AM Newscall April 1

Tonight, the Investigation Discovery show “Web of Lies” will feature the story of the kidnapping, murder, and arrest of 12-year-old Justin Bloxom’s killer. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 1 (27) “reporting”

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A proposal designed to control the cost of TOPS will be promoted an 11:00 press conference today. Scott Carwile has more…

Cut 2 (29) “reporting”

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An $8,500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot a bald eagle in Caddo Parish. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

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Tonight, Investigation Discovery’s documentary style show “Web of Lies” will feature the story of the kidnapping, murder, and arrest of 12-year-old Justin Bloxom’s killer. Bloxom’s body was found in a shallow pool of water in Stonewall in March of 2010. DeSoto Parish Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle says the show can bring to light how vulnerable our children are and how predators operate…

cut 4  (10)  “in this case”

Brian Horn, a previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced to death for Justin’s murder last year. Horn lured Bloxom to his death with fake text messages, pretending to be a girl from his school. Arbuckle says Justin’s story should be a reminder to parents to keep up with what their kids are doing…

Cut 5  (09)  “on with them”

Amy Bloxom Fletcher, Justin’s mom, agreed to share the story to remind people about the dangers children can face from predators through social media and texting. Several people involved in the case were interviewed for the show. Arbuckle says he supports the program airing tonight at 9…

Cut 6 (07)  “what they’re doing”

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Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue files legislation that he says will control the cost of the TOPS scholarship program. Donahue says under his bill a baseline would be set on how much a student receives for tuition and that dollar amount will not go up in future years, unless the legislature votes to change it

CUT 7 (09)  “school increases”

Every year the cost of the TOPS program for the state grows by the millions, because of rising tuition costs at public colleges. Donahue under his bill the TOPS award stays the same for a student through their college career, even if tuition goes up

Cut 8  (08)  “53 hundred” 

Higher education officials and the Taylor Foundation, which started the TOPS program, will promote Donahue’s bill at an 11 o’ clock press conference today in Baton Rouge. Donahue says there’s support for each TOPS recipient receiving the same amount of money, regardless if tuition is up from the year before

Cut 9 (10)  “increased by the legislature”

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It’s the peak of crawfish harvest season and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s office is increasing patrols around crawfish ponds to deter thieves from stealing crawfish. Lt. Clay Higgins says deputies have been guarding ponds annually since 2011…

Cut 10 (08) “across the parish”

Higgins says the sheriff’s office is determined to protect the crop for the parish’s crawfish farmers. He says officers often are waiting in the dark, blacked out in their patrol unit, watching for any suspicious activity. Higgins says if you steal just $300 in crawfish, that’s a felony and the penalty is very stiff…

cut 11 (04) “hard labor”

He says a thief could get two years of hard labor for stealing just a few sacks of crawfish. Higgins says these additional patrols have been very successful in keeping the number of crawfish thefts down…

cut 12 (08)  “over four years”

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards, blames republican candidate Scott Angelle for helping to create the state’s one-point-six billion dollar budget deficit. Angelle is currently a Public Service Commissioner, but he previously served in Bobby Jindal’s administration. Edwards made the swipe at Angelle during a governor’s forum in Baton Rouge

Cut 13 (09)  “light the match”

During Angelle’s opening statement, he said his door would be open to solutions from anyone when it comes to the state’s budget problems

Cut 14 (11) “tax program”

Governor Bobby Jindal is using the Americans for Tax Reform and it’s “no tax” pledge to develop solutions for the state’s current budget woes, but Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says the answer to Louisiana’s problems are not in Washington D-C

Cut 15  (06)  “our state”

The candidates appeared at a lunchtime forum that was put together by Louisiana’s small business community. Republican Senator David Vitter expressed his strong opposition to Jindal’s plan to scale back the state’s inventory tax credit as a way to raise revenues for state government

Cut 16  (12)  “job creators”

LRN Newscast 17:30 March 31

The four candidates looking to be Louisiana’s next governor met today for a forum that was hosted by Louisiana small business leaders. All four candidates were not shy about criticizing Governor Bobby Jindal and his use of the Americans for Tax Reform to help with the state’s budget problems. Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne says the answer to Louisiana’s problems are not in Washington D-C…
cut 15 (06) “…govern our state”
Dardenne and the other three candidates, democrat John Bel Edwards, and republicans Scott Angelle and David Vitter, said they oppose Jindal’s proposal to scale back the inventory tax.

An $8,500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot a bald eagle in Caddo Parish. Officials says the bald eagle had wounds to its chest and left wing and because of the severity of the injuries, the eagle was euthanized.

Indiana is taking a lot of heat for its new “religious freedom” law. Sarah Jane Brady, with the Forum for Equality, hopes Louisiana can learn from Indiana when they push a law in the upcoming session that protects discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity…
cut 12 (10) “…here in Louisiana”

Baton Rouge representative Dalton Honore files a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would require all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras. He says there have been recent incidents around the country where body cameras would have answered a lot of questions. Honore feels that a body camera is a great tool in keeping everyone honest…
cut 5 (07) “…great protection”
Honore’s bill does not provide additional funding for law enforcement to purchase the body cameras.

LRN Newscast 16:30 03-31-15

There term ‘Common Core’ is receiving some negative reaction across the state, according to a recent poll conducted the LSU Public Policy Research Lab. Director Michael Henderson says only 39 percent of Louisianians surveyed say they support Common Core, but there seemed to be some uncertainty about who developed the curriculum….
CUT 7 (06) Q; “some guessing”
He says the actual name ‘Common Core’ has been tainted.

As body cameras are being introduced to more law enforcement agencies, a Baton Rouge lawmaker wants to make it a requirement that ALL law officers in the state are equipped with the new technology. State Representative Dalton Honore says the use of body cameras can protect both citizens and police officers…
CUT 3 (08) “down tremendously”
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The A-C-L-U of Louisiana is alleging that Albert Hardison, principal at Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Shreveport, engaged in unlawful religious coercion. Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman says they recently learned of a newsletter Hardison sent home to parents ahead of standardized testing…
CUT 9 (09) “on the test”
Which she says is a violation of Separation of Church and State.

Indiana is taking a lot of heat for its new “religious freedom” law. Sarah Jane Brady, with the Forum for Equality, hopes Louisiana can learn from Indiana when they push a law in the upcoming session that protects against discrimination of people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity…
cut 12 (10) “here in Louisiana”
In the past, lawmakers have shot down bills to protect the L-G-B-T community.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 March 31

The third ranked LSU baseball team will face U-L Lafayettet tonight at 7 PM in the annual Wally Pontiff Junior Classic. The Tigers are 23-and-5, even though they lost an SEC series with Kentucky this past weekend. Ragin Cajuns Coach Tony Robichaux speaks very highly of this LSU baseball team…
cut 20 (10) “…some experience”
The Cajuns bring a 15-and-10 record into tonight’s contest, which can be seen on C-S-T.

In other action, Louisiana Tech begins a stretch of 10 games in 14 days when they visit Grambling State tonight. Grambling has lost seven in a row. McNeese State hosts Southern. The Jaguars are coming off a sweep over Grambling. And Nicholls State hosts Alcorn State. The Colonels have won all 23 previous meetings against the Braves.

LSU Forward Jordan Mickey announced today that he’s foregoing his final two years of eligibilty and he’ll enter his name into the 2015 NBA draft. Mickey was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season as he averaged 15 points, almost ten rebounds and 3.64 blocks per game, which led the nation.

Louisiana Tech point guard Speedy Smith was named an honorable mention on the Associated Press’ All-American team. Smith had 267 assists this past season, the most by any player in Division One basketball.

Game two of the College Basketball Invitational championship series is tomorrow night in Monroe. ULM lost game one to Loyola of Chicago, 65 to 58. ULM needs to win tomorrow night to force a deciding game three on Friday.

In the NBA…the Pelicans begin a three-game road trip tomorrow night against the Lakers. New Orleans trails Oklahoma City by 2.5 games for the final playoff spot in the West.

lRN Newscast 15:30 03-31-15

The A-C-L-U of Louisiana alleges that Albert Hardison, principal at Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Shreveport, engaged in unlawful religious coercion…
CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

As Governor Bobby Jindal travels across the country to increase face time for a portential run at the White House, the expenses for his State Police Security detail have gone up. Colonel Mike Edmonson says the price tag for his agency is $2.2 million dollars on travel expenses.
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An LSU poll finds a majority of Louisiana oppose the Common Core curriculum, but support the concept. Doctor Michael Henderson, director of LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab, says when citizens were asked if they support Common Core, only 39-percent said yes….
CUT 6 (07) “67-percent support it”
The political fighting over Common Core-he says-has hurt the name.

The State of Indiana is taking some national heat for their new “religious freedom” law, with many saying it will open the door of discrimination against gay and lesbian groups. Sarah Jane Brady from the Forum for Equality says they hope lawmakers take notice of Indiana, as they introduce a bill in the upcoming session…
CUT 14 (11) Q: “community”

LRN Newscast 14:30 03-31-15

A poll from LSU finds Louisiana residents like the concept behind Common Core, until you call it “Common Core.” …
CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are investigating the shooting of a bald eagle in Caddo Parish, that was discovered near Cavett Road in Gilliam. There’s a reward of up to 85 hundred dollars fot information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the unlawful shooting.

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The website of Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Shreveport was found to have had a “Principal’s Message” that includes references to God and Christ, and the ACLU wants it stopped. Louisiana Executive Director Marjorie Esman says Prinicpal Albert Harrison should know better…
CUT 10 (11) Q: ‘good example (2x)
Caddo Parish Public Schools say they are investigating.

Every year, lawmakers in Baton Rouge shoot down bills to protect gay and other alternative lifestyle groups’ rights. The state of Indiana is now taking some heat for the “religious freedom” law they passed, and the Forum for Equality is hopeful that Louisiana lawmakers will learn from that…
CUT 13 (10) Q: “Need protection”
That’s Sarah Jane Brady with the Forum for Equality.

13:30 LRN Newscast March 31

Indiana is taking a lot of heat for its new “religious freedom” law. Sarah Jane Brady, with the Forum for Equality, hopes Louisiana can learn from Indiana when they push a law in the upcoming session that protects discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity…
cut 12 (10) “…here in Louisiana”

A poll released by LSU shows that there is support for multistate educational standards in math and english, but when Common Core is used to describe those standards, support drops significantly. Michael Henderson, director of the LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab, says the political fighting has tainted the Common Core brand…
cut 8 (11) “…Common Core”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana says a principal at Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Shreveport is violating the Constitution by sending prayer messages to students. Louisiana ACLU executive director Marjorie Esman says religious references can also be found on the school’s website and they’ve alerted the Caddo Parish School Superintendentf…
cut 11 (08) “….the law”
A spokesperson for the Caddo Parish school system says they are investigation and they’ll take steps to make sure they are not violating Church and State provision of the Constitution.

Baton Rouge representative Dalton Honore files a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would require all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras. He says there have been recent incidents around the country where body cameras would have answered a lot of questions. Honore feels that a body camera is a great tool in keeping everyone honest…
cut 5 (07) “…great protection”

LRN PM Newscall Tuesday March 31

A poll from LSU finds Louisiana residents like the concept behind Common Core, until you call it “Common Core.” Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana alleges that Albert Hardison, principal at Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Shreveport, engaged in unlawful religious coercion by using God, prayer, and Christianity in school publications. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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As body cameras are being introduced to more law enforcement agencies across the state, a Baton Rouge lawmaker wants to make it a requirement that all law enforcement officers are equipped with the new technology. State Representative Dalton Honore says the use of body cameras can protect both citizens and police officers…

CUT 3 (08)  “down tremendously”

Honore says body cameras can solve a lot of issues between citizens and law enforcement, similar to what dashboard cameras on police vehicles have done…

CUT 4 (05)  “a vehicle”

He says there have been recent incidents around the country where the use of body cameras would have answered a lot of questions. Honore feels that a body camera is a great tool in keeping everyone honest…

CUT 5 (07)  “great protection”

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A poll conducted by LSU finds Louisiana residents oppose education standards that are called Common Core, but support the concept. Doctor Michael Henderson, director of LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab, says when citizens were asked if they support Common Core, only 39-percent said yes….

CUT 6 (07)  “67-percent support it”

Henderson says when they didn’t use the term “Common Core” and asked residents if they support higher academic standards that allows Louisiana to compare student achievement with other states 67-percent support it.

Henderson says the poll also shows the public is poorly informed on who developed the education standards for common core. He says that’s based on the answers they got when they asked who developed the standards, the federal government or the state

CUT 7 (06)  “some guessing”

Henderson says the political fighting over Common Core shows that it has tainted the Common Core brand….

CUT 8 (11)  “Common Core”

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana allegesthat Albert Hardison, principal at Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Shreveport, engaged in unlawful religious coercion by using God, prayer, and Christianity in school publications. Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman says they recently learned of a newsletter Hardison sent home to parents ahead of standardized testing…

CUT 9 (09)  “on the test”

She says the school’s website also features a “Principal’s Message” that includes references to God and Christ. Esman says these references are a direct violation of the separation of Church and State. She says it’s troubling because Hardison should know what the Constitution says about this…

cut 10 (11) “good example” (2x)

In a statement, Caddo Parish Public Schools say they are investigating and taking steps to ensure school employees are not violating the Constitution. Esman says a letter has been sent to Caddo Parish School Superintendent Lamar Goree asking that all religious references be removed from the school’s website…

cut 11 (08)  “breaking the law”

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Indiana is taking a lot of heat for its new “religious freedom” law. Sarah Jane Brady, with the Forum for Equality, hopes Louisiana can learn from Indiana when they push a law in the upcoming session that protects discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity…

cut 12 (10)  “here in Louisiana”

Every year, lawmakers in Baton Rouge shoot down bills to protect the L-G-B-T community and there’s also a constitutional amendment on the books that bans gay marriages in Louisiana. Brady hopes what has happened in Indiana will lead to changes with Lousiaina’s discrimination laws

cut 13 (10)  “need protection”

Critics of Indiana’s law says it allows businesses to discriminate against gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender individuals. Brady says they’ll seek to pass a law in the upcoming session to make sure the LGBT community is protected from discrimination in Louisiana

cut 14 (11)  “community”

12:30 Newscast March 31, 2015

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana alleges that Albert Hardison, principal at Walnut Hill Elementary/Middle School in Shreveport, engaged in unlawful religious coercion by using God, prayer, and Christianity in school publications. Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman say they recently learned of a newsletter Hardison sent home to parents ahead of standardized testing…

cut 9 (09) “on the test”

In a response, Caddo Parish Public Schools say they are investigating and taking steps to ensure school employees are not violating the Constitution.

As body cameras are being introduced to more law enforcement agencies across the state, Baton Rouge State Representative Dalton Honore wants to make it a requirement that all law enforcement officers are equipped with the new technology. Honore says body cameras can solve a lot of issues between citizens and law enforcement, similar to what dashboard cameras on police vehicles have done…

cut 4 (05) “a vehicle”

He says the use of body cameras can protect both citizens and police officers.

An LSU survey finds Louisiana residents oppose education standards that are called Common Core, but support the concept. Doctor Michael Henderson, director of LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab, says the poll also shows the public is poorly informed on who developed the education standards for common core. He says that’s based on the answers they got when they asked who developed the standards, the federal government or the state…

cut 7 (06) “some guessing”

Henderson says 67-percent of residents support the education standards when the term “Common Core” was omitted from the question.

According to gasbuddy-dot-com, the statewide average for a gallon of regular gas is $2.19 cents a gallon. That’s two cents less than a week ago.

11:40 LRN Sportscast March 31

The LSU and U-L Lafayette baseball teams will face each other tonight at Zephyr Field in Metairie in the annual Wally Pontiff Junior Classic. Ragin Cajuns Coach Tony Robichaux says it’s an honor to play in the game named after former LSU third baseman Wally Pontiff, who died after his junior season….
cut 30 (16) “…buries a child”
The Cajuns come in with a record of 15-and-10, while the Tigers are 23-and-5 but lost two of three from Kentucky this past weekend.

In other action, Louisiana Tech visits Grambling State tonight. Grambling has lost seven in a row. McNeese State hosts Southern. The Jaguars are coming off a sweep over Grambling. And Nicholls State hosts Alcorn State. The Colonels have won all 23 previous meetings against the Braves.

In football news…former LSU running back Stevan Ridley is visiting with the Miami Dolphins today. Ridley is coming off a 2014 season in which he played in only six games after tearing his ACL. The Dolphins Lamar Miller rushed for over one-thousand yards last season, but Ridley could serve as his back-up.

The ULM men’s basketball team returns to Monroe today as they’ll get ready for game two of the College Basketball Invitational championship series. The Warhawks lost game one last night in Chicago to Loyola 65 to 58. The Ramblers shot 51-percent from the field. The first team to shoot over 50-percent against ULM this year.

LSU’s Jordan Mickey has been named to the Lefty Drisell All-American team. And Mickey is a finalist for the 2015 Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year Award. Mickey led the nation in shots blocked per game this past season.

Louisiana Tech point guard Speedy Smith was named an honorable mention on the Associated Press’ All-American team. Smith had 267 assists this past season, the most by any player in Division One basketball.