About one-quarter of the estimated $8.7 billion dollars in overall flood damage affected businesses in the state. Michelle Southern reports on the assessment by Louisiana Economic Development…:
voicer 3 (30) “…I’m Michelle Southern”

Governor John Bel Edwards is holding a press conference at 11 AM this morning to discuss how new jobs are coming to the state as a result of a partnership with the Delta Regional Authority and local entrepreneurs. Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo will also participate in the press conference.

The push is on for more federal dollars to assist in flood recovery. Governor John Bel Edwards has requested Congress pass a two billion dollar federal aid package. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says time is a factor with Congress taking a recess at the end of the month for the November election….
cut 9 (04) “…legislative process”
Hogan says House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Jefferson Parish plays a critical role, because of his leadership position.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has closed several oyster harvesting areas, which adds another hurdle for a struggling industry. Oyster grower John Tesvich says sacking usually begins on October 15, but LDWF delayed it until November 15 in the hopes of helping the oysters grow more. He says most of the Louisiana oysters on the market are coming from private harvesting areas, not public reefs…
cut 12 (08) “…normal production”

Students in Livingston Parish are back in school today after being out for nearly a month while flood damage was being addressed. Superintendent Rick Wentzel says some schools were a total loss and students at those locations are sharing time with other while construction continues…:
CUT 5 (09) “kids back”
He says some schools are platooning, which means students at the home school attend classes in the morning, while kids from a flood damaged school go in the afternoon.

Oyster harvesting remains closed in several areas. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is hoping the oysters grow more which is why they delayed sacking until November 15th. John Tesvich is on the Oyster Task Force. He says high water levels in the rivers are bringing more nutrient rich water into the harvesting areas and killing the oysters…:
cut 11 (09) “of oxygen”

Businesses in Louisiana suffered losses due to the historic floods to the tune of over $2 billion dollars. That’s according to Don Pierson, the Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. He says FEMA has surpassed $1 billion dollars in total federal assistance to Louisiana disaster survivors…:

cut 14 (12) “so far”
Pierson says it’s vital that employers take advantage of the assistance being provided by FEMA and the Small Business Administration, and get their case in prior to October 13th.

The Saints had a heartbreaking loss to Oakland on Sunday. The Black and Gold couldn’t hang on to a two touchdown lead and fell to the Raiders 35-34. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, but the defense gave up numerous big plays in the 4th quarter to allow Oakland to score 22 points near the end of the game.

The effort continues to get more federal dollars to assist in flood recover in Louisiana. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says House Minority Whip Steve Scalise plays a critical role in Louisiana’s efforts. But he says Louisiana’s request could run into some resistance from a Republican-controlled Congress…:
Cut 8 (09) “efforts”
Governor John Bel Edwards has requested Congress pass a two billion dollar federal aid package.

Meanwhile businesses in flooded areas are struggling to reopen. The Louisiana Department of Economic Development says 6,000 establishments flooded in 22 parishes. LED Secretary Don Pierson says the workforce has been impacted in a major way…:
CUT 15 (11) “get our workforce back”
LED is providing a complete resource guide for flood assistance at OpportunityLouisiana.com.

Students in Livingston Parish are headed back to school today, some this morning and some head out this afternoon. 6 schools were unable to open due to flood damage and are sharing space at other locations. Livingston Parish Superintendent Rick Wentzel says every school flooded there and the fact that most are reopening is a major milestone in recovery…:
CUT 6 (09) “this parish”
He says a timeline on when the closed schools will reopen is unknown at this time, but the goal is as soon as possible.

Governor John Bel Edwards along with the Delta Regional Authority are set this morning to unveil a series of new economic investments coming to Louisiana, according to a release from the DRA. The group is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to help create jobs, build communities, and improve lives through strategic investments in economic development in 252 counties and parishes across eight states.

There are still 6 schools that are closed for now due to flood damage, but all Livingston Parish students will return to class today. Superintendent Rick Wentzel says going back to school gives these kids a sense of normalcy that’s been missing for too long….:
cut 4 (10) “stable”

Louisiana elected leaders are making the push for more federal aid to assist in the flood recovery, but will they be successful? Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has closed several oyster harvesting areas and delayed the season because the industry is struggling. John Tesvich is a fourth generation oyster grower and also sits on the Oyster Task Force. He says planting usually opens after Labor Day, but this year was more of a partial opening…:
Cut 10 (08) “harvesting”
Tesvich says sacking usually begins on October 15, but LDWF delayed it until November 15 in the hopes of helping the oysters grow more.

The US Coast Guard says they are continuing to respond to the oil spill near Bay Long, Louisiana in Plaquemines Parish, as more than 6,000 gallons of oily-water mixture have been recovered. They say a section of a damaged pipeline discharged an estimated 5300 gallons of crude oil on September 4th.

For week 2, the LSU tigers moved up one spot to No. 20 in the latest AP Top 25 College Football Poll.

The push is on for more federal dollars to assist in flood recovery. Governor John Bel Edwards has requested Congress pass a two billion dollar federal aid package. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says party politics could play a factor…:
CUT 7 (11) “for support”

Businesses in Louisiana suffered losses due to the historic floods to the tune of over $2 billion dollars. That’s according to Don Pierson, the Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. He says overall, the August 2016 disaster caused a total of about $8.7 billion dollars in damage…:
Cut 13 (14) “economic impact”

Kids in Livingston Parish Schools finally return to class today after the flooding. Emelie Gunn has more…:

CUT 1 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The Raising Cane’s mascot, Cane II, has died at the age of 17. The company announced on their Facebook page the news of the beloved dog’s passing.

Leaders in Louisiana whose communities were devastated by historic flooding spoke before members of Congress Friday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss FEMA’s response to this disaster. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says the speed at which aid is getting to people is far too slow:
CUT 3 (09) “more resilient”
A representative from FEMA was present and gave updates on the number of flood victims they have assisted.

State Police say a man from Gonzales died after being ejected in an Ascension Parish crash. They say, for unknown reasons, 43-year-old Robert Edwards struck a vehicle that was traveling in front of him and the impact caused his vehicle to overturn multiple times on US 61 around 9pm last night. Edwards, who was not restrained, was ejected and sustained fatal injuries.

State Police say an arrest has been made in the case of a fatal crash in Rapides Parish that claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl several months ago. They 24-year-old Micah Baden lost control of his vehicle on May 17th, and crashed into a parked semi-traler. 16-year-old Chloe James was in the front seat and died. Baden was charged Friday with vehicular homicide.

Things continue to look troubling for LSU Coach Les Miles. A day before the Tigers are set to take on Jacksonville State in Death Valley, the LSU Board of Supervisors decided to table a proposal that would give the Mad Hatter a bonus if the team made it to the playoffs. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham was at the meeting and says the board doesn’t appear to be ready to discuss any part of Miles contract following the embarrassing loss to Wisconsin…:
CUT 16 (11) “surprising”
Miles’ current contract calls for him to get a 100-thousand dollar boost in pay if LSU reaches the C-F-P.

FEMA was bashed by members of Congress over the South Louisiana flood response. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Louisiana Department of Health says there have been 10 more cases of West Nile and two more confirmed cases of Zika in the state. The additions means there are now a total of 24 cases of West Nile virus in Louisiana. State health officials say the total number of Zika cases in Louisiana now stands at 28. All are travel-related.

It’s hard to believe, but tomorrow marks 15 years since the horrifying attack on New York’s World Trade Centers. Nearly 3,000 people died, including a man from Sulphur. Mayor of the Calcasieu Parish town, Chris Duncan, says Leo Russell Keene III died while saving people from an elevator. He says a bust in honor of Keene is being unveiled this morning:
CUT 12 (08) “a hero”
He says this bust will help Keene’s story to be told for generations to come.

Two new polls have been released on the state’s U.S. Senate race, and one shows Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy with a comfortable lead. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the other survey is quite different…:
CUT 9 (09) “number”
The Anzalone poll finds Kennedy leads with 18-percent and Democrat Caroline Fayard and Republican Congressman Charles Boustany are tied at 13-percent.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was criticized by members of Congress Friday over the pace that they were able to send aid to communities devastated by historic flooding in South Louisiana. Congressman John Mica of Florida, who chairs the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets, toured the affected communities. He said the manufactured housing units FEMA brought in to help are pathetic…:
CUT 10 (10) “any measure”
FEMA says the scope of the disaster was above and beyond the resources they had available to do more than they are.

A player from St. Michael High School was injured during a Friday night football game against Loranger High. The player was taken off the field, causing an hour long delay in the game Friday, Sept. 9. The extent of the player’s injuries is currently unknown.

Two new polls have been released on the U.S. Senate race in Louisiana. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The LSU Board of Supervisors elects not to take up a proposal to give football coach Les Miles an additional 100-thousand dollars if the Tigers make it to the college football playoff. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham the proposal was quickly deferred to be considered at a future meeting:
cut 15 (11) “table it”

Governor John Bel Edwards testified before Congress today and said federal help isn’t coming fast enough for people who have lost their homes and have nowhere to go. Congressman Cedric Richmond says many of the FEMA agents on the ground are brand new to the job and the process of getting aid to victims has been extremely confusing…:

CUT 5 (08)  “in red tape”

A representative from FEMA was present and gave updates on the number of flood victims they have assisted.

A new poll finds State Treasurer John Kennedy is leading the US Senate race with 18-percent and Democrat Caroline Fayard and Republican Congressman Charles Boustany are tied at 13-percent. UL-Lafayette Political Science professor Pearson Cross says Anzalone poll was paid for by a group that supports Fayard.

cut 10 (10)  “of campaigning”

The LSU Board of Supervisors elects not to take up a proposal to give football coach Les Miles an additional 100-thousand dollars if the Tigers make it to the national championship game. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham was there when the item agenda came up for a vote and it was quickly deferred to be considered at a future meeting

cut 15 (11) “table it”

Miles’ current contract calls for him to get a 100-thousand dollar boost in pay if LSU reaches the CFP. The proposal that was on today’s agenda would’ve increased that incentive to 200-thousand dollars. 

The National Hurricane Center says it’s monitoring three weather systems across the Atlantic basin. The first is about 1200 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, and forecasters say it’s forecast to be favorable for a tropical depression to form this weekend or early next week. The other two systems are not favorable for additional development.

Leaders in Louisiana whose communities were devastated by historic flooding spoke before members of Congress Friday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss FEMA’s response to this disaster. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says the speed at which aid is getting to people is far too slow:

CUT 3 (09)  “more resilient”

At today’s meeting, the LSU Board of Supervisors decided not to discuss the possibility of LSU coach Les Miles getting a 100-thousand bonus if the Tigers make it to the national championship game. Tiger Rag editor Cody Worsham says it appears the board is not ready to discuss any aspects of his contract after the disappointing loss to Wisconsin.

cut 16 (11) “surprising”

Two new polls on the state’s U.S. Senate race tell very different stories. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the poll by Remington Research Group and The Hayride has Republican Treasurer John Kennedy with a comfortable lead, but the other survey is quite different…

CUT 9 (09) “number.”

The Anzalone poll finds Kennedy leads by just 5-percent.

A Sulphur man killed in 9/11 will have a bust made in his honor unveiled at a memorial service tomorrow. Sulphur mayor Chris Duncan says the service includes a community march, where they hand out American flags and march from City Hall down to Heritage Square.

Cut 13 (12)  “in 9/11″

Leo Russell Keene III was working at the World Trade Center during the attack.