Governor John Bel Edwards is headed back to Washington, DC today to advocate for more federal flood relief, specifically to urge lawmakers to support an emergency appropriation for Louisiana. He is now asking President Barack Obama and Congress for a total of $2.8 billion in assistance. Mr. Obama made a formal request of Congress on Tuesday at the urging of Edwards and Louisiana’s congressional delegation.

The governor announced Tuesday that I-10 will be widened from four to six lanes between Highland Road in Baton Rouge and Highway 73 in Ascension Parish. He says they are also looking at elevating parts of the interstate in this 7 mile stretch…:
Cut 5 (10) “this area”
State Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says the project will cost more than 60-million dollars, but the state plans to use 40-million dollars in federal monies to get the project started.

Solar panel customers in Louisiana are suing the state over the cap that was placed on the solar tax credit program earlier this year. New Orleans lawyer Larry Centola says about 2-thousand homeowners installed their panels before the June 2015 vote in the legislature to cap the program:
cut 11 (09) “entitled to”
The tax credit program was capped at $25 million during the 2015 session. Centola says they will be seeking more than $10 million in the suit.

The Louisiana Clean Fuels program is encouraging residents to consider all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars. Executive Director Ann Shaneyfelt, says Plugin Louisiana is one of their initiatives that encourages employers to install workplace charging. She says it’s an appealing incentive for many employees that can help attract and retain a cutting-edge workforce, while also increasing consumer exposure of electric cars…:
Cut 9 (08) “their employees”

President Barack Obama is asking Congress to pass a $2.6 billion dollar federal aid package for Louisiana housing and infrastructure needs following the destructive August floods. In a letter, The White House requests the funding be approved, “as soon as possible,” saying the need arises from an unforeseen, unanticipated event resulting in the loss of life and property.

I-10 will be widened from four to six lanes from Highland Road in Baton Rouge to Highway 73 in Ascension parish. Jeff Palermo has more on the announcement from Governor John Bel Edwards…:
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

This week is National Drive Electric Week and the state department of natural resources would like motorists to learn about the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars. Executive Director of Louisiana Clean Fuels program, Ann Shaneyfelt, says there are tax credits available for people who purchase electric and hybrid vehicles…:
Cut 8 (08) “hundred dollars”
Shaneyfelt says the maintenance cost of electric vehicles is also much lower, and most public charging stations are free.

More Louisianans than ever before are now covered by health insurance. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project Jan Moller says nearly 212-thousand people in Louisiana signed up for coverage through the federal health insurance exchange program…:
cut 14 (09) “preventative care”
And Moller says this number doesn’t even include all the people who received coverage this summer through the expansion of Medicaid.

Governor John Bel Edwards is heading to Washington DC today to meet with congressional leaders in the House and Senate to discuss flood relief for Louisiana. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain are also traveling with Edwards.

There’s good news for motorists who travel through Baton Rouge. The governor announced Tuesday that I-10 will be widened from 4 to 6 lanes between Highland Road in the Capitol City and Highway 73 in Ascension Parish. Edwards says about 30-percent of the traffic on I-10 is moving commerce. But he says this project will benefit all drivers…:
cut 4 (10) “as well”
State Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says the project will cost more than 60-million dollars, but the state plans to use 40-million dollars in federal monies to get the project started in about a year.

Solar panel customers in Louisiana are suing the state over a cap that was placed on the solar tax credit program. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

New census data shows that more Louisianans than ever before are now covered by health insurance. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project Jan Moller says this is great news because for the longest time, Louisiana had one of the highest uninsured rates in the country…:
Cut 13 (10) “percent” 3x

More Louisianans than ever are now covered by health insurance, according to new census data. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Solar panel customers in Louisiana are suing the state over the cap that was placed on the solar tax credit program earlier this year. New Orleans lawyer Larry Centola says the state violated these people’s rights when they retroactively capped the program…:
Cut 10 (11) “on em”
The tax credit program was capped at $25 million during the 2015 session.

This week is National Drive Electric Week and the state department of natural resources would like motorists to learn about the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars. Executive Director of Louisiana Clean Fuels program, Ann Shaneyfelt, says the range of some fully electric vehicles is up to 200 miles, which is similar to having a full tank of gas.
CUT 7 (08) “every single morning” 2x
Shaneyfelt says the maintenance cost of electric vehicles is also much lower, and most public charging stations are free.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking two tropical systems in the Atlantic Basin. Tropical Storm Julia formed just along the Florida east coast in a rare over land forming storm. It is the 10th named storm of the season. Julia is forecast to move into Georgia and weaken as it dumps rain. Tropical Storm Ian is in the central Atlantic and is forecast to stay away from land as it moves into the northern Atlantic.

The LSU AgCenter finds the total damage to agriculture from the August floods to be about 277-million dollars. Don Molino has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Don Molino”

Governor John Bel Edwards will be in Washington, D.C. tomorrow as the fight continues to get more federal funding for flood relief efforts in Louisiana. The governor is expected to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, and the entire Louisiana Congressional delegation.

A new book claims Republican Congressman and candidate for US Senate Charles Boustany was involved with prostitutes who were killed in Jefferson Davis Parish. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this accusation has the potential to hurt Boustany’s campaign.

CUT 6 (08) “running that”

A statement from Boustany’s campaign says these allegations are completely false.

American Cancer Society volunteers from Louisiana and many other states are in Washington, D.C, today rallying for more funding for cancer research. Director of the LSU Health Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Augusto Ochoa, says we are at a turning point in cancer research.

CUT 3 (12)  “chronic disease”

The volunteers are asking Congress to increase funding for the National Cancer Institute by $680 million.

LSU AgCenter Economist Kurt Guidry has upped the amount of damage the states’ agriculture industry has sustained from the August flood and the persistent rain that followed. The new number is 277-million dollars. Guidry says livestock suffered greatly during last month’s floods….
cut 26 (09) “…the storms”
The Farm Service Agency has programs to help livestock producers.

An Ascension Parish man receives a five-year prison sentence for beating a dog to death with a baseball bat. Jamari Jackson claimed in court that the dog was stuck in a barbed wire fence and he wanted to “relax” it to get it loose. Jeff Dorson with the Humane Society of Louisiana…
cut 13 (07) “…in Louisiana”
The maximum sentence Jackson could have received is 10 years.

State Police arrest an elderly man from Slidell who allegedly had 31 terabbytes of suspected child porn in his possession. Trooper Dustin Dwight says 73-year-old Lanier Lively was charged with 500 counts of child porn…
cut 11 (07) “…of justice”
Dwight says the investigation into Lively began in April.

Governor John Bel Edwards announces I-10 will be widened from four to six lanes between Highland Road in Baton Rouge and Highway 73 in Ascension Parish. He says about 30-percent of the traffic on I-10 is moving commerce. But he says this project will benefit all drivers.
cut 4 (10) “as well”
State Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says the project will cost more than 60-million dollars, but the state plans to use 40-million dollars in federal monies to get the project started.

A new book on the unsolved murders of prostitutes in Jefferson Davis Parish says Republican Congressman and US Senate candidate Charles Boustany was involved with those women. Boustany’s campaign denies these claims. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat expects voters will give Boustany the benefit of the doubt, but only time will tell if attack ads will come…
cut 8 (08) “…background noise”

State Police has arrested a 73-year-old Slidell man on 500 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Trooper Dustin Dwight says after a search warrant of Lanier Lively’s home, authorities found massive amounts of suspected child pornography…:
CUT 9 (05) “of data”
Dwight says the investigation into Lively began in April.

The LSU Ag Center has increased it’s crop damage estimate to 277-million dollars as a result of the historic flooding event last month. Ag Center Economist Kurt Guidry says rice and soybeans were the two hardest hit crops, followed by corn at 44-million and cotton at 27-million dollars…
cut 15 (10) “….crop”
Agriculture losses from both the March and August floods are a combined 367-million dollars.

American Cancer Society volunteers from Louisiana and many other states were in Washington, D.C, today rallying for more funding for cancer research. Director of the LSU Health Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Augusto Ochoa, says Louisiana has one of the highest rates of death by cancer in the country….:
CUT 4 (07) “a year”

US Representative and Senate candidate Charles Boustany is accused of being involved with prostitutes who were killed in Jefferson Davis Parish. The allegations are spelled out in a book about the murders. A statement from Boustany’s campaign says these accusations are completely false. The author of the book stands by what he wrote. Political Analyst Bernine Pinsonat says Super PACS could use these allegations against Boustany….
cut 7 (11) “…or not”

State Police have arrested an elderly Slidell man who allegedly had 32-thousand gigabytes of data that contained child pornography…..
cut 10 (10) “…amassed”
Dwight says 73-year-old Lanier Lively faces 500 counts of child pornography.

An Ascension parish man will spend the next five years behind bars after he beat his dog to death with a baseball bat. Jeff Dorson with the Humane Society of Louisiana says Jamari Jackson faced up to 10 years for the 2014 crime, but they are happy with the sentence he got…:
cut 12 (08) “what he did”
Jackson reportedly claimed that he hit his dog because it was stuck in a barbed wire fence and he wanted to “relax” it to get it loose.

American Cancer Society volunteers from Louisiana are in Washington D-C today to rally for additional funding for cancer research. Director of the L-S-U Health Stanley Scott Cancer Center, Augusto Ochoa, says last year, almost 24-billion dollars funded 50-thousand cancer research grants and Louisiana received some of those grants…
cut 5 (11) “….cancer institute”

Prostitution allegations have surfaced against a candidate for US Senate, Republican Congressman Charles Boustany. Emelie Gunn has more…
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

State Police arrest an elderly man from Slidell who allegedly had 31 terabbytes of suspected child porn in his possession. Trooper Dustin Dwight says 73-year-old Lanier Lively was charged with 500 counts of child porn…
cut 11 (07) “…of justice”

LSU AgCenter Economist Kurt Guidry has upped the amount of damage the states’ agriculture industry has sustained from the August flood and the persistent rain that followed. The new number is 277-million dollars. Guidry says livestock suffered greatly during last month’s floods….
cut 16 (09) “…the storms”
The Farm Service Agency has programs to help livestock producers.

An Ascension Parish man receives a five-year prison sentence for beating a dog to death with a baseball bat. Jamari Jackson claimed in court that the dog was stuck in a barbed wire fence and he wanted to “relax” it to get it loose. Jeff Dorson with the Humane Society of Louisiana is glad Jackson will have some time to think about what he’s done…
cut 13 (07) “…in Louisiana”

The wife of Republican US Senate candidate Charles Boustany says prostitution allegations against her husband are “false attacks.” The accusations were raised in a new book that claims Boustany was involved with prostitutes who were killed in Jefferson Davis Parish. Political consultant Bernie Pinsonat says this has the potential to hurt Boustany’s campaign…:
CUT 6 (08) “running that”
A statement from Boustany’s campaign says these allegations are completely false.

American Cancer Society volunteers from Louisiana are in Washington, D.C, today rallying for more funding for cancer research. Augusto Ochoa with LSU Health says the advances in science over the past several decades have been phenomenal, and we are at a turning point in cancer research that just needs an additional push…:
CUT 3 (12) “chronic disease”

The LSU AgCenter finds the total damage to agriculture from the August floods to be about 277-million dollars. Don Molino has more…:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

The Red Cross says the largest shelter in Baton Rouge will be closing and they are set to transition displaced flood victims to permanent or temporary housing. They say those remaining at the Baton Rouge River Center on Thursday will be moved to another shelter. Red Cross officials say there were more than 200 displaced residents still at the Baton Rouge River Center as of Monday night.