The state education department says you can email complaints to them if your local school is not following COVID-19 safety guidelines. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

____________________________

Nearly half of all Louisiana unemployment recipients may not qualify to receive the new 300 dollar federally enhanced weekly payments. Matt Doyle has more…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

The state education department has created an email address where the public can file complaints about a school not following minimum COVID-19 health requirements established by BESE. Education Superintendent Cade Brumley says the address is l-d-o-e-covid-19-support-at-la-dot-gov….

Cut 3 (12)  “…face coverings”  

Brumley says they have received a few concerns already. He says once they receive a complaint, the local school system leader and school board president are notified

Cut 4 (11)“ …department” 

BESE approved rules for schools to follow in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. They include a mask mandate for staff and children in grades three through 12, limits on group sizes, and capacity on school buses. Brumley says schools who refuse to follow these guidelines put themselves at risk of being sued if a student is infected by COVID-19

Cut 5 (06)  “…as well.”

______________________

As many as 200,000 Louisianans on unemployment could be ineligible to receive the new 300 dollar federally enhanced weekly benefits.

Workers must receive at least 100 dollars a week in state benefits to qualify for the 300 extra. Governor Edwards says that’s only about half of all state unemployment beneficiaries…

Cut 6 (09) “…this”

A spokesperson for Senator Bill Cassidy told The Advocate that people receiving under 100 dollars a week from the state could get a prorated cut of the 300 dollar federal benefit.

The 300 dollar benefit is the result of an executive order by the President over the weekend. Edwards was alarmed that the benefit is being funded by FEMA emergency relief funds during hurricane season.

Cut 7 (12) “weeks”

Edwards also raised concerns that without some federal intervention the state unemployment trust fund will soon be depleted, and the state will have to start borrowing that money from the feds.

Cut 8 (09) “…1st.”

State beneficiaries can receive a maximum of 247 dollars a week.

____________________________________________

Presidential candidate Joe Biden has selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James worked Harris’s campaign for president and says the selection is no surprise to him.

Cut 9 (08) “…Republicans as well.”

James says he met with several presidential hopefuls last year and said Harris was the only one with a plan to implement the south into her campaign.

Cut 10 (13) “…times last year.”

James says the historical significance of having a black woman who graduated from an HBCU is not lost on him.

Cut 11 (11) “…his running mate.”

Harris graduated from Howard University. The Louisiana Republican Party says Senator Harris supports Medicare-for-All over private healthcare, the decriminalization of illegal immigration, and she’ll attempt to strip second amendment rights.

___________________________

Bayou Segnette State Park cabins and campgrounds will reopen to the public Friday after being used to isolate COVID-positive patients who had nowhere to stay but didn’t need hospitalization.

Assistant Secretary for the Office of State Parks Brandon Burris says the site is completely safe and ready for visitors to pour in this weekend…

Cut 12 (08) “…again”

The state is taking reservations now, and you can use promo code welcome back to get four nights for the price of three through September 7^th.

Three state parks were used for isolation, and Burris says they had quite a few guests.

Cut 13 (04) “state” 

Chicot State Park and Lake Bistineau were also used. Chicot fully reopened June 26^th but Lake Bistineau overnight facilities are still not available.

State parks have seen record attendance this summer, and Burris says that’s because they are great for people who are looking to stay safe.

Cut 14 (11) “distance”

Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says the state is seeing increasing cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children associated with COVID-19.  Kevin Barnhart has the story

Cut 1 (27) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

_____________________________________

Crawfish aquaculture will now be included in the federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, a major boost to crawfishermen. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

The Big Ten and PAC 12 have dropped out of fall sports, but the SEC so far remains committed to playing. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

______________________________

Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says the state continues to see an increasing number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or M-I-S-C, associated with COVID-19 among young people.  Billioux says the most common symptoms of this syndrome include GI issues, including nausea and diarrhea.

Cut 4 (08)_ “…and heart problems.”

On Monday, the state reported a fourth death linked to M-I-S-C.  As of August 10, the number of confirmed MIS-C cases in Louisiana has risen to 44. To date, infants as young as 1 month and teens up to 19 years of age have received MIS-C diagnoses in Louisiana.  Billioux says the length of time the ailment can impact a child varies depending on the severity of the case.

Cut 5 (09)  “…doing for them.”

Billioux says about 40% of children with M-I-S-C have heart inflammation, adding that there are still studies being conducted to determine what is the cause.

Cut 6 (11) “…what’s going on.”

______________________________

After months of lobbying the crawfish industry will be included in the federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program aimed at helping food producers impacted by the pandemic.

Congressman Ralph Abraham made the announcement. He says crawfishermen were slammed by having the pandemic shut the country down during their peak spring season.

Cut 7 (10) 2020.”

When the program was first announced in April crawfishermen incensed that they weren’t included like other seafood industries. Abraham says the LSU Ag Center and Louisiana Farm Bureau went to work fixing that…

Cut 8 (08) “…CFAP.”

Abraham says if you’re a crawfisherman the relief is just straight cash in your pockets if you qualify but you need to apply for the aid by the September 11^th deadline.

Cut 9 (07) “…CFAP”

_____________________________

The PAC 12 and Big Ten have suspended fall sports but SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says the conference is still planning on holding its season.

9 of the preseason top 25 teams have had their conferences cancel on them. USA Today sports writer Glenn Guilbeau says the SEC is strong enough to still have a season without those teams…

Cut 10 (06) “four”

Only six FBS conferences remain. The MAC and Mountain West announced plans to suspend last week.

Guilbeau says the suspension of those Power Five seasons could result in a windfall for SEC teams because they’d be some of the only top-level college football on TV.

Cut 11 (10) “…networks”

Guilbeau says in that case you could see SEC games being played on more than just Saturdays.

Sankey says the SEC plans on further refining its policies to promote a safe return to play while monitoring the situation. Guilbeau says don’t expect any SEC decision to be made imminently.

Cut 12 (09) “definition”

Sankey did tell Dan Patrick that if every other conference were to bow out he didn’t think it would be wise for the SEC to hold fall sports.

_______________________

Investigators with State Police are looking into an officer-involved shooting that put a burglary suspect in the hospital.  Shortly after 5 on Tuesday morning, Lafayette Police responded to a complaint of a burglary.  Trooper Thomas Gossen says when officers arrived, they made contact with the subject.

Cut 13 (07) “…discharging his weapon.” 

Gossen says while officers were on the scene, they found two handguns close to where the scuffle took place and one of them appeared to be a weapon that was taken during the burglary.  Injuries were minimal.

Cut 14 (09) “…the local hospital.”

Gossen says it is still too early to tell how things escalated to the point of gunfire adding that investigators still have lots of work to do.

Cut 15 (11) “…from the residents” 

______________________________________________

Saints running back Alvin Kamara is heading into his final season of his rookie contract but he’s not worried about a new deal. Kamara says having a healthy season is a bigger priority…

Cut 16 (19) “with it” 

Kamara missed two games last season and said he was never the same after injuring the MCL in his knee during week six of last season…

cut 17  (25) “…be on the field” 

Kamara said he didn’t have surgery on his knee, instead decided to rehab it and also changed his diet…

Cut 18  (19) “…still positive”   

___________________

After last night’s game, the Pelicans have just one more game to go, before their season officially ends. Brandon Ingram did not play last night as he’s set to become a restricted free agent this fall, but the All-Star says he wants to stay in New Orleans

cut 19 (23) “…I’m at”  

It’s been a disappointing experience for the Pelicans inside the NBA bubble. They entered with playoff aspirations, but will fall well short of reaching the postseason. But Ingram says the experience in Orlando will only make them better

cut 20 (23) “  make playoffs”  

22 COVID-19 outbreaks have been linked to daycare facilities across the state since the pandemic started. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (32) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

_____________________________________

The LSU Ag Center is looking for Green Thumbs to respond to their survey about gardening during the pandemic. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington” 

___________________________________________

A recent executive order by President Trump allows citizens to defer their payroll tax payments through the end of the year. Matt Doyle asked a tax expert if you should take that option…

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

______________________________

The Department of Health reports there have been 22 COVID-19 outbreaks linked to daycare facilities across the state since the pandemic started. Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says those outbreaks account for 75 cases.

Cut 4 (08)_ “…are in daycare.”

Kanter says the new cases are concerning as it relates to the new branches of the virus each case may cause, but says how well daycare aged children transmit the virus to adults is unclear.

Cut 5 (12)  “…to be conclusive.”

While children appear to be more resilient than adults when it comes to avoiding poor health outcomes from the virus, kids in Louisiana have died from complications of COVID-19. Kanter says Louisiana is seeing an increasing number of cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C, associated with COVID-19 among young people. Another death linked to MIS-C was reported Monday.

Cut 6 (11) “…than daycare age.”

As of August 10, the number of confirmed MIS-C cases in Louisiana has risen to 44. To date, infants as young as 1 month and teens up to 19 years of age have received MIS-C diagnoses in Louisiana.

______________________________

The LSU Ag Center is looking for Louisiana gardeners, those who are new to the hobby and experienced, to participate in an online survey about gardening during the pandemic. AgCenter Lead Researcher Heather Kirk-Ballard says gardening stores across the country are reporting an uptick in business as more people are staying home.

Cut 7 (09) vegetable transplants.”

Kirk- Ballard says the LSU Ag Center offers support for gardeners of all levels of experience and with the survey, they want to engage new green thumbs to use them as a resource.

Cut 8 (06) “…provide information.”

With the survey, they also want to see what types of plants Louisianans are choosing to cultivate. In addition to reports of an increase in sales of vegetables and seeds, Kirk-Ballard also says there’s been a demand for canning supplies

Cut 9 (07) “…their vegetables.”

The survey can be found LSU AgCenter’s website

https://bit.ly/lsugarcensurvey

_____________________________

The USDA announces it will buy 30 million dollars’ worth of Gulf of Mexico shrimp to help stabilize the market and avoid a total price collapse due to excess product.

Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper says they’ve been hammered this year due to the closure of restaurants and the purchase is a big help.

Cut 10 (10) “lick”

Cooper says the decision should help cut down on the glut of product that is currently on the market.

Cut 11 (12) “…we are”

Cooper says the season just began Monday and they’re optimistic that we’re looking at a good season.

Cut 12 (09) “come back”

_______________________

President Trump signed an executive order over the weekend deferring payroll tax collection for employees through the end of the year.

Postlethwaite and Netterville Associate Tax Director Kathryn Pittman says it is very important to keep in mind that this is not a payroll tax holiday.

Cut 13 (11) “…defferal.” 

The executive order was part of a suite of orders, others targeting unemployment insurance, evictions, and student loans. The constitutionality of the orders is in question and a legal challenge is expected.

The President is pushing to have his deferral made into a tax holiday, but Pittman’s recommendation is to continue paying your usual payroll taxes to the IRS until more clarity is provided.

Cut 14 (12) “taxes.”

Pittman says if Congress or the Treasury Department converts the deferral into a true tax holiday then you’ll likely receive back pay for payments made during this period.

The order has led to some misunderstandings and Pittman recommends companies be clear about what their policy will be regarding the deferral offer while the issue is sorted out in D.C.

Cut 15 (08) “…important” 

Governor Edwards is reinstating work search requirements for those receiving unemployment insurance benefits. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

The LHSAA has decided to delay the start of the high school football season until October 8th. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

___________________________________________

We’ve seen a record-breaking number of named storms form this early in the hurricane season and a state climatologist predicts we will run out of names by the end of the year…

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

______________________________

Louisiana residents receiving unemployment will now have to begin applying for at least three jobs a week in order to keep their benefits.

600 dollar a week federal enhanced benefits are ending and Louisiana Workforce Commission Assistant Secretary Robert Wooley says he knows the situation is difficult, but…

Cut 4 (07)_ “…opportunity”

Negotiations are ongoing in Congress about a potential extension. Democrats want a full 600 dollar a week extension through the end of the year. Republicans are seeking a lower number.

Wooley says if you apply for jobs through LAworks.net those applications will autofill in when you submit your weekly unemployment certification. If you apply by phone or another website…

Cut 5 (07)  “…form”

Wooley estimates over 400,000 Louisianans are currently receiving benefits.

Louisiana’s June unemployment rate was about ten percent, but Wooley says there’s a lot of jobs available right now if you go looking.

Cut 6 (10) “…Louisiana”

The work search requirement is standard for Louisiana unemployment but was waived by the Governor April 7^th.

______________________________

The LHSAA has decided to delay the start of the prep football season to October eighth. Executive director Eddie Bonine says the goal is to play a six to eight regular-season game schedule. Bonine says they are also looking at pushing the state football championships back from the second weekend in December

Cut 7 (12) “…playoff structure.”

Bonine says they’ve started discussions with the Dome about holding the state championship football games later in December, but there are conflicts like the Sugar Bowl and New Orleans Bowl, plus Christmas.

He says in order for the season to start during the second weekend in October, the state needs to move into phase 3 of its reopening and then a two week stretch of coronavirus cases continuing to decline…

Cut 8 (12) “…collison sport.”

Louisiana has been stuck in phase two of its reopening since June and other restrictions have also been added. Bonine says he’s hopeful the state is turning the corner in its efforts in slowing the COVID spread and we’ll have football in the fall…

Cut 9 (05) “…anything done”
_____________________________

NOAA will reveal its updated 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast at 10 AM today, with all signs pointing to an upgraded projection due to the current record-setting year.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says we’ve never seen so many storms so early in the season…

Cut 10 (13) “on record”

2005 was also the year Katrina and Rita struck.

Colorado State upgraded its projection to 24 named storms yesterday. Keim says both agencies are bullish on the rest of the season.

Cut 11 (10) “…are”

Keim says it is very likely that we will see so many named storms this year that we have to start using Greek alphabet letters to name them.

Cut 12 (10) “…season”

During 2005 the first six letters of the Greek alphabet were used for storm names. Two of those became hurricanes.

________________________

The Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction takes place tonight in Baton Rouge, recognizing those that have made significant contributions to the state’s ag industry. Louisiana Radio Network Farm Broadcaster Don Molino says the concept originated a few years ago when it became clear the industry wasn’t receiving enough praise.

Cut 13 (10) “…thank a farmer.” 

This year’s class has four inductees. The annual ceremony was originally scheduled for March but got bumped back due to the coronavirus.  Molino says the event will look different this year with a live stream, but it brings the event to a bigger audience than ever.

Cut 14 (10) “…and Louisiana agriculture.”

The live stream starts at 7 PM on the Louisiana Radio Network Facebook page.

This year’s inductees are James Barnett, John Denison, Jay Hardwick and Calvin Viator will actually all be participating in the ceremony from their homes.

Cut 15 (14) “…need a farmer.” 

____________________________

The Saints are giving their coaches, players, and other key personnel the opportunity to stay at the Loews Hotel in downtown New Orleans through the season opener in an effort to prevent a coronavirus outbreak within the team. Coach Sean Payton says unfortunately with this virus, you can easily get it from someone inside your home

Cut 16 (13) “outside contact” 

There are also player masks and shields that can be attached to the facemask to prevent droplets from entering a person’s mouth or eyes. But Payton says they can restrict a player’s ability to breathe

cut 17  (20) “…on it” 

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees says he spent the offseason trying to improve on throwing the ball down the field. Payton says Brees is combatting age, but his arm strength has not limited what they can do on offense…

Cut 18  (20) “…that way”   

The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team is now calling for an extremely active 2020 season. Jeff Palermo has the details

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

____________________________

A million masks are being distributed to schools across the state thanks to a partnership between GOHSEP and the Louisiana Department of Education. Matt Doyle has more.

cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

Senator Bill Cassidy proposes a second round of stimulus checks that would send 1,000 dollars to most Americans, instead of the previous 1,200 to working adults and 500 to their children. Cassidy says parents with young children are in the most pain right now and the next round of stimulus checks should reflect that.

Cut 3 (10)  “…childcare”  

The annual income limit to receive a check would still be 75,000 dollars for an individual and 150,000 for joint filers.

It may be 200 dollars less for some people, but Cassidy says a grand would still go a long way.

Cut 4 (8)_ “is.”

Recent college or high school grads who did not qualify in the last round would qualify under this bill.

Cassidy says the bill is not just about helping those in need, it’s about stimulating the economy, and this is a more efficient way to do it.

Cut 5 (12)  “…need.”

______________________

The Colorado State Hurricane forecast team has revised its forecast and they are now calling for an extremely active season with 24 named storms. C-S-U researcher Jhordanne Jones says they also believe we’ll see a dozen hurricanes, five of them will be major hurricanes

Cut 6 (10) “…active season”

2005 set the record for most named storms in one year with 27 and that includes Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Jones says warm sea surface temperatures and very low wind shear in the tropical Atlantic are primary factors for the extremely active season…

Cut 7 (10) “…The Caribbean”

The 2020 hurricane season has already produced nine named storms and this latest forecast from CSU increases their projected storm total from 20 to 24. Jones says their research also says there’s a 48-percent chance for a major hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast this year

Cut 8 (10) “do that”

____________________________________________

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and the Louisiana Department of Education have partnered to provide a million masks for schools.

State Education Superintendent Cade Brumley says that’s enough to provide one reusable mask for every school employee and student.

Cut 9 (09) “…long way.”

Physical classes in seven districts are set to begin later this week.

Brumley says the masks will be washable and durable.

Cut 10 (11) “…office”

The masks will be distributed to public, charter, and non-public schools.

Brumley says there’s no doubt there will be additional, costly expenses like providing additional PPE throughout the semester, but it must be done.

Cut 11 (07) “…education”

Anyone entering a Louisiana school campus during the fall semester will be required to wear a mask.

___________________________

A Baton Rouge dad is in jail after his 10-year-old son is shot during an alleged drug transaction and it accused of having his young kids help in the manufacturing the drugs.  Baton Rouge Police Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says when the kid’s mom learned of the gunshot wound, the kids spilled the beans on the operation.

Cut 12 (13) “…of their dad.” 

36-year-old Kevin Evans Jr. and his girlfriend 29-year-old Meagan Toney have been charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.

McKneely says the kids described to police what happened that lead to the shooting.

Cut 13 (13) “…by gun fire.” 

The child was taken to a hospital following the shooting with non-life-threatening injuries to the hand and leg.  Police are still looking for the shooter.

McKneely says having a drug ring become a family activity where kids get hands-on experience in all the processes in making and distributing narcotics is something that he’s never heard of before.

Cut 14 (10) “…heard of that.”

Contact tracers are having a tough time getting people to tell them who they may have infected. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (29) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

A study of the Cancer Consortium Registry reveals patients with cancer who get COVID can be eight times more likely to die than the average person who contracts the disease. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry receives the state’s first reported SARS-CoV-2 positive case in a dog. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

______________________________

Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says the state is having some difficulties getting results from the COVID contract tracing program.

He says first off the recent explosion in cases is making it tough to get to people in a timely manner. And…

Cut 4 (09)_ “…those people”

Another big issue they’ve had is that when they can get in contact with a confirmed COVID-positive person, most of them are not telling contract tracers who they may have infected.

Cut 5 (12)  “…or not”

Billioux says while face masks are an effective deterrent, they aren’t perfect and people’s usage of facemasks can be sloppy.

Despite these difficulties, Billioux says the program is still a success and providing useful information for health officials.

Cut 6 (09) “…tracing”

To help their contact tracing efforts Billioux says the state is planning on rolling out a contact tracing app for voluntary use.

______________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards says the state is looking into further actions to be taken regarding Firehouse BBQ in Denham Springs.  The Livingston Parish restaurant has been in operation despite having its food permit revoked for blatant defiance of spread mitigation efforts including a lack of mask-wearing for customers and employees as well as social distancing.

Cut 7 (08) “…is just unacceptable..”

Edwards encourages all business owners to understand that the immunity from civil liability for contracting coronavirus at private-sector establishments is not available to those not following CDC guidelines.

Cut 8 (07) “…a reckless manner.”

Governor Edwards says it is too soon to try to speculate as to what in-stadium attendance for LSU football will look like for the upcoming season adding that there is no set schedule attendance info will be available to fans.

Cut 9 (11) “…you that today.”
_____________________________

An LSU Health New Orleans oncologist helps author a study showing 13 to 16 percent of cancer patients with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will die within 30 days of diagnosis.

An Ochsner study of Jefferson and Orleans Parish estimated a 1.63 percent average infection mortality rate. LSU Health Clinical Medicine Professor Suki Subbiah (Sue-Bye-uh) says cancer patients are far more vulnerable.

Cut 10 (09) “…they are”

Adjusting for male sex, former smoker status, age, and comorbidities further increased the death rate.

Subbiah says this data makes it clear cancer patients and cancer doctors should take extra caution when assessing whether a patient needs to come in for treatment.

Cut 11 (11) “…cancer”

Subbiah suggests cancer doctors familiarize themselves with this data.

Cut 12 (10) “…too”

The data was drawn and studied from the Cancer Consortium Registry, a data center created in March to study cancer patients with COVID-19.

________________________

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry receives the state’s first reported case of a dog testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.  Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says the dog, like most animals that test positive for the virus, was not sick.

Cut 13 (09) “…it was tested .” 

Animals can show symptoms though as some suffer from mild respiratory or gastrointestinal issues.  Strain says the virus usually resolves quicker in dogs than with humans.

Cut 14 (10) “…to a person.”

But Strain recommends that if an animal does test positive for the virus that it is quarantined with the owner.

Early in the pandemic, it was believed that pets could not contract the virus, but the CDC has not learned animals can be infected.  Strain says the virus is nowhere near as widespread in animals compared to humans.

Cut 15 (09) “…and ten cats.” 

According to HIPPA rules, the state cannot release any information that would identify the pet owner, including the breed or the animal’s location.

State Education Superintendent Cade Brumley is confident in the protocols for spread mitigation as schools begin to re-open. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

____________________________

LSU’s D-D Breaux announces she’s retiring after 43 years as head coach of the Tigers gymnastics program. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

_____________________________

State Education Superintendent Cade Brumley says classes begin this week for seven different school systems. Brumley says many schools are using a hybrid model, a split between virtual and in-person learning. Brumley says they’ve allocated over 300-million dollars in federal money to improve virtual instruction

Cut 3 (10)  “…for teachers”  

Brumley says the state is working with experts across the nation on establishing best practices in various areas pertaining to virtual instruction.

Cut 4 (10)_ “of vetting that.”

Brumley says the guidance from the state level does leave room for local autonomy in how a school system handles its mix of virtual and in-person instruction.

Cut 5 (10)  “…decide to use.”

______________________

Legendary coach D-D Breaux announced today she’s retiring after 43 years as the leader of LSU women’s gymnastics program. Co-head coach Jay Clark will take over. The 67-year-old Breaux admits the past year has been difficult with the death of her mother and then the coronavirus pandemic

Cut 6 (10) “…we’re in”

Breaux is leaving on top as the Tigers are three-time defending SEC champions and fans have been packing the PMAC to watch their meets. The Donaldsonville native says after building the gymnastics program into a national powerhouse, she can now spend more time with her four grandchildren…

Cut 7 (10) “…right time’”  (2x)

Breaux is not completely leaving LSU as she’s been named as an ambassador for LSU, so she plans to be involved in a lot of different community service projects…

Cut 8 (10) “do that”

____________________________________________

State Treasurer John Schroder estimates about 10,000 small businesses have completed an application for Main Street Recovery grants, but they’re running into some issues and misconceptions from applicants.

He says some haven’t filed annual reports with the Secretary of State, many others haven’t filed their taxes, and…

Cut 9 (08) “…bookkeeping.”

Those who qualify can receive up to 15,000 dollars in no-strings-attached cash. Applicants must have fewer than 50 employees to be eligible.

Schroder says about 65 percent of applicants are using their smartphone to sign up. The problem is…

Cut 10 (08) “…application”

Schroder says they’ll need about 30,000 businesses to complete the application process before the fund is exhausted.

The Treasurer says there’s also been misunderstanding about who can apply. One, you can apply if you received federal aid and two, the program is not just for minorities.

Cut 11 (04) “…everybody.”

Schroder says about 70 percent of applicants are classified as minorities. The state widely publicized that 40 million of the 275 million dollar fund was to be set aside for minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.

___________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards announces Louisiana will remain in phase two for another three weeks until August 28th as he plans to officially extend the state’s coronavirus restrictions on Thursday. Edwards says this means the mask mandate and bar closure order will stay in place

Cut 12 (10) “…for ourselves.” 

Edwards says the White House coronavirus task force recommends that the state keeps its mitigation measures in place. But he says there is encouraging news, the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital is on the decline

Cut 13 (11) “…seven days” 

There are currently 1,487 COVID-19 patients in the hospital statewide. Edwards says there are also fewer people showing up at ER’s reporting COVID-like symptoms. Edwards says we can continue to reduce the transmission of the virus, but it will take everyone doing their part

Cut 14 (12) “…as well.”

Later this month first film/TV project since the pandemic began is set to begin production in Louisiana under a set of new industry guidelines. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

Tulane wraps up animal model trials for a promising COVID-19 drug that is showing strong results as a preventative treatment. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

Senator John Kennedy says federal legislation currently in discussion could allow states to determine how to pay extended unemployment benefits funded by the feds. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

______________________________

The state sets guidelines for movie and TV crews to begin filming again after all production shut down at the start of the pandemic.

Louisiana Entertainment Director Chris Stelly says the health guidelines are pretty similar to other jobs. Wear a mask, social distance while on set, limit access to the studio, and…

Cut 4 (11)_ “…reset”

Performers will not be required to wear masks.

Stelly says 14 projects were in motion in Louisiana before the pandemic. Not all of them may return.

Cut 5 (08)  “…go forward”

The guidelines were influenced by national recommendations from a range of media institutions and film worker unions.

One project is set to begin in Louisiana sometime in late August/early September under these guidelines. Stelly says more will come because the public is starved for content.

Cut 6 (12) “…communities”

______________________________

Louisiana Lottery’s flagship game, Lotto, has been upgraded to see starting jackpots of a half-million dollars.  The change marks only the fourth time the game has been altered in its 28-year history.  Lottery spokesperson Dustin Annison says the changes are being done to spur more excitement with players.

Cut 7 (10) “…throughout the year.”

The first drawing with the new format is Wednesday night.  Annison says the game matrix has changed from the previous version where players were picking 6 out of 40 balls with a 30% chance of winning a prize.

Cut 8 (10) “…of a change.”

Anniston says while everyone wants to win the bigger jackpot, the changes in the game still leave plenty of excitement in the chance at winning one of the smaller prize amounts.

Cut 9 (07) “…be at $50.”

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Tulane researchers say an antibody treatment has shown signs in animal trials that it can be effective at preventing coronavirus from multiplying once it infects you. Tulane Internal Medicine Chair Dr. Jay Kolls says lab mice that received a protein called  MDR 504 were far less likely to see the virus replicate once infected.

Cut 10 (11) “…percent.”

Some animal toxicology studies will need to be completed before they can move to human trials.

Kolls says the treatment could be fantastic for frontline workers like nurses who are regularly exposed to the virus. The only downside is right now it’s not cheap.

Cut 11 (09) “…thing”

Patients must return to receive the treatment several times a month.

Now that there’s firm evidence of the effectiveness of MDR 504, when could the public expect to see it available for general consumption?

Cut 12 (09) “…thing”

Kolls adds the treatment could be highly effective for patients who cannot receive traditional vaccines due to a medical condition.

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Federal lawmakers are working on legislation to extend the extra unemployment benefits funded by the feds to those out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator John Kennedy says the legislation would give states a choice as to how to go about paying the benefits.

Cut 13 (12) “…your prior wages.” 

The amount of time the benefits would be provided is up for debate, but Kennedy says the extra money could continue through the end of October.

Kennedy expects every Democrat to vote against the bill.

Cut 14 (06) “…to oppose it..”

Kennedy expects the legislation to be voted on and to pass at some point this week, but it will also face opposition from some Republicans.

Cut 15 (12) “…than to work.” 

A request for a restraining order against the Governor’s statewide closure of bars has been rejected by federal judges. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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Ochsner Health has been selected to participate in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trial. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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Federal judges in New Orleans and Lafayette have rejected requests from bar owners for a restraining order against the Governor’s bar closure order. Those owners are suing the state over the issue.

Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says there’s a good legal reason why the requests were rejected.

Cut 3 (10)  “…injunction”  

The Governor’s order restricts bars from serving customers on-premise but does allow for customers to buy to-go drinks. To-go drinks have been banned in New Orleans.

The New Orleans case will be heard on the 14^th and the Lafayette case will be heard on the 17^th. Ciolino says this decision is a blow to those filing the suits.

Cut 4 (07)_ “denied this”

Ciolino does not expect the plaintiffs to have much success going forward.

Cut 5 (11)  “…deferential”

______________________

The Saints begin strength and conditioning work today after none of their players tested positive for COVID-19 testing during extensive testing last week. Quarterback Drew Brees is ready to begin his 15th season with the Black and Gold…

Cut 6 (09) “…good at”

During training camp, Saints players, coaches, team doctors, and other personnel will stay at the Loews Hotel in New Orleans to mitigate the risk of infection.

Brees says part of his preparation for the upcoming season included breaking the habit of licking his fingers, which he would do repeatedly throughout the game

Cut 7 (12) “…of the habit’”

Brees also says he’ll continue to stand for the national anthem to honor those who have served and died for our country. But he will respect the decision of his teammates who chose to kneel after saying in June that he would never approve of anyone who takes a knee during the anthem

Cut 8 (12) “continue to undue”

Brees faced a mountain of criticism for his kneeling during the anthem comments in June. He quickly apologized and the 41-year-old says he now understands the anthem protests were not about disrespecting the flag.

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Ochsner Health is one of 120 sites worldwide chosen to participate in phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine study with drugmaker Pfizer.  Ochsner Principal Investigator Dr. Julia Garcia-Diaz says the selection comes as a result of its expertise and history in conducting clinical trials.

Cut 9 (09) “…of that endeavor.”

All participants accepted into the study will be randomized to receive either the vaccine or a placebo in the form of two shots, with a 50/50 distribution between the two.  Neither the patients nor the investigators will know what they have received.

Garcia-Diaz says another factor that brought the study to Louisiana is its status as a COVID-19 hotspot.

Cut 10 (10) “…of the vaccine.”

Globally, the study aims to enroll up to 30,000 participants.  Ochsner will enroll a limited number of randomized participants selected from an existing pool of candidates who have previously expressed interest in COVID-19 research.

Garcia-Diaz says an exact timeline is unclear, but don’t expect the vaccine to be available anytime soon.

Cut 11 (11) “…and social distance.”

___________________________

The State Fire Marshal’s Office found nearly 700 businesses were not in compliance with COVID spread mitigation measures in July.  Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that only accounts for a small share of the businesses they visited.

Cut 12 (09) “…we were there.” 

The most common shortcomings included face mask violations, table spacing, large gatherings, exceeded capacities, and self-serve buffet dining.

Browning says the 10 percent mark is indicative of how seriously businesses are taking spread mitigation efforts when compared to standard safety checks.

Cut 13 (08) “…that weren’t right” 

Browning says when they do find a violation, most of the businesses are willing to work with the state to correct it…

Cut 14 (10) “…that we make.”

The Louisiana Department of Health has revoked the food permit for Firehouse BBQ in Livingston Parish as the Denham Springs restaurant reviews to enforce the state’s mask mandate. Firehouse BBQ posted on its Facebook page that remains open, despite the state’s effort to shut them down.

Former Klan leader and state lawmaker David Duke is banned from Twitter. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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LSU football coach Ed Orgeron looks forward to playing a ten-game SEC schedule this season. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (32) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

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Governor Edwards tells Louisiana residents not to expect major changes with the Phase Two coronavirus guidelines as he expects to extend the mask mandate and bar closure order next week. The current order expires next Friday and Edwards it will likely be extended for another two weeks

Cut 3 (11)  “…current data”  

Edwards has been encouraged that the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital has declined over the week, but he points to Louisiana ranking number one for per capital cases. The governor says the mask mandate is part of the new normal

Cut 4 (11)_ “loved ones”

Edwards has faced criticism from some Republican lawmakers over the restrictions that have been put on businesses during this pandemic. But Edwards says he’s following the guidance from the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force

Cut 5 (12)  “…need to do”

______________________

Twitter has banned the account of former KKK leader and state lawmaker David Duke for violating the platform’s rules on hate speech.  The site has recently banned tens of thousands of extremist accounts, and Tyler Bridges, Author of The Rise and Fall of David Duke, says it was inevitable Duke would get hit as well.

Cut 6 (08) “…mainstream.”

The official release from Twitter about the ban says Duke “has been permanently suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter rules on hateful conduct.”

Bridges says Duke frequently posted comments about Jews.

Cut 7 (08) “…issues’”

Duke was already banned from Youtube and Bridges says…

Cut 8 (12) “twitter”

Duke famously ran for Governor against Edwin Edwards in 1991, and last ran for office in 2016, getting 58,000 votes in a campaign for the Senate seat that was won by John Kennedy.

____________________________________________

LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron is excited about the SEC moving from a normal 12-game regular-season schedule to a ten-game format with conference-only opponents. Orgeron says he’s still waiting on an exact schedule, but the shakeup does not take the wind out of his sails.

Cut 9 (11) “…gonna be ready.”

The season will kick off September 26 instead of September 5th and Orgeron anticipates that the two additional conference opponents will come from the SEC East, but the team will be ready.

Cut 10 (11) “…three extra weeks.”

Orgeron says the team has a great testing system in place with a great protocol and believes the team feels very safe with the virus spread mitigation efforts in place, adding that whatever comes, the team will be ready.

Cut 11 (05) “…adapt and adjust.”

___________________________

A Franklin Parish traffic stop leads to the discovery of a dead body in the trunk of a bullet-riddled car.

Court records show a trooper pulled a suspect over for speeding, saw bullet holes in the driver’s side door, and smelled pot coming out of the car. Master Trooper Michael Reichardt…

Cut 12 (07) “…car.” 

That traffic stop led to the arrest of 18-year-old Michael Mitchell Jr. who claims he and 19-year-old Cameron Powe were robbing the victim, Michael Robinson, when Powe shot Robinson and put the body in Mitchell’s trunk. Powe was arrested later that night.

Reichardt applauded the arresting trooper.

Cut 13 (11) “…street” 

But says the trooper was a little shook up by the incident.

Cut 14 (12) “…going”