LRN AM NEWSCALL MARCH 1

The Lenten season is now underway and many people will be eager to get their share of seafood. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn” 

______________________________________

There’s been another call for State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson to resign. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________

Will Louisiana be the next state to get on board with a poison to control the feral hog population, after Texas recently approved it. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

Bankrate.com ranks Louisiana the fourth worst state for first time home buyers. Analyst Claes Bell says one reason for the low ranking is the tightness of the housing market. He says there are fewer homes on the market in Louisiana because construction isn’t keeping up with demand.

Cut 4  (10) “first time buyers”

Bell says first time buyers in a tight housing market have a hard time competing for a home that has multiple offers, because they tend to put less money down. He adds that a big issue for first time buyers is the inability to get a loan. He says Louisiana’s high unemployment rate could be a factor for lenders.

Cut 5  (09)  “in the area”

Bell says going to a local lender instead of a national bank could give first time buyers a better shot at getting financed. He says young buyers also might not have as much credit as older buyers, and that coupled with a small down payment could make it more difficult to get a home loan.

Cut 6 (09) “as well”

______________________________________

It’s Ash Wednesday and that means the start of the Lenten season, so many people will be lining up to get their share of seafood over the next 40 days. Chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board Chalin (Shal-in) DeLaune (De-lawn) says the supply of Louisiana oysters and crawfish is excellent.

Cut 7 (09)  “crawfish season”

But DeLaune says unfortunately the crab harvest is struggling in Louisiana, as there is a 30 day closure on commercial crabbing.

Cut 8 (09) “a way”

DeLaune also says shrimp is on the downside in the Bayou State this season, as the size of the prawns are relatively small. He says the size is perfect for a soup or gumbo but not so much for a boil or to fry.

Cut 9 (10)  “as well”

_________________________________________________________

Another person is calling for State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson to resign. Lloyd Grafton has recently resigned from the State Police Commission, and in his resignation letter to Governor John Bel Edwards, Grafton says Edmonson does whatever he chooses to do. He says when the commission approved a pay raise for LSP, they believed it would go to the troopers on the ground. But he says instead some of the highest ranking officials received $40-thousand pay increases.

Cut 10 (09) “management people”

In the letter, Grafton says Edmonson has no credibility when it comes to the truth and lavish spending. He says that is evidenced by the recent travel scandal where four troopers made stops in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon on their way to a training conference.

Cut 11 (11) “at all”

Grafton says LSP would be better off under new leadership, and US Senator John Kennedy has also called for Edmonson’s resignation. But Edmonson says he is not affiliated with the Louisiana State Police Commission.

Cut 12 (08) “state police”

An investigation into the travel incident is being conducted out of the Governor’s Office, and LSP is conducting their own internal investigation. Edmonson says they are going to get to the bottom of what happened, and then it’s time to move on.

Cut 13 (09) “moving forward”

_________________________________________________________

The Texas agriculture commissioner has approved a poison that farmers and ranchers can use to kill destructive feral hogs, so when will Louisiana get on board? Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says Kaput Feral Hog Lure could become available here in a month or two, but it will only be sold to those individuals who receive proper training.

Cut 14 (09) “this product”

Strain once you complete training, you can get an endorsement needed to buy Kaput. He says they’ll keep records of who is purchasing it to make sure it’s being used properly. He says the pigs will have to be fed corn for a few weeks to get them to come in to the feeder.

Cut 15 (08) “burying them”

It’s estimated there are 500-thousand feral hogs in Louisiana and they are known for destroying fields and pastures. Strain says they hope to have the product registry open in about a week and the state will do everything it can to make sure it is used as safely as possible. He says Kaput is 98 to 99-percent effective.

Cut 16 (08) “of regiments”

______________________________________________________

The Pelicans will look for their first win with All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in the starting line-up tonight when New Orleans hosts Detroit. Despite all the buzz the trade created, New Orleans is 0-3 since acquiring Cousins from the Sacramento Kings. Head Coach Alvin Gentry is optimistic the victories will come soon…

Cut 17 (15)  “what happens”

Cousins also feels good about the future of his new team, but it will take time…

Cut 18 (15) “starts clicking”

Both Cousins and fellow All-Star Anthony Davis are putting up good individual numbers in the three games they’ve played with each other. But the dynamic duo is not getting much help. Cousins says he’s spoken with A-D about how to get their teammates going

Cut 19 (19)   “of time”