Bars in a limited number of parishes have begun inviting patrons back for the first time in months. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

________________________________

Two of the best to ever play football in the Bayou State will be enshrined into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

The Department of Children and Family Services so far a little over 60,000 have applied for DSNAP in the areas impacted by Hurricane Laura. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (31)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

_______________________________

The state is seeing cooler and dryer air as a cold front sweeps across Louisiana and high pressure from Canada has taken control of the weather across the eastern United States.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says summer weather is not over with yet, but this is a welcomed break.

Cut 4 (12)“ …in the 80s.” 

Keim says this weather pattern will also come with very low humidity with dew points in the low 60s for the most part.

Cut 5 (08)  “…be absolutely fantastic.”

Keim says it isn’t all good news as there is tropical depression 22 has formed in the southwestern Gulf.  Early models indicate the storm could hit south Texas.

Cut 6 (11) “…the next week.”

__________________________

The first bars have begun reopening in select Louisiana parishes that have less than a five percent positivity rate on COVID tests.

City Bar in Crowley opened up Wednesday night. Owner Chad Monceaux (mon-so) says he’s been getting calls from antsy patrons ready to return to their favorite watering hole.

Cut 7 (09) “…good stuff.”

About seven parishes have so far have been permitted by the state to reopen bars.

Under Phase Three bars that can open must do table service and limit indoor capacity to 25 percent. Governor Edwards has warned Phase Three could last months and Monceaux worries about what that could mean…

Cut 8 (11) “…families.”

Monceaux has accumulated 40,000 dollars of debt to keep the business running since the shutdowns were first ordered in March.

Edwards issued an order yesterday allowing businesses to serve alcohol until 11 PM, up from 10 PM, but Monceaux says that’s still a problem…

Cut 9 (07) “…*laughs*”

Monceaux also noted there is conflicting information between various state agencies as to when you are allowed to begin serving.

_______________________________________

The 2021 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction class features one of the best receivers to play for the Saints, LSU’s most decorated player on defense, and a college basketball legend. Hall of Fame Chairman Doug Ireland says the Saints all-time leading receiver Marques Colston will be enshrined in June…

Cut 10 (10) “…in New Orleans.”

Also going into the Hall from the gridiron is former LSU defensive tackle Glen Dorsey, who helped lead the Tigers to a 2007 national championship. Ireland says Dorsey was a two-time All-American and named SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Cut 11 (09) “…senior year.”

Former LSU basketball star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is also part of the 2021 class. Ireland says the high-scoring guard for the Tigers was the SEC player of the year as a freshman and sophomore

Cut 12 (11) “…college basketball.”

Former LSU track and field coach Pat Henry, former Southern star and MLB infielder Rickie Weeks, former Nicholls softball pitcher Courtney Blades-Rogers, former Richwood football coach Mackie Freeze and 1980 Bassmaster Classic Champion Bo Dowden of Natchitoches are the other 2021 inductees.

____________________________________________________

The Department of Children and Family Services receives federal approval to operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in three more parishes, including Caddo, LaSalle, and St. Landry.  DCFS Assistant Secretary of Family Support Shavana Howard says so far a little over 60,000 have applied for DSNAP.

Cut 13 (04) “…40,000 applications.”

The new additions bring the total number of parishes eligible for DSNAP to 21.

So far, $12 million has been paid out in DSNAP benefits, but Howard says they expected another 100,000 to apply for the assistance in impacted areas.

Cut 14 (09) “…in and apply.”

Depending on their situation, those eligible families could be leaving lots of available assistance on the table.

Cut 15 (08) “…assistance that’s available.”

Step-by-step instructions on how to apply can be found at dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.

___________________________

ULM hosts their first home game of the season Saturday night with Sunbelt rival Texas State rolling into north Louisiana.

ULM Athletic Director Scott McDonald says fans will be there to cheer on the Warhawks, but they’re expected to be on their best COVID-mitigating behavior…

Cut 16 (16) “…others” 

ULM opened the season with a tough 37-7 road loss against Army last weekend.

So what can we expect attendance to be?

Cut 17 (13) “…football” 

Tailgating is banned, and the band, spirit groups, and cheerleaders won’t be on the field for the contest, they’ll have to stay up in the stands. After the game ends and the teams leave they’ll be allowed onto the field to perform.

There was a time when it looked like all of college football would be canceled, and McDonald says just getting to this point has been a real challenge…

Cut 18  (15) “…play  

This weekend’s game will be the first college football game to be played in Louisiana with fans.

________________________________________________________

After having last week’s game postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the team, La Tech will open the season tomorrow night at Conference USA foe Southern Miss. The Bulldogs are expected to play two quarterbacks, Aaron Allen and Luke Anthony. Tech also has new offensive and defensive coordinators. Even Head Coach Skip Holtz is not sure what we’ll see

Cut 19  (18) “…everybody else”     

Southern Miss has played a game as they lost to South Alabama in their season opener. But following the game 5th year head coach Jay Hopson resigned and receivers coach Scotty Walden took over as interim head coach. Holtz doesn’t expect Walden to make drastic changes to what Southern Miss likes to do

cut 20 (19) “…they have”

7,600 unemployment claimants received notices that they’d been overpaid due to a technical error with a Louisiana Workforce Commission vendor. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

____________________________

Haunted Houses will need to request special permission to open this year in order to operate under COVID restrictions. Matt Doyle spoke with the State Fire Marshal Butch Browning

cut 2 (28) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

A technical issue resulted in 76-hundred unemployment claimants receiving an erroneous message claiming they owed overpayment money to the state and feds.

Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie says they are working with their vendor to resolve the issue and claimants do not need to get involved.

Cut 3 (07)  “…contend with.”  

The error resulted in some receiving requests for over ten thousand dollars of back payments.

The overpayment notices were generated last week and sent to beneficiaries who made their claims on March 29^th and 30^th. Dejoie says claimants did not make a mistake…

Cut 4 (05)“ …apologize.” 

Dejoie says they worked fast to fix the problem…

Cut 5 (12)  “correction.”

If you’ve been impacted by this technical error and have questions you are encouraged to email LWC.

_________________

Hurricane Laura had a substantial effect on the agriculture industry and Monroe pecan farmer Abraham Lincoln says his nuts were severely impacted.  Lincoln says while there are still some nuts in the trees, there aren’t enough to make it beyond his local customers.

Cut 6 (08) “…nuts for that.”

The damage to the nuts is even more detrimental since this year appeared to be a promising harvest.

Lincoln says on a good year, his operation will move about 3 million pounds of nuts, but this year, he anticipates it will be closer to a quarter-million pounds.

Cut 7 (05) “…on the ground.”

Nuts that were knocked out of trees are not salvageable.

Lincoln says he invested extra care into the crop that would have been harvested by the first of October.

Cut 8 (13) “…what it was.”

Louisiana isn’t the only state to see its pecan crops negatively impacted by hurricanes.  Georgia is the nation’s largest pecan producer and they’ve been impacted by Hurricane Sally.

________________________

Haunted Houses will be allowed to open this year but under strict permitting requirements and pandemic health restrictions.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says only 50 people total will be allowed in the building…

Cut 9 (11) “…escort”

Due to these restrictions, haunted houses will not be able to be used as venues for other entertainment until the house ceases operation.

Browning says because of how COVID spreads the houses will only be allowed to take groups through six people at a time.

Cut 10 (12) “…report”

Requirements like mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing between groups from different households will also be in effect. Browning says each facility will have guidelines to follow.

Cut 11 (06) “…threat.”

To open each facility will have to check in with the state on OpenSafely.la.gov to get guidance on what they need to do to begin.

_______________________

Utility provider B-E-C-i says they’ve restored power to 60-percent of their membership as power has nearly been restored to all of their customers in Vernon and Rapides Parishes. Spokesperson Danielle Tilley says getting the lights on for the rest of their members who are out will not be easy

Cut 12 (12) “…takes some time.”

Following the storm, the initial estimate was that full restoration could take four to five weeks.

Cut 13 (04) “…in that estimate.”

Others that may not have power restored by the end of September may have too much damage to their structure to receive power.  Tilley says in addition to the over 100 employees working in their offices, they still have plenty of boots on the ground to finish the job.

Cut 14 (07) “…area working hard.” 

Education leaders present an update on the return to learning in Calcasieu Parish following Hurricane Laura. Brooke Thorington has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

________________________________

A federal judge orders Louisiana to go back to using the summer election plan for the upcoming fall elections. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

Hurricane Laura was the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in over 100 years when it made landfall in Cameron Parish. Just over three weeks later the Parish is struggling to recover…

Cut 3 (31)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

_______________________________

The damage sustained from Hurricane Laura to the campus of McNeese State in Lake Charles is estimated to be around $200 million.  McNeese President Daryl Burckel says there isn’t one part of the campus that has not been affected by the hurricane.

Cut 4 (07)“ …significant water intrusion.” 

The first day back to class will be Friday.  Burckel says students face hurdles in virtual education with a lack of access to electricity and internet service, so some learning could be done in the parking lot.

Cut 5 (11)  “…also have hotspots.”

The university hopes to have contractors on site starting November 1.

The Calcasieu Parish School System is facing similar obstacles in recovery as out of 76 school campuses and office complexes, 74 had damage and 15 had substantial damage because the roofs came off.  The estimated total damage is about $300 million.  Superintendent Karl Bruchhaus says internet connectivity is limited.

Cut 6 (12) “…schools with internet.”

The district plans to open schools in as they become ready, with 5-7 opening next week.  Online learning is set to resume September 28.

Bruchhaus says assessments have been completed on 309 of the district’s 350 school buses.  Only 124 would be suitable for the road.

Cut 7 (08) “…damage on buses.”

____________________

US District Court Judge Shelly Dick rules against the Secretary of State’s election plan that rolled back much of the summer’s mail-in balloting opportunities.

Dick says the heavy limitations on COVID-related mail-in voting “imposes a burden on people’s right to vote.” Governor Edwards agrees.

Cut 8 (07) “…do that.”

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.

The plan was backed by the Legislature but rejected by Edwards who raised concerns the proposal made no considerations for those with co-morbid conditions, and…

Cut 9 (09) “…positive”

The summer plan allowed people to request absentee ballots if they or someone in their household were high-risk COVID individuals, or if they were diagnosed with, or feeling symptoms of COVID-19.

The judge ordered Louisiana to reinstate the summer election plan. Edwards says that’s not an undue burden.

Cut 10 (09) “…do so.”

Ardoin, in a statement, responded saying “A decision as to how to proceed will be made after careful consideration of the facts is weighed with the fact that absentee voting currently underway for some voters, and early voting mere weeks away.”

_______________

LSU officials address the fan experience at Tiger Stadium this fall.  Athletics Director Scott Woodward says the stadium will be at 25% capacity to accommodate social distancing and spectators will be required to wear masks.  Fans are being asked not to tailgate, which Woodward says will be one of the biggest differences.

Cut 11 (10) “…the woods yet.”

Woodward admits that spread mitigation efforts are going to have an impact on fans’ game-day experience, but they are going to try to make it as positive as possible.

Cut 12 (12) “…normal as possible.”

Woodward and Interim LSU President Thomas Galligan say the availability of students section tickets will be downsized in proportion with the rest of the stadium.

Cut 13 (09) “…sounds right. Yeah.”
_________________________

Cameron Police Jury Vice President Scott Trahan estimates more than half of the homes in the storm-ravaged parish were completely destroyed by Hurricane Laura.

Trahan says he’s been told it could be up to three months before most of the parish gets power back, but even when the power lines get rebuilt there won’t be many homes turning the lights back on.

Cut 14 (07) “…left.”

The parish has an estimated population of just under 7,000 and was still recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Rita in 2005.

At the Sacred Heart Graveyard, 150 caskets floated away from their tombs. Trahan says after having similar incidents in recent storms it’s time the parish starts filling caskets with concrete…

Cut 15 (11) “…go anywhere”

A Cemetery Task Force has been formed to help hunt down, identify, and rebury the lost caskets.

Standing water sat across much of the parish for over a week after the Laura made landfall. Trahan says a pumping effort helped clear up the area, but in many tributaries, the water is still high.

Cut 16 (11) “…with it” 

___________________________________________

LSU moves back to a four-three defense this season under defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. Linebacker Jabril Cox on what you can expect

Cut 17 (15) “…to offenses” 

Taking over as the starting center this season is graduate transfer Liam Shanahan, who was a three-year starter at Harvard. Shanahan says the move to the South has been a good one…

Cut 18  (13) “…to it”  

Shanahan started 30 consecutive games for the Crimson and was named to the All-Ivy League last season. The Massachusetts native says this is the first time he’s lined up at center…

Cut 19  (24) “…down here”     

A bar in Monroe attempts to open against the Governor’s orders and is shut down just 25 minutes into service. Matt Doyle spoke with the owner of the Junkyard bar…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

________________________________

An LSU economist predicts it will take at least two years to recover 90 percent of the jobs lost to the COVID Recession. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System launches the Reboot Your Career program designed to help those who may be unemployed due to the pandemic get training for a high-wage, high-demand gig. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

_______________________________

The Junkyard Bar in Monroe planned to open yesterday against the Governor’s orders but was shut down just 25 minutes into service.

Owner Lane Clark says with bills pilling up he had no choice but to try to open, but when he did ATF arrived and told him he could either surrender his liquor license or be arrested if he served another beer…

Cut 4 (06)“ …fighting” 

Clark is asking other bar owners to follow his lead saying suspensions of licenses don’t mean much if you can’t open anyway.

Clark had publicized his reopening beforehand and opened the doors at 3 PM Tuesday only to have ATF arrive at 3:25.

Cut 5 (10)  “…came in.”

A hearing has been set for September 30^th in Baton Rouge.

Clark says it’s not right that bars seem to be just about the only business not allowed to operate right now. He also says it’s not fair that many restaurants have gotten into the bar business…

Cut 6 (04) “…drinking”

Edwards has defended his decision to keep bars shuttered, pointing to guidance and requests from the White House Coronavirus Task Force that the state do so due to the still high prevalence of the virus. Edwards and the Task Force say bars lead to lax judgment and promote social behaviors that can create super spreading events.

____________________

The Louisiana Economic Outlook estimates by 2022 Louisiana will have recovered only 90 percent of the jobs lost in the COVID Recession.

LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says by the end of this year Louisiana will have lost 105,000 jobs to the pandemic economic collapse, and our recovery will be less of a V and more of a Nike Swoosh…

Cut 7 (07) “…back up”

72,600 of those jobs will return by the end of 2021, but only 94,100 of the jobs will have returned by 2022, leaving 11,500 jobs lost across the state.

What’s driving much of this slow recovery? Scott says a lot of it boils down to their projection that oil prices will only rise to 49 dollars a barrel by 2022, doing real damage in oil-dependent regions…

Cut 8 (10) “…2023.”

The Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and Hammond regions are all projected to regain all of the jobs they lost by 2022, but the Shreveport-Bossier region, due to reliance on casinos, is only expected to get 70 percent of their 10,600 lost jobs back.

The report was conducted before Hurricane Laura devastated southwest Louisiana, but Scott anticipates the region will see higher than expected growth due to all of the wind damage caused by the storm.

Cut 9 (08) “…everything”

____________________________

Two Kenner men are under arrest and a third suspect wanted for the rape of a juvenile under the age of 13.  Kenner Police Commander of Criminal Investigations Michael Cunningham says the three suspects were home alone with the victim when they began making sexual advances to the child, offering money for sex.  The victim then locked herself in her room.

Cut 10 (11) “…sexually assaulted her.”

The two arrested have been identified as brothers Raul and Wilmer Paz-Perez, both 35, and 31-year-old Elder Paz-Perez is still on the loose.

Cunningham says the suspect that is on the run was in a relationship with the mother of the victim.

Cut 11 (07) “…a second investigation.”

Cunningham asks that anyone with information on the whereabouts of Elder Paz-Perez contact law enforcement or Crime Stoppers.

Cut 12 (09) “…track him down.”

___________________

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System launches a program designed to help those who may be unemployed due to the pandemic. LCTCS President Monty Sullivan says the Reboot Your Career program aims to train no less than 5000 individuals in the 2021 fiscal year.

Cut 13 (07) “…of their families.”

Training focuses on skillsets for in-demand jobs such as industrial technology, healthcare, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, and information technology.

Sullivan the training programs for certifications are much quicker than trying to get a degree, with durations between 8 and 12 weeks.

Cut 14 (07) “…go to work.”

The program comes with reduced tuition and no application fees. Sullivan says the funding comes from the federal CARES Act.

Cut 15 (11) “…in Louisiana’s people.”

More info can be found online at LCTCS.edu/reboot.

___________________________________________

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says starting defensive lineman Neil Farrell has returned to the team after announcing in August he would not play because of the coronavirus. Farrell’s grandmother was hospitalized with COVID-19, but tweeted last week that his grandmother is getting better every day and he missed football. Orgeron says it remains to be seen if Farrell will play in the season opener

Cut 16 (09) “…what happens” 

Orgeron says his three starting linebackers are Damone Clark, Jabril Cox and Micah Baskerville. Coach O says Baskerville looks comfortable in Bo Pelini’s defense…

Cut 17  (14) “…helped Michael”  

Orgeron says another player that has made tremendous strides is offensive tackle Dare Rosenthal. He was recruited out of Ferriday High School and started at LSU on defense, but Orgeron says he saw Rosenthal gain confidence last December while working out on the o-line…

Cut 18  (27) “…draft pick”     

_________________________________________________________

After a historic win on the road at Iowa State, the 19th ranked Ragin Cajuns begin Sun Belt Play this Saturday at Georgia State. After going 2-and-10 in 2018, the Panthers were 7-and-6 last season. U-L Lafayette Coach Billy Napier says G-S-U Coach Shawn Elliot is building a good program…

cut 19 (25) “…coming back”

The Cajuns made a statement last week beating Iowa State on ESPN. This Saturday’s game will be on ESPN 2 and Napier says playing another early Saturday game on national television is good for the program…

cut 20 (14) “…out there”

The LSU Ag Center estimates the agriculture and forestry losses from Hurricane Laura exceeds one-point-six billion dollars. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

____________________________

We now have firm dates for when the rest of the power will come back on in Cameron and Calcasieu Parish. Matt Doyle has the story…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

The LSU AgCenter estimates Hurricane Laura caused 525-million dollars in damage to Louisiana farmers and one-point-one billion dollars to the state’s timber industry. AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says wind damage to buildings and facilities carried the biggest part of the damage estimate at 403-million dollars.

Cut 3 (11)  “…timber damage”  

In comparison, agricultural losses from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina totaled one-point-five billion dollars. But Guidry says crops were not as affected this year as in 2005…

Cut 4 (12)“ yield loss” 

The state’s rice crop suffered the most with 74-thousand acres affected for an economic impact of 28.5 million dollars. Soybeans, cotton and corn have seen a 10 to 15-percent yield loss. He says sugarcane has yet to be harvested, but right now they are looking at a three-percent yield loss…

Cut 5 (12)  “minimal”

_________________

Entergy Louisiana expects to have power available to the majority of customers in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes by September 23^rd, with the remaining customers online by September 30^th.

Laura came ashore August 24th and Entergy Louisiana spokesperson Brandon Scardigli says it left an incredible amount of damage in its wake…

Cut 6 (08) “…though”

That’s big news for the tens of thousands of people in southwest Louisiana who still don’t have power.

Cut 7 (10) “progress.”

Across all of Entergy Louisiana’s territory in Louisiana, nearly 403,000 customers have had their power restored after losing it due to Laura.

Scardigli says the Calcasieu Plant and the Lake Charles Power Station are back online, which means…

Cut 8 (06) “…neighborhoods.”

Entergy encourages customers to make sure they have a certified electrician check their homes if they have any storm damage to make sure they can receive power when it becomes available.

________________________

Louisiana will be spared much of any impact from Sally as the Hurricane took an abrupt turn for the Alabama coast before reaching The Boot.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says Sally was always an unpredictable system due to its sluggish two to three-mile an hour pace…

Cut 9 (09) “…further east”

Hurricane Sally is expected to drop up to 30 inches of rain on parts of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle as it creeps onto land early tomorrow morning.

Keim warns just because we dodged Sally doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods. This season has already tied 1933 for the record of the second most named storms at 20 and it’s only halfway over…

Cut 10 (11) “…surveillance”

2005 still holds the record for most named storms at 27, but at our current pace, we should blow right past 30 this year. Keim says we’re heading into unusual territory…

Cut 11 (10) “…alphabet.”

_______________________

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron said during a zoom press conference with reporters that most of the players on his team have tested positive for the coronavirus. Orgeron did not give an exact number. but he says the players who have been infected will be able to play during the season

Cut 12 (10) “…for games”

Orgeron says there are three or four players who currently have the coronavirus and they are not practicing.

SEC schools perform three tests a week on their student-athletes. A player who tests positive must isolate for at least 10 days and once they recover, they do not have to test again for 90 days. Orgeron says it’s been a process

Cut 13 (07) “very well”

LSU’s first game is a week from Saturday against Mississippi State. He’s hoping that since a majority of the players have tested positive for COVID-19 that they’ll avoid a coronavirus outbreak during the season

Cut 14 (07) “…the game” 

Monroe-based Fortune 500 Company CenturyLink renames itself Lumen Technologies. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

________________________________

Governor Edwards says should Hurricane Sally continue to track east and Louisiana is spared the worst we’re ready to assist our neighbors in Mississippi and Alabama. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

Sally continues to approach land, but it is in no rush for landfall. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

_______________________________

One of Louisiana’s two Fortune 500 Companies, CenturyLink, is rebranding itself as Lumen Technologies.

Lumen Consumer Markets President Maxine Moreau says they’re taking on a new vision that’s aimed at creating technology that helps companies through the 4^th industrial revolution.

Cut 4 (10)“ …reality” 

The other Fortune 500 Company based out of Louisiana is Entergy.

Moreau says the change in name and direction will not result in a change of location for their headquarters.

Cut 5 (08)  “…CenturyLink.”

CenturyLink was founded in 1930 as a telephone company based out of Oak Ridge.

Moreau says CenturyLink customers don’t need to worry about the change impacting the quality of their current services.

Cut 6 (05) “…customers.”

Lumen will focus on the development of high-speed fiber infrastructure alongside work in data management and security.

____________________

Sally isn’t expected to bullseye Louisiana but it could bring some tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rain to the southeastern parts of the state.

Because southeast Louisiana still remains in the hurricane’s cone of uncertainty Governor Edwards announces state offices in 12 parishes will be closing today…

Cut 7 (11) “…Washington”

12,000 Hurricane Laura refugees are being housed by the state in New Orleans hotels and while the city is expecting heavy rains…

Cut 8 (09) “…Sally.”

12,700 Laura refugees are being housed in non-congregate settings across Louisiana by the state.

Edwards says he talked with Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves yesterday and told him should Sally continue tracking to the east and Louisiana is spared the worst, we’re ready to help.

Cut 9 (10) “…available”

____________________________

Plaquemines Parish residents may have dodged a bullet in avoiding the worst impacts of Hurricane Sally.  Parish President Kirk Lepine says residents did not take the initial threat lightly.

Cut 10 (09) “bank to evacuate.”

Lepine says the parish is now expecting the best, but they are continuing to brace for a storm that has shown an indecisive track in its slow approach to land.

Cut 11 (08) “…guard down yet.”

Lepine says the biggest concern with storms like Sally is the headache that can come from water inundating the transportation infrastructure.

Cut 12 (12) “…have HWY 39.”

___________________

It appears southeast Louisiana has dodged an unfavorable outcome with Hurricane Sally.  National Weather Service New Orleans Meteorologist Robert Ricks says the slow-moving storm has been crawling throughout the night.

Cut 13 (10) “…and northeast.”

As of the 1AM NHC advisory, a hurricane warning remains in effect from Grand Isle, Louisiana to Navarre, Florida.

Overnight, there has been a flare-up of new thunderstorms around Sally’s center.  Ricks says the slow motion of the storm can add complexities to models of its path.

Cut 14 (09) “…in the works.”

Ricks says southeast Louisiana residents need to still be cautious about the effects of Louisiana.

Cut 15 (08) “…a little bit longer.”

___________________________________________

The Saints didn’t have a stellar day on offense in their season opening win over Tampa Bay, but Coach Sean Payton is pleased with how his defense played against the Buccaneers new look offense. Payton says there was some mystery on what they would try to do with Tom Brady leading their offense…

Cut 16 (25) “…noticeable” 

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain in the vicotry. Thomas was seen limping off the field in the fourth quarter after his ankle got rolled up on. Payton was asked if Thomas could have returned if needed

Cut 17  (14) “…the injuries” 

As a team the Saints were held to 2.4 rushing yards. Latavius Murray led the team with 15 carries on 48 yards. Murray knows they can play better on offense

Cut 18  (14) “…this point”     

__________________________________________________________________

With Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase now gone from last year’s national championship team, Terrace Marshall becomes the LSU Tigers top receiver. The junior from Bossier City says his mindset hasn’t change even with Chase’s recent decision to opt out of the 2020 season…

cut 19 (15) “…I’m prepared”  

LSU’s offense broke all kinds of records on its way to a perfect 15-0 season. Marshall doesn’t see why they can’t be just as productive…

cut 20 (19) “ last year”  

Sally has hit hurricane strength and now appears likely to be a category two storm before making landfall Tuesday, likely along the Mississippi coast. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

____________________________

Several southeast Louisiana coastal parishes have issued evacuations as Hurricane Sally is expected to brush past the Bayou State as a Category Two storm tomorrow. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

_____________________________

Sally has developed into a Hurricane ahead of schedule after rapidly strengthening this morning.

National Weather Service forecaster Christopher Bannon says Sally got a bit of good luck that helped it pick up steam and grow to 85 mile per hour winds.

Cut 3 (12)  “…significantly”  

Bannon says Sally is now likely to be a category two hurricane before landfall, but the good news is it still seems unlikely to become a major hurricane.

Cut 4 (09)“ tomorrow” 

Forecasts continue to push the anticipated landfall more eastward, now appearing more likely to land somewhere along the Mississippi coast, but Bannon says the strengthening means the eastern edges of the state’s most southeastern parishes will get some bad weather.

Cut 5 (08)  “winds”

The cone of uncertainty still covers the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama-Florida line.

_________________

Westfield Fluid Controls will invest 5.1 million dollars to establish a manufacturing facility in Lafayette, creating 67 new jobs for the area.

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says the facility will produce precision hydraulic and fluid control components.

Cut 6 (07) “…things.”

Westfield is relocating this facility from a site in California.

Pierson says the facility will be located at a 30,000 square foot site in the Northpark Technology Center, and result in numerous jobs linked to the facility.

Cut 7 (10) “region.”

Pierson says the average pay is just under 50,000 dollars a year, and benefits are included.

Cut 8 (08) “…economy.”

The company considered sites in Texas, Florida, and Ohio before settling on Lafayette.

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The damage to the timber industry from Hurricane Laura is an estimated one-point-one billion dollars. That’s according to Louisiana Forestry Association executive director Buck Vandersteen who says Laura impacted 770-thousand acres of forest in 22 parishes, with Vernon Parish suffering the most losses

Cut 9 (12) “…million”

Vandersteen says Laura will definitely have a long-term impact on the state’s forestry industry.

Cut 10 (12) “…one time”

Vandersteen says there’s so much timber on the ground, it be hard to salvage more than 15-percent of it…

Cut 11 (12) “…reduce production.”

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The eye of Hurricane Sally is expected to move over the edges of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. St. Bernard Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director John Rahaim says they could see a seven to eleven-foot storm surge, which will flood property outside of the levee system…

Cut 12 (11) “…like this”

Rahaim says they are not anticipating any flooding inside their levee system unless they get a heavy downpour where two to three inches fall in an hour…

Cut 13 (10) “inside the system”

Orleans Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold says they are encouraged that the forecast calls for the center of the storm to stay east of New Orleans, but it’s not good that the storm is moving slowly…

Cut 14 (12) “…to occur” 

The area is under a flash flood watch until Thursday morning. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell says all 99 of their drainage pumps are ready to respond and can handle up to one inch of rain per hour…

Cut 15 (09) “we would like” 

Phase Three will provide public school students with more opportunities for in-person education. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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The state enters Phase Three of the pandemic economic reopening plan tonight, but bars in most parishes will remain closed for now. Jeff Palermo has the story.

cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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Tropical Depression 19 formed near Miami on Friday afternoon. National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Gilmore says the depression is set to cross south Florida early on Saturday and move northwestward over the north-central Gulf of Mexico on Monday.

Cut 3 (10)  “…Wednesday”  

Gilmore says there’s also a weak tropical wave in the northern Gulf of Mexico and that will help produce even more tropical moisture

Cut 4 (07)“ …five to seven days” 

Gilmore says residents along the northern Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of this system.

Cut 5 (05)  “…storm status”

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State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says the state moving into Phase Three likely means more in-person education for K-12 students.

Brumley says one of the biggest differences in Phase Three is relaxed school bus capacity limits.

Cut 6 (09) “…campus.”

Brumley says classrooms can also open up, and some beloved extracurricular can resume as well…

Cut 7 (10) “…band.”

The Superintendent warned the transition to more in-person education won’t happen overnight, and will likely take some time to implement.

Brumley says the state’s transition to Phase Three is proof schools were able to safely educate under Phase Two. He says that’s the result of high compliance, and occasionally tough decisions…

Cut 8 (09) “…of time.”

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Cleco says it has restored power to 99% of the 140,000 customers who lost service due to Hurricane Laura. Spokesperson Jennifer Cahill says as restoration teams’ infrastructure rebuilding efforts move forward, remaining customers could be seeing the lights come on soon.

Cut 9 (08) “…another couple days.”

Cleco expects power to be restored to all customers who can accept power in Grant, Rapides and Vernon Parishes. Cahill says at the peak, over 4,000 restoration workers were on the ground thanks to the assistance of outside contractors.

Cut 10 (06) “…history of Cleco.”

In Beauregard Parish, crews are bringing in specialized equipment in flooded areas to continue restoration efforts. Cahill says in Calcasieu Parish, there are 53 line crews working in Dequincy…

Cut 11 (06) “…is restored.”

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Governor John Bel Edwards announces that bars in most parishes will remain closed and for those that can open heavy restrictions will be put in place as the state enters Phase Three tonight.

Edwards says a parish must show a two week period with less than five percent positivity before bars can begin a limited reopening.

Cut 12 (13) “…task force”

Restaurants, gyms, spas, salons, retail, and other businesses will be allowed to increase capacity to 75 percent, masks will still be required in businesses, and gathering sizes have been increased.

So far only five parishes qualify to reopen bars, Orleans, St. John, Bienville, Jefferson Davis and Plaquemines. Bars in those parishes will have to stop serving by 10 PM and close by 11 PM, and you can’t walk up to the bar to order…

Cut 13 (06) “seated”

No one under 21 will be allowed in any bar, and live music is still prohibited.

Bar capacity will also be highly restricted and social distancing must be enforced.

Cut 14 (10) “…outdoors” 

Edwards says the tight restrictions on bars are the result of the still-high rate of COVID among young people.

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New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell announces there will be no tailgating on city property for Sunday’s Saints season opener, and no fans in the Dome for all of September.

Cantrell says many long-running city traditions are now outlawed…

Cut 15 (12) “tailgating” 

And while limited fan attendance is being allowed in other NFL stadiums, that won’t be the case for the Superdome at least through week three.

Cut 16 (13) “…New Orleans.” 

The Saints kick off at 3:25 PM Sunday against Tom Brady’s Bucs.

The restaurant industry welcomes today’s transition into Phase Three of economic reopening. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (29) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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An LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center two-year weight loss program aimed at helping low-income residents finds great success. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

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President Trump has come under fire for audio recordings of him in March privately acknowledging the danger of coronavirus at a time when he was publicly downplaying the threat. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

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The state’s move into Phase 3 means relaxed occupancy restrictions on restaurants.  Louisiana Restaurant Association President Stan Harris says the increase from 50% to 75% capacity is a welcomed change.

Cut 4 (09)“ …more work hours.” 

Harris says the industry still faces hurdles in rebuilding the trust with patrons and workers that the dine-in atmosphere is a safe place to be.

Cut 5 (11)  “…that work there.”

Further details about what Phase Three will look like, such as the status of bars, will be provided during a press conference this afternoon.  Harris says the association will continue to advocate on their behalf.

Cut 6 (13) “…said not now.”

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Louisiana patients who enrolled in a Pennington Biomedical weight loss study tailored to low-income residents maintained at least a five percent decrease in body weight over a two year period. Lead researcher, Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk, says health coaches had weekly sessions with 452 patients on solving their biggest barriers to weight loss.

Cut 7 (11) “…issues”

A control group was given “usual” care that was not personalized, and only lost a half a percent of their body weight.

Katzmarzyk says the program sent health coaches to the patients’ primary care clinics and conducted zoom calls so that participants didn’t have to travel far for help.

Cut 8 (08) “…lived in.”

The program was conducted at 18 Louisiana primary care clinics in both urban and rural areas.

Katzmarzyk says a major emphasis was showing patients that eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive.

Cut 9 (09) “…store”

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Senator Bill Cassidy defends President Trump after an audio recording from March was released of the President saying he wanted to “play down” the coronavirus.

Audio has the President privately acknowledging how deadly the virus was at a time when he was publicly comparing it to the flu, but Cassidy says the President’s actions show he took it seriously.

Cut 10 (09) “phase.”

In the recording, the President explains he did not want to create a panic.

Cassidy says the President tends to speak a little loosely and in ways he sometimes regrets, but he doesn’t regret the way the nation responded.

Cut 11 (11) “…unprecedented.”

Cassidy says right now he’s not concerned the revelations will impact the President’s reelection chances.

Cut 12 (11) “…loud.”

The audio was captured by famed reporter Bob Woodward and was released ahead of his new book that chronicles conversations the two had between late 2019 and early 2020.

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Governor Edwards is warning residents in the areas impacted by Hurricane Laura to be cautious with the heat.  The state reports 28 storm-related deaths and many of those are linked to the intense temps.  Edwards says those working in the sweltering conditions need to pace themselves.

Cut 13 (06) “…get in to.”

So far 6000 homeowners who had their dwelling damaged by the storm have registered to get a blue roof from the state.  Edwards says anyone who is in need of the temporary patch job needs to act fast on signing up.

Cut 14 (10) “…cover damaged rooves.” 

Nearly 13,000 residents are being sheltered in the state of Louisiana at 42 hotels, 36 of which are in New Orleans.  Edwards says that number has been growing nightly, but only slightly.

Cut 15 (09) “…4,800 Louisianans.” 
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Three Louisiana college football teams kick off their seasons on Saturday. For the first time ever, ULM will battle against one of the United States service academies when they visit Army in West Point at 12:30 central time. The Black Knights blanked Middle Tennessee 42 to nothing last week. Warhawks Coach Matt Viator says Army’s triple-option run-oriented offense is tough to stop

Cut 16 (21) “…offensively” 

The Ragin Cajuns are at 23rd ranked Iowa State for their first ever visit to Ames. Kick-off is set for 11 AM. U-L Lafayette is coming off its best season in program in history as they were 11-3 and they return eight starters on offense. Third-year head coach Billy Napier says the make-up of this year’s team is different to go along with the preparation for the season

Cut 17  (21) “…of problems” 

Tulane will begin its 127th season on Saturday night at South Alabama. It will be the second time these two schools have met and it’s the first game ever at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The Jaguars opened the season with a 32-21 road win over Southern Miss. Green Wave coach Willie Fritz says South Al looked impressive

Cut 18  (24) “…extremely well    

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The Saints will begin another NFL season on Sunday in which they enter the year with one of the more talented rosters in the league. The Black and Gold have suffered playoff heartbreak the last three seasons and Quarterback Drew Brees says he’s got nothing to lose as he gets set to begin his 20th season in the NFL

cut 19 (25) “…ultimate prize”  

The Saints will host Tampa Bay on Sunday as New Orleans has prepared for the season without the benefit of any preseason games. There will also be no fans in the Dome but linebacker Alex Anzalone says they’ll be ready

cut 20 (20) “ others”  

Louisiana will move to Phase Three tomorrow. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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Hurricane Laura propelled swarms of mosquitos into pastures, leading to scores of dead cows and horses across southwest Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”  

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Governor John Bel Edwards says the state is ready to move into the next phase of reopening. Edwards said at a Thursday morning press conference that after analyzing COVID-19 data for the last two weeks, the state is ready to move forward.

Cut 3 (10)  “…tomorrow.”  

Edwards admits it was a difficult decision because not all of the data has come in on whether school resuming, the Labor Day holiday weekend and how recovery from Hurricane Laura is impacting the spread of the coronavirus.

Edwards says just because we’re moving into Phase Three doesn’t mean we’ve moved out of the public health emergency.

Cut 4 (11)“ …capita.” 

Moving from Phase 2 to Phase 3 means there will be fewer restrictions on the number of people that can gather and occupancy at businesses. But Edwards says the mask mandate will stay in effect in phase 3.

Cut 5 (12)  “…wear masks”

Further details about what Phase Three will look like, such as the status of bars, will be provided during a Friday afternoon news conference.

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Entergy has successfully restarted one of its power plants in Calcasieu Parish.  Entergy spokesperson David Freese says crews brought the plant online by repairing a  transmission line damaged by Hurricane Laura.

Cut 6 (11) “…couple thousands initially.”

Freese estimates that around 13,000 storm restoration workers are on the ground.  While it is possible they have wrapped up work near a location still without power, there is more work that is needed to get power restored.

Cut 7 (06) “…is a rebuild.”

Freese says the customers outside of southwest Louisiana already have their lights back on.

Cut 8 (13) “…can Cameron Parishes.”

The Louisiana Public Service Commission estimates 122-thousand customers are still without power two weeks after the storm. Over 87-percent of the customers in Calacasieu Parish are still without electricity.
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Swarms of mosquitos terrorized livestock in southwest Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Laura, causing the deaths of horses, deer, and cows.

Evangeline Parish Veterinarian Craig Fontenot says the swarms were so thick that they could bite an animal to death, or worse.

Cut 9 (08) “…noses.”

The mosquitos swarming livestock can cause the animals to struggle to get enough oxygen as they struggle to remove the mosquitos, and are slowly drained of blood.

Reports indicate a large part of the swarm was pushed out of the marsh by Hurricane Laura. Fontenot says that plus the rains that came after made a tough situation worse.

Cut 10 (10) “…we had.”

Fontenot says in Evangeline Parish alone he estimates 40 to 60 head was lost.

Fontenot says the swarm is likely going to cost ranchers more than just their initial losses…

Cut 11 (05) “…calves.”

In recent days parish governments have begun running mosquito planes over affected areas, making the problem less severe.

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The National Hurricane Center is monitoring six different tropical disturbances today. There are two named storms in the middle of the Atlantic, a tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico and another tropical wave could enter the gulf next week. State Climatologist Barry Keim says to have six have systems at one time is rare…

Cut 12 (09) “…right now”

Keim says the good news is that none of the tropical disturbances are a major threat to the U-S coastline…

Cut 13 (11) “…wrenching”

The National Hurricane Center gives the tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico a low chance of development, but another wave moving towards the gulf has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression in the eastern Gulf over the next five days. Keim says it’s not a surprise the tropics are super active…

Cut 14 (10) “…ridiculous”