LRN PM Newscall February 1

We expect to find out more information today on what Governor John Bel Edwards’ knew about Ronald Greene’s death, a black motorist who died while in State Police custody. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Louisiana Workforce Commission is providing free CDL training to become a truck driver. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (34)…I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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Governor Edwards meets with the Legislative Black Caucus today to discuss what he knew about the death of Black motorist Ronald Greene, who died after a violent struggle with State Troopers. Republicans are calling for an investigation to see if the governor was involved in a cover-up. But Democratic state Senator Cleo Fields said on Talk Louisiana he’s willing to give Edwards the benefit of the doubt…

Cut 3 (07) “…real problem”

Edwards says he was made aware of Greene’s fatal arrest in May of 2019 the day after his death but didn’t see the videos of the arrest until October 2020. That’s when he called the actions of the officers in the video disturbing and unacceptable and should be investigated. Fields says his real frustration is that there is not a state agency investigating state police on a regular basis

Cut 4 (07) “…real problems”

House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says it’s the Legislature’s responsibility to seek the truth about Edwards’ involvement in a possible cover-up of how Greene died. Landry supports a fact-finding mission by a legislative committee…

Cut 5 (11) “…that information”

State Police initially told Greene’s family he died from injuries suffered in a car crash. But a reexamined autopsy rejected L-S-P’s claim. Landry says Speaker Clay Schexnayder can call on the House Criminal Justice Committee to investigate who tried to keep Greene’s family in the dark on how he died…

 Cut 6 (10) “…cover-up” 

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February is American Heart Month, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is sharing ways for people of all ages to maintain a healthy heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, and Dr. David Goff, Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the NHLBI, says Louisiana is one of the states most at risk.

Cut 7 (11) “…high blood pressure.” 

Diet plays a major role in heart health. Dr. Goff says Louisiana faces some unique challenges due to our rich food culture.

Cut 8 (08) “…including Louisiana.”  

Americans have also been under a lot of stress since the onset of the pandemic. Dr. Goff says that managing that stress in positive ways is another important step we can all take in improving our vascular health.

Cut 9 (08) “…your overall health.”

For additional information, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

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If you’ve ever contemplated taking to the open road and becoming a truck driver, the Louisiana Workforce Commission has just the plan for you. It’s called the “Drive Your Future” program. LWC Secretary Ava Cates says it gives Louisianans a chance to change careers and be trained at no cost for their CDL

Cut 10 (07)  “…issues.” 

The American Trucking Association estimates the driver shortage could be as high as 80,000. Cates says the cost of training can deter many from entering the profession, so LWC is helping with that hurdle.

Cut  11 (09)   “….our country.”  

Cates says women make up only 7-percent of drivers and she highly encourages more females to enter the field. Cates says she’s read about a nurse who left the medical field and entered the trucking industry.

Cut 12 (08) “…registered nurse.”  

Training is only five weeks and LWC is partnering with community colleges and training sites across the state. For more information visit laworks.net and classes begin mid-February.

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The federal government is sending Louisiana 111-million dollars to plug and restore abandoned oil and gas wells. The money comes from the one-trillion dollar infrastructure bill and the first allocation is for 47-million dollars. Senator Bill Cassidy says he’s heard from communities across Louisiana about the environmental and safety hazards of orphan wells…

Cut 13 (09) “…infrastrucutre bill”

Many say why don’t oil companies pay to clean up abandoned wells. Cassidy says in many cases the wells were last owned by a company that’s now out of business or it’s hard to determine ownership of that well…

Cut 14 (11)  “…pay for it” 

The state Department of Natural Resources estimates there are 46-hundred abandoned wells in Louisiana and cleanup is likely to cost 400-million dollars. Cassidy says the 111-million dollars for orphan well restoration will create jobs and make Louisiana a cleaner place to live…

Cut 15 (08) “…get it done.”