Governor Edwards addresses spread mitigation concerns related to students heading back to school. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

____________________________

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin went before the House Governmental Affairs Committee today and defended his fall election plan that the Governor says he will reject because it doesn’t go far enough. Matt Doyle has more.

cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

The reopening of schools and colleges is expected to further complicate managing the spread of COVID-19. Governor Edwards says the Louisiana Department of Health is working closely with the Department of Education on monitoring the coronavirus by creating a COVID-19 reporting system.

Cut 3 (12)  “…districts and principles.”  

Edwards says the schools are not the only reporting entities that are important in the spread mitigation efforts and encourages parents to monitor children for symptoms.

Cut 4 (10)“ …is absolutely false.” 

Edwards says his message to college students is clear and asks them to be careful in how they celebrate the new school year. Edwards encourages them to take into consideration spread mitigation efforts that may or may not be happening at a gathering and really think it over if it isn’t safe.

Cut 5 (07)  “…to be safe.”

_________________

Two former LSU students told USA Today that former Tigers running back Derrius Guice raped them in 2016 when the Baton Rouge native was a freshman. LSU beat reporter Glen Guilbeau for the USA Today Network says the investigative story found that the women reported the allegations to multiple people at LSU, but…

Cut 6 (07) “…charges”

The story by Nancy Armour and Kenny Jacoby claim two coaches, an athletics administrator and nurse were told about the alleged assault. Guice’s attorney says the accusations are not true.

The Washington Football Team recently released Guice after he was arrested on domestic violence charges. Guilbeau says the USA Today reporters were working on this investigative piece before Guice was arrested…

Cut 7 (08) “…that happened.”

Guice was a second-round pick in 2018 by Washington. He’s only played in five games in the NFL because of injuries. But Guilbeau says Guice might not football play again

Cut 8 (09) “…that much longer.”

______________________

The Legislature is considering Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s election plan for the fall elections that Governor Edwards calls woefully inadequate. The proposal scales back the vote by mail options compared to what the state had for the summer elections. Ardoin on why this election plan is different…

Cut 9 (12) “…be it”

Under Ardoin’s plan, the only COVID-related reason for requesting an absentee ballot is that if you test positive for the virus during early voting or before Election Day.

Edwards says the proposal does not allow people who have to quarantine to receive a mail-in a ballot or make any consideration for individuals who are susceptible to the virus.

Bogalusa Representative Malinda White believes Ardoin should have worked  with Governor Edwards on an election plan that protects public health.

Cut 10 (08) “…court”

White noted that the Secretary of State did not report any instances of fraud stemming from the mail-in ballot policies of the summer elections. Ardoin says only two percent of absentee ballots cast in the July election were from voters who used COVID-19 as a reason.

Ardoin says he’s been pressured by both sides to change the plan implemented in the summer, and he feels this is a compromise.

Cut 11 (13) “…i do?.”

White questions whether Ardoin wants a plan that has consensus support.

Cut 12 (13) “….finished”

Ardoin says he’s not changing his election plan and Governor Edwards doesn’t support it, so Louisiana’s election guidelines for this public health emergency could be decided by the courts.

__________________

Total jobs lost in the first half of this year are nearly double the number the state saw after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. That’s according to U-L Lafayette Economist Gary Wagner, who says the total number of jobs has dropped by more than 10-percent in 2020.

Cut 13 (11) “…significant number” 

On a positive note, Wagner says he does expect to see job growth in the second half of 2020, but not enough to offset the job losses for the first half of the year.

Cut 14 (06) “…half of the year”

Louisiana’s economy has seen one of the sharpest drops in the nation, only Michigan, New York, Nevada, and Hawaii have seen larger economic downturns. As for a return to a pre-COVID-economy in Louisiana, Wagner has a prediction.

Cut 15 (06) “if not later” 

Today and tomorrow, lawmakers will discuss Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s plan for the November Presidential election and December run-offs. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (33) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

_____________________________________

The new round of federally enhanced unemployment checks are expected to go out next week but 87,000 unemployed Louisianans will not be eligible. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

Small businesses that received previous federal aid can now receive funds through the Louisiana Main Street Recovery Program. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington”  

______________________________

The House Governmental Affairs Committee meets today to discuss Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s plan for the November Presidential election and December run-offs. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Sam Jenkins of Shreveport says he does not like that the plan has greater restrictions on who can vote by mail from what was allowed during the summer elections.

Cut 4 (08)“ ..the present stage.” 

The only COVID-related reason for requesting an absentee ballot for the November and December elections is that if you test positive for the virus during early voting or before Election Day.

Governor Edwards says he will reject Ardoin’s plan as he calls it woefully inadequate. Edwards says it does not expand mail-in balloting options for individuals who have to quarantine or those who are vulnerable to the disease.

Jenkins also does not like that Ardoin’s plan calls for ten days of early voting, when there were 13 days fo early voting for the summer elections.

Cut 5 (09)  “…should be going.”

Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt, chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, does not see any issues with Ardoin’s proposal.  Hewitt says elderly voters, who are the most susceptible to poor health outcomes from COVID, have always been allowed to request an absentee ballot.

Cut 6 (11) “…voting in person.”

Louisiana already allows people 65 or older to use mail-in voting. People who are hospitalized can also request an absentee ballot.

Hewitt says constituents have told her they felt safe with the way in-person summer elections were handled and says the current plan would account for spread mitigation efforts that would encourage more in-person voting.

Cut 7 (08) “…vote in person.”

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee will consider the proposal on Thursday.

______________________________

The slogan for the Democratic Party virtual National Convention is “Build Back Better.” Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Stephen Handwerk says it’s a roadmap to a better economic system.

Cut 8 (11) “…right now.”

The Louisiana GOP says the Biden-Harris ticket is too left-wing to be allowed to win. Handwerk says they’ are pitching the two this week as moderates, not progressives.

Cut 9 (10) “not”

Former President Bill Clinton was the headline speaker last night. Former President Barack Obama will headline tonight. The nominee and former VP Joe Biden will speak Thursday night.

The party has passed its 2020 policy platform, including stronger language affirming a woman’s right to access an abortion. Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards chose not to sign the platform for that reason

Cut 10 (06) “…Democrat”

__________________________

In a reversal, the Trump Administration is now excluding 87,000 of the state’s 450,000 unemployment recipients from the upcoming round of 300-dollar federally enhanced weekly benefits.

Governor Edwards says each recipient must now receive at least 100 dollars in weekly unemployment from the state to qualify.

Cut 11 (06) “…right now”

Last week Edwards told reporters that the Labor Department had ruled that as long as the state averaged over 100 dollars of weekly benefits per recipient everyone would qualify.

Edwards wants it to be known that this was not the state’s decision to exclude those 87,000.

Cut 12 (08) “now.”

The Governor expects the first of those federally enhanced benefit checks will be sent sometime next week.

Cut 13 (10) “…certain.” 

The benefits are being funded by FEMA emergency response dollars and are expected to last six weeks at most.

______________________________________________

All qualifying small businesses can now receive grant money from the Main Street Recovery Program. State Treasurer John Schroder says there has been some confusion about the grant program which can provide up to $15,000 in reimbursement for COVID-19 related losses.

Cut 14 (09) “…are true.”

The Legislature set aside $275 million from the CARES Act for the Louisiana Main Street Recovery Program and small businesses that had not received previous funding were prioritized. That restriction was lifted this week.

Schroder says small businesses can apply for a Quick Relief grant of up to $5,000 or an Itemized Cost Reimbursement grant of up to $15,000.

Cut 15 (11) “…any back.”

Schroder says while the grants are being distributed on a first come first serve basis, he expects to receive enough applications by the end of the week that would distribute approximately half of the $275 million.

Cut 16 (09) “ our hotline” 

For more information go to  www.louisianamainstreet.com

______________________________________________

LSU football Coach Ed Orgeron says a couple of his players tested positive for COVID-19 when the team began preseason camp on Monday. Orgeron says the infected players must isolate at least 10 days after a positive test before they can return. Orgeron credits LSU’s director of wellness, Shelly Mullenix, for putting a solid COVID-19 mitigation plan in place

cut 17  (16) “…proper care” 

Orgeron says he’s confident they’ll play this season and he says it’s the right thing to do. He’s also excited to see the students back on campus

Cut 18  (20) “…play football”   

Orgeron says the Tigers are prepared as the offense and defense have been installed. He says during quarantine he spent many nights alone at the LSU football operations in disbelief with what was going on…

cut 19 (20) “…for sure”  

The FDA approves a new saliva test for COVID-19 developed by Yale researchers known as SalivaDirect that is being called a testing innovation game-changer. Kevin Barnhart has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

____________________________

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says Progressive and Louisiana Farm Bureau plan to reduce their auto insurance rates by two and eight-percent respectively. Jeff Palermo has more…

cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

_____________________________

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two tropical waves in the Atlantic, both of them have a good chance at developing into named storms over the next five days. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s not a surprise the tropics are getting active

Cut 3 (09)  “there”  

Keim says it remains to be seen if these systems get in the Gulf of Mexico, but conditions are ripe for them to become a real threat.

Cut 4 (10)“ .right now” 

There’s Invest 97 in the eastern Caribbean, which has a medium chance to develop into a named storm over the next five days. Invest 98 is farther away from land and expected to develop first and could become Tropical Storm Laura. Keim says we’ve never had an L named storm this early in the season.

Cut 5 (09)  “season”

_________________

A new saliva test for COVID-19, known as SalivaDirect, gets the thumbs up from the FDA.  LSU Health New Orleans infectious disease expert Dr. Catherine O’Neal says this test differs from other saliva tests because not only is it a quick and easy collection, but they can skip the extraction step saving time and money.

Cut 6 (10) “…in the country.”

Unlike the nasal swab tests where a swab is inserted deeply into the nose, the saliva test would be less invasive and only require someone to spit into a collection tube.

The test was developed by researchers at Yale.  O’Neal says this test will also cut down on wait times to get a result.

Cut 7 (05) “…matter of hours.”

SalivaDirect is considered a testing innovation game-changer by reducing demand on the supply chain of scarce testing resources.

O’Neal sees value in using the tests for communal living settings.

Cut 8 (13) “…for the hospital.”

Yale Researchers say they expect labs will only charge about $10 per sample with this test.

______________________

A federal judge in New Orleans rejects a request by ten southeast Louisiana bar owners to stop the statewide order closing bars.

Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says this is what he expected out of the federal court because the standard of review for public health orders is highly deferential to local authorities.

Cut 9 (12) “…constitution”

The bar owners argued that shutting down bars violated equal protection under the constitution and that they did not receive due process.

State officials presented data showing the closure of bars in Louisiana helped slow the spread of coronavirus. Ciolino says that’s all Judge Martin Feldman needed.

Cut 10 (12) “…them”

It’s another in a string of losses for those challenging things like the mask mandate or bar closures in court. Ciolino says…

Cut 11 (09) “…courthouse.”

A similar case is being decided in a Lafayette US District Court. It is not currently known when Judge Robert Summerhays will make a ruling.

_________________________

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says Louisiana Farm Bureau and Progressive will reduce their auto insurance rates by eight and two percent respectively. Donelon says both companies have been dropping lowering their premiums

Cut 12 (15) “….on previous”

Donelon says State Farm has also reduced its rates over the last two years by 24-percent. He says State Farm, Progressive, and Farm Bureau cover over 50-percent of the private passenger auto insurance market in Louisiana. He expects other insurance providers to reduce rates as well…

Cut 13 (05) “…will respond” 

Donelon says a factor that has led to lower premiums is fewer accidents on the road…

Cut 14 (11) “…two years ago”

It may take a few years for Louisiana drivers to see lower auto insurance rates as a result of the tort reform legislation approved this summer. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

LSU Health New Orleans is participating in a clinical trial on the use of lab-created monoclonal antibodies in the battle against the coronavirus. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

___________________________________________

 DeSoto and Red River Parish officials who shared now-debunked claims that the Department of Health was reporting COVID case counts with duplicate numbers are blasted for not showing up to a hearing where they were ordered to explain themselves. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (31)  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

______________________________

Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Louisiana head Jeff Albright says it may take a few years for the full impact of tort reform passed in the Legislature to be felt via lower auto insurance rates.

Albright says the law takes effect in 2021…

Cut 4 (10)“ …improvement.” 

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon predicted that the new tort law would lower rates by up to 25 percent.

Albright says Louisiana drivers make twice as many injury claims as the national average despite not have twice as many wrecks…

Cut 5 (05)  “important.”

Louisiana has the 2^nd highest rates in the nation and is expected to rise to number one next year. Albright says that is because Michigan, who is 1^st, passed tort reform legislation several years ago that is now taking effect.

Albright also says 45 percent of Louisiana drivers carry the minimum limit 15,000 dollars of insurance, which is why the law lowers the jury trial threshold to 10,000 dollars.

Cut 6 (07) “…jury”

The previous threshold was 50,000 dollars.

______________________________

LSU Health New Orleans is participating in a clinical trial on the use of lab-created monoclonal antibodies in the battle against the coronavirus.  Pulmonary critical care specialist Dr. Bennett deBoisblanc says the hope is that the monoclonal antibody would prevent viral attachment to cells.

Cut 7 (06) “…to reproduce itself.”

The trial is being done with the National Institutes of Health to evaluate the safety and effectiveness as a potential new treatment.

deBoisblanc says instead of waiting on a COVID patient to produce their own antibodies, they hope to administer the lab-grown version to help fight off a worsening condition.

Cut 8 (08) “…a rapid rate.”

Patients hospitalized with mild or moderate COVID-19 with fewer than 13 days of symptoms bay volunteer to participate.

deBoisblanc says if these trials are not fruitful, there are other treatments to help and more research on the horizon.

Cut 9 (08) “…the months ahead.”

_____________________________

The Louisiana Family Forum backs a request by Senator John Kennedy that Louisiana places of worship be deemed essential and have their capacity restrictions lifted.

President Gene Mills says religious leaders can be trusted to maintain a safe environment for worshipers without current capacity limitations.

Cut 10 (07) “…community”

Churches are restricted to 50 percent capacity during Phase Two.

Mills says lifting the current restrictions would help get more people back in their pre-COVID habit of going to church.

Cut 11 (12) “…away”

Mills says he’d like to see the capacity restriction lifted, but noted Louisiana’s religious haven’t suffered as much as those in some other places…

Cut 12 (10) “faith.”

Mills says a legislative effort to include houses of worship in the essential institutions list is being crafted.

_______________________

Legislators slam DeSoto and Red River Parish officials for not showing up to a hearing about claims made by those parishes that the Department of Health was reporting duplicate COVID case counts.

Legislative Audit Advisory Councilmembers blasted the officials for making claims that were later debunked by the Legislative Auditor. Baton Rouge Representative Barry Ivy…

Cut 13 (13) “…member.” 

Both the DeSoto parish Sheriff and the Red River Department of Homeland Security made the claims on Facebook posts.

LDH says there is evidence lists of infected people’s names in those areas had been disseminated as part of the effort to attack the department’s COVID case reporting. Ivey called that a clear HIPPA violation.

Cut 14 (05) “…violation.”

The Legislative Auditor’s report indicates the two parishes’ misinterpreted the data they were being sent, and that the LDH dashboard of COVID case numbers is accurate to within 1-2 percent.

Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau called the parishes’ actions unacceptable and says their refusal to attend cannot happen again.

Cut 15 (08) “…security.”

______________________________________________

The Saints have started practicing in pads as the season opener against Tampa Bay is less than three weeks away. New Orleans reported for training camp in late July, but used the last three weeks getting ready for physical contact. Quarterback Drew Brees believes they used the ramp-up time well

Cut 16 (21) “ more film” 

Before the season, Brees went to Colorado to work out with newly acquired wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Brees says he likes how Sanders prepares himself for the season

cut 17  (19) “…great skill set” 

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan is entering his 10th season in the NFL and is coming off a season in which he tallied a career-high 15.5 sacks. Jordan on how he can be an even better player this season…

Cut 18  (19) “…great place”   

An infectious disease expert says Louisiana just isn’t ready for fall high school contact sports, and LSU fans may get to be in Tiger Stadium this fall…

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

____________________________

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s plan for the November 3rd election would limit the ability for someone to request a mail-in ballot compared to the criteria for the summer elections. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

_____________________________

Our Lady of the Lake infectious disease expert Dr. Catherine O’Neal says it is not safe to have fall contact high school sports right now but says she is optimistic about college athletics.

O’Neal says before K-12 contact sports can resume the state needs to prove it can reopen schools without having to shut communities down due to outbreaks.

Cut 3 (09)  “…safely”  

High school football is set to resume October 8^th, but the LHSAA says the state will have to be in Phase Three.

Governor Edwards says the state is hovering around ten percent positivity on COVID test results. O’Neal says we’d need to be at half that rate.

Cut 4 (11)“ ..classroom” 

O’Neal says some areas, such as New Orleans, are nearing that five percent mark but regions like Acadiana and Baton Rouge are a good bit above ten percent.

O’Neal says unlike high school sports, college sports have the resources and lower numbers to proceed. LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan feels that we may even be able to have fans in Tiger Stadium.

Cut 5 (11)  “inside”

Galligan did caution that occupancy limits of 30-50 percent are being considered for LSU football games and fans without a game ticket will be discouraged from coming on campus to tailgate…

Cut 6 (06) “…campus”

Both O’Neal and Galligan made the comments this morning on Talk Louisiana.

___________________

In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, UL Lafayette, ULM, McNeese, Northwestern, Southeastern all start back to class today.   UL System President Jim Henderson says he feels comfortable they have put the best-informed plans together, adding that faculty and staff are doing their best to execute those plans.

Cut 7 (08) “…that we have.”

Henderson says the learning environment has the best possible spread mitigation efforts in place, but the focus is still put on informing students of the risks involved with social behaviors.

Cut 8 (06) “…that age population.”

Nicholls and Grambling started last week.  Henderson says the initial outlook on class and campus operations seems promising.

Cut 9 (11) “…is your responsibility. ”

____________________________________________

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin proposed plan for the November 3^rd Presidential election and December run-off scales-back eligibility for requesting an absentee ballot compared to the July and August elections. Ardoin says the plan has been tailored to work in Phase Two compared to the stay at home order.

Cut 10 (11) “…to move forward”

The plan would also increase the state’s early voting period to ten days versus seven and add an extra hour and a half to each day.

The only COVID-related reason for requesting an absentee ballot would be testing positive for the virus during or after early voting but before election day.  Ardoin says the observations in July indicate only a small portion of the participation was COVID absentee voters.

Cut 11 (10) “…same in November.”

Ardoin says the emergency plan still faces some hurdles as it has to be approved by lawmakers and receive the signature of the Governor.

Cut 12 (10) “…in the past.”

_____________________________________

A 14-year-old girl from St. Mary Parish died over the weekend in a jet ski accident in Lower St. Martin Parish. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Ed Pratt says a 17-year-old allowed the victim and another 15-year-old girl to operate separate jet skis

Cut 13 (06) “…one another” 

Pratt says Hannah Landry of Franklin was airlifted to Prevost Memorial Hospital in Ascension Parish with severe injuries…

Cut 14 (08) “…in Donaldsonville”

The second victim was treated at the scene for her minor injuries. State law says you must be at least 16-years-old to operate a jet ski. Pratt says possible charges are pending against the 17-year-old who allowed the girls to operate the jet skis…

Cut 15 (11) “any charges” 

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry is reaching out to auto insurers who are not doing business in the state to let them know about recent changes to the state’s civil litigation rules in car crash cases.  Kevin Barnhart has more

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

_____________________________________

This week the state Revenue Department will mail thousands of letters to frontline workers who had problems with their tax rebate applications. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

A few weeks from now Louisiana will begin borrowing money from the feds to float the state unemployment insurance program. Brooke Thorington has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington”  

______________________________

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry is reaching out to auto insurance companies who are not currently offering coverage in Louisiana to let them know the state has made changes to its civil litigation system for car crashes. LABI President Stephen Waguespack says they have sent out more than 1,100 letters.

Cut 4 (07)“ …rates go down.” 

Waguespack says there are so few choices for commercial auto insurers in Louisiana, that it will only take a handful of companies to start writing new business to see major changes in rates.

Cut 5 (10)  “is no competition.”

Waguespack says the tort reform legislation approved in the special session has made the state’s judicial system more transparent and fair.

Cut 6 (10) “…your services here.”

The Louisiana House Democratic Caucus says the tort reform legislation approve in June will not lead to lower rates.

______________________________

The Louisiana Revenue Department says 69-thousand checks worth 250-dollars a piece have been sent to essential workers who had to work during the governor’s stay at home order. Secretary Kimberly Robinson says 240-thousand people have applied for the tax rebate since July 15^th

Cut 7 (14) “…testing”

Home health and healthcare workers are the second biggest category after grocery store workers.

This week the state Revenue Department will mail thousands of letters to people who applied for the 250-dollar hazard pay check, but there was a problem with their application, or submitted disqualifying information.

Cut 8 (09) “information.”

208 applications have been filed on behalf of frontline workers who are ineligible because they are deceased.

They’ve also had some problems verifying workers’ information…

Cut 9 (10) “…name”

17-million in payments have gone out and the program still has 23-million available dollars, so the state is still accepting applications at frontlineworkers.la.gov

_____________________________

Louisiana will need to begin borrowing money from the feds to fund our unemployment insurance program as of September 7^th. Louisiana Workforce Commission Director Ava Dejoie says even if the state runs out of money in the trust fund, the state is constitutionally mandated to keep paying benefits, so…

Cut 10 (07) “…benefits.”

Dejoie says over 20 states are already borrowing money from the feds to fund their unemployment programs.

Dejoie warned that there will be penalties for the state unemployment trust fund running dry, and we do have to pay the borrowed money back.

Cut 11 (10) “…funds”

Louisiana’s unemployment trust fund was rated as the 17^th strongest in the nation before the pandemic struck, but Dejoie says it has been hammered by the pandemic economy.

Cut 12 (11) “million.”

454,000 beneficiaries are currently receiving unemployment insurance payments from the state. All 454,000 will be eligible to receive the new 300 dollar federally enhanced unemployment assistance.

_______________________

Based on the latest data, the number of new COVID-19 cases is on the decline after the state experienced a second surge in new cases in July. So why did Louisiana experience a second surge? State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says some of those that tested negative in the spring may have relaxed on their spread mitigation efforts

Cut 13 (12) “…keep our distance.” 

Guidry says the virus has also been teaching the public and science professionals along the way that it does not behave like a normal virus.  The summer climate did not act as a mitigate factor as restrictions began to lift.

Cut 14 (11) “…viruses normally behave.”

Guidry says the science community did everything they possible could to convince people to take mitigation efforts seriously, but a lack of public cooperation has set the state back.

Cut 15 (12) “…this virus spread.”

______________________________________________

The Pelicans are searching for a new head coach after the team decided to move on from Alvin Gentry after five seasons and just one postseason appearance. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin says he’ll take his time in finding Gentry’s replacement…

Cut 16 (20) “then on” 

The Pelicans job should an attractive one. The roster features a potential superstar in Zion Williamson, an all-star in Brandon Ingram and one of the better two-way guards in the league in Jrue Holiday. Griffin knows he has a big decision in front of him…

cut 17  (21) “…everyone” 

Host of the Locked on Pelicans podcast, Jake Madison, says a former head coach in Cleveland will likely get an interview…

Cut 18  (20) “…Milwaukee Bucks”   

Madison says Griffin will also look to make some changes with the roster during the offseason…

cut 19 (11) “…next year”  

Three women have been arrested in connection with the assault of a Baton Rouge Chili’s hostess. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”  

____________________________

New Orleans Mardi Gras Krewes are not sure if they will roll next year. Matt Doyle has the story.

cut 2 (28) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

Baton Rouge Police arrest three women for allegedly assaulting a teenage worker at Chili’s, who was trying to enforce social distancing. Cell phone captured the attack on the hostess, who told a large group of women they could not be seated together. Baton Rouge Police Sgt Don Coppola says the public helped with the investigation.

Cut 3 (08)  “…three individuals”  

48-year old Tammy Dabney is charged with aggravated second-degree battery, while 27-year old Rodneka Dabney and 46-year old Erica Dabney were charged with disturbing the peace and simple battery.

Coppola says media attention on the case helped with the investigation.

Cut 4 (10)“ ..Crime Stoppers 

A GoFundMe account has been set up for 17-year old Kelsy Wallace, the victim of last weekend’s attack. Reports say Wallace will not return to her job at Chili’s. Coppola says the young girl had to be treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.

Cut 5 (10)  “this happens”

If you have any information about the case, call Crime Stoppers.

______________________

Governor Edwards expresses concern over the upcoming flu season.  Edwards says the message is clear about the flu vaccine this year.

Cut 6 (06) “…past or not.”

Edwards says the combination of having spikes in both COVID and flu cases at the same time could be detrimental to medical facility capabilities.

Cut 7 (07) “…care delivery system..”

Edwards says this year’s vaccination is not yet available, but when it is, you’ll hear about it.

Cut 8 (06) “…shot this year.”

____________________________________________

New Orleans Mardi Gras Krewes met to discuss next year’s season, with the result being a clear message that no one knows if it will actually happen. Mardi Gras Guide publisher Arthur Hardy says there’s not a lot of optimism about having large scale parades in the Crescent City, but he cautions…

Cut 9 (11) “…parades.”

He also adds that funding for the creation of floats is up in the air as some krewes are having difficulty securing membership dues do to the uncertainty.

The heart of the season is set for early-mid February next year, but there’s no indication a vaccine will be widely available by then. Hardy says there’s been some suggestions addressing that problem…

Cut 10 (06) “…weeks”

Fat Tuesday is February 16^th in 2021.

While outdoor parades may be possible by then, Hardy says indoor Mardi Gras balls are looking increasingly less likely…

Cut 11 (12) “this year”

___________________________

The state is receiving another $205 million in BP oil spill money for a variety of projects to help recover from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Bren Haase says $176 million will be used to build marshland in the upper Barataria Basin

Cut 12 (11) “…the Mississippi River.”

Haase says over $25 million will be put toward oyster-related projects, including the construction of two brood reefs in St. Bernard Parish. The reefs will be closed to harvesting, but are located near open harvesting areas.

Cut 13 (10) “…can eat them.” 

Haase says $3 million will be going toward a system that is in place to respond to injured marine mammals.

Cut 14 (07) “…the save them.”

LSU students will begin the first of ten days of move-in for on-campus residents Saturday. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

Governor Edwards says a final ruling on the new 300 dollar federally enhanced unemployment benefits is good news for Louisiana. Kevin Barnhart has more…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

___________________________________________

A Louisiana doctor on the White House Coronavirus Task Force offers an optimistic outlook for what is on the horizon in the battle against COVID-19. Kevin Barnhart has more…

Cut 3 (31)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

______________________________

LSU will begin tomorrow its staggered move-in for students living on campus. LSU Residential Life spokesperson Catherine David (Dah-veed) says more than 7,000 students will settle into their new homes and given assigned days to do so.

Cut 4 (11)_ “…residents.”

Residence hall move-in will take place Saturday through Wednesday and on-campus apparent dwellers can move in from August 20^th to 23^rd. The first day of classes is August 24^th.

Each student is allowed to bring two people to help them with the move in, and all students and their designated guests must get a wristband at the River Road staging area before entering.

Cut 5 (10)  “…wellness.”

LSU reports it is expecting to see an increase in enrollment for the fall semester despite the pandemic.

David says the standard COVID-era coronavirus spread mitigation policies will be in effect for the move in.

Cut 6 (08) “…check in.”

The wellness bag will contain an LSU branded mask and gaiter, hand sanitizer, and a Mike the Tiger stress ball.

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The new 300 dollar federally enhanced weekly unemployment benefits will be available for jobless individuals in the next few weeks and will be retroactive to August 1^st. Governor Edwards says new federal guidance allows for all Louisiana unemployment beneficiaries to collect the payment.

Cut 7 (12) “…1st”

The new benefits are a drop from the previous 600 dollar weekly payments and they are in addition to what the state provides.

The 300 dollar weekly boost is being funded by FEMA emergency relief funds. Edwards says that concerns him, but…

Cut 8 (05) “…good news.”

The disaster response fund has enough money to fund the program for roughly five to six weeks.

Edwards says the Louisiana Workforce Commission is working to make sure its distribution system is ready for the change from the former 600 dollar payments funded directly by Congress.

Cut 9 (11) “…necessary.”

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Deputy Chief of Staff for the Trump Administration and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force Dr. John Fleming is optimistic a COVID-19 vaccine could be approved in a couple of months. The former Congressman says several different vaccines could get FDA approval.

Cut 10 (10) “…6 to 8 months.”

Fleming says the timeline getting the entire nation inoculated could happen quickly once the vaccine is available.

Cut 11 (10) “…of 2021”

In addition to work on vaccines, Fleming says there are promising developments with the use of synthetic antibodies, a variety of treatments such as filtration of the blood to pull out the virus, and an oral anti-viral that can be taken at home for those battling the virus.

Cut 12 (06) “…we move forward.”

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US District Judge Martin Feldman is set to hear arguments in New Orleans today from 22 southeast Louisiana bar owners who are attempting to stop enforcement of Governor Edwards’ bar closure order. Similar challenges have not had much luck but legal analyst Tim Meche says this argument might be in front of the right judge.

Cut 13 (12) “…would be him.” 

Meche says the bar owners could be looking for success in finding the closure order unconstitutional when it closes down certain businesses while letting other types of businesses operate.

Cut 14 (08) “…necessary or good.”

Meche doubts bars will be reopened today as a result of the hearing.

Cut 15 (12) “…while at least.” 

The Southland Conference joins other leagues in deciding to play football in the spring. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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The Saints kick off the season on September 13th against Tampa Bay, but Who Dat Nation will not be in the Superdome. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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The Southland Conference has decided to postpone league competition for football and other fall sports to the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioner Tom Burnett says questions surrounding the long-term effects of the virus was a factor in their decision

Cut 3 (10)  “…had COVID”  

The league is giving schools the option of playing nonconference games in the fall, but McNeese, Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State have decided to wait until the spring. Burnett says the plan is to play a conference schedule in 2021

Cut 4 (09)“ ..it will occur 

Football teams in the Southland have been holding workouts and the league held a virtual media day last month. Burnett says NCAA released a new set of health and safety requirements last week and that caught the attention of school leaders…

Cut 5 (06)  “…or not”

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The Saints announce no fans will be in the Superdome for the season opener versus Tampa Bay on September 13. Team President Dennis Lauscha says while Orleans Parish is doing better in reducing the spread of the virus, fans coming in from other areas are a concern.

Cut 6 (09) “…those numbers down.”

Lauscha says team officials have been working closely with health and safety experts, state and local authorities, and the NFL to outline a plan for the safest way to reintroduce fans to the Superdome.

Cut 7 (08) “…to our games.”

The fate of game attendance for other home games is currently unknown and will depend on the status of trends in virus spread.  Lauscha says the game-day production with fans in attendance is vital in maintaining dome field advantage.

Cut 8 (11) “…a big play.”

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41-year-old Taniel Cole is custody after allegedly brandishing a gun in a Shreveport hospital, executing a carjacking, and taking law enforcement on a cross-state chase before being apprehended in Mississippi.

Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond says Cole entered Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and started a domestic dispute with someone there…

Cut 9 (10) “…hospital.”

A bystander who is believed to have no been a part of the domestic dispute then attempted to intervene and was shot in the left. Raymond says that bystander may have saved lives…

Cut 10 (10) “…worse.”

The victim who was shot is not in serious condition and is expected to make a full recovery.

After shooting the bystander…

Cut 11 (12) “…unharmed”

Cole continued to drive by himself to Mississippi and was apprehended near the state line with Alabama.

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The Louisiana Health Department announced eleven-hundred new coronavirus cases today, bringing the state’s total to 135-thousand. But Governor Edwards says the percentage of tests that show a positive coronavirus case is decreasing

Cut 12 (12) “…on cases”

The number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital has fallen below 13-hundred to 1,281. Edwards says nearly a month ago, there were 16-hundred COVID-19 patients hospitalized

Cut 13 (12) “available today” 

The state also reported 41 more COVID-19 deaths as the death toll rose to 42-hundred. Edwards says 49-percent of the victims are white and 49-percent are black but black residents make up 33-percent of Louisiana’s population

Cut 14 (06) “over-represented”

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42-year-old Curtis Carroll of Tallulah has been arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder of 38-year-old Pamela Oliver of Tallulah, who is believed to have been Carroll’s girlfriend. Master State Police Trooper Michael Reichardt says Oliver’s body was discovered Tuesday yesterday in Madison Parish…

Cut 15 (06) “river” 

Oliver was last seen alive on Saturday. The Madison Parish Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrest. Reichardt says helping rural parishes solve serious crimes is a big part of what LSP does.

Cut 16 (08) “it did” 

Carroll is also a suspect in an arson that occurred several weeks ago, but is not related to this homicide.

A legal expert warns that schools who chose to play fall sports face a real threat of COVID-related lawsuits from players down the road. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

If you’ve been receiving TOPS but are thinking of sitting out the fall semester due to COVID you could lose your eligibility. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

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SNAP recipients are receiving high-demand employment training due to a new partnership between the Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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Liability concerns are reportedly one of the leading factors in why the Big Ten and PAC 12 suspended fall sports.

Legal analyst Tim Meche says those conferences had good reason to believe that, and there’s already precedent for wide-scale health-related sports lawsuits.

Cut 4 (10)_ “…schools.”

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says the SEC plans on further refining its policies to promote a safe return to play while monitoring the situation.

Meche says the potential lawsuits would arise from long-term damage or death related to COVID-19 cases linked to athletics programs. But how can you prove a player got the case from sports?

Cut 5 (10)  “…people.”

One idea being pushed to counter potential suits is that players must sign a liability waiver to play, but Meche says liability law is on a state-by-state basis…

Cut 6 (10) “…such.”

The NCAA has already spoken out against the use of athletics waivers by schools, and federal legislation has been proposed that would ban them.

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Virtual meetings may have become part of the new normal during the pandemic, but a new study from career website Zippia shows that most people are distracted during the meetings. Head of content at Zippia Kathy Morris says in Louisiana the number one distraction is multitasking.

Cut 7 (10) “…some actual work”

Morris says 20% of workers say their meetings are never productive and 47% of workers prefer in-person meetings over the frustrations that come with virtual gatherings.

Cut 8 (13) “…technical difficulties.”

Morris says another factor that may contribute to the distractions and disdain for meetings the amount of time they take away from actual work.

Cut 9 (09) “…can be a lot.”

_____________________________

College students who have been receiving TOPS but are choosing not to take classes in the fall must fill out an exception form with LOSFA or lose their TOPS eligibility.

You can find the application on my-losfa-dot-la-dot-gov, but  LOSFA director Dr. Sujuan Boutte warns that applying is no guarantee.

Cut 10 (11) “required”

Some reasons include if you or a person in your household have morbidities that exacerbate COVID-19, medically documented anxiety related to contracting COVID-19, or a learning disability that precludes online learning.

Boutte says for those uncomfortable with in-person classes, but who want to maintain their eligibility…

Cut 11 (12) “…chose”

If you do switch from taking in-person classes to online courses Boutte says you’ll still have to meet GPA and full-time student requirements…

Cut 12 (09) “the year”

Spring 2020 high school grads have until fall 2021 to enroll before they lose eligibility.

_______________________

The Department of Children and Family Services is partnering with the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to help SNAP recipients receive high-demand employment training.  DCFS Assistant Secretary of Family Support Shavana Howard says this partnership will allow for those going through programs to get additional support.

Cut 13 (07) “…to be successful.” 

The partnership could also help fill the gap with other hurdles that stand in the way of education including assistance for transportation and childcare expenses.

The partnership is initially limited to a couple of training programs and locations, but Howard says that could expand in the future.

Cut 14 (07) “…in Lake Charles.”

Howard says with the proper training in allied health and construction, someone can likely land a gig quickly.

Cut 15 (10) “…away with employment.”