07:30 Newscast, October 17th, 2017

Investigators are piecing together the strange case of an abandoned baby born to a 13-year-old girl. Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn says the teen secretly gave birth in her room then dropped off the infant on a school teacher’s front porch…:
Cut 13 (07) “right place”
The child weighed 5 pounds and 12 ounces and is now in the custody of the state.

Meanwhile the Department of Children and Family Services announces a new website which mothers can use to find Safe Haven locations. Child Protective Services Program Manager Mona Michelli says, by law, a baby less than 60 days old can be anonymously relinquished at designated sites:
Cut 9 (10) “fire stations”
You can find the online mapping tool at Louisiana-safe-haven-dot-com.

Louisiana once again leads the nation for murders…:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

The popular food delivery app founded in Lake Charles, Waitr, is starting a new Thanksgiving food drive to help feed the needy in the communities they serve. Chief Marketing Officer Sonny Mayugba says customers can donate a holiday meal through the app, and Waitr will deliver them to local needy families the week of Thanksgiving…:
Cut 10 (10) “in need”

 

06:45 Sportscast, October 17th, 2017

A major story line heading into Saturday’s SEC West matchup between LSU and Ole Miss is the return of head coach Ed Orgeron to Oxford. Orgeron was the Rebels head coach from 2005 to 2007 and won just ten games. During his Monday press conference, Coach O downplayed the trip back to Oxford…:
Cut 16 (19) “about the team”
Orgeron will take a Tigers team to Ole Miss that’s feeling really good about themselves after emotional victories over Florida and Auburn. Kickoff Saturday night in Oxford is 6:15pm.

Defensive back Donte Jackson tweeted out thanks to Tiger fans following the Auburn win saying the loud crowd absolutely helped the team get the victory.

Nicholls State moved up three spots to No. 20 in the FCS Coaches Top 25 Poll, as the Colonels are riding the program’s first three game winning streak since 2013. Nicholls is off this weekend. Grambling State is up to number 17 in the poll. The Tigers take on Alcorn State this Saturday in a rematch of last year’s SWAC title game. McNeese State is ranked 19th and head into a weekend game hosting Incarnate Word.

New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton reacted to some criticism of players and coaches taking a knee during the moment of silence in the Superdome Sunday for slain NOPD officer Marcus McNeil. Just before the national anthem was played, the team took a knee together… however, the Superdome PA announcer then called for the moment of silence. Payton said it was a triangular effect of misunderstanding.

LSU has started a fundraising campaign aimed at helping students’ efforts to save wild tigers. It’s tied to the US Tiger University Consortium, which also includes Auburn, Clemson and Missouri — all who have tiger mascots and are working to help save wild tigers from extinction.

06:30 Newscast, October 17th, 2017

Numbers released by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program finds Louisiana once again leads the nation for murders, with a rate of 11.8 killed per 100,000 persons. New Orleans based Crime analyst Jeff Asher says this trend has gone on for some time..:
Cut 4 (09) “unfortunate distinction”
The report found that in 2016, there were 554 homicides in Louisiana.

The Coast Guard says it has suspended its search for a missing man who was unaccounted for after an explosion on a platform in Lake Pontchartrain near Kenner. He is identified as 44-year-old Timothy Morrison of Katy, Texas.

Tony the Tiger, the roadside attraction who was housed at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, has been euthanized due to heath issues. A statement indicates the 17-year-old tiger had to be put down due to kidney failure.

As authorities in Baker are still trying to piece together the case of the 13-year-old girl who left her newborn baby on a teacher’s doorstep, the Department of Children and Family Services is reminding residents about the state’s Safe Haven law. Child Protective Services Program Manager Mona Michelli says a mother can visit Louisiana-safe-haven-dot-com to find a place where they can give up a child less than 60 days old…:
Cut 7 (10) “relinquishment laws”
Michelli says the locator website was just launched last week but they’re hopeful mothers will use it to their advantage.

 

AM Newscall October 17

Louisiana once again leads the nation for murders.  Kelley Ray has more…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

______________________________________

The state Department of Children and Family Services has launched a Safe Haven locator website to prevent newborn abandonment. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

Investigators are continuing to piece together the strange case of a baby born to a 13-year-old girl in Baker.  Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo.”

___________________________________________________

Louisiana is once again tops for murders in the country.  The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program says the states murder rate was 11.8 per 100,000 persons, with 554 homicides in 2016.  New Orleans based Crime analyst Jeff Asher says this trend has gone on for some time…

Cut 4  (09) “unfortunate distinction.”

Asher says even if you didn’t count New Orleans, Louisiana would remain tops in the country.  But why does the state have the highest homicide rate in the country?  Asher says it could be a number of factors…

Cut 5  (08)  “in between.”

Asher says even though Louisiana has the highest homicide rate in the county, the number of murders have declined over the last two decades…

Cut 6 (10) “hundred thousand.”

Asher says he hopes to see State Legislators to take the lead in helping to pass laws to help decrease the murder rate further.

________________________________________________________

The state Department of Children and Family Services has posted an online mapping tool called Safe Haven Facility Locator in an effort to prevent newborn abandonment. Child Protective Services Program Manager Mona Michelli says a mother can visit Louisiana-safe-haven-dot-com (louisianasafehaven.com) to find a place where they can give up a child less than 60 days old…

Cut 7 (10)  “relinquishment laws”

A 13-year-old Baker mother left her new born baby at her teacher’s house yesterday, according to police. Michelli says the locator website was just launched last week but they’re hopeful mothers will use it to their advantage.

Cut 8 (11) “the mother”

If a mother or parent is not able to locate a facility, call 911 and an emergency responder can transport the child to a facility. Michelli says there are many Safe Haven locations for a mother of a child under 60 days old to relinquish her newborn.

Cut 9 (10)  “fire stations”

Michelli says it’s important to remember a mother faces no legal recourse if she follows the Safe Haven laws.

____________________________________________________

Waitr is looking to help feed needy families. Starting this week, when customers order food service from the Lake Charles based app, they can donate between two and ten dollars and Waitr along with participating restaurants will match a customers’ donation.  Chief Marketing Officer Sonny Mayugba (MY-ooh-buh) says the “Share Thanksgiving” food drive will be conducted in all 130 markets…

Cut 10 (10)  “in need.”

Mayugba says unfortunately there are many people who need help putting food on their tables, so they want to make sure Thanksgiving is a day of hope for those in need…

Cut 11 (13) “excited about.”

Mayugba says their goal is to ensure no one goes hungry during Thanksgiving week…

Cut 12 (10) “excited about.”

_________________________________________________________

Investigators are piecing together the strange case of a baby born to a 13-year-old girl. Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn says the family wasn’t aware she was pregnant and she gave birth in her bedroom.  Dunn says the teen dropped the newborn off, with the umbilical cord still attached on a school teacher’s front porch…

Cut 13 (07) “right place.”

Dunn says after the baby was born the teen got her brother to assist with dropping the child off at a neighbor’s house…

Cut 14 (08) “they know.”

Dunn says he’s getting the word out about this incident because Louisiana law allows mothers to legally relinquish their newborns without repercussions…

Cut 15 (05) “for you.”

Police suspect the father is also just 13-years-old.

________________________________________________

A major story line heading into Saturday’s SEC West matchup between LSU and Ole Miss is the return of head coach Ed Orgeron to Oxford. Orgeron was the Rebels head coach from 2005 to 2007 and won just ten games. During his Monday press conference, Coach O downplayed the trip back to Oxford…

Cut 16  (19)  “about the team”

Orgeron will take a Tigers team to Ole Miss that’s feeling really good about themselves after emotional victories over Florida and Auburn. It appeared LSU’s season would crash and burn, but Orgeron says the lessons he learned at Ole Miss has helped him in Baton Rouge

Cut 17 (19)  “wouldn’t do that” 

LSU is coming off an impressive performance by its defense, holding Auburn to just 64 yards in the second half. For the first time this season, edge rusher Arden Key had a meaningful impact. Orgeron says the potential first round pick is starting to look like himself after missing spring practice and then offseason shoulder surgery

Cut 18 (13) “fantastic” 

18:30 LRN Newscast October 16

Investigators are continuing to piece together the strange case of a baby born to a 13-year-old girl in Baker.  Police say the family wasn’t aware she was pregnant and gave birth to the baby at home in her bedroom.  Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn says he’s getting the word out about this incident because Louisiana law allows mothers to legally relinquish their newborns without repercussions…

(CUT 15) (:05) “for you.”

Police suspect the father is also just 13-years-old.

Zachary Police have charged a 33-year-old man with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting, stabbing and beating an 11-month old child. Police Chief David McDavid says they found several weapons in the house and the autopsy shows the baby died of multiple stab and gunshot wounds….

(Cut 7) (:06) “head also.”

Three victims from last night’s energy platform explosion on Lake Pontchartrain remain in critical condition and the search for a 44-year-old worker from Katy, Texas continues.  Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto is not releasing much information on that person…

(CUT 5) (:12) “find em.”

The fire on the platform is expected to burn out…

The three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot passed and are now law. President of the Public Affairs Research Council Robert Travis Scott says the first amendment which establishes a property tax exemption for construction work in progress will make things more certain for tax assessors.

Cut 9 (11)  “be taxed”

17:30 LRN Newscast October 16

The fire is out at the platform that was the site of an explosion last night on Lake Pontchartrain. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says the platform is just a storage facility and owned by Clovelly Oil Company:
Cut 4 (12) “supply boat”
The Coast Guard is continuing to coordinate the search for a Texas man missing since the explosion occurred.

Investigators are piecing together the strange case of a baby born to a 13-year-old girl. Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn says the family wasn’t aware she was pregnant and gave birth in her bedroom. Dunn says the teen decided to drop the newborn off, with the umbilical cord still attached on a school teacher’s front porch…
Cut 13 (07) “right place.”
Police suspect the father is also just 13-years-old.

Zachary police say a man accused of allegedly murdering his 11-month-old baby is in custody. 33-year-old Fabian Smith is charged in the death of Jericho Smith. Police arrived on the scene to find the baby lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds. Police Chief David McDavid says Smith did not own up to the incident initially…
cut 6 (08) “….tragic event”
An autopsy report has determined the child stabbed and shot multiple times.

Voters approved all three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says with the passage of amendment two, spouses of all first responders who die while on duty will receive a full property tax exemption and it’s retroactive….
cut 10 (10) “…valuable job”

16:45 LRN Sportscast October 16

It wasn’t Drew Brees’ best performance as he threw two interceptions yesterday, one went for a touchdown, but the Saints still beat Detroit 52-38. Brees says there’s a lot of mistakes that need to be corrected going forward…
cut 20 (20) “….get better”
New Orleans goes after its fourth straight win this Sunday in Green Bay. The Saints will not have to worry about Aaron Rodgers. The Packers star QB has a broken collarbone and he’ll need surgery, likely ending his 2017 season. Brett Hundley will start against the Saints this Sunday.

New Orleans is a half-game back of Carolina for first place in the NFC South.

There are positive vibes surrounding the LSU football team after they came back from a 20-point deficit to beat Auburn 27-23. A fumble and blown coverage on defense led to a quick 14-0 lead for Auburn. But Tigers Coach Ed Orgeron says his players didn’t dwell on the mistakes…
cut 30 (16) “….to the next”
LSU is at Ole Miss on Saturday. Orgeron hinted that starting left tackle KJ Malone could miss several weeks with an undisclosed injury.

In the latest FCS Coaches poll, Grambling State is up to number 17. The Tigers take on Alcorn State this Saturday in a rematch of last year’s SWAC title game.

McNeese is ranked 19th and Nicholls is 20th. The Colonels are off this Saturday, while the Cowboys host Incarnate Word.

16:30 LRN Newscast October 16

The search continues for a missing worker after an oil and gas platform exploded in Lake Pontchartrain on Sunday…
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

New Orleans is on the verge of electing its first female mayor. Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell and former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet are in the November 18 runoff. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says with history in the making, expect to hear more about this race…
Cut 12 (07) “sharp edged.”

An autopsy on an 11-month old East Baton Rouge child finds that the infant was shot, stabbed and beaten. Authorities have charged 33-year-old Fabian Smith with first-degree murder. Zachary Police Chief David McDavid says they responded to the home after another child in Smith’s house alerted a neighbor of what happened…
cut 8 (07) “….call 9-1-1″
Police are still searching for a motive.

Baton Rouge police say a homeowner fatally shot another man during a verbal altercation in his front yard. Sergeant Don Coppola says 26-year-old Clayton Bradford died at the scene on West Brock Place…
cut 16 (11) “…fired”
Coppola says the 36-year-old shooter is cooperating and no arrests have been made as of yet.

15:30 LRN Newscast October 16

Zachary Police have charged a 33-year-old man with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting, stabbing and beating an 11-month old child. Police Chief David McDavid says they found several weapons in the house and the autopsy shows the baby died of multiple stab and gunshot wounds….
cut 7 (06) “…head also”
McDavid says Fabian Smith was the only adult home at the time of the murder. A motive hasn’t been established.

Also in East Baton Rouge, Baker Police say a 13-year-old secretely gave birth to a child and then left the baby, with the umbillica cord still attached on a teacher’s front porch. Authorities say the mother’s parents didn’t know their child was pregnant, but the baby appears to be healthy.

The search continues for a missing worker who was present during an explosion on an energy platform in Lake Pontchartrain. Three other workers are in critical condition.

The statewide turnout for Saturday’s special election for state treasurer was just 13-percent. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says the two men who made the runoff, Democrat Derrick Edwards and Republican John Schroder have their work cut out for them, when it comes to securing votes….
cut 13 (09) “…a ballot”
The runoff is November 18.

The three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot all passed. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott, says with the passage of amendment three, the state has created a new fund that will only receive money, if the legislature decided to increase the gasoline tax….
cut 11 (07) “…have now”
Scott says that means new revenues from a gasoline tax must go towards highway construction. The approval of amendment one means property taxes can not be collected during construction work of a home or business.

LRN PM Newscall October 16

The search continues for a missing worker after an oil and gas platform exploded in Lake Pontchartrain on Sunday. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

New Orleans will see it’s first female mayor in it’s history.  Kelley Ray has more on the upcoming runoff election…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

______________________________________

Three victims from last night’s energy platform explosion on Lake Pontchartrain remain in critical condition and the search for one of the workers continues today. Jefferson Parish EMS Director Mike Guilliot says seven people were taken to the hospital

Cut 3 (14) “were discharged”

Officials can’t find any environmental impacts from the blast and the Coast Guard says the platform is no longer burning. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says the platform is just a storage facility and owned by Clovelly Oil Company. Lopinto says the explosion occurred at 8 PM on Sunday

Cut 4  (12) “supply boat” 

Officials say cleaning chemicals used during a maintenance operation could be a possible cause. Lopinto is not releasing much information on the 8th worker that remains missing…

Cut 5  (12)  “find em”

________________________________________________

Zachary police say a man accused of allegedly murdering his 11-month-old baby is in custody.  33-year-old Fabian Smith is charged in the death of Jericho Smith.  Police arrived on the scene Saturday to find the baby lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds.  Police Chief David McDavid says Smith did not own up to the incident initially…

Cut 6 (08)  “tragic event.”

McDavid says they found multiple weapons in the house and the autopsy shows the baby died of stab and gunshot wounds…

Cut 7 (06) “head also.” 

McDavid says neighbors called 9-1-1 after other children in the Smith’s house ran next door telling them what happened…

Cut 8 (07) “call 911.”

Fabian Smith was the only adult home at the time of the murder.

________________________________________________

The three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot passed and are now law. President of the Public Affairs Research Council Robert Travis Scott says the first amendment which establishes a property tax exemption for construction work in progress will make things more certain for tax assessors.

Cut 9 (11)  “be taxed”

Amendment number two expands an already existing law and will give the spouses of volunteer firefighters, EMS, and paramedics who die on duty, a full property tax exemption on their home. Scott says this will be retroactive to those who have already suffered this tragedy.

Cut 10 (10) “valuable job”

Scott says with the passage of amendment three, the state has created a new fund within the transportation fund. He says this fund will receive any new money if the legislature decided to increase the gas tax.

Cut 11 (07) “have now” 

_________________________________

New Orleans is on the verge of electing its  first female mayor.  Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell and former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet are in the November 18 runoff. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says with history in the making, more attention will be drawn to the Mayor’s race in the runoff election…

Cut 12 (07) “sharp edged.” 

Voter turnout for the Mayoral primary was 32 percent.  The state Treasurer’s race will also be decided next month. Dubos expects a less than 10 percent turnout statewide. He says Democrat Derrick Edwards and Republican John Schroder have their work cut out for them, when it comes to securing votes.

Cut 13 (09)  “a ballot.”

Dubos says even though New Orleans has never had a female mayor, it’s not a big surprise to see two women in the runoff.

Cut 14 (12) “have two.”

A dismal 13 percent voters, representing about 400,000, participated statewide on Saturday.

______________________________________________

Detectives in Baton Rouge are investigating a fatal shooting last night that left a 26-year-old dead after a homeowner claims he brandished a firearm and charged at him. BRPD Sgt. Don Coppola says the 36-year-old homeowner told police he was standing in his yard when he shot Clayton Bradford after a verbal altercation.

Cut 15 (10) “crimes unit”

Coppola says the investigation is still under investigation so there is no word on if the homeowner faces any charges. He says the two had a verbal altercation in the homeowner’s front yard when things turned ugly.

Cut 16  (11)  “fired”