A 39-year old single mom who works in disaster recovery is now dependent on healthcare workers as she fights to breathe with COVID at Baton Rouge General. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (37) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

For the first time in 16 days, the state health department has reported a drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations. It’s a small decline, nine fewer patients, but there’s been an increase in patients who are on ventilators. It’s up to 476, the highest that number has been since April 2020.

A new study released by the Council for a Better Louisiana shows how one year of early childhood education can produce better education outcomes compared to students who did not receive Pre-k education…
cut 9 (11) “…high school”
CABL President Barry Erwin says the data shows students who had one year of pre-K education outperformed other children on standardized tests, achieved higher ACT scores and a higher percentage graduated high school on time.

CLECO is explaining to its customers why they are seeing higher utility bills. President Shane Hilton says a rate increase went into effect July first…
cut 10 (11) “…equation”
Hilton says CLECO is also having to pay for costs to repair their infrastructure after last year’s hurricanes and this year’s ice storms.

Instead of helping others with disaster aid from the 2016 floods, 39-year-old Jessica Cooper finds herself in an ICU bed at Baton Rouge General suffering from COVID. Cooper is a single mom from Lake Charles. She wasn’t vaccinated because it would require her to be off medication for several weeks in order for the vaccine to be effective.
Cut 4 (12) “…attacks quick.”
For the first time in 16 days, the state health department yesterday reported a small decline in the number of COVID patients in the hospital statewide. It’s still above three thousand. The number of patients needing a ventilator to breathe increased by 28 to 476. The state reported 58 more deaths and the death toll has reached 11,851.

In 2001, the Louisiana Legislature created the LA 4 Early Childhood program and now in 2021, data shows attending at least one year of pre-k can help a student even into their high school years….
cut 8 (12) “….kids”
That’s Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin who says all students, regardless of race or gender, showed long-term benefits by participating in LA 4.

CLECO is explaining why their utility bills are higher than usual this summer. CLECO President Shane Hilton says a rate increase went into effect July 1st and the utility provider is paying for the costs associated the damage done by ice storms and last year’s hurricanes and there’s no federal mechanism to recover those costs…
cut 11 (08) “…our customers”

A 39-year old single mom who works in disaster recovery is now dependent on healthcare workers as she fights to breathe with COVID at Baton Rouge General. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (37) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

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A long-term study of the impacts of just one year of early childhood education shows getting four-year-olds in pre-K programs can have a huge impact on their academic success. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

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Lafayette Little is the latest team from Louisiana to make the Little League World Series. Matt Doyle has the story ahead of their first game Friday…

Cut 3 (28)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

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Instead of helping others with disaster aid from the 2016 floods, 39-year-old Jessica Cooper finds herself in an ICU bed at Baton Rouge General. Cooper, a single mom who’s originally from Lake Charles wasn’t already vaccinated because it would require her to be off medication for several weeks in order for the vaccine to be effective.

Cut 4 (12) “…attacks quick.”

Cooper says being away from her daughter, Justus, for almost two weeks now, is especially hard and she was even prepared to say goodbye when her condition was much worse. Cooper says she’s extremely concerned because, at age 11, Justus isn’t eligible to be vaccinated yet.  Because of that Cooper made the hard choice for virtual learning this year.

Cut 5 (14) “…breathe.”

As for her prognosis, Cooper isn’t sure when she’ll be discharged but says she’s been told she’ll need oxygen for some time. Cooper says she plans to get vaccinated once she’s off her medication and approved to do so, but in the meantime, she feels more drastic measures should be taken to stop the Delta variant and help keep others like herself out of the hospital.

Cut 6 (10) “…the vaccine.”

Cooper who also suffers from asthma, says her symptoms began on July 30^th. She tested positive on August 4^th and was admitted a few days later.

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A Council for a Better Louisiana study shows even just one year of early childhood education can substantially boost long-term academic success. CABL President Barry Irwin says they compared the effects of just one year of pre-K for four-year-olds compared to no pre-k and saw a startling difference.

Cut 7 (07) “….high school.”

The LA 4 Longitudinal High School Outcomes Study looked compared the results of 40,000 different students, some of whom were in the LA 4 Pre-K program.

Erwin says they tracked key metrics and found not only were there benefits early in a kid’s academic career, but those benefits also lasted through high school…

Cut 8 (12) “…kids.” 

Per the study, LA 4 participation increased on-time graduation by four percent, TOPS qualification rates by about ten percent, Algebra scores by 12 percent, Biology scores by nine percent, Geometry scores by eight percent, English 2 scores by eight percent, and lowered special education placement rates by 45 percent.

Erwin says that was only with one year of early childhood education…

Cut 9 (11) “…high school.”

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CLECO customers can expect to see higher than average power bills, and the utility provider says there are multiple reasons for the increase. CLECO President Shane Hilton says the company implemented a rate increase that went into effect July first.

Cut 10 (11) “…equation.” 

Hilton says another factor for a rate increase is the three hurricanes in 2020, forcing CLECO to spend $240-million to restore power, and like other utility providers in the state, they have no federal mechanism to recover those costs.

Cut 11 (08) “…our customers.”

Another reason for higher-than-average bills is the ice storms that impacted the state, which also saw a significant spike in fuel costs and high usage. Hilton says customers are seeing costs from the winter storms spread out over bills that eventually drop off in April 2022.

An increase in natural gas prices, which have almost doubled, and fuel costs to keep an older plant in Mansfield operational during the summer demand is also adding to the price increase for CLECO customers.

Hilton says if you need assistance there are several options to help you pay your bill. He encourages you to call CLECO or visit their website.

Cut 12 (11) “…the year.”  

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The Little League World Series kicks off today and this year Louisiana is represented by Lafayette Little League.

Lafayette Little’s head coach Steven Menard says they’re a resilient team that really came together after a tough game in the State Championship against South Lake Charles.

Cut 13 (08) “…for us.”

Lafayette’s first game will be Friday at 4 PM against South Dakota. 16 teams will be in this year’s tournament but unlike most year’s no international teams will be in attendance.

Menard says the core of this team has been together for years and they’ve grown accustomed to the bright lights and high-level competition.

Cut 14 (11) “…ESPN.”

Menard likes his team’s chances heading into the tournament and says if they can keep their composure, they can go the distance.

Cut 15 (10)“…coming back.”

State Bond Commission members retaliated against New Orleans’ vaccine proof policy today by pausing scheduled funding for the Superdome renovations as well as hospital, school, and other construction projects around the city.

This morning the Saints backtracked on not allowing refunds for unvaccinated season ticket holders, but if fans cancel they lose their season ticket position. Attorney General Jeff Landry says he won’t support releasing these funds until that policy is changed.

Cut 9 (08) “…were in.”

And when it comes to construction funds elsewhere in the City Governor Edwards’ Executive Council Matthew Block says not only could this delay construction, but workers might not get paid…

Cut 12 (11) “…moment” 

The pause looks set to last at least a month.

Governor Edwards visited the U-L Lafayette campus this afternoon to get an update on the state’s Shot for 100-dollar COVID-19 vaccine initiative that pays college students a hundred dollars to take the shot. Today is in move-in day for U-L Lafayette students. The school’s vice president for research, innovation, and economic development, Ramesh Kolluro, says this program will help vaccinate thousands of students…

Cut 15 (09) “…pick up.” 

Even with a slight decline in hospital patients, Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says nonemergency surgeries are still having to be postponed but they aren’t all elective, they are procedures impacting those with cancer and heart disease and those needing organ transplants.

Cut 4 (09) “…our system” 

Governor Edwards visited the U-L Lafayette campus today for an update on the state’s Shot for 100-dollar COVID-19 vaccine initiative on a day in which the health department reported a slight decline in hospitalizations. But the governor says the Acadiana region is seeing a high positivity rate and an increase in hospitalizations…

Cut 14 (08) “…Lafayette General.”

The first 75-thousand students who are vaccinated on a college campus receive a 100-dollar VISA card.

There’s some positive news from Ochsner Health, during their Wednesday conference call they indicated a small decline in COVID hospitalizations. CEO Warner Thomas says this week they have 1028 COVID patients across their hospital systems.

Cut 3 (12) “…in New Orleans.” 

Casinos will likely be able to start offering sports betting sometime in mid-September after an emergency ruling by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. A month ago, Ronnie Johns was named chairman and says the number one question he’s been asked is when legal sports betting is coming to Louisiana.

Cut 7 (06) “…it’s manner”  

The ruling takes effect Monday, but it will likely take a few weeks for applications to be vetted.

The State Bond Commission voted to pause funding on a 28-million-dollar line of credit for renovations to the Superdome due to the Saints’ vaccination policy. Fan can get a refund but if they cancel, they’ll lose their season ticket position. The vote was 10-2 in favor of pausing the funding. One of the two votes was Edwards’ Executive Counsel Matthew Block…

Cut  11 (09) “…at all.”  

Attorney General Jeff Landry says 28 milion dollars in line of credit for a Superdome renovation will be held up until the Saints allow season ticket holders to opt out for the year and not lose their place.

Cut 10 (10) “… the entire time.”

The comments came at a State Bond Commission meeting where members voted to withhold the line of credit in retaliation for the Black and Gold’s vaccine proof policy.

Louisiana appears to be on track to offer casino and racetrack based sports betting sometime in September after an emergency ruling by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. Chairman Ronnie Johns…

Cut 6 (10) “…this quickly” 

The state’s largest healthcare system notes a slight decrease in COVID hospitalizations, but the situation remains dire. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

Vaccination numbers perked up over the last week, now just a touch under 40 percent of everyone in the state has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, about 1.8 million people. 48 percent of the state has received at least one dose, about 2.2 million. Louisiana still ranks amongst the least vaccination states in America. 

A 28 million dollar line of credit for Superdome renovations was paused by the State Bond Commission in retaliation of the Saints’ vaccine ticket policy. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (40)…I’m Matt Doyle.”

For the first time in 16 days, the state health department reported a small decline in the number of COVID patients in the hospital statewide. It’s still above three thousand. The number of patients needing a ventilator to breathe increased by 28 to 476.

Governor John Bel Edwards visited the U-L Lafayette campus this afternoon to get an update on the state’s Shot for 100-dollar COVID-19 vaccine initiative. The first 75-thousand college students who get vaccinated on a college campus receive a 100-dollar VISA card. Edwards says it’s very important to get this age group vaccinated…
cut 13 (11) “…too”

There’s a chance you could place a sports bet at a riverboat, land-based or racetrack casino near you starting next month as the Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved emergency rules so that casinos can begin applying for a license next week. Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns…
cut 8 (11) “…very quickly”
An industry source says regulators could hand out licenses to casinos as early as mid-September.

The State Bond Commission voted to pause funding on a 28 million dollar line of credit for renovations to the Superdome due to the Saints’ vaccination policy. This morning the Saints backtracked on not allowing refunds for unvaccinated season ticket holders, but if fans cancel they lose their season ticket position. Attorney General Jeff Landry says he won’t support releasing these funds until that policy is changed.

Cut 9 (08) “…were in.”

Cut 9, 8 seconds, were in

The commission also voted in favor of withholding financing for any New Orleans construction projects tapped for funding by the Legislature in retaliation for the citywide vaccine proof mandate. Governor Edwards’ Executive Counsel Matthew Block voted against, noting it’s not just the city that isn’t getting paid….

Cut 12, 11 seconds, moment

Casinos will likely be able to start offering sports betting sometime in mid-September after an emergency ruling by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. A month ago, Chairman Ronnie Johns was named chairman of the Gaming Control Board and the number one question he’s been asked is when legal sports betting is coming to Louisiana.

Cut 7 (06) “…it’s coming”  

The ruling takes effect Monday, but it will likely take a few weeks for applications to be vetted.

5,500 new COVID cases and 58 new COVID relates deaths were reported today but hospitalizations slightly fell and there’s some evidence this 4^th COVID surge is slowing down. Ochsner CEO Warner Thomas says we’re not out of the woods yet, and there’s still a troubling trend…

Cut 5 (12) “…seen there”

The state reports 5,550 new COVID cases today and a slight decrease in those hospitalized with COVID-related issues, the count now stands at 3,013, down from nine from Wednesday. 91-percent of the current patients are unvaccinated.  The state also noted 58 more COVID fatalities.

Even with a slight decline in hospital patients, Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas says nonemergency surgeries are still having to be postponed but they aren’t all elective, they are procedures impacting those with cancer and heart disease and those needing organ transplants.

Cut 4 (09) “…our system” 

Thomas says they have had to redeploy approximately 800 staff throughout the system to handle the influx of COVID patients which is another reason for postponing surgeries.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board approves emergency rules that would allow casinos to offer sports betting to their patrons starting on Monday. Chairman Ronnie Johns says the goal all along was to make sure legal sports wagering in Louisiana was up and running prior to the start of the football season…

Cut 6 (10) “…this quickly” 

The emergency rules approved by the board will give riverboat and land-based casinos and racetracks the ability to take sports bets starting on Monday.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is canceling National Hunting and Fishing Day events that were scheduled across the state for September 25^th. LDWF spokesperson Ed Pratt says the current COVID situation caused them to cancel the event, but he hopes that next year we will be in a much better situation.

Cut 9 (08) “…good time.”

The Saints change course on their refund policy, now saying that people who refuse to be vaccinated or COVID tested before games can get a refund for their season tickets. Those seeking a refund have until August 24^th at 4 PM to reach out to a ticket representative to request a refund.

Healthcare experts say the drug Ivermectin should not be used to treat COVID because it’s ineffective against the disease. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

The Biden Administration says they will pull federal funding from nursing homes that don’t have fully immunized staff. AARP State Executive Director Denise Bottcher applauds the president’s decision in an effort to protect residents and other staff members from COVID exposures from unvaccinated employees.

Cut 13 (10) “…nursing home”

The Louisiana Nursing Home Association released a statement saying that once CMS releases the guidance, facilities will comply, as doing so is required to continue caring for residents who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid.

Oschner CEO Warner Thomas says we’re starting to see a slight dip in the number of COVID-related hospitalizations, as they have 1,028 COVID patients currently in beds across their system.

Cut 3 (12) “…in New Orleans.”