Governor John Bel Edwards is looking to end a provision that prohibits disaster victims who applied for SBA loans from getting recovery grants. His spokesperson Richard Carbo says the problem is that FEMA almost insists that homeowners take out a loan without telling them what it will mean down the road.

Cut 13 (08) “to pay back”

Carbo says they’re pushing to get disaster victims access to any funding that’s available.

Gas prices are finally levelling off as more Texas refineries come back on line. Patrick Dehaan with GasBuddy says the statewide average jumped 16 cents, but that’s still lower than the national hike of 21 cents.

Cut 11 (10) “unscathed”

He says Louisiana is already seeing subtle decreases.

The TOPS Task Force meets for the first time today to discuss the future of the scholarship program. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 1 (25) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The woman accused of shooting a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agent was sentenced to 20 years in prison on separate charges. Amethyst Baird of Monroe got 10 years for possession of stolen items and 10 more for a second methamphetamine possession charge. Baird is also accused of shooting LDWF Agent Tyler Wheeler five times during a traffic stop in January.

Governor John Bel Edwards is pushing for changes in the federal disaster grant program…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Jennings Senator Blade Morrish says the TOPS Task Force met for the first time today, where discussions on the future of the program kicked off..:
Cut 4 (07) “on it”
Morrish says they want to see where TOPS is going, what needs to be done, and what the legislative intent is of the scholarship program.

Major refineries in Texas are starting to come back online, and gas prices across the nation are finally starting to level off. Senior Petroleum Analyst with GasBuddy.com, Patrick Dehaan, says it seems like prices have started to peak in Louisiana around the $2.40 mark…:
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Louisiana saw a 16 cent increase at the pump over the last week.

A new study finds that, though Millennials have been dubbed lazy by some, the generation actually just wants to start their own business..:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Hurricane Irma is expect to turn to the north a little sooner than the last forecast, but it may not be enough to spare the Florida peninsula of hurricane-force winds. NHC Meteorologist David Zelinsky says there is a mid-level trough that is causing Irma to turn:
CUT 7 (04) “actually occur”
Zelinsky says atmospheric conditions and sea surface temperatures will likely keep the storm a major hurricane as it heads towards the Bahamas and southern Florida.

Major refineries in Texas are starting to come back online, and gas prices across the nation are finally starting to level off. Patrick Dehaan, Senior Petroleum Analyst with GasBuddy.com, says Louisiana saw a 16 cent increase over the last week..:
Cut 10 (05) “plateau”
Today’s statewide average is $2.39.

In the wake of devastating storms with more on the way, Governor John Bel Edwards hopes to change the way disaster grants are awarded to impacted homeowners. Richard Carbo with the governor’s office says SBA loans are the only funding available immediately after a disaster, but they may not be the best option…:
Cut 12 (11) “Restore Louisiana program”
Carbo says the governor is pushing to end that provision and allow disaster victims to receive any assistance that’s available.

The National Hurricane Center says the eye of Cat-5 Irma is closing in on the Virgin Islands, but most models still show it staying away from Louisiana. NHC Meteorologist says David Zelinsky says the 5 day cone of probability currently shows Irma impacting Florida…:
CUT 6 (11) “does shift”
He says it’s a good idea not to not focus on the exact forecast track, especially at the longer ranges.

Governor John Bel Edwards is urging Congress to clear a road block that has touched thousands of homeowners who flooded in Louisiana over the past year, and could also impact Texans as they recover from Hurricane Harvey. Currently, residents are blocked from using federal assistance money to pay off SBA loans that they take out after disasters. But Edwards says removing that restriction would provide badly needed relief for people rebuilding their lives.

Today the TOPS Task Force is meeting for the first time, as state leaders take a closer look at the scholarship program. Jennings Senator Blade Morrish authored the legislation that created the group. He says almost no changes have been made to TOPS in the past 20 years, but a lot has changed in higher education…:
Cut 3 (11) “and we do now”
The task force will meet twice a month for the next four months before issuing their report in February.

Gas prices continue their rapid climb throughout the nation, and in Louisiana jumped another 3 cents from the prior day to 2.39 for a gallon of regular, but that should start to level off soon. AAA says the climb is due to Hurricane Harvey shutting down some Texas refineries, which are slowly but surely starting to come back online.

LSU won its season opener easily over BYU, but mistakes were made. The Tigers had a couple of trips into the red zone and did not score, plus they were flagged 10 times. Quarterback Danny Etling blames first game jitters….
cut 17 (20) “…we’ll be okay”

The Saints first regular season game is Monday night against the Vikings. Minnesota was 8-and-8 last season, but they have one of the best defenses in the NFC led by two-time powler Harrison Smith at safety. Sam Bradford is Minnesota’s QB, but will he have a running game this season. They drafted Dalvin Cook and signed free agent Latavius Murray.

Nicholls State is coming off a great win over McNeese and the Colonels opponent this Saturday is coming off one of the worst losses in college football history. Texas A-and-M coughed up a 34-point lead in the third quarter and lost to UCLA. There were already questions about Aggies Head Coach Kevin Sumlin’s job security before the game and the pressure has really turned up on the 53-year-old Sumlin who has three years left on his contract.

ULM is at Florida State and Head Coach Matt Viator plans to play two quarterbacks once again. In the loss to Memphis, Caleb Smith started and threw for 108 yards and a touchdown, while Garrett Smith threw for 171 yards and a touchdown, plus an intercetion. The Warhawks scored touchdowns on three of their last four possessions in their 37-29 loss to Memphis.

After giving up 48 points to Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday, the Cajuns will face a very good Tulsa offense this Saturday. The Hurricane scored 40 or more points in 10 of their 13 contests last season.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says Hurricane Irma should be Florida’s problem not Louisiana’s. He says there couldn’t be better timing as a cold front moving across the state but it’s very unfortunate for the Sunshine State.
Cut 4 (10) “incredible conditions”

Keim says Irma should pass just north of Cuba as a major hurricane.

The state Department of Corrections is looking into new safeguards to prevent work release inmates from escaping. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Adult Services, Perry Stagg, says work release in invaluable to inmates, many of who get out of jail in less than a year. He says even though there is a risk associated with convicted felons, the department sees the benefit of this rehabilitation.
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Survivors of Hurricane Harvey are heading home as shelter’s in Alexandria and Shreveport are closing. Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says authorities in Texas are ready to bring their residents back into the state.
Cut 13 (10) “was feasible”

A study out of America’s Small Business Development Center finds half of all millennials plan to start a small business within the next three years. But DeRon Talley with the Louisiana S-B-D-C says one road block young people face is a lack of knowledge when it comes to being their own boss. He says millennials feel they are tech savvy but don’t know how to turn that into a job.
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Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history, made its first landfall in the islands of the northeast Caribbean. But State Climatologist Barry Keim says there is a cold front moving over Louisiana today which looks to mean nice weather for us…:
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But he says it’s not good news for Florida which could face “direct impact,” according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Harvey survivors sheltering in Louisiana are heading back home, as DCFS is closing the shelters in both Shreveport and Alexandria. Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says they began the sheltering operation with one goal in mind…:
Cut 15 (11) “first class experience”

Fewer work release inmates are walking off their job sites, and the state department of corrections hopes to continue that trend with new safeguards:
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Two of four State Police troopers connected to a questionable “side trip” while driving halfway across the country to attend a conference received minor discipline, according to a report by the Baton Rouge Advocate. They said the drive cost LSP thousands of dollars in unnecessary overtime. The troopers received letters of reprimand and counseling, according to the report.

A cold front pushing its way through Louisiana today is bringing much nicer weather and keeping Hurricane Irma away from the state. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the storm will maintain its strength as it closes in on Florida. But he says conditions will change as Irma begins to enter the Gulf late Saturday or early Sunday…:
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Keim says the storm certainly bears watching, because things can change, but for now Louisiana appears to be in the clear.

The state department of corrections is exploring new safeguards to prevent work release inmates from escaping. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Adult Services, Perry Stagg says they are looking for ways to improve public safety and oversight of their operations…:
Cut 11 (08) “based on that”

Millennials seem to get a bad rap in the workplace, but a new study finds the generation earns to be their own boss. America’s Small Business Development Center, or SBDC, found half of all millennials plan to start a small business within the next three years. DeRon Talley, with the Louisiana SBDC, says the study also found that 45 percent of millennials say capital is the biggest barrier to becoming an entrepreneur…:
Cut 8 (10) “and debt”
He says Millennials have great, innovative ideas…but don’t know where to start.

Hurricane Harvey survivors sheltering in Louisiana are heading back home. DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says about 700 Texans have already started the journey, and they’ll be greeted once they cross the state line:
Cut 14 (11) “with them”

A cold front could push Hurricane Irma away from Louisiana, while bringing much cooler weather. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Gas prices continue their rapid climb throughout the nation, and in Louisiana jumped another 3 cents from the prior day to 2.39 for a gallon of regular. AAA says that’s 21 cents more than the prior week. The climb is due to Hurricane Harvey shutting down some Texas refineries, which at its peak the storm shuttered 27 percent of US processing capacity.

Hurricane Harvey survivors sheltering in Louisiana are heading back home, as the Department of Children and Family Services is closing the shelters in both Shreveport and Alexandria. Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says Texas authorities are ready to welcome residents back to the Lone Star State..:
Cut 13 (10) “was feasible”
Walters says they have been loading families onto nice coach buses for the trip to the new shelter in Dallas.

Millennials have been called everything from lazy, to self entitled, to passionate — but a new study finds it’s best to call them entrepreneurs. America’s Small Business Development Center, or SBDC, found half of all millennials plan to start a small business within the next three years. DeRon Talley, with the Louisiana SBDC, says they want to be their own boss…:
Cut 7 (09) “with the workforce”
He adds the generation is facing roadblocks due to lack of funds.