18:30 Newscast Feb 28

US News and World Report’s ranks Louisiana dead last on the new best state’s ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana did poorly in the areas of economy, government, crime and opportunity. She says education is also a big category and the Bayou State came in 46th.

Cut 10 (09) “ranks 44”

The accused drunk driver in the Endymion parade crash is facing 22 more counts of negligent vehicular injury. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says that number could still go up because the victim count is up to 32.

Cut 15 (11) “his life”

Neilson Rizzuto was originally booked on only four charges.

A North Louisiana state House candidate is coming under fire over a blackface photo. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

The Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputy who was injured in an ambush on police says he remembers the attack. That’s according to Deputy Nick Tullier’s father, who said in a Facebook post that Tullier feels like he’s getting better. According to the post, Tullier remembers the attack and told therapists that he saw God after being shot.

LRN AM NEWSCALL MARCH 1

The Lenten season is now underway and many people will be eager to get their share of seafood. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn” 

______________________________________

There’s been another call for State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson to resign. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________

Will Louisiana be the next state to get on board with a poison to control the feral hog population, after Texas recently approved it. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

Bankrate.com ranks Louisiana the fourth worst state for first time home buyers. Analyst Claes Bell says one reason for the low ranking is the tightness of the housing market. He says there are fewer homes on the market in Louisiana because construction isn’t keeping up with demand.

Cut 4  (10) “first time buyers”

Bell says first time buyers in a tight housing market have a hard time competing for a home that has multiple offers, because they tend to put less money down. He adds that a big issue for first time buyers is the inability to get a loan. He says Louisiana’s high unemployment rate could be a factor for lenders.

Cut 5  (09)  “in the area”

Bell says going to a local lender instead of a national bank could give first time buyers a better shot at getting financed. He says young buyers also might not have as much credit as older buyers, and that coupled with a small down payment could make it more difficult to get a home loan.

Cut 6 (09) “as well”

______________________________________

It’s Ash Wednesday and that means the start of the Lenten season, so many people will be lining up to get their share of seafood over the next 40 days. Chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board Chalin (Shal-in) DeLaune (De-lawn) says the supply of Louisiana oysters and crawfish is excellent.

Cut 7 (09)  “crawfish season”

But DeLaune says unfortunately the crab harvest is struggling in Louisiana, as there is a 30 day closure on commercial crabbing.

Cut 8 (09) “a way”

DeLaune also says shrimp is on the downside in the Bayou State this season, as the size of the prawns are relatively small. He says the size is perfect for a soup or gumbo but not so much for a boil or to fry.

Cut 9 (10)  “as well”

_________________________________________________________

Another person is calling for State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson to resign. Lloyd Grafton has recently resigned from the State Police Commission, and in his resignation letter to Governor John Bel Edwards, Grafton says Edmonson does whatever he chooses to do. He says when the commission approved a pay raise for LSP, they believed it would go to the troopers on the ground. But he says instead some of the highest ranking officials received $40-thousand pay increases.

Cut 10 (09) “management people”

In the letter, Grafton says Edmonson has no credibility when it comes to the truth and lavish spending. He says that is evidenced by the recent travel scandal where four troopers made stops in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon on their way to a training conference.

Cut 11 (11) “at all”

Grafton says LSP would be better off under new leadership, and US Senator John Kennedy has also called for Edmonson’s resignation. But Edmonson says he is not affiliated with the Louisiana State Police Commission.

Cut 12 (08) “state police”

An investigation into the travel incident is being conducted out of the Governor’s Office, and LSP is conducting their own internal investigation. Edmonson says they are going to get to the bottom of what happened, and then it’s time to move on.

Cut 13 (09) “moving forward”

_________________________________________________________

The Texas agriculture commissioner has approved a poison that farmers and ranchers can use to kill destructive feral hogs, so when will Louisiana get on board? Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says Kaput Feral Hog Lure could become available here in a month or two, but it will only be sold to those individuals who receive proper training.

Cut 14 (09) “this product”

Strain once you complete training, you can get an endorsement needed to buy Kaput. He says they’ll keep records of who is purchasing it to make sure it’s being used properly. He says the pigs will have to be fed corn for a few weeks to get them to come in to the feeder.

Cut 15 (08) “burying them”

It’s estimated there are 500-thousand feral hogs in Louisiana and they are known for destroying fields and pastures. Strain says they hope to have the product registry open in about a week and the state will do everything it can to make sure it is used as safely as possible. He says Kaput is 98 to 99-percent effective.

Cut 16 (08) “of regiments”

______________________________________________________

The Pelicans will look for their first win with All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in the starting line-up tonight when New Orleans hosts Detroit. Despite all the buzz the trade created, New Orleans is 0-3 since acquiring Cousins from the Sacramento Kings. Head Coach Alvin Gentry is optimistic the victories will come soon…

Cut 17 (15)  “what happens”

Cousins also feels good about the future of his new team, but it will take time…

Cut 18 (15) “starts clicking”

Both Cousins and fellow All-Star Anthony Davis are putting up good individual numbers in the three games they’ve played with each other. But the dynamic duo is not getting much help. Cousins says he’s spoken with A-D about how to get their teammates going

Cut 19 (19)   “of time”

17:30 Newscast Feb 28

No one knows what to expect from President Donald Trump’s address to Congress tonight. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says generally presidents deliver well thought out, rehearsed speech, but Mr. Trump is anything but predictable.

Cut 5 (07) “will do”

Hogan says it’s unclear if Mr. Trump will offer an olive branch to ease tensions, or go in for the attack.

A 15-year-old photo of Robbie Gatti wearing black face in a Halloween costume has surfaced, and it’s causing problems for his campaign for the district 8 seat vacated by Mike Johnson. LSU Shreveport political science professor Jeffery Sadow says 15 years ago, Gatti likely didn’t expect social media to blow up.

Cut 14 (10) “these days”

The accused driver in the Endymion crash is now facing an additional 22 counts of negligent vehicular injury. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino expects 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto to be sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars.

Cut 16 (07) “is significant”

Ciolino says Rizzuto can also expect a host of civil suits to be filed by the victims.

This Mardi Gras could be the warmest ever on record. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service says the weather today has been perfect for parade watching.

Cut 8 (08) “above that”

Grigsby says the current record was set back in 1917 at 83 degrees, and the coldest Fat Tuesday reached 30 degrees in 1899.

16:30 LRN Newscast Feb 28th

Louisiana is dead last on Us News & World Report’s new best states ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana ranks near or at the bottom for the economy, government, crime, and opportunity. She says healthcare was one of their biggest weighted categories, and Louisiana did poorly across the board…:
Cut 9 (10) “32″

Tonight, President Donald Trump gives his first speech in front of a joint session of Congress. The President is expected to talk about his plan to create jobs and LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says we should hear more about how the federal government plans to spend its money…
cut 4 (11) “…cost savings”
Mr. Trump’s speech will begin at 8 PM.

For most people Mardi Gras means a big party, but for the city of New Orleans, it also means big bucks. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 5 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

With afternoon highs in the low 80s today. This goes down as the one of the warmest Fat Tuesday’s in the state’s history. That’s according to Phil Grigsby, with the National Weather Service in Slidell….
cut 6 (10) “…of year”

16:45 LRN Sportscast Feb 28th

The NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis as draft-eligible football players begin talking with other teams. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier says outside linebacker Duke Riley is moving up the draft boards the fastest out of the former Tigers. He says the Buras native was an unknown player before the start of the 2016 season, now he has a chance to be a second-or-third round pick if he runs well in the 40-yard dash….
cut 18 (17) “….at LSU”
A total of 10 players from LSU are at the Combine, including Jamal Adams and Leonard Fournette. Both players have a chance at being a top five pick.

The schedule for SEC Media Days came out today and LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron will meet with hundreds of reporters on Monday, July 10th just outside of Birmingham, Alabama.

Fourth ranked LSU hosts Nicholls State tonight at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers will see left-hander Mike Hanchar on the mound tonight. He threw seven shutout innings against the Ragin Cajuns last week.

16th ranked UL Lafayette is at Northwestern State. Both teams are 3-and-3 on the season.

Louisiana Tech’s baseball game against Arkansas at J-C Love Field is sold out tonight. Both teams are undefeated.

Elsehwere, ULM is at Jackson State and Southeastern Louisiana begins a two-game series against 14th ranked Vanderbilt.

ULM athletics director Brian Wickstrom is reportedly a finalist for the A-D job at Sacramento State.

At the girls basketball tournament in Hammond…top seeded Houma Christian advanced to the Division Four State championship game with a come from behind 49-46 win over Southern Lab. Houma Christian will face Lafayette Christian in the title game as the Lady Knights were vistorious over Vermilion Catholic 48-38.

15:30 Newscast February 28,2017

US News and World Report’s finds Louisiana comes in dead last on the new best state’s ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana did poorly in the areas of economy, government, crime and opportunity. She says education is also a big category and the Bayou State came in 46th.
Cut 10 (09) “ranks 44″

The 25-year-old accused drunk driver in the Endymion parade crash is looking at more charges and the victim count is rising. Neilson Rizzuto is charged with 22 additional counts of negligent vehicular injury. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says that number could rise again as the victim count is up to 32.
Cut 15 (11) “his life”

 
A North Louisiana state House candidate is coming under fire over a blackface photo. Michelle Southern reports…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents arrested a man on charges of trafficking children for sex after fishing from an unregistered boat. LDWF says 26-year-old Jean Luc Williams of New Orleans was stopped to be checked for boating regulations and authorities discovered the boat was not registered and Williams had not completed the boating education class. Williams had a warrant for his arrest from Orleans Parish.

14:30 LRN Newscast February 28th

US News and World Report ranks Louisiana last in its best state ranking. The Bayou State ranked poorly in the areas of crime, economy, education and health care. But analyst Lindsey Cook says there were some areas where Louisiana ranked high in…
cut 11 (11) “…wellness visits”

A Bossier City republican running for a seat in the state legislature is having to explain why there’s a photo of him wearing black face paint. Robbie Gatti says the photo was taken 15 years ago at a church event, where he dressed up as golfer Tiger Woods. ULM political science professor Joshua Stockley…
cut 13 (10) “…address that”
In an interview on KEEL Radio in sShreveport, Gatti apologized and said he’s not a racist.

With temperatures in the low 80s across south Louisiana, the National Weather Service says this will likely go down as the warmest Fat Tuesday in recorded history. Forecaster Phil Grigsby says the warm temperatures are the result of a lack of cold fronts in Louisiana…
cut 7 (08) “…below normal”

The accused drunk driver who plowed through a crowd of parade goers in New Orleans on Saturday is now facing a total of 24 counts of first-degree vehicular negligent injuring. That’s in addition to the hit and run and careless operation charge he also faces. Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino says Neilson Rizzuto could be sentenced to at least 10 years of hard labor…
cut 16 (07) “….is significant”
Police say Rizzuto’s blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit.

LRN PM Newscall Feb 28th

Us News & World Report’s list of best states ranks Louisiana dead last in the nation. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________

A North Louisiana state House candidate is coming under fire over a blackface photo. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

Tonight President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress, and even political experts don’t know what to expect. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says this address will be unlike any we’ve seen in a while, as a Republican president will go before a GOP dominated Congress. But he says that doesn’t mean either chamber will fully support the President’s proposals.

Cut 3 (07) “Obamacare”

Hogan says healthcare will be a big topic, as will the budget. He says typically presidents use this address as an opportunity to push their legislative agendas, including taxes and spending. He expects there to be more support from the GOP for Mr. Trump’s spending plan.

cut 4  (11) “cost savings”

Hogan says it’s unclear whether Mr. Trump will offer an olive branch to ease tensions or go in for the attack. He says generally presidents deliver a well thought-out, rehearsed address that clearly outlines their priorities. But he say Mr. Trump is anything but predictable.

Cut 5  (07)  “will go”

_________________________________________________________

Mardi Gras 2017 could go down as the warmest Fat Tuesday on record in the Bayou state. Forecaster with the National Weather Service in New Orleans, Phil Grigsby, says the current record was set back in 1917 at 83 degrees. He says temperatures could surpass that today…

Cut 6 (10) “of year”

Grigsby credits the warm temperatures throughout the carnival season to the lack of cold fronts in Louisiana so far this winter.

CUT 7 (08)  “below normal”

Grigsby says the coldest Mardi Gras on record was set at 30 degrees back in 1899. He says today’s weather is perfect for parade watching…

Cut 8 (08) “of this guy”

_________________________________________________________

Louisiana came in dead last on Us News & World Report’s new best states ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana ranks near or at the bottom for the economy, government, crime, and opportunity. She says healthcare was one of their biggest weighted categories, and in that Louisiana did poorly across the board.

Cut 9 (10)  “32″

Cook says even with the recently expanded Medicaid program, health rankings like obesity won’t improve overnight. She says Louisiana ranks 39th for infrastructure and 42nd for transportation. She says education was also a big category, and the Bayou State came in at number 46.

Cut 10 (09) “ranks 44”

Cook says Louisiana was knocked down on the list for its high incarceration and crime rates, as it came in last for corrections. But she says Louisiana did fare well in some areas.

cut 11 (11) “wellness visits”

_________________________________________________________

A picture has surfaced of Robbie Gatti, who is a white Republican running for a seat in the state legislature, wearing black face paint as part of a Tiger Woods costume. Gatti says this photo was taken 15 years ago during a church function when the golfing star was at the height of his career. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says the photo will certainly not help Gatti’s campaign…

cut 12 (11) “judgement”

Gatti claims the church held a fall festival and he was told to dress up as a famous person. Stockley says Gatti probably didn’t know what his political future would hold 15 years ago. But he says the Bossier City politician should’ve know better…

Cut 13 (10) “address that” 

Gatti is one of four candidates running for the district 8 seat vacated by Mike Johnson. LSU Shreveport Political Science Professor Jeffery Sadow says 15 years ago, Gatti likely didn’t expect social media to blow up as it has today.

cut 14 (10) “these days”

________________________________________________________

The accused drunk driver in the Endymion parade crash is facing more and more charges and the victim count rises. Neilson Rizzuto has been charged with an additional 22 counts of negligent vehicular injury. Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino says that number could still go up because the victim count is up to 32.

Cut 15 (11) “his life”

The 25-year-old was originally booked on four charges, including two counts of negligent vehicular injury, hit and run causing serious injury, and careless operation. Ciolino expects Rizzuto to be sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars.

Cut 16  (07)  “is significant”

Ciolino says we can also expect a host of civil suits against Rizzuto to be filed by the victims.

________________________________________________________

13:30 Newscast, February 28th, 2017

Us News & World Report’s list of best states ranks Louisiana dead last in the nation. Halen Doughty has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Tonight President Donald Trump will speak before a joint session of Congress, and it’s not know what we could expect him to say. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan Mr. Trump is anything but predictable…:
CUT 5 (07) “will go”
Hogan says healthcare will be a big topic, as will the budget.

A picture has surfaced of a white candidate for the state legislature wearing blackface as part of a Tiger Woods costume. Robert Gatti, a Republican running for Congressman Mike Johnson’s open seat, said it’s a 15 year old photo he had no idea was offensive. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says this won’t help Gatti’s campaign..:
cut 12 (11) “judgement”
Gatti apologized and said he feels his opponents are behind the leak.

Laissez les bons temps rouler! It’s Mardi Gras and celebrations are taking place today throughout the state. More and more people are visiting Louisiana every year to celebrate Fat Tuesday, according to a study from WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales says New Orleans is slammed right now…:
Cut 14 (10) “city’s population”

 

12:30 Newscast, February 28th, 2017

Louisiana came in dead last on Us News & World Report’s new best states ranking. Analyst Lindsey Cook says Louisiana ranks near or at the bottom for the economy, government, crime, and opportunity. She says healthcare was one of their biggest weighted categories, and in that Louisiana did poorly across the board…:
Cut 9 (10) “32″
Cook says Louisiana was also knocked down on the list for its high incarceration and crime rates.

It’s Mardi Gras and this one could be the warmest on record. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service in New Orleans says these temperatures are far better for parades than a cold Fat Tuesday
CUT 8 (08) “well above that”
He says the current Mardi Gras record was set back in 1917 at 83 degrees.

Robbie Gattie, a candidate for the Bossier City area House seat vacated when Mike Johnson left for Congress, is coming under fire over a picture of him in blackface. The Republican told KEEL in Shreveport today that it was taken 15 years ago at a church costume party where he dressed as Tiger Woods, and he had no idea it was offensive…:
CUT 25 (05) “I mean never”
Gatti also issued an apology on the show, and said he felt his opponents were behind the leak. The special election is March 25.