Sports Illustrated reports SEC Athletics Directors have agreed to join the Big Ten and PAC 12 in moving to a conference only schedule for the upcoming college football season. The plan is not set in stone yet though as school presidents must approve it. They are scheduled to meet virtually tomorrow to discuss the proposal.

Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to provide funding for states to replenish their unemployment insurance trust funds. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (28) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says Louisianans are pouring into state parks in numbers never before seen. After breaking records earlier in the pandemic Nungesser is celebrating the fact that last weekend was the biggest attendance weekend in Louisiana State Park history.

Cut 8 (09) “safely”

Attendance records were first recorded in 2008.

The state Agriculture Department has received about 300 calls from Louisianans who’ve received mystery packages of seeds from China and Eastern Europe. Commissioner Mike Strain says its part of some kind of nationwide plot.

Cut 4 (09)_ “its seeds”

If you get a package, do not open it and call the Ag department.

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reports that the SEC athletic directors support the idea of a ten-game conference-only football schedule. Dellenger has learned SEC presidents will meet virtually tomorrow to consider the proposal. But a vote might wait until next week.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the recent slowing case growth is making him confident that fall football will be played. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

The Louisiana Department of Agricultural says since Friday its office has received about 300 calls from people who say they received a mysterious package of seeds. The seeds have a mailing address from either China, United Arab Emirates, or Uzbekistan. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says this could be brushing scam
Cut 3 (10)  “…seeds”  
Strain says the packages have arrived in mailboxes across the country…

Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to consider funding Louisiana’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund in the current proposal for COVID-19 relief legislation.  Edwards says the state’s unemployment was 17^th strongest in the nation before the pandemic took a toll on the fund.
Cut 10 (11) “…the solvency.”
Louisiana law mandates the Louisiana Workforce Commission impose a surtax on businesses up to 30% on taxable payroll.

69 more Louisianans are reported to have died from COVID-19, but our case count continues to come in lower than last week, with a notable decline in hospital bed usage after weeks of continual escalation. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says if we can keep up this rate of declining case growth the state could move to Phase Three in a few weeks.

Cut 7 (10) “…we won’t’”

Nungesser made the comments on Talk Louisiana.

Governor Edwards asks the Congressional Delegation to push for funding of state unemployment insurance trust funds as Louisiana is nearing depletion of the once flush account. Edwards says if the fund gets to the point where it needs to borrow money from the feds, that borrowing is available interest-free, but a mechanism has to be set up to pay it back.

Cut 11 (09) “…and their payroll.”

A mystery philanthropist makes a 20 million dollar donation to Xavier University, a historically black college in New Orleans. Xavier President Dr. Reynold Verret says representatives of the anonymous donor requested that the funds be used to create a tuition endowment.

Cut 13 (10) “…ability” 

The Associated Press suggests the donation may have been made by MacKenzie Scott, the recently divorced former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The state Agriculture Department has received about 300 calls from Louisianans who’ve received mystery packages of seeds from China and Eastern Europe. Commissioner Mike Strain says its part of some kind of nationwide plot.

Cut 4 (09)_ “its seeds”

If you get a package, do not open it and call the Ag department.

The state’s unemployment insurance trust fund is nearing depletion after historic levels of need following the pandemic shutdown. Because of that Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to consider funding the trust as part of the next wave of COVID economic stimulus.

Cut 9 (12) “…are shored up.”

We’ve now seen two straight days with COVID case counts below 2,000 after dealing with average counts clear over 2,000 all of last week. That recent slowing in case growth has Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser confident that fall football can proceed in Louisiana.

Cut 6 (06) “…months.”

He also added he is meeting soon with the Sugar Bowl Committee and is committed to holding the bowl game in New Orleans at the start of next year.

A mystery philanthropist makes a 20 million dollar donation to Xavier University, a historically black college in New Orleans. Xavier President Dr. Reynold Verret says it’s the largest single donation in school history and was told by representatives of the donor that they appreciate the importance of institutions like Xavier and the role they play in helping to bridge the nation’s achievement gap.

Cut 14 (06) “…country”

The Associated Press suggests the donation may have been made by MacKenzie Scott, the recently divorced former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The Louisiana Department of Agricultural says since Friday its office has received about 300 calls from people who say they received a mysterious package of seeds. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says if you receive the seeds, usually from shippers in China and Eastern Europe, call the state department of agriculture’s office and do not take them out of the bag or throw them away and most importantly do not plant them…

Cut 5 (07)  “…our crop”

The state reported 69 more COVID-19 deaths today, bringing the statewide total to 3,769. Louisiana’s health department also reported 17-hundred new cases, but for the third time in four days, the state reported fewer COVID patients in the hospital.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser stopped by Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster today and said last weekend broke a record for visitors at State Parks…
cut 8 (09) “…safely”

And Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says his office has now heard from at least 300 people who have received in the mail a small package containing seeds. Strain says if you receive this mysterious package, call the department of ag and do not plan the seeds…
cut 5 (07) “…our crop”

Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to provide funding for states to replenish their unemployment insurance trust funds. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
cut 2 (28) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

A mystery philanthropist makes a 20 million dollar donation to Xavier University, a historically black college in New Orleans. Xavier President Dr. Reynold Verret calls it a historic contribution.
Cut 12 (08) “…received.”
The Associated Press suggests the donation may have been made by MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The Louisiana Department of Agricultural says since Friday its office has received about 300 calls from people who say they received a mysterious package of seeds. The seeds have a mailing address from either China, United Arab Emirates, or Uzbekistan. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says this could be brushing scam
Cut 3 (10)  “…seeds”  
Strain says the packages have arrived in mailboxes across the country…

Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to consider funding Louisiana’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund in the current proposal for COVID-19 relief legislation.  Edwards says the state’s unemployment was 17^th strongest in the nation before the pandemic took a toll on the fund.
Cut 10 (11) “…the solvency.”
Louisiana law mandates the Louisiana Workforce Commission impose a surtax on businesses up to 30% on taxable payroll.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the recent slowing case growth is making him confident that fall football will be played. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

The state reports over 1,700 new COVID-19 cases today. The number of active cases is almost 35-thousand, which nearly fills the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans twice.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is optimistic that football and Mardi Gras will not have to be canceled due to the pandemic, and is celebrating yet another record weekend for state parks. Nungesser says the recent slowing in new cases is likely due to the mask mandate and closing of bars, and if this keeps up he expects football to be a go for the fall and Mardi Gras to be back next year.

Cut 6, 6 seconds, months

He also added he is meeting soon with the Sugar Bowl Committee and is committed to holding the bowl game in New Orleans at the start of next year.

Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to consider funding Louisiana’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund in the current proposal for COVID-19 relief legislation.  Edwards says the benefit of the extra help would be widespread.

Cut 9 (12) “…are shored up.”

Four businesses have seen their bar permits suspended after failing multiple compliance checks. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Former LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow is a very rich man suddenly after signing a four-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals worth 36-million dollars. And the deal includes a 24-million dollar signing bonus.

The Louisiana Revenue Department will begin sending out 250-dollar checks this week to those frontline workers who had to work during the governor’s stay-at-home order. Secretary Kimberly Robinson says they’ve received 205-thousand applications, but not everyone who applied is eligible and they are still accepting applications at front-line-workers-dot-la-dot-gov…
cut 14 (12) “….made available”

The Louisiana Department of Agricultural says since Friday its office has received about 300 calls from people who say they received a mysterious package of seeds. The seeds have a mailing address from either China, United Arab Emirates, or Uzbekistan. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says this could be brushing scam
Cut 3 (10) “…seeds”
Strain says if you receive the seeds call his office and most importantly do not plant them.

Louisiana leads the nation in coronavirus cases per capita, but Governor Edwards says there is evidence cases are plateauing. Edwards says the number of coronavirus patients in the hospital has remained flat over the last week, which he says is a sign the mask mandate and the closure of bars is slowing the spread…
cut 8 (12) “…economy open”

The 600-dollar weekly unemployment benefit put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic ends this week and Congress is debating on extending the benefit and to what extent. Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie says they have thousands of job listings posted at louisiana-works-dot-net. She says if you see a job you would like, send in an application…
cut 13 (07) “…company”

Louisiana has moved to number one in the country in per capita COVID-19 cases. Governor John Bel Edwards….
Cut 7 (07) “…this pandemic is.”
The state health department announced 11-hundred more cases yesterday and the number of COVID-19 deaths has reached 37-hundred, but the number of coronavirus patients has fallen below 16-hundred, which Edwards hopes is a positive sign.

The state revenue department says they’ll begin sending one-time 250-dollar payments this week to front-line workers who had to work during the governor’s stay at home order….
cut 15 (07) “….coming days’
Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson says they have received 205-thousand applications and you can apply at frontline-workers-dot-la-dot-gov.

The 600-dollar a week federal unemployment benefits are coming to an end Friday. Matt Doyle spoke with the Louisiana Workforce Commission about what that means for those without a job…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Three people are in custody and Ouachita Parish Sheriff deputies are searching for a fourth person in the 2018 disapppearance of Donald Atkins. Danniel Barrett is wanted for second-degree murder. Joseph Hendricks, Thomas Davis and Paige Williams have already been booked on murder charges.

The 600-dollar weekly unemployment benefit for those who lost their job or faced reduced hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic ends this week. That’s why Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie is encouraging unemployed indviduals to search for jobs on their website, louisiana-works-dot-net…
cut 11 (10) “….living”
Congress is looking at extending the benefits, but the 600-dollars a week could be reduced.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says his deputies have confucted five-thousand compliance checks on businesses making sure they are following COVID-19 restrictions…
cut 9 (09) “…is actually complying”
So far, four bars in Lousiana have had their permits suspended.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue is still accepting applications from frontline workers who could be eligible for a one-time $250 payment for working during the governor’s stay at home order. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington

Former LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow is a very rich man suddenly after signing a four-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals worth 36-million dollars. And the deal includes a 24-million dollar signing bonus.