LRN AM Newscall March 3rd

A Spirit of America Rally will take place Saturday on the steps of the State Capitol to support President Trump. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn” 

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The third annual Louisiana Winter Beer Festival takes place tomorrow in Lake Charles. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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More low income parents who have students attending failing schools are using another option other than taxpayer funded vouchers to send their child to a private school. Halen Doughty has more on the state’s growing tuition donation rebate program…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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A Spirit of America Rally will be held on the steps of the State Capitol tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. to show support for President Donald Trump. Similar rallies have taken place throughout the week, leading up to this event. Leader of Gator PAC Col. Rob Maness says Trump supporters will address what they hope will be a large gathering…

Cut 4  (09) “to speak”

Tickets are not required to attend. Maness encourages everyone to wear their “Make America Great Again” attire.

Cut 5  (07)  “supporting America”

For more information visit Tea-Party-of-Louisiana-dot-net (teapartyoflouisiana.net). Maness says it’s time for the country, regardless of political party, to come together to support President Trump.

Cut 6 (04) “about unity”

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Over 20-thousand Louisiana taxpayers are due a refund from the federal government and time is running out to claim them. I-R-S spokesperson Bill Brunson says these individuals have not received their refund, because they didn’t file a 2013 federal income tax return. He says citizens due this cash must file the necessary paperwork by April 18.

Cut 7 (11)  “general fund”

Brunson says the median potential refund is $763. He says it can be hard for people to get their W-2 or 1099 from three years ago because the taxpayer may not have the same employer. But he says the IRS can help with that.

Cut 8 (08) “no charge”

Brunson says people can request a Wage and Income transcript at IRS.gov. The IRS estimates more than $21 million in unclaimed refunds may be available to Louisiana taxpayers. Brunson says unfortunately, the IRS deals with this every year.

Cut 9 (10)  “timely manner”

To find out if you filed your 2013 taxes, call the IRS hotline at 800-829-1040.

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The third annual Louisiana Winter Beer Festival takes place tomorrow in Lake Charles at the Historic Calcasieu Marine National Bank building. Co-chair and co-founder of the Festival Nick Villaume says they chose Lake Charles to host the event to show off the culture and history of the city. He says they’ve created a world class festival that can stand up to one in a major market.

Cut 10 (10) “as well”

Tickets are 50 dollars per person and are available on la-winter-beer-fest-dot-com (lawinterbeerfest.com). Villaume says what makes the Winter Beer Festival special is their big focus on Louisiana breweries. He says over 125 beers are on the menu from about 45 different breweries this year.

Cut 11 (09) “hot blooded”

Villaume says Crying Eagle Brewery is hosting a Louisiana Brewers Ball tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. He says they’re also introducing another Louisiana beer at the festival.

Cut 12 (06) “s well”

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A program that covers most of the cost of private and charter school tuition for low income students is growing rapidly, giving students zoned for failing schools an option other than taxpayer funded vouchers. The tuition donation rebate program was established in a bill by River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot. He says this program puts students on a path to success.

Cut 13 (08) “a fact”

The money to support this tuition program comes from corporations and private donors and it helps pay for a significant portion of a child’s tuition, with parents covering the remaining costs. Talbot says the way it is set up, local schools do not lose state funding and companies who donate receive rebates, so they lose very little as well. He says it’s a win-win for the students and the state.

Cut 14 (08) “of dollars”

When the tuition donation rebate program began in 2014, only 63 students received scholarships, and now over 16-hundred students are attending private schools on scholarships from the program. Talbot expects it to grow even more in the coming years. He says Arete Scholars Louisiana and ACE Scholarships Louisiana administer the scholarships, and parents pick the school.

Cut 15 (10) “accepting vouchers”

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LSU gets a chance to face some of the best teams from the Big 12 this weekend when they compete in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park. Tonight, LSU faces top ranked TCU, on Saturday it’s undefeated Baylor and Sunday its 21st ranked Texas Tech. Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri says this weekend will continue the process of building a championship-caliber team

Cut 16 (20) “ball clubs”

All three games will be played at the home of the Houston Astros. Mainieri says he wants his team to embrace this challenge…

Cut 17 (20)  “to LSU”

Shortstop Kramer Robertson played in this event in 2015 and the Tigers won all three games, beating Houston, Baylor and Nebraska. Big crowds are expected this weekend and Robertson says at least they know what it’s like to play in front of several thousand fans

Cut 18 (16) “like that”

 

17:30 LRN Newscast March 2nd

Governor Edwards and the Louisiana Republican Party is asking Congressman Cedric Richmond to apologize after making an offensive comment about Kellyanne Conway’s sitting position in a viral picture. Emelie Gunn has more…
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The Calcaiseu Parish Sheriff’s Office says two people from Leesville are under arrest for allegedly leaving their 2 year old child in a vehicle alone while they went into a casino and gambled. The 23-year-old mother and 30-year-old father were booked with child desertion.

Sad story, out of Livingston Parish. A Denham Springs teen died after being hit by a vehicle on his way to school. Police Chief Shannon Womack…:
Cut 3 (06) “pickup truck”
The family has identified the victim’s name as Bryce Edling. The driver has not been cited.

President Donald Trump has signed Louisiana Congressman Ralph Abraham’s bill that provides gun rights for certain disabled individuals who receive Social Security. It ends a regulation implemented by the Obama administration that required the Social Security Administration to automatically report any beneficiary who receives assistance managing their finances due to a mental disability. Abraham on his legislation..
cut 12 (12) “…gun rights”

16:45 LRN Sportscast March 2nd

Former LSU running back Leonard Fournette spoke with the media today at the NFL Scouting Combine about his weight. Fournette weighed in at 240 pounds, after playing at LSU at 235. The future first-round pick says he’s not worried about the extra weight…
cut 30 (07) “….away completely”
Fournette will run the 40 yard dash tomorrow and he expects to run a 4.4

Former Ragin Cajuns star Elijah McGuire also runs tomorrow. He’s considered one of the top senior running backs in the draft.

The Saints are reportedly looking at trading wide receiver Brandin Cooks. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen says the Eagles and Titans are two teams with the most interest in the former first round draft pick. Cooks has put up good numbers the last couple of seasons, but also has complained about he was used in the Saints offense. New Orleans also has good depth at the wide receiver position with Michael Thomas and Willie Snead.

It could be a special night for the UNO athletic program as the men’s basketball team can become the first sport at that school to win a conference title since Hurricane Katrina. If the Privateers beat Southeastern Louisiana they will clinch at least a share of the Southland title. A win for Southeastern and they’ll clinch a spot in next weeks’ conference tournament in Katy, Texas.

Nicholls is also trying to lock up a spot in the Southland tourney. The Colonels are at Lamar tonight.

In the Sun Belt…the Ragin Cajuns look for their fifth straight win as they host Texas State. While ULM hosts the top team in the league, UT Airlington.

Tomorrow night, the Pelicans host the top team in the Southwestern Division as they host San Antonio. Last night New Orleans defeated Detroit 109-86.

And tonight its the Class Five-A semifinals at the state girls basketball tournament in Hammond. Barbe takes on East St. John, while Natchitoches Central faces Destrehan.

16:30 LRN Newscast March 2nd

U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond of New Orleans is receiving criticism for a joke he made about Kellyanne Conway, an advisor to President Donald Trump. Richmond said Conway looked kind of familiar in that position, as he referenced a photo of Conway kneeling on a sofa in the Oval office. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says Richmond made the statement while trading jokes with a Senator from South Carolina in a very public setting…
cut 9 (03) “…seriously”
But the Louisiana Republican Party is not laughing. They believe an apology from the Democratic lawmaker is necessary and Governor John Bel Edwards believes Richmond should apologize as well.

A former choir director at Neville High School in Monroe is facing additional charges today related to his arrest on allegations of sexual misconduct with students and providing his victims with marijuana. BESE member Gary Jones says they will attempt to have 25-year-old Christian Amos’ teaching license revoked.

Congressman Clay Higgins visited the I-10 Bridge in Lake Charles to discuss and inspect the structure due to some travelers’ concerns about its safety. The freshman representative met with DOTD engineers to tour the bridge. Higgins says, even though the bridge is sound, he along with DOTD feel it needs a major overhaul…:
Cut 13 (09) “with that”
A video of the tour is posted on Higgins’ Facebook page.

President Donald Trump has signed a bill by Richland Congressman Ralph Abraham that scraps an Obama Administration rule that elderly people who need help with their taxes can’t buy a gun. Abraham is glad the new administration moved quickly to sign this pro-Second Amendment law…:
cut 11 (08) “understand it”

15:30 Newscast March 2

Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Republican Party are calling for Congressman Cedric Richmond to apologize after saying Kellyanne Conway looked familiar while on her knees on a couch in the Oval Office. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says Richmond’s joke came after US Senator Tim Scott made racial jokes at the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner.

Cut 8 (10) “CSPAN”

Richmond says his joke may have been misinterpreted.

The 15-year-old who died after being hit by a truck on his way to school has been identified as Bryce Edling. Denham Springs Police Chief Shannon Womack says Edling was walking to school when he was hit by a pickup truck.

Cut 4 (03) “high school”

Information about the driver has not been released.

President Donald Trump has signed a bill by Congressman Ralph Abraham into law that protects senior citizen’s gun rights. Abraham says a policy from the Obama Administration threatened the Second Amendment rights of the elderly.

Cut 10 (11) “mentally incompetent”

Abraham says needing help filing taxes doesn’t make someone mentally incompetent.

A Baton Rouge man is behind bars on a murder charge for allegedly shooting his son during an altercation. BRPD Sgt. Don Coppola says 23-year-old Tyrone Isaac was shot once in the chest by his father Rico Wilbert around 11 p.m. last night.

Cut 6 (06) “2nd degree murder”

LRN PM Newscall March 2nd

The Louisiana Republican Party is asking Congressman Cedric Richmond to apologize after making an offensive comment about Kellyanne Conway’s sitting position in a viral picture. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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President Donald Trump has signed a gun rights law by Congressman Ralph Abraham into law. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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A Denham Springs teen has died after being hit by a vehicle on his way to school. Police Chief Shannon Womack says the name of the juvenile has not been released. He says they received a call reporting the incident a little after 7 a.m.

Cut 3 (06) “pickup truck”

The family has identified the victim as Bryce Edling. Womack says impairment is not suspected, but the driver is being tested. The driver’s name has also not been released. He says they believe the 15-year-old was on his way to school when the fatal accident occurred.

cut 4  (03) “high school”

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A Baton Rouge man has been arrested for the murder of his son. Sgt. Don Coppola with Baton Rouge Police says 23-year-old Tyrone Isaac got into a physical altercation with his father, Rico Wilbert

Cut 5  (08)  “result of that”

Coppola says it’s a sad situation when anyone is killed in an altercation like this, but especially if it’s a father and son. He says Isaac was shot once in the chest around 11 p.m. last night.

Cut 6 (06) “2nd degree murder”

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New Orleans Congressman Cedric Richmond says his joke about Donald Trump aid Kellyanne Conway was misinterpreted. Richmond spoke last night at the Washington Press Club Foundation Dinner and joked that Conway “looked familiar” while kneeling. Richmond was alluding to a well-known photo of Conway on her knees on a sofa in the Oval Office. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says Richmond’s comment will fade away from the headlines.

CUT 7 (06)  “her own”

Dubos says Conway’s comment about alternative facts will be around a lot longer than Richmond’s comment about her sitting position. He says Richmond’s joke came after U.S. Senator Tim Scott made a lot of racial jokes before the audience.

Cut 8 (10) “CSPAN”

The Louisiana Republican Party says Congressman Richmond made a deeply offensive remark regarding Kellyanne Conway and he owes her a sincere and prompt apology. Dubos says he was watching this as it was happening and it was a light hearted setting and it’s possible Richard may have went over the line but…

Cut 9 (03)  “seriously”

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A gun rights bill by Congressman Ralph Abraham has been signed into law by President Donald Trump. The Republican from Richland Parish says the bill protects the Second Amendment rights of elderly people after a policy put in place by the Obama Administration put them in jeopardy.

Cut 10 (11) “mentally incompetent”

Abraham says under the Obama executive order, elderly people who needed help filing their taxes could no longer own or purchase firearms. He says needing help filing taxes doesn’t make someone mentally incompetent. Abraham says is glad the new administration moved quickly sign this new pro-Second Amendment law.

cut 11 (08) “understand it”

Supporters of the old rule say guns can be dangerous in the hands of people with mental disabilities. Abraham says dealing with people with true mental illnesses and disorders is entirely different, and that’s not the way the rule was written under the Obama Administration.

cut 12 (12) “gun rights”

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Congressman Clay Higgins visited the I-10 Bridge in Lake Charles to discuss and inspect the structure due to some travelers’ concerns about its safety. The freshman representative met with DOTD engineers to tour the bridge. Higgins says, even though the bridge is sound, he along with DOTD feel it needs a major overhaul…:

Cut 13 (09) “with that” 

Higgins had previously drew parallels between the Southwest Louisiana Bridge and the Oroville Dam disaster in California. He says the bridge is not in danger of falling, but clearly needs things like railings, lights, shoulders to meet modern safety standards…:

cut 14 (09) “in Louisiana”

(A video of the tour was posted on Higgins’ Facebook page.)

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14:30 LRN Newscast March 2nd

President Donald Trump has signed Louisiana Congressman Ralph Abraham’s bill that provides gun rights for certain disabled individuals who receive Social Security. It ends a regulation implemented by the Obama administration that required the Social Security Administration to automatically report any beneficiary who receives assistance managing their finances due to a mental disability. Abraham on his legislation..
cut 12 (12) “…gun rights”

Sad story, out of Livingston Parish. A Denham Springs teen died after being hit by a vehicle on his way to school. Police Chief Shannon Womack…:
Cut 3 (06) “pickup truck”
The family has identified the victim’s name as Bryce Edling. The driver has not been cited.

Many motorists in southwest Louisiana have concerns over the I-10 bridge in Lake Charles, which is 65 years old. US Representative Clay Higgins toured the bridge with engineers from the state department of transportation and says the structure is not in danger of falling, but clearly needs new railings, lights, shoulders to meet modern safety standards…
cut 14 (09) “….in Louisiana”
Higgins says he’ll work in Washington to secure funding for a new bridge or a major upgrade to the current one.

A Baton Rouge man has been arrested for the murder of his son. Sgt. Don Coppola with Baton Rouge Police says 23-year-old Tyrone Isaac got into a physical altercation with his father, Rico Wilbert..:
Cut 5 (08) “result of that”
Wilbert is booked with second degree murder.

13:30 Newscast, March 2nd, 2017

New Orleans Congressman Cedric Richmond says his comment about White House aid Kellyanne Conway was misinterpreted. Richmond was attending a Washington fundraiser last night and said Conway’s position “looked familiar” in a photo of her on her knees on a sofa in the Oval Office. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says Richmond’s comment will fade away from the headlines…:
CUT 7 (06) “her own”
The Louisiana Republican Party says this is sexism at its worst and Richmond should apologize right away.

The Baton Rouge Police Department arrests a man in the shooting death of his son. They say the suspect, 48-year-old Rico Wilbert, had been in an altercation with the victim, 23-year-old Tyrone Issac. Sgt. Don Coppola Isaac was shot once in the chest allegedly by Wilbert..:
Cut 6 (06) “2nd degree murder”

Congressman Clay Higgins visited the I-10 Bridge in Lake Charles to discuss and inspect the structure due to some travelers’ concerns about its safety. The freshman representative met with DOTD engineers to tour the bridge. Higgins says, even though the bridge is sound, he along with DOTD feel it needs a major overhaul…:
Cut 13 (09) “with that”
A video of the tour was posted on Higgins’ Facebook page.

President Donald Trump has signed a bill by Richland Congressman Ralph Abraham that scraps an Obama Administration rule that elderly people who need help with their taxes can’t buy a gun. Abraham says is glad the new administration moved quickly sign this new pro-Second Amendment law…:
cut 11 (08) “understand it”

 

12:30 Newscast, March 2nd, 2017

A gun rights bill by Congressman Ralph Abraham has been signed into law by President Donald Trump. The Republican from Richland Parish says the measure protects the Second Amendment rights of elderly people after a policy put in place by the Obama Administration put them in jeopardy….:
Cut 10 (11) “mentally incompetent”
He says he’s glad President Trump repealed this regulation he says is a direct threat to the Constitution.

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. A 15-year-old who was walking to school this morning in Denham Springs, died after being hit by a truck as he was trying to cross the road. His family has identified the teen as Bryce Edling. Denham Springs Police Chief Shannon Womack says the student was headed to class…:
cut 4 (03) “high school”
The tragic incident is under investigation.

Women of the Louisiana Republican Party are demanding an apology from Congressman Cedric Richmond to White House adviser Kellyanne Conway over a comment he made they call deeply offensive. In a now-famous photo, Conway is seen kneeling on a couch in the Oval Office. During a fundraiser in D.C., Richmond said Conway “looked familiar in that position.” In a statement, the LA-GOP called the remark sexism at its worst. Richmond later said he only meant it as a joke that she was behaving too comfortably in a room filled with people.

A Baton Rouge man convicted of killing his 5-year-old son will spend the rest of his life behind bars. East Baton Rouge DA Hillar Moore said 38-year-old Vernell Day’s defense argued during sentencing Wednesday that their client had another child that was never hurt. Moore that doesn’t fly…:
CUT 15 (08) “him on that”
Day was convicted of beating 5-year-old Jay’v’une Bergin to death in 2014.

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast March 2nd

There’s interesting trade news involving the New Orleans Saints today. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports the Titans and Eagles are interested in acquiring wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who last year complained about how he was being used in the Saints offense. The former first-round pick still caught 78 passes for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns. But New Orleans is deep at wide receiver with Michael Thomas and Willie Snead.

The Louisiana Tech baseball team’s 15-game winning steak ended yesterday as 20th ranked Arkansas rallied from a 10-1 deficit to beat the Bulldogs 13-10. Tech will try to start a new winning streak tomorrow when they host Wichita State.

And the LSU men’s basketball team’s 15-game losing streak is over. The Tigers won for the first time since January 4th as they beat Tennessee 92-82 last night on Senior Night. Brandon Sampson led LSU with a career-high 24.

The Pelicans snapped a three-game losing streak by downing Detroit 109-86 last night. Newly acquired all-star center DeMarcus Cousins did not play, because he was serving a one-game suspension from the league for having too many technical fouls over the course of the season. Anthony Davis had 33 points and 14 rebounds for the Pels and Jrue Holiday added 22 points. New Orleans hosts San Antonio tomorrow night.

In college basketball tonight….the Cajuns look for their fifth straight win as they host Texas State. ULM will host U-T Arlington.

In the Southland, first place UNO hosts Southeastern Louisiana. A win over the Lions would give New Orleans at least a share of the conference title. Nicholls is at Lamar. The Colonels currently own the eighth and final spot in the Southland tournament with a couple of games left in the regular season.

If Northwestern State wants to make the Southland tourney, they’ll have to beat Stephen F Austin tonight.

In other action…McNeese is at Sam Houston. Southern visits Prairie View, Grambling hosts Alabama A-and-M and Tulane travels to Memphis.