LSU announces enhanced security measures for football home games for the rest of the season. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
___________________________________________________
A new survey finds strong support for more federal funding for afterschool programs. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
___________________________________________________
For the remainder of the football season, those going to LSU home games can expect beefed-up security following a pair of shootings outside the stadium last week. Scott Ballard, the chairman of the LSU Board of Supervisors, says there will be additional police presence – not only those you can see, but also those you CAN’T see.
Cut 3 (09) “…behavior very quickly.”
Part of that surveillance support includes the use of drones. Ballard says accessibility to campus will be restricted for those who do not have gameday parking permits.
Cut 4 (07) “…have interior permits.”
Highland Road runs parallel to Burbank Drive, which is one of the main routes to get to Tiger Stadium. Ballard says law enforcement is also cracking down on the use of marijuana, which people have complained about for a while.
Ballard says people have even been smoking marijuana inside the stadium. Those who are caught doing so will be ejected; and if they’re season ticket holders, their tickets for the next home game will be forfeited. Ballard is also reminding fans that LSU is a firearm-free campus, and no one except law enforcement should be bringing firearms onto campus.
___________________________________________________
About four in five Louisiana children are missing out on afterschool programs according to a survey conducted by the Afterschool Alliance. Afterschool Alliance executive director Jodi Grant says 48-percent of Louisiana parents say the programs are too expensive…
Grant says the survey also found that 44-percent say afterschool programs are unavailable in their community…
Cut 7 (08) “…long waiting list.”
Grant says they conducted this study in response to the Trump Administration withholding funds Congress appropriated for afterschool and summer learning programs. After a huge public outcry, the Trump administration released the one-point-four billion dollars this past summer, but federal funding going forward is uncertain. Grant says their study found that parents support more public funding for these programs…
Cut 8 (12) “…huge difference.”
___________________________________________________
The EPA has returned the Smitty’s Supply site back to the company and the Tangipahoa River and connecting ponds back to the State of Louisiana. EPA Region Six Administrator Scott Mason says this is the result of the cleanup progress following the explosion at the chemical plant in August. Mason says the EPA, however, is not going away.
Mason says while it’s handed what’s left of the facility back to Smitty’s, there is still some cleanup left to go.
Cut 10 (11) “…prevent further releases.”
Mason says there will be a coordinated approach with Smitty’s handling the facility cleanup and the state leading the river and pond cleanup under EPA oversight, with Tangipahoa Parish serving as the local coordinator.