5:30 LRN Newscast April 12

The Louisiana Department of Health reports one storm-related death in Rapides Parish. A 60-year-old woman was killed after a tree and power line fell on her home outside Pineville Wednesday. The National Weather Service says the same system was responsible for 14 tornados stretching from Texas to Florida

Good news for crawfish lovers. The average price per pound for mudbugs is 50 cents lower this week. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

 

After multiple delays with Federal Student Aid, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance will have expanded virtual hours April 15-19 from 8 am until 8 pm and you can register now for an appointment if you need assistance. LOSFA Spokesperson Ebony Holmes says until colleges can send award letters students who are eligible for TOPS should visit their student hub tracker and…

Cut 8 (12) “…of use.” 

It’s going to be a jam-packed weekend at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. Rhonda Poche says this year’s strawberry crop looks amazing and there’s a reason Louisiana has the best strawberries in the world.

Cut 11 (11) “…best around.”

The parade is an 9:30 Saturday morning and the festival ends at 6Pm on Sunday. It’s the state’s largest free festival.

 

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The LSU baseball team beat Tennessee twice in the College World Series last year and would love to get two wins against the Vols this weekend in a three-game series that begins tonight in Knoxville. Tennessee is ranked 4th and they are 7-5 in SEC play, while the Tigers are 3-and-9. 6:30 first pitch.

19th ranked U-L Lafayette hosts Marshall. The Cajuns have won eleven straight Sun Belt games, while the Thundering Herd are five and seven in league play.

ULM, who was swept last weekend by the Cajuns, is home this weekend to take on Texas State. The Bobcats are 5-and-7 in the Sun Belt.

Louisiana Tech is at Arizona for a three game series. The Wildcats are 18-and-13 and they are on an eight game winning streak.

It’s the final weekend of the NBA regular season, A Pelicans win tonight over Golden State and a Suns loss to the Kings and New Orleans will clinch the sixth seed in the West and avoid the Play in Tournament.

LSU will hold its spring game on Saturday. The offense will take on the defense, but don’t expect the top players to get a ton of snaps. Coach Brian Kelly says Saturday will be a day for back-ups to showcase their talents, like reserve tight ends Mac Markway and Ka’Morreun Pimpton. Kelly says this also a chance to see Josh Williams and Kaleb Jackson carry the ball…
Cut 18 (19) “…key roles.”
The spring game starts at 1 PM.

The Saints have signed former Texas A-and-M and Minnesota Viking quarterback Kellen Mond.

Shreveport’s Sam Burns will not make the cut a the Masters. Burns shot an 80 on Thursday and then a 73 today and he’s at 9 over. The projected cut line is four over.

4:30 LRN Newscast April 12

The deadline to file your federal taxes is Monday and Alexandria CPA Kurt Oestriecher has some tax tips. Taxpayers looking to reduce their tax burden when they file, Oestriecher suggest making a significant contribution to your 401k plan or ROTH IRA.

Cut 4 (12) “…ROTH IRA.” 

After delays with processing financial aid awards, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance anticipates students can make changes if needed to their applications next week. LOSFA Spokesperson Ebony Holmes…

Cut 6  (11) “…office hours.” 

Thousands will head to southeast Louisiana for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival this weekend. The free event features great music, rides, and a parade. Festival King Donald Lanier says they honor berry farmers across the state.

Cut 10 (12) “…many around. “

There will be great music, food, rides, and a parade. You’ll also want to bring your appetite and enter the strawberry eating contest on Saturday and Sunday. The event is the state’s largest free harvest festival.

Crawfish prices dropped 50-cent this week, making this the second price drop since Easter Sunday. Crawfish App Co-Founder Laney King says while Orleans Parish has the cheapest mudbugs at $2.65 a pound, she says it’s always worth checking the crawfish app for price change.

Cut  14 (12) “…might drop.” 

To compare prices, download the Crawfish App on your smartphone.

3:30 PM Newscast April 12

As work to restore power and clean up storm damage across the state continues, The Louisiana Department of Health reports one storm related death in Rapides Parish. A 60-year-old woman was killed after a tree and power line fell on her home outside Pineville on Wednesday.

Many are still without power, but CLECO says they expect to have all the power restored in Opelousas by the end of day Friday and at least half of their customers in Slidell without power should have it back. As for the remaining 3500 Slidell customers, CLECO expects to have a better idea of when work can be completed to restore power to those homes.  

Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance is holding a FAFSA Marathon beginning April 15th. Spokesperson Ebony Holmes says despite all the delays, there are still benefits to filling out the application.

Cut 7 (11) “…get it done. ”  

 

It’s going to be a jam-packed weekend at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. In addition to the state’s signature fruit, there’s plenty of food, rides, and music and it wouldn’t be a festival without a parade in Louisiana. Festival Queen, Lauren van Mullem says it’s a great way to support the community and Louisiana berry farmers.

Cut 9 (12) “…and farmers.” 

The parade is on Saturday at 9:30.

Expect to pay about $5.99 a pound for boiled crawfish says Crawfish App Co-Founder Laney King. She says there’s been a consistent weekly drop in crawfish prices since Easter. King says the average price for live crawfish last year was $2.57.

Cut 13 (11) “…it is.”

2:30 PM Newscast April 12

Many are still without power across the state but there’s good news for Opelousas, CLECO says they expect to have all the power restored there by the end of day Friday and at least half of their customers in Slidell should also have power. As for the remaining 3500 Slidell customers, CLECO expects to have a better idea of when work can be completed to restore power to those homes.  As clean up continues in areas served by Entergy, work is being done to restore power to approximately 4000 homes.

Monday is Tax Day. Alexandria CPA Kurt Oestriecher (Os-stric-ker) has a tax tip for seniors. Oestricher says people over the age of 70 can use a portion of their minimum retirement distribution to get a tax break if they donate it to a church or a charitable organization.

Cut 3 (13) “…30 thousand.” 

 

The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance is holding a virtual FAFSA marathon next week to help students with their applications. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

 

It’s another great week for crawfish lovers with a 50-cent drop on average in prices this week. Crawfish App Co-Founder Laney King says the industry lowered prices again which brings the average price for a sack under $100.

Cut 12 (09) “…sweet spot.” 

LRN PM Newscall April 12

The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance is holding a virtual FAFSA marathon next week to help students with their applications. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

______________________________________

Good news for crawfish lovers. The average price per pound for mudbugs is 50 cents lower this week. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

______________________________________

Monday is Tax Day. Alexandria CPA Kurt Oestriecher (Os-stric-ker) has a tax tip for seniors. Oestricher says people over the age of 70 can use a portion of their minimum retirement distribution to get a tax break if they donate it to a church or a charitable organization.

Cut 3 (13) “…30 thousand.” 

Oestriecher says for taxpayers looking to reduce their tax burden when they file, making a significant contribution to your 401k plan or ROTH IRA.

Cut 4 (12) “…ROTH IRA.” 

Oestriecher says for those who won big by gambling, they will have to pay taxes on those winnings even if they suffered gambling loses with other bets.

Cut 5 (12)  “…may have.”

____________________________________________________________________

After multiple delays with Federal Student Aid, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance anticipates students can make changes if needed to their applications next week. LOSFA Spokesperson Ebony Holmes says students can register now for virtual help with their application on their website.

Cut 6  (11) “…office hours.” 

The website is mylosfa.la.gov

Holmes says applicants should be on the lookout for emails from FAFSA if they need to make changes or submit additional information on their application. Despite all the delays she says there are still benefits to filling out the application.

Cut 7 (11) “…get it done. ”  

Holmes says they know it’s delaying the timeframe for students to know how much financial assistance they will receive at institutions and many postsecondary institutions have pushed their deadlines as a result.

Until colleges can send award letters Holmes encourages students who are eligible for TOPS to visit their student hub tracker and…

Cut 8 (12) “…of use.” 

LOSFA will have expanded virtual hours April 15-19 from 8 am until 8 pm and you can register now for an appointment if you need assistance. And if you can’t next week, normal hours are 9 AM – to 3 PM.

____________________________________________________________________

It’s going to be a jam-packed weekend at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. In addition to the state’s signature fruit, there’s plenty of food, rides, and music and it wouldn’t be a festival without a parade in Louisiana. Festival Queen, Lauren van Mullem says it’s a great way to support the community and Louisiana berry farmers.

Cut 9 (12) “…and farmers.” 

The parade is on Saturday at 9:30.

The event which has been going strong since 1972, is the state’s largest free harvest festival. Festival King Donald Lanier says they honor berry farmers across the state.

Cut 10 (12) “…many around. “

You’ll also want to bring your appetite and enter the strawberry eating contest on Saturday and Sunday.

Rhonda Poche says this year’s strawberry crop looks amazing and there’s a reason Louisiana has the best strawberries in the world.

Cut 11 (11) “…best around.”

Festival hours are noon to 11 pm on Friday, 9 am until 11 pm on Saturday, and 10 to 6 pm on Sunday.

____________________________________________________________________

It’s another great week for crawfish lovers with a 50-cent drop on average in prices this week. Crawfish App Co-Founder Laney King says the industry lowered prices again which brings the average price for a sack under $100.

Cut 12 (09) “…sweet spot.” 

King says expect to pay about $5.99 a pound for boiled crawfish. She says there’s been a consistent weekly drop in crawfish prices since Easter, but the average price for live crawfish last year was at $2.57 .

Cut 13 (11) “…it is.”

While Orleans Parish has the cheapest mudbugs at $2.65 a pound, she says it’s always worth checking the crawfish app for price change.

Cut  14 (12) “…might drop.” 

To compare prices, download the Crawfish App on your smartphone.

1:30 PM Newscast April 12

After multiple delays with Federal Student Aid, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance will have expanded virtual hours April 15-19 from 8 am until 8 pm and you can register now for an appointment if you need assistance. And if you can’t next week, the normal hours are 9 AM – to 3 PM. LOSFA Spokesperson Ebony Holmes says Until colleges can send award letters students who are eligible for TOPS should visit their student hub tracker and…

Cut 8 (12) “…of use.” 

Monday is the deadline to file federal income taxes and for those who won big by gambling, Alexandria CPA Kurt Oestriecher (Os-stric-ker) says, they will have to pay taxes on those winnings even if they suffered gambling losses with other bets.

Cut 5 (12)  “…may have.”

Good news for crawfish lovers. The average price per pound for mudbugs is 50 cents lower this week. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

It’s going to be a jam-packed weekend at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. Rhonda Poche says this year’s strawberry crop looks amazing and there’s a reason Louisiana has the best strawberries in the world.

Cut 11 (11) “…best around.”

Festival hours are noon to 11 pm on Friday, 9 am until 11 pm on Saturday, and 10 to 6 pm on Sunday.

12:30 PM Newscast April 12

As work to restore power and clean up storm damage continues, The Louisiana Department of Health reports one storm related death in Rapides Parish. A 60-year-old woman was killed after a tree and power line fell on her home outside Pineville on Wednesday.

Many are still without power across the state. Entergy is working to restore approximately 4000 homes and the latest from CLECO shows almost 10,000 without power. We expect an updated number this afternoon.

After multiple delays with Federal Student Aid, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance anticipates students can make changes to their applications if needed next week. LOSFA Spokesperson Ebony Holmes says students can register now for virtual help with their application on their website.

Cut 6  (11) “…office hours.” 

The website is mylosfa.la.gov

Monday is Tax Day. Alexandria CPA Kurt Oestriecher (Os-stric-ker) says for taxpayers looking to reduce their tax burden when they file, making a significant contribution to your 401k plan.

Cut 4 (12) “…ROTH IRA.” 

Monday day may be Tax Day but today, the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival begins. The event, which has been going strong since 1972, is the state’s largest free harvest festival. Festival King Donald Lanier says they honor berry farmers across the state.

Cut 10 (12) “…many around. “

You’ll want to bring your appetite and enter the strawberry eating contest on Saturday and Sunday. The parade is Saturday at 9:30.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Pelicans defeated Sacramento 135 to 123 last night. New Orleans made 22 three-pointers. CJ McCollum made nine threes and finished with 31 points. Zion Williamson also had 31 as the Pels remain in control of occupying the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament. New Orleans is at Golden State tonight.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey gave an emotional speech at the team’s banquet last night. Mulkey says she’s emotional as the program has been in the headlines for a variety of reasons, including not being present for the national anthem before their Elite Eight loss to Iowa. And LSU has lost another player to transfer portal, Jenae Kent.

The LSU football team will conclude spring practice with a spring game on Saturday. Coach Brian Kelly is entering his third season in Tiger Town and he feels good about the talent and depth on the 2024 team. LSU struggled defensively last year as they tried to plug holes with incoming transfers. He says this year there’s more carryover from the 2023 squad…
Cut 17 (15) “…as well.”
Kelly says the spring game will be the offense versus the defense.

The Saints have signed another back-up quarterback. Kellen Mond joins Q-B room that has Derek Carr, Jake Haener and Nathan Peterman. Mond is a former Texas A-and-M Aggie and was drafted by the Vikings in 2021. New Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was the offensive coordinator Minnesota that season.

11:30 LRN Newscast

Last week former President Donadl Trump called Senator Bill Cassidy one of the worst U-S Senators in the country, but the Republican from Baton Rouge is taking it all in stride. Cassidy says as long as he’s working to do something positive for the country, the state, and those around him…
Cut 7 (08) “…achieve them.”
Cassidy his office was able to secure one-point-two billion dollars in federal funding for Louisiana for fiscal year 2024.

It’s going to be a jam-packed weekend at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. In addition to the state’s signature fruit, there’s plenty of food, and music and it wouldn’t be a festival without a parade in Louisiana. Festival Queen, Lauren van Mullem says it’s a great way to support the community and Louisiana berry farmers.
Cut 9 (12) “…and farmers.”
The event which has been going strong since 1972, is the state’s largest free harvest festival.

Monday is federal Tax Day. Alexandria CPA Kurt Oestriecher (Os-stric-ker) has a tax tip for seniors. Oestricher says people over the age of 70 can use a portion of their minimum retirement distribution to get a tax break if they donate it to a church or a charitable organization.
Cut 3 (13) “…30 thousand.”

LSU will complete spring practice with a spring game at 1 PM tomorrow. The Tigers are missing standout wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas from last year’s team, but Coach Brian Kelly likes the depth he has at wide out…
cut 20 (20) “…position”
Kelly says there’s a competitive battle for the number two quarterback spot, so expect to see a lot of Rickie Collins and A-J Swann in Saturdays’ spring game.