530 PM LRN News

Legal sports betting in Louisiana might not happen before the start of the football season. Louisiana Casino Association Executive Director Wade Duty says the Gaming Control Board must finalize the rules and issue licenses and they do not have a chairman at the moment.

Cut 3 (12)  “…regulatory side.”

Lake Charles Republican Senator Ronnie Johns is said to be one of the contenders for the post.

290 of Louisiana’s small and mid-sized communities and municipalities will receive 315 million dollars in American Rescue Plan funding split between now and next June. Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says cities like Baker and villages like Noble will have few restrictions on how the funds can be used…

Cut 6 (12) “…revenue loss”

New vaccinations are up 14 percent since the launch of a COVID vaccine incentive lottery according to the State Health Department. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says we can’t know for sure if Shot at a Million is the reason for the bump, but whatever the reason they’re grateful…

Cut 12 (09) “…another”

Kanter says about 38-percent of the state has received at least one shot and is thus eligible to register for the vaccine lottery.

KIK Consumer Products and Governor Edwards announced today a $170-million investment in a chlorine manufacturing plant in Calcasieu Parish. The dedication of the new Westlake facility is on the site of the previous plant that was destroyed 10 months ago when it caught on fire during Hurricane Laura. KIK COO, Jeff Schmitt….

Cut 9 (10) “…with us.”

430 PM LRN News

It appears that sports betting will not be available in Louisiana for the start of the college football season. Louisiana Casino Association Executive Director Wade Duty says late fall is now a more realistic outcome due to the Gaming Control Boards’ lack of chairman and the sometimes lengthy process new gaming policies are put through before adoption…

Cut 5  (08) “…online. ” 

The Gaming Control Board is not expected to meet again until July 15th

Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says 315 million dollars in federal aid will be heading to 290 small to medium sized Louisiana communities as a result of the American Rescue Plan…

Cut 8 (10) “…wisely.”

About half of the funds will be delivered this month and the other half will be delivered next June.

Since announcing the Shot at a Million COVID vaccine incentive campaign Louisiana has seen a 14 percent increase in the number of new vaccinations. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says a chance at a million dollars is certainly a big incentive but for some folks the lure of money just won’t be enough to get them off the fence…

Cut 14 (10) “…you trust” 

Kanter says about 35-percent of the state is fully vaccinated and 38-percent have initiated the series.

Governor John Bel Edwards was in southwest Louisiana today for the groundbreaking announcement of BioLab’s new 170-million dollars chlorine manufacturing plant in Westlake. A previous chlorine facility at the site caught on fire and was damaged during Hurricane Laura. Edwards says the project will create 82 direct jobs and retain 19 existing jobs

cut 11 (12) “…stronger”

4:45 LRN Sportscast June 30

The Saints have made Ryan Ramczyk the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says Ramczyk has signed a five-year, 96-million dollar contract that includes 60-million dollars in guaranteed money. Ramzyk was entering the final year of his rookie contract and will now make 19-million dollars a year.

Lawmakers anticipated when they passed sports betting legislation it would be online in time for the football season. But it’s not a quick process. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Jacque Vaughn has pulled his name out of consideration for the Pelicans head coaching job. Vaughn has been an assistant for the Nets for the last five seasons and according to ESPN Vaughn wants to stay close to his two teenage sons and is no longer seeking any head coaching job.

One of the first priorities for new LSU Head Baseball Coach Jay Johnson is to hire a staff, including a pitching and hitting coach. Johnson says he will not rush to hire someone because he wants to make sure he finds the right fit.
Cut 17 (20) …narrow search.”

The College World Series comes down to a winner-take-all game three tonight between Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. First pitch is at 6 PM.

3:30 LRN Newscast June 30

The start date of legal sports betting in Louisiana is in question. Louisiana Casino Association Executive Director Wade Duty says the Gaming Control Board doesn’t have a chair at the moment and there are several other things that must be completed before sports wagering is online.

Cut 4 (12) “…kinds of things”

Duty says most likely it will be later in the season, not the beginning of football season before it’s online.

The state health department says in the week after registration began for the Shot at a Million lottery incentive, COVID-19 vaccinations rose by 14-percent. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says about 35-percent of the state is fully vaccinated it’s one of the lowest percentages in the country…

Cut 13 (10) “…flat”

A 170 million dollar chlorine plant is set to be built on the site of a previous one in Calcasieu Parish that caught fire during Hurricane Laura. The facility by KIK Consumer Goods is expected to be completed in 2022. KIK COO, Jeff Schmitt says construction of the BioLab facility wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of their employees.

Cut 10 (12) “…were before.”

290 small and midsized Louisiana municipalities have been awarded over 315 million dollars in American Rescue Plan COVID relief funds. Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the funds are being allocated based on population. For example, the city of Baker is receiving five million dollars while the Village of Noble, 1.6 million.

Cut 7 (10) “…didn’t happen.”

 

LRN PM Newscall June 30

Lawmakers anticipated when they passed sports betting legislation in the spring it would be online in time for the football season. But it’s not a quick process. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

____________________________________

315 million dollars in federal American Rescue Plan aid will be distributed to 290 small and midsized Louisiana communities. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (29) …I’m Matt Doyle.”  

______________________________________

Legal sports betting in Louisiana might not happen before the start of the football season. Louisiana Casino Association Executive Director Wade Duty says the Gaming Control Board must finalize the rules and issue licenses and they do not have a chairman at the moment.

Cut 3 (12)  “…regulatory side.”

The Gaming Control Board is not expected to meet again until July 15th, but Duty says the Governor’s office has indicated they wish to name a new chairman sooner than later. In spite of that Duty says there are other factors that must be completed before sports wagering is online.

Cut 4 (12) “…kinds of things”

Duty says while a fall timeline is still likely for sports betting, realistically it won’t be until after the football season begins.

Cut 5  (08) “…online. ” 

Lake Charles Republican Senator Ronnie Johns is said to be one of the contenders for the post.

___________________________

290 small and midsized Louisiana municipalities have been awarded over 315 million dollars in American Rescue Plan COVID economic relief funds.

Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says there are few strings attached to these federal dollars.

Cut 6 (12) “…revenue loss”

Major cities and municipalities like New Orleans, Shreveport, St. Tammany Parish, and other larger communities are not included in this relief because they already received funds directly from the feds.

The funds are being allocated based on population. Dardenne says for example the city of Baker is receiving five million dollars while the Village of Noble will receive 1.6 million dollars.

Cut 7 (10) “…didn’t happen.”

Dardenne says this is an unprecedented amount of money coming from the federal government to localities in response to the pandemic.

Cut 8 (10) “…wisely.”

About half of the funds will be delivered this month and the other half will be delivered next June.

_____________________________

KIK Consumer Products and Governor Edwards announced today a $170-million investment in a chlorine manufacturing plant in Calcasieu Parish. The dedication of the new Westlake facility is on the site of the previous plant that was destroyed 10 months ago when it caught on fire during Hurricane Laura. KIK COO, Jeff Schmitt….

Cut 9 (10) “…with us.”

Schmitt says construction of the BioLab facility which will manufacture chlorine-based sanitizer wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of their employees.

Cut 10 (12) “…were before.”

Edwards says the project will create 82 direct jobs and retain 19 existing jobs…

Cut  11 (12) “….stronger” 

The original plant was constructed in 1979 and the new facility is expected to be completed in 2022. The project will create 82 direct jobs

_________________________________________________

The state health department says in the week after registration began for the two-point-three million dollar lottery incentive, COVID-19 vaccinations rose by 14-percent. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says it’s too early to say if the lottery is the reason for the modest bump, but admits every new vaccination is harder to get

Cut 12 (09) “…another”

Kanter says about 35-percent of the state is fully vaccinated and 38-percent have initiated the series. Those are some of the lowest percentages in the country…

Cut 13 (10) “…flat”

Kanter says there’s a push to increase the vaccination rate as the Delta variant continues to spread quickly. It is more contagious than other strains and it’s affecting mostly people who are unvaccinated. Kanter says word of mouth is the other way they can boost vaccination rates

Cut 14 (10) “…you trust” 

230 PM LRN News

Brooke Thorington reports it is unlikely sports betting will be available at the start of the football season…

Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

Senate President Page Cortez says it is likely that a veto override session will begin July 20th to overturn some controversial vetoes by Governor Edwards, chief among them the Governor’s rejection of legislation banning transgender women from playing on women’s sports teams in K-12 and higher education, and the rejection of legislation doing away with the need to have a concealed carry permit to carry a concealed firearm.

A 170 million dollar chlorine plant is set to be built on the site of a previous chlorine plant in Calcasieu Parish that caught fire during Hurricane Laura. The facility by KIK Consumer Goods is expected to be completed in 2022. KIK COO, Jeff Schmitt says construction of the BioLab facility which will manufacture chlorine-based sanitizer wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of their employees.

Cut 10 (12) “…were before.”

The project will create 82 direct jobs

The state health department says in the week after registration began for the two-point-three million dollar lottery incentive, COVID-19 vaccinations rose by 14-percent. State Health Officer Doctor Joe Kanter says it’s too early to say if the lottery is the reason for the modest bump, but admits every new vaccination is harder to get

Cut 12 (09) “…another”

1:30 LRN Newscast June 30

Senate President Page Cortez said today that a veto override session next month is likely because of the governor’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from participating on sports teams. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder has already expressed his support for a veto session, while the governor says the anti-transgender bill is in search of a solution that’s not a problem.

315 million dollars in federal American Rescue Plan aid will be distributed to 290 small and midsized Louisiana communities. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 2 (29) …I’m Matt Doyle.”

Governor John Bel Edwards is in southwest Louisiana today and was on hand for the groundbreaking announcement of BioLab’s new 170-million dollars chlorine manufacturing plant in Westlake. The previous one caught on fire and was damaged during Hurricane Laura. Edwards says the project will create 82 direct jobs and retain 19 existing jobs…
cut 11 (12) “…stronger”

Many people are waiting for legal sports betting to arrive in Louisiana now that the governor has signed the bills that put the regulations and taxation in place. Louisiana Casino Association Executive Director Wade Duty says the gaming control board still has to finalize the rules and issue licenses, so legal sports wagering will likely begin after the football season starts…
cut 5 (08) “…online”
And the governor also needs to appoint a new gaming control board chairman.

1230 PM LRN News

290 small and midsized Louisiana municipalities have been awarded over 315 million dollars in American Rescue Plan COVID economic relief funds. Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says the funds will be split up over this year and next, and they have few strings attached…

Cut 6 (12) “…revenue loss”

Major cities and municipalities like New Orleans and other larger communities are not included.

Executive Director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says his organization anticipates sports gaming will be available to Louisianans sometime in fall, but likely not by the start of football season. One reason? The Gaming Control Board is currently without a chair…

Cut 3 (12)  “…regulatory side.”

KIK Consumer Products along with Governor Edwards announced a $170-million investment in a chlorine manufacturing plant in Calcasieu Parish. The dedication of the new Westlake facility is on the site of the previous plant that was destroyed 10 months ago when it caught on fire during Hurricane Laura. KIK COO, Jeff Schmitt….

Cut 9 (10) “…with us.”

The original plant was constructed in 1979 and the new facility is expected to be completed in 2022.

The Delta Variant is spreading quickly in Louisiana with as many as 25 percent of current COVID cases believed to be the more dangerous and transmissible strain. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says those who are fully vaccinated are thought to have about 90 percent protection from this new strain…

Cut 5  (06) “…variant.”

Those with only one COVID shot are thought to only have just over 30 percent protection.

1140 Sportscast 6/30

One of the first priorities for new LSU Head Baseball Coach Jay Johnson is to hire a staff, including a pitching and hitting coach.

Kendall Rogers of D-1 Baseball-dot-com reports Texas Tech recruiting coordinator and assistant coach J-Bob Thomas is staying in Lubbock.  He’s refused Johnson’s offer to take on the same duties with duties with the Tigers.

Johnson also needs to meet with the players and try to find guys to fill out holes in the roster.  The new coach on what type of team he wants to field.

Cut 18 (17) “than LSU”

Jacque Vaughn has pulled his name out of consideration for the Pelicans head coaching job. Vaughn has been an assistant for the Nets for the last five seasons and according to ESPN Vaughn wants to stay close to his two teenage sons and is no longer seeking any head coaching job.

Adam Schefter reports that Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk is signing a five-year, 90 million dollar contract to stay in New Orleans, 60 million of which is guaranteed.  This deal makes Ramczyk the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL.

Former LSU tiger and longtime NFL left tackle Andrew Whitworth might be ready to hang up his cleats for good.  Whitworth will turn 40 in December and he hinted on Chris Long’s Green Light Podcast that this might be it after reaching that milestone.  The West Monroe native began his career with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2006 and spent 11 years with the franchise before signing with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017.  He’s played in 224 career games with 220 starts.

The college world series finals comes down to a winner-take-all game three tonight.  Vanderbilt won game one 8-2, then Mississippi State cruised to a 13-2 victory last night.  SEC player of the year Tanner Allen scored four runs for the Bulldogs in the win.  First Pitch for game three will be at 6 pm.

11:30 LRN Newscast June 30

KIK Consumer Products along with Governor Edwards announced a $170 million investment in a chlorine manufacturing plant in Westlake. The dedication of the new facility was on the site of the previous plant that was destroyed 10 months ago during Hurricane Laura. KIK COO, Jeff Schmitt….

Cut 9 (10) “…with us.”

The project will create 82 direct jobs.

An estimated 25 percent of the current COVID cases in Louisiana are believed to be the more dangerous Delta variant strain that first emerged in India. That’s according to State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter who says the number of new Delta cases is doubling every two to three weeks meaning we could face a new spike in overall COVID cases.

Cut 4 (07) “…sick.”

The 25 percent share of Delta cases in Louisiana is above the national average of about 20 percent.

Top law enforcement officials in St. Tammany Parish have voiced their opposition to a proposed 325-million dollar casino in the Slidell area. St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith says FBI data shows there are several different crimes and social issues tied to gambling…
Cut 11 (10) “..suicides increase.”

Smith says St. Tammany Parish already has one of the highest suicide rates in the state.

Peninsula Pacific Entertainment has guaranteed to hire 50-percent of their employees from the parish and Slidell

Senator Hewitt says some see the casino as a great economic development opportunity for the parish.

Cut 12 (07) “…vote on it.” 

The St. Tammany Parish Council will vote tonight on whether there will be a referendum on the November ballot to ask voters if they want the casino.