Public memorials begin tomorrow in Baton Rouge for former Governor Kathleen Blanco. Her biggest challenge as an elected official was the response to Hurricane Katrina. Jeff Palermo spoke to her about it in 2015…
Cut 1 (31) “..I’m Jeff Palermo”
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A major employer in Minden is considering a re-location to Texas because of a series of structurally deficient bridges in northwest Louisiana. Matt Doyle has the story…
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Public memorials for former Governor Kathleen Blanco begin tomorrow in Baton Rouge. The state’s first elected female governor died Sunday. Her leadership was questioned during Hurricane Katrina, but in an interview to mark the 10-year anniversary of the storm, Blanco told the Louisiana Radio Network the storm overwhelmed the state’s capabilities
The storm left most of New Orleans underwater for weeks, thousands were displaced and hundreds more were stranded in New Orleans without shelter or food. Blanco told Louisiana Radio Network in 2005 it was FEMA who failed to provide buses to get people out of the storm-stricken area
Blanco says she was disappointed by all of the finger-pointing when an American city was brought to its knees and so many were hurting
Cut 5 (11) “…political response.”
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AG Jeff Landry says an armed law enforcement officer from his office to help educate students and protect them from online crime, may have triggered the armed intruder false alarm at LSU yesterday. University spokesperson Ernie Ballard says they are reviewing the response and they recently trained for a similar scenario.
Ballard says campus safety is a shared responsibility and if someone sees something, they should say something.
Cut 7 (12) “…have the problems.”
Just before 3pm the school sent out an alert telling students in the area to run, fight, or hide. Ballard says while that language may be alarming, it’s encouraged by the federal Homeland Security department.
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A company that employs 750 people in Minden is threatening to relocate to east Texas if the state does not upgrade several bridges in the area that have structural problems.
Fibrebond builds huge structures that can measure 16 by 75 feet and weigh 150,000 pounds, making them ineligible to cross de-rated bridges. Department of Transportation spokesperson Rodney Mallett…
DOTD is meeting with Fibrebond today to try to find a resolution.
Fibrebond CEO Graham Walker told KEEL the state is littered with de-rated bridges, and the only routes DOTD can find force his company to make a substantial detour to ship items west.
Fibrebond is a Louisiana owned and operated company that’s been open for the last 37 years.
Mallett says the state has some funds set aside to hopefully keep the major employer from crossing into Texas.
Walker warns a new round of de-ratings of bridges could make that route even more convoluted or block the company from being able to ship from Minden at all. He wants to stay in Louisiana, but…
Walker says the company has already begun receiving offers from east Texas communities and the state of Texas to assist in a potential move.
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St. Landry Parish Sheriffs are trying to identify a body they discovered dumped in the Beggs area. Authorities say it appears to be an African American female in her early 20s.
Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the cause of death is unknown at this time, but the body did have one specific identifying item.
Foul play is suspected and hey believe he woman had been dead for four to five days, and the body had been dumped at that location about two days prior to its discovery Sunday.
Guidroz says it was a shocking discovery, but a sensation that’s not all that unfamiliar to the region at this time.
The body was found just off of Highway 10.