LRN PM Newscall June 28th

The National Safety Council ranks Louisiana the tenth safest state in the nation. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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North Louisiana mourns the loss of the beloved founder of West Monroe-based Johnny’s Pizza House. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Louisiana is the tenth safest state in the nation, according to a first of its kind report from the National Safety Council. President and CEO Deborah Hersman says the state received an overall grade of C, but no state was awarded an overall A grade. Louisiana did receive an A in the road safety category.

Cut 3 (11) “in a crash”

The report finds Louisianans are less safe at work than on the roads, as the state receives an F grade for workplace safety. Hersman says they looked at things like drug-free and smoke-free workplaces and worker’s compensation. She says the state has lots of room for improvement in this category.

Cut 4  (11) “needs help”

Louisiana earned a middle of the road C grade for home and community safety, which includes poisonings. Hersman says the most common occurrence they see is overdoses from prescription painkillers. She says laws about prescriber education would go a long way in Louisiana.

Cut 5  (09)  “need it”

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The New Orleans Police Department now has in custody all four suspects accused in the brutal attack and robbery in the French Quarter that was captured on a now-viral video. 21-year-old Dejuan Paul, and 18-year-old Joshua Simmons had surrendered previously. Commander Nicholas Gernon says 20-year-old Rashaad Piper was located by cops at a business last night.:

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Gernon said this would not have been possible without the help from the public sharing the video, and working with authorities. NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison says it was only a matter of time before before detectives and the community would work together to track these men down…:

Cut 7 (06)  “on that promise”

The four suspects are accused of second-degree robbery, but officials say more charges could be brought. Harrison says he wants the public to know that officers are very aware and alert when it comes to these types of crimes in The Big Easy…:

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The two victims in this incident were Boston-area tourists and one remains in critical condition.

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It’s a sad day in north Louisiana, as the beloved founder of the West Monroe-based Johnny’s Pizza House franchise has died. Johnny Huntsman passed away this morning at the age of 77. The company says he’s been suffering from Alzheimer’s. His brother Chester Huntsman says Johnny’s positive and encouraging attitude is what sparked the business into what it is today.

Cut 9 (11)  “a lot too”

Since its 1967 start, the Johnny’s franchise has spread across Louisiana and into Texas and Arkansas. The company’s website says there are 33 corporate restaurants across North Louisiana. But Chester Huntsman says coaching football was Johnny’s first love. He says after college, Johnny came back to coach the West Monroe High School Football team, but not for long.

Cut 10 (10) “at everything”

Johnny’s Pizza has been a staple of northeast Louisiana for 50 years. Huntsman says Johnny learned to make pizzas while in college at Graceland University in Iowa. He says Johnny’s skills in the kitchen quickly grew into a love for pizza, and his talent for coaching was a huge help in the business.

Cut 11 (10) “50 years”

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A new report finds Louisiana voucher students are now even with their district peers, even after an initial dip. The findings were co-released by Jonathan Mills who has been tracking the progress of the students who enrolled three years ago. He says after the first year they were performing worse, and in year 2 they were slightly less behind..:

Cut 12 (06)  “the same”

Mills says the initial negative impacts of the program may be dissipating over time, especially in math, but they are not seeing positive affects of scholarship use. He says one of the theories behind a voucher program is that students are using the money to go to a private school with the presumption that it’s a better learning environment…:

Cut 13 (06) “necessarily see”

School choice has become a hot controversial topic in education, and Mills says this study’s goal is to paint a picture of how the program is doing…:

Cut 14 (08) “sound evidence”