11:30 LRN Newscast

Hurricane Zeta is getting stronger as it approaches Louisiana’s coast. Its maximum sustained winds are 90 miles per hour and the storm is forecast to make landfall this afternoon in southeast Louisiana with winds around 100 miles per hour. That would make it a Category Two storm. Shawn O’Neil with the National Weather Service says heavy rainfall is likely, but Zeta’s fierce winds are the biggest concern
Cut 12 (05) “ ..numerous”

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is riding out Hurricane Zeta in Plaquemines Parish, where he once served as parish president. Nungesser is concerned about flooding as construction continues on a federal levee system…
cut 9 (12) “…overtopping there”
Nungesser says Zeta is a fast-moving storm at 18 miles per hour.

The family of Tommie McGlothen Jr., a mentally ill man who died after being in Shreveport Police custody, is seeking a 25 million dollar wrongful death settlement from the City of Shreveport. Video shows officers beating McGlothen and the coroner’s report says he was then left unattended in a police cruiser for 48 minutes and later died. Family attorney James Carter…
Cut 3 (11) “…forward”
The incident occurred last April and the four officers involved are facing criminal charges.

The head of State Police, Colonel Kevin Reeves, has announced he will retire at the end of the week. There’s an ongoing investigation into the death of a black man while in State police custody. But Governor Edwards says he knew of Reeves’ retirement plans since last year…
cut 8 (05) “….asked for”
Edwards says he’s never lost confidence in Reeves.

10:30 LRN Newscast October 28

Hurricane Zeta’s maximum sustained winds are at 90 miles per hour and additional strengthening is possible as the storm takes aim on Louisiana’s southeastern coast. A landfall near Port Fourchon is expected this afternoon and Zeta will then race past New Orleans and eastern St. Tammany Parish. Damaging winds are the main threat. Shawn O’ Neil with the National Weather Service says flash flooding is also possible for metro New Orleans…
cut 14 (13) “…concern”
Zeta is moving north at 18 miles per hour.

The head of State Police, Colonel Kevin Reeves, is retiring. This announcement comes as a federal investigation is ongoing into the death of a Black Man while in State Police custody last year. But Governor Edwards says Reeves retirement has been in the works…
cut 7 (07) “…for retiring”

Entergy Louisiana has made unprecedented repairs this hurricane season and the utility provider says they are prepared for whatever challenges Zeta presents. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Governor John Bel Edwards is urging residents to be careful when using a generator as nine people lost their lives due to generator related accidents after Hurricane Laura…
cut 9 (09) “….home”

9:30 LRN Newscast October 28

Hurricane Zeta has strengthened to a Category Two storm and is expected to maintain that strength when it makes landfall later today around Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. Shawn O’ Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell says since Zeta has strengthened, storm surge projections have gone up.
cut 13 (12) “…Mississippi coast”

Zeta is expected to pass over New Orleans, bringing 80 to 100 mile per hour winds to the New Orleans metro area later today. Mayor LaToya Cantrell says the city is no stranger to being on high alert….
cut 10 (11) “…fatigue”
Zeta is moving at 17 miles per hour.

We’re six days away from Election Day and a University of New Orleans poll of Louisiana voters shows President Donald Trump up 59-36 over former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden has a lead in national polling buoyed by a large number of white suburban defectors who backed Trump in 2016, but UNO pollster Ed Chervenak says those voters are not shifting in Louisiana.
Cut 4 (08) “nationally”
The head of Louisiana State Police is retiring at a time when the L-S-P is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation that’s looking into the death of a Black man while in State Police custody last year. Colonel Kevin Reeves’ retirement is effective Friday. Governor John Bel Edwards calls Reeves a dedicated law enforcement official…
cut 6 (07) “…going forward”
Despite the controversy surrounding the death of Ronald Greene, Edwards says he did not lose confidence in Colonel Reeves and his retirement announcement has been in the works for a while.

8:30 LRN Newscast October 28

Hurricane Zeta is getting stronger as it races towards the southeastern coast of Louisiana. Its maximum sustained winds are at 90 miles per hour and the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center says Zeta could make landfall near Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes as a Category Two storm. That means maximum sustained winds near 100-miles per hour near the eyewall. Governor John Bel Edwards…
cut 7 (07) “…the wind”
New Orleans, Slidell, along with Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Jefferson, Lafourche, and Terrebonne parishes could see peak winds between 70 to 100 miles per hour. Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scadigli says they are ready for anticipated outages…
cut 14 (10) “…ready to go”
Scadigli says repairs requiring the use of bucket trucks, cannot be safely completed when winds exceed 30 miles per hour.

President Trump is set to cruise to another easy win in Louisiana according to a new UNO poll. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (29) “ I’m Matt Doyle”

Governor Edwards has vetoed a bill supported by Republican legislators that would have given lawmakers more authority over the governor’s emergency orders. The governor wrote in his veto letter that the bill allows for legislators to cast votes on life or death decisions from their homes via text message, which he says doesn’t represent a serious approach to responding to a public health emergency.

7:30 LRN Newscast October 28

Hurricane Zeta is getting stronger. Its maximum sustained winds are 90 miles per hour and the storm is forecast to make landfall in southeast Louisiana this afternoon with winds around 100 miles per hour. That would make it a Category Two storm. Shawn O’Neil with the National Weather Service says heavy rainfall is likely, but Zeta’s fierce winds are the biggest concern…
cut 12 (05) “..numerous”
Entergy says they are ready for the likely power outages. Spokesperson Brandon Scadigli says they’ve mobilized a storm team of about 38-hundred workers to respond to power outages. He warns residents to take extreme caution after the storm and alert utility providers of any down lines…
cut 15 (09) “…is live”
Entergy says they will provide restoration updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Zeta will be the fifth named storm to make landfall in Louisiana when it reaches the state’s southeastern coast as a Category two storm later today. Governor John Bel Edwards has this message for storm-weary residents…
cut 8 (11) “…this late”
Zeta’s impacts outside of southeast Louisiana are expected to be minimal as the storm will quickly move into Mississippi and Alabama after it makes landfall.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 patients who need a ventilator. Ventilator usage increased by 20 yesterday to 91 patients. A UNO poll found that two-thirds of respondents believe COVID-19 is a serious problem. Pollster Ed Chervenak says 29-percent say it’s not a serious problem…
cut 6 (07) “…surprise”
The UNO Poll found that 59-percent of Louisiana voters support President Trump, while 36-percent back Joe Biden.

6:45 LRN Sportscast October 28

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron is unsure if quarterback Myles Brennan will play Saturday, but Coach O says his first-team Q-B is feeling better. But Brennan will not play against Auburn unless he’s 100-percent.

Meanwhile, LSU’s defense is still trying to figure out how to prevent giving up big plays. In last Saturday’s win over South Carolina, the Gamecocks had two rushes for 45 yards or more. Linebacker Damone Clark had just two solo tackles and fellow linebacker Jabril Cox had three. Cox says he and Clark know they can play better…
cut 20 (18) “improve on that”
Kick-off against Auburn this Saturday is at 2:30.

The Pelicans introduced new head coach Stan Van Gundy yesterday. Van Gundy has been out of the game for the past two years but has worked as a TV analyst. There were a number of high-profile head coaching jobs that opened up but he says New Orleans is the one he wanted.
cut 16 (12) “it all”
Van Gundy has been an NBA coach for 12 seasons with three different franchises, the Heat, Magic, and Pistons. His career regular-season record is 523 and 384.

In high school football, West Monroe and Byrd were looking for opponents this week and so the two north Louisiana schools decided to play each other. But West Monroe has pulled out of the game, because of COVID related issues with their team. The Rebels are hopeful they can still play longtime rival Ouachita Parish next week.

And the Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series Champions, they defeated Tampa Bay 3 to 1 last night to win their first title since 1988.

LRN Newscast 06:30 October 28

Hurricane Zeta is getting stronger as it eyes a landfall in southeast Louisiana this afternoon. The National Hurricane Center now believes Zeta will reach Category Two strength. Governor Edwards is asking residents to wrap up their preparations this morning…
cut 2 (30) “….I’m Matt Doyle”

The National Weather Service is warning residents that isolated tornadoes to the east of the storm’s center are possible

Terrebonne Parish could get the worst of what Zeta has to offer as the storm is expected to make landfall near the parish. Terrebonne’s Emergency Preparedness Director Earl Eues says schools and businesses are closed today, which will allow residents to prepare…
cut 13 (07) “….care of”
The Houma Municipal Auditorium will open as a shelter at 10 AM.

The University of New Orleans surveyed 755 Louisiana voters and found 59-percent support President Donald Trump in next Tuesday’s election. 36-percent of the respondents supported Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. UNO pollster Ed Chervenak finds it interesting that 90-percent of black voters voted for Governor Edwards in 2019, while only 65-percent of black voters support Biden in this poll…
cut 5 (10) “…issues”
Only one percent of Louisiana voters remain undecided.

LRN Newscast 05:30 October 28

Hurricane Zeta is getting stronger as it races towards the southeastern coast of Louisiana. Its maximum sustained winds are at 85 miles per hour and the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center says Zeta could be a Category Two storm when it makes landfall near Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. That means maximum sustained winds near 100-miles per hour near the eyewall. Governor John Bel Edwards…
cut 7 (07) “…the wind”
Zone One of Terrebonne Parish is under a mandatory evacuation ahead of Hurricane Zeta, effective at 10 am. Director of Emergency Preparedness for Terrebonne Parish, Earl Eues says despite this being the 5th named storm to make landfall in Louisiana they are ready for Zeta.
Cut 12 (09) “One hurricane.”
But again forecasters now believe Zeta could reach Category Two strength before it makes landfall this afternoon.

Zeta is expected to pass over New Orleans, bringing damaging winds this afternoon. Mayor LaToya Cantrell says the city is no stranger to being on high alert for storms and residents should have a game plan in place….
cut 10 (11) “…fatigue”
New Orleans, Slidell, along with Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Jefferson, Lafourche, and Terrebonne parishes could see peak winds between 70 to 100 miles per hour. Wind speeds for Houma are expected to be between 60 and 70 miles per hour. Hammond will see winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour, Morgan City 30 to 40 miles per hour. Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scadigli says they are ready for anticipated outages…
cut 14 (10) “…ready to go”

LRN Newscast 4:30 October 28

Hurricane Zeta is growing in strength and moving quickly towards the southeastern Louisiana coast. As of the Four-AM advisory, Zeta’s maximum sustained winds are up to 85 miles per hour and Zeta is now forecasted to be a category two storm when it makes landfall near St. Mary and Terrebonne Parishes. Zeta’s biggest threat to the state is its powerful winds, which will likely knock out power for thousands.

Governor John Bel Edwards is urging residents to be careful when using a generator as nine people lost their lives due to generator related accidents after Hurricane Laura…
cut 9 (09) “….home”
Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scadigli warns residents to take extreme caution after the storm and alert utility providers of any down lines…
cut 15 (09) “….is live’

Terrebonne could get the worst of what Zeta has to offer as the storm is expected to make landfall near the parish. Terrebonne’s Emergency Preparedness Director Earl Eues says schools and businesses are closed today, which will allow residents to prepare…
cut 13 (07) “….care of”
Zone One of Terrebonne Parish is under a mandatory evacuation, while Zone two is under a voluntary evacuation order. The Houma Municipal Auditorium will open as a shelter at 10 AM.

New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold says the city is expecting about two to four inches of rain, and a short period of potentially dangerous winds.
Cut 11 (11) “than that”
A landfall is expected this afternoon.

LRN AM Newscall Oct 28

President Trump is set to cruise to another easy win in Louisiana according to a new UNO poll. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (29) “   I’m Matt Doyle”

________________________________

Governor Edwards asks residents in southeast Louisiana to do their due diligence ahead of Zeta’s late-season arrival this afternoon. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

__________________________________________

Entergy Louisiana has made unprecedented repairs this hurricane season and the utility provider says they are prepared for whatever challenges Zeta presents. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington”  

_______________________________

We’re a week out from Election Day and a UNO poll of Louisiana voters shows President Donald Trump up 59-36 over former Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden is holding a strong lead in national polling buoyed by a large number of white suburban defectors who backed Trump in 2016, but pollster Ed Chervenak says those voters aren’t shifting in Louisiana.

Cut 4 (08) “nationally”

The President won the state with 58 percent of the vote in 2016 and is up 73-23 among white voters in Louisiana.

Governor Edwards pulled in an estimated 90 percent or more of the Black vote in the 2019 Governor’s race but in this survey fellow Democrat, Joe Biden is only securing 65 percent. Chervenak offers one explanation…

Cut 5 (10) “…issues”

Only one percent of Louisiana voters remain undecided, compared to the roughly five percent of voters who say they are undecided in nationwide polling.

The survey also took a look at attitudes towards the pandemic in the state. Two-thirds of respondents feel COVID-19 is a “serious problem”. Chervenak says for the other third…

Cut 6 (07) “surprise”

73 percent of Blacks and 62 percent of whites believe the virus is a “serious problem”.

_____________________________

Governor Edwards warns just because Zeta won’t be a major hurricane that people shouldn’t be slacking on their hurricane prep.

Edwards says the system is projected to move at a brisk 20 mile per hour pace by the time it hits the shore so we won’t see more than a few inches of rain, but…

Cut 7 (07) “the wind”

The Governor encourages residents to visit get-a-game-plan-dot-org for a to-do checklist of hurricane prep activities.

Edwards says he knows everyone has hurricane fatigue facing down a record-breaking fifth named storm to strike our coast, but you still need to have a game plan in place if you live in the southeast…

Cut 8 (11) “…this late”

Edwards says the winds could be strong enough to knock out power in the southeast. He says nine people lost their lives due to generator related accidents after Hurricane Laura…

Cut 9 (09) “home”

The National Guard has pre-positioned 68 high water vehicles, four helicopters, 48 watercraft, eight route clearing teams, and has 1,030 guardsmen ready to respond to Zeta.

________________________

Storm prep is underway in New Orleans and the city is under a voluntary evacuation order as the projected path of Zeta shows it passing over, or near the Crescent City.

Mayor Latoya Cantrell says the city is no stranger to being on high alert for storms this year and residents should have a game plan in place.

Cut 10 (11) “…fatigue”

New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold says the city is expecting about two to four inches of rain, and a short period of potentially dangerous winds.

Cut 11 (11) “than that”

Officials do not seem concerned that the system will overburden the city’s struggling pumps or threaten the city’s levee system with surge. Still, neutral ground parking has been authorized for city residents.

________________________

Zone One of Terrebonne Parish is under a mandatory evacuation ahead of Hurricane Zeta, effective at 10 am. Director of Emergency Preparedness for Terrebonne Parish, Earl Eues says despite this being the 5th named storm to make landfall in Louisiana they are ready for Zeta.

Cut 12 (09) “One hurricane.”.

Eues says even though it appears Terrebonne Parish will experience the brunt of the storm he’s confident residents will take the necessary precautions and be prepared because many will be off of work Wednesday.

Cut 13 (07) care of.”

Zone Two of Terrebonne Parish is under a voluntary evacuation order. The Houma Municipal Auditorium will be open as an evacuation shelter Wednesday at 10 am. Evacuees are asked to bring sufficient food, water, bedding, and medicine for a few days.

________________________________

Entergy Louisiana is prepping again for yet another hurricane to impact customers in the Bayou State. Hurricane Laura caused extensive and widespread outages to southwest Louisiana and Hurricane Delta forced crews back to the area six weeks later. Entergy Spokesperson Brandon Scadigli says restoration crews are well prepared for anticipated outages in southeast Louisiana with Zeta.

Cut 14 (10) “…ready to go”

Scadigli says even though the state is experiencing more than its fair share of hurricanes this season, he warns residents to take extreme caution after the storm and alert utility providers of any down lines.

Cut 15 (09) “..is live”

Entergy says they will provide updates for customers via their social media pages on Facebook and Twitter during the restoration process.

_______________________

The Pelicans introduced new head coach Stan Van Gundy for the first time Tuesday.

Van Gundy’s been out of the game for the past two years and in the broadcast booth. There were a number of high-profile head coaching jobs that opened up this off-season but he says New Orleans is the only one he was interested in.

cut 16 (12) “it all”

Van Gundy first featured as a head coach in Miami from 03 to 06 but left after butting heads with Pat Riley. He then helmed the Magic from 07 to 2012 where he managed to get them to the Finals in 09. He was known for installing what was at the time an innovative 3 point centric offense and maintaining a top defense led by center Dwight Howard. His most recent stint in Detroit was not successful, leaving the team after four years as a coach/GM with a losing record.

Van Gundy is regarded as a culture creator with a defense-first mentality. He says he’s excited to show this young team’s potential, but that starts with holding them accountable…

cut 17 (25)   excuse”

Van Gundy is also outspoken about his progressive political views, and frequently tweets and speaks about social justice. He says that won’t be changing…

cut 18 (20) ” do that” 

______________________________________________

LSU and Auburn will meet for the 55th time on the football field on Saturday when the two teams meet at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It’s a rivalry that’s produced the unexpected. Starting center Liam Shanahan will get his first experience and he was told about this game soon after he transferred in from Harvard

cut 19 (24) “best shot’

LSU has won the last three games in the series and four of the last five. The last four games have been decided by a total of 13 points. Last year, LSU won 23–20 in Tiger Stadium and in 2018 the Tigers won with a walk-off field goal by Cole Tracy.

LSU’s defense showed improvement in the win over South Carolina, but still gave up some big plays, including two runs for 45 yards or more. Linebacker Damone Clark had just two solo tackles and fellow linebacker Jabril Cox had three. Cox says he and Clark know they can play better…

cut 20 (18) “improve on that”