11:40 LRN Sportscast February 28th

The NFL Scouting Combine begins today in Indianapolis and Draft analyst Mike Detillier says wide receiver Malachi Dupre has the most to gain out of the former LSU Tigers, because the former John Curtis star had trouble catching passes early in 2016…
cut 17 (19) “…quarterback play”
Detillier says a good performance during the scouting combine and at LSU pro day could result in Dupre being taken in the second or third round.

In other football news…LSU basketball player Brad Bridgewater says he might try out for the football team. He played tight end in high school.

And Mississippi State Football Coach Dan Mullen has agreed to a four-year contract extension.

The fourth ranked LSU baseball team will host Nicholls State tonight. Freshman right-hander Zack Hess will start for the Tigers, the Colonels will counter with senior left-hander Mike Hanchar. Coach Paul Mainieri announced yesterday that reliever Doug Norman is done for the season as he’ll need elbow surgery on his throwing arm.

Two undefeated teams are undefeated meet in Ruston tonight as Louisiana Tech hosts Arkansas in a game that can be seen on CST. ULM is at Jackson State, the 16th ranked Cajuns are at Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana begins a two-game series at Vanderbilt.

In college hoops, Frank Bartley had 21 points and five steals as the Cajuns defeated Appalachian State 77-62 as UL Lafayette is now 8-8 in the Sun Belt. ULm lost to Coastal Carolina 77-72.

And Warhawks athletic director Brian Wickstrom is reportedly a finalist for the athletic director job at Sacramento State. Wickstorm has led ULM athletics the last three years.

11:30 Newscast, February 28th, 2017

Tonight President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress, so what can we 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”
The address will be Mr. Trump’s biggest national audience since his swearing-in ceremony.

Mardi Gras 2017 could go down as the warmest Fat Tuesday on record in Louisiana. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service in New Orleans says temperatures could surpass the record of 83 degrees set in 1917…:
Cut 6 (09) “of year”
He says the coldest Mardi Gras on record was set at 30 degrees back in 1899.

It looks like there’s no shortage of crawfish for today’s Mardi Gras celebrations and the upcoming Lenten season. Jeff Palermo has more.:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

About 1.4 million people visit New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season, which is more than 4 times the city’s population according to a study from WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales says that means big bucks for The Crescent City’s economy…:
Cut 15 (07) “to add up”
She says last Mardi Gras almost 150,000 people flew to New Orleans.

 

10:30 Newscast Feb 28

Mardi Gras means big bucks for the Big Easy. According to a report from WalletHub, the carnival season has an economic impact of $465 million for the Crescent City, and analyst Jill Gonzales says it’s growing every year.

Cut 13 (10) “higher numbers”

Gonzales says 1.4 million people visit New Orleans during the Carnival season.

Mardi Gras celebrations are getting underway, including the Krewe of Frank parade in Opelousas. The parade was almost cancel because of cuts to the police department, but a local businessman stepped up to save the day. Bob Giles covered the cost of the police security detail for the parade.

Cut 9 (09) “do something”

Giles previously donated 55 bulletproof vests to the Opelousas Police Department.

Not every Louisiana town will celebrate Mardi Gras with huge Krewe parades. Brian Costello outlines the variety of festivities in his new book “Carnival in Louisiana.” He says instead of parades and floats, some Cajun communities will continue the tradition of Courier de Mardi Gras.

Cut 6 (07) “day’s end”

Costello says the tradition dates back to the 18th century.

Another huge Fat Tuesday tradition is crawfish, and Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU AgCeter says there’s no shortage of mudbugs as we enter the Lenten season. But he says with the nice weather, lots of people are looking for a sack, and prices depend on supply and demand.

Cut 12 (09) “two days”

He recommends calling ahead to reserve your sack.

09:30 Newscast, February 28th, 2017

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…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

According to an analysis based on things like health care, education, infrastructure, and crime, Louisiana is the worst state in the nation. US News & World Report released a “Best States” list and Louisiana received low marks on crime and corrections, opportunity, education, economy and government, health-care and infrastructure.

The Opelousas Mardi Gras parade will go on as planned today, even after a risk of cancellation, all thanks to businessman Bob Giles. The city faced extreme cuts and didn’t have the money to pay for security. But Giles says he couldn’t sit back and watch the Krewe of Frank Parade be cancelled due to lack of funding…:
Cut 8 (10) “do so”
Giles previously donated 55 bulletproof vests to the Opelousas Police Department.

Lots of folks are off today and celebrating Mardi Gras with crawfish. Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU Ag Center says the supply is great right now which is good news considering the Lenten season begins tomorrow..:
Cut 11 (10) “the market”
He says the prices may be a little higher this week due to demand being so high.

 

08:30 Newscast, February 28th, 2017

About 1.4 million people visit New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season, which is more than 4 times the city’s population according to a study from WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales says that means big bucks for The Crescent City’s economy…:
Cut 15 (07) “to add up”
She says last year almost 150,000 people flew to New Orleans to take part in carnival celebrations.

A local businessman stepped up to ensure the annual Opelousas Mardi Gras parade will roll on. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Brian Cosetllo is the author of a new book, “Carnival in Louisiana: Celebrating Mardi Gras from the French Quarter to the Red River.” It outlines Fat Tuesday traditions throughout the state, including one of the most unique rooted in Catholic culture along coastal Louisiana…:
Cut 5 (11) “their prayers”
Also in Cajun towns the tradition of the Courir de Mardi Gras is alive and well.

The trial date for the woman accused of shooting LDWF agent Tyler Wheeler was set Monday in Morehouse Parish. 31-year-old Amethyst Baird has pleaded not guilty on a charge of first-degree murder, according to court officials, and will be tried on September 25th with a July 18th hearing.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’ve seized about 60 pounds of marijuana when executing a narcotics related search warrant in Denham Springs. They said deputies located and seized approximately 8 duffel bags containing numerous bags of marijuana, electronic scales, packaging materials and over $100,000 in cash.

 

07:30 Newscast, February 28th, 2017

Laissez les bons temps rouler! It’s Mardi Gras and celebrations are taking place this morning 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 explains why traffic might be at a standstill right now heading into The Big Easy…:
Cut 14 (10) “city’s population”

There’s no shortage of mudbugs for Mardi Gras. That’s according to Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU Ag Center who says the mild winter in Louisiana has helped crawfish farmers catch up. But he says since there are plenty out there, many people are planning boils today…:
Cut 10 (09) “as well”
He says because there are so many people partying today, the price per pound of crawfish could be higher than usual for a couple of days.

How about this heart warming Fat Tuesday story? The city of Opelousas almost had to cancel their parade today due to lack of funds to pay for security. But businessman Bob Giles, who owns car dealerships in Acadiana, stepped up to help the Krewe of Frank Parade…:
CUT 7 (11) “take place”
He says he couldn’t stand by and watch a nearly 20 year old Opelousas Krewe cancel their parade due to lack of funding. It rolls at 11 this morning.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been in Washington D.C. over the past several days meeting with President Donald Trump and FEMA about flood relief and tornado disaster recovery. The governor returns today and will hold a news conference this afternoon at the New Orleans Airport to provide an update on his meetings as the state seeks an additional $2 billion dollars in flood relief from Congress.

 

06:45 Sportscast, February 28th, 2017

The NFL Scouting Combine gets underway today in Indianapolis and 10 former LSU Tigers will participate. It’s an opportunity for running back Leonard Fournette to show NFL teams he’s over an ankle injury that limited him to seven games last season. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier says teams near the top of the first round will also be interested in talking with Fournette..:
Cut 16 (20) “on the track”
He says outside linebacker Duke Riley is moving up the draft boards the fastest out of the former Tigers, and Malachi Dupre has the most to gain, as he had trouble catching passes early in 2016.

Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen has been given a four-year contract extension through 2021, the school announced Monday. His deal will be $4.5 million dollars this season.

LSU senior left-hander Jared Poche was named Monday as one of the Collegiate Baseball National Players of the Week. He fired a no-hitter for two weekends in a row tossing eight hitless innings against Maryland on Saturday.

The Tigers will take on Nicholls State today at the Box. LSU coach Paul Maineri announced more injury news Monday, as junior pitcher Doug Norman will miss the remainder of the 2017 season.

Northwestern State hosts No. 16 UL-Lafayette today in Natchitoches. Both the Demons and the Ragin Cajuns are 3-3 on the season.

Two unbeaten teams will face off in Ruston today as Louisiana Tech hosts no. 24 Arkansas at JC Love Field. The Bulldogs are off to their best start in school history. Tech pitcher Nate Harris has been named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week.

In college hoops last night, UL-Lafayette pulled away to defeat Appalachian State 77-62 in Sun Belt Conference action. ULM fell to Coastal Carolina 77-72. Grambling lost to Mississippi Valley State 84-80. Nicholls’ center Liam Thomas has been named the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball player of the week.

 

06:30 Newscast, February 28th, 2017

It’s Fat Tuesday, and a report by WalletHub finds more and more people are letting the good times roll in Louisiana. Analyst Jill Gonzales says Mardi Gras is growing every year as people actually save up to visit the Big Easy for the Carnival season…:
Cut 13 (10) “higher numbers”
She says Mardi Gras has an economic impact of $465 million for New Orleans alone.

But parades and celebrations that are centuries old take place throughout the state. New Roads native Brian Cosetllo recently wrote a new book called “Carnival in Louisiana: Celebrating Mardi Gras from the French Quarter to the Red River.” He says everyone is familiar with the large Krewe parades in cities like Lafayette and New Orleans, but small towns also get in on the fun…:
Cut 4 (11) “community participation”

Forecasters say that this Mardi Gras in southeast Louisiana could be the warmest in more than 70 years, with highs expected to reach the low to mid 80s.

It looks like there’s no shortage of crawfish for today’s Fat Tuesday celebrations and the upcoming Lenten season. Jeff Palermo has more:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

 

 

AM Newscall February 28,2017

A local businessman stepped up to ensure the annual Opelousas Mardi Gras parade will roll on. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn” 

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It looks like there’s no shortage of crawfish for today’s Mardi Gras celebrations and the upcoming Lenten season.  Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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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…

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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It is Fat Tuesday a day filled with Mardi Gras parades and celebrations that are centuries old. New Roads native Brian Cosetllo recently wrote a new book called “Carnival in Louisiana: Celebrating Mardi Gras from the French Quarter to the Red River.” He says everyone is familiar with the large Krewe parades in cities like Lafayette and New Orleans, but small towns also get in on the fun.

Cut 4  (11) “community participation”

Costello says one of the more unique traditions that’s rooted in ancient Catholic tradition continues today in coastal Louisiana.

Cut 5  (11)  “their prayers”

Costello says several Cajun communities will not have any parades or floats today, instead they’ll continue the tradition of the Courir de Mardi Gras, which goes back to the 18th Century.

Cut 6 (07) “day’s end”

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The Opelousas Mardi Gras parade will go on as planned today, even after a risk of cancellation, all thanks to businessman Bob Giles. The parade was in jeopardy as the police department faced extreme cuts, making it impossible for them to provide the security detail for the Krewe of Frank Parade. Giles, of Giles Automotive, stepped up to support the community…

Cut 7 (11)  “take place”

The parade will roll at 11:00 a.m. today. Giles says about 20 police officers are needed for three hours to mediate traffic before and after the parade. He says Mardi Gras is a huge part of Louisiana culture and he didn’t want the parade to be canceled due to a lack of funding.

Cut 8 (10) “do so”

Giles previously donated 55 bulletproof vests to the Opelousas Police Department. Giles says the feeling he gets for helping the community can’t be beat…

Cut 9 (09)  “do something”

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Although the crawfish season got off to a relatively slow start, there is no shortage of mudbugs for the Mardi Gras holiday. That’s according to Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU Ag Center who says the mild winter Louisiana has helped crawfishermen catch up. But he says because supplies are up, everybody wants to get their hands on a sack.

Cut 10 (09) “as well”

Lutz says when the weather starts to warm up, people start to have crawfish boils plus the Lenten season is set to start…

Cut 11 (10) “the market”

Lutz says the further we get into the season, the more helpful rain becomes to freshen up the ponds but currently the weather is doing just fine for the harvest. He says the prices per pound for mudbugs all depend on supply and demand.

Cut 12 (09) “two days”

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It’s Fat Tuesday, and a report by WalletHub finds more and more people are letting the good times roll in the Bayou State. WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzales says Mardi Gras has an economic impact of $465 million for New Orleans alone. She adds that it’s growing every year as more and more people save up to visit the Big Easy for the Carnival season.

Cut 13 (10) “higher numbers”

Everyone knows the crowds in the French Quarter are hard to navigate during Mardi Gras. Gonzales says that’s because there’s a huge influx of visitors in the Crescent City.

Cut 14 (10) “city’s population”

Gonzales says float riders spend about $500 on beads and throws, and a ticket to a Krewe ball averages $150. She adds the average Mardi Gras mask is about $6, and King Cakes usually run $35. She says the festivities can get expensive.

Cut 15 (07) “to add up”

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The NFL Scouting Combine gets underway today in Indianapolis and 10 former LSU Tigers will participate. It’s an opportunity for running back Leonard Fournette to show NFL teams he’s over an ankle injury that limited him to seven games last season. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier says teams near the top of the first round will also be interested in talking with Fournette

Cut 16 (20) “on the track”

Detillier says wide receiver Malachi Dupre has the most the gain out of the former LSU Tigers, because the former John Curtis star had trouble catching passes early in 2016

Cut 17 (19)  “quarterback play”

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-third round pick if he runs well in the 40-yard dash

Cut 18 (17) “at LSU”

6:30 Newscast February 27,2017

What kind of jail time might the man who drunkenly plowed into a crowd at the Endymion parade in New Orleans be facing? 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto is charged with negligent vehicular injury among other charges after cops say he crashed into a crowd sending 21 to the hospital…:
CUT 6 (10) “five year sentence”

That’s legal analyst Tim Meche who says Rizzuto could be looking at 5-10 years but it depends on how the prosecution stacks up the counts.

A Mansfield man is behind bars on a murder charge after he fatally shot a man who was allegedly vandalizing his car. Police Chief Gary Hobbs says 34-year-old Cody Parker has filed police reports in the past for issues with vandalism.
Cut 14 (11) “…of it”
Hobbs says they’re trying to determine if Parker and the victim, 50-year-old James Hewitt, had a previous connection.

 

Sneezing more than normal? Itchy/watery eyes? Experts say allergy season is hitting Louisiana with a bang this year. Michelle Southern reports…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

A Breaux Bridge man has been arrested after trying to rob a store in Henderson but eventually bought an item after the clerk did not immediately do as ordered. The St. Martin’s Parish Sheriff’s Office says 35-year-old Homer John left the store and went to a casino where he was arrested. John faces multiple charges including attempted armed robbery with the use of a firearm.