LRN Am Newscall March 19

A bill to eliminate vehicle inspection stickers in Louisiana will be heard in House Transportation today. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

_______________________________________________

Former Addis police officer David Cauthron pled guilty to two counts manslaughter in his connection to a high-speed chase in Brusly that killed two teens and severely injured a third teen in 2022. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

____________________________________________

Grambling State University is invited to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time in the history of the school. Colleen Crain has the story…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain”

____________________________________________

A bill to eliminate vehicle inspection stickers in Louisiana will be heard in House Transportation today. Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley’s bill would remove the requirement to have an up-to-date-inspection stickers.

Cut 4 (07) “…for it.”

This will be Bagley’s third attempt to eliminate break tags or vehicle inspection stickers in Louisiana. As for opposition, he says he’s gotten pushback from the owners of vehicle inspection sites and from state police.

Cut 5 (10) “…of that.” 

Bagley says he also hasn’t received any opposition from Governor Jeff Landry’s administration over House Bill 344.

For vehicle owners in five parishes (Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge) that are required by the federal Clean Air Act to have emission inspections every two years they would be charged eight dollars for those inspections.

Bagley says law enforcement has always had the right to pull over a motorist if their vehicle has issues like a head or taillight not working.

No other states in the south require break tags or inspection stickers, except for Texas which is phasing there’s out. Bagley says they are simply a money grab.

Cut 6 (07) “…the years.”

Commercial and student transportation vehicles would still be required to have inspection stickers.

__________________________________________

David Cauthron, a former Addis police officer, pled guilty Monday to two counts of manslaughter related to a deadly car crash on New Year’s Eve in 2022. Cauthron slammed his unit into a vehicle with three teens during a high-speed chase and killed two teenage girls. 18th Judicial District Attorney Tony Clayton says Cauthron’s actions and comments before the accident were critical in the case.

Cut 7 (11) “…to hurt.”

17-year-old Maggie Dunn and 16-year-old Caroline Gill died in the crash. 18-year-old Liam Dunn, Maggie’s brother, suffered multiple injuries but survived the accident.

Cauthron was chasing Tyquel Zanders who was accused of stealing his family’s car in Baton Rouge. Clayton says Cauthron was traveling at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light before impact.

Cut 8 (07) “…was ridiculous.” 

Once released, Clayton says Cauthron will be restricted from working in law enforcement. He says the testimony from Dunn was heartbreaking for everyone in court.

Cut 9 (12)  “…hear all that.”

Cauthron received a 10-year prison sentence and a 22-year suspended sentence. And pled guilty to one count of negligent injuring.

________________________________________________________

History is made at Grambling State University this year as the Men’s Basketball team is on its way to their first ever NCAA Tournament.  Tigers Basketball Coach Donte Jackson understands the significance and to his players says…

Cut 10 (08) “…play basketball.”

Creating a culture that can accomplish something never before done at Grambling is a challenge and Jackson says it’s especially challenging to keep your players in the current college sports environment…

Cut 11 (11) “…portal era.” 

Grambling plays Montana State in Dayton Ohio Wednesday night. Jackson credits his players for buying in to the culture the staff is building in Grambling and says it’s an amazing feeling…

Cut 12 (10) “…your back.” 

_______________________________________________________

LSU Health-New Orleans ALS Clinic has been recognized as an ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence. Co Director Dr. Stephen Kantrow says the recognition shows their commitment to providing quality care in ALS-related research.

Cut 13 (11)  “…way possible.”

An estimated 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS annually in the United States. Kantrow says patients visit the multidisciplinary clinic every three months.

Cut 14 (12) “…deliver care.”

In 2014, the ALS Association named LSU Health-New Orleans ALS Clinic as an ALS Association Recognized Treatment Center. Kantrow says the center is one of only two designated centers in Louisiana. He says the collaborative effort simplify the patient health care experience.

Cut 15 (13) “…difficult diagnosis.”

____________________________________________________________________

The LSU Tigers dropped from two to number five in the D-1 baseball poll after losing the opening SEC series. Mississippi State scored 33 runs and the Tigers committed six errors as dropped two out of three in Starkville. Coach Jay Johnson says they scored enough runs to win a series on the road, but didn’t pitch well enough and the errors were also costly…

Cut 16 (20) “..great on defense” 

LSU entered SEC play with a 16-2 record, but the series loss at Mississippi State could be a wake up call for this team. Johnson says his team knows there’s room for improvement…

Cut 17 (20) “…we play” 

LSU is back at home to take on Louisiana Tech tonight. The Bulldogs are coming off a sweep over Northwestern State. Tech is 16-5 and Johnson says they have several older players…

Cut 18 (17)  “..good coaching staff” 

First pitch is at 6:30.

_______________________________________________________

The Saints have signed defensive end Chase Young to a one-year contract. The 24-year-old was the number two overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He’s played four NFL seasons and this will be his third team. He was drafted by Washington and traded in San Francisco during the middle of last season. Young signed his deal after visiting with Saints officials yesterday….

Cut 19 (20) “….every day”  

Young has 16.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 43 games.  He’s looking forward to playing with Cam Jordan…

Cut 20 (14) “…game from”

5:30 LRN Newscast and Legislative Report

The Office of Inspector General has issued a report on their investigation of the death of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Inspector Stephen Street says nine-days before the child’s death a third call was made to DCFS from a physician asking if any action had been taken and confirmation that fentanyl was found in the child’s system on June 4th.

Cut 7 (09) “…that was.”  

Street says it’s an unfortunate truth that these types of tragedies with children are way more common than we want them to be.

Cut 8 (08) “…to handle.” 

DCFS says they are hiring more caseworkers acknowledging they are short staffed.

The child’s mother Whitney Ard faces murder charges and the father Mitchell Robinson, Junior pleaded guilty to multiple drug charges.

A bill to eliminate vehicle inspection stickers in Louisiana will be heard in House Transportation Tuesday. Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley’s bill would remove the requirement to have an up-to-date-inspection sticker.

Cut 4 (07) “…for it.”

As for opposition, he says he’s gotten pushback from the owners of vehicle inspection sites and from state police.

Cut 5 (11) “…of that.” 

Bagley says he also hasn’t received any opposition from Governor Jeff Landry’s administration over House Bill 344.

For vehicle owners in five parishes (Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge) that are required by the federal Clean Air Act to have emission inspections every two year they would be charged eight dollars for those inspections.

4:30 PM Newscast Mar 18

A second poll from JMC Analytics indicates there is even less support for changing Louisiana’s elections to a closed primary than there was last December says Pollster John Couvillon. In the first special session, lawmakers voted to move Congressional, PSC, BESE and Supreme Court elections to a closed primary starting in 2026.

Cut 10 (11) “…it had. “

 

The Louisiana Office of Inspector General has issued a report on their investigation of the death of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Inspector Stephen Street says even though DCFS was notified of previous overdoses the system failed to protect the toddler.

Cut 6  (10) “…child’s safety.” 

Coushatta Casino Resort is breaking ground on a new $150 million 204 room hotel expansion in Kinder this week. Director of Marketing Robert Thornton says the hotel will create 150 to 200 additional permanent jobs in Allen Parish and He says it’s not all about monetary gain. It’s also about getting the tribe’s culture out to the public.

Cut 5 (10)  “…historical figures.”

The hotel has not yet been named. The project is expected to be complete by late 2025.

The McNeese Cowboys are preparing for their first NCAA Tournament Basketball game since 2002. The Pokes are a 12 seed and will face fifth seeded Gonzaga on Thursday night in Salt Lake City. Coach Will Wade says there are only 68 teams left playing and all of them are good…

Cut 12 (09)  “…hard to do.”

3:30 PM Newscast Mar 18

During a traffic stop on Interstate 49, Rapides Area Drug Enforcement recovered a quarter pound of fentanyl that they say has a street value of $18,000. RADE had been conducting surveillance since being informed that 27-year-old Craig Deandre Brown would be trafficking the drug. After stopping Brown for improper lane usage, a subsequent k-9 alert led to a vehicle search and pat down. Officers uncovered the fentanyl in Brown’s pants and he was arrested without incident.

A new poll from JMC Analytics indicates there is still minimal support for changing Louisiana’s elections to a closed primary. In the first special session, lawmakers voted to move Congressional, PSC, BESE and Supreme Court elections to a closed primary starting in 2026. Pollster John Couvillon says he surveyed 660 likely voters and 48 percent of them did not even know it was changed.

Cut 9 (13) “…2026.” 

The State Inspector General has issued a report on the death investigation of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (39)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The McNeese Cowboys are preparing for their first NCAA Tournament Basketball game since 2002. McNeese is 30-3 and they are just one of four teams in the country with at least 30 wins. Junior forward Christian Shumate says they are ready to play on the big stage…

Cut 13 (06) “…a team”  

LRN PM Newscall March 18

The State Inspector General has issued a report on the death investigation of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (39)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

______________________________________

We are not done with winter yet, below freezing temperatures are possible tomorrow morning. LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin reports freeze warnings and watches have been posted…

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Bill Jaquemin.” 

______________________________________

Coushatta Casino Resort will break ground on a new $150 million 204 room hotel expansion in Kinder this week. Director of Marketing Robert Thornton says the new hotel is needed to keep up with consumer demand…

Cut 3 (12) “…that regard.”  

Coushatta Casino Resort is the largest casino in Louisiana and operated by the Coushatta Tribe.

Thornton says the expansion will increase total capacity to over one-thousand rooms. And the new eight story hotel includes luxury rooms with a grand entrance.

Cut 4 (08) “…the casino.” 

Thornton says the hotel will create 150 to 200 additional permanent jobs in Allen Parish. He says it’s not all about monetary gain. It’s also about getting the tribe’s culture out to the public.

Cut 5 (10)  “…historical figures.”

The hotel has not yet been named. The project is expected to be complete by late 2025.

____________________________________________

The Louisiana Office of Inspector General has issued a report on their investigation of the death of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Inspector Stephen Street says even though DCFS was notified of previous overdoses the system failed to protect the toddler.

Cut 6  (10) “…child’s safety.” 

The report points out the assigned caseworker was overwhelmed with multiple high-profile cases and DCFS says they are trying to rectify that by hiring more staff.

Street says nine-days before the child’s death on June 26th, a third call was made to the DCFS hotline from a physician asking if any action had been taken in the case along with lab confirmation that fentanyl was found in the child’s system on June 4th.

Cut 7 (09) “…that was.”  

Street says it’s an unfortunate truth that these types of tragedies with children are way more common than we want them to be.

Cut 8 (08) “…to handle.” 

The child’s mother Whitney Ard faces murder charges and the father Mitchell Robinson, Junior pleaded guilty to multiple drug charges.

____________________________________________

A new poll from JMC Analytics indicates there is still minimal support for changing Louisiana’s elections to a closed primary. In the first special session, lawmakers voted to move Congressional, PSC, BESE and Supreme Court elections to a closed primary starting in 2026. Pollster John Couvillon says he surveyed 660 likely voters and 48 percent of them did not even know it was changed.

Cut 9 (13) “…primary more.” 

This is the second time JMC Analytics has polled Louisiana voters to get their thoughts on closed primaries. He says the first survey took place in December and based on the results of this latest poll, closed primaries have become less popular in Louisiana…

Cut 10 (11) “…it had. “

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the new election system will cost the state an additional 135-million dollars over ten years. Couvillon says when the respondents heard the cost of a party primary system, 72-percent said they oppose switching from open primaries.

Cut 11 (06) “…minimal popularity.”

A bill has been filed in the regular session that seeks to include statewide offices, including elections for governor and legislative seats into the closed primary system.

____________________________________________________________

The McNeese Cowboys are preparing for their first NCAA Tournament Basketball game since 2002. The Pokes are a 12 seed and will face fifth seeded Gonzaga on Thursday night in Salt Lake City. Coach Will Wade says there are only 68 teams left playing and all of them are good…

Cut 12 (09)  “…hard to do.”

McNeese is 30-3 and they are just one of four teams in the country with at least 30 wins. Junior forward Christian Shumate says they are ready to play on the big stage…

Cut 13 (12) “…reckon with”  

For the first time in school history, the Grambling State men’s basketball team is in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will play Montana State on Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio.

2:30 PM Newscast Mar 18

The Louisiana Office of Inspector General has issued a report on their investigation of the 2022 fentanyl overdose death of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson. Inspector Stephen Street says even though DCFS was notified of previous overdoses the system failed to protect the toddler and it’s an unfortunate truth that these types of tragedies with children are more common than we want them to be.

Cut 8 (08) “…to handle.” 

The child’s mother Whitney Ard faces murder charges and the father Mitchell Robinson, Junior pleaded guilty to multiple drug charges.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the new closed primary election system will cost the state an additional 135-million dollars over ten years. JMC Analytics pollster, John Couvillon says when the respondents heard the cost of a party primary system, 72-percent said they oppose switching from open primaries.

Cut 11 (06) “…minimal popularity.”

A bill has been filed in the regular session that seeks to include statewide offices, including elections for governor and legislative seats into the closed primary system.

We are not done with winter yet, below freezing temperatures are possible tomorrow morning. LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin reports freeze warnings and watches have been posted…

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Bill Jaquemin.” 

Coushatta Casino Resort will break ground on a new $150 million 204 room hotel expansion in Kinder this week. Director of Marketing Robert Thornton says the new hotel is needed to keep up with consumer demand…

Cut 3 (12) “…that regard.”  

1:30 LRN Newscast March 18

1:30 G

The Office of Inspector General has issued a report on their investigation of the death of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Inspector Stephen Street says ninedays before the child’s death a third call was made to DCFS from a physician asking if any action had been taken and confirmation that fentanyl was found in the child’s system on June 4th.

Cut 7 (09) “…that was.”  

DCFS says they are hiring more caseworkers acknowledging.

The McNeese Cowboys are preparing for their first NCAA Tournament Basketball game since 2002. The Pokes are a 12 seed and will face fifth-seeded Gonzaga on Thursday night in Salt Lake City. Coach Will Wade says there are only 68 teams left playing and all of them are good…

Cut 12 (09)  “…hard to do.”

A new poll from JMC Analytics indicates minimal support for changing Louisiana’s elections to a closed primary. In the first special session, lawmakers voted to move Congressional, PSC, BESE and Supreme Court elections to a closed primary in 2026. Pollster John Couvillon says their poll indicates closed primaries have become less popular in Louisiana…

Cut 10 (11) “…it had. “

A bill has been filed in the regular session to include statewide offices in the closed primary system.

Coushatta Casino Resort will break ground on a new $150 million 204-room hotel expansion in Kinder this week. Director of Marketing Robert Thornton says the expansion will increase total capacity to over a thousand rooms…

Cut 4 (08) “…the casino.” 

The project is projected to be completed in late 2025.

 

 

12:30 LRN Newscast

The State Inspector General has issued a report on the death investigation of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (39) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Tomorrow is the first day of spring, but we are not done with winter. Freeze warnings and watches are posted as large portion of the northern half of the state will get below freezing tomorrow morning.

A new poll from JMC Analytics indicates there is still minimal support for changing Louisiana’s elections to a closed primary. In the first special session, lawmakers voted to move Congressional, PSC, BESE and Supreme Court elections to a closed primary starting in 2026. Pollster John Couvillon says he surveyed 660 likely voters and 48 percent of them did not even know it was changed.
Cut 9 (13) “…primary anymore.”

Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder will break ground this week on a new 150-million dollar, 204 room hotel expansion. Director of Marketing Robert Thornton says the hotel will create 150 to 200 additional permanent jobs and the new addition will get the tribe’s culture out to the public.
Cut 5 (10) “…historical figures.”
The project is expected to be complete by late 2025.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The road to another national championship for the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team looks difficult as they are a 3-seed in a region that features top-seeded Iowa and second-seeded UCLA. Coach Kim Mulkey’s team beat Iowa in the national title game last year and UCLA holds its opponents to 60 points a game…
Cut 16 (09) “..at home”
LSU will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. They will face Rice at 3 PM. If the Lady Tigers defeat the Owls, they’ll play either sixth-seeded Louisville or 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee.

Rough weekend for the LSU baseball team in Starkville as Mississippi State pounded Tigers pitching in the SEC series opener. LSU gave up 33 runs as they dropped two of three. The Tigers will host La Tech tomorrow night.

The Bulldogs swept a series from Northwestern State this past weekend. U-L Lafayette baseball won two of three at Arkansas State, ULM lost its series with Troy.

The second ranked LSU softball team lost its first game of the season last night falling to Ole Miss five to two.

For the first time in school history, the Grambling State men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament. They received an automatic bid on Saturday when they defeated Texas Southern in the SWAC Tournament. The Tigers will play Montana State on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.

McNeese is the 12th seed in the Midwest Region and will face 5th seeded Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The game will be played on Thursday night at 6:25 in Salt Lake City. Coach Will Wade has led the Cowboys to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 and they’ll play a Gonzaga team ranked 17th in the AP poll…
Cut 19 (14) “….get there”

LSU is in the N-I-T. The Tigers will host North Texas tomorrow night at the PMAC.

11:30 LRN Newscast

Louisiana’s Inspector General has issued a report on their investigation of the death of two-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Stephen Street says even though DCFS was notified of previous overdoses the system failed to protect the toddler.
Cut 6 (10) “…child’s safety.”
The report points out the assigned caseworker was overwhelmed with multiple high-profile cases and DCFS says they are trying to rectify that by hiring more staff.

Today begins the second week of the regular legislative session and lawmakers will soon dive into bills that attempt to stop the rise in homeowners insurance premiums. Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot says the legislature can’t tell insurance companies to lower rates, they have to create a market that results in multiple companies vying for your business…
Cut 15 (08) “…listeners business”
Talbot has legislation to clarify the claims process.

Coushatta Casino Resort will break ground on a new $150 million 204 room hotel expansion in Kinder this week. Director of Marketing Robert Thornton says the new hotel is needed to keep up with consumer demand…
Cut 3 (12) “…to stay”
Thornton says the expansion will increase total capacity to over one-thousand rooms.

To help the crawfish industry with financial assistance after last summer’s drought severely impacted the crop, Congressman Troy Carter is holding three workshops for crawfish producers, boil houses, restaurants, grocery stores, and others who depend on crawfish.
Cut 7 (10) “…of Louisiana.”
The first of three workshops is at Southern University at New Orleans today.