06:30 Newscast December 2, 2014

In the final debate of the year, Democratic US-Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy brought out the big guns. The incumbent began by addressing the allegations claiming Cassidy was “double billing” by getting paid by the LSU Health Sciences Center for work he did not perform. Landrieu says there is no record of the work…

Cut 10 (13) “any records”

Cassidy says the claim that he wasn’t working at the LSU hospital while he was working in Congress is completely false. He says it wouldn’t be unusual for him to do a liver biopsy in the morning, then fly to D.C. and vote that evening…

cut 12 (11) “with LSU”

The election is Saturday.

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s office says they are still looking for two men they believe abducted and shot a woman on Thanksgiving Day. Spokesman Sergeant Clay Higgins says the victim reported she left her house that morning to walk to a nearby store when she accepted a ride from the suspects…

cut 7 (11) “didn’t work out that way”

Higgins says the woman told cops she tried to jump out of the car window and began screaming when one of the men hit her in the face with a gun and told her to be quiet.

AM Newscall December 2, 2014

Analysts are reporting there’s a chance gas prices could drop below $2 a gallon in Louisiana. Scott Carwile has more…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

______________________________________

The debate between Democratic US-Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy last night was quite heated. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 2 (32) “reporting”

______________________________________

Falling oil prices might be beneficial for motorists who have to fill up their vehicle on a regular basis, but it puts a strain on the state budget. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

Analysts are reporting there’s a chance gas prices could drop below $2 a gallon in Louisiana. Gasbuddy-dot-com’s Gregg Laskoski says, in light of recent events, he could see some station’s price dropping below $2, but is skeptical that the statewide average will drop that low…

cut 4  (11)  “a gallon”

He says OPEC’s announcement that they would not reduce their oil output saw crude oil prices fall below $70 per barrel. Laskoski says wholesale gas prices are declining significantly and that’s good news for consumers…

Cut 5  (07)  “welcomed timing”

Laskoski says you could expect to see gas prices drop another 15 to 20 cents a gallon over the next couple of weeks if crude oil prices stay as low as they are. He says the first quarter of the year typically brings price increases because of refineries switching from winter to summer blend…

Cut 6 (09)  “have anticipated”

______________________________________

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s office says they are still looking for two men they believe abducted and shot a woman on Thanksgiving Day. Spokesman Sergeant Clay Higgins says the victim reported she left her house that morning to walk to a nearby store when she accepted a ride from the suspects…:

CUT 7 (11)  “didn’t work out that way”

Higgins says the 49-year-old Opelousas woman thought the men offering the ride were just being friendly on the Thanksgiving morning in her own neighborhood known as “The Hill.” However, he says they did not take her where she wanted to go…:

Cut 8 (09)  “attacked her” 

Higgins says the woman told cops she tried to jump out of the car window and began screaming when one of the men hit her in the face with a gun and told her to be quiet…:

Cut 9 (11)  “and she was hit”

______________________________________

In the final debate of the year, Democratic US-Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy brought out the big guns. The incumbent began by addressing the allegations claiming Cassidy was “double billing” by getting paid by the LSU Health Sciences Center for work he did not perform. Landrieu says there is no record of the work:

Cut 10 (13) “any records” 

Landrieu continues to come under fire for using tax payer money to fund personal campaign charter flights. She calls the matter a bookkeeping error that has been paid back and is a much smaller issue than Cassidy’s alleged double subsidies…:

cut 11 (08)  “doctor for himself”

Cassidy says the claim that he wasn’t working at the LSU hospital while he was working in Congress is completely false. He says it wouldn’t be unusual for him to do a liver biopsy in the morning, then fly to D.C. and vote that evening…:

cut 12 (11)  “with LSU”

Cassidy says Landrieu’s charter flight situation was against the law and also violated a strict code of Senate ethics. He says what he does is help the poor and uninsured…:

Cut 13 (09)  “who did that benefit”

__________________________________________

Oil prices are down to 70-dollars a barrel which is not good for the state’s budget, because it means lower revenues from severance taxes and mineral royalties. Chief economist for the Louisiana Fiscal office, Greg Albrecht, says they already adjusted the state’s revenue picture downward…

Cut 14 (11)  “that point”

Albrecht says if oil prices keep trading for about 70-dollars a barrel for a lengthy period of time, it will cost the state millions of dollars in revenues…

Cut 15  (10)  “revenue flow”

Albrect says the Revenue Estimating Conference will likely meet again next month to assess the situation. He says if oil prices don’t rebound, state leaders will have to reduce future spending even more…

Cut 16  (05)  “tough decisions”

__________________________________________

Three Louisiana college football teams are eligible to go bowling this year. LSU, UL Lafayette and Louisiana Tech will find out their bowl destination this weekend, if not earlier. Jerry Palm, with C-B-S-sports-dot-com, says he expects the Tigers to play the Texas Longhorns in the Texas Bowl, which will take place Monday, December 29th in Houston

Cut 17  (09)   “for them”

Palm expects the Ragin Cajuns will make a fourth straight appearance in the New Orleans Bowl….

Cut 18 (17) “projected here”

Louisiana Tech plays this Saturday against Marshall in the Conference USA Championship game. Palm says if the Bulldogs win, they could play in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against a team from the Big Ten

Cut 19 (13)   “Conference USA games”

 

 

17:30 LRN Newscast December 1

US-Senator Mary Landrieu is claiming her opponent Congressman Bill Cassidy, who is a doctor, was paid by the LSU Health Sciences Center for work he didn’t do. She also says members of Congress are only allowed to make $26,000 a year in outside work…:
CUT 4 (11) “$50,000″
In a statement, Cassidy says he’s proud of his work in the LSU System and these allegations are just an attempt by Landrieu to salvage her political career.

US Senator David Vitter, who is running for governor next year, has changed his stance regarding Common Core. Vitter said four months ago that he supports the multistate educational standards, but in an email to supporters today, the Senator says he’s changed his mind after hearing from parents and teachers. He says Louisiana should establish its own standards and testing.

State Police say a single vehicle crash involving a motorcycle and a deer has left one man dead and his wife seriously injured. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says 53-year-old Gordon Bolton was riding his Harley Davidson with his wife, 57-year-old Monika (MO-nika) Bolton, in Vernon Parish Saturday night…:
CUT 9 (05) “collided with it”
Gordon was pronounced dead at a local hospital while Monika remains hospitalized in serious condition.

A quiet 2014 hurricane season came to an end over the weekend. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there were only 8 named storms which is the fewest since 1997. He says this is the ninth straight year we didn’t have a major hurricane hit the US Coastline, the longest such streak since records were kept…:
CUT 13 (06) “major hurricane”
He says we can attribute the quiet season to lower than normal sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

16:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints hope yesterday’s 35-32 victory over Pittsburgh is the start of something good for a team that has underachieved all season. New Orleans played one of its better games of the season in the Steel City. The Black and Gold are back home this Sunday to take on the Carolina Panthers, who are in a tailspin and lost to Minnesota yesterday.

The Saints are still tied with the Falcons for first place in the NFC South. That’s because Atlanta beat Arizona 29-18 yesterday. In that game, former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu fractured his thumb and could miss the next three weeks of the season for the Cardinals.

Former LSU star quarterback Zach Mettenberger injured his shoulder in a loss to Houston. But Mettenberger hopes to play this Sunday for the Titans, who will host the New York Giants.

LSU is number 23 in the latest A-P poll. They now wait on a bowl invite, the most likely choices are the Taxslayer-dot-com bowl in Jacksonville and the Texas Bowl in Houston.

Louisiana Tech will take on Marshall this Saturday in the Conference USA Championship game, which will kick-off in Huntington, West Virginia. Marshall is 11-and-1, with its one loss coming on Friday against Western Kentucky. Bulldogs Coach Skip Holtz says it should be a great football game…
cut 18 (12) “….should be”

Southern is also in a conference championship game. The Jaguars will play Alcorn State this Saturday at N-R-G Stadium in Houston. Alcorn beat Southern 56-16 back on September 27th.

The Ragin Cajuns are waiting to find out if they’ll once again go to the New Orleans Bowl. It would be a fourth straight apperance in the game.

In college hoops…LSU’s Jordan Mickey has been named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s player of the month for November. Mickey is averaging nearly 18 points a game and ten rebounds. Mickey and the Tigers take on UMASS tomorrow night.

LRN Newscast 16:30 12-01-14

Democratic incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu says her opponent, Republican Bill Cassidy needs to explain his time sheets from the LSU Health Sciences Center…
CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office says a man faces several charges after allegedly trying to kidnap a woman in her own driveway before she was resuced by her husband and son. They say 46-year-old Chad Babin of St. Amant was cussing the woman and she screamed for help. The suspect was hit in the head, and held at gunpoint until the cops arrived.

——————————–
Secretary of State Tom Schedler says 221-thousand voters casted ballots during the early voting period that ended Saturday. Schedler says the heaviest voter turnout areas were East Baton Rouge, Orleans and St. Tammany Parishes…
CUT 8 (07) Q: ‘were the heaviest’
The run-off election is Saturday.

A Vernon Parish weekend motorcycle crash with a deer has killed a man and and left his wife riding in the back seriously injured…
CUT 10 (12) Q: “serious condition”
That’s State Police Master Trooper Scott Moreau, who says the dead man is identified as 53 year-old Gordon Bolton. His 57 year-old wife Monika (MO nika) remains in serious condition. That investigation continues.

LRN Newscast 15:30 12-01-14

In the final week of the Senate campaign, Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu is making a big issue over publicly released time sheets Republican Bill Cassidy completed for the LSU Health System, which she says, are full of inconsistencies…
CUT 3 (10) “very unlikely”
That state-wide debate is tonight at 7pm.

Louisiana’s early voting report card has been tallied, and Secretary of State Tom Schedler says the numbers were pretty strong…
CUT 7 (09) Q: “to us”
Schedler says the state averaged 44 thousand votes per day, and he expects the final voter percentage will be close to 40 percent.
———————————-

A deer versus motorcycle accident in vernon Parish had deadly results over the weekend, claiming the life of a man, and leaving his wife badly injured. Fifty-three year old Gordon Bolton died at a local hospital, and 57 year-old Monika (MO-nika) Bolton is in serious condition. State Police Master Trooper Scott Moreau says they do not impairment at this time…
CUT 11 (07) Q: ‘a later date”
Both riders were wearing their helmets.

There were a total of 8 named storms for the 2014 hurricane season which ended yesterday, and that’s the lowest number in seventeen years…
CUT 12 (09) Q: “North Carolina”
That’s State Climatologist Barry Keim.

LRN newscast 14:30 12-01-14

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is pleased with the early voting totals for the December 6th run-off. Jeff Palermo has the story…
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

A Marksville woman is found murdered, and authorites are searching for her husband as person of interest. The body of forty-six year-old Laura J. Williams was found inside her home. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of forty-eight year-old Dennis Williams, is asked to contact the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Department.
============================
Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu wants to see the work time sheets for her Republican challenger Dr. Bill Cassidy. She is claiming he was paid by the LSU Health System for work he did not do, and wants him to bring those records to the debate tonight…
CUT 5 (07) Q: “double dipping”
Cassidy calls the accusations an attempt to salvage Landrieu’s seat in the Senate.

As of yesterday, the 2014 hurricane season concluded with a below normal year in named storms, (lowest since 1997). State Climatologist Barry Keim says we had lower than normal sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic…
CUT 14 (08) Q: “Pacific Ocean”
That El Nino could potentially give us a colder than normal winter.

13:30 Newscast December 1st, 2014

Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu is making a big issue over time sheets that possibly show her opponent, Republican Bill Cassidy, was paid by the LSU Health Sciences Center for work he never did. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office says a man faces many charges after allegedly trying to kidnap a woman in her own driveway before she was resuced by her husband and son. They say 46-year-old Chad Babin of St. Amant was cussing the woman and she screamed for help. The suspect was held at gunpoint until the cops arrived.

State Police say a single vehicle crash involving a motorcycle and a deer has left one man dead and his wife seriously injured. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says 53-year-old Gordon Bolton was riding his Harley Davidson with his wife, 57-year-old Monika (MO-nika) Bolton, in Vernon Parish Saturday night…:
CUT 9 (05) “collided with it”
Gordon was pronounced dead at a local hospital while Monika remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Thankfully we had another extremely quiet Hurricane Season this year. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there were only 8 named storms which is the fewest since 1997. He says this is the ninth straight year we didn’t have a major hurricane hit the US Coastline, the longest such streak since records were kept…:
CUT 13 (06) “major hurricane”
He says we can attribute the quiet season to lower than normal sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean

PM LRN Newscall for December 1st

Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu wants her opponent, Republican Bill Cassidy, to explain why time sheets show he was paid by the LSU Health Sciences Center for work he apparently never did. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is pleased with the early voting totals for the December 6th run-off. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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

In the final week of the Senate campaign, democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu is making a big issue over time sheets that possibly show her opponent, Republican Bill Cassidy, was paid by the LSU Health Sciences Center for work he never did. Landrieu says the 16 statements that have been made public are full of inconsistencies…

CUT 3 (10)  “very unlikely”

Landrieu has called on Cassidy to produce all 63 time sheets in question for tonight’s debate. Landrieu says another issue here is that Congressmen are allowed to only make $26,000 a year in outside work on top of their Congressional salary…

CUT 4 (11)  “$50,000″

Cassidy says he’s proud of his work in the LSU System and these allegations are an attempt to to salvage Landrieu’s career. Cassidy and Landrieu will meet in a televised debate tonight. Landrieu says Cassidy has been hiding from his record during the campaign…

CUT 5 (07)  “double dipping”

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

Secretary of State Tom Schedler says 221-thousand voters casted ballots during the early voting period that ended Saturday. Schedler says they averaged over 44-thousand votes a day, which is a good number

CUT 6 (06)  “very impressive”

Saturday is election day and Schedler is optimistic we’ll see a voter turnout at 40-percent. There’s a usually a drop-off in voter participation between the general election and the run-off. But he says they averaged more voters per day last week than in the early voting period prior to the November fourth election.

CUT 7 (09) “to us”

Schedler says the heaviest early voting totals were in East Baton Rouge, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes…

CUT 8 (07) “were the heaviest”

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

State Police say a single vehicle crash involving a motorcycle and a deer has left one man dead and his wife seriously injured. Master Trooper Scott Moreau says 53-year-old Gordon Bolton was riding his Harley Davidson with his wife, 57-year-old Monika (MO-nika) Bolton, in Vernon Parish Saturday night…

CUT 9 (05)  “collided with it”

He says a deer entered the roadway and the motorcycle collided with it. Moreau says, as a result, the both individuals were ejected from the motorcycle…

CUT 10 (12)  “serious condition”

Gordon was pronounced dead at a local hospital while Monika remains hospitalized in serious condition. Moreau says both were wearing helmets at the time of the accident. He says, as of now, they do not suspect impairment in this crash, but the investigation is ongoing…

CUT 11 (07)  “a later date

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

The 2014 hurricane season is over and forecasters were right when they predicted a normal to a below normal year. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there were only eight named stores, the fewest for a hurricane season since 1997

cut 12 (09) “North Carolina”

Keim says this is the ninth straight year we didn’t have a major hurricane hit the US Coastline, the longest such streak since records were kept

cut 13 (06) “major hurricane”

Keim says we can attribute the quiet season to lower than normal sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean

cut 14 (08) “Pacific Ocean”

12:30 Newscast December 1, 2014

Secretary of State Tom Schedler says early voting turnout was so good for the December 6th runoff he’s optimistic we’ll see a 40-percent turnout Saturday. He says the heaviest early voting totals were in East Baton Rouge, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes…:
CUT 8 (07) “were the heaviest”
He says 221,000 people turned out for early voting total.

With a week of campaigning to go, US-Senate Mary Landrieu is claiming her opponent Congressman Bill Cassidy was paid by the state for work he didn’t do. She also says Congressmen are only allowed to make $26,000 a year in ourside work on top of their Washington salary…:
CUT 4 (11) “$50,000″
Cassidy says he’s proud of his work in the LSU System and these allegations are just an attempt to to salvage Landrieu’s career.

The 2014 Hurricane Season is over and forecasters were right when they predicted a quiet year. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there were only eight named storms, the fewest since 1997…:
CUT 12 (09) “North Carolina”
This is the 9th year in a row we didn’t have a major hurricane hit the US Coastline which is the longest since such records were kept.

The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s office says a woman from Marksville was found dead in her home early Sunday of an apparent stabbing. Deputies say they are looking for the victim’s husband, 48-year-old Dennis Williams as a person of interest in the death of 46-year-old Laura Williams.