A real estate expert predicts the COVID Crisis will have a lasting impact on the way office spaces are laid out. Matt Doyle has the story.
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The Lt Governor says saving the state’s tourism economy starts with getting more Louisianans to take in-state road trips. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
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Parts of southeast Louisiana are drying out today after over a foot of rain fell in an area north of Lake Ponchartrain. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service in Slidell says their highest rainfall total was 15 inches
Grigsby says up to ten inches of rain fell in St. Charles Parish. Officials say floodwaters entered over 120 homes in the Destrehan area.
Rivers continue to rise and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff deputies were still conducting water rescues on Friday morning.
Grigsby says the Tchefuncte River, which starts in Tangiaphoa Parish and drains into Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany will crest at major flood stage level. He says water has flowed into some homes
Cut 4 (11)_ “…St. Charles Parish.”
A handful of people had to be rescued from their homes last night as the water kept rising. High water has also closed some roads and there are also power outages.
Grigsby says heavy rain bands from a low-pressure system produced the flooding and more rain is in the forecast…
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Many of Louisiana’s 450,000 small businesses are struggling to make rent amid the COVID-driven economic crisis.
Beau Box Commercial Real Estate New Orleans VP Cress Gardner says the divide between which sectors are and are not having trouble paying rent is significant.
Gardner says if your business is struggling to make rent reach out to your landlord with detailed accounting demonstrating how your business will bounce back after the crisis cools.
Gardner says if you’ve been a reliable tenant than it’s unlikely your landlord will want to let you go over a few months of delinquency.
Gardner also expects when workers are cleared to return to office spaces those environments will reflect the New Normal.
Gardner also expects the future of office spaces will be a return to less dense spacing with more personal offices.
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The National Federation of Independent Business indicates optimism as Louisiana begins phase one of the economic reopening. But NFIB state director Dawn Starns says there are still challenges, such as limiting businesses to 25-percent capacity.
Cut 9 (09) “…past few months.”
Starns says the phase one proclamation creates winners and lowers. She says bowling alleys are still closed, while movie theatres can reopen.
Cut 10 (10) “…up and running.”
Spas, massage and tattoo parlors are not allowed to open under phase one guidelines. Starns says bars that do not serve food also remain shuttered…
Cut 11 (12) “…challenges with it.”
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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser calls on Louisianans to kick start the tourism economy by making 2020 the “Year of the Louisiana Road Trip”. South Louisianans are missing their spring festivals but Nungesser says you can still have some quality time with the family and social distance by loading up the car and heading north…
Nungesser says you can extend your north Louisiana excursion by wrapping up your trip at Poverty Point World Heritage Site in West Carrol Parish.
And while south Louisiana’s iconic festivals have been canceled, Nungesser says you can still enjoy the coast’s natural offerings.
Nungesser says tourism dollars saved every Louisianan 1,100 dollars in taxes last year, and if Louisianans can prove you can safety tour the state more out of state visitors will return.
You can built an itenerary at LouisianaTravel.com/RoadTrip.
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Governor Edwards says if you get a call from a number that reads 877-766-2130, it’s a contact tracer. Edwards says it’s important you answer the contact tracer’s questions because they will inform you that a person you’ve been in contact with has tested positive for the coronavirus. He says it’s been used in Louisiana before…
The state previously had 70 contact tracers employed, but they’ve just trained about 300 more.
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This is the first weekend of loosened restrictions on businesses since the coronavirus pandemic began. Governor Edwards thinks the state can do this and still keep cases down and manageable…
Cut 16 (15) “…their opportunity.”
The state reported 348 new cases on Friday and 31 more COVID-19 deaths. But hospitalizations dropped by 102 to less than eleven-hundred.