12:30 LRN Newscast

According to a report in the Advocate, homicides in rural Louisiana are surging. The CDC and the FBI data indicate the homicide rate for rural Louisiana in 2020 was just under 17 per 100 thousand people. Almost three times higher than the national average. LSU Health New Orleans Criminologist, Peter Scharf says it comes down to drugs.
Cut 6 (07) “…kill each other .”
Scharf says the loss of jobs in rural areas has many turning to drugs as a form of recreation.

New research has determined the mounds on LSU’s campus near Tiger Stadium are the oldest known man made structures in North America. LSU Geology and Geophysics Professor Emertius Brooks Ellwood says radiocarbon dating of the layers of material indicates the mounds were built 11-thousand years ago…
cut 12 (12) “…gets younger”
The mounds on LSU’s campus are among the more than 880 man-made, hill-like mounds in Louisiana.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate fell for a second straight month in July, to its lowest level ever. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 1 (27) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Heavy rainfall is falling across north Louisiana today and in fact the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the upper half of the state through Tuesday night. Meteorologist Davyon Hill says the rainfall will give north Louisiana a break from what has been a hot and relatively dry summer…
Cut 5 (05) “…the flooding”
If you are in the Monroe area, be prepared for some heavy rainfall.