The Louisiana Workforce Commission announced today that its Business and Career Solutions Centers in central and north Louisiana are open and will be staffed seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist job seekers and employers.

In areas affected by Hurricane Gustav, centers are open in Bogalusa, Hammond, Lafayette, Lake Charles and DeRidder. These centers also will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Centers in heavily affected areas will reopen as soon as electricity and Internet service are restored.

Mobile units, including four from Texas, are being sent to high-volume areas throughout south Louisiana to assist citizens with job needs. The first of these units will be in Baton Rouge on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Business and Career Solutions Center on Wooddale Boulevard. A schedule of additional locations will be issued on Monday, Sept. 8.

School Openings

The Louisiana Department of Education (DOE) is working with local school districts throughout the state to get classes back underway in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. A majority of the state's school systems have seen their operations disrupted by the storm.

"We've been able to touch base with all but a handful of school districts," said State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. "Remarkably, even school districts that are in the hardest-hit areas are already securing the services of contractors, and their facilities staff are working to repair damage and clean up after the storm."

The greatest challenges remain in the southeast, south central and central part of the state, and while most districts sustained only minimal damage to buildings, there are some areas that will require substantial state assistance. DOE officials say there has been notable progress even in the areas where there was significant damage.

"Some of the greatest concerns continue to be around shortages of fuel, electrical power, food, water, and sewer," Pastorek said. "The same issues that are affecting our general population. Our Superintendents are working with other local officials and are making decisions based on current information, such as projections for restoring power, fuel supply and other factors that are required to operate their schools.

"Also, some of our schools are currently housing evacuees, and of course this limits their ability to reopen."

Approximately 20 local school districts resumed classes today, mostly those located in the north and mid-western areas of the state. The majority of school districts plan to reopen by Monday, September 8.

On Friday, Sept. 5, Superintendent Pastorek will lead a DOE damage assessment tour in some of the school districts hit hardest by Hurricane Gustav.

"In some cases, we will need to provide additional resources or adjust school sites, and in other cases, we will be asking school districts to absorb displaced students," Pastorek said. "Our responsibility is to provide a first-class education for these students regardless of where they are housed in the state.

"At the same time, we are sensitive to the harsh realities that many families are facing. One thing we know from our experiences is that schools, teachers and administrators are really good at giving children and families a sense of belonging and stability during unsettling times like these. I am confident that we will find a way to do that."

For information on school district closures, please visit the DOE website at www.louisianaschools.net or the state's emergency site at emergency.louisiana.gov.
For the latest information on Hurricane Gustav, visit emergency.louisiana.gov or call the state's emergency hotline at 1-866-288-2484 to listen to a recorded message with the most up-to-date information

Louisiana Employees

Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis announced the closure of state government offices on Friday, September 5, 2008, due to Hurricane Gustav, in the following parishes:

Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, Terrebonne, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. James, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany

All state employees who work in a state facility located in parishes not listed above should report to work, unless they are instructed by their supervisors to either not report to work or to vacate their work sites due to unforeseen electrical outages or damages.

All essential personnel, as well as employees that are required to work due to Hurricane Gustav, should report to work as directed by their supervisors.

All agency heads are responsible for determining those personnel who should remain on duty.

State employees should monitor media regarding office closures as well as announcements of when offices are scheduled to reopen. Those announcements will be made by the Commissioner of Administration. In addition, employees should be aware of the 800 number and the local phone number, which will be updated with information regarding office closures. The numbers to call: 1-800-360-9660 or 225-342-0498.
For the latest information on Hurricane Gustav, visit emergency.louisiana.gov or call the state's emergency hotline at 1-866-288-2484 to listen to a recorded message with the most up-to-date information

Water

Hurricane Gustav has caused widespread power outages and damage to drinking water systems throughout Louisiana.

Click here for a list of water systems that are under boil advisories until further notice from the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH).
Click here for a list of drinking water systems that have water that is safe to drink.
If you live in an area under a boil advisory or you have lost water pressure at your tap or if the water pressure is extremely low State Health Officer Jimmy Guidry, MD, recommends that you disinfect your water by any one of the following methods prior to consumption (including drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or preparing food):

Boil water for one full minute in a clean container. The one minute boil time begins after the water has been brought to a rolling boil. (The flat taste can be eliminated by shaking the water in a bottle or pouring it from one container to another.);
If the water is clear, mix 1/8 teaspoon of unscented, liquid chlorine laundry bleach with one gallon of water and let it stand for at least 30 minutes prior to consumption;
If the water is cloudy or colored, use 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water. Be sure to mix thoroughly. If treated water has too strong a chlorine taste, it can be made more palatable by allowing the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or by pouring it from one clean container to another several times.

Boiling is the most effective method of disinfecting water, particularly for people who are severely immunocompromised (infected with HIV/AIDS, cancer and transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs, or anyone born with a weakened immune system) and for infants and the elderly who wish to take extra precautions.

People obtaining water from a public water system (a system providing water to 15 homes and businesses or more) must continue to disinfect their drinking water by one of the above listed methods until a public notice is issued by DHH that the water has been tested and is safe to drink. It may take as long as three weeks before a water system is declared safe.

People who have been affected by loss of water service may expect some irregularities with their water while efforts are being made to ensure that the water is safe. It is expected that water may have an unusual chlorine odor as well as possible sediments appearing in the water while these special precautions being taken. Flushing household taps for a few minutes should fix this problem.
Contact: OPH Safe Drinking Water Program, 225-342-7499

Banking and Financial

Updates on the status of Louisiana's financial institutions are available from a database operated by the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions (LOFI) and a coalition of federal regulatory agencies.

The information includes the physical address of each institution's main office, its web address, and the addresses and operating status of all branches, whether open or closed.

The list for banks and thrifts is available at the LOFI website, www.ofi.louisiana.gov; or from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) at www.fdic.gov/gustav/

Source:  Press releases