11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU has moved up two spots in the latest College Football Playoff ranking to number five. Despite having two losses, the Tigers are one spot ahead of U-S-C, who has one loss on the season. C-F-P Committee Chairman Boo Corrigan says LSU’s strength of schedule is better than U-S-C’s and the Trojans have not been as good on defense as LSU.

LSU is preparing for its regular season finale on Saturday at Texas A-and-M. Aggies Coach Jimbo Fisher says he’s impressed with Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels…
cut 20 (17) “…critical moments”

College basketball, LSU defeated Akron 73-58 and will play Kansas State in the Cayman Islands Classic, while the Ragin Cajuns knocked off SMU 76-72 in O-T.

ULM closes out the season on Saturday by hosting Southern Miss at Malone Stadium. The Warhawks are four and seven and Coach Terry Bowden says a win on Saturday will give them one more victory than they had last season…
Cut 16 (20) “…football game ever.”
The Golden Eagles will come to Monroe on a three-game losing streak, but one win away from bowl eligibility.

Louisiana Tech also wrapping up the season at home by hosting UAB. Senior offensive lineman Joshua Mote says it’s tough knowing that this is his last game at Joe Aillet Stadium…
cut 29 (12) “….lessons here”
Kick-off between Tech and UAB is at 2:30 PM.

11:30 LRN Newscast Nov 23

Baton Rouge police are investigating the shooting death of 64-year-old Ronnie Carter and his son 21-year-old Adam Carter confessed Tuesday morning. According to a police report obtained by a Baton Rouge TV station the suspect told detectives he “becomes extremely angry when he hears someone blow their nose.” BRPD spokesperson Sgt L’Jean McKneely says after the shooting the suspect called authorities.

Cut 7 (09)  “…then died.”

Adam Carter is charged with manslaughter.

Two women are face identity theft charges in Shreveport for allegedly stealing from USAA bank accounts. Shreveport PD Sergeant Angie Willhite says ZarRajah Watkins faces 175 charges of identity theft, and she had access to accounts through her job at Shreveport call center.

Cut 4 (09)  “…right now.” 

Destane Glass was arrested yesterday.

LSU AgCenter Registered Dietitian Jennifer Duhon has a few tip for those watching their calorie intake on Thanksgiving. With plenty of delicious food to consume, Duhon says to go easy on the sauces…

Cut 11 (10)  “…sodium as well.”

 

It will be a big tourism weekend in New Orleans as the President of New Orleans Convention Company Dottie Belletto says the Bayou Classic draws about 200-thousand visitors to the city…

Cut 13 (12) “…the billions.”

The football game between Southern and Grambling is at 1 PM on Saturday, but there are plenty of activities on Friday and Saturday morning leading up to the game.

10:30 LRN Newscast

Two women are facing charges of identity theft in Shreveport for allegedly stealing money from the accounts of USAA bank account holders. Shreveport Police Department Sergeant Angie Willhite says ZarRajah Watkins was arrested on November 17th. Destane Glass was arrested yesterday.
Cut 3 (08) “…citizen veterans.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation, which authorities say is still underway.

Baton Rouge police are investigating the shooting death of 64-year-old Ronnie Carter who was allegedly shot by his son 21-year-old Adam Carter. BRPD spokesperson Sgt L’Jean McKneely says it happened around 9:30 Tuesday morning.
Cut 6 (10) “…killing him.”
Adam Carter has been charged with manslaughter.

According to Triple-A 55-million Americans are traveling this Thanksigving Holiday. Nearly 49-millon people are expected to travel by car and Triple-A spokesperson Don Redman says there is an increase in air travel this year…
cut 30 (12) “…in advance”

And it’s a big tourism weekend for New Orleans which is hosting the Bayou Classic on Saturday. And there are several events scheduled for Friday. President of New Orleans Convention Company Dottie Belletto…
cut 14 (14) “…inspirational speakers”
Friday night it’s the Battle of the Bands in the Caesars Superdome. Saturday’s football game between Grambling and Southern will kick off at 1 PM.

9:30 LRN Newscast Nov 23

As folks are preparing for their Thanksgiving feast, there are some tips to make sure you don’t overdo it when it comes to overeating. LSU AgCenter Registered Dietitian Jennifer Duhon says instead of having everything on the buffet, Duhon says to choose two to three of your all-time favorites.

Cut 12 (09) “…calorie options.”

And she suggests taking a walk with your family before and after dinner to burn off a few calories.

For the second year in a row, Louisiana will be on display to the world this week, as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Lt. Governor Bill Nungesser says the 60-foot Celebration Gator is a huge and elaborate animated float…:

Cut 7 (08) “…represent Louisiana.”

Tickets for the 49th Annual Bayou Classic are selling fast bringing many fans to the City of New Orleans Whitney Thomas has the story.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Whitney Thomas”

It’s perfect weather to travel today across the Gulf South. But tomorrow is a different story as there’s a slight risk for excessive rainfall for most of the state on Thanksgiving. Three to four of inches of rain could fall across north, central and southwest Louisiana tomorrow.

8:30 LRN Newscast

Once again this year, Louisiana will have its Celebration Gator float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

If you’re looking for a fresh-cut Christmas tree this year, according to Kevin Steele of Steele’s Christmas Tree Farm in Washington Parish there are plenty. Much of the state experienced a fall drought, but he says it didn’t affect the Christmas trees ready for sale…
Cut 27 (07) “…no trouble.”

Are you hitting the highways today for your Thanksgiving destination? AAA predicts nearly 49-million people will travel by car, which is up a half a percent from last year. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says if you’re driving for a long distance, take a break every couple of hours.
Cut 6 (11) “…every two hours.”
Redman says the worst time to travel today is 11 AM to 8 PM.

The 49th annual Bayou Classic is Saturday. Grambling State, who has a losing record, is playing for bragging rights, but a win for Southern and they will play in the SWAC Championship game against Jackson State. First year Jaguars coach Eric Dooley was a wide receiver at Grambling and knows the rivalry well…
Cut 15 (12) “.opposite shirts..”
Kick off Saturday is at 1 PM.

7:30 LRN Newscast

According to AAA, just under 55 million people will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, either by plane, train, or automobile but the majority will be on the road. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says that’s up 2 percent from last year.
Cut 4 (06) “…since 2000. ”

And Grambling and Southern football fans will head to New Orleans this weekend for the Bayou Classic…
cut 3 (33) “…I’m Whitney Thomas”

There are 28 floats in tomorrow’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and for the second year in a row, Louisiana will have its celebration gator rolling through the streets of Manhattan. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the float will promote Louisiana as a tourist destination…
cut 8 (08) “…is incredible”
For the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day, Louisiana will have a riverboat float.

As folks prepare for their Thanksgiving feast, there are some tips to make sure you don’t overdo it when it comes to overeating. LSU AgCenter Registered Dietitian Jennifer Duhon says make sure half of your plate is fruits and vegetables.
Cut 10 (07) “…decrease those calories”
And with plenty of delicious food to consume, Duhon says go easy on the sauces.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU moved up two spots to number five in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. The two loss Tigers finished one spot ahead of one-loss USC, who beat UCLA last Saturday 48-45. The Bayou Bengals are at Texas A-and-M This Saturday, while USC faces Notre Dame in L-A. Georgia is number one in the C-F-P, followed by Ohio State, Michigan and TCU.

The Saints will return to the practice field today to prepare for Sunday’s game at San Francisco. The 49ers have won three in a row and New Orleans Coach Dennis Allen says they are a physical team…
Cut 18 (18) “…extremely hard.”
The 49ers are 9.5 point favorites. Kick-off is at 3:25.

The 49th annual Bayou Classic will take place on Saturday. Grambling State, who has a losing record, is playing for bragging rights, but a win for Southern and they will play in the SWAC Championship game against Jackson State. First year Jaguars coach Eric Dooley was a wide receiver at Grambling and knows what this rivalry is all about…
Cut 15 (12) “.opposite shirts..”
The Bayou Classic rivalry is tied at 24 since the series began in 1974.

In college basketball yesterday, LSU went on an 18-6 run in the second half to defeat Akron 73-58. Adam Miller had 23 points, while K-J Williams had 19 points. The 5-and-0 Tigers will face Kansas State tonight in the championship game in the Cayman Islands Classic.

And the Ragin Cajuns won in overtime last night over SMU 76-72 on the Mustangs home floor. Jordan Brown Brown had 26 points as U-L Lafayette rallied back from 10 point deficit.

6:30 LRN Newscast

If you’re hitting the road for Thanksgiving, AAA says it’s expected to be the third busiest travel period on record since 2000. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (32) “I’m Brooke Thorington.”

It’s perfect weather to travel today across the Gulf South. But tomorrow is a different story as there’s a slight risk for excessive rainfall for most of the state on Thanksgiving. Three to four of inches of rain could fall across north, central and southwest Louisiana tomorrow.

For the second year in a row, Louisiana will have a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The Celebration Gator made its first appearance last year as a way to promote Louisiana as a tourism destination. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says it’s the longest float to ever roll in the parade, measuring 60-feet from mouth to tail….
cut 9 (09) “….of this gator”
New Orleans’ own Trombone Shorty is riding on the float and will perform along the way.

It will be a big tourism weekend in New Orleans as the President of New Orleans Convention Company Dottie Belletto says the Bayou Classic draws about 200-thousand visitors to the city…
cut 13 (12) “…the millions”
The football game between Southern and Grambling is at 1 PM on Saturday, but there are plenty of activities on Friday and Saturday morning leading up to the game.

LRN AM Newscall November 23

If you’re hitting the road for Thanksgiving, AAA says it’s expected to be the third busiest travel period on record since 2000. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (32) “I’m Brooke Thorington.”

_________________________________________________

Once again this year, Louisiana will have its Celebration Gator float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

______________________________________________

Tickets for the 49th Annual Bayou Classic are selling fast bringing many fans to the City of New Orleans Whitney Thomas tells that story..

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Whitney Thomas”

________________________________________________

According to AAA, just under 55 million people will travel for the Thanksgiving holidays, either by plane, train, or automobile but the majority will be on the road. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says that’s up 2 percent from last year.

Cut 4 (07)  “…busy time. ”

Redman estimates just under 49 million motorists will be traveling in the US for Thanksgiving, and he says to expect about 5 million of them to be in the Louisiana region which includes Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. So if you’re driving to grandmother’s today…

Cut 5 (03) “…8 o’clock in the morning.”

Or wait until after 8 PM, he says the hours of 11 AM to 8 PM are the worst hours to travel by car.

If you’re traveling by air, arrive at the airport two hours early and pack a change of clothes and any medicines in your carry-on in case your flight is delayed.

Redman says if you’re driving for a long distance, take a break every couple of hours to walk around to prevent road fatigue.

Cut 6 (11)  “…every two hours.” 

And because chances are you’ll get stuck in traffic for prolonged periods Redman says never let your fuel get below a quarter of a tank.

___________________________________________

For the second year in a row, Louisiana will be on display to the world this week, as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Lt. Governor Bill Nungesser says the 60-foot Celebration Gator is a huge and elaborate animated float…:

Cut 7 (08) “…represent Louisiana.”

The Celebration Gator from Louisiana appeared in the Macy’s parade last year, and also had a Feed Your Soul float in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. Nungesser says it’s a great way to get people thinking about visiting Louisiana…:

Cut 8 (08)  “…is incredible.”

The Celebration Gator float will feature New Orleans’ own Trombone Shorty and a host of Louisiana good will ambassadors. Nungesser says this is the 2nd of 3-year agreement for Louisiana to be in the parade. He said any float from HAD to have a “wow factor”…:

Cut 9 (09)  “…of this gator.”

You can watch the parade on your local NBC station, starting at 8 am Thanksgiving Day.

_________________________________________________

As folks are preparing for their Thanksgiving feast, there are some tips to make sure you don’t overdo it when it comes to overeating. LSU AgCenter Registered Dietitian Jennifer Duhon says when fixing your plate make sure at least half of your plate is fruits and vegetables.

Cut 10 (07) “…decrease those calories” 

And with plenty of delicious food to consume, Duhon says to go easy on the sauces…

Cut 11 (10)  “…sodium as well.”

One way to cut calories is it use plan-Greek yogurt as a replacement for those cream-based recipes. And instead of having everything on the buffet, Duhon says to choose two to three of your all-time favorites.

Cut 12 (09) “…calorie options.”

And another way to spend time with the family is to take a few walks around the block before or after your meal and monitor your steps while you’re out shopping on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

________________________________________________

The 49th Annual Bayou Classic is this weekend and President and CEO of  New Orleans Convention Company, Inc. Dottie Belletto says more than 200,000 people will travel to New Orleans for the weekend and more than 50,000 – 60,000 people will attend the Bayou Classic game and events.

Cut 13 (12) “…the billions.”

Traditionally fans expect The Battle of the Bands, Fan festival, and a Classic parade, but this year Belletto says they are kicking it up a notch by giving out scholarships and hosting different new events that cater to the students and are free to the public. 

Cut 14 (14)  “…inspirational speakers ..”

Tickets for the 49th Annual Bayou classic can be purchased at www.mybayouclassic.com, Ticketmaster, and the New Orleans Arena Box Office. Kick-off is at 1 PM. 

Grambling State, who has a losing record, is playing for bragging rights, but a win for Southern and they will play in the SWAC Championship game against Jackson State. First year Jaguars coach Eric Dooley was a wide receiver at Grambling and knows what this rivalry is all about…

Cut 15 (12)  “.opposite shirts..”

The Bayou Classic rivalry is tied at 24 since the series began in 1974.

________________________________________________

ULM closes out the season on Saturday by hosting Southern Miss at Malone Stadium. The Warhawks are four and seven and Coach Terry Bowden says a win on Saturday will give them one more victory than they had last season…

Cut  16 (20)  “…football game ever.”

The Golden Eagles will come to Monroe on a three-game losing streak. They are one win away from becoming bowl eligible. Bowden says he’s impressed with Southern Miss and how they do not give away points…

Cut 17 (15) “…well coached”

__________________________________________________

The Saints will return to the practice field today to prepare for Sunday’s game at San Francisco. The 49ers have won three in a row and Coach Dennis Allen says they are a physical team…

Cut 18 (18) “…extremely hard.” 

__________________________________________________________

Texas A-and-M does not have much to play for when the Tigers visit the Aggies on Saturday. But last week Aggies wide receiver Jalen Preston said he’s looking forward to ruining LSU’s chances of getting into the college football playoff. LSU Coach Brian Kelly says he’s not paying attention the possible bulletin board material…

Cut 19 (25) “…on that”

Texas A-and-M Coach Jimbo Fisher says he’s been impressed by the play of Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels…

Cut 20 (17) “…critical moments”

5:30 LRN Newscast Nov 22

State Police says a 16-year-old who ran a stop sign in Lake Charles died in a fiery crash last night. Trooper Derek Senegal says Philip Conner of Homewood was traveling south of Highway 397 when he collided with a mid-size S-U-V

Cut 12 (10) “…GMC Acadia.” 

Senegal says after impact both vehicles traveled off the roadway and Conner’s vehicle became engulfed in flames.

If you’re looking for a fresh-cut Christmas tree, they are plentiful in Louisiana this year, that’s according to Kevin Steele of Steele’s Christmas Tree Farm in Washington Parish.  Steele says while growers have faced an increase in supply and fuel costs you’ll save if you buy your tree locally.

Cut 6 (07)  “…the lots.”

Steele says sales have been brisk so far and he’s hopeful for a profitable season.

Louisiana Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says your Thanksgiving dinner is expected to cost about 14 percent more this year. And the supply of turkeys is limited especially when it comes to medium to large size birds due to an outbreak of Avian Flu.

Cut 5 (08) “…the economy.”

If you’re cooking a turkey for the holiday, hopefully by now you’ve already started thawing it. And if by chance you have a microwave that can handle the size of your bird, USDA expert Kenneth King says you need to be precise about thawing times.

Cut 11 (09)  “…cook it immediately.”

If you’re thawing it in the fridge, it needs 24 hours for every four to five pounds of turkey.