The Louisiana National Guard is mobilizing to assist local, parish, and state emergency officials in advance of flooding threats due to near record crests expected along the Mississippi River. Eric Gill reports…
CUT 1 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”
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Louisiana ranks 49th in the country for academic achievement in a report conducted by Education Week Magazine. Jeff Palermo has the story…
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”
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The Louisiana National Guard is mobilizing to assist local, parish, and state emergency officials in advance of flooding threats due to near record crests expected along the Mississippi River. Col. Pete Schneider says they’re bringing on extra soldiers and airmen to aid efforts…
CUT 3 (08) “for the flooding”
He says on Friday guardsmen will begin 24-hour levee inspections in Concordia, East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas Parishes to look for seepage. Schneider says The Guard will perform a variety of operations…
CUT 4 (09) “the spillways”
The guard has issued 13,000 sand bags to West Feliciana Parish and an additional 13,000 are being sent to Avoyelles Parish for the anticipated opening of the Morganza Spillway. More guardsmen are expected to be brought on in the coming days. Schneider says The Guard stands ready to help the people of the Louisiana…
CUT 5 (10) “of the state”
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In an effort to contend with the rising waters of the Mississippi River, the US Army Corps of Engineers announces that the Morganza Spillway in Pointe Coupee Parish will be opened on Monday. The spillway is expected to be fully operational on January 13. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says opening the Morganza diverts water from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya Basin…
CUT 6 (08) “down the river”
Graves was the head of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority when the Morganza was last opened in 2011. He says that while opening the spillway will protect Baton Rouge and New Orleans from massive flooding, it could cause flooding in the lower Atchafalaya Basin…
CUT 7 (08) “from flooding”
With the opening of the spillway, there is the potential risk of flood from Butte La Rose down to Morgan City. Graves says how long the Morganza will remain open depends on how the Mississippi flows in the next week or two…
CUT 8 (09) “ramping down”
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The man accused of stabbing LSU Football tight end Dillon Gordon at Reggie’s Bar in Tigerland early Tuesday morning has been arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force. Baton Rouge Police Cpl. L’Jean McKneely says 20-year-old Jamal Joseph Vaughn was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison this morning and charged with aggravated 2nd Degree Battery.
CUT 9 (08) “interview him”
McKneely says there was an argument between Gordon and Vaughn, which led to a fist fight at the bar. He says Gordon was stabbed multiple times during the fight.
cut 10 (07) “the scene”
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The new mayor of Springfield has reinstated former Police Chief Jimmy Jones after he pled guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief last year for trashing a woman’s DUI citation as a favor to the previous mayor. The town’s attorney Brian Abels says Springfield needed a police chief and the people of the town wanted him back in the position.
Cut 11 (10) “law enforcement”
Prosecutor with the State Attorney General’s Office, David Caldwell, says this isn’t a good idea because it could affect the Springfield Police Department with future investigations. But Abels says the town of Springfield believes Jones will do a good job as police chief.
cut 12 (05) “somehow envisioned”
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For a second straight year, Louisiana’s public schools rank 49th in the nation in academic achievement. That’s according to Education Week Magazine, who has unveiled its Quality Counts report. Education Week Research Center director Holly Yetcick (Yet-ick) says Louisiana scored a 69 out of 100 for classroom performance, which is just above a passing grade
cut 13 (02) “this year”
Yetcick says their report looks at a variety of factors, including how schools are financed and Louisiana saw its score drop in that category
cut 14 (05) “this year”
Yetcick says they do see areas where Louisiana is making slight gains. She says the biggest improvement was seen with fourth graders and their reading ability
cut 15 (10) “pretty low”