The Louisiana National Guard has nearly 12-hundred Guardsmen in 33 parishes responding to major flooding throughout the state. Halen Doughty has the story…
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Governor John Bel Edwards spoke to lawmakers today as the regular legislative session begins. Emelie Gunn has more…
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President Barack Obama has declared seven parishes in Louisiana as a federal disaster area. The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bossier, Claiborne, Grant, Morehouse, Richland and Webster Parish. C.S. Ross, a National Weather Service forecaster, says we’ll start to get a better idea of the damage in the coming days…
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Ross says this kind of immense flooding seems to happen every 25 to 30 years in northern Louisiana. He says rain is still in the forecast, but it shouldn’t be enough to worsen the flooding. But he says the high waters could still pose a problem.
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In southeast Louisiana, the Pearl River is expected to crest at 21 feet today, which is the highest the river has been since the 1980s. St. Tammany parish President Pat Brister says they are getting information out to people in the area so residents can prepare for possible flooding.
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Brister says the shelters in the western part of the parish have closed. She says although they have not received any requests for shelter on the eastern side yet, they are prepared if those calls come in, as up to five-thousand homes could be impacted.
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The co-owner and chef of the very popular New Orleans restaurant Mother’s, Jerry Amato, has passed away at the age of 65 from complications due to cancer. Amato was named the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Restaurateur of the Year in 2003. Association president Stan Harris says Mother’s is one of the most iconic restaurants in Louisiana…:
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Amato and his brother are credited with preserving the 76 year old Louisiana themed restaurant when they bought it in 1986, and turning it into one of the best known dining destinations in New Orleans. Harris says diners love the quality and price of the made from scratch food at Mother’s, which contributes to creating this widespread demand…:
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Thousands of visitors flock to the restaurant each year. Amato says the bread and butter of Mother’s is the people who stand in line, order their food and sit down and truly enjoy the entire experience. He says they are famous for their homemade biscuits, delicious gumbo and jambalaya, and their unique sandwiches…:
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The Louisiana National Guard says they’ve rescued over 42-hundred citizens and 350 pets as they assist in flood fighting efforts in 33 parishes. Guard spokesperson Colonel Pete Schneider says this is the biggest response to a flooding event the Guard has ever seen in Louisiana. He says their equipment has been a vital resource.
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Schneider says over one thousand Guardsmen have been activated so far, and the only times the Guard has seen a bigger response is during hurricanes. He says the Guard has been busy on a variety of missions throughout the state.
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The LANG has issued more than 70-thousand bottles of water, 700 cots and blankets, and over one million sandbags. Guardsmen have utilized 160 high water vehicles, over 40 boats and 3 helicopters over the course of these operations. Schneider says they’ve used almost every asset they have to do search and rescue.
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The Sabine River could experience major flooding in Calcasieu parish in the next 24 hours. Calcasieu Parish Emergency Preparedness director Dick Gremillion says an area about 30 miles long on the Sabine River, which is home to roughly 24-hundred residents, will likely be impacted. Gremillion says many of those residents have not evacuated yet, and the National Guard is trying to get people to leave.
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So far 12 to 15 people have been rescued. Gremillion says the river is expected to crest tomorrow at 36 feet, which is well past its historic high.
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Gremillion says the northern part of the parish will be hit today, and they anticipate flooding along the I-10 corridor in the next few days.
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Governor John Bel Edwards spoke in front of lawmakers today as the regular legislative session is now underway. Edwards is moving forward with the expansion of Medicaid, proposing a higher minimum wage, and reforming public education. He says he wants to ensure the working poor have access to affordable healthcare and with the expansion the state will save 100 million dollars.
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Edwards says 40 percent of our working families don’t earn enough to cover basic monthly expenses. He says he’s promised to fight for Louisiana’s working class.
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The governor proposes increasing the state’s minimum wage to 8 dollars an hour. Edwards says he wants a better future for the children in Louisiana and that begins in the classroom. He says we need to broaden the measures of student achievement used to evaluate teachers and voucher programs must conform to their intended purpose.
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