Phase Three will provide public school students with more opportunities for in-person education. Matt Doyle has the story.
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The state enters Phase Three of the pandemic economic reopening plan tonight, but bars in most parishes will remain closed for now. Jeff Palermo has the story.
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Tropical Depression 19 formed near Miami on Friday afternoon. National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Gilmore says the depression is set to cross south Florida early on Saturday and move northwestward over the north-central Gulf of Mexico on Monday.
Gilmore says there’s also a weak tropical wave in the northern Gulf of Mexico and that will help produce even more tropical moisture
Cut 4 (07)“ …five to seven days”
Gilmore says residents along the northern Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of this system.
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State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says the state moving into Phase Three likely means more in-person education for K-12 students.
Brumley says one of the biggest differences in Phase Three is relaxed school bus capacity limits.
Brumley says classrooms can also open up, and some beloved extracurricular can resume as well…
The Superintendent warned the transition to more in-person education won’t happen overnight, and will likely take some time to implement.
Brumley says the state’s transition to Phase Three is proof schools were able to safely educate under Phase Two. He says that’s the result of high compliance, and occasionally tough decisions…
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Cleco says it has restored power to 99% of the 140,000 customers who lost service due to Hurricane Laura. Spokesperson Jennifer Cahill says as restoration teams’ infrastructure rebuilding efforts move forward, remaining customers could be seeing the lights come on soon.
Cut 9 (08) “…another couple days.”
Cleco expects power to be restored to all customers who can accept power in Grant, Rapides and Vernon Parishes. Cahill says at the peak, over 4,000 restoration workers were on the ground thanks to the assistance of outside contractors.
Cut 10 (06) “…history of Cleco.”
In Beauregard Parish, crews are bringing in specialized equipment in flooded areas to continue restoration efforts. Cahill says in Calcasieu Parish, there are 53 line crews working in Dequincy…
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Governor John Bel Edwards announces that bars in most parishes will remain closed and for those that can open heavy restrictions will be put in place as the state enters Phase Three tonight.
Edwards says a parish must show a two week period with less than five percent positivity before bars can begin a limited reopening.
Restaurants, gyms, spas, salons, retail, and other businesses will be allowed to increase capacity to 75 percent, masks will still be required in businesses, and gathering sizes have been increased.
So far only five parishes qualify to reopen bars, Orleans, St. John, Bienville, Jefferson Davis and Plaquemines. Bars in those parishes will have to stop serving by 10 PM and close by 11 PM, and you can’t walk up to the bar to order…
No one under 21 will be allowed in any bar, and live music is still prohibited.
Bar capacity will also be highly restricted and social distancing must be enforced.
Edwards says the tight restrictions on bars are the result of the still-high rate of COVID among young people.
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New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell announces there will be no tailgating on city property for Sunday’s Saints season opener, and no fans in the Dome for all of September.
Cantrell says many long-running city traditions are now outlawed…
And while limited fan attendance is being allowed in other NFL stadiums, that won’t be the case for the Superdome at least through week three.
The Saints kick off at 3:25 PM Sunday against Tom Brady’s Bucs.