4:30 LRN Newscast Dec 28

State Police say speeding was the likely cause of a double fatal crash Tuesday near Golden Meadow, but they haven’t ruled out impairment. Trooper Ross Brennan says a man driving a pickup was going too fast, when he sideswiped a dump truck, then crashed head-on into am sedan. The sedan driver died at the scene. The pickup driver died later at a hospital. Brennan says holidays always mean increases in traffic deaths…:

CUT 14(05)      “…for disaster.”

The man who lit a fire inside the Walmart in Hammond on Christmas Eve has been caught. State Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says when 43-year-old Terrence Coe saw his picture all over TV and social media, he turned himself in. She says customers aided in keeping damage to the store to a minimum…:

CUT 08(12)      “…put it out.”

Coe reportedly set the fire as a distraction while he stole stuff.

 

The state Division of Administration has blocked TikTok traffic on networks managed by the state Office of Tech Services. Jacques Berry, with the Division, says it’s a cybersecurity risk…:

CUT 11(12)      “…going forward.”

State workers may have the app on their phone or device, but it won’t work on a state wi-fi.

Another shooting on Bourbon Street, in the New Orleans French Quarter. NOPD says a man was shot and wounded today just before 2pm at Bourbon and Toulouse. He is expected to be OK. Cops are following leads and interviewing possible witnesses.

No Mega Million jackpot winner last night. That means the jackpot for Friday’s drawing will be worth about $640-million to a single winner. A lump-sum cash award would be about $302-million.

3:30 LRN Newscast Dec 29

Anti-smoking experts say New Year’s is a great time to quit smoking. Marsanne Golsby has more.

Cut 1 (30)  “…I’m Marsanne Golsby”

A single-vehicle crash in Terrebonne Parish claims the life of a Houma man. State Trooper Ross Brennan says 29 year old Steven English was traveling at a high rate of speed on LA- Highway 15

 Cut 6 (07)  “…Tree.”

A toxicology sample is pending, however, Brennan says investigators believe impairment was a factor.

The Department of Transportation and Development has been awarded a $150 million Mega Grant from the federal government to go towards the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge project. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says this is welcome news.

Cut 9 (14) “…this project.” 

Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (BOO-tee) changes his mind and enters the NFL draft. The New Iberia native made the announcement hours after LSU said Boutte would not play in Monday’s Citrus Bowl but was enrolled for the spring semester. Hunt Palmer of the LSU Sports Radio Network and ESPN Radio in Baton Rouge has this reaction…

Cut 12 (07) “…for a championship.”  

 

PM LRN Newscall Dec 28

Authorities arrest a Hammond man for allegedly setting a fire inside a packed Walmart on Christmas Eve in an effort to steal items. Marsanne Golsby reports a photo of the suspect led to the arrest.

Cut 1(30)  “…I’m Marsanne Golsby.”

______________________________________

The Sean Payton rumors of him returning to the Saints to be their head coach will not go away. Jeff Palermo has the latest…

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves expects Congress to address Southwest Airline’s failure to deliver on thousands of scheduled flights when they convene a new Congress next year. Graves expects to be chairman of the Aviation House Subcommittee, so he’ll be in the middle of those discussions…

Cut 3 (10) “…in scheduling.” 

At Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, hundreds of bags that flew on Southwest are stranded. There are also many Louisiana residents stranded in various cities across the country and trying to get home as Southwest continues to cancel thousands of flights daily.  Last week’s winter storm caused mass cancellations and Southwest’s reportedly outdated computer system could not keep track of flight crews. Graves says they need to get to the bottom of this…

Cut 4 (11)  “…scheduling systems.” 

Graves says the federal government may have also played a role by how they manage the skies. But for now, thousands of people are scattered across the country with no way to get back home or to their next designation. Graves says Southwest is not treating its customers properly and the federal government must act…

Cut 5 (10) “…information.”

_______________________________________________

Authorities have arrested a suspect in the Christmas Eve fire at the Hammond Walmart. State Fire Marshal’s spokeswoman Ashley Rodrigue says media exposure of the man’s picture led  43-year-old Terrence Michael Coe of Hammond to call investigators

Cut 6 (12)  “…picture out.”

Rodrigue says Coe told investigators he set the fire as a distraction so he could shoplift.

Cut 7 (07)  “…steal from the store.”

Rodrigue says there were more than 500 customers and employees in the store at the time—but damage to the store was contained because of help from some of those customers.

Cut 8 (12)  “…put it out.“

Coe is charged with aggravated Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Aggravated Arson, Armed Robbery, and Terrorism. The store has now reopened.

___________________________________________

The Division of Administration has blocked TikTok traffic on networks managed by the state Office of Tech Services. Spokesperson for the Commissioner of Administration Jacques Berry says many state employees have the TikTok app on their personal devices but they will no longer be able to use them if they are connected to a state network…

Cut 9 (03) “…wireless networks” 

Berry says state employees can still have Tiktok on their personal devices, but if they tried to load a video it would not work if they were using one of the state’s networks…

Cut 10 (07) “…blocked.” 

Berry says the use of Tiktok presents a cybersecurity risk…

Cut 11 (12)  “…going forward”

_______________________________________________

Speed is the suspected cause of a double traffic fatality in Lafourche Parish Tuesday. Trooper Ross Brennan says it happened on LA Highway 1 just north of the Leesville Toll bridge in Golden Meadow. The preliminary investigation shows a Silverado driven by Archie Duet (Doo-ay) Junior was traveling at a high rate of speed, crossed the center line, and swiped a Mack Dump truck.

Cut 12 (11) “…at the scene.”  

Brennan says Duet was transported to a local hospital where he later died and the driver of the dump truck was not injured.

Cut 13 (11) “…detected.”  

Brennan says they routinely see an increase in traffic fatalities this time of year. He says there are several factors, more people traveling, holiday parties, and driving impaired…

Cut 14 (05)   “…disaster.”

The crash remains under investigation.

___________________________________________

Cut 15 (10) “…can qualify.”

Cut  16 (07)  “…coroners office.”

Edit

2:30 LRN Newscast Dec 28

Speed is the suspected cause of a double traffic fatality in Lafourche Parish Tuesday. Trooper Ross Brennan says it happened on LA Highway 1 just north of the Leesville toll bridge in Golden Meadow. The preliminary investigation shows a Silverado driven by Archie Duet Jr. was traveling at a high rate of speed, crossed the center line, and sideswiped a Mack dump truck…:

CUT 12(11)      “…at the scene.”

The state Division of Administration has blocked TikTok traffic on networks managed by the state Office of Tech Services. Commissioner of Administration spokesman Jacques Berry says state employees can still have TikTok on their personal devices, but if they tried to load a video it would not work if they were using one of the state’s networks…:

CUT 10(07)      “…gonna be blocked.”

TikTok has been shown to be a cybersecurity risk.

 

A company owned by Entergy has been ordered to pay about $160-million to Louisiana customers they overcharged. System Energy Resources Inc, also called “SERI”, was ordered to repay customers by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Authorities arrest a Hammond man for allegedly setting a fire inside a packed Walmart on Christmas Eve. His motive? Theft…:

CUT 01(30)      “…Golsby.”

1:30 LRN Newscast Dec 28

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves expects Congress to address Southwest Airline’s Failure to deliver on thousands of scheduled flights when they convene a new Congress next year. Graves expects to be chairman of the Aviation House Subcommittee, so he’ll be in the middle of those discussions…

Cut 3 (10) “…in scheduling” 

At the Louis Armstrong International Airport, hundreds of bags that flew on Southwest are stranded in New Orleans.

Authorities have arrested a suspect in the Christmas Eve fire at the Hammond Walmart. State Fire Marshal’s spokeswoman Ashley Rodrigue says media exposure of the man’s picture led 43-year-old Terrence Michael Coe of Hammond to call investigators

Cut 6 (12)  “…picture out.”

Rodrigue says Coe told investigators he set the fire as a distraction so he could shoplift.

The Sean Payton rumors of him returning to the Saints to be their head coach will not go away. Jeff Palermo has the latest…

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Caesar’s Superdome was evacuated this morning after a construction fire broke out in the walls of the historic stadium. No injuries were reported. Extensive renovations are ongoing to modernize the stadium’s interior. The Sugar Bowl is Saturday between Alabama and Kansas State. The Saints are in Philadelphia on Sunday.

12:30 LRN Newscast Dec 28

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves expects to be chairman of the Aviation House Subcommittee, and he wants answers from Southwest Airlines on what led to their widespread cancellations over the holidays. Graves says Southwest is not treating its customers properly and the federal government must act…

Cut 5 (10) “…information”

Southwest says an outdated computer system is to blame.

The Division of Administration has blocked TikTok traffic on networks managed by the state Office of Tech Services. Spokesperson for the Commissioner of Administration Jacques Berry says many state employees have the TikTok app on their personal devices, but they will no longer be able to use them if they are connected to a state network…

Cut 9 (04) “…wireless networks” 

Berry says state employees can still have Tiktok on their personal devices, but if they tried to load a video it would not work if they were using one of the state’s networks

Authorities arrest a Hammond man for allegedly setting a fire inside a packed Walmart on Christmas Eve in an effort to steal items. Marsanne Golsby reports a photo of the suspect led to the arrest.

Cut 1(30)  “…I’m Marsanne Golsby.”

11:30 LRN Newscast Dec 28

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves expects Congress to address Southwest Airlines’ mass flight cancellations. Graves expects to be chairman of the Aviation House Subcommittee.  Southwest’s reportedly outdated computer system could not keep track of flight crews. Graves says they need to get to the bottom of this…

Cut 4 (12)  “…scheduling systems 

The man suspected of setting a Christmas Eve fire at the Hammond Walmart has turned himself into authorities. State Fire Marshal’s spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says 43-year-old Terrence Michael Coe of Hammond got tired of seeing his photo in the media and told investigators he set the fire as a distraction so he could shoplift.

Cut 7 (08)  “…steal from the store.”

He’s charged with aggravated Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Aggravated Arson, Armed Robbery, and Terrorism.

The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office says the cause and manner of death of the child who was found in the Amite River Christmas Eve are pending. The child’s father Jacob Stricker told authorities his son, Matias Stricker wandered off while they were hiking. Investigative reporter Kiran Chawla spoke with the child’s mother Isabel Stricker, via a translator and the mother told Chawla she dropped Matias off Friday to spend time with his father.

Cut 14 (09)  “…mom’s house.”

The mother also had a protective order against her ex-husband.

Tax experts say you have some things to do by the end of the year if you want to save on your 2022 taxes. Jason Shellhaas (SHELL-US) is a partner with the Malcolm M. Dienes (DEE-NES) CPA firm in Metairie says if you made money in the stock market this year, you might consider trimming your portfolio before the end of the year to save on taxes.

Cut 6 (11)  “…at a gain.” 

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU basketball tip offs SEC play tonight by hosting ninth ranked Arkansas inside the PMAC. The Razorbacks are averaging 79 points a game so Tigers Coach Matt McMahon says defending the Hogs dynamic offense will be a team effort…
cut 17 (21) “…those areas”
Tonight’s game features the top two scorers in the SEC, LSU’s K-J Williams who leads the conference in scoring at 19 points a game and Arkansas has Ricky Council the Fourth who is averaging 18 points a game. Tip time is at 8 PM.

Last night, Northwestern State scored just 19 points in the second half. and lost to Texas A-and-M 64-52. The Demons head into Southland play with an 8-and-5 record.

The Sean Payton rumors of him returning to the Saints to be their head coach will not go away. Pro Football Talk is reporting there’s increasing chatter in league circles about Payton returning to the Saints and Tom Brady would be the Black and Gold’s quarterback. Brady is a free agent after the season. Denver and Carolina are looking for new coaches but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio doesn’t see Payton going to those two teams.

Former Destrehan star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed has been hired as the new head coach at Bethune Cookman. He takes over for Terry Sims who went 38-39 in seven seasons. Reed, who played for the Miami Hurricanes, has spent the last three years as an administrator with the Hurricanes football program.

The Pelicans host the Timberwolves tonight looking for their fourth straight win. The team has announced the game is a sell out at the Smoothie King Center and so is Friday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Zion Williamson has missed the last three games, but told reporters yesterday he expects to play tonight. Tip time is at 7 PM.

10:30 LRN Newscast Dec 28

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves expects Congress to address Southwest Airline’s Failure to deliver on thousands of scheduled flights when they convene a new Congress next year. Graves expects to be chairman of the Aviation House Subcommittee, so he’ll be in the middle of those discussions…

Cut 3 (10) “…in scheduling” 

At the Louis Armstrong International Airport, hundreds of bags that flew on Southwest are stranded in New Orleans.

Authorities have arrested a suspect in the Christmas Eve fire at the Hammond Walmart. State Fire Marshal’s spokeswoman Ashley Rodrigue says media exposure of the man’s picture led 43-year-old Terrence Michael Coe of Hammond to call investigators

Cut 6 (12)  “…picture out.”

Rodrigue says Coe told investigators he set the fire as a distraction so he could shoplift.

The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office says the cause and manner of death of the child who was found in the Amite River Christmas Eve are pending. The child’s father Jacob Stricker told authorities his son, Matias Stricker wandered off while they were hiking. Investigative reporter Kiran Chawla spoke with the child’s mother Isabel Stricker, via a translator, and she has a protective order against her ex-husband.

Cut 13 (11) “…abuse battery.”

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.

For his final year in office, Governor Edwards says he plans to ask state lawmakers to make further amendments to the state’s abortion law. The law had very few exceptions under which the procedure would be allowed.

Cut 10 (12) “…that starts in April.” 

 

9:30 LRN Newscast December 28

The cause and manner of death for the child who was found in the Amite River on Christmas Eve is undetermined.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

State Police says two people from Cut Off were killed in a three-vehicle wreck on Louisiana Highway One just north of the Leeville Tolll Bridge yesterday afternoon. The victims have been identified as 43-year-old Archie Duet and 53-year-old Guy Dupierre. L-S-P says Duet was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash.

Just a few more days left in 2022 and there are some things you can do to lessen that tax bill that will be due in the spring time. CPA Jason Shellhaas (Shell-us) says taxpayers can help themselves and their favorite charity at the same time…
cut 5 (08) “….in 2022”
He says if you made money in the stock market, consider trimming your portfolio by selling your stocks at a loss to save on taxes.

The USDA has designated eleven Louisiana parishes as disaster areas do to excessive rains that occurred from June 1st to November 2nd. Avoyelles, Calcasieu, Franklin, Iberville, Madison and Vermilion Parishes are among those parishes eligible. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says famers should gather documentation of disaster losses and apply soon…
cut 9 (08) “….services agency”