There are many schools throughout southeast Louisiana that are closed today due to flooding in the area as a massive, slow moving storm continues to dump rain on the state. Entergy is reporting nearly 6,000 customers are without power, and about 1,500 DEMCO customers are in the dark. Many roads are flooded and more are expected to take on water as this system doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Forecasters say this is similar to a tropical storm rain-wise, but the wind factor is not there.

A suspect is in critical condition following an officer-involved shooting in Iberville Parish. Sheriff Brett Stassi says deputies responded to a call involving a fight between a mother and her son in Plaquemine…:
Cut 13 (07) “her car”
He says the suspect allegedly pulled out a gun on responding officers, and that’s when he was shot in the buttocks area by cops. The matter is under investigation.

The American Cancer Society released a progress report on how states are shaping up when it comes to cancer fighting policies. Emelie Gunn has more on how Louisiana scored…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

A new study from WalletHub finds that Louisiana is the third worst state for underprivileged children. Jill Gonzales with WalletHub says about 11% of Louisiana teens aged 16 to 19 are not in school or working, which can contribute to the crime rate. She says the state’s graduation rate is also much lower than other states…:
cut 4 (08) “75-percent”

An officer-involved shooting left one suspect critically injured in
Plaquemine. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

There are several parishes that are under a flash flood watch throughout
southeast Louisiana and into Acadiana and portions of central Louisiana as
a strong, slow moving storm pushes into the state, east to west. A handful
of parishes are under a flash flood warning and some are reporting school
closures for the day. There are numerous road closures due to high water.
Entergy is reporting several thousand customers are without power.

The American Cancer Society released their annual report on how each state
is doing on cancer fighting policies, and Louisiana still has some work to
do. ACS Director of Government Relations for Louisiana Lydia Kuykendal says
there are some areas where the state is excelling…:
CUT 7 (10) “into law”

Louisiana ranks in the top ten lowest gas prices in the country, according
to AAA. But Spokesperson Don Redman says we are seeing a slight uptick in
gas prices because of what AAA expects to be record high demand…:
Cut 10 (09) “a gallon”
The current statewide average for a gallon of regular is $1.97.

An officer involved shooting in Plaquemine left one suspect critically wounded. Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi says the suspect approached the deputies, and when he got close to them, he pulled out a gun.

Cut 15 (10) “buttocks area”

Stassi says the suspect was critically wounded and transported to a hospital in Baton Rouge. He says none of the deputies were injured.

Flames could be seen for miles this morning coming from the Motiva Oil Refinery in St. James Parish. It is not known yet what caused the fire, but forecasters say there was lightning in the area at the time. Jywanna Octave with the St. James Office of Emergency Preparedness says it was a scary situation, but it appears all workers were able to safely evacuate…:

cut 16 (04) “accounted for”

The Department of Children and Family Services is launching an initiative to improve foster care. DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says moving foster kids from one home to another can be traumatizing to that child. She hopes the new Quality Parenting Initiative will help DCFS reduce the number of placement changes and keep more siblings together.

Cut 11 (10) “birth family”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released an updated Atlantic hurricane outlook, predicting this season is still expected to be the strongest since 2012. NOAA’s Lead Season Hurricane Forecaster Dr. Gerry Bell says it will be stronger than what they first predicted in May. And there is a now a 70% chance that..:

CUT 6 (09) “major hurricanes”

The initial outlook called for 10-16 named storms

A suspect is in critical condition following an officer-involved shooting in Iberville Parish. Sheriff Brett Stassi says deputies responded to a call involving a fight between a mother and her son.

Cut 13 (07) “…her car”

Stassi says when deputies arrived, the suspect pulled a gun on them. He says the suspect was shot once in the butt and transported to a local hospital.

Crews responded to the scene of a fire at the Motiva (Mo-Tee-Va) Oil Refinery in St. James Parish this morning near the Sunshine Bridge. Flames could be seen for miles from the Convent facility. Jywanna Octave with the St. James Office of Emergency Preparedness says two fire departments responded…:

cut 15 (09) “at this time”

The refinery produces reformulated and conventional gasoline, primarily for the southeastern United States.

NOAA has released an updated Atlantic hurricane season outlook, and the storm chance has risen. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

A flash flood watch is in effect for over 40 Louisiana parishes through Saturday. The National Weather Service says flooding will be a concern on rivers and in low lying areas and areas with poor drainage. Rain totals are expected to reach up to 10 inches in some areas.

State Police have been called to investigate the officer involved shooting that happened in Plaquemine right before one o’clock. Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi says a deputy was responding to shots fired at a home on LA 77 between the Indian River Bridge and Grosse Tete. Officials say a man came out of the home and pulled a gun out of his waistband and that’s when he fired and hit the man. The man was taken to a local hospital.

The Department of Children and Family Services is introducing an initiative to improve foster care redefining caregivers roles. DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says our children deserve the best that we can give them, and that doesn’t always happen when they are in the child welfare system. She’s optimistic this can give foster kids much needed love and support.
cut 10 (11) “own kids”

 
Enrollment in the expanded Medicaid is surpassing goals set by the Louisiana Department of Health. LDH Secretary Rebekah Gee says improving health outcomes benefits the state in many ways because healthy people make for better workers and happier citizens.
CUT 5 (10) “healthcare”

NOAA released an updated Atlantic hurricane outlook and predicts this still will be the strongest since 2012. Lead Seasonal hurricane forecaster Dr. Gerry Bell says there is a lot of activity ahead for this season. He says it’s time to prepare since we’re we’re entering peak hurricane season.
CUT 8 (10) “year”

He says we’re now expecting a 70-percent change of 12 to 17 named storms, 5 to 8 of those are expected to become hurricanes and 2 to 4 of those are expected to become major hurricanes.

NOAA has released an updated Atlantic hurricane season outlook, and the
storm chance has risen. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

No injuries are reported in this morning’s fire and explosion at the Motiva
refinery in St. James Parish. Flames could be seen for miles after 11am.
Jywanna Octave with the St. James Office of Emergency Preparedness says it
was a scary situation, but it appears all workers were able to safely
evacuate…:
cut 16 (04) “accounted for”
No word on the cause of the blaze at this time.

Enrollment in the expanded Medicaid program is exceeding the goals set by
the Louisiana Department of Health extremely fast. LDH Secretary Dr.
Rebekah Gee says they’re at about 73% of the aim to get 375,000 people
enrolled by next June. She hopes this will lead to better health outcomes
in Louisiana…:
CUT 4 (11) “their health”
Gee says people can still enroll at healthy.la.gov.

The Saints take on the New England Patriots tonight in their first
preseason game. The Who Dat Nation is eager to see how the team is looking
on both defense and offense. One fan says he’s somewhat confident in the
team but wants to see how the guys are shaping up…:
cut 12 (08) “the season”
Others just pray there are no injuries. Kickoff is at 630.

Crews responded to the scene of a fire and explosion at the Motiva (Mo-
Tee-Va) Oil Refinery in St. James Parish this morning near the Sunshine
Bridge. Jywanna Octave with the St. James Office of Emergency Preparedness
says two fire departments are at the site…:
CUT 15 (09) “at this time”
It is not known yet what caused the fire, but forecasters say there was
lightning in the area at the time, around 10:50am. Octave says everyone is
accounted for. All roads around the plant are currently closed.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released an updated
Atlantic hurricane outlook, predicting this season is still expected to be
the strongest since 2012. NOAA’s Lead Season Hurricane Forecaster Dr. Gerry
Bell says it will be stronger than what they first predicted in May. And
there is a now a 70% chance that..:
CUT 6 (08) “major hurricanes”
He says we’re entering peak hurricane season so it’s time to prepare.

The Department of Children and Family Services is launching an initiative
to improve foster care by redefining the role of caregivers. DCFS Secretary
Marketa Garner Walters says Louisiana has strong confidentiality laws, but
we often misinterpret who we need to be confidential with. She says the
Quality Parenting Initiative is about having everybody on the same page:
CUT 9 (09) “foster parents”
She says she hopes this will allow foster kids to get the love and support
they need.

Once again, the latest on the explosion at the Motiva plant in St. James
Parish is that there are no injuries, and everyone is accounted for,
according to officials.

Enrollment in the expanded Medicaid program is exceeding the goals set by the Louisiana Department of Health. LDH Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee says they hope to enroll 375-thousand people by next June. She says Louisiana has reached 73% of its enrollment goal in less than 50 days, and already surpassed the goal set for this July as well.
CUT 3 (12) “of today”

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s smartphone app has now released a symptom checker feature. Owner of the mobile app Kassim Rasoulian says this feature is available for everyone but members can use the app to find a doctor, view their benefits and claims, and billing information.
cut 21 (08) “information”

 
The Big Easy is becoming more popular than ever for the vacationing public from all over the world. Don Molino reports…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Don Molino”

Tonight the Saints face off the New England Patriots in their first preseason game in Gillette Stadium at 6:30 Central time. One fan in anxious to see how the rookies perform tonight. …
cut 14 (07) “I mean”

Tensions are running high between the Edwards Administration and Attorney General Jeff Landry. The AG’s Office denies claims from Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne that Landry was trying to double up on car benefits from the state. Dardenne says the AG never responded to his letter denying the monthly driving allowance when Landry also had a state vehicle.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield’s smartphone app now include a symptom checker with a suggested diagnosis and a list of treatments. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 3 (22) “I’m Michelle Southern”

As college students are stocking their dorms with iPads and laptops for the start of the new school year, State Farm is urging them to protect their back to school purchases with renters insurance. Spokesperson Rozell Gadson says renter’s coverage also includes liability insurance, in the event a party gets out of hand and someone hurts themselves. He says although some students might be covered under their parents, he advises young adults to get their own policy because it establishes a positive record.

Cut 6 (09) “a loss”

More and more travelers are choosing New Orleans as their vacation destination. Kristian Sonnier with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau says Sonnier says they have been hard at work making New Orleans a world-class travel destination for visitors both here and abroad.

Cut 9 (07)  “attractive city”

Many college students are using this end of summertime to shop for expensive items to fill their dorms or apartments and State Farm is urging young adults to protect their back-to-school purchases with renter’s insurance. State Farm spokesperson Roszell Gadson says renters should meet with an agent about buying coverage. He says lots of college students believe renter’s insurance is too expensive for them…:
Cut 5 (08) “a month”

More and more travelers are choosing New Orleans as their vacation destination. Kristian Sonnier with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau says New Orleans was ranked at the top of the list for food and music travel destinations by two prestigious lifestyle magazines…:
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Think you’re getting sick or have a broken arm? Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s smartphone app now has a symptom checker. Owner of the mobile app, Kassim Rasoulian, says the user will also be directed to the best method to obtain help…:
cut 11 (09) “at home”
He says it’s available to both members and non-members.

Louisiana is seeing pounding rain on one side of the state, and scorching hot temperatures on another. A flash flood watch is in effect through Saturday for many parishes in southeast Louisiana and that system continues to move slowly west, according to forecasters. Several inches of rain are expected to fall over the coming days. In Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto and Webster Parishes, a heat advisory is in place through 7 this evening.