AM Newscall 07/07/2020

Police reform sat on the backburner while tort reform dominated the recent special session but a Baton Rouge lawmaker says that will not be the case next time the next time lawmakers head to the Capitol…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

COVID is not only detrimental to people’s health but it’s also testing relationships. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington” 

___________________________________________

The largest auto insurer in Louisiana is giving drivers a decrease, but it has nothing to do with recent tort reform legislation. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

______________________________

There was little action on police reform in the recent special session but reform advocates say that is not going to be the case in the fall or 2021 session.

Baton Rouge Representative Ted James they will revive an effort to revoke qualified immunity for officers. He says the effort to allow cops to be held liable for misbehavior in civil court will be a major part of reform discussions. He says right now…

Cut 4 (10)_ “…liability.”

A push to end qualified immunity did not get out of committee in the recent session.

James says they’ll also be pushing to build on current laws that stop bad cops from department hopping after they get in trouble. Right now a cop who is convicted of excessive force can’t get rehired in Louisiana, but…

Cut 5 (12)  “…of force”

The one police reform-related item that passed was a resolution creating a 20+ member study group to study policing policy.

The special session took place as George Floyd protests began. Discussions of the issues at the heart of those protests, like police brutality, were restrained, but James says they won’t be next time.

Cut 6 (10) “…police”

__________________

The coronavirus is putting stress extra on relationships and many are calling it quits. In addition to family practice lawyers seeing an increase in business, the pandemic is also having another effect on divorces. Baton Rouge Attorney Nancy Sue Grégoire says those who were already in the process of a divorce before the pandemic began are having even more complications.

Cut 7 (08) “…get along”

Grégoire says the pandemic has caused many to lose their employment and healthcare and it is making the process of divorce even more difficult.  She has advice for those who are in the middle of ending their relationship.

Cut 8 (09) “…temporary.”

Instead of going to a courtroom and using ZOOM for court proceedings, Grégoire believes for some they don’t understand the reality of the situation.

Cut 9 (11) “…going to do it”

_______________

State Farm auto insurance policyholders can expect nearly a 10% decrease in their rates.  Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the drop is not linked to recent tort reform.

Cut 10 (09) “…by State Farm.”

State Farm is the largest auto insurer in the state, with a million policyholders.  Donelon says the rate decrease can be attributed to people staying at home and off the roads during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cut 11 (07) “…at home orders.”

Donelon says this decrease, combined with three other rate decreases in the last couple of years has resulted in a 23% total rate decrease.  If history is any indication, Donelon anticipates other insurers will be following State Farm’s lead.

Cut 12 (07) “…driven by competition.”

The effective date of State Farm’s current reduction is August 24.
___________________________________

Legislation is awaiting the Governor’s signature that would allow electric co-ops to create their own hi-speed internet networks in rural areas that lack broadband access.

Franklinton Representative Beth Mizell (My-Zell) says the pandemic has put a spotlight on the serious problems her rural constituents face with their current non-broadband services.

Cut 13 (07) “…speed.”

If signed into law co-ops would be able to make broadband companies under separate entities from their current power companies so that utility funds were not used for internet service.

The FCC has committed to spending over 20 billion dollars on expanding rural broadband. Mizell says after that commitment her effort gained a lot of support.

Cut 14 (07) “…ago”

Mizell made the comments on Talk Louisiana.

Mizell says many of her lower-income constituents could benefit greatly from broadband in ways they might not expect.

Cut 15 (10) “…money”

Mizell says she has received assurances that Edwards will sign this legislation into law.

5:30 LRN Newscast July 6

In the tropics Edouard became a named storm yesterday, setting the record for the earliest formation of a fifth named storm of a season. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana is currently experiencing unstable weather influenced in part by a system that is moving over the Florida Panhandle. Keim says the pattern will be bringing rain to Louisiana over the next few days.

Cut 11 (11) “…all this rain.”

Louisiana adds just over 11-hundred new COVID-19 cases today.  The state reports 44% of those cases are from people 29 and younger.  98% of the new cases are from community spread.  The daily percentage of positive tests in at 9.84%.

An LSU economist warns holding fan-less LSU Football games would hammer the Baton Rouge and LSU athletics budget. Loren Scott says LSU Football made 56.6 million dollars in profit in 2019. Scott says the cancellation of the football season could impair other sports’ ability to operate.

Cut 14 (11) “…decision”

Parish level leaders are calling for more federal funding as the National Association of Counties estimates budget losses due to COVID-19 are roughly $144 billion. Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson says  the impact on the offshore oil and gas industry is hurting the parish’s oil revenue.

Cut 5 (13)  “…should have been.”

 

4:45 LrN Sportscast july 6

An economist says an LSU football season without fans will cost the school and local economies millions of dollars. Financial statements indicate the LSU football team produced a profit of 57-million dollars for fiscal year 2019. Doctor Loren Scott says not having fans in the stands or no football at all, would severely impact the other sports at LSU…
Cut 14 (11) “…decision”
A rise in coronavirus cases is raising doubts the college football season will starrt on time. Major decisions are expected later this month from the leaders of the SEC and LSU regarding whether football will start Labor Day weekend and if there will be fans.

Plans are still on for LSU and Louisiana Tech to play each other in men’s basketball on November 24th at the CenturyLink Center. Officials announced today that tickets will go on sale for the game at 10 AM on Thursday.

———————————————————————-

The Pelicans have added depth as they prepare to leave for the NBA’s bubble in Orlando on Wednesday. Forward Sindarius Thornwell has inked a deal with New Orleans and he’ll serve as a substitute player. The 25-year-old last played in the NBA G League, averaging nine points, five rebounds and five assists for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

One of the state’s most successful high school football coaches is leaving the sidelines. Neville’s Mickey McCarty has accepted the job as the school’s principal and former St. Frederick head coach Jeff Tannehill will replace McCarty as the Tigers new head football coach. McCarty spent 18 years as Neville’s head coach, winning 197 games and four state championships. Tannehill, who is a Neville grad, led St. Fred’s to a state title game in 2013.

And big news out of the NFL today as the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have reportedly agreed to a ten-year contract extension that will pay the superstar signal caller over 400-million dollars. Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs will be in the Dome on December 20th to the face the Saints.

430 PM LRN News

LSU Economist Loren Scott says in 2019 fans spent 58.6 million dollars in new sales on LSU football game days, and if the season were to be canceled, or fans barred from the stadium due to COVID-19 that loss of revenue would be felt in sectors all over the Capitol region.

 

Cut 13 (11) “…weekends.” 

 

COVID cases are spiking statewide with another 1,100 cases reported today along with another notable jump in hospitalizations. No decision has been made yet on the fate of the upcoming LSU season.

 

The National Association of Counties calls for more federal assistance for local governments, citing data that shows locals have lost 144 billion dollars nationwide since the pandemic began. Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller says spread mitigation efforts are eating away at the revenue they do have left.

Cut 3 (08)  “…because of PPE.”  

 

 

 

A 19-year-old man is dead and a 22-year-old man is behind bars facing a murder charge after an argument inside Dillard’s at Mall St. Vincent in Shreveport accelerated to violence in the Mall’s parking lot Saturday afternoon. Shreveport Police Department Spokesperson, Angie Willhite…

Cut 7 (11) “…second degree murder.”

 

(Trey – vee- ous) Treyvious Dotie of Shreveport was arrested in connection and charged with the shooting death

 

The tropics are seeing an uptick in activity with the formation of Tropical Storm Edouard in the north atlantic. Edouard became a named storm yesterday, setting the record for the earliest formation of a fifth named storm of a season. State Climatologist Barry Keim says there’s also another system to watch, a wave sitting over Florida. If it does develop it would be record setting as well.

 

Cut 12 (11) “…a watch on.”

3:30 LRN Newscast July 6

The tropics are seeing an uptick in activity with the formation of Tropical Storm Edouard. Edouard became a named storm yesterday, setting the record for the earliest formation of a fifth named storm of a season. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the previous record was from a season that was quite devastating to the Bayou State.
Cut 10 (12) “…active hurricane season.”

LSU economist Loren Scott warns holding fan-less LSU Football games would hammer the Baton Rouge and LSU athletics budget. Fans spent 58.6 million in new sales on LSU game days last year. Scott says turning away 102-thousand fans would be devastating.

Cut 15 (10) “…stadium” 

The National Association of Counties estimates budget losses due to COVID-19 are roughly $144 billion, leaving parishes in a financial crunch and seeking a federal lifeline.   Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

Due to COVID-19 four Office of Motor Vehicle locations will be closed to the public due to the positive testing of an employee. The offices are in Alexandria, Lafayette, Monroe and Shreveport. Customers are encouraged to use the website expresslane.org for any services. These closures are in addition to previously closed offices.

PM LRN Newscall

The National Association of Counties estimates budget losses due to COVID-19 are roughly $144 billion, leaving parishes in a financial crunch and seeking a federal lifeline.   Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

____________________________

.Matt Doyle asked an LSU economist what the economic impact of holding fan-less LSU football games would be…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

Parish level leaders are calling for more federal funding as the National Association of Counties estimates budget losses due to COVID-19 are roughly $144 billion. Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller says spread mitigation efforts are eating away at the revenue they do have.

Cut 3 (08)  “…because of PPE.”  
If they do not have the funds. Miller says the reduction in revenue from COVID-19 is making a bad situation worse in assisting in public health.

Cut 4 (10)_ “…time and effort.”

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson says sales tax collections are down a little bit, but much of the woes in his parish comes from COVID’s impact on the offshore oil and gas industry and the parish’s oil revenue.

Cut 5 (13)  “…should have been.”

Chaisson says some estimates show nationally about 1.2 million local government workers have been furloughed or laid off and that can be even more damaging to the economy of a rural area.

Cut 6 (07) “…lot of cases.”

______________________

A 19-year-old man is dead and a 22-year-old man is behind bars facing a murder charge after an argument inside Dillard’s at Mall St. Vincent in Shreveport accelerated to violence in the Mall’s parking lot Saturday afternoon. Shreveport Police Department Spokesperson, Angie Willhite…

Cut 7 (11) “…second degree murder.”

(Trey – vee- ous) Treyvious Dotie of Shreveport was arrested in connection and charged with the shooting death

Willhite describes what surveillance video shows after the argument which began inside the mall.

Cut 8 (12) “…in his body.”

Immediately after the shooting Willhite says the suspect fled the scene.

9 (11) “…city jail.”

_________________________________________________

The tropics are seeing an uptick in activity with the formation of Tropical Storm Edouard in the north atlantic. Edouard became a named storm yesterday, setting the record for the earliest formation of a fifth named storm of a season. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the previous record was from a season that was quite devastating to the Bayou State.
Cut 10 (12) “…active hurricane season.”

Louisiana is currently experiencing unstable weather influenced in part by a system that is moving over the Florida Panhandle. Keim says the pattern will be bringing rain to Louisiana over the next few days.

Cut 11 (11) “…all this rain.”

Keim says if the wave over Florida does develop into a named system, it’ll be the setting a record of its own.

Cut 12 (11) “…a watch on.”

Keim says another system a few hundred miles east of the Winward Islands in the Caribbean is also being monitored but the chance of formation in the next five days is around 10%.
_________________________________________________________

An LSU economist warns holding fan-less LSU Football games would hammer the Baton Rouge and LSU athletics budget.

Loren Scott says fans spent 58.6 million in new sales on LSU game days last year. He says that money finds its way all through the city economy…

Cut 13 (11) “…weekends.” 

LSU Football made 56.6 million dollars in profit in 2019, while most of the other sports ran deficits. Scott says the cancellation of the football season could impair other sports’ ability to operate.

Cut 14 (11) “…decision”

The season is still set to go ahead as usual, but no word has been given on the stadium experience, which can feature up to 102,000 people when full. Scott says turning that many people away would be devastating.

Cut 15 (10) “…stadium” 

COVID cases are spiking statewide, and in East Baton Rouge Parish in particular was the focus of a federal effort that has ferried in capacity to test over 5,000 more people per day.

 

 

2:30 PM Newscast

Matt Doyle asked an LSU economist what the economic impact of holding fan-less LSU football games would be…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

Louisiana adds just over 1100 new COVID-19 cases today.  The state reports 44% of those cases are from people 29 and younger.  98% of the new cases are from community spread.  The daily percentage of positive tests in at 9.84%.

A 19-year-old man is dead and a 22-year-old man is behind bars facing a murder charge after an argument inside Dillard’s at Mall St. Vincent in Shreveport accelerated to violence in the Mall’s parking lot Saturday afternoon. Shreveport Police Department Spokesperson, Angie Willhite says immediately after the shooting, the suspect fled the scene.

9 (11) “…city jail.”

(Trey – vee- ous) Treyvious Dotie of Shreveport was arrested in connection and charged with the shooting death.

Parish level leaders are calling for more federal funding as the National Association of Counties estimates budget losses due to COVID-19 are roughly $144 billion. Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson says furloughed or laid off local government workers can be even more damaging to the economy of a rural area.

Cut 6 (07) “…lot of cases.”

1:30 LRN Newscast July 6

Parish level leaders are calling for more federal funding as the National Association of Counties estimates budget losses due to COVID-19 are roughly $144 billion.  If they do not have the funds. Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller Miller says the reduction in revenue from COVID-19 is making a bad situation worse in assisting in public health.

Cut 4 (10)_ “…time and effort.”

 

An LSU economist warns holding fan-less LSU Football games would hammer the Baton Rouge and LSU athletics budget. Loren Scott says LSU Football made 56.6 million dollars in profit in 2019. Scott says the cancellation of the football season could impair other sports’ ability to operate.

Cut 14 (11) “…decision”

State Farm will cut auto insurance rates in Louisiana by 9.6%, The rate cut has been approved by Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon. State Farm, is considered the largest auto insurance company in the state when ranked by market share with nearly one-third of all policies. The rate reduction is set to go into effect August 24 for renewal and new policies.

A 19-year-old man is dead and a 22-year-old man is behind bars facing a murder charge after an argument inside Dillard’s at Mall St. Vincent in Shreveport accelerated to violence in the Mall’s parking lot Saturday afternoon. Shreveport Police Department Spokesperson, Angie Willhite describes the video surveillance footage.

Cut 8 (12) “…in his body.”

(Trey – vee- ous) Treyvious Dotie of Shreveport was arrested in connection and charged with the shooting death.

1230 PM LRN News

Louisiana records over 1,100 new COVID cases with a concerning 9.8 percent positive rate, along with a sharp 38 person increase in hospitalizations. These numbers indicate the state has not slowed its upward trend in new cases that began two weeks ago.

An LSU economist warns holding fan-less LSU Football games would hammer the Baton Rouge and LSU athletics budget. Loren Scott says LSU fans spent 58.6 million in new sales on LSU game days. He says that money finds its way all through the city economy…

Cut 13, 11 seconds, weekends

Parish level leaders are calling for more federal funding as the National Association of Counties estimates budget losses due to COVID-19 are roughly $144 billion.  Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller…

Cut 3 (08)  “…because of PPE.”  

The AARP of Louisiana is sounding the alarm on long term care facilities and their inability to take basic COVID-19 precautions.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

State Farm announces it is lowering its auto insurance premiums by ten percent.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

One of the state’s most successful high school football coaches is leaving the sidelines. Reports out of Monroe say Neville Head Coach Mickey McCarty has accepted the job as the school’s principal and former St. Frederick head coach Jeff Tannehill will reportedly replace McCarty as the Tigers new head football coach. McCarty spent 18 years as Neville’s head coach, winning 197 games and four state championships. Tannehill, who is a Neville grad, led St. Fred’s to a state title game in 2013.

The fourth of July weekend was a busy time for LSU on the recruiting front as the Tigers received two verbal commitments from four-star prospects. Zachary wide receiver Chris Hilton announced his verbal pledge on Friday and that was followed up by defensive end Keanu Koht from Vero Beach, Florida.

Louisiana’s top prospect for 2021, defensive tackle Maason Smith, listed his top eight finalists and LSU is among that group along with Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Miami and Oregon.
________________________________________________________________

The Pelicans will have three exhibition games prior to the resumption of their season in Orlando. They’ll play the Nets on July 22nd, the Nuggets on the 25th and the Bucks on the 27th. Milwaukee has shut down its practice facility after new coronavirus test results. Teams will begin leaving tomorrow for the NBA’s bubble in Orlando. The Pels will stay at the Yacht Club Resort. Today is Zion Williamson’s birthday, he’s no longer a teenager as the rookie sensation turns 20 years old today.

Two former LSU Tigers have tested positive for COVID-19 as summer camp is underway for Major League Baseball. The two who tested positive are Yankees All-Star infielder D-J LeMahieu and Phillilles pitcher Aaron Nola. LeMahieu is said to be asymptomatic, while Nola’s case might be linked to a coronavirus outbreak last month at Philadelphia’s spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida. Meanwhile, the Astros and Nationals are several major league teams who have had to cancel workouts because of testing delays. M-L-B releases its schedule tonight. A 60-game regular season is scheduled to start July 23rd.