The Louisiana Department of Health is warning you of an active season involving a flesh-eating bacteria. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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The Small Business Administration is encouraging Louisianians to apply for low-interest disaster loans if they need financial help to repair damages caused by Tropical Storm Arthur. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt spoke to members of the media for the first time as a Tiger. Kace Kieschnick has more…
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Governor Jeff Landry is defending the use of non-disclosure agreements that employees in the governor’s office signed as part of the negotiations with Meta that resulted in the tech giant building a 50-billion-dollar A-I data center in Richland Parish. Landry says confidentiality is critical when state government talks with private companies about mega projects.
Cut 4 (07) “…close the deal.”
But transparency advocates and legal experts say NDAs can create a culture of fear and it keeps the public in the dark about how deals are reached and its impact to the taxpayer. Landry pushes back on the idea that his office is trying to hide critical information.
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According to the Gulf States Newsroom and Type Investigations, more than 50 elected officials have signed nondisclosure agreements with Louisiana Economic Development from the time Landry took office.
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If statistics are any indication, Steve Scalise should have the easiest path to re-election among Republicans in the state. Based on voter registration, the first district – which includes St. Tammany, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, Lafourche and portions of Terrebonne and Tangipahoa parishes – is the most heavily Republican district in the state. Scalise says he’s proud of his record on job creation.
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Scalise says the job growth in south Louisiana has reversed the population trend in Louisiana.
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The massive partisan voter disparity is not stopping Democrat Lauren Jewett from her quest to unseat Scalise, though. During qualifying last week, Jewett took state lawmakers to task for putting their own interests ahead of everyone else’s.
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Jewett says state lawmakers are counting on Democrats to quit, but that’s not how she rolls.
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Scalise and Jewett will be joined on the open primary ballot by Republican Randall Arrington and no party candidate Liddy Glass.
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The Louisiana Department of Health is warning you of a rise in cases of vibrio vulnificus infections. Vibrio is a flesh-eating bacteria that lives in warm coastal waters. Over the last ten years, Louisiana averages seven cases and one death. Secretary Bruce Greenstein (green-steen) says this year has already exceeded that total, and we’re not halfway through August yet.
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While people can be infected with vibrio by eating raw seafood, especially raw Gulf oysters, all nine cases this year are related to wounds exposed to sea water, and Greenstein says all nine patients had underlying health conditions. He says certain people are at greater risk of infection.
Cut 11 (15) “…undergone stomach surgery.”
Greenstein says if you fall into one of the groups who are at highest risk of severe complications, pay very close attention to symptoms of vibrio infection.
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The Small Business Administration is encouraging residents and business owners who suffered damage from Tropical Storm Arthur to apply for low-interest disaster loans. SBA spokeswoman Michelle Genovese (jen-oh-VEESE) says four-million dollars in loans have already been approved.
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Genovese says homeowners, renters and businesses in Avoyelles, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Tammany and Terrebonne parishes may qualify if they suffered storm damage between June 17th and 24th.
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Interest rates on disaster loans can be as low as 2.87-percent for homeowners and renters. Payments don’t begin until 12 months after the first loan disbursement.
Genovese says homeowners may qualify for up to 500-thousand dollars to repair their primary residence, and collateral is not required for smaller loans.
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Small businesses and private nonprofits may also qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to two-million dollars if they suffered financial losses because of Tropical Storm Arthur.
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LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt made his first media appearance since moving to Baton Rouge yesterday. The Oregon native said Louisiana wasn’t a real place to him growing up, but now that he’s here, he’s embraced every part of the Bayou State – even the humidity.
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The big question for most of the offseason has been Leavitt’s recovery from season-ending Lisfranc surgery. The mobile passer says it hasn’t affected his play, and he has felt great for months.
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Leavitt said one of the reasons he chose to come to LSU was to improve as a quarterback. He said he gets to play against great players in practice and is coached by great offensive minds like Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr.
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