Legislative Report 17:30 April 16

With lawmakers facing a one-point-six billion dollar budget deficit, Governor Bobby Jindal stands behind his efforts to cut government spending instead of raising taxes. Jindal says it has led to a strong job market and growing economy…
CUT 15 (07) Q: been before”
Jindal has been criticized for following a fiscal policy that’s supported by Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform.

Jindal made those comments during a wide-ranging discussion with reporters at the state capitol. The governor was also asked about how many out-of-state trips he plans to take during the legislative session. The governor did not give a number….
cut 30 (10) “…consider those individually”
As far as a plan to deal with the state’s budget shortfall, Jindal says those conversations are ongoing.

The state House and Senate did not meet today and they are off tomorrow as well, but that’s not stopping the debate over a so-called religious freedom bill. Governor Jindal says the bill will not lead to discrimation of same sex couples, instead it protects businesses from being punished by the state for for their religious belief in traditional marriage…
cut 12 (11) “….for their belief”
But Forum for Equality director Sarah Jane Brady doesn’t see how this bill by representative Mike Johnson will not lead to discrimation against the L-G-B-T community…
cut 11 (13) “…of all people”
Johnson plans to alter the bill before it gets its first hearing in a House committee.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 april 16

The Pelicans are in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2011 after beating the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 108-103. Anthony Davis had 31 points and Coach Monty Williams was impressed with how his young superstar performed with a lot on the line….
cut 4 (09) “…free throws”
Now the Pelicans will get ready for a best of seven series with top-seeded Golden State, which will begin Saturday afternoon in Oakland. Game two is Monday night. Games three and four will be in New Orleans, next Thursday and Saturday nights.

The LSU baseball team is heading to Georgia for a three-game series that starts tomorrow night against the Bulldogs. Coach Paul Mainieri has announced Alex Lange will get the start on Friday, after missing last weekend because of elbow tightness. The Tigers are coming off an 11-2 victory over Lamar last night.

Looking ahead to the weekend of college baseball…there’s a good match-up between state schools in Hammond as Southeastern Louisiana hosts McNeese for three games. The Lions lead the Southland Conference with an 11-and-four record and the Cowboys are right behind them with a 12-and-6 league mark. Northwestern State is also near the top of the standings. The Demons host Central Arkansas this weekend.

In the Sun Belt…ULM, who beat Northwestern State last night, will host Arkansas State, while the Ragin Cajuns are at Texas State. Louisiana Tech hosts UAB.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball has signed one of the top junior college basketball players in the country. His name is Justin Leon. He’s six-foot-eight and averaged 21.5 points and 10 rebounds last season for Shawnee Community College in Illinois.

ULM has signed a couple of prep basketball stars, six-foot-eight power forward Ramses Sandifer from Mississippi and six-foot-five guard Wade Martin from West Virginia. Sandifer averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds during his three-year career at St. Joseph’s High in Missipppi.

LRN Newscast 16:30 04-16-15

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Department is calling this morning’s shooting of a deputy directing traffic at a school crossing, an ambush. 36-year-old Corporal Burt Hazeltine is in stable, but guarded condition. Captain Pat Yoes says when other deputies arrived, the suspect dropped the gun…:
CUT 7 (05) “university hospital “
The suspect is 56 year old John Paul Devillier who lives in Gulfport, Mississippi. He reportedly got angry at the deputy over being held up in school traffic.

New Orleans Pelicans’ star Anthony Davis went off on the San Antonio Spurs last night with 31 points, leading the Pels to a 108-103 victory, and putting them in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2011. Coach Monty Williams was impressed with A.D…
CUT 4 (09) Q: “free throws”
Game one in the Best-Of-7 series against Golden State tips off Saturay at 2:30 on ABC.
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Governor Jindal is taking some criticism for a fiscal policy based on Americans for Tax Reform, but Jindal says he’s always been opposed to new taxes…
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

There’s been more heavy downpours today, including in Central Louisiana, where there’s street flooding in Alexandria, and more rain expected through Sunday…
cut 12 (08) “…come in”
That’s State Climatologist Barry Keim.

LRN Newscast 15:30 04-16-15

In what is being described as an ambush this morning, a St. Charles Parish deputy was shot multiple times while directing traffic at a school crossing in Paradis. Captain Pat Yoes says 36 year-old Corporal Burt Hazeltine was helping buses make their way off Highway 90…
CUT 6 (07) Q: ‘multiple times’
The suspect is identified as 56 year old John Paul Devillier, who currently resides in Gulfport. Hazeltine, who is stable but guarded condition was shot 3 times; one bullet punctured his lung, and another lodged behind his left eye, which may cause him to lose sight in that eye.

With lawmakers addressing the state’s current budget crisis, Governor Bobby Jindal is still standing firm in cutting government spending instead of raising taxes. Today, the governor pointed to the state’s job market and growing economy…
CUT 14 (04) Q: government spending”
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The National Weather Service has issued Flash Flood Watches across south-central and southeastern Louisiana through Friday night as rains continue to pound Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says over this week, five to seven inches of rain has already fallen over much of South Louisiana…
cut 11 (08) “South Louisiana”
Keim says we should get some relief by Sunday.

The New Orleans Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time in four years, after last night’s 108-103 win over San Antonio. The Pelicans scored 34-points in the first quarter and head coach Monty Williams says that came as a pleasant surprise…
CUT 3 (07) “bench was great”
The Pels will face Golden State in a first round best-of-seven series beginning Saturday.

LRN Newscast 14:30 04-16-15

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s office says a deputy directing traffic at a school crossing in Paradis was shot multiple times in an apparent ambush..:
CUT 1 (22) “reporting”

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office asks for the public’s help in the search for a missing woman whose vehicle was found intentionally set on fire and destroyed. Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says 54-year-old Taherah Ghassemi (ta-HAIR-ay ga-SEE-me) was reported missing by her son on Monday…
CUT 9 (04) “she was not”
That investigation is ongoing.
———————-
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watches across south-central and southeastern Louisiana through Friday night as rains continue to pound the state. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there is the potential for up to three inches of rainfall per day through Saturday in South Louisiana…
CUT 12 (08) Q: ‘to come in”
Before that, he says, the biggest risk now is flash flooding and river basin flooding due to over-saturated soil.

With their back against the wall, the New Orleans Pelicans made it into the playoffs last night in a do or die win last night over San Antonio 108-103 last night…
CUT 5 (07) Q: ‘won the game’
That’s Coach Monty Williams, who says they now have to prepare for game one against Golden State.

LRN PM Newscall April 16

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s office says a deputy directing traffic at a school crossing in Paradis was shot multiple times in an apparent ambush. Michelle Southern reports..:

CUT 1 (22) “reporting”

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Governor Bobby Jindal has been criticized by some for a fiscal policy based on Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform, but Jindal says he’s always been opposed to new taxes on Louisiana residents. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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The Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2011 after last night’s 108-103 win over San Antonio. The Pels will face Golden State in a first round best-of-seven series beginning Saturday. The Pelicans scored 34-points in the first quarter and head coach Monty Williams says that came as a surprise…

CUT 3 (07)  “bench was great”

Games one and two will be played in Oakland before coming to New Orleans for games three and four next Thursday and Saturday. Williams says Anthony Davis’s play down the stretch was key in this big win…

CUT 4 (09)  “free throws”

Davis scored 31 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the victory. Saturday’s game will be televised on ABC at 2:30. Williams says, because of the circumstances of this game, it may be the biggest win of his coaching career. He says many counted the Pels out of playoff contention six weeks ago, but they decided to take it one game at a time… (Pelicans home playoff tickets are on sale now.)

CUT 5 (07)  “won the game”

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The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s office says a deputy directing traffic at a school crossing in Paradis was shot multiple times in an apparent ambush. Captain Pat Yoes says the victim was helping buses make their way off of Highway 90 around 8:50 Thursday morning when the incident took place…:

CUT 6 (07)  “multiple times”

The deputy is identified as 36-year-old Corporal Burt Hazeltine, a married father of four. Yoes says a passerby drug the deputy behind the police car to safety. He says when other deputies arrived the suspect dropped the gun…:

CUT 7 (05) “university hospital 

The deputy is listed as in stable, but guarded condition. Yoes says there was an exchange of gunfire and the suspect’s vehicle was hit several times, but there are no other injuries in this incident. He says the shooting appears to be completely unprovoked…:

CUT 8 (04)  “off the roadway”

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The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office asks for the public’s help in the search for a missing woman whose vehicle was found intentionally set on fire and destroyed. Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says 54-year-old Taherah Ghassemi (ta-HAIR-ay ga-SEE-me) was reported missing by her son on Monday and hadn’t heard from his mom since Saturday…

CUT 9 (04)  “she was not”

Very few details are available as this is an ongoing active investigation. Hicks says the big concern is Ghassemi’s welfare and it’s important that she is found as soon as possible…

cut 10 (09) “sheriff’s office”

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The National Weather Service has issued Flash Flood Watches across south-central and southeastern Louisiana through Friday night as rains continue to pound the state. State Climatologist Barry Keim says over the past four to five days anywhere between five and seven inches of rain has fallen over most of south Louisiana and there’s more on the way…

cut 11 (08)  “south Louisiana”

Keim say there is the potential for up to three inches of rainfall per day through Saturday in south Louisiana. He says the biggest risk now is flash flooding and river basin flooding due to over-saturated soil. Keim says the chances for thunderstorms should drop significantly on Sunday…

cut 12 (08)  “to come in”

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Governor Bobby Jindal has been criticized by some for a fiscal policy based on Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform. But Jindal says he’s always been a supporter of no new taxes on Louisiana residents…

cut 13 (11)  “to raising taxes”

Americans for Tax Reform states that it opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle. Jindal feels it would be a mistake to raise taxes, even as the state faces a $1.6 billion budget deficit. He says the improvements to the state’s job market and economy didn’t come by accident…

cut 14 (05) “government spending”

Although he agrees with ATR’s stance on not raising taxes, Jindal says he has been opposed to tax hikes since he ran for governor back in 2003. The governor says fiscal responsibility by cutting government spending may not be popular, but it is the right thing to do…

cut 15 (07) “been before”

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13:30 Newscast, April 16th, 2015

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s office says the deputy who was gunned down in an ambush this morning is in stable but guarded condition. Captain Pat Yoes says 36-year-old Burt Hazeltine was working a school zone crossing when somebody just opened fire at a nearby gas station. He says the shooting appears to be completely unprovoked…:
CUT 8 (04) “off the roadway”
He says motive is unclear at this time but they do have a suspect in custody and are working on getting some answers.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office asks for the public’s help in the search for a missing woman whose vehicle was found intentionally set on fire and destroyed. Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says 54-year-old Taherah Ghassemi’s welfare is a big concern and it’s important she’s found as soon as possible…:
CUT 10 (09) “sheriff’s office”

Governor Bobby Jindal has been criticized by some for a fiscal policy based on Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform. But Jindal says he’s always been a supporter of no new taxes on Louisiana residents…:
CUT 13 (08) “to raising taxes”
Jindal feels it would be a mistake to raise taxes even as the state faces a $1.6 billion dollar budget deficit.

Jindal and Dallas-based Monster Moto announce the company will establish a headquarters and manufacturing facility in Ruston…:
CUT 5 (30) “reporting”

 

12:30 Newscast, April 16th, 2015

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s deputy who was shot in an apparent ambush this morning has been identified. 36-year-old Corporal Burt Hazeltine was gunned down while directing traffic at a school crossing this morning. Captain Pat Yoes says a passerby drug the deputy behind the police car to safety. He says when other deputies arrived the suspect dropped the gun…:
CUT 7 (05) “university hospital”
The deputy is listed as in stable, but guarded condition. The Sheriff has called a 3pm news conference to release more details on this incident.

The National Weather Service has issued Flash Flood Watches across south-central and southeastern Louisiana through Friday night as rains continue to pound the state. State Climatologist Barry Keim says over the past four to five days anywhere between five and seven inches of rain has fallen over most of south Louisiana and there’s more on the way…:
CUT 11 (08) “south Louisiana”

The Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2011 after last night’s 108-103 win over San Antonio. New Orleans will face Golden State in a first round best-of-seven series beginning Saturday. Coach Monty Williams says Anthony Davis’s play down the stretch was key in this big win…:
CUT 4 (09) “free throws”
Davis scored 31 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the victory.

Motorcycle assembly company Monster Moto announces they will construct a new facility in Ruston that will build go-carts and minibikes. Their corporate offices will also relocate from Dallas to Ruston.

 

11:30 Newscast, April 16th, 2015

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s office says a deputy directing traffic at a school crossing in Paradis was shot multiple times in an apparent ambush. Captain Pat Yoes says the victim was helping buses make their way off of Highway 190 around 8:50 Thursday morning when the incident took place…:
CUT 6 (07) “multiple times”
They say a motive is unclear at this time. The deputy is listed in stable but guarded condition at a local hospital.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office asks for the public’s help in the search for a missing woman whose vehicle was found intentionally set on fire and destroyed. Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says 54-year-old Taherah Ghassemi (ta-HAIR-ay ga-SEE-me) was reported missing by her son on Monday and he hadn’t heard from his mom since Saturday…:
CUT 9 (04) “she had not”
They are very concerned and asking for the public’s help in this case.

Will social media play a large role in the 2016 presidential election? UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross believes it will. Cross thinks social media works better in targeting than just about any other approach…:
cut 11 (07) “using this method”
Senator Marco Rubio’s campaign announcement was shared thousands of times on Facebook.

The Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2011 after last night’s 108-103 win over San Antonio. The Pels will face Golden State in a first round best-of-seven series beginning Saturday. The Pelicans scored 34-points in the first quarter and head coach Monty Williams says that came as a surprise…:
CUT 3 (07) “bench was great”
Games one and two will be played in Oakland before coming to New Orleans for games three and four next Thursday and Saturday.

 

LRN Sportscast 11:40 Jeff Palermo

The Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season as New Orleans punched its ticket with a 108-103 over the defending champs, the San Antonio Spurs. Anthony Davis led the way with 31 points and now the Birds will get ready to play top-seeded Golden State. Game one is Saturday afternoon at 2:30 in Oakland.

The LSU baseball team had an easy win over Lamar last night 11 to 2. Chris Chinea hit his fifth home run of the season and drove in four runs. The Tigers begin an SEC series tomorrow night at Georgia. Freshman Alex Lange will start on the mound for LSU.

Also last night…U-L-M upended Northwestern State five to one. Shortstop Kodie Tidwell had two hits and drove in two runs for the Warhawks who are now 18-and-18 on the season.

And former St. Thomas More standout and LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook hit his first major league home run in a 12-7 loss to Toronto.

John Treloar, who was an assistant basketball coach at LSU from 2004 to 2008, is returning to Baton Rouge to serve as an associate coach. The Clinton, Mississippi native has been the director of player personnel for the Phoenix Sunds the last five seasons.

ULM has signed a couple of prep basketball stars, six-foot-eight power forward Ramses Sandifer from Arcola, Mississippi and six-foot-five guard Wade Martin from Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Sandifer averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds during his three-year career at St. Joseph’s High in Missipppi.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball signed athletic forward Justin Leon. He’s six-foot-eight and spent the last two seasons at a community college in Illinois. As a sophomore, he averaged 22 points and ten rebounds a game.

And Northwestern State has signed Malike Metoyer (MA-twyer) who had a standout basketball career at nearby Lakeview High School.

And former St. Thomas More standout and LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook hit his first major league home run in a 12-7 loss to Toronto.