11:40 LRN Sportscast July 14th

LSU coach Les Miles hopes his football team can unite  Baton Rouge, which has dealt with civil unrest following the shooting of Alton Sterling. Miles says he’s also encouraging his players to do what they can to affect change. The coach says Baton Rouge is a great place to live and his football team can make it better…
cut 30 (15) “…postive”
In other LSU football news…kicker Trent Domingue is leaving the team after his scholarship was not renewed. He was 13-of-17 on field goal attempts last year. Domingue’s departure, opens the door for Colby Delahoussaye to be the Tigers starting kicker.

At the British Open, former University High of Baton Rouge golfer, Patrick Reed, is the 1st round clubhouse leader at five-under par.

Taking a look at the defending national champs in college football, a key returner on Alabama’s offense is tight end OJ Howard, who had five catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the Tide’s national championship win over Clemson. Coach Nick Saban says he’s expecting a big year from Howard…
cut 20 (10) “…stretching the field”

Tigers left-handed pitcher Jared Poche is returning for his senior season. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says Poche’s return gives LSU a very good one-two punch at the top of their pitching rotation that also includes potential first round draft pick Alex Lange…
cut 18 (11) “…in the fold”
Poche has 27 wins during his three-year career at LSU.

10:30 LRN newscast July 14th

Governor John Bel Edwards and State Police Col. Mike Edmonson met with President Obama to discuss ways to build community trust and ensure justice for all Americans. Edmonson says one of the key things they discussed in the four hour meeting is the importance of listening to one another….
cut 3 (09) “…to respond”
Edmonson says everyone at the meeting left with a renewed strength to say we can do better.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other local groups are suing law enforcement in Baton Rouge, claiming they violated demonstrators’ first amendment rights while protesting the shooting death of Alton Sterling. Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman says police showed up to a peaceful protest in riot gear and started wrongfully arresting people:
cut 14 (07) “been before”
Governor Edwards has defended law enforcement by calling the response to the protests as “moderate.”

Tragedy has struck the Baton Rouge Zoo again, as three monkeys died after a fatal encounter with dogs that broke into the exhibit. Zoo spokesperson Kaki Heiligenthal (High-leh-gen-thal) says two dogs somehow got into the zoo, and they were not able to get into the spot-nose guenons’ habitat,…:
cut 11 (10) “and attacks”
The monkeys were aged 29, 22 and 18.

The 2016 U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships are now underway in Shreveport-Bossier. Event Manager Sheila Norman says this weekend is comprised of two different events, in the morning 31 hot air balloons will compete against each other in different tasks. She says the afternoons will feature the Red River Balloon Rally…
cut 6 (08) “…on Saturday”
Officials expect the hot air balloon championships will have a 6-million dollar economic impact on the area.

17:30 LRN Newscast July 13th

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups file a lawsuit against Baton Rouge law enforcement agencies over how they’ve handled citizens who have protested the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling. Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman says officers used excessive force against peaceful protesters…
cut 16 (12) “…peacefully”
Governor Edwards has defended the actions by police by calling their response as “moderate.”

15-year-old Cameron Sterling, the son of Alton Sterling said today his father was a good man and taught him to be kind. One of the Sterling family attorneys, Justin Bamberg, also spoke and says they have questions about the ability to seek justice in Louisiana…:
CUT 5 (09) “an indictment”

Congressmen Cedric Richmond and Garret Graves have teamed up to introduce legislation that would provide funding for police training on ways to de-escalate confrontations, and help provide law enforcement access to non-lethal weapons…
CUT 6 (10) “non-compliant”
Graves says companies are developing weapons that are stronger than a taser gun that could subdued an individual.

The Richland Parish Sheriff’s Deputy who left his police K-9 in a hot car has plead guilty to criminal charges. District Attorney Mack Lancaster says John Cummings entered a guilty plea for one count of animal cruelty and one count of criminal mischief for writing a false police report….
CUT 9 (09) “other part”
Cummings lost his job at the sheriff’s office over the K-9′s death.

16:45 LRN Sportscast July 13th

Alabama Coach Nick Saban and SEC Network Personality Paul Finebaum had a tense exchange over the arrest of Crimson Tide football players Cam Robinson and Hootie Jones, who allegedly were smoking pot inside a vehicle at a Monroe park last May. Drug and weapon charges were dropped against the players and Saban questioned why his guys were the only two arrested when there were four inside the vehicle…
cut 30 (22) “…in the public”
Finebaum told the Advocate Newspaper that Saban insinuated off-air that the cop was an LSU fan, which is why only the Alabama football players were arrested.

Many SEC schools will wait until preseason camp starts until they name a quarterback, but Texas A-and-M Head Coach Kevin Sumlin has already decided Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight is his guy. At SEC Media days, Sumlin was asked why he named Knight his starter…
cut 18 (15) “…happy there”

Big news for the LSU baseball team. Left-handed starting pitcher Jared Poche will return for his senior season. Poche turned down a chance to play in the San Diego Padres minor league system. He was 9-and-4 last season.

Two former LSU shortstops will compete against each other for the next four days at Zephyr Field in Metairie. Alex Bregman and the Frenso Grizzlies begin a four game series against the Zephyrs tonight. Austin Nola plays for New Orleans.

16:30 LRN Newscast July 13th

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have filed a lawsuit against Baton Rouge Police, State Police and other law enforcement agencies over how they treated people who were protesting the police shooting death of Alton Sterling. ACLU of Louisiana executive director Marjorie Esman says the lawsuit alleges police used excessive force and wrongfully arrested invividuals.
cut 14 (07) “…before”
Governor Edwards has defended law enforcement by calling their response moderate.

Cameron Sterling, the son of Alton Sterling, spoke publically today for the first time since his father was fatally shot. Cameron says he wants people to continue to protest, but do so peacefully….
cut 4 (07) “…whatsoever”
Congressmen Cedric Richmond and Garret Graves have come together to create a bill to address the growing violence between law enforcement and the public. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Emelie Gunn”

Governor Edwards and State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson met with the President today at the White House to discuss building communtiy trust.

Meanwhile, layoff notifications have been sent to some members of Governor Edwards’ state as his office must restructure its personnel because of a one-million dollar budget cut.

15:30 LRN Newscast July 13th

Governor John Bel Edwards and State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson are among a group of elected officials, law enforcement personnel, community advocates and faith leaders meeting with President Obama at the White House this afternoon. According to the governor’s office, they are discussing how to keep the public safe, build community trust and ensure justice for all Amercians.

Alton Sterling’s oldest son spoke about his father and the ongoing protests at a press conference earlier today. Jeff Palermo has more…
voicer 1 (28) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

In response to the Alton Sterling shooting, Louisiana Congressmen Garret Graves and Cedric Richmond file legislation to help local police officers get their hands on new non-lethal technologies. Graves says there’s equipment being developed that’s stronger than a taser, which could be used to subdue suspects. Graves says the bill is a step in the right direction…
cut 8 (09) “,…of this”

Monroe third-grade math teacher Gary Jackson has been nominated for the 2016-17 national LifeChanger of the Year award. Jackson created a step-team called “Golden Steppers” and if Jackson wins, he’ll get a cash award and so will his school, Barkdull-Faulk Elementary School. Jackson says he already knows how he’ll spend his award if he wins…
cut 14 (10) “..pay it forward”

LRN PM Newscall July 13th

Alton Sterling’s oldest son spoke about his father and the ongoing protests at a press conference outside the convenience store where his father was killed. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (28)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Congressmen Cedric Richmond and Garret Graves have come together to create a bill to address the growing violence between law enforcement and the public. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

===================

This morning Alton Sterling’s oldest son called for peace at a press conference outside the convenience store where his father was fatally shot by police. 15-year-old Cameron Sterling says his father is a good man with a lot of people who love and care about him.

CUT 3 (08)  “good man” 2x

Sterling says now is the time for everyone to come together and not divide themselves. He says he wants people to continue to protest, but he doesn’t want there to be any more violence.

CUT 4 (07)  “whatsoever”

One of the Sterling family’s attorneys, Justin Bamberg, also spoke at the press conference. He says all the family wants is change, progress, and justice. He says they have questions about the ability to seek justice in Louisiana.

CUT 5 (09)  “an indictment”

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Congressmen Cedric Richmond and Garret Graves have teamed up to  introduce legislation that would give police training to de-escalate situations and help provide law enforcement access to nonlethal weapons. Graves says this comes after last week’s fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling. He says this bill’s goal is to use new technology to bridge gaps between life and death.

CUT 6 (10) “non-compliant”

Graves says there are many new technologies out in the private sector and being developed to help officers stop suspects that are noncompliant without killing them. He says this bill includes police training on how to use the equipment and de-escalation techniques.

CUT 7 (08) “grant program”

Graves says this is a five year bill which provides 130 million dollars in grants in the first year. He says the legislation won’t solve all of our problems but it’s something we can do in the meantime to help reduce the number of deaths and violence we’ve recently seen.

CUT 8 (09) “of this”

==================================================

The Richland Parish Sheriff’s Deputy who left his police K-9 in a hot car has plead guilty to criminal charges. District Attorney Mack Lancaster says John Cummings entered a guilty plea for one count of animal cruelty for leaving his K-9, Duke, in the car and one count of criminal mischief for writing a false police report. Lancaster says he was more disappointed about the report than the unfortunate accident that led to the dog’s death.

CUT 9 (09) “other part”

Lancaster says the deputy had to pay restitution for the dog and the money it cost to train the dog, which totaled more than $8,000. He says if Cummings had just told the truth about what happened, it probably would not have been as big of a deal.

cut 10 (05)  “dog died”

Lancaster says Cummings was sentenced to 6 months in jail for each offense to be served back to back. But he says both of the sentences were suspended, and Cummings’ employment was terminated immediately.

Cut 11 (07) “two years”

===================================================

A Louisiana elementary school teacher has been nominated for the 2016-17 national LifeChanger of the Year award. The award is presented to teachers who are making a difference in the lives of their students by being a positive influence and demonstrating leadership and excellence. Gary Jackson is a third grade math teacher at Barkdull-Faulk Elementary School in Monroe. Jackson says he is honored that one of his colleagues nominated for this award.

cut 12 (07) “being recognized”

Jackson created a step team called “Golden Steppers” for young boys in his school. He says it’s important to help students grow both inside and outside the classroom.

Cut 13 (11)  “uphold to”

Winners will be announced in Spring of 2017. Each winner of the award will receive a cash award with half the money going to the school and the other half going to the individual winner. Jackson says he already knows how he would spend his award if he wins.

cut 14 (10)  “it forward”

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11:40 LRN Sporscast July 13th

Alabama Coach Nick Saban says left tackle Cam Robinson and defensive back Hootie Jones will not face suspension if they change their behavior internally. Robinson and Jones were arrested in May in Monroe on drug and gun charges but the charges were dropped. Saban was also asked about the Alton Sterling shooting and protests and said mutual respect from both sides is needed to understand the problem.

On the football field, Mississippi State will have a different look, because quarterback Dak Prescott has moved on to the NFL. So far, a starting QB for the upcoming season has yet to be named, but Bulldogs Coach Dan Mullen is glad wide receiver Fred Ross is back after catching a school-record 88 passes last season…
Cut 17 (13) “the quarterbacks”
LSU’s Malachi Dupre is on the Biletnikoff Award Watch list, which goes to the nation’s top receiver each season. Louisiana Tech’s Carlos Henderson and Trent Taylor are also on the list.

Former LSU baseball star Alex Bregman is back in Louisiana as his Triple-A team, Fresno, is in town to face the New Orleans Zephyrs for a four-game series. Bregman has hit five home runs and has driven in 14 runs in his first eight Triple-A games and is coming off a three-hit performance in the Futures Game in San Diego.

In basketball…the Pelicans announced they’ve released guard Toney Douglas, who started in 18 games for New Orleans last season and averaged nearly nine points a game.

LSU hoops will compete in the Battle Four Atlantis Tournament in the Bahammas and it was announced today they’ll play Witchita on November 23rd at 11 AM. The Tigers would play either Baylor or VCU on the second day of the event.

18:30 LRN Newscast July 12th

Authorities say a pawn shop burglary in Baton Rouge is part of an alleged conspiracy to kill cops. Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie says four suspects allegedly robbed a pawn shop late Saturday night to steal guns and ammo. He says a police unit responded to the burglary and took one suspect into custody….
cut 7 (07) “…police officers”
Dabadie says three suspects are in custody, and one of them is 13-years-old. The search is on for the fourth suspect.

Governor John Bel Edwards tells the newly formed transportation task force that revenue options need to be considered to address the state’s nearly 13-billion dollar backlog in highway needs.
cut 3 (07) “…it happen”
The task force will meet over the next several months and submit recommendations to the state legislature for the 2017 session.

The Bossier Parish District Attorney’s office has decided not to file criminal charges in the deaths of Bossier City twins who died inside a hot pickup truck last month. D-A Schuyler Marvin says it was a tragic accident and there was no intent to cause their deaths by the mother who laid down when the kids wandered into the vehicle.

Two teenagers were mugged while playing Pokemon Go at a Shreveport Park. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

17:30 LRN Newscast July 12th

Authorities say three people have been arrested and a search is underway for a fourth person who were allegedly planning to kill police officers in Baton Rouge. Law enforcement learned of the plot during an investigation of a robbery of a pawn shop, where eight guns were stolen. State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson says one of the suspects confessed they planned to use the stolen weapons to kill officers.

Two Shreveport teenagers were mugged at a park while playing Pokemon Go. According to the mother of one of the victims, she says her son and a friend were approached by two men asking to borrow their cell phone and out of nowhere one of the teens was punched in the face…
CUT 9 (10) “your stuff”
Shreveport Police say two 17-year-olds were arrested and charged with First Degree Robbery and authorities are still searching for two other suspects.

Governor John Bel Edwards tells the newly formed transportation task force that revenue options need to be considered to address the state’s nearly 13-billion dollar backlog in highway needs. Edwards says the work conducted by this group will be very important to the state..:
CUT 5 (10) “deserves better”
The governor says the task force will present revenue raising recommendations for the legislature to consider in 2017.

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain began a trade mission in Cuba today. Strain says a trade deal with Cuba could result in about 400-million dollars in Louisiana products over the next few years…
cut 8 (10) “….agriculture commodities”
Strain says Governor Edwards plans on visiting Cuba in early October.