NOAA has increased the predicted storm total for the 2021 hurricane season. Jeff Palermo has more…

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COVID has been historically associated with cough, fever, and shortness of breath, but these days in the Delta surge more and more people are suffering symptoms that you wouldn’t expect. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30)…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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The tropics have been quiet lately, but NOAA’s climate prediction center still predicts an above-average hurricane season with 15 to 21 named storms. Lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Matthew Rosencrans…

Cut 3 (10) “…five” 

The season has already produced five named storms and one hurricane. Rosencrans says the potential return of a La Nina favors even more storm development…

Cut 4 (08) “…storms” 

In May, NOAA predicted the 2021 hurricane season would produce 13 to 20 named storms, but now they are calling for as many as 21 named storms. But Rosencrans says that’s not the 30 named storms recorded during the historic 2020 season…

Cut 5 (12) “…last year.”

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Grambling State University is utilizing federal pandemic recovery funds to pay off 1.5 million dollars in student account balances that accrued from spring 2020 through the summer of 2021. Associate VP of Finance Sheliah Faucette says they want to attract students back to the famed Historically Black University.

Cut 6 (09) “..careers.” 

Faucette says paying off these fees will help students access their transcripts for employers, or continue their education.

Cut 7 (12) “…college” 

Faucette says these fees and balances that are being paid off are not the same as student loans.

Cut 8 (11) “…loan”

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An overnight crash near Madisonville claimed the lives of two teens and leaves two others hospitalized. Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Captain Lance Vitter says the single-vehicle wreck happened shortly after midnight and two young girls were pronounced dead at the scene.

Cut 9 (12) “…community”

The exact cause of the accident remains under investigation and Vitter says the four young girls were occupants of a 2019 Honda Civic that left the roadway, struck two trees, a telephone pole, and other stationary objects. Vitter says it’s unknown if one of the fatalities included the driver of the vehicle.

Cut 10 (08) “…horrific.”

Investigators believe speed is a contributing factor in the crash and it’s not known if they were wearing restraints. Vitter says their thoughts go out to the families who have lost loved ones and the community as they grapple with the loss of young lives.

Cut  11 (08) “…avoided.”  

Vitter says the four juvenile females were from Madisonville.

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The Delta variant appears to be impacting some people in different ways than the original strain, resulting in symptoms that were not historically associated with COVID.

State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says COVID can still present with the classic symptoms of cough, fever, and shortness of breath, but keep in mind…

Cut 12 (11) “…things” 

Kanter says during this Delta surge do not blow off any symptoms, no matter how mild…

Cut 13 (11) “…do so”

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LSU announces unvaccinated students will be required to test monthly for COVID during the fall semester. System President William Tate says when students arrive on campus for the semester, they will be required to submit proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Tate says the policy is part of several other safety protocols

Cut 14 (10) “…our community”

Tate says masks will also be required indoors at all times, except when individuals are alone in their offices. Some professors have asked LSU leadership to make vaccines mandatory. Tate is only recommending that students get vaccinated

Cut 15 (09) “…kind of activities.” 

The Louisiana health department reported another 47-hundred new COVID cases today and COVID hospitalizations increased to over 22-hundred. And L-D-H also reported another 44 COVID deaths. State Health officer Doctor Joe Kanter says during this Delta surge do not blow off any symptoms, no matter how mild…
cut 13 (08) “…do so”

Two teenagers died overnight and two others were injured in a single-vehicle crash on a rural road near Madisonville. Captain Lance Vitter with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office says they believe speed was a contributing factor in this tragedy…
cut 11 (08) “…been avoided”
Vitter says the four occupants in the vehicle were all 16-years-old and from Madisonville.

LSU announced that unvaccinated students will be required to test monthly for COVID during the fall semester. System President William Tate says when students arrive on campus for the semester, they will be required to submit proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Tate says the policy is part of several other safety protocols…
cut 14 (10) “…in our community”
Tate says masks will also be required indoors at all times, except when individuals are alone in their offices.

The tropics have been quiet lately, but NOAA’s climate prediction center still predicts an above-average hurricane season with 15 to 21 named storms. Lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Matthew Rosencrans…
cut 3 (10) “….five”
The season has already produced five named storms and one hurricane.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has revised its hurricane forecast for this season and it’s now calling for 15-to-21 named storms, seven to ten hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes. NOAA’s lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Matthew Rosencrans says the potential return of a La Nina favors storm development…
cut 4 (08) “…storms”
The 2021 season has already produced five named storms.

The U-S Senate is working towards approving a one-point-two trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that Senator Bill Cassidy says will mean six billion dollars in funding for Louisiana. Cassidy says that’s enough money to fund several important highway construction projects…
cut 12 (13) “….Florida parishes”

Ochsner Health is trying to help dispel vaccine misinformation for women of childbearing age. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU has told its students that if they are unvaccinated, they’ll have to test every month for COVID during the fall semester.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff deputies say two juveniles were killed in a car crash just after midnight near Madisonville. Two other juveniles were also inside the vehicle and they were rushed to a nearby hospital.

A statewide indoor mask mandate for everyone five years old and up went into effect today. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says this includes vaccinated individuals, because every bit of mitigation helps…
cut 9 (08) “…un vaccinated”
Unvaccinated individuals account for 90 percent of all new COVID cases.

Physicians at Ochsner Health are working to dispel common myths and misinformation about COVID vaccines, especially among women of childbearing age. OBGYN Dr. Jane Martin, who was vaccinated for COVID during her own pregnancy, says the data shows vaccines are safe for pregnant women…
Cut 4 (11) “…outcomes.”

In-person job fairs hosted by the Louisiana Workforce Commission are being held across the state today. It’s part of the Back to Work Louisiana Campaign. L-W-C Secretary Ava Cates says if you are not qualified for a particular job, there are training programs to get you certified…
cut 14 (11) “….that job”
For more information go to Louisiana works-dot net.

The tropics have been quiet lately, but NOAA’s climate prediction center still predicts an above-average hurricane season with 15 to 21 named storms. Lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Matthew Rosencrans…
cut 3 (10) “….five”
The season has already produced five named storms and one hurricane.

A statewide indoor mask mandate is back in place today as Louisiana leads the nation for the number of new COVID cases per capita. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says those who are vaccinated are about eight times less likely to be infected in the first place…
cut 8 (10) “…with Delta”
Kanter says that’s why vaccinated individuals are also being asked to mask up while indoors.

The U-S Senate is working towards approving a one-point-two trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that Senator Bill Cassidy says will mean six billion dollars in funding for Louisiana. Cassidy says that’s enough money to fund several important highway construction projects…
cut 12 (13) “….Florida parishes”

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is hosting several in-person job fairs today as the state looks to return unemployed workers to the workforce…
cut 3 (31) “….I’m Matt Doyle”

The CDC has issued a new 60-day eviction ban. The ban applies to counties or parishes experiencing extremely high levels of COVID like Louisiana. State officials over 60-thousand households have applied for rental assistance, but only eleven thousand have been approved.

Louisiana’s statewide indoor mask mandate goes into effect today. The governor announced on Monday that he was reinstating the mask mandate as hospitals are struggling to keep up with the growing number of COVID patients. Vaccinated people are not excluded from the mask mandate. Matt Doyle has more…
cut 2 (31) “….I’m Matt Doyle”

And the state has a record number of people hospitalized as a result of COVID, 2,112. The state also reported 59 new COVID deaths yesterday.

Pregnant women are among the group of individuals who are hesitant to get the COVID vaccine. Research previously indicated among non-COVID vaccines during pregnancy, that the mother will pass along protective antibodies through the placenta and breast milk to their child. Ochsner Baptist OBGYN Doctor Jane Martin says data also shows it’s the same for COVID vaccinations.
Cut 6 (09) “…breast milk.”
Ochsner healthcare providers say they are seeing an increase of younger unvaccinated patients along with pregnant patients who do not have a preexisting condition, being admitted to the hospital.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is holding in-person job fairs in every major metro area of the state today. L-W-C Secretary Ava Cates says job seekers should bring a resume, I-D, and any certifications or other professional credentials…
cut 15 (07) “…best face”
For more informaation go to la-works-dot-net.

The statewide mask mandate takes effect today and both the unvaccinated and vaccinated will have to return to masking up while indoors. Many vaccinated individuals question why they have to wear a mask again. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says there’s growing evidence that vaccinated individuals who get COVID can spread the virus…
Cut 7 (08) “…days later.”
The number of people hospitalized in Louisiana due to COVID has reached an all-time high and the state health department reported 59 more COVID deaths yesterday.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the Infrastructure bill that Senators are working to pass contains over six billion dollars in funding that would go to Louisiana over a five-year period. Cassidy says the legislation also contains three-point-five billion dollars in flood mitigation assistance grants…
cut 11 (08) “…our state”

Ochsner Health is trying to help dispel vaccine misinformation for women of childbearing age. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office says two juveniles were killed in a car crash just after midnight near Madisonville. Two other juveniles were also inside the vehicle and they were rushed to a nearby hospital. Names of the victims or a cause of the crash have not been released.

Governor John Bel Edwards’s indoor mask mandate takes effect today, one day after the state set a record for the number of COVID patients in the hospital. Health officials continue to encourage everyone over the age of 12 to get the COVID vaccine and that includes pregnant women. Ochsner Baptist OBGYN Doctor Jane Martin got vaccinated during her own pregnancy. She says she made that decision after seeing many pregnant women hospitalized with COVID and data confirming the increased risk…
cut 5 (11) “….same age”

The U-S Senate is working on a one-point-two trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that Senator Bill Cassidy says will send six billion dollars to Louisiana to improve roads and bridges….
cut 10 (07) “….raising taxes”
Senators have proposed using 200-million dollars in money already earmarked for pandemic relief to help pay for this legislation.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is hosting job fairs in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Houma, Monroe, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Alexandria, and Shreveport today. Matt Doyle has more…
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle”