like once the work is completed. He says Shelter at Home workers are now required what kind of work will be done in their home.
CUT 5 (09) “the kitchen”
Edwards says the home in the video would still need to be inspected, before the work could be declared complete.

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore announces the fatal shooting of a suicidal man by four sheriff deputies on February 23rd was legally justified. Moore says the deputies were exercising their rights of self defense when they opened fire on 48-year-old Travis Stevenson, who was using his sedan to ram a Sheriff’s office vehicle…
cut 15 (09) “multiple times”
Moore says there is no video evidence of the shooting and he came to the decision of clearing the deputies involved, after an extensive investigation by State Police.

A new poll by Southern Media and Opinion Research finds Governor John Bel Edwards’ approval rating is up 13 points since May. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says the governor still faces some hurdles, especially with housing issues after the flooding. But he says this popularity will likely benefit him during the next legislative session.

Governor John Bel Edwards told listeners on his monthly call-in show that he remains very confident the federal government will approve an aid package to help flood flood victims recover. The state has requested two-point-six billion dollars in federal funding, but Edwards doesn’t expect the full amount at once…
cut 12 (09) “…relief package”
Edwards is in Washington DC again for more discussions with Congressional members.

Today is the first day of fall and Louisianans can expect above average temperatures and below normal rainfall. That’s according to state climatologist Barry Keim, who says the basis for this forecast is the high probability for a La Nina..:
Cut 8 (08) “the state”
It will be another hot day across Louisiana, but cooler temperatures are in the forecast for next week.

A new poll on the presidential race in Louisiana shows Republican Donald Trump with a 16-percentage point lead over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Southern Media and Opinion Research pollster Bernie Pinsonat says Trump has high negatives at 47-percent, but that nearly as bad as Clinton’s…
cut 7 (10) “…to win”
Clinton’s unfavorable rating in Louisiana is 60-percent.

Two unusual homicides in Lafayette are apparently connected. Police say A woman’s body was found stuffed in a toolbox on Tuesday was in a relationship with the naked man who was fatally shot last week, allegedly trespassing in a person’s backyard. Corporal Bridgett Dugas says Dugas says police are actively searching for the vehicle the couple was travelling in….
cut 16 (09) “….license plate”
The cause of death from the woman found in the toolbox has not been released.

An independent poll released today shows that Republican Treasurer John Kennedy’s once sizable lead in the US Senate race has been trimmed to two-percent. Southern Media and Opinion Research pollster Bernie Pinsonat says GOP Congressman Charles Boustany has closed the gap…
cut 5 (06) “…barn burner”

A West Monroe police officer who fatally shot a man in 2014 has been found not guilty of negligent homicide. Officer Jody LeDoux shot Raymond Martinez, who according to the evidence was drunk and belligerent outside of a store. Defense Attorney Mickey Dubose says…
cut 14 (11) “…to fire”
Dubose says LeDoux used his gun when he thought Martinez was reaching for a gun that turned out to be a cell phone.

Triple-A says American drivers wasted over two-point-one billion dollars in the last year by fueling their vehicles with premium gasoline when their vehicles called for traditional regular fuel. Spokesperson Don Redman says don’t use premium gas, unless your car’s owner’s manual calls for it…
cut 11 (08) “…gallon difference’

A new app has been developed to help identify the more than 350 caskets that were uprooted in the recent flood in south Louisiana. Don Molino has more…
voicer 2 (26) “I’m Don Molino”

A new independent poll on the election for US Senate in Louisiana finds a tight race. Republican State Treasruer John Kennedy still leads the Southern Media and Opinion Research survey of 500 likely voters with 17-percent. But Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says GOP Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany is only two-percentage points back….
cut 3 (10) “…his ads”
Pinsonat says Democrat Caroline Fayard has improving poll numbers as well, as she’s up to 11-percent.

Governor John Bel Edwards will host his Ask the Governor program at two o’ cock this afternoon on many of these same stations. The governor is also scheduled to fly into Washington DC tonight to continue conversations with members of Congress about federal flood recovery dollars.

Two Louisiana metro areas are the fastest growing economies in the country, while two others are the fastest shrinking. Data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis says Lake Charles and Baton Rouge are growing very fast, while Houma-Thibodaux and Lafayette are struggling. The numbers show Houma-Thibodaux has the nation’s second-worst economy.

While the August flood destroyed homes and impacted thousands of people in south Louisiana, the living were not the only ones affected. Department of Health Program Manager in Emergency Preparedness, Henry Yennie, says over 350 graves were disrupted in at least 8 parishes, and they’ve come up with a solution to get the deceased back to their final resting place.
CUT 6 (09) “the carrier”
Yennie says it will be a while before the barcode system can be implemented on a larger scale.

A summer for the weather record books comes to an end today. Jeff Palermo has the story….
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

There are more and more flood damaged homes on the market that are listed as “Currently Damaged.” Baton Rouge area realtor Ginger Maulden says we could see this last for another year or two. Maulden says many other homeowners are in a waiting game…
cut 9 (11) “…market area”

A six-person jury in Ouachita Parish has found West Monroe police officer Jody Ledoux not guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of a homeless man in 2014. Ledoux testified he thought Raymond Martinez had a gun when he was pulling a silver and gray cell phone from his pocket.

Lafayette Police are trying to determine who stuffed a body inside a toolbox. Officers made the grisly discovery yesterday afternoon after receiving a tip about a possible body at the location. The identity of the victim and cause of the death are unknown.

Twenty-nine people have been arrested in Terrebonne Parish as part of an operation by State Police and local enforcement agencies to reduce gun violence. Trooper Jesse Lagrange says they also seized illegal narcotics and weapons and six-thousand dollars in drug money…
cut 14 (08) “…the streets”
Eighteen arrests were for felony charges.

Louisiana has two of the country’s fastest growing economies, while also having two of the fastest-shrinking, according to data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. Baton Rouge grew by over 5-percent and Lake Charles grew by about 8-percent. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says Lake Charles has almost 100 billion dollars in industrial projects…
cut 10 (10) “…one place”
The numbers also show Houma-Thibodaux has the nation’s second worst economy, shrinking nearly 8-percent and Lafayette shrunk four-percent.

More and more south Louisiana storm victims are selling their flood damaged homes as is. Baton Rouge area realtor Ginger Maulden says the category “Currently Damaged” is being used to help flood victims track and sell their homes. She says the listing is helpful to investors.
cut 7 (08) “…it later”

State Police partnered with local law enforcement agencies to arrest 29 individuals in Terrebonne Parish during a four-day span in an effort to reduce the gun violence. Drugs and guns were also taken off the streets during the operation. Trooper Jesse LaGrange says they are asking residents to contact authorities about any other criminal activity…
cut 15 (08) “…website”

Today is the final day of what has been a hot and wet summer. Alek Krautmann with the National Weather Service in Slidell says it goes down as one of the warmest summers on record for several Louisiana cities and in New Orleans it was the warmest summer on record since 1947. He says a very warm Gulf of Mexico is to blame.
cut 4 (10) “temperatures”
It will feel like summer today with temperatures in the mid-90s.