Governor John Bel Edwards’ plan to send the most violent inmates from the troubled Bridge City Center for Youth to Angola state prison comes under fire. More from Kevin Gallagher…:

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

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Congresswoman Julia Letlow will face opposition in November as she seeks re-election to her second term in the 5^th Congressional District. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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Governor John Bel Edwards’ plan to send the most violent inmates from the troubled Bridge City Center for Youth to Angola state prison is coming under fire. The juvenile jail has had four violent escapes so far this year. Among critics of the plan is Loyola University professor of law Hector Linares (lih-NAR es) says it seems like a bad decision, and a possible violation of federal law…:

Cut 3 (12) “…with adult prisons.” 

The Governor and Department of Corrections say the juvenile inmates will be segregated from the adult population at Angola. Linares says federal law dictates under those circumstances juveniles and adults must not see or hear each other, and perhaps that hasn’t been considered…:

Cut 4  (09) “…also be illegal.”

He wonders if segregated dining and medical infirmary accommodations have been taken into account.

Other critics of the plan say it unfairly punishes people of color. A small crowd gathered Thursday night outside the Bridge City Center to protest moving detainees to Angola. Linares says, if state officials sought a quick fix for problems at the center, this was not a good choice. He suggests moving the LEAST violent detainees to lower-security facilities, rather than this option…:

Cut 5  (10) “…higher needs youth.”

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The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has finished its  largest barrier island restoration project, with the completion of the Terrebonne Basin Barrier Islands. The project restored one-thousand acres of barrier island habitat. Project manager April Newman says these islands will provide storm surge protection

Cut 6 (12) “…fragile wetlands.” 

The 166-million dollar project used funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Newman says the barrier islands will help reduce storm surge and flooding for the mainland….

Cut 7 (10) “…the communities.” 

Newman says the project utilized nearly nine million cubic yards of dredged sediment…

Cut 8 (12) “..persevered”

Newman says one of the islands, Trinity East Island, held up well to Hurricane Ida’s Category Four winds.

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The media picks LSU football to finish in fifth place in the highly competitive SEC West. As expected Alabama is the preseason favorite. The projected order following the Crimson Tide is Texas A-and-M, Arkansas, Ole Miss and LSU. Tiger Rag Editor Tim Buckley says there are a lot of question marks with this group of Tigers…

Cut 9 (10) “…question marks.”

Buckley says LSU’s ranking is the result of not having an established starter at quarterback, the offensive line is inexperienced, unproven running backs and only one established player at wide receiver…..

Cut 10 (08) “…preseason teams” 

LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is a preseason All-SEC first team selection and edge rusher B-J Ojulari is also a first-team pick. Buckley says the media that covers the SEC looks at LSU as being a year or two away from really competing in college football’s toughest division

Cut 11 (06)  “…get it done”

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Congresswoman Julia Letlow qualified Friday to run for re-election. The first Republican female to represent the state in Congress touted her accomplishments in her first term and also spoke of the importance of her appointment to the House Appropriations Committee and what it means to the 5^th Congressional District.

Cut 12 (12) “…next year.”   

Hunter Pullen who served in the Marines is Letlow’s lone challenger. The West Monroe Republican says after having to wait months for medical care from the VA, he was inspired to continue his service to the country.

Cut 13 (11) “…concerns are.”

Letlow also spoke of her Parent’s Bill of Rights legislation which gives parents the ability to be more informed of their child’s curriculum and notification of violent activity at school. Letlow was asked about her feelings on gun reform efforts after recent school shootings.

Cut 14 (07)  “…to bear arms.” 

Pullen spoke of two occasions where the VA forced him to wait for an extended period of time for both initial appointments and follow-up care. He says veterans are forced to trust the government for their healthcare. Pullen says experienced a significant delay in cancer treatment.

Cut 15 (09) “…operation.” 

The BA-dot-5 variant is keeping the current surge of COVID in Louisiana on track to becoming one of the longest. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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The Louisiana Bond Commission withholds funding for the New Orleans water and sewerage board over the city’s threat not to enforce state laws that ban abortions. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”  

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With news of President Biden testing positive for COVID today it’s also reflective of case counts and coronavirus hospitalizations on the rise in Louisiana. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says the Bayou State is still in its sixth surge that started about two months ago and it’s on track to be one of the longest upticks in cases.

Cut 3 (07) “…transmissible variant” 

Kanter says the current surge would have most likely ended had it not been for the BA-dot-5 variant.

Today the state reports more than 34-hundred additional COVID cases but Kanter says that’s not necessarily reflective of the actual amount of COVID circulating in Louisiana.

Cut 4  (07) “…to testing.”

And while the BA-dot-5 variant is highly transmissible Kanter says it’s not necessarily virulent and hospitalizations remain low, at 747 when you compare them to case counts.

And after 28 months Kanter says COVID fatigue has definitely set in.

Cut 5  (11) “…get it again.”

According to John Hopkins School of Public Health symptoms of the BA-dot-5 include sore throat, and fatigue, but they are less likely to report fevers and/or loss of taste and smell

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Senator Bill Cassidy’s bicameral bill to provide the state bigger revenue shares of offshore energy developed passed the U.S. Senate Energy committee this morning. Cassidy says it’s called the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies & Ecosystems Act, aka RISE…:

Cut 6 (10) “…restore that coastline.” 

Cassidy says the bill will lift a cap on state revenue sharing (currently at $375-million a year), and create a revenue sharing mechanism for offshore wind energy..:

Cut 7 (11) “…other coastal states.” 

The bill is co-authored by Rhode Island Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Ten other senators have signed on as co-sponsors. Cassidy says the bill would remove limits on how much annual revenue sharing can flow into the state, and that money can be put to important use…:

Cut 8 (12) “…to natural resources.”

Cassidy says the bill is essential for rebuilding Louisiana’s coast and protecting against Gulf storms.  It goes next to the Senate floor.

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The Louisiana Bond Commission has voted to withhold 39-million dollars in non-cash line of credit for a sewerage and water board project. It’s in response to city officials pledge they would not enforce state laws that ban abortion. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin serves on the Bond Commission is in full support of withholding the money

Cut 9 (12) “…be impeached.”

A representative from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office made the recommendation to withhold the money in response to New Orleans city officials saying that abortion laws would not be enforced. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne voted against delaying this funding…

Cut 10 (09) “…correct vote” 

State Treasurer John Schroder is the chairman of the Bond Commission and voted to withhold the non-cash line of credit, but expressed his displeasure that the Attorney General’s office is using the Bond Commission to send a message to a city….

Cut 11 (11)  “…to get on.”

The Bond Commission will consider again next month whether to release the 39-million to the Sewerage and Water Board plant. A Baton Rouge judge has blocked the law the state’s abortion ban from going into effect.

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Today it’s northeast Louisiana under an excessive heat warning as heat indices are reaching 114-degrees. State Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says this excessive heat has been helping to burn up the land, literally…

Cut 12 (11) “…getting dry”   

Strain says corn and soybean farmers are working to make sure their crops do not burn up in this heat…

Cut 13 (12) “..of the heat”

Some parts of the state are seeing rain cooling showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Strain says that causes another problem, mosquitos…

Cut 14 (12)  “…eastern encephalitis.”