14:30 LRN Newscast July 3rd

Secretary of State Tom Schedler will not turn over voter identification information as requested by President Donald Trump’s voting commission. Schedler says voter information like Social Security numbers, birth dates and mother’s maiden name should remain private. The Republican calls the request by Trump’s commission an overreach and politically motivated. Schedler says state law allows anyone to purchase limited voter information, which would include names, party registrations, voter histories, but not how a person votes.

Heat indices are over 100-degrees, which is why the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is asking residents to take steps to avoid heat exhaustion. GOHSEP spokesperson Mike Steele says an even more dangerous situation is heat stroke and those symptoms include…
cut 7 (10) “…they’re ok”
Steele says if you’re going to be outside for a long period of time, wear loose fitting clothing and light colored clothes.

An off duty Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Deputy was killed in a single vehicle wreck in Thibodaux on LA 304 late Sunday afternoon. State Trooper Jesse LaGrange says 21-year-old Seth Bourgeois was not wearing a seatbelt….
cut 12 (12) “…inside the vehicle”
LaGrange says impairment is not suspected to be a factor in the wreck, but they are not sure why his vehicle ran off the roadway and hit a ditch.

State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting in Ouachita Parish. Trooper Michael Reichardt says the incident occurred around 10:30 Sunday morning at a gas station at the corner of Hwy 594 and US 80.
Cut 9 (07) “shooting there”
The suspect was shot in the chest and airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries. Reichardt says the investigation is ongoing, as investigators are collecting video surveillance from the store and witness statements.

13:30 Newscast July 3

A St. John Parish sheriff’s deputy is lucky to be alive after he was struck by a possible drunk driver on Interstate 10 this morning. Sheriff Mike Tregre says his Sgt. Staty Lewis was assisting a St. Charles Parish deputy with an accident on the side of I-10.

Cut 3 (10) “in his unit”

Lewis was airlifted to an area hospital and treated for head, neck, and back injuries.

An officer involved shooting in Ouachita Parish left one suspect wounded. State Trooper Michael Reichardt says deputies were called to a convenience store on Highway 594 around 10:30 Sunday morning.

Cut 10 (07) “the first place”

The suspect was taken to the hospital and treated for serious injuries.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says if you’re outside for the Fourth of July holiday prepare for dangerous heat levels. Don Molino the story…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

Public school students will learn to write cursive this year, as a law by Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell has gone into effect. Mizell pushed the bill through last year because she was worried kids won’t be able to sign their names or read cursive writing. The requirement was delayed until this year to give schools time to prepare.

12:30 LRN Newscast July 3rd

A St. John Parish sheriff’s deputy is recovering after he was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 10. Halen Doughty has more…
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A State Police spokesperson tells us a state transportation worker was killed when struck by a pickup truck near New Iberia this morning while performing road work on LA 31. We’ll have more as this story develops.

It will be a hot Fourth of July holiday as the National Weather Service is calling for heat indices of 100-degrees or more. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency preparedness spokesperson Mike Steele says be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, like heavy sweating, dizziness or a weak, rapid pulse….
Cut 6 (09) “problems develop”

Farmers and ranchers impacted by last year’s floods could be eligible for recovery grants. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says the state has $10 million to help affected farmers…:
CUT 14 (10) “accepting applications”
He says to qualify, you must have had at least $10,000 in uninsured losses.

 

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast July 3rd

The Pelicans started the free agency period by signing their starting point guard Jrue Holiday to a five-year, 126-million dollar contract. Holiday’s return gives the Pelicans three star players along with big men Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Bourbon Street Shots writer Jake Madison says the Pelicans do not have a lot of salary cap flexibility to add more firepower, but they have enough money to sign a three-point shooter…
cut 17 (08) “…Nick Young”
But there are reports Golden State is seriously considering Young. Regardeless, Madison says the Holiday signing assures that the Pelicans will be in contention for a playoff spot in the very difficult Western Conference.

The migration of All-Star players in the Eastern Conference heading to the West continues as the Denver Nuggets have reportedly signed Paul Millsap to a three-year, 90-million dollar free agent deal. Millsap leaves Atlanta and has played in the All-Star game the last four seasons. He’s 32-years-old.

Former LSU Tiger DJ LeMahieu has been named as a reserve for the National League in the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star game, which will take place July 11th in Miami. LeMahieu is hitting .303 this season, with 3 hoem runs, 38 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .361.

And former LSU Tiger Kevin Gausman pitched seven innings of two-hit ball as the Orioles defeated the Rays seven to one. Gausman allowed just one runner get past first base as he lowered his ERA to 5.61.

LSU’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake won the 200-meter dash at the British Athletics Championships and he’ll compete in the IAAF World Championships later this summer, which will take place in London. Mitchell-Blake won with a time of 20.18 seconds, which broke a 30-year-old record at the British Athletics Championships. He was a semifinalist in the 200-meters at the Rio Olympics last summer.

11:30 LRN Newscast July 3rd

A St. John deputy was injured this morning while responding to a crash on Interstate 10 near I-55. Sheriff Mike Trege says Sergeant Staty Lewis was reaching into his car for a first-aid kit when another vehicle rear ended his unit. Trege says they believe the driver of that vehicle was impaired…
cut 5 (08) “…point of impact”
Trege says Sergeant Lewis was treated for a broken shoulder blate and other minor injuries.

U.S. Senator John Kennedy is among 10 Senate Republicans calling for the cancellation of the August recess. Kennedy says Congress has three months to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which expires September 30th. He says a budget and 12 appropriations bills before that date also has to be approved to avoid a government shutdown…
cut 12 (09) “…through August”
No word if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will cancel August recess.

It’s a hot fourth of July holiday across the state. Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedeness spokesperson Mike Steele says you’re planning on spending a significant amount of time outside, make sure you wear the appropriate clothes…
cut 8 (07) “….stay hydrated”
The National Weather Service is calling for heat indices of 100-degrees or more for extended periods.

This year all public school students will learn cursive writing, thanks to a new state law by Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

10:30 LRN Newscast July 3rd

U.S. Senator John Kennedy is among 10 in the Senate who have sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell requesting that he cancels August Recess. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Authorities in Tangipahoa Parish saya two-year-old child found unresponsive in a swimming pool in Ponchatoula is in critical condition. First responders were able to get the child’s heart beating again, but the toddler is still in critical condition. Police Chief Bry Layrisson calls it a tragic incident.

About 38-thousand state workers will see a pay raise this fiscal year. The higher wages will cost the state an additional 48-million dollars, but state civil service director Byron Decoteau says the raises combat a high turnover rate in state government, which is also costly…
cut 9 (10) “…in turnovers”
Decoteau says prison guards and probation officers are among the state workers that will see an even higher pay on January 2nd.

Farmers and reachers impacted by last year’s floods could be eligible for for recovery grants made possible by the federal government. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the floods caused more than 100-million in dollars agriculture losses and this something his office has worked for since the floods. He says there needs to be a better system in place to help farmers after disasters…
cut 15 (09) “…Stafford Act”

09:30 Newscast, July 3rd, 2017

U.S. Senator John Kennedy is among 10 Senate Republicans calling for the cancellation of the August recess in order to address issues that demand immediate attention. Kennedy says changes are still being made to the Senate health care reform bill and he’s waiting to see if the final product is better than Obamacare…:
Cut 11 (08) “for it”
He says now is not the time to be taking a vacation with so much work to be done.

Farmers and ranchers who were impacted by last year’s floods could be eligible for recovery grants. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says the state has $10 million to help affected farmers…:
CUT 14 (10) “accepting applications”
He says to qualify, you must have had at least $10,000 in uninsured losses.

Public school students will be required to learn cursive writing this year, as a 2016 bill by Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell went into effect on July 1. She says she’s visited about 15 schools since passing the legislation last year, and she’s thrilled these kids are excited about being able to sign their names…:
Cut 5 (10) “a signature”
The law took a year to take affect so teachers would have time incorporating cursive into their lesson plans.

A Baton Rouge woman is facing several charges after she allegedly stabbed her brother, then attacked an EMS worker and a sheriff’s deputy. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office reported 26-year-old Tiah Bradley, of Baton Rouge, got into a fight with her brother in which they punched each other in the face a few times. According to court documents, Bradley punched an EMS worker in the face while she was being treated. She was booked on charges of attempted second-degree murder, battery of emergency room personnel/emergency services and battery of a police officer.

 

08:30 Newscast, July 3rd, 2017

38,000 state employees will see a pay raise in the fiscal year that began Saturday, but not until 2018. A 2% pay hike was approved in this year’s legislative session. State civil service director Byron Decoteau says prison guards and probation officers are among the state workers that will see an even higher pay on January 2…:
Cut 8 (04) “modest increase”
Decoteau says raises help combat a high turnover rate in state government, which is more costly than the increases.

By third grade, public school students will be taught cursive writing under a 2016 approved law now in effect. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell says her bill did not outline how long teachers should spend on the matter. She says she wanted to leave that up to the school districts and the teachers…:
Cut 6 (10) “the curriculum”
She says the kids she’s spoken with are excited about learning how to write in cursive.

Louisiana farmers and ranchers impacted by the 2016 floods are eligible for recovery grants. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (29) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The Ponchatoula Police Department say a 2 year old was found in a pool unresponsive Saturday, and is in critical condition. They said in a statement that the incident is tragic and being handled with great care. First responders were able to restore the child’s heartbeat, but the toddler is still fighting for life.

 

07:30 Newscast, July 3rd, 2017

Public school students in Louisiana will learn cursive writing, thanks to a new law now in effect by Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell…:
cut 1 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Plaquemine police say two people are under arrest on principle to second degree murder charges in connection to the overdose death of a 21-year-old man during a house party that got out of hand. 20-year old Michael Moore Jr. and 19-year old Georgette Centeio, both from Baton Rouge, allegedly left Andrew Lee Blanchard in a bathtub after he’d passed out, and located him the dead the next morning. Cops say they were found to be in possession of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin.

U.S. Senator John Kennedy is among 10 Senate Republicans calling for the cancellation of the August recess in order to address issues that demand immediate attention. Kennedy says the current Senate calendar shows only 33 potential working days remaining before the end of the fiscal year and they’ve yet to approve meaningful reforms…:
Cut 10 (10) “infrastructure bill”
He says there is too much to be done to take a vacation right now.

Farmers and ranchers who were impacted by last year’s floods could be eligible for recovery grants. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says the state has $10 million to help affected farmers. He says it is part of the $1.6 billion Congress appropriated for flood recovery…:
Cut 13 (07) “the flooding”
Strain says those eligible must have had at least $10,000 in uninsured losses.

 

06:45 Sportscat, July 3rd, 2017

The Pelicans have re-signed free-agent guard Jrue Holiday to a five-year, 126-million dollar contract. Pelicans insider and Bourbon Streets Shots writer Jake Madison says it was a signing that had to happen for the Pels to compete in the difficult Western Conference…:
Cut 16 (19) “the West”
Holiday’s return gives the Pelicans three star players along with big men Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.

Former Louisiana Tech star forward Paul Millsap has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $90 million dollar contract with the Denver Nuggets. The four-time All-Star has career averages of 14.2 points and 7.5 assists.

LSU’s switch-hitting superstar catcher, Michael Papierski, will reportedly sign with the Houston Astros today. The move will reunite Papierski with fellow LSU alumni, Alex Bregman.

Also in ‘Stros news, Houston rookie pitcher David Paulino has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

Former LSU star Kevin Gausman allowed just two singles in seven innings to Tampa Bay in the Orioles 7-1 win Sunday. He had a rough start to the MLB season, but in his last two starts, Gausman has pitched 12.1 scoreless innings and gave up just six hits.

LSU and Louisiana Tech led the way on the All-Louisiana baseball team with three players selected on the first team and four players named to the first and second teams. The Tigers’ first-team selections were Alex Lange, Greg Deichmann and shortstop Kramer Robertson. Tech’s first-team selections were pitcher Nate Harris, catcher Brent Diaz and outfielder Raphael Gladu.