08:30 Newscast January 13, 2016

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed an executive order to expand Medicaid in Louisiana. The goal is to have 300-thousand low-income, working citizens covered by Medicaid by July 1st. Edwards says they will follow other states lead for a smooth enrollment sign-up…

cut 9 (08) “help us”

The state will have to hire 248 people to help with the enrollment process and it will cost 2-point-8 million dollars, but health care providers are expected to pick up that bill.

The PowerBall jackpot has shot up to 1.5 billion dollars, making it the biggest jackpot in the world. Louisiana Lottery Spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says ticket sales keep going up as the jackpot grows. She says when ticket sales continue to climb they’re able to transfer more money to the state of Louisiana…

cut 4 (09) “for us”

The jackpot has a cash value of $930 million.

Oil prices have hit 30 dollars a barrel, which is the lowest price since December 2003. Eric Smith with the Tulane Energy Institute says we could see the price drop even lower as 2016 goes on. He says it will be tough for oil companies to make money with oil trading at that price…

cut 10 (12) “category”

A glut in supply of oil has led to this huge decline in oil prices.

Fish farming will now be allowed in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, after new regulations were issued this week by NOAA. NOAA’s Deputy Director of Aquaculture, David O’Brien, says they’ve been pushing for this because 90% of U.S. seafood is imported…

cut 13 (10) “here in the US”

This means commercial seafood can now be harvested in enclosures on the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico.

07:30 LRN Newscast Jan 13

Over 300-thousand Louisiana residents who can’t afford or struggle to pay for health insurance could be eligible for Medicaid as a result of an executive order signed by Governor John Bel Edwards. Former Governor Bobby Jindal refused to expand Medicaid, because he said it would become too costly for taxpayers. But Edwards disagrees…
cut 8 (11) “…other program”
More than 1.4 million Louisianians are already insured by Medicaid.

Crude oil is trading at 30-dollars a barrel which is a 12-year low. A glut in the supply of oil has led to a crash in oil prices. Eric Smith with the Tulane Energy Institute says countries in the Middle East are showing no signs of cutting back…
cut 12 (10) “…bumper production”
Smith says prices could decline even more.

Brisk sales are expected again today as those hoping to become instant millionaires buy tickets for tonight’s one-point-five billion dollar Powerball jackpot. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin has this advice…
cut 6 (04) “…ticket early”
And Chopin says if you don’t match all six numbers, check to see if matched enough numbers to win one of their many secondary prizes.

Fish farming will be allowed in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, after new regulations were issued by NOAA. Michelle Southern reports…:
voicer 3 (30) “…I’m Michelle Southern”

06:45 LRN Sportscast January 13

The Saints are scheduled to play the Rams next season and when they do, it will be the Los Angeles Rams who visit the Mercedes Benz Superdome. NFL owners voted to move the Rams franchise from St. Louis back to L-A. The Chargers also have the option to move to Los Angeles from their current home in San Diego. The Saints will also play the Chargers next season, but on the road.

The Pelicans lost their fourth straight game last night as they fell to the Lakers 95-91. Anthony Davis didn’t play for New Orleans, because of a back injury and Kobe Bryant played only in the first half, but Lou Williams scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers end their four game losing streak. New Orleans is at Sacramento tonight.

The LSU men’s basketball team hosts Ole Miss tonight. The Rebels are 12-3 overall, 2-1 in the SEC and led by five-foot-eleven guard Stefan Moody, who leads the SEC in scoring, averaging nearly 24 points a game.

The NCAA has accepted UL Lafayette’s self-imposed sanctions and added a few of their own for violations that were committed by former assistant coach David Saunders. The NCAA found that Saunders enabled recruits to take a fraudulent college extrance exam and provided cash to a former player. But the college athletics governing body found that Coach Mark Hudspeth was not responsible for the violations.

LSU’s early enrollees are scheduled to begin class today and the group includes five-star cornerback Saivion Smith, Donaldsonville wide receiver Stephen Sullivan and former North Webster running back-linebacker Devin White. Ex John Ehret linebacker Michael Divinity is also expected to be in class today.

The LSU Tigers are ranked seventh and UL Lafayette is ranked 17th in the D-1 preseason college baseball poll. Three SEC teams are ranked in the Top 5, Florida is number one, Vanderbilt is third and Texas A-and-M is fourth.

06:30 LRN Newscast Jan 13

The price of oil per barrel has hit 30-dollars for the first time since 2003. Eric Smith with the Tulane Energy Institue says to stop the crash in oil prices, the supply has to meet a week demand for oil and in the short term the only way to do that is to cut back on production….
cut 11 (07) “…some more”
Smith says unfortunately countries in the Middle East show no signs of cutting back.

Governor John Bel Edwards signs an executive order that will allow additional 300-thousand low-income individuals to receive government health insurance. There are ramp up costs, but Edwards says DHH Secretary Rebekah Gee is working with healthcare providers, so the state doesn’t have to pay anything this fiscal year…
cut 7 (10) “….state’s portion”
The goal is to have these additional Medicaid health care cards available by July 1st.

New federal rules are in place to allow fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA’s Deputy Director of Aquaculture, David O’ Brien, says this has been in the works for 10 years and during that time there have been a series of reviews to make sure fish farming will not harm the environment. He says this will be a big boost for the domestic seafood industry
cut 15 (07) “…so to speak”
Many commercial fishermen have fought against fish farms in the Gulf, as they’ve raised concerns about losing fish grounds and the potential for outbreaks of disease.

Today is the last day to purchase your Powerball tickets for tonight’s world record one-point-five billion dollar jackpot. It’s been 19 straight drawings since a lucky person last matched all six numbers.

AM Newscall January 13,2016

The Powerball jackpot is now the biggest in the world at a whopping 1.5 billion dollars. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The ball is rolling towards expanding the number of people who can receive government-funded health insurance.  Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Fish farming will now be allowed in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, after new regulations were issued this week by NOAA. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

The Poweball jackpot has shot up to 1.5 billion dollars, making it the biggest jackpot in the world. Louisiana Lottery Spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says ticket sales keep going up as the jackpot grows. She says when the sales continue to climb we’re able to transfer more money to the state of Louisiana.

cut 4  (09)  “for us”

Chopin says we’re seeing a lot of first time players because the jackpot is so big now. She advises players to not be quick to throw away their ticket tonight, even if they didn’t win the Powerball jackpot.

Cut 5  (08)  “any prize”

Chopin says the chances of multiple jackpot winners increases when more people are purchasing tickets. She says it’s been reported that in some hot spots, players are having to wait in lines just to buy a Powerball ticket.

Cut 6 (04)  “ticket early” 

______________________________________

The state’s health department is working to provide government-funded health insurance for 300-thousand poor working individuals now that Governor John Bel Edwards has signed an executive order to expand Medicaid. There are ramp up costs, but Edwards says DHH Secretary Rebekah Gee is working with health care providers, so the state doesn’t have to pay anything this fiscal year

CUT 7 (1o)  “state’s portion”

Former Governor Bobby Jindal refused to expand Medicaid, because he said the state’s match for the expansion would eventually become too costly for taxpayers. But Edwards doesn’t see it that way…

Cut 8  (11)  “any other program”

The goal is to have 300-thousand low-income, working citizens covered by Medicaid by July 1st. The state will have to hire 248 individuals to help with the enrollment process and it will cost 2-point-8 million dollars, but health care providers are expected to pick up that bill.  Edwards says they will follow other states lead for a smooth enrollment sign-up

Cut 9 (08)  “help us”

______________________________________

Oil prices have hit 30 dollars a barrel, which is the lowest price since December 2003. Eric Smith with the Tulane Energy Institute says we could see the price drop even lower as 2016 goes on. Smith says it will be tough for oil companies to make money with oil trading at that price…

Cut 10 (12) “category” 

Oil prices are down 19-percent for this year and they’ve fallen 72-percent since June 2014, when oil was trading over 100-dollars a barrel. Smith says to stop the crash in oil prices, the supply has to meet a week demand for oil and in the short term the only way to do that is to cut back on production.

cut 11 (07) “some more”

 A glut in supply of oil has led to this huge decline in oil prices. Smith says unfortunately countries in the Middle East are showing no signs of cutting back….

Cut 12 (09) “bumper production”

______________________________________

Fish farming will now be allowed in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, after new regulations were issued this week by NOAA. This means commercial seafood can now be harvested in enclosures on the seafloor. NOAA’s Deputy Director of Aquaculture, David O’Brien, says they’ve been pushing for this because the U.S. imports about 90% of our seafood…:

Cut 13 (10)  “here in the US”

Critics say farmed fish are bread to be big and could escape enclosures and out compete wild fish for food. There are others who feel this would cause fisherman to lose grounds and possibly be put out of work. But O’Brien says aquaculture can compliment wild fisheries and help support fishing communities…:

Cut 14 (09) “support each other”

O’Brien says these new rules have been in the works for about 10 years, and during that time there have been a series of reviews to help make sure that fish farming will not harm the environment. He says ultimately this is a great thing for the Gulf and for the seafood industry…:

Cut 15  (07) “so to speak”

17:30 Newscast, January 12th, 2016

Today, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order to expand Medicaid in Louisiana. Edwards spoke alongside patients he said would benefit from the federally funded health insurance. He says these are low income adults who were too poor to qualify for subsidized care on the health insurance exchange:
CUT 15 (11) “financial security”
Edwards says by July 1st, they expect more than 300,000 citizens will enroll under the new Medicaid eligibility.

Nola.com is reporting that Mandeville Mayor Donald Villere admitted to police that he had been drinking when he was busted urinating off the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The Mayor was issued a citation for the offense. He apparently asked cops to help him out because he is running for re-election.

A 12-year-old girl died in a residential structure fire in Eunice, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. They say firefighters located the lifeless body of young Cailey Duplechain during suppression efforts, dead of apparent smoke inhalation. Her stepfather and 4-month old brother were able to escape the blaze with injuries and are expected to recover. An electric space heater was located near the origin of the fire and the home, which was completely destroyed, had no smoke alarms.

A woman who worked for the Webster Parish sheriff’s office was found dead in a shallow grave near her home in Homer, and a man who lived close by has been arrested in connection with her death. Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton says he worked with 68-year-old Sulyn Prince for years…:
CUT 11 (09) “sheriff’s office”
35-year-old Jermaine Johnson, a registered tier 3 sex offender, is charged with second degree murder.

 

LRN Sportscast 16:45 January 12

The LSU football team finished 16th in the final AP Top 25 ranking of the season. And running back Leonard Fournette is the NCAA rushing champion as he rushed for 163 yards a contest. He’s the first player in LSU history to lead the nation in rushing.

D-1 Baseball came out with its preseason rankings today….LSU is ranked seventh, while UL Lafayette is ranked 18th.

The NCAA handed down additional penalties against UL Lafayette today as a result of a former assistant coach who designed a scheme that resulted in fraudulent college entrance exam scores for five recruits. The school was fined five-thousand dollars, it losses a handful of scholarships over the next two years and it may have to vacate some victories. The voice of the Cajuns, Jay Walker says NCAA cleared head coach Mark Hudspeth of wrongdoing, but…
cut 14 (06) “…responsible for it”

The Pelicans Anthony Davis is questionable for tonight’s game against the Lakers. Davis missed Sunday’s loss to the Clippers because of a back injury. Also the team has announced that Quincy Pondexter will miss the rest of the season because he’ll need surgery on his left knee.

The LHSAA has handed down its penalties against Amite and Bogalusa High Schools for being involved in a bench clearing brawl during football playoff game in November. Both schools were fined 25-hundred dollars and when they play each other in football in October, fans will not be allowed at the game. LHSAA assistant director Keith Alexander says they wanted to send the message that behavior like this will not be tolerated…
cut 18 (11) “…our properly”

And in recruiting…St. James Quarterback Lowell Narcisse has decommitted from Auburn. He would be a good get for LSU’s 2017 class.

16:30 Newscast, January 12th, 2016

The first executive order issued by Governor John Bel Edwards would expand Medicaid eligibility requirements in Louisiana so that more low income people have have access to federally funded healthcare. The administration hopes to have 300,000 Louisianians signed up by July 1st.

A Homer man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 68-year-old Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office employee. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Governor John Bel Edwards says he’d like to see the minimum wage in Louisiana raised. The state’s current minimum wage is the federally mandated wage of $7.25 per hour. LSU Economist Jim Richardson says he’s heard talk of raising that to anywhere between $8.50 to 10.10 per hour. He says a hike in minimum wage could cause businesses to re-think how they do business…:
CUT 4 (07) “business”
Supporters of a higher minimum wage say putting more money in workers hands will help spur the economy. But Richardson points out that money has to come from somewhere.

The NCAA has issued penalties to the UL-Lafayette football program admit self-sanctions related to an assistant coach allegedly faking recruits ACT scores. The school is fined $5000 and has to vacate any wins where ineligible players participated. Voice of the Ragin Cajuns Jay Walker says nobody had any idea these infractions were taking place…:
CUT 14 (06) “responsible for it”
The school has sued the ACT over failure to detecting the cheating.

 

15:30 Newscast, January 12th, 2015

Starting July 1st, Governor John Bel Edwards says he hopes to have 300,000 healthcare cards into the hands of low-income people who are newly eligible for Medicaid. The Governor signed his first executive order today and it expands the federally funded health insurance program. Edwards says this will help keep the working poor from slipping further into poverty..:
CUT 16 (12) “funds”
Edwards says to qualify, a family or individual must have income at 138% of the federal poverty level.

BP says they plan to cut an additional 4,000 jobs this year, including from oil production operations in the United States. The company did not say how many people in the US would be laid off. Benchmark US crude today fell below $30 a barrel before settling at $30.44 at the close. Tuesday’s statewide average for a gallon of gas was $1.74 according to AAA.

The NCAA has announced sanctions against UL-Lafayette as a result of a former assistant football coach violating rules by arranging fraudulent entrance exam scores for five prospects. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 2 (28) “I’m Eric Gill”
The University is now suing ACT Inc seeking damages for failure to detect fake test results.

The worlds largest jackpot was raised again today. The Powerball is now $1.5 billion. If you go into a work pool, legal analyst Tim Meche says trust the person in charge…:
CUT 7 (08) “ticket with”

 

LRN PM Newscall January 12

A Homer man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 68-year-old Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office employee. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The NCAA has announced sanctions against UL-Lafayette as a result of a former assistant football coach violating rules by arranging fraudulent entrance exam scores for five prospects. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (28)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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In his inaugural address, Governor John Bel Edwards spoke of raising the minimum wage in Louisiana. Many wonder what kind of affect an increased minimum wage would have on business and workers. LSU Economist Jim Richardson says it really depends on how much minimum wage would be raised…

CUT 3 (06)  “on the workers”

Louisiana’s current minimum wage is the federally mandated wage of $7.25 per hour. Richardson says he’s heard talk of raising the state’s minimum wage to $8.50 to $10.10 per hour. He says a hike in minimum wage could cause businesses to re-think how they do business…

CUT 4 (10)  “people to hire”

Supporters of a higher minimum wage say putting more money in worker’s hands will allow them to spend more and help spur the economy. However, Richardson says this wage hike would not be free money and that money currently belongs to someone…

CUT 5 (10)  “to spend it”

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As the Powerball jackpot is now up to 1.5 billion dollars, many people are teaming up to buy tickets in bulk. Legal analyst Tim Meche says there isn’t anything illegal about pooling money to purchase a bunch of tickets but make sure the person holding the tickets is someone you trust.

CUT 6 (09) “no agreement”

Meche says a verbal agreement is all you should need when buying with a group. He says if you believe there needs to be a written contract, maybe you should rethink the group purchase.

CUT 7 (08) “ticket with”

Meche says always sign the back of your ticket.

CUT 8 (08) “your ticket”

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Louisiana State Police and the Homer Police Department have arrested a Homer man for allegedly murdering a 68-year-old Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office employee. 35-year-old Jermaine Johnson is charged with second degree murder. Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton says the victim’s, Sulyn Prince, daughter called in a welfare concern on Monday when she couldn’t make contact with her mother.

CUT 9 (09)  “something wrong”

Sexton says Homer police called L-S-P after realizing they might need extra assistance. He says Prince’s body was found by K-9’s in a shallow grave in a wooded area behind her home.

cut 10 (09)  “in it”

Sexton says Prince worked for his office for as long as he’s been sheriff and was an experienced employee in the corrections division. He says she was a pleasure to work with and dedicated to her job.

Cut 11 (09) “sheriff’s office”

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UL Lafayette has been placed on two years probation and will lose three scholarships for next season and the following season as a result of a former assistant football coach, who violated NCAA rules by arranging fraudulent entrance exam scores for five prospects. Jay Walker, the voice of the Ragin Cajuns, says the NCAA sanctions could have been worse…

cut 12 (08) “in a bowl”

The NCAA also fined the school $5,000 and imposed recruiting restrictions. The school had already voluntarily vacated all victories from 2011 season because of the violations. Walker says the NCAA has ordered the school to do the same for the 2012-2014 seasons for games the ineligible players participated in…

cut 13 (04)  “of the wins”

He says the identities of the ineligible players have not been made public. Walker says the NCAA investigation found no one at UL-Lafayette, including head coach Mark Hudspeth, had any knowledge of this taking place…

cut 14 (06)  “responsible for it”

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Today, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order to expand Medicaid in Louisiana. Edwards spoke alongside legislators and community leaders, as well as patients he said would benefit from the federally funded health insurance. He says these are low income adults who were too poor to qualify for subsidized care on the health insurance exchange:

cut 15 (11)  “financial security”

Edwards says by July 1st, they expect more than 300,000 citizens to enroll under the new Medicaid eligibility. Edwards says to qualify, a family or individual must have income at 138% of the federal poverty level. He says this will help keep the working poor from slipping further into poverty..:

cut 16 (12)  “funds”