LSU has opened its doors to a newly constructed football operations center that features a place where players can take a nap in front of their locker. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The US Army Corps of Engineers has begun to close the Bonnet Carre Spillway.  Corps spokesperson Matt Roe says the closure isn’t a speedy, press-of-a-button process.

Cut 8 (03) “…and everything’s good.”

The decision to begin closure comes as the river levels have seen a downward trend.

New Orleans music legend Art Neville has passed away.  Neville died today after years of declining health. He was 81.

The state’s sugarcane crop is on track for another successful harvest, despite the impact of Hurricane Barry that delivered anywhere from three to fourteen inches of rain across the sugarcane belt. LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois says despite the gloomy forecast prior to the storm, the state did okay.

Cut 9 (09) “…standing back up.”

Gravois expects mills to open for processing around September 17th, an early start date because of this year’s large crop.

A study by Project Know shows Louisiana high schoolers consume alcohol and injectable drugs at the highest rate in the nation.

American Addiction Centers Researcher Ruchi Dhani says the state as a whole has some of the worst drug use rates in the nation…

Cut 13 (09) “…Louisiana”

The US Army Corps of Engineers has begun to close the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The environmental effects of opening have resulted in a negative impact to the seafood industry in St. Bernard Parish as well as shuttering Mississippi beaches. Corps spokesperson Matt Roe says the process on the closure began this morning.

Cut 7 (04) “…bays each day.”

This year marks the first time the spillway has had to be opened twice in one year, with the current opening lasting 74 days.

Two Gretna Police officers have been fired after one of them wrote a threatening Facebook post about New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the other liked it. The post by former officer Charlie Rispoli read “This vile idiot needs a round, and I don’t mean the kind she used to serve”, a reference to the Congresswoman’s previous employment as a bartender.

Ocasio-Cortez is one of the four members of “The Squad”, a group of freshman, minority women Democratic lawmakers whose were the target of a tweet from the president last week where he told them to “Go back to where they came from”.

LSU believes it has set the standard with its renovated football operations building that includes a new training room, players lounge, cafeteria and locker room. Equipment manager Greg Stringfellow says no other college football program in the country has a locker room where you can actually lay down and get some rest. He says to have that and a first-class nutrition area should help maximize a player’s efficiency

Cut 5 (11) “…perform.”

The project cost 23 million dollars.

A study by Project Know shows Louisiana high schoolers consume alcohol and injectable drugs at the highest rate in the nation. American Addiction Centers Researcher Ruchi Dhani says the national average for alcohol use is 28 percent, but Louisiana topped the list at 34 percent, and led in another concerning category as well.

Cut 12 (11) “…percent.”

Louisiana’s high school rate of marijuana use was about average at 18.8 percent.

A study shows 34 percent of Louisiana high schoolers drink and 8 percent use injectable drugs, the highest rates in the nation. Matt Doyle has more…
voicer 2 (30) I’m Matt Doyle”

The US Army Corps of Engineers has started closing the Bonnet Carre Spillway. This is the first year the spillway has been opened twice, due to high Mississippi River levels, but Corps spokesperson Matt Roe says the river is finally starting to go down.
Cut 6 (06) “…of the workers.”
The opening has resulted in mass toxic algae blooms.

Based on social media posts, LSU players can not get over their new lockers at the renovated football operations center. Each one has a pod that folds out, so players can take a power nap. Equipment manager Greg Stringfellow says the facility also contains a nutrition center and the Tyrann Mathieu players lounge…
cut 4 (12) “…and recline”
LSU has invited the media to see the new facility Wednesday

LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois says Hurricane Barry did minimal damage, which means the state’s sugarcane crop is on its way towards another successful harvest. Gravois says good prices are drawing more people into the sugarcane business and production this year is expected to be around a record high…
cut 11 (09) “…that’s very attainable”
He expects mills to open for processing around September 17th.

LSU has opened its doors to a newly constructed football operations center that features a place where players can take a nap in front of their locker. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________

A study shows 34 percent of Louisiana high schoolers drink and 8 percent use injectable drugs, the highest rates in the nation. Matt Doyle has more…

cut  2 (30) I’m Matt Doyle”  

________________________________________

LSU believes it has set the standard with its renovated football operations building that includes a new training room, players lounge, cafeteria and locker room. Equipment manager Greg Stringfellow says each player’s locker features a pod as a chair that folds out into a bed, allowing a player to take a nap

Cut 3 (11) “…resting.”

The 23-million project also includes a new performance nutrition center that will serve healthy and delicious meals. Stringfellow says the players will also enjoy the Tyrann Mathieu players lounge

Cut 4 (12) “…and recline”

Stringfellow says no other college football program in the country has a locker room where you can actually lay down and get some rest. He says to have that and a first-class nutrition area should help maximize a player’s efficiency

Cut 5 (11) “…perform.”

_____________________________

The US Army Corps of Engineers has begun to close the Bonnet Carre Spillway.  This year marks the first time the spillway has had to be opened twice in one year, with the current opening lasting 74 days.  Corps spokesperson Matt Roe says the decision to begin closure comes as the river levels have seen a downward trend.

Cut 6 (06) “…of the workers.”

The environmental effects of opening have resulted in a negative impact to the seafood industry in St. Bernard Parish as well as shuttering Mississippi beaches.  Roe says the process on the closure began this morning.

Cut 7 (04) “…bays each day.”

Roe says the closure isn’t a speedy, press-of-a-button process, but closure should be completed by the first week in August.

Cut 8 (03) “…and everything’s good.”

___________________________________

The state’s sugarcane crop is on track for another successful harvest, despite the impact of Hurricane Barry that delivered anywhere from three to fourteen inches of rain across the sugarcane belt. LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois says despite the gloomy forecast prior to the storm, the state did okay.

Cut 9 (09) “…standing back up.”

Gravois says there were some pockets of flooding from rainfall and storm surge that needed some attention.

Cut 10 (06) “…worst of it.”

Gravois says the industry is still likely to achieve the sugar production level predictions that were put in place prior to the hurricane.

Cut 11 (09) “…that’s very attainable.”

Gravois expects mills to open for processing around September 17th, an early start date because of this year’s large crop.

___________________

A study by Project Know shows Louisiana high schoolers consume alcohol and injectable drugs at the highest rate in the nation.

American Addiction Centers Researcher Ruchi Dhani says the national average for alcohol use is 28 percent, but Louisiana topped the list at 34 percent, and led in another concerning category as well.

Cut 12 (11) “…percent.”

Louisiana’s high school rate of marijuana use was about average at 18.8 percent.

Dhani says the state as a whole has some of the worst drug use rates in the nation…

Cut 13 (09) “…Louisiana”

And those adult drug use numbers effect the next generation, where young people who have addicted parents are more than four times more likely to become addicted themselves.

Survey information shows many Bayou State students aren’t just using at home, they’re bringing their drugs to school with them…

Cut 14 (11) “…percent”

The study looked at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2017

___________________________

The governor’s office says the state has now saved over 12-million dollars from the 2017 criminal justice reform package approved by the state legislature. Louisiana Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc says the savings are being reinvested into programs to reduce recidivism…
cut 15 (07) “….these reform efforts”
Louisiana’s prison population continues to decline, from a peak just shy of 40-thousand at the end of 2012 to 32-thousand inmates at the end of 2018.

The U-S Army Corps of Engineers began the long process today of closing the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Once closed, it would stop redirecting Mississippi River water into Lake Pontchartrain. Corps spokesman Matt Roe says they will close 10 of the 168 bys currently open and hope to have all of them completed by the first week in August…
cut 8 (03) “…everything’s good.
A recent study by Project Know finds that nearly 29-percent of Louisiana high school students admitted to using illegal drugs on school grounds. American Addiction Centers Researcher Ruchi Dhani says…
Cut 14 (11) “…percent”
The study looked at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2017.

LSU Ag Center sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois says sugarcane farmers dodged a bullet from Hurricane Barry. Gravois says the storm produced three to 14 inches of rain across the sugarcane belt, but there were only pockets flooding and storm surge tha needed attention…
cut 10 (06) “…worst of it”
Gravois says they are still on pace to haul in a near-record sugarcane harvest this fall.

The US Army Corps of Engineers announces they have begun closure of the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The environmental effects of opening has resulted in a negative impact for the seafood industry in St. Bernard Parish as well as shuttering Mississippi beaches. Corps spokesperson Matt Roe says the process on the closure began this morning.

Cut 7 (04) “…bays each day.”

This year marks the first time the spillway has had to be opened twice in one year.

A study by Project Know shows Louisiana high schoolers consume alcohol and injectable drugs at the highest rate in the nation. American Addiction Centers Researcher Ruchi Dhani says eight percent of high schoolers admitted to injecting, and the state as a whole has some of the worst drug use rates in the nation…

Cut 13 (09) “…Louisiana”

And those adult drug use numbers effect the next generation, where young people who have addicted parents are more than four times more likely to become addicted themselves.

LSU believes it has set the standard with its renovated football operations building that includes a new training room, players lounge, cafeteria and locker room. Equipment manager Greg Stringfellow says each player’s locker features a pod as a chair that folds out into a bed, allowing a player to take a nap

Cut 3 (11) “…resting.”

The 23-million project also includes a new performance nutrition center.

The state’s sugarcane crop appears to be on track for another successful harvest, despite the impact of Hurricane Barry that delivered anywhere from three to fourteen inches of rain to areas across the sugarcane belt. LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois says despite the gloomy forecast prior to the storm, the state did okay.

Cut 9 (09) “…standing back up.”

The US Army Corps of Engineers announces they have begun closure of the Bonnet Carre Spillway.  This year marks the first time the spillway has had to be opened twice in one year, but Corps spokesperson Matt Roe says the river is finally starting to go down.

Cut 6 (06) “…of the workers.”

The opening has resulted in mass toxic algae blooms.

A study by Project Know shows Louisiana high schoolers consume alcohol and injectable drugs at the highest rate in the nation. American Addiction Centers Researcher Ruchi Dhani says the national average for alcohol use is 28 percent, but Louisiana topped the list at 34 percent, and led in another concerning category as well.

Cut 12 (11) “…percent.”

Louisiana’s high school rate of marijuana use was about average at 18.8 percent.

LSU has opened its doors to a newly constructed football operations center that features a place where players can take a nap in front of their locker. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Gretna Police Officer Charlie Rispoli is at the center of a now national controversy over a facebook post about New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The post states “This vile idiot needs a round, and I don’t mean the kind she used to serve”, referencing the Congresswoman’s previous employment as a bartender. Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson responded, saying this will not go unchecked.

Louisiana casino revenues are down 10 percent year to year and industry experts are warning gaming may be shrinking in Louisiana…

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

The Army Corps of Engineers announces they have begun closure of portions of the Bonnet Carre Spillway this morning.  This year marks the first time the spillway has had to be opened twice in one year, with the current opening lasting 74 days.  The environmental effects of opening has resulted in a negative impact for the seafood industry in St. Bernard Parish as well as shuttering Mississippi beaches.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate decreased to 4.3 percent in June, down .7 percent from the same time last year. Louisiana’s unemployment rate is it’s lowest since January 2008.  Louisiana Workforce Commission Chief Economist Ali Bustamante says New Orleans powered the state’s above national average performance in June, adding 1,600 jobs, the only metro area in the state to add jobs during that period.
Cut 5  (11) “… right now.” 
The city has added 8,800 jobs year to year, followed by Lafayette at 1,500 and Lake Charles at 1,100.

Louisiana’s Justice Reinvestment Reforms 2019 Annual Performance Report indicates the state has saved more than $12 million from criminal justice reform, twice the anticipated savings. Secretary of the Department of Corrections James LeBlanc says the total prison population has fallen from around 40-thousand at its peak at the end of 2012.

Cut 14 (08) “…had in 2012.”