Federal flood aid has been approved by Congress, and signed by the President for Louisiana to the tune of about $400 million dollars. So what now? Lafayette City-Parish president Joel Robideaux says one option to get immediate aid to people could be a bridge loan from a bank, similar to what was done for small businesses after Katrina…:
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Robideaux sits on the Recovery Louisiana Task Force and he says they hope to come up with some kind of solution soon.

An explosion rocked Louisiana National Guard’s Camp Minden in Webster Parish around 5:00 this morning. The blast, which created a bright light in the sky, occurred in a storage area where crews are destroying 15 million pounds of M6 propellant. Officials say no one was injured. State Police is investigating the cause.

Dr. Loren Scott’s latest economic outlook shows Louisiana will lose 17-thousand jobs this year. He says that’s due to low oil prices and the big problem in the Lafayette and Houma areas is the decline of working oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico…:
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He says Baton Rouge and Lake Charles will see employment gains because of the industrial boom.

A video of a Louisiana man dancing in the delivery room around his pregnant wife has gone viral. The dancing daddy, 29-year-old Sky Jones, says his wife was not pleased when he was dancing around her hospital bed to “The Baby Momma Dance”…:
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The video has nearly 12,000 views.

The Louisiana Economic Outlook report shows the state’s economy will remain stagnant over the next year. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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Forecasters have upgraded the named storm Matthew to a hurricane. The The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Matthew continues its march westward in the Caribbean Sea. The Category One storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour. Forecast models show the storm then taking a turn directly to the north, possibly impacting Jamaica, Haiti, or Cuba before coming close to the U.S. eastern seaboard.

An explosion lit up the sky at Camp Minden in Webster Parish around 5:00 this morning. The Louisiana National Guard reports a storage bunker filled with M6 propellant exploded. Crews have been working around the clock to destroy these explosives, which were improperly stored several years ago. Minden Representative Gene Reynolds says thankfully no one was injured..:
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Louisiana State Police is conducting an investigation into the blast.

A state judge has released graphic police body camera video of the fatal shooting of a six-year-old autistic boy in Marksville last November. The video shows two deputy city marshals firing their weapon at a car, one of the bullets killed Jeremy Mardis and severdly wounded Christopher Few. Defense attorneys have said Few rammed his car into the deputy’s vehicle before he fired, but legal analyst Tim Meche says that’s not what the video shows…
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At the first meeting of the Restore Louisiana Task Force, Governor John Bel Edwards tells members they have the important job of helping flood victims get back on their feet. The task force will determine how federal flood recovery dollars will be spent. The state could receive billions of dollars and Edwards says it must be used appropriately.

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President Barack Obama has asked Congress to approve two-point-six billion dollars for Louisiana’s flood recovery.

A West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputy, her daughter, and her neighbor were killed in a double murder-suicide in Pointe Coupee parish. Sheriff Bud Torres says a gunfight erupted yesterday afternoon between Deputy Donna LeBlanc and her neighbor, 29-year-old Gregory Phillips. Torres says the deadly shootings took place in the deputy’s yard.

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The body cam video has been released of the police shooting that left a 6-year-old boy dead in Marksville. The video shows Deputy Derrick Stafford open firing into a vehicle. The father, who was critically wounded in the shooting, reportedly rammed his car into the deputy’s vehicle before he fired, but the video does not show the father using his vehicle as a weapon at the time of the shooting.

The creepy clown trend has now reached Louisiana as multiple sightings have been reported to police. Emelie Gunn has more…

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Governor John Bel Edwards addressed the group charged with coming up with a way to get federal flood aid into the hands of displaced victims. He says the Restore Louisiana Task Force has got to come up with a way to help the tens of thousnds of people affected by flooding this year..:
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Legislation that contains flood aid for Louisiana is being voted on by Congress at this hour.

Three people are dead, including a West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Deputy, following a double murder/suicide in Point Coupee parish. Sheriff Bud Torres says they don’t know how the gunfight between Deputy Donna LeBlanc and her neighbor, 29-year-old Gregory Phillips, started…:
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Torres says they believe Phillips shot LeBlanc and her daughter, then killed himself.

State Superintendent of Education John White is eager to make changes to the way public schools are rated as a way to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act. White says Louisiana is developing a plan to be approved by the federal government by next year, and one of their ideas is fewer standardized tests…:
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The federal law targets increasing student achievement.

LSU interim head Coach Ed Orgeron told reporters today that defensive lineman Davon Godchaux will be reinstated to the team. Godchaux was arrested Monday morning after authorities say he had a tussle with his girlfriend and a 10-month old child was present. Charges against Godchaux and his girlfriend were dropped. Coach “O” also said running back Leonard Fournette is a game time decision for Saturday night’s contest against Missouri.

Governor John Bel Edwards tells the Restore Louisiana Task Force they have the important job of helping flood victims get back on their feet. The task force, which was appointed by the governor, is in charge of determining how federal flood recovery dollars will be spent. The state could receive billions of dollars and Edwards says it must be used appropriately…:
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Edwards says early estimates show there was $8.7 billion in damage from the August flood, and that doesn’t include public infrastructure.

Forecasters say you may need to start pulling your sweaters out by the end of the week as we’re going to start waking up to some chilly temperatures. State Climatologist Barry Keim says as the week goes on, the air will start becoming cooler and the humidity will be much lower..:
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Lows are expected to be in the 50s and highs in the low 80s.

Creepy clowns have been in the news around the country and now in Louisiana. Apparently people are dressing up in costumes and masks and entering random places to scare people. The clerk at the Paulina Matherne’s supermarket where clowns were spotted says she hopes they don’t come back because you never know what they might be up to…:
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Authorities say this might be a joke to some people but they will be on the lookout for suspicious behavior and take action when necessary.

It’s reported that Congress is no longer at a stale mate with the bill that contains federal flood aid for Louisiana, and the Senate is set to take up the proposed continuing resolution this afternoon. The version includes $500 million dollars in disaster assistance.

Three people are dead, including a West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputy, following a double murder/suicide in Point Coupee parish. Point Coupee Sheriff Bud Torres says a gunfight erupted yesterday afternoon between Deputy Donna LeBlanc and her neighbor, 29-year-old Gregory Phillips. Torres says the deadly shootings took place in the deputy’s yard…:
CUT 3 (12) “on himself”
He says the exact motive is not known at this time, but they do know the relationship between the neighbors was a strained one.

The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Matthew became the 13th named storm of the season. They say it’s moving west at 21 miles per hour, about 35 miles east of St. Lucia and St. Vincent. It is still too early to determine what impact the tropical storm will have on the Gulf Coast.

Around the country there have been many sightings of creepy clowns and now the trend has reached Louisiana. Covington Police Chief Tim Lentz says a group of elementary aged students claimed to see clowns in the woods behind their school. He says it turned out to be a hoax after the kids saw stories online, but authorities are taking incidents like this very seriously…:
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Clowns were seen roaming the Matherne’s supermarket in Paulina creeping people out.

LSU Interim Head Coach Ed Orgeron talked about the arrest of Davon Godchaux in this mornings SEC Media call and said he’s glad the charges were dropped against. The starting defensive tackle had been suspended from the team following his arrest Monday on charges related to an alleged argument with his girlfriend. Cops said the story didn’t add up which is why Godchaux was cleared. He’s expected to return to practice today.

Forecasters say you may need to start pulling your sweaters out by the end of the week as we’re going to start waking up to some chilly temperatures. State Climatologist Barry Keim says as the week goes on, the air will start becoming cooler and the humidity will be much lower. He says outdoor plans this weekend will be extremely pleasant…:
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The continuing resolution that contains money for flood relief efforts in Louisiana is tied up in politics, and the clock is ticking before Congress’ fall recess. US Senator Bill Cassidy says they’re still trying to figure out what it will take to get the continuing resolution approved in both houses because Senate democrats want funding for the Flint, Michigan water crisis…:
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The state Republican Party claims Governor John Bel Edwards is using the flood to raise money for his re-election campaign. Executive Director of the Louisiana GOP, Jason Dore, says Edwards has not been hard enough on FEMA regarding their delayed response to flood victims…:
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But a spokesman for the governor’s office says the fund raiser was held after a long day of fighting for assistance and state dollars were not used towards the reception.

According to the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, a change of booking has been made for LSU defensive end Davon Godchaux and false imprisonment charges against him have been dropped. They say the girlfriend made several inconsistent statements regarding the argument the two got into where they both sustained injuries, and now misdemeanor charges of domestic abuse against her are being reviewed. LSU says Godchaux remains suspended indefinitely.

Congress has yet to approve the $500 million federal aid package that contains money for Louisiana’s flood relief efforts…:
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Get ready for the first dash of gorgeous fall weather. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we normally see these cooler temperatures mid-September, but this year the brutal summer just didn’t want to end…:
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Keim says by the end of the week, low temperatures will be in the 50s for most of the state.

The Louisiana GOP is accusing Governor John Bel Edwards of using the flood to raise campaign money in D.C. and score partisan points. They also claim Central Mayor Jr. Shelton had to go through a Congressman to get more flood relief supplies. But Richard Carbo with the governor’s office says that’s just one route Shelton chose to get assistance and there is no beef there:
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Carbo says the governor has been very transparent about money and responsible with taxpayer funds.

Authorities in St. Tammany parish are asking for the public’s help in identifying a mutilated body that was dumped on Highway 90 near the Rigolets (RIG-@-lees). Police say the murder victim found in late July is believed to be a transient with ties to Biloxi. Coroner Dr. Charles Preston:
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Anyone with information about this person is urged to contact authorities.

The state Republican Party claims Governor John Bel Edwards is using the flood to raise money for his re-election campaign. Executive Director of the Louisiana GOP, Jason Dore, says the governor attended a fundraising event one night during one of his trips to Washington, D.C., to get more federal aid for flood victims…:
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But the governor’s Communications Director, Richard Carbo, says the event was held at night, after a long day of fighting for federal assistance. He says no state dollars went towards the reception event for the fundraiser:
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The LAGOP also accuses Edwards of not being hard enough on FEMA to get flood aid to Louisiana.

The first cold front of the Fall has reached Louisiana, so it’s time to grab your sweaters. Emelie Gunn has more…:
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The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s office says a deputy from West Baton Rouge Parish is dead along with her daughter in a murder-suicide case involving an estranged neighbor. They say the suspected shooter, Gregory Phillips, allegedly walked over to the home of Deputy Donna Leblanc where an argument and gunfight erupted. They believe Phillips killed Leblanc and her 21-year old daughter, Carli Jo, before turning the gun on himself.