The closed party primaries are over; and thus, the race for the U.S. Senate moves to the general election phase. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Baton Rouge officials are planning a massive search of the Baton Rouge North landfill to recover the remains of a missing 15-year-old. Kace Kieschnick reports.
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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The historic rain event on June 18th may be long gone in Avoyelles Parish, but the painstaking task of recovery is just getting underway. Joey Frank, the director of the Avoyelles Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says many people in the parish lost everything.
Cut 3 (08) “…just thrown away.”
Frank says more than 15-hundred households in the parish have reported flood damage. He says 120 displaced residents are staying in hotel rooms or in RVs at the Paragon Casino, with the state picking up the tab.
Cut 4 (10) “…just so sad.”
Frank says they’re winding down the emergency supply distribution centers.
Cut 5 (10) “…and in Dupont.”
Those with damage are strongly encouraged to document all of it at damage.la.gov, in order to bolster the state’s quest to secure a federal disaster declaration.
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Political analysts say the hard part is over for Julia Letlow. Nearly all of them say Letlow is all but certain to beat Jamie Davis and be elected to the U.S. Senate. But after beating John Fleming Saturday night, Letlow says she’s not taking anything for granted.
Cut 6 (11) “…House of Representatives.”
During the closed party primaries, Letlow and the other candidates only had to gear their messaging towards their fellow Republicans. Now that the race has shifted to the general election phase, Letlow says her strategy will remain consistent with her approach ever since she entered the race in January.
Cut 7 (10) “…earn their vote.”
Letlow was the last to enter the race, only doing so after President Trump endorsed her. That proved to be the game-changer, as her entry thinned the field, allowing her to easily beat Fleming and incumbent Bill Cassidy. Letlow says Trump reached out to her after she was projected to be the winner.
Cut 8 (07) “…the Senate side.”
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Baton Rouge officials are partnering with the FBI to recover the remains of missing 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather, believed to be in the Baton Rouge North Landfill. Police Chief T.J. Morse says it is an active solid waste landfill covering over 400 acres that receives around 16-hundred tons of waste each day.
Cut 9 (08) “…half an acre.”
Officials searching will wear fully insulated suits due to the threat of hazardous gases. Fire Chief Michael Kimble says the safety of the men and women conducting the search is a top priority.
Cut 10 (10) “…the search.”
The physical search is expected to begin July 13 after extensive planning. Kimbell says the search will be conducted entirely by hand and compares the process to combing through the wreckage of 9/11. He says it could take several weeks.
Cut 11 (11) “…no more.”
Police believe Minnieweather was beaten to death and picked up on a routine collection route to the landfill. 51-year-old Maurice Parms was arrested and faces a first-degree murder charge. He has not provided any information on the location of the remains.
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So, what is next for John Fleming following his loss to Julia Letlow in the U-S Senate Republican Primary runoff? LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeffrey Sadow says the 74-year-old Fleming will continue working as State Treasurer and will likely seek re-election next year…
Cut 12 (05) “…stature.”
There were reports the Senate Republican Primary runoff could be a nailbiter, but Letlow won by 14-percentage points. Fleming’s campaign strategist, Roy Fletcher, told Talk Louisiana on WRKF, the Letlow campaign spent a lot on advertising in the days leading up to the run-off election…
Cut 13 (09) “…never heard of.”
Despite the defeat, Fletcher says Fleming ran a good campaign, nearly hitting a home run…
Cut 14 (04) “..of people.”