Congress has recessed for the summer and many lawmakers are disappointed not much was accomplished. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the coming of the inaugural Flambeau Fest in Ascension Parish, whose lineup was announced today, is another example of how tourism in Louisiana is alive and well. Michelle Southern reports…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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Congress has recessed for the summer and many lawmakers are disappointed not much was accomplished. U.S Senator John Kennedy believes some good was done with the approval of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. But he says his biggest disappointment was the failing to repeal and replace Obamacare by one vote.
Before the recess, the Senate approved a bill to fund the FDA. Kennedy says his plan for tax reform would be to cut everyone’s tax bracket by two-percent, which would benefit every social class but mostly the middle class.
Kennedy says it’s time to get the economy growing at three-percent again because right now it’s at an embarrassing 1.8-percent. He says in the fall, Congress has a lot of work to accomplish.
Cut 5 (11) “infrastructure bill”
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Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the coming of the inaugural Flambeau Fest in Ascension Parish, whose lineup was announced today, is another example of how tourism in Louisiana is alive and well. He says the October 7 & 8 shows could begin another tradition that eventually attracts visitors the way Jazzfest and Bayou Country Superfest do…:
Cut 6 (10) “to spend the weekend”
Sam Hunt, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dustin Lynch, Chase Rice, Blackberry Smoke and Jacob Davis are only a few of the big name acts slated to perform. Nungesser says this is another way Louisiana is is branding itself as a state that is in love with music…:
Tickets went on sale today and you can get the link online at flambeaufest.com. It will take place at Ascension Fields in Gonzales, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Nungesser says another great thing about this event is that it’s highlighting a part of the state that normally wouldn’t be considered a big tourist destination…:
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City officials say the roughly 10 inches of rain that fell on New Orleans Saturday was too much for the city’s 24 pump stations to handle. Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board Cedric Grant says the pumps were running at full capacity, despite inches of water pouring into homes and businesses throughout the city.
Grant says the system is designed to pump out one inch of water in the first hour and half an inch for each subsequent hour. He says they’ve estimated they should be spending $30 million a year on catch basin and subsurface drainage, but there’s not enough funding to make the necessary improvements.
Grant says the pumps were operating at 100 percent pumping capacity throughout the weather event, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. He says they did everything they could to prepare. But he says no one expected upwards of 10 inches of rainfall in only a few hours.
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Small business owners impacted by the 2016 floods are not completing the flood recovery survey as quickly as state officials had hoped. Economic Development Manager Lasonta Davenport with the Office of Community Development says they’re asking small business owners to complete the survey so they can assess the needs in the state.
Davenport says 423 businesses have completed the survey so far. That’s far short of the 22,000 businesses who were notified. The small business loan program offers loans for $20,000 to $50,000 for flood impacted businesses. She says the survey will help shape the program.
The survey is online at restore.la.gov. Davenport says it will be quick and easy for small business owners to complete.
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