LRN PM Newscall September 22

The Department of Children and Family Services is urging those calling in for DSNAP interviews to do so on their assigned day. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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AT&T has faced heavy criticism for its response to Hurricane Ida and today a PSC member tried to get answers. Jeff Palermo has the story

Cut 2 (32)…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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Congressman Garret Graves is pulling no punches in his concern for the fate of much-needed federal dollars for hurricane recovery aid in Louisiana.  He says the amount proposed is less than two billion dollars and is earmarked for disasters across the nation.

Cut 3 (10) “…not a chance.”

And, Graves says a “poison pill” in the mix is that the funding is tied to legislation to increase the national debt without limit that’s being sought by the Biden Administration. The debt is currently more than 28-trillion and recent requests would push it to 45-trillion.

Garret minces no words with the move by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to intertwine disaster recovery with substantially increasing the debt limit on federal spending.

Cut 4  (10) “..pill in there.” 

Congressman Troy Carter is among those who voted Tuesday to approve the Extending Government Funding and Disaster Assistance Act.  He says the bill provides crucial funding for disaster recovery in Louisiana.

Cut 5 (10) “…across this nation.”

The bill is part of a larger package dealing with funding the government and increasing the debt ceiling.

Carter says there is funding in the continuing resolution to help with South Louisiana’s long-term recovery efforts.

Cut 6 (08) “…in the past.” 

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More than 26-thousand calls were taken during the first two days for DSNAP interviews. 25 parishes are eligible for disaster food stamps however interviews for the parishes are not held on the same weeks. In an effort to reduce hold times DCFS Assistant Secretary Shavana Howard urges callers to visit their webpage and only call on their designated day.

Cut 7 (10) “…the help.”  

To receive DSNAP the first step is to pre-register online, then call in on your specified day. Howard says she understands it’s frustrating to sit on hold for an hour only to be told to call back on your assigned day. Besides their webpage, another way to find your day to call is by…

Cut 8 (11) “…using.”

Howard also recommends downloading LA Wallet to reregister for DSNAP and you’ll need your social security number, proof of income, resources, and disaster expenses to preregister. Calling in on your assigned day is not pre-registration and if you miss your interview day, they are holding makeup days.

Cut 9 (10) “…the alphabet”(x2) 

Current SNAP recipients are not eligible for DSNAP.

For more information visit dcfs.louisiana.gov/dsnap and visit their FAQ page.

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An AT&T representative told the Public Service Commission today the company’s response was immediate and their restoration efforts were robust in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. But P-S-C Member Eric Skrmetta doesn’t believe the customer should be the ones requesting credits for the days without AT&T service

Cut 10 (12)  “…investigation” 

Skrmetta also expressed disappointment that AT&T could not provide information on how many contractors they brought in to restore service.

Cut  11 (11)  “…unacceptable answer”  

Skrmetta also believes AT&T should have an outage map that’s easily accessible to customers, similar to the one Entergy has for power outages.

But he says one of the biggest headaches for his office is that AT&T is failing to meet with its customers and his office has received numerous calls on this issue…

Cut 12 (12) “….your customers”  

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A Benton woman faces 16 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals after a tip led Bossier Sheriff’s investigators to a horse training center behind Benton Intermediate School. Deputy Rod White says three horses were found dead inside a dump trailer, while 13 additional horses were found to be malnourished and lacking water.

Cut 13 (08) “…things were showing.”

White says the woman, 52-year-old Sandra Blackmon Driscoll, had her bond set at 100-thousand-dollars.

White says the surviving horses were living in deplorable conditions.

Cut 14 (05) “….stalls were unkept” 

White says the charges against Driscoll are all felonies.

Cut 15 (12) “…were taken away” 

Driscoll was booked into the Bossier Maximum Security Facility, while the surviving horses were transported to another local horse owner to be boarded.

4:30 pm LRN Newscast September 22

Congressman Garret Graves is angry that disaster recovery money for Louisiana is embedded in legislation to increase the national debt without limit that’s being sought by the Biden Administration. The debt is currently more than $28-trillion and recent requests would push it to $45-trillion. Graves minces no words with the move by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to intertwine disaster recovery with substantially increasing the debt limit on federal spending…:

CUT 04(10)      “…pill in there.”

A Benton woman faces animal cruelty charges after Bossier Sheriff’s deputies found three horses dead and 13 suffering from severe neglect and malnutrition. Bossier Sheriff’s Deputy Rod White says 52-year-old Sandra Blackmon Driscoll, was arrested, while the surviving horses were rescued…:

CUT 15(12)      “…taken away.”

 

AT&T faces heavy criticism for its response to Hurricane Ida, and today a member of the PSC tried to get some answers. Jeff Palermo has that…:

CUT 02(32)      “…Palermo.”

Lake Charles Police arrest four men for their roles in a shooting September 6th near McNeese State University and three of them are McNeese football players. Lathan Adams, Edward Gild and Travis Walker are all freshman defensive backs. Officers say the shooting was related to any armed robbery.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU sophomore defensive end BJ Ojulari leads the nation in sacks with 4.5 after recording 2.5 sacks in the win over Central Michigan. Tigers senior offensive tackle Austin Deculus on how Ojulari has gotten better since arriving on campus…
cut 17 (21) “…coming in”
Today on the SEC coaches teleconference, Coach Ed Orgeron said he expects running back Ty Davis Price will play on Saturday against Mississippi State after missing yesterday’s practice with a minor injury. Coach O also says it’s an open competition at left tackle as the Tigers look for a fill-in for the injured Cam Wire.

ULM has scored just one touchdown in two games heading into Saturday’s Sun Belt opener against Troy. The Warhawks have started Rhett Rodriguez in the first two games at QB, but Chandler Rogers played in the second half in Saturday’s win against Jackson State. Rogers only completed one pass but helped the offense by running the ball. Coach Terry Bowden has not announced a starter for Troy
Cut 20 (30) “…downfield”

Three McNeese football players have been suspended after they were arrested for their role in a shooting near the campus on September sixth. Lathan Adams, Edwards Gilds and Travis Walker are facing numerous charges. They are freshmen defensive backs.

3:30 pm LRN Newscast September 22

District 6 Congressman Garret Graves pulls no punches when talking about the fate of federal disaster recovery dollars for Louisiana. He says the current amount proposed is under $2-Billion and would be distributed across the nation…:

CUT 03  (10)        “…not a chance.”

District 2 Congressman Troy Carter voted to approve the Extending Government Funding and Disaster Assistance Act. He says there is funding in the continuing resolution to help with South Louisiana’s long-term recovery efforts…:

CUT 06(08)      “…in the past.”

State health officials report another child has died due to COVID-19. The child’s identity is being withheld and we’re only told he (or she) was between 12 and 17. So far, 16 kids have fallen victim to coronavirus in our state.

 

More than 26-thousand calls were taken during the first two days for DSNAP interviews. 25 parishes are eligible for disaster food stamps however interviews for the parishes are not held on the same weeks. DCFS Assistant Secretary Shavana Howard urges callers to visit their webpage and only call on their designated day. She says, besides their webpage, there is another way to find out your day…:

CUT 08(11)      “…using.”

Current SNAP recipients are NOT eligible for the disaster food assistance.

AT&T had to answer some tough questions from the state Public Service Commission, after customers complained of poor or non-existent service in the wake of Hurricane Ida. PSC member Eric Skrmetta says his office was flooded with complaint calls…:

CUT 12(12)      “…your customers”

An AT&T rep says the company did the best it could under the circumstances.

2:30 pm LRN Newscast September 22

Overrun with calls, the state Department of Children & Family Services is asking those calling for Disaster food stamp interviews to do so on their assigned day. More from Brooke Thorington…:

CUT 01  (31)        “…Thorington”

A Haughton man is under arrest for alleged sex crimes against juveniles. Bossier Sheriff’s deputies say 38-year-old David McCart was taken into custody after a search warrant of his home turned up child pornography and evidence of molestation. McCart faces 18 separate counts; his bond set at nearly a million dollars.

 

An AT&T representative went before the state Public Service Commission to answer complaints of spotty and poor service in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. AT&T maintains it did the best it could under the circumstances. PSC member Eric Skrmetta says he’s disappointed the phone company couldn’t tell them how many contractors they brought in-state to restore service…:

CUT 11  (11)        “…unacceptable answer”

Skrmetta believes AT&T should have a published outage map, like the power companies do.

A Benton woman faces 16 counts of aggravated animal cruelty after Bossier Deputies found horses dead and many starving and barely able to walk at her horse training center. 52-year-old Sandra Driscoll had bond set at $100-thousand. Deputy Rod White says the animals were living in deplorable conditions…:

CUT 14  (05)        “…stalls were unkept”

The horses have been taken to another facility for rescue and rehabilitation.

1:30 LRN Newscast September 22

AT&T has faced heavy criticism for its response to Hurricane Ida and today a PSC member tried to get answers. Jeff Palermo has the story

Cut 2 (32)…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

 

Louisiana’s health department is confirming that another child has died as a result of the fourth surge of Covid-19 in the state.  It marks the seventh pediatric death of a child between the ages of 12 and 17.  No other information was released in connection with the death.

 

More than 26-thousand calls were taken during the first two days for DSNAP interviews. 25 parishes are eligible for disaster food stamps however interviews for the parishes are not held on the same weeks. In an effort to reduce hold times DCFS Assistant Secretary Shavana Howard urges callers to visit their webpage and only call on their designated day.

Cut 7 (10) “…the help.”  

 

To receive DSNAP the first step is to pre-register online, then call in on your specified day.

Congressman Troy Carter is among those who voted Monday to approve the Extending Government Funding and Disaster Assistance Act.  He says the bill provides crucial funding for disaster recovery in Louisiana.

Cut 5 (10) “…across this nation.”

 

The bill is part of a larger package dealing with funding the government and increasing the debt ceiling.

12:30 PM LRN Newscast September 22

An AT&T representative told the Public Service Commission today the company’s response was immediate and their restoration efforts were robust in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. But P-S-C Member Eric Skrmetta doesn’t believe the customer should be the ones requesting credits for the days without AT&T service

Cut 10 (12)  “…investigation” 

 

A Benton woman is facing 16 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals after a tip led Bossier Sheriff’s investigators to a horse training center behind Benton Intermediate School early Monday. Deputy Rod White says three horses were found dead inside a dump trailer, while 13 additional horses were discovered malnourished and lacking water.

Cut 13 (08) “…things were showing.”

White says the woman, 52-year-old Sandra Blackmon Driscoll, had her bond set at 100-thousand-dollars.

 

Congressman Garret Graves is concerned for the fate of much-needed federal dollars for hurricane recovery aid in Louisiana.  He says the amount proposed is less than two billion dollars and is earmarked for disasters across the nation.  He minces no words with the move by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to intertwine disaster recovery with substantially increasing the debt limit on federal spending.

Cut 4  (10) “..pill in there.” 

 

Summer’s gone and fall is here and as State Climatologist Barry Keim tells us temperatures are falling right in line with the seasonal change. In other words, goodbye warm weather, at least for now. Keim says the fall-like weather will gradually make its way into the state over the next few days.

Cut 9 (07)  “…pouring in here.”

And after the cool front moves through, it’ll be followed by somewhat warmer temperatures moving into the 80s by the weekend.

11:40 LRN Sportscast September 22

Through three games, LSU is averaging just three yards a carry and they have 257 rushing yards for the season. But Quarterback Max Johnson liked what he saw from the running game in the second half of Saturday’s game against Central Michigan as freshman Corey Kiner performed well…
Cut 18 (14)”…be fun.”
LSU running back Ty Davis Price did not practice yesterday, but Coach Ed Orgeron said today he should play Saturday at Mississippi State. Orgeron also believes safety Jay Ward will suit up against the Bulldogs. He’s missed the last two 2.5 games since suffering an injury and is needed going up against Mike Leach’s air raid offense.

Mississippi State Quarterback Will Rogers is coming off a game where he completed 50 of 67 passes and he’s completed 75-percent of his passes for 1,083, eight touchdowns and one interception.

11:30 LRN Newscast Sept 22

Congressman Garret Graves is pulling no punches in his concern for the fate of much-needed federal dollars for hurricane recovery aid in Louisiana.  He says the amount proposed is less than two billion dollars and is earmarked for disasters across the nation.

Cut 3 (10) “…not a chance.”

And, Graves says a “poison pill” in the mix is that the funding is tied to legislation to increase the national debt without limit that’s being sought by the Biden Administration.

Entergy Louisiana wants to add a $5 surcharge to customer’s bills to pay almost $2.1 billion in repair work following the 2020 hurricanes and February’s winter storms.  Entergy Vice President of Regulatory and Public Affairs Mark Kleehammer says the monthly surcharge is for fifteen years.

Cut 4 (09) “…the same thing.”

A cold front has moved through Louisiana, creating cooler, breezy, and drier conditions. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the relief from the heat should be noticeable…

Cut 8 (08) “…be glorious outside.”

The cooler temps are a welcome relief for those recovering from Ida as they make repairs to their damaged properties, and there are also no tropical threats for the Gulf of Mexico.

The Louisiana startup company Tigeraire that created interior helmet fans for the LSU football team has signed with a Silicon Valley venture capital firm as their lead investor. And since Tigeraire began making headlines, CEO and Founder Jack Karavich says LSU alums in the construction industry have even requested a model for hardhats.

Cut 15 (09)  “…year actually.”

9:30 LRN Newscast Sept 22

The House voted to continue a resolution to fund the government through December 3rd and raise the $28 trillion debt ceiling. Senator Bill Cassidy says efforts are also underway to pass the disaster supplemental bill before the end of the month but Cassidy says he hopes Senator Majority leader Chuck Schumer won’t attach disaster relief to the resolution to raise the debt ceiling.

Cut 12 (12) “…doesn’t do that.”

Senator John Kennedy is the only Republican who’s stated he plans to vote for the bill for relief funds even if it raised the debt ceiling.

A Louisiana startup company that created interior helmet fans for the LSU football team has signed with a Silicon Valley venture capital firm as their lead investor. Jack Karavich is the founder and CEO of Tigeraire the company that created the helmet fans known as the Cyclone.

Cut 13 (04) “…all the time.”

Entergy Louisiana is seeking to add a $5 surcharge to customer’s bills to pay almost $2.1 billion in repair work following hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta, and February’s winter storms.  Entergy Vice President of Regulatory and Public Affairs Mark Kleehammer says the monthly surcharge is for fifteen years.

Cut 4 (09) “…the same thing.”

The surcharge was discussed at a joint legislative commerce committee where Thibodaux Representative Bryan Fontenot suggested the utility provider dedicate a portion of their $700 million annual profits to an escrow account to pay for catastrophic repairs. He also questioned Entergy representatives about preventative maintenance.

Cut 6 (11) “…the payer.”