8:30 AM Newscast

A huge software upgrade announced on Governor Jeff Landry’s “Diner Days” podcast.  Kace Keishnick has details on the news from OMV Commissioner Bryan Adams.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

The scorching heat in Louisiana of late has made for life-threatening conditions for those who are vulnerable, which is why many are opening cooling centers. Lafayette Chief Communications Officer Jamie Boudreaux says the cooling is open to senior citizens to take shelter from the head…and

Cut 15 (09) “…at that location.”

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A 35 year old Slidell woman has been dubbed the “Medicaid Millionaire” by the Attorney General’s office. Candace Taylor of Slidell is facing charges for allegedly collecting government benefits, applying for benefits even though she owns businesses that  generate millions.  Attorney General Liz Murril says Taylor bought a Lamborghini and even has cosmetic surgery while claiming she only made $2000 a month. The AG says cases this is exactly why Louisiana is diligent in investigating Medicaid fraud.

Cut 11 (08) “…from the program.”

A breastfeeding Baton Rouge mother is back home after being held in ICE detention for two months. 25-year-old Paola Clouatre (CLOO-aht) was brought to the U.S. when she was 14 and was legally processed. Clouatre is married to a Marine veteran.  Her family’s attorney, Carey Holliday, on what happened when Clouatre met with immigration officials.

Cut 5 (09) “…her under arrest.”

Holliday says he’s now working with Clouatre to get her Green Card and eventually her citizenship.

7:30 AM Newscast

A breastfeeding Baton Rouge mother is released from ICE custody following two months in detention. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Scorching heat has communities across our state opening cooling centers.  In Lafayette, city officials are working with community and faith-based organizations to take care of vulnerable people, including seniors. Chief Communications Officer Jamie Boudreaux:

Cut 14 (08) “…55 and over.”

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Louisiana’s Office of Motor vehicles has a new software vendor to build a brand-new driver’s license system. Appearing on Governor Jeff Landry’s “Diner Days” podcast, OMV Commissioner Bryan Adams says he’s hoping  to revolutionize everything from renewing a Real ID to registering a vehicle.

Cut 9 (10)  “…get it there.”

A 35 year old Slidell woman is facing charges for allegedly collecting government benefits, despite being very well off financially. Investigators say Candace Taylor intentionally misspelled her name as she applied for benefits, alleging that she was earning just two-thousand dollars a month. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Taylor actually owns  businesses that generate millions in revenue, and investigators they found her purchases rather peculiar.

Cut 10 (09) “…had no money.”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints will return to a fully padded practice today after a slower-paced walkthrough practice yesterday. The schedule is part of head coach Kellen Moore’s approach players have raved about, emphasizing team bonding and recovery. As intensity ramps back up, so will the competition in the trenches. The Saints have tried to build the roster from the inside out and prioritize quality line play. New Orleans used the ninth overall pick on left tackle Kelvin Banks in this year’s draft, and he joins a starting line with four first-rounders. He says that’s a blessing and a curse.

Cut 16 (16) “…play football.”

Quarterback Jake Haener will take the starting reps today as the team gets back to its three-man rotation after Spencer Rattler got the starting nod in walkthroughs yesterday.

Saints right tackle Taliese Fuaga was selected 14th overall last year and started at left tackle last season. Since the arrival of Banks, he’s moved back to the right side where he played in college. He says he feels comfortable on his natural side and enjoys playing next to fellow first-rounder Cesar Ruiz.

Cut 17 (15)  “…like that.”

LSU players reported for camp yesterday and will have their first of 21 practices today. Fall camp will wrap up August 23 as the team prepares for their long-awaited week one matchup with Clemson August 30.

Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks, UL-Lafayette defensive end Jordan Lawson and Tulane linebacker Sam Howard were all named to the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list. The trophy is awarded each year to the best defensive player in college football.

6:30 AM Newscast

Governor Jeff Landry has announced a partnership with a new software vendor to overhaul the state’s Office of Motor Vehicles system on his “Diner Days” podcast. OMV Commissioner Bryan Adams says the outdated system would frequently shut down, causing long lines, wasted resources and fraud.

Cut 7 (12) “…four months.”

A breastfeeding Baton Rouge mother is back home after being held in ICE detention for two months. 25-year-old Paola Clouatre (CLOO-aht) was brought to the U.S. when she was 14 and was legally processed. Her family’s attorney, Carey Holliday, says she had an appointment with Citizenship and Immigration Services on May 27th, when she found out something that would change everything.

Cut 4 (11) “…the two children.”

Holliday says he’s now working with Clouatre to get her Green Card and eventually her citizenship.
———————————–

A Louisiana woman is dubbed the “Medicaid Millionaire”. Anddrew Greenstein has the story.  Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

With scorching heat making for life-threatening conditions, communities in Louisiana are opening up cooling centers. Among them is Lafayette. Chief Communications Officer Jamie Boudreaux:

Cut 13 (10)  “…the extreme conditions.”

LRN AM Newscall July 30

A breastfeeding Baton Rouge mother is released from ICE custody following two months in detention. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

____________________________________________

Governor Jeff Landry hosted OMV Commissioner Bryan Adams on his “Diner Days” podcast to announce a long-awaited software enhancement. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

____________________________________________

And now, we present you the story of the Medicaid Millionaire. Here’s Andrew Greenstein.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

A breastfeeding Baton Rouge mother is back home after being held in ICE detention for two months. 25-year-old Paola Clouatre (CLOO-aht) was brought to the U.S. when she was 14 and was legally processed. Her family’s attorney, Carey Holliday, says she had an appointment with Citizenship and Immigration Services on May 27th, when she found out something that would change everything.

Cut 4 (11) “…the two children.”

Holliday says Clouatre only found out about this days prior to her appointment. Clouatre is married to a Marine veteran and has a 19-month-old boy and a nine-week-old girl; and Holliday says while at her appointment, things took a turn for the worst for her.

Cut 5 (09) “…her under arrest.”

So with Clouatre in detention and separated from her newborn daughter, Holliday worked to secure an emergency stay of removal – and with the help of Senator John Kennedy, he was able to accomplish that.

Cut 6 (09) “…have it vacated.”

Holliday says he’s now working with Clouatre to get her Green Card and eventually her citizenship.

________________________________________________________

Governor Jeff Landry announced a partnership with a new software vendor to overhaul the state’s OMV system on his “Diner Days” podcast. OMV Commissioner Bryan Adams says the outdated system would frequently shut down, causing long lines, wasted resources and fraud.

Cut 7 (12) “…four months.”

Landry says he’s set out to make the OMV experience as close to Disney World as possible. Childlike wonder aside, Adams says they’re working to build a brand-new driver’s license system that will be the greatest thing the state has seen in 50 years.

Cut 8 (11) “…OMV offices.”

Adams says the department is prioritizing the driver’s license system because it’s one experience that touches most Louisiana citizens. When the new software is fully implemented, he hopes to revolutionize everything from renewing a Real ID to registering a vehicle.

Cut 9 (10)  “…get it there.”

________________________________________________________

The Attorney General’s Office dubs her the “Medicaid Millionaire.” 35-year-old Candace Taylor of Slidell is facing charges for allegedly collecting government benefits, despite being very well off financially. Investigators say Taylor intentionally misspelled her name as she applied for benefits, alleging that she was earning just two-thousand dollars a month. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Taylor’s investigators found that Taylor actually owns many businesses that generate millions of dollars in revenue, and they found her purchases rather peculiar.

Cut 10 (09) “…had no money.”

Murrill says cases like this are why Louisiana is very diligent in investigating Medicaid fraud.

Cut 11 (08) “…from the program.”

Murrill says the money that Taylor was collecting in Medicaid benefits could have gone to someone else who could have used that money, so Medicaid fraud is not a victimless crime.

Cut 12 (08) “…stealing those benefits.”

Taylor’s new digs aren’t nearly as luxurious as the ones she’s accustomed to; she’s booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

________________________________________________________

With scorching heat making for life-threatening conditions, communities in Louisiana are opening up cooling centers. Among them is Lafayette. Chief Communications Officer Jamie Boudreaux:

Cut 13 (10)  “…the extreme conditions.”

Boudreaux says Lafayette is working with many community and faith-based organizations to take care of vulnerable people, including seniors.

Cut 14 (08) “…55 and over.”

Boudreaux says they’re also working to make sure that people who need food and water get them.

Cut 15 (09) “…at that location.”

________________________________________________________

The Saints have tried to build the roster from the inside out and prioritize quality trench play. New Orleans used the ninth overall pick on left tackle Kelvin Banks in this year’s draft, and he joins a starting line with four first-rounders. He says that’s a blessing and a curse.

Cut 16 (16) “…play football.”

Right tackle Taliese Fuaga was the team’s first-round selection last year and started at left tackle last season. Since the arrival of Banks, he’s moved back to the right side where he played in college. He says he feels comfortable on his natural side and enjoys playing next to Cesar Ruiz.

Cut 17 (15)  “…like that.”

Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux is a 330-pound force in the middle of the D-line. The Saints traded for the former Patriot this offseason for his ability to stuff the run after struggling to do so last season. Godchaux says he wants to bring the Saints’ defense back to its dominant ways.

Cut 18 (18) “…football is back.”

5:30 LRN Newscast

A disturbing story out of Beauregard Parish as the headstone of the mother of the first Black mayor in DeRidder’s history has been vandalized. Someone had knocked down the heart-shaped stone marking the final resting place of Ceola Harris at Beauregard Cemetery. Speaking exclusively to KALB-TV in Alexandria, Mayor Michael D. Harris says he has been in close contact with DeRidder Police Chief Craig Richard (REE-shard).

Cut 6 (08) “…that’s knocked over.”

Harris is stopping short of calling this act of vandalism racially motivated.

A recent study from Bankrate found nearly half of Americans working full-time or searching for full-time employment say they are looking for a new job in the next year. Analyst Mark Hamrick says 44% said they planned on asking for a raise.

Cut 13 (14)  “…more than that.”

The OMV is warning you about a scam text message claiming to be from them, saying you have an outstanding traffic ticket. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

She was receiving Medicaid benefits. The Attorney General’s Office says she also bought herself a Lamborghini. 35-year-old Candace Taylor of Slidell is charged with government benefits fraud. The A-G’s office says Taylor underreported her income while using a fictitious name to get Medicaid benefits; when, in fact, she owns several businesses that generate millions in revenue.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The LSU football team reported for fall camp today. WWL’s Mike Detillier expects the Tigers’ defensive front to be improved, and he hopes to see linebacker Harold Perkins return to his role as a pass rusher. He has questions about the LSU secondary but was wowed by six-four freshman cornerback DJ Pickett. He says he hasn’t heard as much buzz about a freshman corner since Patrick Peterson.

Cut 20 (13) “…very intriguing.”

Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks was one of the 60 players named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist today. He was joined by Ragin’ Cajuns defensive end Jordan Lawson and Tulane linebacker Sam Howard. The trophy is awarded each year to the best defensive player in college football

After putting on the pads for the first time yesterday, the Saints had an indoor walkthrough today. Tomorrow will conclude the second time through the quarterback rotation as Jake Haener gets another crack at the starting reps. After the first week of camp, each young Q-B has shown flashes, but there’s no clear favorite yet. Veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks says they all have the right approach.

Cut 17 (15)  “…young guys.”

Second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler led the team in walkthroughs, although head coach Kellen Moore warned against reading too much into the decision; it could suggest he’s the current frontrunner for the starting spot.

Safety and former All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray was present for walkthroughs today after leaving practice with an apparent lower-body injury yesterday. Head coach Kellen Moore says it is a minor hamstring issue that will be monitored week-to-week but shouldn’t be a long-term issue.

4:30 PM LRN Newscast

Mixed reaction to President Trump’s recent proclamation giving 25 chemical companies, including 12 in Louisiana, a two-year exemption from new EPA emissions rules. President the Louisiana Chemical Association, David Cresson (cress-AWN) says the two-year exemption is necessary because there’s a lot involved in meeting these new rules.

Cut 9 (08)  “…it as well.”

But Anne Rolfes (RAWL-fiss), the director of the environmental group Louisiana Bucket Brigade, says people’s health are too important to take two years for these companies to meet these new standards.

Cut 10 (13) “…cancer-causing emissions.”

Cresson disputes Rolfe’s notion that there’s a correlation between people’s overall health and proximity to a chemical plant.

A disturbing story out of Beauregard Parish as the headstone of the mother of the first Black mayor in DeRidder’s history is vandalized. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Scammers are trying to exploit Louisiana residents again. Trying to get their personal information and scam their money through a fraudulent text message. OMV Deputy Commissioner Matt Boudreaux says the text claims it comes from the OMV trying to collect a fee for an outstanding traffic ticket.

Cut 3 (12) “…through the mail.”

3:30 PM LRN Newscast

The headstone of the mother of Deridder’s first Black Mayor has been vandalized. Mayor Harris

is stopping short of calling this act of vandalism a racially motivated act. He tells KALB-TV that he’s leaning on his faith to get him through this.

Cut 8 (08) “…and keep going.”

The police department is actively investigating. The cemetery, however, does not have any security cameras, which will make the investigation much more difficult.

Bankrate released a recent study that found Gen Z and Millennial workers were more likely to ask for a raise or flexibility than their Gen X counterparts. Bankrate senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick…

Cut 14 (14) “…next year.”

There’s mixed reaction to President Trump’s proclamation giving a two-year exemption from new EPA emissions rules to 25 chemical companies, including 12 in Louisiana. Director of the environmental group Louisiana Bucket Brigade Anne Rolfes (RAWL-fiss) says people’s health is too important to take two years for these companies to meet these new standards. David Cresson (cress-AWN), the president of the Louisiana Chemical Association, says the two-year exemption is necessary and he disputes Rolfe’s notion that there’s a correlation between people’s overall health and proximity to a chemical plant.

Cut 11 (15) “…in the state.”

The Scammers are again trying to exploit Louisianans text messages pretending to be the OMV to get personal and financial information defraud respondents out of money they think they’re paying for a traffic ticket. Deputy Commissioner Matt Boudreaux encourages people to inform others about potential scams.

Cut 5 (13) “…information stolen.”

LRN PM Newscall July 29

The OMV is warning Louisianians about a scam text message claiming to be from them, contacting you to collect an outstanding traffic ticket. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

___________________________________________________

A disturbing story out of Beauregard Parish as the headstone of the mother of the first Black mayor in DeRidder’s history is vandalized. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

___________________________________________________

Scammers are trying to exploit Louisiana residents yet again for their personal information and unnecessary fees through a fraudulent text message. OMV Deputy Commissioner Matt Boudreaux says the text claims it comes from the OMV trying to collect a fee for an outstanding traffic ticket.

Cut 3 (12) “…through the mail.”

He says if you’re unsure whether or not you have an outstanding ticket, contact the OMV directly or visit their website, expresslane.org, to view your license status anytime.

Cut 4 (10) “…report it.”

The OMV is encouraging users to report suspicious texts and emails to reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Boudreaux says the only way to ever receive a text message from the OMV is by opting in for alerts when scheduling an appointment online. He encourages people to inform others about potential scams, especially those who could be more vulnerable.

Cut 5 (13) “…information stolen.”

________________________________________________

***Note: Must credit KALB-TV in Alexandria***

A disturbing story out of Beauregard Parish as the headstone of the mother of the first Black mayor in DeRidder’s history has been vandalized. Someone had knocked down the heart-shaped stone marking the final resting place of Ceola Harris at Beauregard Cemetery. Speaking exclusively to KALB-TV in Alexandria, Mayor Michael D. Harris says he has been in close contact with DeRidder Police Chief Craig Richard (REE-shard).

Cut 6 (08) “…that’s knocked over.”

Mayor Harris tells KALB-TV in Alexandria says breaking the news to his family was very difficult.

Cut 7 (11) “…very, very hurtful.”

Harris is stopping short of calling this act of vandalism racially motivated. He tells KALB-TV that he’s leaning on his faith to get him through this.

Cut 8 (08) “…and keep going.”

The police department is actively investigating. The cemetery, however, does not have any security cameras, which will make the investigation much more difficult.

________________________________________________

Plenty of reaction to President Trump’s recent proclamation giving 25 chemical companies, including 12 in Louisiana, a two-year exemption from new federal EPA emissions rules. David Cresson (cress-AWN), the president and CEO of the Louisiana Chemical Association, says the two-year exemption is necessary because there’s a lot involved in meeting these new rules.

Cut 9 (08)  “…it as well.”

But Anne Rolfes (RAWL-fiss), the director of the environmental group Louisiana Bucket Brigade, says people’s health are too important to take two years for these companies to meet these new standards.

Cut 10 (13) “…cancer-causing emissions.”

Cresson disputes Rolfe’s notion that there’s a correlation between people’s overall health and proximity to a chemical plant.

Cut 11 (15) “…in the state.”

Cresson says the chemical industry is one of the most regulated industries in the country, but Rolfes says it seems that those regulations are doing little good.

Cut 12 (13) “…oversight, not less.”

________________________________________________

A recent study from Bankrate found nearly half of Americans working full-time or searching for full-time employment say they are looking for a new job in the next year. Bankrate senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick says 44-percent said they planned on asking for a raise.

Cut 13 (14)  “…more than that.”

Another leading cause for the potential turnover, Hamrick says, is in the pursuit of an improved work-life balance. The study also found that Gen Z and Millennial workers were more likely to ask for a raise or flexibility than their Gen X counterparts.

Cut 14 (13) “…next year.”

Bankrate found that a quarter of workers plan to start their own business in the next year, and that percentage is larger among younger Americans. Hamrick says independent businesses are essential to the U.S. economy

Cut 15 (13) “…giant business.”