11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Saints are reportedly close to signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston to a one year contract. The former number one pick led the NFL in passing yards last season, but he was also intercepted a league-high 30 times to go along with 33 touchdown passes.

The Saints have signed back-up quarterback and jack of all trades specialist Taysom Hill to a two-year contract reportedly worth 21 million dollars. 16-million dollars is guaranteed.

New Orleans sent four draft picks to Minnesota so they can take Dayton tight end Adam Trautman in the third round. He caught 70 passes and had 14 touchdowns for the Flyers last season. Trautman was a quarterback in high school but switched to tight end when he got on Dayton’s campus…..
cut 18 (15) “…obviously now”

LSU football has received a verbal pledge from Landon Jackson, a defensive end out of Pleasant Grove, Texas. The six-foot-six, 240-pound prospect also had offers from Texas A-and-M, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas Tech. He’s listed as a four-star prospect by 24-7 sports.

Tulane’s leading scorer in men’s basketball last season has been arrested for murder. Teshaun Hightower averaged 16 points a game last season for the Green Wave, after he transferred in from Georgia. But today’s he’s in jail in Stockbridge, Georgia and facing a murder charge, along with aggravated assault and battery. Tulane has dismissed the 22-year-old from its program. An attorney for Hightower says the shooting was in self-defense.

ESPN is reporting that the NBA will allow teams to reopen their practice facilities on Friday for individual workouts in states and municipalities that are loosening stay-at-home restrictions. At four o’clock today, Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to announce new restrictions in Louisiana.

10:30 AM Newscast

Governor John Bel Edwards could announce today new restrictions on residents and businesses that will go into effect on May 1st. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says a big question is whether Louisiana’s coronavirus testing capacity can stay ahead of the epidemic

Cut 4 (11)_ “…stage of reopening.”

The Governor’s press conference is at 4PM.

Ouachita Parish Sheriff deputies arrest a West Monroe man for allegedly firing shots at the home of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson. O-P-S-O spokesperson Glenn Springfield says 38-year-old Daniel King Jr. is charged with aggravated assault for the drive-by shooting that happened Friday afternoon.

Cut 3 (09)  “…did the shooting”   

Springfield says they are not releasing details about a possible motive, but no one was injured in the shooting.

A WalletHub survey of 350 Americans finds that 84-percent want another stimulus check. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy is not sure if that will happen. Cassidy says it depends on how well the economy recovers…
Cut 10 (09) “reopening”

The 1,200 dollar stimulus checks helped float many through the first month of the shutdown.

A team from LSU develops a smartphone app to help track medical equipment and supplies that are in transit around the state.  LSU Stephenson Disaster Management Institute director Brant Mitchell says ComTrac 2.0 was developed to follow the same idea of tracking resources after a hurricane.

Cut 7 (12) “…those particular assets.”

ComTrac 2.0 will be available to the National Guard this week.

9:30 LRN Newscast April 27

Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to announce today which businesses can reopen when he provides his daily COVID-19 briefing at 4 PM. Several other states have already started the process of loosening restrictions on their stay at home orders. Senator Bill Cassidy says government leaders need to be ready to tighten down on those restrictions if there is a spike in cases…
cut 11 (10) “…data”
Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says there are several hurdles that have to be overcome as Louisiana moves to re-open its economy. Scott says child care for parents returning to work is one of those hurdles…
cut 5 (11) “…go to work”

Police records indicate 36-year-old Ronnie Kato fired multiple shots into the body of a now-deceased Baton Rouge Police officer. Kato also shot another cop yesterday afternoon, who is said to be fighting for his life. Kato has also been charged with killing another man on Sunday in what authorities call a domestic violence incident.

A team from LSU develops a smartphone app to help track medical equipment and supplies that are in transit around the state. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

8:30 LRN Newscast April 27

Governor Edwards could announce today a loosening of restrictions on residents and businesses once the current stay at home order ends on Thursday…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Reverend Tony Spell still led his congregation at Life Tabernacle Church in East Baton Rouge Parish yesterday even though he was under house arrest for an aggravated assault charge. District Attorney Hillar Moore says they didn’t address the matter yesterday because a Baton Rouge officer was fatally shot in the line of duty. The suspected cop killer is in police custody.

Several medical clinics reopen today to perform elective surgical procedures. State Health Officer Doctor Jimmy Guidry says non-emergency surgeries and screenings that have been put on hold can now happen…
cut 14 (13) “….get healthy”
Guidry says social distancing will be practiced inside these centers, so that means there will be very few people in a waiting room.

Students and staff at LSU’s Stephenson Disaster Management Institute have developed an app that allows for the tracking of COVID-19 medical equipment and supplies, like ventilators and personal protective equipment. S-D-M-I director Brant Mitchell says it’s a great tool for the Louisiana National Guard…
cut 9 (10) “….on the mission”

7:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Edwards is expected to announce today new restrictions on businesses and residents that will go into place on Friday. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says there is an underestimated problem in getting commerce and industry going again and that is the potential legal liabilities against a business if an employee or customer gets COVID-19…
Cut 6 (10) “…a major issue.”

A WalletHub survey of 350 Americans finds that 84-percent want another stimulus check. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy is not sure if that will happen. Cassidy says it depends on how well the economy recovers…
cut 10 (09) “…reopening”

Louisiana’s ban on elective surgeries ends today, which means after a month-long hiatus, doctors can go back to performing non-emergency surgical procedures…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

One Baton Rouge police officer is dead and another is fighting for his life after they engaged in a shootout with a homicide suspect yesterday afternoon. Police Chief Murphy Paul says the officers went to a home looking for 36-year-old Ronnie Kato, who is accused of killing another man earlier that morning. Kato is in police custody.

6:30 LRN Newscast April 27

Governor John Bel Edwards COVID-19 briefing is scheduled for 4 PM today and he’s expected to announce what restrictions will be loosened on businesses and residents when the current stay at home order ends on Thursday. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says as states look to get the economy going again, testing needs to be ramped up to the point that once a person tests positive for the coronavirus, they are quickly quarantined in a hotel or at home and meals are provided…
cut 12 (10) “….economy”

Elective medical procedures resume today. State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says emergency procedures have been happening, but doctors can catch up on time-sensitive, but less pressing surgeries.
Cut 13 (10) “…carefully.”
Guidry says medical facilities that are re-opening will follow strict social distancing guidelines.

A veteran cop is dead and another is fighting for his life after gunfire was exchanged in north Baton Rouge yesterday afternoon between a homicide suspect and police. Suspected cop killer 36-year-old Ronnie Kato was eventually taken into custody after a lengthy standoff. Authorities say officers went to a home looking for Kato, who is suspected of killing another person earlier that day, and that’s when the shootout began. Baton Rouge Police has not identified the officers who were shot.

A team from LSU develops a smartphone app to help track medical equipment and supplies that are in transit around the state. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints are reportedly close to signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston. The Heisman Trophy winner out of Florida State led the NFL in passing yards and threw 33 touchdowns last season, but he was intercepted a league-high 30 times. Winston had LASIK surgery in the offseason.

Winston would fill the role Teddy Bridgewater had with the Black and Gold. While Taysom Hill would continue to play a variety of positions. The Saints value Hill’s versatility and signed him to a two-year contract reportedly worth 21 million dollars. Hill has scored nine touchdowns over the last two seasons.

LSU tied a record by having 14 players drafted in a seven-round draft. Alabama had nine players and 63 players from the SEC were drafted. It also goes down as the most watched draft ever, with 55-million viewers over the course of three days. And NFL’s Draft a thon helped raise six-point-six million dollars to support COVID-19 relief efforts.

The Saints 2020 draft class consists of just four players, but the franchise believes it will be a successful class. In the first round New Orleans drafted Cesar Ruiz, a center from Michigan and then traded multiple picks to select two players in the third round, Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun and Dayton tight end Adam Trautman. G-M Mickey Loomis says it’s about the quality of the picks, not how many you made…
cut 16 (25) “…find there”
The Saints traded a 2021 draft pick to the Texans to take Mississippi State Quarterback Tommy Stevens. He has a lot of athleticism and could play a Taysom Hill role for the Black and Gold.

Updated LRN AM Newscall for April 27 ###Text of Saints story updated###

Governor Edwards could announce today a loosening of restrictions on residents and businesses once the current stay at home order ends on April 30th. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

_____________________________________

A team from LSU develops a smartphone app to help track medical equipment and supplies that are in transit around the state. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

___________________________________________

Louisiana’s ban on elective surgeries ends today, which means after a month-long hiatus, doctors can go back to performing non-emergency medical and surgical procedures…

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

____________________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards could announce today new restrictions on residents and businesses that will go into effect on May 1st. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says a big question is whether Louisiana’s coronavirus testing capacity can stay ahead of the epidemic

Cut 4 (11)_ “…stage of reopening.”

Scott says childcare social distancing guidelines and the availability of such services may create hurdles for parents that have a chance to return to work.

Cut 5 (11)  “…go to work.”

Many businesses are eager to re-open. But Scott says there is an underestimated problem in getting commerce and industry going again and that is the potential legal liabilities against a business if an employee or customer gets COVID-19…

Cut 6 (10) “…a major issue.”

______________________________

A team from LSU develops a smartphone app to help track medical equipment and supplies that are in transit around the state.  LSU Stephenson Disaster Management Institute director Brant Mitchell says ComTrac 2.0 was developed to follow the same idea of tracking resources after a hurricane.

Cut 7 (12) “…those particular assets.”

Mitchell says almost all of the development for the application was done by LSU students and says with classes being out, it allowed them to have extra time to dedicate to the building process which would normally take about six months.

Cut 8 (06) “…about five weeks.”

While the app will be compatible with the two major smartphones, it won’t be available to everyone in the App Store.  The app could help tackle issues related to supply chains.  Mitchell says the app is customizable to add items in the future that may not have been thought of yet.

Cut 9 (10) “…on the mission.

ComTrac 2.0 will be available to the National Guard this week.

____________________________________

Senator Bill Cassidy says the feds are looking at investments that could allow economies to become close to fully functional even before a coronavirus vaccine is available.

The 1,200 dollar stimulus checks helped float many through the first month of the shutdown, and Cassidy says if we can expand testing enough we won’t need a second round.

Cut 10 (09) “reopening”

Cassidy says aggressive, preemptive testing in hotspots will need to be funded. He says the key to reopening the economy safely is tracking transition rates and adjusting reopenings accordingly.

Cut 11 (10) “…data”

Cassidy says the reopening of the economy should also be tied to the ability to contact trace. He says the federal government should provide hotels and meals to those who are ordered to quarantine.

Cut 12 (10) “economy”

_____________________________________

For the first time in a month, many elective medical surgeries are set to proceed in Louisiana.

State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry says emergency procedures have been happening, but medical centers will now be allowed to catch up on much need time-sensitive, but less pressing surgeries.

Cut 13 (10) “…carefully.”

Your trip to the doctor will not be the same as it once was. Guidry says medical facilities have strict social distancing guidelines to follow.

Cut 14 (11) “…conditions.”

Waiting room space will either be limited or not available during this time.

Governor Edwards says now that cases have plateaued we have to resume normal medical care.

Cut 15 (11)“…from.”

The Governor also adds these elective procedures are the economic lifeblood of hospitals that have taken a huge financial hit over the last month.

______________________

The Saints 2020 draft class consists of just four players, but the franchise believes it will be a successful class. In the first round New Orleans drafted Cesar Ruiz, a center from Michigan and then traded multiple picks to select two players in the third round, Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun and Dayton tight end Adam Trautman. G-M Mickey Loomis says it’s about the quality of the picks, not how many you made…

Cut 16  (25)  “…find there” 

These rookies will not have the benefit of an offseason conditioning program or O-T-As. But Saints coach Sean Payton doesn’t believe they will be too far behind when training camp starts

cut 17  (15) “…Saint players” 

The Saints sent their fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round draft picks to Minnesota to take Trautman with the 105th pick. The F-C-S tight end had 70 catches for 916 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Trautman was a quarterback in high school but switched to tight end when he got on Dayton’s campus

Cut 18  (15) “…obviously now”   

The Saints made a trade with the Texans to get a seventh round pick and used that select Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens. He has a lot of athleticism for someone who is six-foot-five and could play a Taysom Hill role for the Black and Gold.

10:30 LRN Newscast April 25

Governor John Bel Edwards could announce on Monday new restrictions on residents and businesses that will go into effect on May 1st. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says a big question is whether Louisiana’s coronavirus testing capacity can stay ahead of the epidemic…
cut 4 (11) “…of reopening”

Edwards says the state is ramping up COVID testing capacity with the goal of being able to perform 200,000 tests in a month by May. Edwards says the minimum testing capacity needed to enter Phase One of reopening the economy is 140-150,000 tests a month.
Cut 11 (09) “…everyday”

The Saints 2020 draft class consists of just three players, but the franchise believes it will be a successful class. In the first round New Orleans drafted Cesar Ruiz, a center from Michigan and then traded multiple picks to select two players in the third round, Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun and Dayton tight end Adam Trautman. G-M Mickey Loomis says it’s about the quality of the picks, not how many you made…
cut 16 (25) “…find there”
Trautman had 70 catches for 916 yards and 14 T-Ds last season at Dayton, while Baun registered 12.5 sacks and one interception at Wisconsin.

9:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Edwards says the state is ramping up COVID testing capacity with the goal of being able to perform 200,000 tests in a month by May. The Governor says to meet that number, the state is trying not to have to rely so much on importing testing supplies.
Cut 10 (10) “…so forth”
Edwards says the minimum testing capacity needed to enter Phase One of reopening the economy is 140-150,000 tests a month.

Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo says a Monroe, New Jersey resident anonymously mailed the city a $100 donation after hearing about the destructive tornado that hit Ouachita Parish on Easter Sunday. Mayo is deeply touched by the letter from a total stranger.
Cut 8 (05) “…wanting to help.”
The money will be used at a local food bank.

A team from LSU develops a smartphone app to help track medical equipment and supplies that are in transit around the state. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Five more LSU Tigers were selected in last night’s NFL Draft. Two former Tigers are heading to Cleveland, safety Grant Delpit and linebacker Jacob Phillips. The Saints made two trades so they can take Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun and Dayton tight end Adam Trautman in the third round. New Orleans is out of draft picks for 2020.