06:45 Sportscast September 22, 2014

The Saints finally picked up their first win of the season as New Orleans defeated Minnesota 20-9. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
CUT 3 (34) “reporting”

Also in the NFL, in a rematch of the Super Bowl teams — even though Broncos Quarterback Peyton Manning completed an amazing 4th quarter rally yesterday afternoon to tie it up, Seattle QB Russell Wilson kept Denver from even getting the ball in overtime. The Seahawks won the game 26-20.

Northwestern State scored 20 4th quarter points to come from behind and upset their long time rival Louisiana Tech 30 to 27. Demon Coach Jay Thomas says it’s like a dream…:
CUT 16 (16) “loss of words”
It was Northwestern’s first win over an FBS opponent since 2005 and the Demons first win over the Bulldogs since 1979.

For the first time since 1991, Mississippi State beat LSU in Baton Rouge as the Bulldogs held on for a 34-29 victory on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Coach Les Miles:
CUT 18 (17) “this season”
With the loss, LSU fell 10 spots in the Coaches Poll to No. 18.

06:30 Newscast September 22nd, 2014

Autumn begins today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says fall officially starts tonight at 9:29PM and predicts normal temperatures across the state for the next three months…:
CUT 10 (09) “Gulf of Mexico”
Keim says, as we get into the fall season, fronts will start coming through and temperatures will begin to drop across the state.

The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s office says a young toddler died of asphyxiation after he was trapped in a vehicle window around his neck for an undetermined amount of time. They say the mother was driving to another location Saturday night and little 19-year-old Robert Lynch was not restrained in the back when they believe the incident took place. The child died Sunday evening and an autopsy is planned this morning according to investigators.

The Louisiana Inspector General has issued a set of recommendations for state agencies to stop wasting airline tickets. Stephen Street’s office found that between 2011 and 2013, over half a million dollars in non-refundable airline tickets were purchased by state entities, but never used. Street says his office is mandated to find and eliminate waste and this is a classic example of waste…:
CUT 4 (09) “thousands of dollars”
He says they are recommending the Office of State Travel explain why these tickets paid for by tax payers were not used.

There are pictures making their way around social media that show Senator Mary Landrieu helping a tailgater at LSU with a keg stand on Saturday. The man reportedly asked her to do the keg stand but she refused but instead decided to help him out.

LRN AM Newscall for Sept 22

The Louisiana Inspector General found that between 2011 and 2013, over half a million dollars in non-refundable airline tickets were purchased by state entities, but never used.  Scott Carwile reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Starting today a brand new license plate will be available to Louisiana drivers boasting, “I’m Creole, and Proud.” Michelle Southern has that…:

Cut 2 (33) “reporting”

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The Saints finally picked up their first win of the season as New Orleans defeated Minnesota 20-9. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (34) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Inspector General has issued a set of recommendations for state agencies to stop wasting airline tickets.  Stephen Street’s office found that between 2011 and 2013, over half a million dollars in non-refundable airline tickets were purchased by state entities, but never used.  Street says his office is mandated to find and eliminate waste and this is a classic example of waste…

Cut 4  (09)  “thousands of dollars”

The report shows that nearly 12-hundred non-refundable airline tickets expired, but could have been used within one year to pay for another ticket.  Street says the topic was addressed in a previous report in 2010 and the results of that report were similar to this year’s…

Cut 5  (12)  “that is happening”

Street says, in tight budget times, we have to be especially careful about this sort of waste of taxpayer money.  He says the report includes a set of recommendations for the Office of State Travel to ensure unused airline tickets are not wasted…

Cut 6 (08)  “to evaporate”

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Starting today a brand new license plate will be available to Louisiana drivers boasting, “I’m Creole, and Proud.” Lafayette Representative Vincent Pierre says he lead the effort to make this happen because he wanted to give more exposure to the Creole culture. He says one of the plate’s features is a black pot…:

CUT 7 (09) “over to visit”

Pierre says the Creole plate also features an accordion to represent Zydeco music. He says there’s also a scrub board on the specialty item…:

CUT 8 (06)   “of the world”

Pierre says the design also includes a fleur de lis to tie it all together in representing Louisiana. He says you can get it as soon as the DMVs open today for $30 plus fees. Pierre says the funds that are generated from the Creole plate will go to the French Immersion Program…:

CUT 9 (07) “along with the community”  

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Autumn begins today.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says fall officially begins tonight at 9:29PM.  Keim forecasts normal temperatures across the state for the next three months…

cut 10 (09)  “Gulf of Mexico”

Above average rainfall is predicted for Lousiana over the next three months due to expected El Nino conditions forming over the Gulf of Mexico.  Keim says this El Nino event has been predicted to form as far back as May…

cut 11 (08) “an El Nino ” 

Keim says, as we get into the fall season, fronts will start coming through and temperatures will begin to fall across the state…

cut 12 (06)  “wait for it”

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Secretary of State Tom Schedler is advising voters to study up on their November fourth ballot, because they’ve had a record number of candidates who have withdrawn from their respective races since qualifying. Schedler says 110 candidates have dropped out of their race and the printed ballot may not reflect the change in the number of candidates…

Cut 13 (08)  “withdrawn candidates”

Many of names of withdrawn candidates will remain on the ballot because it is required by law that these ballots are made 45 days from the election.  Schedler says local election commissioners are supposed to inform voters at polling stations of withdrawn candidates on the ballot…

Cut 14 (12)  “to say that”

Even a US Senate candidate has withdrawn from the race and that is Raymond Brown.  Schedler says, with that,  there will be withdrawn candidates on the ballot in every single parish.  Schedler says you can always go to GeauxVote-dot-com to keep yourself updated…

Cut 15  (12)   “use that”

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Northwestern State scored 20 4th quarter points to come from behind and upset their long time rival Louisiana Tech 30 to 27. Chris Moore’s 47-yard field goal with no time left was the game winner. It was Northwestern’s first win over an FBS opponent since 2005 and the Demons first win over the Bulldogs since 1979.  Northwestern Coach Jay Thomas says it’s like a dream…

Cut 16  (16)   “loss of words”

The Bulldogs had a ten point lead going into the 4th quarter, but eight penalties and five turnovers finally caught up with them. Tech Head Coach Skip Holtz says they were ready to play, but they couldn’t overcome the mistakes…

Cut 17  (14)   “fourth quarter”

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For the first time since 1991, Mississippi State beat LSU in Baton Rouge as the Bulldogs held on for a 34-29 victory on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. State throughly outplayed LSU for most of the game and Coach Les Miles says his team has several areas where they need to get better

Cut 18 (17)  “this season”

LSU trailed by 24 points early in the fourth quarter, but backup quarterback Brandon Harris led the Tigers on three scoring drives and threw two touchdown passes to Malachi Dupre. Miles says they’ll look at Harris possibly starting this Saturday….

cut 19 (17)  “we are”

LSU’s defense allowed 570 total yards, 302 came on the ground as the Tigers could not stop State quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Josh Robinson. Sophomore defensive tackle Christian LaCouture says they’ll look at the tape to try and figure out what went wrong…

Cut 20 (17) ” be fine”

 

 

10:30 Newscast September 20th, 2014

August was another record breaking month in terms of employment in Louisiana. The Louisiana Workforce Commission released new job numbers Friday and non-farm employment grew by 30-thousand over the last 12 months and a record one-point-nine million people were employed in August. L-W-C sportsperson Tom Guarisco says the construction sector led the way by hiring 95-hundred workers
CUT 13 (09) “other sectors”
Guarisco says they anticipate setting more employment records in the coming months.

State Police say just before 1:30am a two vehicle fatal crash involving a tow truck happened in West Baton Rouge Parish on Hwy 190. They say 31-year-old Michael Fornea of Baton Rouge and his passenger 27-year-old Jesse Gaudin of Gonzales were killed when their car hit the back of the tow truck. Excessive speed on the part of Fornea is considered to be a factor in the crash.

With it now being 4 years since the Deepwater Horizon well was capped, several agencies continue to look at ways we can restore Louisiana’s struggling coast. Dr. Keith Ouchley is the Director of the Nature Conservancy in Louisiana. He says, for one, we really need to work on oyster reefs around the coast…:
CUT 4 (11) “important point”
He says they are implementing on-the-ground restoration projects that protect shorelines from erosion, filter water, provide habitat for fish and create jobs.

LSU will be getting a big test today as more fans than ever are expected to head to Death Valley for the 6pm contest against Mississippi State. If you’re going don’t forget they are now using contro-flow on Nicholson after the game and please arrive early to avoid bottlenecks at entrances so you don’t miss kickoff. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the game.

09:30 Newscast September 20th, 2014

A man from Donaldsonville who pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in in 1995 for a crash that killed a ten-week old child avoids prison. Stanley White got a two-year prison sentence 19 years ago, but was never given a report date. He was re-sentenced again and White’s sentence this time was two years of home incarceration. Stephen Moore is White’s attorney..:
CUT 9 (09) “not justice”
White was 19 at the time of the accident. It’s unknown why he never received a date to report to prison. The parents of the baby do not feel justice was served.

Bond has been substantially reduced for Trung Le, the man suspected of firing shots on Bourbon Street that left one person dead and several others injured in late June. Le’s bond was lowered Friday from $1.5 million to $250,000 by a judge. His attorney claims the suspect fired in self defense and prosecutors reportedly now say the bullet Le shot didn’t cause the murder but he did fire first leading to the deadly exchange.

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in gathering information about a murder that happened last week. Deputies found the remains of a 66-year-old woman identified as Marjorie Taylor that day and an autopsy revealed she had been killed. Crimestoppers in St. Landry is offering $2,500 for anyone with information on his incident.

Louisiana’s obesity rate is dropping for the first time in 30 years. Don Molino has that..:
CUT 2 (32) “reporting”

08:30 Newscast September 20th, 2014

The state Department of Health and Hospitals has officially reported the additional death from the West Nile Virus for the 2014 season. We knew earlier this week the latest fatal case was out of LaFourche Parish bringing the total number of West Nile deaths to five. DHH said Friday the total infections this year is now 103.

With it now being 4 years since the Deepwater Horizon well was capped, several agencies continue to look at ways we can restore Louisiana’s struggling coast. Jeff Palermo reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

Louisiana’s obesity rate is dropping for the first time in 30 years according to an annual study released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. LeAnne Redman is an obesity researcher at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center…:
CUT 6 (12) “this happening”
We’re now No.6. But the study shows that Louisiana’s adult obesity rate is still 33.1% so Redman says we need to keep having healthy conversations so our numbers continue to improve.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office says they’ve taken a 71-year-old Gonzales man into custody for allegedly threatening to kill a local judge and district attorney after the suspect lost his appeal on a DWI case in a Baton Rouge court. Apparently Paul Cleveland said he was going to murder the judge, the DA and then kill himself. He’s charged with threatening a public official.

17:30 Newscast September 19, 2014

An annual study released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found Louisiana is now ranked 6th in the nation, instead of first for obesity.  Obesity researcher at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LeAnne Redman, believes that in a state where we love food at events like tailgating and Mardi Gras, the culture is somewhat changing…

cut 7 (07) “for everybody”

Louisiana’s obesity rate is dropping for the first time in 30 years.

August was another record breaking month in terms of employment in Louisiana.  The Louisiana Workforce Commission released new job numbers today and non-farm employment grew by 30-thousand over the last 12 months and a record one-point-nine million people were employed in August.  L-W-C spokesperson Tom Guarisco…

cut 12 (10) “education services”

He says private employers added 36-thousand jobs over the year.

A Donaldsonville man who pleaded guilty in 1995 to negligent homicide in a crash that killed a ten-week old infant has avoided prison.  Stanley White originally received a two-year prison sentence, but was never given a report date.  He was re-sentenced to two years of home incarceration.  The parents of the infant say justice was not served.  But White’s attorney, Stephen Moore, says White is remorseful and he’s been a model citizen since he made a horrible mistake…

cut 10 (08) “…afterwards “

White was 19 at the time of the accident.

It’s been 4 years since the Deepwater Horizon well was capped and several agencies continue to look at ways we can restore Louisiana’s struggling coast.   Louisiana Nature Conservancy Director, Dr. Keith Ouchley, feels significant changes can be made within the next 10 years…

cut 5 (12) “along the coast”

He says this is an important time for the Gulf restoration process.

LRN Newscast 16:30 09-19-14

It’s been over 4 years since the Deepwater Horizon Oil disaster in the Gulf, and experts are implementing on-the-ground restoration projects that protect shorelines and fish habitats. Dr. Keith Ouchley – the Director of the Nature Conservancy in Louisiana- says we also need to work on our oyster reefs…:

CUT 4 (11) “important point”

He adds in 10 years we should be able to make significant changes.

 

Following their 40-day initiative, The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles is now on the fast track to install more than 400 credit card stations statewide with the goal to improve convenience for fee payments. In the past, OMV customers to pay with cash or schedule return visits to complete the transaction. They will continue their online services as well.

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For the first time in 30 years, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation obesity study, shows Louisiana’s obesity rate has dropped, moving the Bayou State from number one to number six in the nation…

CUT 6 (12) Q: “this happening”

That’s LSU Pennington Biomedical Obesity Researcher LeAnne Redman.

More good news on the Louisiana job front, as the Louisiana Workforce Commission released new job numbers today, and the August report shows record-setting employment rates, particularly in construction…

CUT 14 (08) Q: “come on line”

That’s L-W-C spokesman Tom Guarisco, who says a record one-point-nine million Louisianians were employed in August.

LRN 16:45 Sportscast

Two SEC teams who are 3-and-0 will square off in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. LSU, who has won 14 straight games over Mississippi State, will host the Bulldogs. Coach Les Miles says the Tigers defense will have to try and contain Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott…
cut 30 (13) “…leader of their team”
Prescott has thrown for nearly 700 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He’s also rushed for 273 yards and two scores.

The other big game in Louisiana on Saturday night is in Ruston as Louisiana Tech hosts Northwestern State. It’s the first time these two schools have met on the football field since 1994. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 53-19 and 5.

Another rivalry game on Saturday, is Grambling State at Jackson State. Grambling forfeited this game last year, because of a player protest.

The Ragin Cajuns will attempt to snap their two game losing streak on Saturday night when they visit Boise State. UL Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth says the Broncos are tough to prepare for because of the different personnel packages they use on offense….
cut 17 (17) “….on their field”
A late kick-off for this one as this game will get underway at 9:30 PM central time.

The Saints and Vikings kick-off on noon Sunday, with New Orleans looking for its first win. Four players for the Saints have been ruled out because of injuries. They are running back Mark Ingram, linebacker David Hawthorne, safety Marcus Ball and fullback Erik Lorig. But starting center Jonathan Goodwin is probable with an elbow injury, even though he missed some practice time earlier this week.

LRN Newscast 15:30 09-19-14

According to a recent report, Louisiana’s obesity rate is dropping for the first time in 30 years. Don Molino has that..:

CUT 2 (32) “reporting”

It’s being reported that the Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Vance Mcallister has been booked on a charge of DWI. Adam Terry was arrested in Richland Parish last Friday, and McAllister says that -once Terry is able to get help and follow court instructions-he will be given a second chance.

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With it now being 4 years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster, several agencies are still working on restoration. Dr. Keith Ouchley is the Director of the Nature Conservancy in Louisiana. He says this is an important time…

CUT 3 (10) “in Louisiana”

He adds we also need to work on oyster reefs.
It was another record settting month of employment growth in August for Louisiana, with private employers adding 36 thousand jobs over the year. The biggest contributor according to Louisiana Workforce Commission spokesman Tom Guarisco?…

CUT 13 (09) Q: “other sectors”

Almost 10 thousand construction jobs were added, according to the job numbers from the LWC.