Nearly 3,000 people in Louisiana every year are hospitalized or treated in the emergency room for heat related illness according to a new report by the Louisiana Department of Health. Teiko Foxx has more..

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It’s been a difficult weekend for thousands in northwest Louisiana who have been without power since Thursday night as a result of severe storms. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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Among the casualties of the state budget fighting is the Human Society of Louisiana.  Brooke Thorington has more.

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A new report shows an average of nearly 3,000 Louisianans were hospitalized or treated every year due to heat-related illness from 2010-2020. The findings come from the Louisiana Department of Health.  Dr. Alicia Van Doren says disparities in the study show shows gender and race being disproportionately affected.

Cut 4 (13)  “…their counterparts.’”

Men accounted for over 80 percent of all cases. Parishes with the highest rates of heat-related hospitalizations were clustered around the Central and Northwest regions of the state. Van Doren says knowing the symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion is important for prevention.

Cut 5 (13)   “…aware of.”

Van Doren urges residents to avoid extreme heat but if you must be outside…

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The report is part of a CDC program through 2026. For resources, tips, and reports, visit ldh.la.gov/page/4817

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In this sweltering heat, thousands are without power in northwest Louisiana from strong storms that hit the area Thursday night and again Sunday morning. SWEPCO spokesperson Michael Corbin says as of Sunday afternoon 99-thousand customers in Louisiana were without power. Corbin says the damage to their infrastructure is extensive and the restoration is unfortunately tedious

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For SWEPCO customers in the Natchitoches area, power could be out until tomorrow night, for the Shreveport area, some customers may not get power back until the weekend.

Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator says there are cooling centers available

Cut 8 (13) “…your veterinarian.’”

For some people, it’s a double whammy, no power and damage to their home from a fallen tree. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arcenaux says unfortunately the damage is not extensive enough for federal assistance for those storm victims…

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Optimism among small businesses continues to slide. The National Federation of Independent Business maintains a Small Business Optimism Index, which shows a 17^th straight month of declining optimism among members. NFIB state director Dawn McVea says labor shortages and inflation woes have small locally owned & operated businesses “on the ropes”…:

Cut 10 (08) “…negative 50-percent.”

Concerns over labor have overtaken inflation worries in the periodic member survey. McVea says small businesses are finding it harder than ever to deliver goods & services and make a profit. 43-percent of members report trouble filling jobs and keeping help…:

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The number of NFIB member businesses saying they expect business conditions to improve over the next 6 months has dropped to a net negative 50-percent. 44-percent say job openings are still very hard to fill – even impossible in some cases. Over 20-percent anticipate lower sales and revenues in the near future as well. McVea says debt service on loans is also a big concern for small businesses, as lending rates continue to rise…:

Cut 12 (07)    “…lot of frustration.” 

McVea says many member businesses say need to increase prices, but are reluctant to do so for fear of losing business.

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Another casualty of the state budget fighting is the Humane Society of Louisiana. HSLA Director Jeff Dorson says half of the state’s 64 parishes lack parish-wide facilities to provide essential services, and because there was a budget surplus again this year, Dorson says they asked for a small portion of the $1.6 billion.

Cut 13 (08) “…existing ones.”  

HSLA asked for $3 million of the state’s surplus to cover construction and repair costs of shelters across the state.  Dorson says there was even a plan to build two shelters at state prisons where the inmates would clean and interact with pets.

Cut 14 (09)  “…with nothing.”

Last year a request for $2 million to give shelters grants for repairs or renovations was also denied.  This year Dorson says a few lawmakers decided that HSLA’s request shouldn’t go towards animal welfare, and that is to the determinant of Louisiana.

Cut 15 (13)  “…have helped.”

Dorson says they will once again lobby for funding in the 2024 budget and he implores the public to urge their state representatives to provide funding for shelters.

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LSU’s win over Tennessee on Saturday night sets up a sensational matchup tonight in the College World Series as the Bayou Bengals face the top-seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest has the nation’s best team ERA at 2.82, while LSU leads the country in run scored at 594. Coach Jay Johnson credits his veteran hitters, who will need to be good tonight…

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LSU is in the winner’s bracket after topping Tennessee six to three on Saturday, Johnson liked his team’s focus…

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LSU left-hander Riley Cooper entered the game in the eighth inning and earned his first save of the season. Johnson has been pitching well since the SEC Tournament…

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LSU right-hander Paul Skenes struck out 12 more hitters on Saturday and now has 200 on the season. He’s two behind LSU legend Ben McDonald for the SEC record in strikeouts for a season. Skenes was asked about being on the verge of breaking that record which has stood since 1989…

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A year ago, Louisiana motorists were paying a record $4.56 a gallon for of regular gasoline. But today it’s nearly $1.50 lower. Teiko Foxx has more…

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A massive cyberattack could possibly impact your financial and personal accounts. Brooke Thorington has more

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LSU has made it to the College World Series and now the goal is to win the school’s seventh national championship. The Tigers have the best pitcher in college baseball in Paul Skenes. Skenes is also a good hitter but Coach Jay Johnson says having him focus on pitching has brought out the best in Skenes

Cut 3 (11) “…mastered that”

Skenes is expected to start on the mound Saturday night when LSU begins play in the C-W-S. The Tigers first opponent is Tennessee. LSU won two of three from the Volunteers in the regular season. LSU centerfielder Dylan Crews has a lot of respect for the Vols…

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Since going 1-and-2 in the SEC Tournament, LSU has won five straight and Crews says they are clicking…

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First pitch Saturday night against the Volunteers is at 6 PM.

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When it comes to gas prices, what a difference a year makes as the price at the pump is nearly a dollar and a half lower compared to last year’s record high gas prices. AAA Fuel Analyst Don Redman says motorists should be happy

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On June 15 last year, the price for a gallon of regular gasoline was at a record high of $4.56 and now it’s at $3.12. Redman says the drop is due to the price of oil and ease in demand.

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Redman says gas prices should hold steady for the summer maybe a slight bump around the 4th of July holiday but no steep hikes are expected unless a hurricane shuts down a bunch of refineries.

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The national average for regular gas is $3.58 a gallon.

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Mother Nature whipped up powerful and severe thunderstorms that rolled through Caddo and Bossier Parishes early this morning packing winds up to 80 mph. National Weather Service Meteorologist Shane Pendleton says the residents are now dealing with the aftermath.

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Storm damage is also reported in DeSoto, Red River, and Natchitoches Parishes. As of late Friday morning, more than 237-thousand customers were without power as a result of downed power lines. No significant injuries were reported but Pendleton the amount of clean-up is astonishing…

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Storms are expected to make their way back into northwest Louisiana later today into Sunday. Pendleton says extreme temperatures and more storms will make a bad situation worse.

Cut 11 (11)  “… anywhere fast.”

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A massive software breach could possibly affect Louisianans that have a state-issued ID, driver’s license and/or vehicles registered with the Office of Motor Vehicles. Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Casey Tingle urges residents to take preemptive measures to secure their accounts.

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The three credit monitoring services are Experian, Equifax, and Transunion.

Louisiana is not the only state impacted by the cyberattack, the third-party data transfer service MOVEit is widely used around the world. Tingle says they know passwords were not included in the data that was involved in the breach.

Cut 13 (11) “…every 90 days.” 

Tingle says if you see unusual activity on your credit card, bank account or any other financial account notify the company associated with the account immediately.

Cut  14 (11)  “…identity.”

Tingle says this is an ongoing investigation and they will provide updates on their website. For more information visit NextSteps–dot-LA -dot- gov.