AM LRN Newscall Aug 2

In spite of the fourth surge of COVID cases, Louisiana’s tourism industry is not only surviving but, in some cases, thriving. Erik Piccoli has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Erik Piccoli.”

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The state could be headed back to a mask mandate due to the explosive surge in COVID cases caused by the Delta variant. Brooke Thorington has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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A public hearing into the April 13th capsizing of the Seacor Power begins today. Brooke Thorington has the story.

Cut 3 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Congresswoman Julia Letlow is urging nonvaccinated individuals to make the life-saving decision to roll up their sleeve and get vaccinated. Letlow lost her husband, Luke Letlow last December to COVID, just days before he was to be sworn into congress…

Cut 4 (13) “…on anybody.”

Letlow says Luke even wanted to hold a press conference from his hospital room to warn others about COVID. She says even while he was fighting for his life, he still had a heart for service.

Cut 5 (07) “…virus was.”

Letlow says to those who are on the fence about getting vaccinated she wants them to know like her husband there are more than 610-thousand people who have lost their lives to COVID. For her first piece of legislation, she’s introduced a bill to collect the stories of those who’ve died from COVID and enter them into the Library of Congress.

Cut 6 (09) “…or not.”

Letlow, the mother of two young children, says when people say the virus does not affect children she corrects them because there are actually 1.1 million children across the globe that have lost at least one parent to COVID.

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While the fourth surge continues to impact Louisiana, the state’s tourism industry is showing better numbers and making its way back to pre-pandemic figures. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser hopes the people of Louisiana will do everything to keep this trend going…

Cut 7 (09) “…tourism industry.”

With the recent sharp rise in COVID cases, plans outlined for Mardi-Gras, Jazz Fest, and tailgating are in jeopardy. Nungesser says that the state’s current vaccine rates have hindered the possibility for investment from outside parties…

Cut 8 (13) “…least risk.” 

Regardless of the cases, more people have embarked on road trips and the state parks have had their best year ever with travelers taking advantage of the various trails. Nungesser says this is due part to offering travelers a free fourth night when staying at the parks…

Cut 9 (12) “…drive market.

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Governor Edwards says he is “seriously” considering reimplementing the statewide mask mandate as the Delta COVID surge begins to spiral out of control.

Edwards says about 11 percent of ER visits are now for COVID-like symptoms, which healthcare providers say is the highest rate of the pandemic.

Cut 10 (10) “…mandate”

The state reported over 30 deaths in one day Friday for the first time since March.

Louisiana added over 20,000 new COVID cases last week and statewide positivity on COVID tests jumped back over ten percent for the first time in months.

Cut 11 (11) “…concern.”

All but two parishes are now in the red zone for community spread.

The number of hospitalized patients in the state exploded in July from just 259 on July 1st to 1,740 as of July 29th…

Cut 12 (06) “…month ago” 

Edwards already issued a statewide indoor mask advisory due to Delta and the Governor pointed out new research that shows even vaccinated individuals can carry and transmit the more infectious and virulent Delta variant.

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Coast Guard led public hearings into the tragic capsizing of the Seacor Power begin today at the Courtyard Marriot Hotel in Houma.

Legal analyst Tim Meche says about nine civil suits have been filed against Seacor Marine for deaths related to the incident, and while attorneys bringing those suits will be in attendance…

Cut 13 (09) “…commute.”

The hearings will be held every weekday at 8 AM from now until August 13th. The hearings will be streamed live for those who can not attend.

Meche says the last high-profile maritime incident in Louisiana was the BP Oil Spill, which did result in criminal charges being brought. That’s no guarantee this time, but…

Cut 14 (04) “..for this.”

Meche expects the Coast Guard will remain a neutral arbiter in this case.

Cut 15 (11)“…crashes .”

13 of the Seacor Power’s 19 crew died as a result of the April 13th incident that occurred just ten miles south of Port Fourchon. The vessel reportedly encountered a microburst of extreme weather causing half of it to be submerged under the water.

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The Saints have begun training camp and the quarterback battle between Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston is heating up to decide which player will replace Drew Brees under center.  Hill says while he’s considered a run-first QB, his mindset is to find guys open downfield.

Cut 16 (20) “…good plays.”

With Michael Thomas set to miss the start of the season the Saints are now thin at receiver.  This could lead to running back Alvin Kamara become a bigger part of the passing game.  Hill says while Kamara will definitely get his touches, they plan to utilize everyone in the passing game.

Cut 17 (17) …check it down.” 

Thomas missing a handful of games to start the season is certainly a big blow for the Saints but quarterback Jameis Winston believes that Thomas will come back stronger than ever.

Cut  18 (14)”…Saints organization.”

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1130 Newscast 7/31

Governor Edwards says he is “seriously” considering reimplementing the statewide mask mandate as the Delta COVID surge begins to spiral out of control.

Edwards says about 11 percent of ER visits are now for COVID-like symptoms, which healthcare providers say is the highest rate of the pandemic.

Cut 15 (10) “mandate”

The state reported over 30 deaths in one day Friday for the first time since March.

After completing a study, the USDA confirmed 33-percent of the deer were carrying the virus.  Lousiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain says the study was completed in several northern states.

Cut 10 (10) “Covid-2”

The high temperatures will continue for Louisiana this weekend.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can expect to see weekend temperatures in the mid to upper 90 throughout the weekend across the Pelican state and some areas might even see triple digits.

Cut 13 (09) “and 115”

President Joe Biden has signed Senator Kennedy’s DUMP Opioids act into law.  The Senate unanimously passed this bill in April and the House unanimously passed the bill early this week. Kennedy says Opioid deaths have increased in Louisiana over the past 18 months and his bill is set to help prevent further deaths…

Cut 7 (10) “opioid addiction”

1030 Newscast 7/31

Governor Edwards says Louisiana residents could see another statewide mask mandate due to the rising Covid cases across the state.  Louisiana added over 20,000 new COVID cases this week and statewide positivity on COVID tests jumped back over ten percent for the first time in months.

Cut 16 (11) “(x2) concern”

All but two parishes are now in the red zone for community spread.

The hot and humid temperatures continue for the Bayou State this weekend due to high pressure from the Gulf limiting cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity.  On the upside, State Climatologist Barry Keim says if you can hold out until Monday it looks there’s an increased chance for thunderstorms which might keep the temperatures down and…

Cut 14 (12) “period”

President Joe Biden has signed Senator Kennedy’s DUMP Opioids act into law which allows individuals to dispose of opioids safely.  Kennedy says he’s thankful that the President and Congress came together to pass the bill adding a new tool in the fight against addiction…

Cut 8 (08) “hopefully healthier”

Both Texas and Oklahoma were unanimously invited to join the SEC after a vote from university presidents.  This will make the SEC a 16-team league.  There have been talks of a possible four-team, four-pod system when the two schools are added instead of a traditional east and west format. SEC Netowrk’s Tony Barnhart that’s just one of the possibilities.

Cut 4 (10) “other five”

 

930 Newscast 7/31

Governor Edwards says he is “seriously” considering reimplementing the statewide mask mandate as the Delta COVID surge begins to spiral out of control.

Edwards says about 11 percent of ER visits are now for COVID-like symptoms, which healthcare providers say is the highest rate of the pandemic.

Cut 15 (10) “mandate”

The state reported over 30 deaths in one day Friday for the first time since March.

After completing a study, the USDA confirmed 33-percent of the deer were carrying the virus.  Lousiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain says the study was completed in several northern states.

Cut 10 (10) “Covid-2”

The high temperatures will continue for Louisiana this weekend.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says we can expect to see weekend temperatures in the mid to upper 90 throughout the weekend across the Pelican state and some areas might even see triple digits.

Cut 13 (09) “and 115”

President Joe Biden has signed Senator Kennedy’s DUMP Opioids act into law.  The Senate unanimously passed this bill in April and the House unanimously passed the bill early this week. Kennedy says Opioid deaths have increased in Louisiana over the past 18 months and his bill is set to help prevent further deaths…

Cut 7 (10) “opioid addiction”

830 Newscast 7/31

The state could be headed back to a mask mandate due to the explosive surge in COVID cases caused by the Delta variant. Brooke Thorington has the story.

Cut 18 (31) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

President Joe Biden has signed Senator Kennedy’s DUMP Opioids act into law. Kennedy says the bill provides individuals who are in possession of Opioids a safe and effective way of eliminating them…

Cut 6 (10)

The hot and humid temperatures continue for the Bayou State this weekend. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a weak high pressure across the northern Gulf of Mexico continues to pump warm air into the state but the high pressure is also limiting cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity.

Cut 12 (07) “the roof”

The fourteen SEC presidents voted unanimously to invite both Texas and Oklahoma into the Southeastern Conference after the two schools announced that they would not renew their contracts with the Big 12.  While it could take some time to shuffle certain games within the league once the teams join, Barnhart says re-adjusting scheduling in the SEC is long overdue.

Cut 5 (11) “not enough”

730 Newscast 7/31

The Pelicans used the 17th pick in this year’s NBA draft to select Virginia’s Trey Murphy. He averaged 11 points a game for the Cavaliers last season and shot a team-high 43-percent from three-point territory. Before his lone season at Virginia, he played two years at Rice, where he averaged 14 points a game as a sophomore.

They also selected Alabama’s Herb Jones with the 35th pick.  Jones was named SEC Player of the Year last season.

Former LSU guard Cam Thomas was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 27th overall pick in the first round of last night’s NBA draft.  In his only season in Baton Rouge, Thomas averaged 23 points per game and shot over 40 percent from the field for the Tigers.  Thomas was considered a possible candidate for the Pelicans in the first round.

LSU stars Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart did not hear their names called in the draft.  Watford has signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers and Javonte Smart has inked a contract with the Miami Heat.  Watford averaged 16.3 points per game while Smart averaged 16 points a game.  Smart led the SEC in three-point percentage with 40.2 percent.

The fourteen SEC presidents voted unanimously to invite both Texas and Oklahoma into the Southeastern Conference after the two schools announced that they would not renew their contracts with the Big 12.  Tony Barnhart with the SEC Network and TMG Sports says these two schools leaving their conference is unique due to their high-profile programs.

Cut 3 (11) “with Oklahoma”

The Longhorns and Sooners will officially join the SEC in July of 2025.

The LSU football program received both good and bad news in the last few days.  Tigers received a commitment from three-star tight end Mason Taylor out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Mason is the son of former NFL star Jason Taylor.  But, LSU also lost a commitment from five-star has announced that he is decommiting from the Tigers and re-opening his recruitment.  The Ponchatoula native had been committed to LSU since November 2020.

 

5:30 LRN Newscast July 30

Governor Edwards says he is “seriously” considering reimplementing the statewide mask mandate as the Delta COVID surge begins to spiral out of control. Louisiana added over 20,000 new COVID cases this week and statewide positivity on COVID tests jumped back over ten percent for the first time in months.

Cut 11 (11) “…concern.”

In New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an indoor mask mandate for the city Friday afternoon, effectively immediately.

President Joe Biden has signed Senator John Kennedy’s DUMP Opioids act into law. Kennedy says Opioid deaths have increased in Louisiana over the past 18 months and his bill is set to help prevent further deaths…

Cut 7 (10) “…opioid addiction.” 

The fourteen SEC presidents voted unanimously to invite both Texas and Oklahoma into the Southeastern Conference after the two schools announced that they would not renew their contracts with the Big 12.  Tony Barnhart with the SEC Network and TMG Sports says these two schools leaving their conference is unique due to their high-profile programs.

Cut 3 (11) “…with Oklahoma.” 

The hot and humid temperatures continue for the Bayou State this weekend. State Climatologist Barry Keim we can expect to see weekend temperatures in the mid to upper 90 throughout the weekend across the Pelican state and some areas might even see triple digits.

Cut 13 (10) “…and 115.”

Keim says a high-pressure system across the northern Gulf of Mexico continues to pump warm air into the state.

445 Sportscast 7/30

The Pelicans used the 17th pick in this year’s NBA draft to select Virginia’s Trey Murphy. He averaged 11 points a game for the Cavaliers last season and shot a team-high 43-percent from three-point territory. Before his lone season at Virginia, he played two years at Rice, where he averaged 14 points a game as a sophomore.

They also selected Alabama’s Herb Jones with the 35th pick.  Jones was named SEC Player of the Year last season.

Former LSU guard Cam Thomas was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 27th overall pick in the first round of last night’s NBA draft.  In his only season in Baton Rouge, Thomas averaged 23 points per game and shot over 40 percent from the field for the Tigers.  Thomas was considered a possible candidate for the Pelicans in the first round.

LSU stars Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart did not hear their names called in the draft.  Watford has signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers and Javonte Smart has inked a contract with the Miami Heat.  Watford averaged 16.3 points per game while Smart averaged 16 points a game.  Smart led the SEC in three-point percentage with 40.2 percent.

The fourteen SEC presidents voted unanimously to invite both Texas and Oklahoma into the Southeastern Conference after the two schools announced that they would not renew their contracts with the Big 12.  Tony Barnhart with the SEC Network and TMG Sports says these two schools leaving their conference is unique due to their high-profile programs.

Cut 3 (11) “with Oklahoma”

The Longhorns and Sooners will officially join the SEC in July of 2025.

The LSU football program received both good and bad news in the last few days.  Tigers received a commitment from three-star tight end Mason Taylor out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Mason is the son of former NFL star Jason Taylor.  But, LSU also lost a commitment from five-star safety Jacoby Matthews as he has announced that he is decommitting from the Tigers and re-opening his recruitment.  The Ponchatoula native had been committed to LSU since November 2020.

 

4:30 LRN Newscast July 30

Governor Edwards says Louisiana has the highest rate of growth per capita of COVID cases in the county. On Friday 5,300 new cases were reported along with 1,740 hospitalizations and 31 deaths.  Edwards says he along with other health officials are extremely concerned.

Cut 15  considering :14

President Joe Biden has signed Senator Kennedy’s DUMP Opioids act into law. Kennedy says the bill provides individuals who are in possession of Opioids a safe and effective way of eliminating them…

Cut 6 (10) “…VA center.” 

The U-S Department of Agriculture has completed a study of deer in several northern states and Lousiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain says they were checking for COVID-19 antibodies and found them in 33-percent. However, Strain emphasizes while deer are susceptible to the virus, Humans are in no danger from the deep population.

Cut  11 (11) “…deer population.”  

The hot and humid temperatures continue for the Bayou State this afternoon and into the weekend. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a weak high pressure across the northern Gulf of Mexico continues to pump warm air into the state, but the high pressure is also limiting cloud coverage and thunderstorm activity.

Cut 12 (07) “…the roof.” 

A large part of the state is under a heat advisory.

 

1:30 LRN Newscast July 30

The hot and humid temperatures continue for the Bayou State this afternoon and into the weekend. State Climatologist Barry Keim we can expect to see weekend temperatures in the mid to upper 90 throughout the weekend across the Pelican state and some areas might even see triple digits.

Cut 13 (10) “…and 115.”

Keim says a high-pressure system across the northern Gulf of Mexico continues to pump warm air into the state.

The U-S Department of Agriculture has completed a study of deer in several northern states and Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain says they were checking for COVID-19 antibodies.

Cut 9 (10) “..Covid -2″

After completing the study, the USDA confirmed 33-percent of the deer were carrying the virus. At Three today Governor Edwards will hold a COVID briefing for the state.

In Youngsville, the Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their own, from COVID. In a press release, the department said 42-year-old Randy Guidry was a veteran Law Enforcement Officer and a two-year employee of the Youngsville PD. They say the Guidry who is a husband and father contracted COVID while serving the community. Funeral arrangements are pending.

The fourteen SEC presidents voted unanimously to invite both Texas and Oklahoma into the Southeastern Conference after the two schools announced that they would not renew their contracts with the Big 12.  Tony Barnhart with the SEC Network and TMG Sports says these two schools leaving their conference is unique due to their high-profile programs.

Cut 3 (11) “…with Oklahoma.” 

The two are scheduled to officially join July of 2025.