Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

08.14.14
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LRN sportscast 11:40

The long anticipated SEC Network, which promises to air more than 1,000 live events in its first year, officially launches at 5pm today. Herb Vincent, associate commissioner of communications for the Southeastern Conference, says the SEC Network will broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all SEC all the time…:
Cut 30 (06) “a lot of action”
Vincent says the first show on at 5 will be a special 3 hour “SEC Now” which will spotlight live shots from each of the 14 campuses.

Will Saints Quarterback Drew Brees see any action in tomorrow night’s preseason game against Tennessee? Coach Sean Payton told reporters yesterday that he wasn’t sure if Brees will play because of a left oblique injury. He’s been limited in practice all week. So has cornerback Champ Bailey, but guard Ben Grubbs has returned from practice after nursing a back injury.

Former Arkansas linebacker Otha Peters has decided to transfer to UL Lafayette. Peters posted on twitter that he’s a Ragin Cajuns. The former Covington High standout will his redshirt year this season, so he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining next season. Peters started seven games for Arkansas in 2012, but didn’t see as much playing time last season because of injuries and coaching decisions.

The battle for the starting quarterback position at Louisiana Tech is heating up between Iowa transfer senior Cody Sokol and sophomore Ryan Higgins. Head Coach Skip Holtz says the competition between the two is tight…
cut 16 (07) “….right now”
Holtz says both quarterbacks have also done a good job of NOT throwing interceptions.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association has announced only four schools have decided to play up this season. And they are John Curtis, Evangel, St. Thomas More and Teurlings Catholic. They’ll compete in the Division One playoffs, after playing in the Division Two playoffs last year.

08.14.14
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LRN Newscast 09:30 August 14

A federal judge gives final approval to a 48-million dollar class action lawsuit filed by Bayou Corne residents who saw their lives disrupted as a result of a sinkhole that opened two years ago in Assumption Parish. One of the plantiff attorneys, Larry Centola, says residents should begin to see settlement money within the next few months….
cut 8 (09) “….late as January”
Texas Brine is the defendant in this case as its believed a salt mine they operated caused the sinkhole.

The former chief finanical officer at the Catahoula Sheriff’s office faces theft and malfeasance charges after he allegedly gave himself unauthorized pay increases that totaled over 22-thousand dollars. Trooper Albert Paxton says the state legislative auditor began looking into the alleged crime after Sheriff James Kelley came forward with information about the crime…
cut 15 (09) “….everything done”
Paxton says Tosspon faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has issued a warning for travelers, beach goers and fishermen about two diseases, vibrio vulnificus (vul-nif-ick-us) and the chikungunay (chik-un-gun-yuh) virus. Eric Gill has more…
cut 3 (29) “….reporting”

A Slidell woman has been charged with medicaid fraud for allegedly using her dead sister’s name when she received medical treatment at Slidell Memorial Hospital. Investigators say 26-year-old Diondre Jones thought she would avoid having to pay any medical bills by identifying herself as her sister.

08.14.14
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LRN Newscast 08:30 August 14

A federal judge has approved a 48-million dollar class action settlement for Bayou Corne residents affected by a sinkhole that was discovered nearly two years ago in Assumption Parish. Scott Carwile has more…
cut 2 (32) “….reporting”

The police chief of Kinder, which is located in Allen Parish, has entered a plea of not guilty to allegations of malfeasance and theft. Gary Pelican is is accused of using town credit cards to purchase thousands of dollars worth of fuel for himself and family members.

If you’re heading to the Caribbean, the Louisiana department of health and hospitals is asking residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites so you don’t get the Chikungunya virus. State Health officer Jimmy Guidry says the virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and its inital symptoms resemble the flu….
cut 11 (13) “….your physician”
Louisiana has confirmed eight travel related cases of chikungunya.

The SEC Network begins airing on cable and satellite channels at five o’ clock today. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says the network dedicated to the SEC will feature live games, daily shows similar Sportcenter and documentaries like ESPN’s 30 on 30. …
cut 5 (09) “….specific to LSU”
LSU’s first football game on the SEC Network will be September sixth when the Tigers host Sam Houston State in the home opener.

08.14.14
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LRN Newscast 07:30 August 14

The state department of health and hospitals issues a warning about two diseases for beach goers, whether its the Gulf Coast or the Caribbean. State health officer Jimmy Guidry says take precautions against vibrio vulnificus (vul-nif-ick-us), a flesh-eating bacteria found in warm seawater, and if you’re heading to the Caribbean, take steps to prevent mosquito bites, so you don’t get the Chikungunya (chik-un-gun-yuh) virus….
cut 12 (06) “….with these issues”
Louisiana has confirmed eight travel related cases of chikungunya.

The former chief financial officer at the Catahoula Sheriff’s office faces theft and malfeasance charges after he allegedly gave himself two unauthorized pay increases. State Police Trooper Albert Paxton says the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office provided the evidence that led to the arrest of 61-year-old George Tosspon…
cut 13 (09) “…didn’t work”
Paxton says Tosspon faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

A captain of a tugboat was killed in New Orleans around midnight when crane arm struck a bridge and then that crane arm came crashing down on the pilot hosue of the tug boat. The bridge was raised at the time, but the crain arm still hit the structure. The victim’s identity has not been released.

The SEC Network begins broadcasting on satellite and cable TV providers at five o’ clock today. The channel will be available to 90-million homes across the country and SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says all of the schools worked hard to make this happen…
cut 6 (13) “….SEC Network is”
LSU says it spent over two million dollars on new high definition TV cameras, graphic packages and fiber optic cables so they can produce sporting events for the SEC Network.

08.14.14
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LRN Sportscast 06:45 August 14

The brand new SEC Network, which promises to air more than 1,000 live events in its first year, officially launches at 5 PM. Michelle Southern has more….
cut 1 (35) “….reporting”

The Saints return to New Orleans today after spending most of the last three weeks in White Sulphur Springs West Virginia. The Black and Gold will host the Tennessee Titans tomorrow night in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The LSU Tigers held their first scrimmage of fall camp yesterday and Coach Les Miles didn’t say much about his quarterback battle. He says Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris are both improving, but have more work to do…
cut 19 (20) “…go easy’
Freshman wide receiver Malachi Dupre and rookie running back Leonard Fournette did not participate in the scrimmage, because of minor injuries.

In Ruston, Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz says the battle for starting quarterback for the Bulldogs has been narrowed down to two players, Iowa transfer Cody Sokol and sophomore Ryan Higgins, who started a handful of games last year.

NBA…the Pelicans will tip-off the 2014-15 season with a home game against the Orlando Magic on October 28th.

08.14.14
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LRN Newscast 630 August 14

The state department of health and hospitals issues a warning for travelers, beach goers, and fisherman about two diseases, vibrio vulnificus (vul-nif-ick-us) and the chikungunya (chik-un-gun-yuh) virus. State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says vibrio vulnificus is a flesh-eating bacteria found in brackish water or salt water…
cut 10 (12) “put it off”
DHH says the flesh-eating bacteria has infected 8 people in Louisiana this summer. And Guidry says the chikungunya virus is usually transmitted by mosquitoes in the Caribbean.

Authorities say a 47-year-old man was stabbed to death last night in the French Quarter. The victim is believed to be homeless and witnesses say he was involved in a physical fight with another man. The search for the suspect is ongoing.

State Police announce the arrest of the former chief financial officer at the Catahoula Sheriff’s office. Trooper Albert Paxton says a state audit revealed 61-year-old George Tosspon of Jonesville received over 22-thousand dollars in excess wages from August 2009 to November 2013….
cut 14 (09) “….dollars”
Paxton says Tosspon faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on theft and malfeasance charges.

State district Judge Todd Hernandez has decided to let a lawsuit against Governor Jindal over Common Core to proceed. But Hernandez says the plantiffs, which is a group of parents and teachers, will not be allowed to question Jindal under oath. The lawsuit alleges Jimdal violated laws when he suspended state contracts tied to Common Core. A full blown hearing on that issue is scheduled for Monday.

08.13.14
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16:45 LRN Sportscast for August 13

The LSU football team held its first scrimmage of fall camp today. Coach Les Miles says quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris spilt time with the first team offense and both guys are improving. He says neither guy made any big mistakes….
cut 30 (06) “…throwing game”
Receivers Travin Dural and Avery Peterson each caught a touchdown pass. No word on who threw those TD passes. Miles says freshman running back Leonard Fournette did not run the ball in live situations, because he’s nursing an undisclosed injury. The head coach says Fournette’s injury is not serious.

In Ruston, Louisiana Tech head Coach Skip Holtz said today their starting quarterback battle has been narrowed down to two players, Iowa transfer Cody Sokol and Ryan Higgins, who started a handful of games for the Bulldogs last season. Holtz says both are really doing a good job of protecting the football.

Today is the final practice for the Saints at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. Quarterback Drew Brees did a little bit more today then what he did yesterday, but Coach Sean Payton says no decision has been made on whether he’ll play in Friday’s preseason game against Tennessee. New Orleans also announced the signing of tight end Travis Beckum. He’s a former New York Giant and has 26 catches in four NFL seasons.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association announced today that Evangel, John Curtis, St. Thomas More and Teurlings Catholic have decided to play up in the sport of football, which means they’ll compete in the Division One playoffs. So they’ll face Catholic High of Baton Rouge and the New Orleans Catholic League schools in the postseason.

Major League Baseball…former LSU star Anthony Ranaudo was the winning pitcher as the Red Sox defeated the Reds five to four. The rookie right-hander allowed four runs in six innings and he’s 2-and-0 after two major league starts.

08.13.14
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LRN PM Newscall August 13

Louisiana will hold another tax amnesty period this fall. Jeff Palermo has the details

CUT 1 (32) “reporting”

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Lafayette Police arrest a 27-year-old mother in connection with the death of her three-year-old child. Jeff Palermo has the story..

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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The US Coast Guard says they are investigating a multi-vessel collision that happened on the Mississippi River near Gretna last night which caused some oil to be spilled into the water. Spokesman Jonathan Lally says a ship carrying grains lost power and control and crashed into another vessel and barge that was fueling up…:

CUT 3 (08) “into the river”

Lally says fuel was being transferred from the barge when it broke free causing some oil to be discharged into the water from the transfer hose…:

CUT 4 (09) “that was spilled”

Lally says no injuries were reported in the incident. He says about 588 gallons of marine grade fuel was spilled into the river and the Gretna water intake was shut off as a safety precation…:

CUT 5 (12) “the sheen went”

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New research provided to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shows Louisiana Black Bear populations are making great strides toward recovery. Large Carnivore Program Manager, Maria Davidson, says they don’t have an official count on how many black bears are in the state, but they’ve learned there are at least 250 female bears, which is a good number…

CUT 6 (09)  “hear from them”

The hope is to have the Louisiana Black Bear removed from the endangered species list. The US Fish and Wildlife Service will make that determination. Davidson says the future of the black bear is looking good…

CUT 7 (07) “a hundred years”

LDWF has worked many years to rebuild the population of the Louisiana Black Bear. In the 1950s, there were only 100 black bears in the state. Davidson says it appears that female black bears are beginning to breed on a more regular basis…

CUT 8 (13) “for the bears”

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The Louisiana Department of Revenue says the state will hold another tax amnesty period from October 15th to November 14th.  Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield says new to this amnesty program is the option that delinquent taxpayers can pay their debt owed to the state through payments

CUT 9 (08) “amount due”

Barfield says the state held an amnesty program last year and Louisiana collected 452-million dollars in back taxes, but the goal this year is only 100-million

CUT 10 (09) “as much”

During the tax amnesty period all penalties will be waived and the taxpayer only owes 50-percent of the interest that’s due. Barfield says a payment plan is new to the amnesty program and that will allow a noncompliant taxpayer to pay their overdue taxes over a six month period…

CUT 11 (10) “back taxes“

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A Lafayette mother is facing negligent homicide charges in the death of her three-year-old child. Lafayette Police corporal Paul Mouton says 27-year-old Sara Leblanc told investigators the child was sick for a couple of days, and their investigation revealed the child went 25 hours without food or fluids during her illness

CUT 12 (07) “dehydration”

Mouton says on the day the child died, the little girl went to sleep at around six A-M. Leblanc allegedly did not check on her until seven that night and also left the home during that time to get some fast food

CUT 13 (09) “negligent homicide”

An autopsy report has determined the cause of death can be attributed to hypothermia and dehydration. Leblanc was charged with negligent homicide. Mouton says the investigation remains ongoing

cut 14 (11) “investigation”

 

08.13.14
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LRN Sportscast

Today is the Saints final full practice day at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. Coach Sean Payton says their time away from New Orleans has been productive and they’ve enjoyed their stay in White Sulphur Springs…
cut 30 (20) “….cooperated”
Payton says they’ll definitely be back to the Greenbrier the next two years and probably longer than.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees participated in individual drills, but did not take any snaps during the full-team drills. Payton says they haven’t decided if Brees will play Friday against the Titans.

The LSU football team holds its first scrimmage of preseason camp today. Depending on what Coach Les Miles says after the scrimmage, we could get a better idea on who is leading the race for starting quarterback. Q-B Anthony Jennings says he embraces the competition with Brandon Harris…
cut 29 (12) “….get better’

In Ruston, protecting the football has been an emphasis during Louisiana Tech’s preseason camp. Last year, the Bulldogs had 29 turnovers and Coach Skip Holtz says they are doing a much better job when it comes to limiting turnovers in practice.

Former LSU pitcher Anthony Ranaudo is on the mound for the Boston Red Sox. The world champs are hosting the Reds. This is Ranaudo’s second major league start, he one his first over the Yankees.

The NBA Schedule will be released at five P-M today.

08.12.14
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LRN Sportscast 16:45 August 12

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees was in full pads today as training camp rolls on for the black and Gold at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. Brees has been limited because of an oblique injury and Coach Sean Payton says it appears Brees is progressing well…
cut 30 (13) “….sets him back”
Brees did not participate in any team drills today, so there’s still a strong chance that he will not play in Friday’s preseason game against the Titans.

In other NFL news…Arizona Coach Bruce Arians said today it’s possible former LSU star and Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu could be removed from the physically unable to perform list next week. Mathieu is rehabbing back from a torn ACL.

LSU’s battle for starting quarterback remains the main story line during preseason camp for the Tigers. Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron says he’s been impressed with the quick development he’s seen from Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings…
cut 18 (16) “….under here everyday’
The first scrimmage of fall camp takes place tomorrow.

A time has been set for LSU’s game against West Virgina in men’s basketball. The contest is part of the SEC-Big 12 Challenge and it will tip-off at six o’ clock on ESPN 2 on December fourth.

The full McNeese State men’s basketball schedule was released today. The Cowboys will have 16 home games, including one against the Ragin Cajuns on December sixth.

Tomorrow the NBA schedule is released at 5 PM.