TRANSCRIPT
INTRO:
Burn bans are now in effect in at least 22 Louisiana parishes as of late Thursday morning, August 20.
That includes Caddo, Bossier, Desoto, Natchitoches, Sabine and Webster parishes in Northwest Louisiana.
The ban means anything with an open flame that produces floating embers or sparks is illegal, as the state’s Agriculture Commissioner, Mike Strain, explains:
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SOT:
“With hot, dry conditions across much of the state, fires can start more easily and spread more quickly, making them more difficult for firefighters to control.”
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TAG:
Strain says if you live in a parish where there’s not a burn ban in effect at the present time, still use extreme caution, and never leave a fire unattended.
Violating a burn ban is typically a civil infraction or a misdemeanor, with a 1st offense fine of up to $500.
But it becomes a felony if the illegal burn causes severe, intentional destruction or endangers lives.
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INTRO:
An expansion of Louisiana's “move over law” has gone into effect. While the old law applied to emergency units, the new law includes all types of vehicles, including private passenger vehicles.
State Police Master Trooper Casey Wallace says the objective is safety for anybody who's pulled off to the side of the road:
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SOT:
“We’re just trying to make it safe for everyone on the roadway and trying to put some more of a common sense, courtesy laws to put into place to keep everyone safe out there.”
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TAG:
Wallace says there is an allowance if that’s impossible given traffic conditions.
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INTRO:
Amazon is building a third data center in Northwest Louisiana. State economic officials say the new center will be built in Shreveport.
It adds to Amazon’s original investment announced in February. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the additional investment shows Amazon’s confidence in Louisiana:
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“A global company like Amazon had such a positive experience with the Louisiana workforce, with the Louisiana functionality, with the way we’ve delivered on this project that within six months’ time they decided to spend another $6 billion. And that’s the Louisiana story we want to tell.”
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TAG:
This comes amid concerns about data centers’ use of natural resources and electricity.
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INTRO:
A nonprofit group has placed more than 250 Louisiana service members into post-military careers over the past year.
Benjamin Armstrong, C-E-O of The Boot, says the leadership skills that these service members have developed are critical in their post-military careers:
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SOT:
“The people that we’re supporting aren’t just wet behind the ears, people that are looking for their first career. These are people with established skills. They’ve been mid-level to high level leaders and they’re looking to bring that in the civilian world into their new career.”
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TAG:
This comes just after an analysis from Vettory.org. That’s an information platform for veterans.
It found that 1 out of every 12 veterans in Louisiana lived below the poverty line between 2019 and 2023, the highest rate in the nation.
But The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs pushed back on the analysis.
The department pointed out that those years included employment disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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FORECAST:
The National Weather Service in Shreveport is calling for:
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Dry, sunny conditions with a high near 104, and a ‘feels like temperature’ as high as 111 today and Tomorrow.
Friday’s high drops a degree to 103… and drops again to 101 SATURDAY, before jumping back to 104 Sunday:
A chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms arrives Monday, but still sunny and 102.
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