07:30 Newscast August 20th, 2014

Louisiana State Police arrest a 66-year-old Leesville man on rape and human trafficking charges. Ernest Kickel Jr. is being held on a 1.5 million dollar bond. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office task force contacted the State Police’s Special Victim’s Unit Monday…:
CUT 13 (09) “for sexual purposes”
Kickle is charged with attempted aggravated rape and trafficking of children for sexual purposes.

LSP Troop C says shortly before 5:30 pm yesterday afternoon, a 29-year-old Kenner man was killed when the vehicle he was riding in traveld off the road and struck a tree in Lafourche Parish. The investigation revealed the driver is suspected of being when the crash that took the life of his passenger occurred. 53-year-old Manuel Mejia had minor injuries and in in jail for vehicular homicide, improper lane usage and no drivers license.

The St. Tammany District Attorney says he won’t be the one who decides how to proceed in the felony sexual battery case against his brother. The suspect, Richard Reed, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a drunk woman at the Chimes in Covington. DA Walter Reed says he recuses his office regarding the issue which now heads to the Louisiana AG’s office.

The three day qualifying period for the November election begins today. Jeff Palermo reports on the US Senate race…:
CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

06:45 Sportscast August 20th, 2014

In the second full-scale scrimmage of the preseason, LSU says Kenny Hilliard shined as he rushed for 100 yards. The Tigers open their 10th season under Les Miles on August 30th when 13th ranked LSU faces 14th ranked Wisconsin in Houston at NRG Stadium. The Bayou Bengals are off today then return to practice Thursday. Head Coach Les Miles said of the scrimmage that it was a good day of work with no injuries and progress was made.

As for the big question on the minds of purple and gold fans, Miles says he will not name a starting quarterback to the media before the Tigers’ season opener, but The Mad Hatter said he will make the announcement the Thursday before the game. In the close battle for the job of starting QB for LSU is sophomore Anthony Jennings and freshman Brandon Harris.

In Ruston, Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz says he hopes to name a starting quarterback by Friday.

The Northwestern State Football team announces they’ve gotten a major boost defensively with the addition of New Orleans native Lyn Clark, a linebacker transferring from Louisville. Clark, a 6-2, 244 pound redshirt freshman practiced Tuesday for his first time with the Demons who are continuing their transition from preseason camp to pregame work for next Thursday’s opener in Turpin Stadium against Missouri State.

First year Southeastern men’s basketball head Coach Jay Ladner announced non-conference games in Florida, Hawaii and Washington highlight the team’s schedule for the 2014-2015 season. The Lions will play an all Division I schedule this coming season along with a pair of exhibition games against local schools. After a November 6th exhibition game against Loyola, the Lions will play 13 of their next 15 regular-season games on the road.

06:30 Newscast August 20th, 2014

Judge Todd Hernandez sided with Common Core proponents, Tuesday, and lifted the Jindal administration’s suspension of testing contracts tied to the controversial education standards. An attorney for the plaintiffs, Stephen Kupperman, says they’re obviously pleased with the ruling…:
CUT 10 (10) “thing to do”
The suit was filed by teachers and parents who claim Jindal overstepped his Constitutional authority when he halted the implementation of Common Core. The governor’s office says they will appeal the ruling.

The Baton Rouge Police Department says a father of a 5-year-old boy is under arrested after the child was hospitalized Tuesday with multiple injuries and is in critical condition. They say 36-year-old Varnell Day is accused of abusing his 5-year-old who in suffering bleeding from the brain, bruising in various stages of healing and contusions to the forehead. The suspect is charged with attempted first degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm.

The three day qualifying period for the November election begins today. The “big one” of course is the US Senate race between major players the incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Bill Cassidy. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says this race has been seesawing back and forth and that will continue…:
CUT 4 (13) “herself”
Dubos says even though a lot of money will be spent on this race, ultimately voter turnout with be the deciding factor in the election.

AM Newscall August 20, 2014

The three day qualifying period for the November election begins today. Jeff Palermo reports on the US Senate race…:

CUT 1 (31) “reporting”

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As qualifying gets underway for the upcoming congressional elections, the fifth and sixth districts appear to be very competitive. Scott Carwile reports…

Cut 2 Audio (32) “reporting”

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Judge Todd Hernandez sided with Common Core proponents, Tuesday, and lifted the Jindal administration’s suspension of testing contracts tied to the Common Core education standards. Eric Gill has the story…

Cut 3 Audio  (32) “reporting”

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The three day qualifying period for the November election begins today. The “big one” of course is the US Senate race between major players the incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Bill Cassidy. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says this race has been seesawing back and forth and that will continue…:

Cut 4  (13)  “herself”

Dubos says every time Landrieu runs it’s a very tough race and the toughest she’s ever run and this one is no exception. He says the money is all about the “air game” but it’ll be the voter turnout that will decide this election. Dubos says tea party favorite Rob Maness will also have a significant impact on this ballot..:

Cut 5  (12)  “in December”

Dubos says this race will probably have one of the largest turnouts that we’ve had in the last decade. He says there’s been so much money spent on commercials which just reminds people to get out and vote…:

Cut 6 (12)  “to vote early”

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Qualifying is underway today for November’s congressional elections. Two competitive races will happen in the fifth and sixth districts. The sixth district race is headlined by Democratic former governor Edwin Edwards running for the seat against Republicans Dan Claitor, Paul Dietzel, Garrett Graves, and Lenar Whitney among others. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says while it’s likely Edwards will make the runoff, the other slot is up for grabs…

CUT 7 (11) “to the runoff”

In the fifth district, embattled incumbent Vance McAllister’s challengers include Democratic Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo and Republicans Ralph Abraham, Harris Brown, and Zach Dasher. Hogan feels McAllister is facing an uphill battle…

CUT 8 (12)   “any credible way”

Election day is November 4th. Hogan says there is one key issue for all congressional races…

CUT 9 (10)  “on election day”

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Judge Todd Hernandez sided with Common Core proponents, Tuesday, and lifted the Jindal administration’s suspension of testing contracts tied to the controversial education standards. This lawsuit was filed by teachers and parents who claim Governor Jindal overstepped his Constitutional authority when he halted the implementation of Common Core. An attorney for the plaintiffs, Stephen Kupperman, says they’re obviously pleased with the ruling…

cut 10 (10)  “thing to do”

In his written ruling, Hernandez says it would be a detriment to teachers, students, and schools if he did not rule as he did. The governor’s office says they will appeal the ruling. Kupperman says three plaintiffs took the stand to testify about their concerns for their children and the state…

cut 11 (07)  “of the testimony” 

Kupperman thinks Hernandez was influenced by the testimony given. A statement from Governor Jindal’s office says that they believe the judge is wrong on the facts and the law and hopes he will reconsider this ruling at the full trial. Kupperman says there is still a lot of legal wrangling left to go, but he believes the Common Core aligned testing will be used at the end of this school year…

cut 12 (09) “in 2012″

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Louisiana State Police have arrested a 66-year-old Leesville man on rape and human trafficking charges. Ernest Kickel Jr. is being held on a 1.5 million dollar bond. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office task force contacted the State Police’s Special Victim’s Unit Monday…

Cut 13 (09)  “for sexual purposes”

Vernon Parish officials received information that Kickle was attempting to buy a 10-year-old child for sexual purposes. Moreau says, through combined efforts, they obtained more information on Kickle in order to get a search warrant…

Cut 14 (09)  “a minor child”

He says they found more incriminating evidence at Kickle’s home. The investigation is ongoing. Moreau says Kickle was booked into the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Department Detention Center…(Kickle is charged with attempted aggravated rape and trafficking of children for sexual purposes.)

Cut 15  (09)   “for sexual purposes”

18:30 LRN Newscast August 19

A Baton Rouge judge has ruled in favor of a group of parents and teachers in its legal battle against Bobby Jindal regarding Common Core. With his ruling, the judge has lifted Jindal’s suspension of contracts used to purchase the tests tied to Common Core. Jindal’s attorney is expected to appeal, so it’s too early to know if Common Core tests will be used this school year.

Louisiana Attorney General – Buddy Caldwell – filed a lawsuit today against State Farm claiming the insurance company has created a culture of unsafe business practices when it comes to vehicle repairs. Assistant A-G Randy Ishee says there are multiple cases where State Farm forced shops to use sub-standard parts.
CUT 9 (11) “cut corners”
State Farm says the accusations are not in line with its mission and history of vehicle safety advancements.

Covington Police have arrested the brother of St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed on charges of sexual battery. Police Chief Tim Lentz says Richard Reed allegedly assaulted an intoxicated woman ealier this month at a restaurant, and authorities saw the surveillance video…:
cut 13 :12 sec. Q: “with violence”
Lent says Reed surrendered to officers last night.

A dog attack last night in Houma has a 71 year-old woman in the hospital with severe lacerations to her face, arms and hands. Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis says there were two dogs inside her residence, and the male dog – who belonged to the victim’s son-was the one who attacked her…:
cut 4 :05 Q: “type mix”
Duplantis says they are still investigating what provoked the attack.

17:30 August 19, 2014

Judge Todd Hernandez has lifted the Jindal administration’s suspension of testing contracts tied to the Common Core education standards. In his written ruling, Hernandez says it would be a detriment to teachers, students, and schools if he did not rule as he did. Hernandez is hearing the lawsuit filed by teachers and parents who support Common Core.

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell filed a lawsuit today against State Farm claiming the insurance company has created a culture of unsafe business practices when it comes to vehicle repairs. In a written statement, State Farm says the accusations in the lawsuit are not in line with its mission and history of vehicle safety advancements. But Assistant A-G Randy Ishee says State Farm steers its customers involved in a car accident to repair shops where the primary goal is cost-savings and not safety…

cut 10 (11) “paid for”

State Farm holds the largest share of auto insurance policies in Louisiana.

The Houma Police Department says a 71-year-old woman is in the hospital after being brutally attacked by her son’s pit-bull mix last night. Chief Todd Duplantis says animal control took the attack male dog into custody and another female dog that was also inside the residence at the time. He says as of right now the motive of the attack remains under investigation but they have an idea what might have provoked it…

cut 5 (05) “of the incident”

He says the victim’s son was not at home at the time of the attack.

The Covington Police Department has arrested the brother of St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed after an incident earlier this month involving an intoxicated woman at a restaurant. Police Chief Tim Lentz says Robert Reed was taken into custody last night…

cut 14 (08) “into parish jail”

Lentz says says the sexual assault was captured by video surveillance. He called the video disturbing.

16:45 Sportscast August 19

The Saints will face the Colts on Saturday in the third preseason game of the year. A priority for the Black and Gold is to reduce the number of penalities called against the team. The Black and Gold were flagged 22 times for 184 yards against the Titans last Friday. Linebacker Curtis Lofton says they came away with a victory last week, but they have to stay away from the penalities…
cut 18 (11) “…tough defense”
Saints safety Jairus Byrd practiced at full speed today for the first time since training camp started. Coach Sean Payton says Byrd looked sharp and plans to play him on Saturday night.

Former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mahtieu was removed from the physically unable to perform list by the Arizona Cardinals. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says there is some optimism Mathieu will be ready to play in the regular season opener.

The LSU Tigers hold a scrimmage today, the final one before they begin preparations for the season opener against Wisconsin. A decision on who will start at quarterback for the Bayou Bengals is not expected anytime soon. And Badger head coach Gary Anderson says he’ll wait until the day of the game to decide between returning starter Joel Stave and dual-threat QB Tanner McEvoy.

ULM begins game week preparations today for its season opener against Wake Forest. That game is set for August 28th at Malone Stadium.

In Lafayette, Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth is concerned about all of the injuries in the secondary. Junior safety TJ Worthy started ten games last season, but has missed over a week because of a concussion.

And in basketball…Louisiana Tech won its exhibition opener in Bahamas last night, beating Pyramid Food Rockets 134-52. Junior college transfer Qiydar (Key-dar) Davis led the Bulldogs with 22 points.

16:30 08-19-14

The Louisiana Attorney General – Buddy Caldwell – filed a lawsuit today against State Farm claiming the insurance company has created a culture of unsafe business practices when it comes to vehicle repairs…:
CUT 9 (11) “cut corners”
That’s Assistant A-G Randy Ishee who says there are multiple cases where State Farm has forced shops to use sub-standard parts.

State Police Bureau of Investigations Special Victims Unit has arrested a Leesville man for attempted aggravated rape and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. Sixty-six year old Ernest Kickel Jr was allegedly attempting to buy a 10 year-old for sexual purposes. His bond was set at 1.5 million dollars.

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Covington Police have arrested the brother of St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed on charges of sexual battery. Richard Reed allegedly assaulted an intoxicated woman ealier this month at a restaurant, and authorities saw the surveillance video…:
cut 13 :12 sec. Q: “with violence”
That’s Covington Police Chief Tim Lentz who says Richard Reed was taken into custody last night.

A dog attack last night in Houma has a 71 year-old woman in the hospital with severe lacerations to her face, arms and hands. Houma Police say there were two dogs inside her residence, and the male dog – who belonged to the victim’s son-was the one who attacked her…:
cut 4 :05 Q: “type mix”
That’s Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis.

15:30 08-19-14

State Farm Auto Insurance is facing a lawsuit filed by Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell because of continuing practices of using certain repair shops that do auto accident repairs on the cheap…
cut 11 :12 sec. Q: “them right”
That’s Assistant A-G Randy Ishee (eye-she). State Farm says the accusations in the lawsuit are not in line with their mission.

The brother of St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed is facing charges of sexual battery, involving an incident earlier this month with an intoxicated woman at a restaurant. Covington Police Chief Tim Lentz says Richard Reed is under arrest…:
cut 14 :08 sec. Q: “into parish jail”
He says the surveillance video of the assault was disturbing.

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There is some major hype surrounding a Louisiana inspired Nike skateboard shoe that was released this week. Michelle Southern has that…:

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There’s a report out from the New York Times revealing that Louisiana leads the nation in the percentage of residents who were born in-state. The data collected in 2012 had the Bayou State with 79 percent of born-heres, with Michigan coming in 2nd with 77 percent

14:30 08-19-14

The Louisiana Attorney General’s office files lawsuit against State Farm over how it handles auto repairs. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (32) “reporting”
One of the state’s largest hospitals is being honored by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with the designation of magnet hospital. Our Lady of The Lake Medical Center in Baton Rouge is now in the top 5% hospitals achieving such high marks.
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Houma Police Department say a 71-year-old woman is in the hospital after being brutally attacked by her son’s pit-bull mix last night.

CUT 3 (12) “and arms”

That’s Chief Todd Duplantis who says the motive of the attack, as well as the attack in general, is under investigation.
The Covington Police Department are reporting the arrest of Richard Reed, the brother of the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed, on charges of sexual battery. Police Chief Tim Lentz says the incident occurred earlier this month at a restaurant…:

CUT 12 (09) “intoxicated woman”

And he adds surveillance video revealed there was inappropriate sexual touching and groping involved.