8:30 AM News/Nov. 5, 2018
For the second time in less than a week, portions of Louisiana are facing the threat of severe weather.
National Weather Service Shreveport Meteorologist Aaron Davis says the weather may bring with it some dangerous wind conditions.
Davis says it’s hard to determine how much tornado activity the state could see out of this storm system compared to the one that produced numerous tornadoes last week.
Davis says with the uncertainty of what the weather could bring, it’s important to plan ahead when you may only have a few minutes from the time you receive a tornado warning until impact.
This area received some wind damage from last week’s storm.
The board of the South Tangipahoa Parish Drainage District received a pleasant surprise during its recent monthly meeting.
The board has contracted with the Hammond auditing firm of James, Lambert, Riggs & Associates for its auditing requirements.
Paul Riggs told the board that the state auditor is now requiring additional scrutiny of the books of public bodies. Riggs said James & Assoc. and the board had agreed to a price of $3,500 for that additional work.
But because the board's books are in such good shape, it will be necessary to scrutinize only three of the 10 procedures required by the state auditor.
Therefore, Riggs said the firm was reducing the cost from $3,500 to $1,500.
Although seemingly surprised, the board quickly approved the reduced fee.
Board member Carlo Bruno said it was the first time in his 30 years on the board that a vendor had offered to reduce a fee.
Officials say that a human bone found by a cleanup crew in the Tickfaw River belongs to a man who never returned from a fishing trip.
Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ardsays foul play is not suspected in the death of Oscar Kinchen.
A crew that was cleaning debris out of the Tickfaw River south of Hwy 42 in Livingston Parish found the bone on Aug. 6.
Ard says officials gave the bone to a Louisiana State University lab that specializes in forensic anthropology and identifying human remains.
The lab used DNA to match the bone to Kinchen.
Kinchen was last seen walking down a driveway toward the Tickfaw River in Livingston on July 16, 2016. A friend reported him missing five days later.
Parish President Robby Miller has been authorized to sign all necessary paperwork to fund a $7,500 change order for the Ponchatoula sewerage system improvements.
Miller told the parish council that funding for the project is with state money channeled through parish government.
The change order reduces the overall contract price by $7,500, leaving an adjusted cost of $865,600.
The price at the pump has seen a decline.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.47 in Louisiana today, down three cents from yesterday, nine cents since last week, and nearly sixteen cents since last month.
Gas Buddy.com fuel analyst Dan McTeague says prices are going to keep going down and it looks like there is no bottom to the price decreases.
McTeague said this is a result of a plentiful oil supply.
He expects the price drop to continue through mid-month, possibly by another five to ten cents a gallon.
Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is closing 20 underperforming stores in the United States and 31 in Canada as part of a restructuring.
Lowe’s has a store in Hammond, but Louisiana is not listed among the states where closures are planned.
Lowe’s, which has trailed Home Depot in sales for years, is in the midst of a turnaround under new Chief Executive Officer Marvin Ellison, who has promised to remove slow-selling products and end unsuccessful ventures.
Lowe’s, which operates over 2,000 stores in North America, said the latest store closures would be complete by February.
Lowe’s stores in New York, Texas and California are being closed.
Workers have cut down a tree in western Oregon to be the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree.
The 82-foot noble fir was cut Friday in Willamette National Forest.
The tree will be displayed on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington, with a public tree-lighting ceremony in early December.
Officials say it's the first time in the 47-year history of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Program that a noble fir has been selected.
The theme this year is "Find Your Trail!" in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, and the 175th commemoration of the Oregon Trail.