The Louisiana Gaming Control Board approves an application from the online sports betting site Fan Duel. The board unanimously approved the application this morning which makes Louisiana the 47^th state to approve Fan Duel. Tammy Hop an auditor with the Louisiana State Police Gaming Division gave a report to the commission concerning their projected revenue.

Cut 9 (10) “…in Louisiana.”

More than a year after Hurricane Laura tore up Lake Charles and the surrounding area, many folks there still haven’t recovered from the onslaught of the storm. Mayor Nic Hunter says about eight percent of his city’s population is still residing outside the area and believes some of them will never come back. He says that area of the state is still playing the waiting game for much-needed supplemental disaster aid to assist in the continued efforts to try and get his city back to a sense of normalcy.

Cut 7 (06) “….Laura hit yesterday.”  

At the height of the fourth COVID wave, the percentage of those unvaccinated in the hospital in Louisiana hovered in the upper 90s but now it’s dropped to 86-percent.   Doctor Lucio Miele with LSU Health New Orleans says the declining percentage over time reinforces the need for booster shots, much like annual flu shots that are advised yearly. Miele says the booster shot could help us avoid a scenario in which…

Cut 5 (09) “…a year ago.”

The National Retail Federation estimates consumers will spend just under $1000 on holiday gifts and other purchases this year, which is comparable to 2020. But NRF Senior Director of Industry and Consumer Insights, Katherine Cullen says holiday shoppers are starting their quest for the perfect gift much earlier this year.

Cut 12 (12) “..this season.”  

At the height of the fourth COVID wave, the percentage of those unvaccinated in the hospital in Louisiana hovered in the upper 90s but now it’s dropped to 83-percent.   Doctor Lucio Miele with LSU Health New Orleans says it’s another indicator of the need for booster shots because immunity naturally drops over time.

Cut 3 (10) “….two weeks after vaccination”

Well over a year after Hurricane Laura ripped apart Lake Charles and the surrounding area, many folks there still haven’t recovered from the onslaught of the storm. Mayor Nic Hunter is taken aback by the lack of a quick federal response to the needs of Laura victims

Cut 8 (11) “…or 30 years.”

After several AT&T customers lost service during Hurricane Ida, a representative from the company told PSC commissioners they are asking customers to call them to report outages so they can issue credits. Stephanie Doiron with AT&T told commissioners that determining who was with and without service after Ida made landfall isn’t that easy because of the multiple services they provide, like cable, internet, and phone service.

Cut 14 (08)  “…provide credits.”

PSC Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, who represents a large portion of southeast Louisiana, says putting the burden on the customer to report the outage for credit is not the ideal way to handle the problem and he told them he wouldn’t be surprised if they lost customers over this.

Saturday’s LSU-Ole Miss game features a matchup of two coaches who have a lot of respect for each other. Rebels Coach Lane Kiffin was a young assistant coach with LSU’s Ed Orgeron when the two were on USC’s staff in the early 2000s. Kiffin says he learned a lot from Orgeron…
cut 20 (16) “…he does”
When Kiffin was the head coach at Tennessee and USC, he hird Orgeron to be an assistant coach on his staff. Coach O took over as the interim coach of the Trojans in 2013 when Kiffin was fired.

Multiple LSU players went on Twitter to deny the report Orgeron would have girlfriends at practice and their children would take part in team drills. Andre Anthony, Neil Farrell, Glen Logan, Myles Brennan and others say it’s Fake News.

The Ragin Cajuns seek their 12th straight Sun Belt Conference road victory tonight when they face Arkansas State in a game that will be shown on ESPN U. The Red Wolves are 1-and-5 but Cajuns Coach Billy Napier calls them a dangerous team
Cut 16 (20) “expect that”
Kick-off is at 6:30.

Also tonight, Tulane, who is 1-and-5, is at 21st ranked SMU.

Basketball, the Pelicans dropped their season opener, a 117 to 97 defeat to the 76ers. University of Illinois transfer Adam Miller, who was expected to be a big part of the LSU men’s basketball team, has reportedly torn his ACL and is out for the year. The Cajuns are picked to finish second in the Sun Belt coaches poll, while ULM is picked to finish last.

The percentage of unvaccinated individuals in Louisiana hospitals has dropped from the upper 90s to the lower 80s. Brooke Thorington asks a professional as to why the vaccine could be perceived as waning.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Well over a year after Hurricane Laura ripped apart Lake Charles and the surrounding area, many folks there still haven’t recovered from the onslaught of the storm. Mayor Nic Hunter says they hold a record of sorts for disasters.

Cut 6 (07) “…in American history.” 

After several AT&T customers lost service during Hurricane Ida, a representative from the company told PSC commissioners they are asking customers to call them to report outages so they can issue credits. But PSC Commissioner Eric Skrmetta says AT&T should be proactive instead.

Cut 13 (08) “…they were out.”

Among the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ida last August, Lafourche Parish continues on the road to rebuilding. Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson says the progress is slow but steady. He says temporary housing solutions for storm victims are beginning to be a reality…:

Cut 10 (10)  “…gonna come in.” 

Chaisson says storm debris removal is also moving along at a pace,

After several AT&T customers lost service during Hurricane Ida, a representative from the company told PSC commissioners customers should call them to report outages for a credit. But PSC Commissioner Eric Skrmetta says that’s putting the burden on the customer and he wouldn’t be surprised if they lost customers over this.

Cut 15 (09)  “…this issue.”

COVID hospitalizations are below 400 now and at the height of the fourth wave, the percentage of those unvaccinated in the hospital in Louisiana hovered in the upper 90s but now it’s dropped to 83-percent.   Doctor Lucio Miele with LSU Health New Orleans says it’s another indicator of the need for booster shots because immunity naturally drops over time.

Cut 3 (10) “….two weeks after vaccination”

Among the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ida, last August is Lafourche Parish and while Parish President Archie Chaisson says the progress is slow but steady. As for long-term recovery efforts, he looks forward to seeing federal aid – whether it’s FEMA dollars or Community Block Development Grants..

Cut 12 (13) “…need to be done.”

In Louisiana, more Blacks have been vaccinated for COVID compared to Whites according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. It’s a significant finding on closing the gap that was first reported when vaccines were first available. According to the survey now 51-percent of blacks are vaccinated in Louisiana compared to 49-percent of whites.

Instances of COVID-19 are easing in Louisiana, that according to Governor John Bel Edwards who was asked about the situation during Wednesday’s “Ask the Governor” show, No decision has been made yet on whether the mask mandate or other mitigation efforts to further curb the spread of the virus in the Bayou State.
Cut 6 (11) “…what we lift.”

Among the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ida last August, Lafourche Parish continues on the road to rebuilding. Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson says the progress is slow but steady. Chaisson says storm debris removal is also moving along at a pace, but there is still a great deal to be cleared away. One thing he is happy to report: kids are back in school in Lafourche…:
Cut 11 (14) “…the aftermath as well.”

After several AT&T customers lost service during Hurricane Ida, a representative from the company told PSC commissioners they are asking customers to call them to report outages so they can issue credits. Stephanie Doiron with AT&T told commissioners that determining who was with and without service after Ida made landfall isn’t that easy because of the multiple services they provide, like cable, internet, and phone service.
Cut 14 (08) “…provide credits.”

One of the biggest tourist events in the state is scheduled to return next spring. Festival International which draws 400,000 people to downtown Lafayette is set for April 27th to May 1st. Executive Director Scott Feehan says the five-day event, which was canceled in 2020 and virtual last year, is expected to return to its previous footprint.
Cut 7 (10) “…fantastic event.”

Among the places hit hardest by Hurricane Ida, Lafourche Parish continues its road to rebuilding. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Instances of COVID-19 are easing in Louisiana, that according to Governor John Bel Edwards who was asked about the situation during Wednesday’s “Ask the Governor” show.
It’s noteworthy that 83 percent of those currently hospitalized with COVID have not been fully vaccinated against the virus.
Edwards says figures show that the coronavirus is easing its grip on Louisiana.
Cut 5 (11) “…at one time.”

One of the biggest tourist events in the state is scheduled to return next spring. Festival International which draws 400,000 people to downtown Lafayette is set for April 27th to May 1st. Executive Director Scott Feehan says Louisiana Economic Development also attends the event and invites international companies they are recruiting to come to the Bayou State.
While some large events across the country are requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for entry, Feehan says that’s not really an option for an outdoor festival that is free of tickets and boundaries. With 2022 being the first in-person festival since the pandemic he says they’ll add things like hand sanitizing stations.
Cut 9 (12) “…in person.”

There are two college football games tonight, the Ragin Cajuns are at Arkansas State. U-L Lafayette seeks a 12th straight Sun Belt win on the road. And Tulane is at 21st ranked SMU.

The COVID virus’ fourth surge is waning in Louisiana, but whether that means an end to mask mandates and the like is still to be determined by the governor.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Dave Brannen.”

After several AT&T customers lost service during Hurricane Ida, a representative from the company told PSC commissioners they are asking customers to call them to report outages so they can issue credits. But PSC Commissioner Eric Skrmetta says AT&T should be proactive instead.
Cut 13 (08) “…they were out.”

One of the biggest tourist events in the state is scheduled to return next spring. Festival International which draws 400,000 people to downtown Lafayette is set for April 27th to May 1st. Executive Director Scott Feehan says The festival usually coincides with Jazz Fest in New Orleans and says some tourists will attend both events. He adds the Festival International features music, art, food from all over the world and they’ve had musical acts from as many as 29 countries perform.
Cut 8 (08) “…and theatre.”

Among the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ida last August, Lafourche Parish continues on the road to rebuilding. Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson says the progress is slow but steady. He says temporary housing solutions for storm victims are beginning to be a reality…:
Cut 10 (10) “…gonna come in.”

Instances of COVID-19 are easing in Louisiana, that according to Governor John Bel Edwards who was asked about the situation during Wednesday’s “Ask the Governor” show. He noted that hospitalizations had climbed to the three-thousand mark back in August during the 4th surge of the virus.
Cut 4 (12) “…the fourth surge.”

One of the biggest tourist events in the state is scheduled to return next spring. Festival International which draws 400,000 people to downtown Lafayette is set for April 27th to May 1st. Executive Director Scott Feehan says the five-day event, which was canceled in 2020 and virtual last year, is expected to return to its previous footprint.
Cut 7 (10) “…fantastic event.”

A representative for AT&T told PSC commissioners that customers who were without service due to Ida will have to call them to receive credit. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”