Disaster food stamps, also known as D-SNAP, will soon be available to residents in 25 parishes hit hard by Hurricane Ida. Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services Assistant Secretary Shavana Howard says D-SNAP helps eligible households buy groceries due to lost income or damages related to Ida

Cut 6 (11) “…you’re eligible.” 

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson is upset at the slow movement of FEMA to set up temporary long-term housing like mobile homes for those affected by Ida.

Cut 5 (09) “…into the parish.”

The Chief Civil Deputy at the Caldwell Parish Sheriff’s office, Debbie Dollar, is facing charges of malfeasance in office and theft charges. State Police Master Trooper Michael Reichardt says she’s been taking money out of a drawer used to hold money collected for fines and fees since January 2020.

Cut 13 (07)    little more”

29-year old Haley Arceneaux of Baton Rouge will become the youngest American in space tonight as part of the Inspiration4 program. Arceneaux a childhood cancer survivor is a Physician Assistant at St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and LSU Health Shreveport Assistant Professor Lindsay Ferrington says they are celebrating with a launch party at the school.

Cut  11 (12)  “…nervous.”  

You can watch the launch on SpaceX’s YouTube channel.

Folks with damaged roofs from Hurricane Ida are still struggling to keep their homes from further damage.  Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson tells us as Nicholas’ rains cause additional problems, tarps that home and business owners have used thus far, fall short of the federal government’s Blue Roof program.

Cut 4  (08) “…couple of days.” 

Tonight, 29-year-old Haley Arceneaux, a Baton Rouge native, will be the first cancer survivor and the first person with a prosthesis to journey into space, a crewmember of the Inspiration4 space mission. Assistant Professor Lindsay Ferrington at LSU Health Shreveport remembers when Arceneaux applied to the LSU Health Shreveport Physician Assistant Program, and she realized then her potential.

Cut 10 (10)   anything.” 

Senator Bill Cassidy isn’t pulling any punches to his non-support of folks turning to the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to battle the Covid 19 virus.  He says, unlike the Covid vaccines that have been approved for use and that have saved lives, he’s fully aware of the outcome of using ivermectin to battle the virus.

Cut 15    (07)   “…and who died.”

The Chief Civil Deputy at the Caldwell Parish Sheriff’s office, Debbie Dollar, is facing charges of malfeasance in office and theft. State Police Master Trooper Michael Reichardt says the 58-year-old woman stole thousands of dollars from the Caldwell Sheriff’s office

Cut 12 (12) “35-thousand dollars”  

Reichardt says Dollar is accused of taking money out of a drawer since January 2020.

Folks with damaged roofs from Hurricane Ida are still struggling to keep their homes from further damage.  Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson tells us as Nicholas’ rains cause additional problems, tarps that home and business owners have used thus far, fall short of the federal government’s Blue Roof program.

Cut 3 (11) “..growing out there”

Baton Rouge native Haley Arceneaux will make history tonight as the youngest American in space. She’s part of the Inspiration4 space mission that aims to raise awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where Arceneaux overcame bone cancer. Assistant Professor Lindsay Ferrington at LSU Health Shreveport was one of Arceneaux’s instructors.

Cut 9 (10) “…one of them.” 

Arceneaux is 29.

More than 13,000 have died from COVID in Louisiana and the increase has changed business as usual for the funeral industry. Funeral Director Zondra Wright with Charbonnet Funeral Home in New Orleans says early in the pandemic most of their burials were nursing home patients and older adults with comorbidities

Cut 11 (07) “…has changed.”

Wright says most nursing home patients are vaccinated and now they are burying people in their 40s, 50s and 60s

Senator Bill Cassidy is taking a staunch approach to those who for whatever reason are shunning COVID-19 approved vaccines in favor of ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug. Cassidy says it is hard to understand why someone would choose ivermectin as their choice to battle the coronavirus.

Cut 14 (09)  “…and its complications.”

Cassidy says he personally knew people who refused the vaccine but took ivermectin but still died.

As the COVID pandemic rages on, the funeral industry has seen families hold multiple funerals in a short period of time. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (32) I’m Brooke Thorington.”

LSU President William Tate will take part in a briefing at the White House this afternoon where he and others will meet with President Biden and his Covid 19 Response Team to discuss the success of mitigation strategies in the battle against the coronavirus.  Tate says LSU’s strategies have worked, noting that more than 82-percent of the university’s student body has been vaccinated, along with monthly testing protocols in place to monitor the presence of the virus on campus.

As Nicholas continues on its east, northeastwardly track, State Climatologist Barry Keim says bands of rain will only continue to increase rainfall totals for southeast and central parts of the state.

Cut 5 (07) “…occurred.”

Keim says the slow movement of Nicholas is allowing the storm to saturate areas of the state, even more so than south Louisiana already is.

Senator Bill Cassidy is taking a staunch approach to those who. for whatever reason. are shunning COVID-19 approved vaccines in favor of ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that is used to treat river blindness and intestinal roundworm infection in humans.

Cut 13 (10) “…FDA approved vaccine.”

Cassidy says if anything, there are far lower hospitalizations and deaths for those who have been vaccinated, versus the number of deaths for those hospitalized with the coronavirus and who had relied on ivermectin.

The state health department reported 121 more COVID-19 deaths yesterday, bringing the death toll to 13,241. Zondra Wright is Charbonnet Funeral Home Director in New Orleans and says unfortunately her business has been very busy since March 2020 and she fears the number of COVID deaths will not let up anytime soon…
cut 12 (09) “….Christmas 2021”
Wright says she’s seeing more people die in their 40s, 50s, and 60s from COVID than last year.

U-S Senator Bill Cassidy, who is also a doctor, continues to advise people to get the COVID vaccine. He says using the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin is not the answer…
cut 15 (07) “…and who died”

Nicholas is now a tropical depression but the flood threat still exists. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the slow movement of Nicholas allows the system to saturate the area…
cut 4 (09) “…the problem”
Numerous roads in Evangeline Parish are closed due to high water. Schools are closed in Avoyelles Parish due to flooding concerns. A flash flood warning is in effect for St. Tammany and Washington Parish until 11:15.

Entergy Louisiana says they’ve restored power to 90-percent of its customers who lost power as a result of Hurricane Ida. But John Hawkins with Entergy says they still have more work to do in the River Parishes and the Bayou Region of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes…
cut 9 (09) “…work there”
Entergy Louisiana reports nearly 65-thousand customers without power.

Much of South and Central Louisiana are under a flash flood watch today as Tropical Depression Nicholas moves through the state. Rainfall totals are expected to range from five to ten inches and locally higher amounts are possible. A number of roads in Evangeline Parish are closed due to high waters.

As the COVID pandemic rages on, the funeral industry has seen families hold multiple funerals in a short period of time. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (32) I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Louisiana Public Service Commission reports 85-thousand customers are still without power due to Hurricane Ida. Most of the outages are in St. John, St. Charles, Lafourche, and Terrebonne Parishes. Entergy says they restored power to 90-percent of its customers that lost electricity due to Ida. John Hawkins, the utility’s Vice President of Distribution Operations, says lessons learned from previous storms helped in this restoration effort…
cut 8 (12) “…the next event”

There are many still taking the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat COVID. Senator Bill Cassidy, who is also a doctor, advises against it…
cut 13 (10) “…FDA approved vaccine”

Nicholas has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but the flood threat lingers. State Climatologist Barry Keim…
cut 6 (06) “….of time”
That’s what happened in Avoyelles and Evangeline Parish early this morning, which led to flooded roads and school closures.

Over 13,000 have died from COVID in Louisiana and the pandemic has made it difficult for some families to plan a funeral for a loved one…
cut 10 911) “…will recover”
That’s Zondra Wright who is the director at the Charbonnet Funeral Home in New Orleans. Wright says before the pandemic they averaged nine to eleven funerals a week. She says they can easily do that many in a weekend now.

There is more progress to report on getting electricity flowing once again to Entergy customers in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida. Dave Brannen has an update.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Dave Brannen.”

The federal government has approved the use of disaster food stamps for residents in 25 parishes hit by Hurricane Ida. D-SNAP as it’s officially called provides financial assistance to households who need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. The virtual application process begins Monday. Got to the D-C-F-S website for more information.

Nicholas continues to move slowly to the east at three miles an hour. The center of the storm is 35 miles west of Lake Charles and it still has the potential to produce a lot of rain in Louisiana…
cut 1 (29) “….I’m Brooke Thorington”

Roads are flooded in Avoyelles and Evangeline Parishes this morning. So schools are closed there. Meanwhile in southeast Louisiana, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning until 8:30 for St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington Parishes.

Entergy Louisiana announces 90-percent of its customers have had their power restored post- Hurricane Ida. John Hawkins, the utility’s Vice President of Distribution Operations, sums up the situation this way.
Cut 7 (05) “…is unprecedented.”
Entergy says they continue to work to restore power to the 72-thousand customers who are still without electricity. About 45-percent of the customers in St. John, St. Charles, Lafourche, and Terrebonne Parishes remain in the dark.

The state health department reported 22-hundred new COVID-19 cases yesterday and 121 additional COVID deaths, bringing the death toll to 13,241. Senator Bill Cassidy is urging Louisiana residents to get the vaccine and do not rely on the dewormer ivermectin to treat COVID symptoms…
cut 14 (09) “….its complications”
Cassidy says he has personal experience with people who refused the vaccine and took ivermectin, but died from the virus.