LRN AM Newscall January 9

On this, the national day of mourning, Habitat for Humanity chapters across the country, including here in Louisiana, are mourning the passing of one of its biggest champions, President Jimmy Carter. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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North Louisiana is bracing for a winter storm, the question is what type of precipitation will fall?  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple understands the frustration about rising homeowners insurance premiums. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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It’s the national day of mourning for President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100. One organization near and dear to President Carter’s heart was Habitat for Humanity. After leaving office, Carter helped the organization build a countless number of homes. Kathy Gardner, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana, says Carter set the example for everyone else to follow.

Cut 4 (13) “…in North Louisiana.”

Gardner says Carter embodied everything that Habitat for Humanity stands for.

Cut 5 (13) “…a greater level.”

Gardner says Carter left a lasting legacy at the organization.

Cut 6 (13) “…loving human mankind.”

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A winter storm rolls into north Louisiana today, the question is what type of precipitation will fall? National Weather Service Meteorologist Matthew Hemingway says the high temperatures will reach the mid-30s, so we could see mixed precipitation at first….

Cut 7 (13) “…area Friday morning.”

A winter storm warning is in effect for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne Parishes. Hemingway says the higher accumulation of the winter precipitation will take place near the Louisiana-Arkansas border…

Cut 8 (12) “…southern parts.”

Hemingway says a major concern of freezing rain is the impact it will have on roadways and bridges.

Cut 9 (12)  “…Friday morning.”

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With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming up, the big talk is how to make the French Quarter safe, especially in light of what happened early New Year’s Day. New Orleans Representative Alonzo Knox says he is open to any and all suggestions.

Cut 10 (10) “…least mitigate it.”

Some have suggested turning the entire French Quarter into a pedestrian mall. Knox says there’s one problem with that.

Cut 11 (08) “…of the year.”

Knox says a more viable solution is to turn just Bourbon Street into a permanent pedestrian mall – something that has previously been floated, only to have businesses on that street push back.

Cut 12 (08) “…a pedestrian mall.”

As it is, Bourbon Street is blocked off to vehicular traffic from six p-m to six a-m every day. However, that did not prevent a terrorist from driving around a police cruiser and into a group of people, killing 14 of them. The City of New Orleans has just hired former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to review the city’s security measures. The consultation is scheduled for late this afternoon.

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The legislature is expected to take up soaring homeowners and auto insurance premiums in its next regular session this year. Governor Landry has expressed frustration that a package of insurance industry-backed bills has not lowered home insurance premiums. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says he understands the frustration.

Cut 13 (08) “…understand the frustration.”

Temple says this crisis has been years in the making, and a fix will not happen overnight.

Cut 14 (08) “…of this crisis.”

Temple says one state that had a similar plight is Florida, where homeowners saw their insurance premiums skyrocket after Hurricane Ian in 2022. He says just as Louisiana homeowners are experiencing, it took time for them to start seeing results.

Cut 15 (11) “…benefit of that.”

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The sixth ranked LSU women’s basketball team will put its undefeated record on the line tonight when they visit 16th ranked Tennessee. ESPN.com bracketologist Charlie Crème called the Lady Tigers an enigma because their soft non-conference schedule makes difficult to evaluate them. Coach Kim Mulkey is fine with the enigma label…

Cut 16 (07) “…won the championship.”

LSU is 17-and-0, while Tennessee enters tonight’s game with a 13-and-1 record. That one loss happened last Sunday against Oklahoma. Mulkey says Tennessee is very good…

Cut 17 (20)  “…magic number.” 

Tennessee is averaging 97 points a game, while LSU is averaging 92 points a contest, despite struggling to find consistency at the point guard position. Mulkey on Last Tear Poa, Shayeann Day-Wilson and Kailyn Gilbert sharing the point guard duties…

Cut 18 (17)   “…separated.”

Tip off is at 5 PM.

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After dropping its first two Conference USA games on the road, Louisiana Tech returns to the Thomas Assembly Center tonight to host FIU. Bulldogs Coach Talvin Hester hopes last week’s losses serve as a wake up call..

Cut 19 (10) “…really is.”

FIU is seven and eight but the Panthers have won five of their last seven. Tip off is at 6:30.

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The Ragin Cajuns are home tonight to take on Old Dominion. Both teams are 2-and-1 in Sun Belt play and U-L Lafayette interim head coach Derrick Zimmerman gives a scouting report on the Monarchs…

Cut 20 (20) “…the year.”

Tip off is at 7 PM in the Cajundome.

5:30 LRN Newscast

A winter storm warning will be going into effect tomorrow morning for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes in northwest Louisiana. Precipitation is expected to start falling after the morning commute tomorrow. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says depending on what happens, driving in areas of northwest Louisiana could get dangerous.

Cut 10 (12) “…ice on contact.”

Erin Buchanan with the state Department of Transportation says crews are ready to respond if and when wintry precipitation begins to fall…

Cut 12 (12) “…watching the forecast.”

In addition, a winter weather advisory is coming for DeSoto, Red River, Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Ouachita, Union, Morehouse and West Carroll parishes. All watches and advisories expire at noon Friday.

The Advocate reports that a multi-billion-dollar steel mill for Hyundai will be built in Ascension Parish for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The man who killed 14 people by plowing a pickup truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street posted videos ahead of time. Senator Bill Cassidy says there’s a way that social media companies can cooperate with law enforcement in those instances.

Cut 4 (09) “…to law enforcement.”

16:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints reportedly interviewed Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver today for their head coaching vacancy. Weaver is 44-years-old and after a seven-year-playing career, he has spent the past 13 seasons as an assistant coach. This past season, the Dolphins had one of the top defenses in the NFL despite not making the playoffs.

The Saints are also expected to interview Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on Friday and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn by the end of the week.

Host of the Locked on Saints Podcast Ross Jackson says  if some of the top coaching candidates go elsewhere, interim head coach Darren Rizzi will become a viable option for the Saints…

Cut 18 (18)   “…few years.”

The LSU men’s basketball team fell to 0-2 in the SEC, with an 83 to 67 loss at Missouri last night. Mizzou hit eight three-pointers in the first half and the Tigers turned it over ten times in the first half, which led to 14 points for Missouri.

La Tech is off to an 0-and-2 start in Conference USA Play, losing both games on the road. Tomorrow night the Bulldogs host FIU and Coach Talvin Hester is hoping a return to the Thomas Assembly Center will do them some good…

 

Cut    29 (07) “….years past”

The sixth ranked Lady Tigers are at 16th ranked Tennessee tomorrow night. Coach Kim Mulkey on Last Tear Poa, Shayeann Day-Wilson and Kailyn Gilbert sharing the point guard duties…

Cut 27 (17) “….separated’

 

 

16:30 LRN Newscast

A winter storm warning is forthcoming for the four northwestern-most parishes. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The State Fire Marshal’s office  says since January first, eleven people have died in Louisiana in house fires. Two more fatalities occurred this morning, one in Shreveport and the other in Rapides Parish, which claimed the life of an elderly man. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams is urging the public to take caution when heating homes.

As we told you in the last segment, winter storm warnings and advisories will go into effect for a large portion of north Louisiana tomorrow. State Department of Transportation spokesperson Erin Buchanan says DOTD will have crews watching for icing on bridges and overpasses and with construction ongoing on I-20 in Bossier and Caddo Parishes, keeping I-220 open is a priority…

Cut 14 (12) “…elsewhere.”

The Advocate reports Hyundai Motor Group is eyeing Ascension Parish to build a multibillion-dollar steel mill. The project would create an estimated 13-hundred permanent jobs and economist Loren Scott says the mill would spur hundreds of other jobs…

Cut 6 (13) “….picking up jobs”

Governor Landry and Ascension Parish officials are not commenting on the possibility of large steel mill being built near Baton Rouge.

3:30 LRN Newscast

A winter storm warning will be going into effect tomorrow for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes in northwest Louisiana. State climatologist Jay Grymes says all those parishes should be weather aware for the rest of the week.

Cut 9 (12)  “…Thursday into Friday.”

In addition, a winter weather advisory is coming for DeSoto, Red River, Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Ouachita, Union, Morehouse and West Carroll parishes.

The Department of Transportation says crews are ready to respond if wintry precipitation begins to fall. Erin Buchanan with the DOT says they are closely monitoring the forecast.

Cut 13 (13)  “…bit wet”

All warnings and advisories expire at noon Friday.

Hyundai Motor Group is reportedly planning a multibillion-dollar steel mill in Ascension Parish to supply steel for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. Economist Loren Scott says Ascension Parish has the possibility to land it because of the low-cost of natural gas in Louisiana and its proximity to the Mississippi River…

Cut 7 (12) “…to achieve that.”

The Advocate reports this project could create 13-hundred permanent jobs, with construction possibly starting next year. Environmental concerns from local activists may arise, although no major opposition has surfaced in the area so far.

Alexandria is getting a shot in the arm in its quest to improve transportation. Senator Bill Cassidy announces a 320-thousand-dollar transportation grant for Rapides Parish. The money will be used for enhanced pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections.

LRN PM Newscall January 8

The Advocate reports that a multi-billion-dollar steel mill for Hyundai will be built in Ascension Parish for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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A winter storm warning is forthcoming for the four northwestern-most parishes. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The man who killed 14 people by plowing a pickup truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street New Year’s Day posted videos ahead of time detailing what he was planning to do. Senator Bill Cassidy says this is the preferred method of terrorists, foreign and domestic.

Cut 3 (11) “…Theodore Kaczynski did.”

Cassidy says there’s a way that social media companies, like Meta, can cooperate with law enforcement when videos like that are posted onto their platforms.

Cut 4 (09) “…to law enforcement.”

Cassidy says one company is already doing this.

Cut 5 (13) “…copyright, et cetera.”

Cassidy says social media companies should not have to be given the green light from Congress to share the information with law enforcement. He says when people post videos like that, they forfeit their right to privacy.

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The Advocate reports that Hyundai Motor Group is planning a multibillion-dollar steel mill in Ascension Parish, to supply steel for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. The report says this project could create 13-hundred permanent jobs, with construction possibly starting next year. Economist Loren Scott says this would be a big win for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (13) “…picking up jobs.”

The six-billion-dollar facility will be built on sugarcane fields near Donaldsonville within the Riverplex MegaPark industrial site.  Scott says Ascension Parish has the possibility to land this proposed steel mill because  of the low-cost of natural gas in Louisiana and it’s proximity to the Mississippi River…

Cut 7 (12) “…to achieve that.”

Hyundai aims to mitigate potential tariffs and reduce logistics costs by manufacturing its steel. Scott says the project reflects Governor Jeff Landry’s push for industrial growth.

Cut 8 (10) “…very very impressive.”

Environmental concerns from local activists may arise, although no major opposition has surfaced in the area so far. Also Governor Landry and Ascension Parish officials are not commenting on the proposed project.

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A winter storm warning will be going into effect tomorrow for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne parishes in northwest Louisiana. In addition, a winter weather advisory is coming for DeSoto, Red River, Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Ouachita, Union, Morehouse and West Carroll parishes. State climatologist Jay Grymes says all those parishes should be weather aware for the rest of the week.

Cut 9 (12)  “…Thursday into Friday.”

Precipitation is expected to start falling after the morning commute tomorrow. Grymes says depending on what happens, driving in areas of northwest Louisiana could get dangerous…

Cut 10 (12) “…ice on contact.”

Grymes says central and south Louisiana will not see snow. However there’s the threat for heavy rainfall tomorrow night through Friday for south Louisiana…

Cut 11 (06) “…rain in spots.”

All warnings and advisories take effect at six tomorrow morning and expire at noon Friday.

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Will we see snow, ice or rain tomorrow in north Louisiana? That’s the big question with a winter storm that will move into Louisiana tomorrow from Texas. Department of Transportation spokesperson Erin Buchanan says they are ready to respond if wintry precipitation begins to fall…

Cut 12 (12) “…watching the forecast.”

A winter storm warning is in effect northwest Louisiana and a winter weather advisory is in effect for areas like Monroe, Ruston, Coushatta and Mansfield. Arkansas is expected to see snowfall, but depending on the temperature, Louisiana could see either rain, ice or snow. Buchanan says they are closely monitoring the forecast…

Cut 13 (13)  “…bit wet”

Buchanan says DOTD will have crews watching for icing on bridges and overpasses and with construction ongoing on I-20 in Bossier and Caddo Parishes, keeping I-220 is a priority…

Cut 14 (12) “…elsewhere.”

2:30 LRN Newscast

Will we see snow, ice or rain tomorrow in north Louisiana? That’s the big question with a winter storm that will move into Louisiana tomorrow from Texas. Department of Transportation spokesperson Erin Buchanan says they are ready to respond if wintry precipitation begins to fall…

Cut 12 (12) “…watching the forecast.”

A winter storm warning is in effect in northwest Louisiana and a winter weather advisory is in effect for areas like Monroe, Ruston, Coushatta, and Mansfield. Arkansas is expected to see snowfall, but depending on the temperature, Louisiana could see either rain, ice or snow. Buchanan says they are closely monitoring the forecast.

State climatologist Jay Grymes says central and south Louisiana will not see snow. However, there’s the threat of heavy rainfall tomorrow night through Friday for south Louisiana…

Cut 11 (06) “…rain in spots.”

All advisories, watches and warnings take effect at six tomorrow morning and expire at noon Friday.

The man who killed 14 people by plowing a pickup truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day posted videos ahead of time detailing what he was planning to do. Senator Bill Cassidy says companies like Meta can use AI to analyze post in real time and notify law enforcement and says one company is already doing this.

Cut 5 (13) “…copyright, et cetera.”

Cassidy says social media companies should not have to be given the green light from Congress to share the information with law enforcement.

The Advocate reports that Hyundai Motor Group is planning a multibillion-dollar steel mill in Ascension Parish, to supply steel for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. Hyundai aims to mitigate potential tariffs and reduce logistics costs by manufacturing its steel. Scott says the project reflects Governor Jeff Landry’s push for industrial growth.

Cut 8 (10) “…very very impressive.”

1:30 PM Newscast Jan 8

The terrorist who drove from Texas before killing 14 people on Bourbon Street on New Year’s morning detailed his plans in videos posted to social media prior to the attack. Senator Bill Cassidy says there’s a way social media companies, like Meta, can cooperate with law enforcement when videos like those are posted to their platforms.

Cut 4 (09) “…to law enforcement.”

He adds, of the millions of videos posted per minute to YouTube, they scans everything posted on their platform.

Bitter cold temperatures led to three deadly house fires across the state Tuesday morning. Firefighters in Winnsboro, Abbeville, and Shreveport responded to house fires between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. In total, six victims were discovered including children. Ashley Rodrigue (rod-REEG) with the State Fire Marshal’s Office says while the causes of those three fires are under investigation, history points to space heaters as a major culprit.

Cut 13 (13) “…heaters still on.”

She adds if you must use a space heater, plug them directly into the wall and not into a power strip or an extension cord.

The Advocate reports a multi-billion-dollar steel mill for Hyundai will be built in Ascension Parish for its U.S. Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A winter storm watch for Louisiana’s northernmost parishes goes into effect tomorrow. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says precipitation is expected to start falling after the morning commute tomorrow and depending on what happens, driving in areas of northwest Louisiana could get dangerous by the end of the week.

Cut 10 (12) “…ice on contact.”

12:30 PM Newscast Jan 8

After his arrest Tuesday, Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong took to social media denying the allegations against him that he ran a drug trafficking operation and “all those other accusations.” In his post, he thanked his supporters and said “When you’re cutting contracts, shutting down favors and exerting influence – shaking things up and exposing truths – you become a target.”

 

Plans detailing the Bourbon Street terror attack on New Year’s Day were posted to social media in videos by the attacker prior to the attack. Senator Bill Cassidy says this is the preferred method of terrorists, foreign and domestic.

Cut 3 (11) “…Theodore Kaczynski did.”

Cassidy says there’s a way that social media companies, like Meta, can cooperate with law enforcement when videos like that are posted onto their platforms.

The Advocate reports that Hyundai is planning a multibillion-dollar steel mill in Ascension Parish, to supply steel for its Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the U.S., potentially creating 1,300 permanent jobs. Construction could start as early as 2026, pending regulatory approvals, with operations expected by 2029. Economist Loren Scott says this is a big win for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (13) “…picking up jobs.”

It is cold in Louisiana and a winter storm watch goes into effect tomorrow for our northern parishes including Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Union, and Morehouse Parishes. State Climatologist Jay Grymes…

Cut 9 (12)  “…Thursday into Friday.”

He says the southern parishes can expect heavy rain, and temperatures should warm up to the 50s

11:40 LRN Sportscast

A name familiar to Louisiana sports fans has emerged as a candidate to be the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have reportedly requested to interview Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Brady was the passing game coordinator on the LSU Tigers’ 2019 national championship team. Host of the Locked on Saints podcast Ross Jackson says it didn’t go well for Brady as the offensive coordinator for the Panthers in 2021, but he’s been an outstanding play caller for the Bills…

Cut 16 (11) “…night and day.”

The Saints will have to wait until the Bills season ends to interview Brady. New Orleans will reportedly interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver today. He’s a defensive-minded coach that’s known as a culture builder.

Zion Williamson played in his first game in two months, but his presence was not enough to help the Pelicans win their third straight. Minnesota defeated New Orleans 104 to 97 last night. Williamson scored 22 points in 28 minutes

Cut 20 (20) “…better at it”

New Orleans is now 7-and-30 and they host Portland tonight.

The LSU Tigers fell to 0-and-2 in the SEC as the Tigers got off to another slow start. They turned it over ten times in the first half and shot 38-percent from the field in the first 20 minutes in an 83 to 67 loss to Missouri. The win for Mizzou snaps a 19-game SEC losing streak that dates back to 2023.

Tulane also lost on the road last night as they fell to UAB in Birmingham 81 to 69.