NOAA has released an updated Atlantic hurricane season outlook, and the
storm chance has risen. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

No injuries are reported in this morning’s fire and explosion at the Motiva
refinery in St. James Parish. Flames could be seen for miles after 11am.
Jywanna Octave with the St. James Office of Emergency Preparedness says it
was a scary situation, but it appears all workers were able to safely
evacuate…:
cut 16 (04) “accounted for”
No word on the cause of the blaze at this time.

Enrollment in the expanded Medicaid program is exceeding the goals set by
the Louisiana Department of Health extremely fast. LDH Secretary Dr.
Rebekah Gee says they’re at about 73% of the aim to get 375,000 people
enrolled by next June. She hopes this will lead to better health outcomes
in Louisiana…:
CUT 4 (11) “their health”
Gee says people can still enroll at healthy.la.gov.

The Saints take on the New England Patriots tonight in their first
preseason game. The Who Dat Nation is eager to see how the team is looking
on both defense and offense. One fan says he’s somewhat confident in the
team but wants to see how the guys are shaping up…:
cut 12 (08) “the season”
Others just pray there are no injuries. Kickoff is at 630.

Crews responded to the scene of a fire and explosion at the Motiva (Mo-
Tee-Va) Oil Refinery in St. James Parish this morning near the Sunshine
Bridge. Jywanna Octave with the St. James Office of Emergency Preparedness
says two fire departments are at the site…:
CUT 15 (09) “at this time”
It is not known yet what caused the fire, but forecasters say there was
lightning in the area at the time, around 10:50am. Octave says everyone is
accounted for. All roads around the plant are currently closed.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released an updated
Atlantic hurricane outlook, predicting this season is still expected to be
the strongest since 2012. NOAA’s Lead Season Hurricane Forecaster Dr. Gerry
Bell says it will be stronger than what they first predicted in May. And
there is a now a 70% chance that..:
CUT 6 (08) “major hurricanes”
He says we’re entering peak hurricane season so it’s time to prepare.

The Department of Children and Family Services is launching an initiative
to improve foster care by redefining the role of caregivers. DCFS Secretary
Marketa Garner Walters says Louisiana has strong confidentiality laws, but
we often misinterpret who we need to be confidential with. She says the
Quality Parenting Initiative is about having everybody on the same page:
CUT 9 (09) “foster parents”
She says she hopes this will allow foster kids to get the love and support
they need.

Once again, the latest on the explosion at the Motiva plant in St. James
Parish is that there are no injuries, and everyone is accounted for,
according to officials.

Enrollment in the expanded Medicaid program is exceeding the goals set by the Louisiana Department of Health. LDH Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee says they hope to enroll 375-thousand people by next June. She says Louisiana has reached 73% of its enrollment goal in less than 50 days, and already surpassed the goal set for this July as well.
CUT 3 (12) “of today”

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s smartphone app has now released a symptom checker feature. Owner of the mobile app Kassim Rasoulian says this feature is available for everyone but members can use the app to find a doctor, view their benefits and claims, and billing information.
cut 21 (08) “information”

 
The Big Easy is becoming more popular than ever for the vacationing public from all over the world. Don Molino reports…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Don Molino”

Tonight the Saints face off the New England Patriots in their first preseason game in Gillette Stadium at 6:30 Central time. One fan in anxious to see how the rookies perform tonight. …
cut 14 (07) “I mean”

Tensions are running high between the Edwards Administration and Attorney General Jeff Landry. The AG’s Office denies claims from Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne that Landry was trying to double up on car benefits from the state. Dardenne says the AG never responded to his letter denying the monthly driving allowance when Landry also had a state vehicle.

Cut 15 (06) “I don’t know”

Blue Cross Blue Shield’s smartphone app now include a symptom checker with a suggested diagnosis and a list of treatments. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 3 (22) “I’m Michelle Southern”

As college students are stocking their dorms with iPads and laptops for the start of the new school year, State Farm is urging them to protect their back to school purchases with renters insurance. Spokesperson Rozell Gadson says renter’s coverage also includes liability insurance, in the event a party gets out of hand and someone hurts themselves. He says although some students might be covered under their parents, he advises young adults to get their own policy because it establishes a positive record.

Cut 6 (09) “a loss”

More and more travelers are choosing New Orleans as their vacation destination. Kristian Sonnier with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau says Sonnier says they have been hard at work making New Orleans a world-class travel destination for visitors both here and abroad.

Cut 9 (07)  “attractive city”

Many college students are using this end of summertime to shop for expensive items to fill their dorms or apartments and State Farm is urging young adults to protect their back-to-school purchases with renter’s insurance. State Farm spokesperson Roszell Gadson says renters should meet with an agent about buying coverage. He says lots of college students believe renter’s insurance is too expensive for them…:
Cut 5 (08) “a month”

More and more travelers are choosing New Orleans as their vacation destination. Kristian Sonnier with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau says New Orleans was ranked at the top of the list for food and music travel destinations by two prestigious lifestyle magazines…:
Cut 8 (11) “UK”

Think you’re getting sick or have a broken arm? Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s smartphone app now has a symptom checker. Owner of the mobile app, Kassim Rasoulian, says the user will also be directed to the best method to obtain help…:
cut 11 (09) “at home”
He says it’s available to both members and non-members.

Louisiana is seeing pounding rain on one side of the state, and scorching hot temperatures on another. A flash flood watch is in effect through Saturday for many parishes in southeast Louisiana and that system continues to move slowly west, according to forecasters. Several inches of rain are expected to fall over the coming days. In Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto and Webster Parishes, a heat advisory is in place through 7 this evening.

Tensions have run high between the Edwards Administration and the Office of Attorney General Jeff Landry, and the jabs keep coming. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne believes it started when Landry was apparently trying to get a monthly car allowance from the state, as well as have ability to file mileage reimbursements…:
cut 14 (07) “appreciated that”
The AG’s office denies that Landry was trying to double up on car benefits from the state, and that the administration is trying to distract from tax increases.

New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno is the latest to call for the resignation of State Senator Troy Brown over his domestic abuse arrests. She said in a statement that as a legislative body, they have shown that this type of behavior should never be tolerated and definitely not by any of its members. Governor John Bel Edwards has also called for Brown to step down. It’s reported Brown intends to release a statement by the end of the week.

Think you’re getting sick or have a broken arm? Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s smartphone app now has a symptom checker. Owner of the mobile app, Kassim Rasoulian, says the symptom checker is available to both members and non-members. He says this is beneficial for anyone wanting to research different health and wellness topics..:
Cut 10 (10) “poison ivy”
The app is available in the Apple iTunes store and Google Play.

Another prostitution sting targeting the website Backpage.com has netted more arrests on prostitution counts. Officials arrested a women from Baton Rouge, West Monroe and Houston apparently working out of Baton Rouge hotels and arranging prices for sex ranging from $130-$300 with undercover detectives.

Flooded streets are a real threat through Saturday morning as a weather system funnels Gulf moisture into Southeast Louisiana for the next couple of days. A flood watch continues for the region through Saturday morning. It’s an area of low pressure forecasters say should be gone by the weekend, where scattered storms will linger but at least we’ll see some sunshine.

More and more travelers are choosing New Orleans as their vacation destination. Kristian Sonnier with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau says the Big Easy is now the second most popular destination for international travelers, behind New York City. But he says the number of international visitors is growing much faster in New Orleans…:
CUT 7 (10) “37 %”
He says Travel and Leisure just named New Orleans the Number 1 city for food.

State Farm is advising college students to protect their back-to-school purchases with renter’s insurance. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

It wasn’t an actual fight says LSU. A video spread online by TMZ showing star running back Leonard Fournette and another player in an apparent brawl, is just horseplay according to team officials. They say what is captured in the video is merely an “intense game of slap boxing” and was taken out of context.

Tensions have run high between the Edwards Administration and the Office of Attorney General Jeff Landry, and the jabs keep coming. The two sides have been at odds on several issues including budgets and immigration policy. At the Baton Rouge Press Club, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne believes Landry has had a problem with him for months…:
Cut 13 (10) “allowance”
Landry said in a statement that the Governor and Dardenne are trying to distract from the largest tax and spend plan passed in the history of this state.

Many college students are using this end of summertime to shop for expensive items to fill their dorms or apartments, and State Farm is urging young adults to protect their back-to-school purchases with renter’s insurance. State Farm spokesperson Roszell Gadson says it’s important to have protection in the event of a fire, flood, for theft…:
cut 4 (08) “the case”

The Big Easy is becoming more popular than ever for the vacationing public from all over the world. Don Molino reports…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Don Molino”

State Superintendent of Education John White got a positive job evaluation by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, but will remain on his month-to-month deal.