Tomorrow marks the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Rita making landfall in Louisiana. Eric Gill takes a look at the hardest hit area from the storm, Cameron Parish…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Eric Gill”

A Latin publication is reporting that the father-in-law and brother-in-law of Breaux Bridge native and former Miss USA Ali Landry, were kidnapped earlier this month and found dead this week in Tampico, Mexico. The report says the two were being held for ransom which was paid, but they were never returned to family members.

Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party Karen Peterson and state Senate president John Alario were among the individuals at the White House this morning to greet Pope Francis. The religious leader of the Catholic Church urged those in attendance that it’s time to combat climate change. Dr. Tom Ryan, Director of the Loyola Institute of Ministry, says Pope Francis was not making a political statement, but instead reminding Americans we have one Earth we must protect…:
CUT 9 (04) “our very life”
Pope Francis also spoke about protecting religious freedom.

Saints Coach Sean Payton told the media today that quarterback Drew Brees is day-to-day as the team takes to the practice field in preparation for the game at Carolina. If Brees doesn’t play, back-up Verizon spokesman Luke McCown will fill in.

Tomorrow marks the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Rita making landfall in Louisiana. Cameron Parish was the hardest hit area from the storm with farmland and pastures inundated with saltwater and numerous homes flooded or washed away. Kevin Savoie, LSU AgCenter agent in Cameron Parish, says recovery has been slow over the past decade, but there are positive signs…:
CUT 6 (09) “tax base”
He says 10 years later, the biggest issue is getting people to move back to the Parish.

It’s the first day of fall and State Climatologist Barry Keim says we’ll see temps in the 80s over the next few days, but the cool air won’t last long…:
CUT 1 (09) “comes through”

Louisiana Tech says they’ve reached the university’s highest enrollment it’s ever had. Nearly 12000 students are enrolled in the fall quarter which is 10 percent higher than last year. Tech spokesman Dave Guerin says a big key to the record enrollment is that 81-percent of first-time, full-time freshman in 2014 are back at Tech this year…:
CUT 4 (06) “graduate them”
The school reported earlier this year that’s graduation rate went up four-percent to 54-percent, the second highest among all public universities.

Saints Coach Sean Payton told reporters on a teleconference this morning that Quarterback Drew Brees is day-to-day. Payton would not elaborate anymore on Brees’ injured rotator cuff. If Brees can’t play this Sunday against Carolina, Luke McCown would get the start. Payton said he won’t talk about hypothetical situations. Brees is talking this afternoon.

A state judge has ruled a constitutional amendment that bars certain convicted felons from running for an office in Louisiana is unconstitutional. Jeff Palermo asked former governor Edwin Edwards what this means for him…

cut 1 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Jennings Police Department has arrested a mother and her boyfriend after the woman’s one-year-old daughter suffered third degree burns to her lower body. They say the boyfriend, Japheal Griffin, became upset with the toddler after she soiled herself and placed her in a tub of hot water. The mother, Shelby Jones, claimed the child’s older sibling burned the girl, but later recanted her story. Griffin and Jones were booked on felony child cruelty charges.

The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested 32-year-old Cody Bourgeois and 35-year-old Monique Bourgeois after their 1 year old child was discovered wandering Holly Beach alone, while they were jogging naked 4 miles away. Sheriff Ron Johnson says he’s not sure why the parents left the baby and started running with no clothes on but they believe drugs are involved…

cut 14 (06) “high on something”

The parents are charged with child desertion and obscenity.

If you want to vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election, today is the deadline to register. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says Louisiana is third in the country, at 85 percent, for the number of registered voters and hopes everyone will get out and cast their ballots…

cut 12 (10) “even voted”

Schedler says the easiest way to register or make changes to your registration is online at Geaux Vote dot com.

The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case of a 1-year-old who was found wandering Holly Beach alone, while her parents were jogging naked four miles away…

cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office says a senior citizen is under arrest after leading police on a high speed chase with speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. They say when officers responded to a call of shots fired, 76-year-old Billy Mercer fled the scene and the pursuit ensued. The chase was eventually called off due to hazardous speeds. Mercer eventually surrendered to authorities. He is charged with aggravated assault, reckless operation, and flight from an officer.

A 1997 constitutional amendment that prohibits convicted felons from running for public office in Louisiana until 15 years after their prison sentence is completed has been thrown out by a state judge. Former Governor and convicted felon Edwin Edwards agrees with the ruling, but says it’s unlikely he’ll seek public office in the state…

cut 6 (06) “Father Time”

Judge Wilson Fields’ ruling will be appealed.

Fall officially began at 3:22 this morning and hopefully we’ll start to feel cooler temperatures in Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says most Louisiana residents are probably glad fall is finally here, as this summer was the hottest we’ve experienced in two years. He says humidity was much higher than usual this summer and we saw dew points sky rocket…

cut 9 (10) “than normal”

He says we can expect normal temperatures for the next three months and higher than average rainfall.

A state judge has declared a 1997 constitutional amendment that that bars certain convicted felons from running for an office in Louisiana as unconstitutional. This same amendment kept former Governor Edwin Edwards from qualifying for this year’s governor’s race. An election Edwards says he would have won, but is glad he couldn’t…

cut 5 (10) “practices”

This court case involves former state senator Derrick Shepherd, who spent 37 months in prison and is seeking a state House seat this fall.

Hopefully, we’ll start to feel cooler temperatures in Louisiana now that fall has officially started. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we will start seeing temperatures in the 80s over the next few days but that might not last too long…

cut 8 (09) “comes through ”

He says higher than average rainfall is expected over the next three months.

The deadline to register to vote for the upcoming gubernatorial election is today. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says if you use the Geaux Vote dot com website, you have more time to complete the process…

cut 11 (10) “state offices”

Schedler says we have more than 600 statewide elections coming up and hopes more people will get involved, as we only have a few weeks left.

The Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case of a 1 year old child who was discovered wandering Holly Beach alone, while her parents were jogging naked 4 miles away. Sheriff Ron Johnson says when authorities responded, they noticed a Ford Explorer which had been left running a short distance from where the child was found…

cut 13 (09) “no clothes on”

The parents, 32-year-old Cody Bourgeois and 35-year-old Monique Bourgeois, are charged with child desertion and obscenity.

A state judge has thrown out a 1997 constitutional amendment that prohibits convicted felons from running for public office in Louisiana until 15 years after their prison sentence is completed. The case involves former state senator Derrick Shepherd, who spent 37 months in prison and is seeking a state House seat this fall. Former Governor and convicted felon Edwin Edwards agrees with the ruling…

cut 4 (07) “to vote on it”

Judge Wilson Fields agreed with Shepherd’s attorneys who said the language on the ballot in 1997 did not match-up with what the legislature passed.

Today is the deadline to register to vote for the upcoming gubernatorial election. Secretary of State Tom Schedler is reminding Louisiana residents to get engaged in all of the important elections that will take place on October 24th.

cut 10 (10) “the task”

Schedler says the easiest way to register or make changes to your registration is to go online at Geaux Vote dot com.

Today marks the first day of fall and hopefully that means we’ll start to feel cooler temperatures in Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can expect normal temperatures for the next three months and we’ll also be getting some relief to the dry conditions across the state with higher than average rainfall.

cut 7 (10) “this winter”

Keim says Louisiana will be cooling down shortly with the arrival of cold fronts. He adds that most residents are probably glad fall is finally here, as this summer was the hottest we’ve experienced in two years.

The Council for a Better Louisiana has released their 2015 Election Agenda. These are the group’s recommendations for the next governor and legislature. CABL President Barry Erwin says they support expanding Medicaid. He says this would afford the state more federal money to strengthen medical education and provide more health care for Louisiana citizens…:
CUT 8 (09) “other states”
He says they also would like to see the gas tax raised to help roads and they also feel the TOPS program should be restructured.

The four main candidates for governor were asked about the possibility of raising the minimum wage during a forum in Baton Rouge. Republican David Vitter was absent, but fellow GOP candidate Jay Dardenne doesn’t think increasing the minimum pay is the answer. Republican Scott Angelle agrees…:
CUT 11 (08) “program”
Democrat John Bel Edwards supports raising the wages of the state’s lowest paid workers.

The Jefferson Parish GOP endorses Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser for Lt. Governor over their own Jefferson Parish President John Young. In the governor’s race, the group endorses Republican David Vitter. However, Political analyst Clandy Dubos says this was not an overwhelming endorsement from Vitter’s home parish…:
cut 14 (09) “one vote”
He says the group’s selection of Nungesser over Young is a real slap at Young on his home turf.

So will Saints quarterback Dree Brees play against the Carolina Panthers? ESPN’s Ed Werder has learned that orthopedic surgeon and LSU alum Doctor James Andrews examined the MRI scans of Brees’ injured shoulder and confirmed the original diagnosis that the veteran QB has a bruised rotator cuff. That means there’s a chance number nine will play against the Panthers, but it depends on how well his shoulder responds to the treatments he’ll get this week.

The Council for a Better Louisiana has released their 2015 Election Agenda which provides the group’s recommendations for roads, education, and health care to the next governor and legislature. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”

Former state lawmaker Derrick Shepherd, a Democrat and convicted felon from Marrero, got a victory today in his fight to be able to run for public office again. The Jefferson Parish DA won a suit to keep Shepherd’s name off the ballot citing a 1997 constitutional amendment banning felons from running for office for 15 years. But a judge in Baton Rouge agreed with Shepherd’s argument that the legislature approved wording in the amendment which wasn’t on the ballot. An appeal of the ruling is planned.

The Jefferson Parish Republican Executive Committee has decided to endorse Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser for Lt. Governor over their own Jefferson Parish President John Young. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says this is a big win for Nungesser. He says it clearly shows that Young has issues with his fellow Republicans in his home parish…:
CUT 13 (07) “a runoff”
The group also endorses Republican David Vitter for governor but Dubos says it was only by one vote in a runoff with Jay Dardenne.

And if you’re not registered to vote yet in the October 24th primary, tomorrow is your last day to sign up. Residents can easily register to vote online at GeauxVote.com or in person at the local registrar of voter’s office or the OMV. Races in the election include many statewide and local offices.