Environmental groups sue the Army Corps of Engineers, alleging the organization did not disclose the public health risks of a future St. James Parish plastics plant. Matt Doyle has more.
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Handing out money to LSU players following the national championship is not the only thing Odell Beckham did following the Tigers’ historic victory. Jeff Palermo has more on the video that shows Beckham spanking a police officer…
cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
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A 12-year-old girl is dead and her mother is fighting to stay live following a trailer fire in Lake Charles. Four people were home at the time of the blaze with three of them still hospitalized. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says firefighters got the call around 10:30 Tuesday night.
Rodrigue says investigators are considering electrical malfunction as a potential cause, but they are continuing to work through the evidence before ruling anything out.
Rodrigue says the home did not have working smoke alarms, which could have added critical seconds to the escape.
Cut 5 (13) “…alarms save lives.”
This is the first residential fatal fire in Louisiana of 2020.
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The Army Corps of Engineers has been sued by a coalition of environmental groups for allegedly failing to disclose the public health risks of a plastics plant set for construction in St. James Parish.
The Center for Biological Diversity is one of the plaintiffs and staff attorney Emily Jeffers says the Corp was blatantly disregarding the law when they issued a permit for the Formosa facility.
The Center is being joined by Healthy Gulf, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and Rise St. James in the suit.
Jeffers says the plant would pump out greenhouse gases equivalent to three coal power plants, send poisonous waste downriver into New Orleans’ drinking water, and…
Rise St. James Founder Sharon Lavigne recently told LRN the district is already packed with 12 different industrial projects.
The suit alleges that a full accounting of the public health effects was not done because it would likely have resulted in a rejection of the site’s permit.
A Corps spokesperson says they cannot comment on litigation.
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Former LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Junior’s conduct following the national championship game has him in trouble with the law. The New Orleans Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for Beckham for slapping an officer on the rear end. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says Beckham’s behavior went too far
There’s a video of the slap which happened during the postgame celebration in LSU’s locker room. Beckham has also been in the news for his money handshakes with a few players after the game. Detillier says O-B-J has been a huge supporter of the LSU football team, but the relationship might need a time out…
Beckham’s current team, the Cleveland Browns say their wide receiver is cooperating with the authorities about the incident with the officer and LSU says they are working with the NCAA about the money handshakes. Detillier says any player who still has remaining eligibility will likely be asked to return the money…
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After nearly two years of a trade war, phase one of the trade agreement between the US and China has been signed. Louisiana Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says the benefit to the state’s economy is unprecedented.
Cut 12 (10) “…trade war began.”
Our largest ag trade partner today is Canada with just under $22 billion.
Strain says the spending increases even more in upcoming years.
Cut 13 (11) “…very very closely.”
Strain says structural reforms will change the goods that China purchases which he says should result in long term stability.