11:30 LRN Newscast

A series of threats against high schools in Rapides Parish has those schools on edge. Over the course of the last several days, threats have been posted onto social media against no fewer than four high schools, forcing the cancellation of one school’s entire homecoming weekend. So far, five juveniles have been arrested, but Pineville Representative Mike Johnson says current laws are way too lenient.

Cut 6 (09) “…the school properties.”

Governor Landry issues a formal request to the Pentagon for the federal government to pay for the deployment of one thousand Louisiana National Guard Troops, who would assist local law enforcement in fighting crime. He tells Fox News he expects President Trump to approve his request.

Cut 4 (05) “…happy to come.”

Congressman Troy Carter, who represents New Orleans, says he has great concerns about the continued push to militarize the streets under the guise of public safety.

The state department of transportation says a significant step has occurred in building a new Mississippi River Bridge south of Baton Rouge. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

State Police are investigating a deadly shooting involving a state trooper that took place at around two this morning in Gonzales. We’re told that the trooper fired his duty weapon, and the suspect was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. The trooper was not hurt. At this time, we don’t know what specifically led up to the shooting.

10:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Jeff Landry has asked the federal government to fund the deployment of one thousand Louisiana National Guard soldiers to help law enforcement fight crime. Jeanne Burns has the story…

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

Landry’s request isn’t exactly sitting well with Congressman Troy Carter. The New Orleans Democrat says in a statement that while he will always support smart, effective strategies to reduce crime and keep communities safe, he’s deeply concerned about the push to militarize the streets under the guise of public safety. Carter says the focus should be on hiring and training more local officers.

The Federal Highway Administration gives the state the green light to conduct an environmental assessment for a new proposed Mississippi River Bridge south of Baton Rouge. Louisiana Transportation Secretary Glenn Ledet (le-DAY) says the goal is for the assessment to take a year to complete.

Cut 12 (08) “…to reach.”

A 20-year-old man is arrested after allegedly killing a 21-year-old man execution style and putting his body in a trunk. St. John the Baptist Parish deputies received a 911 call about a gunshot, and the caller also saw a man loading the body into an orange Dodge Charger. Sheriff Mike Tregre (“traig”) says a deputy saw a vehicle matching the description and executed a stop; and the driver, Tyler Bourgeois, said there was a body in the trunk.

Cut 14 (06) “…was sleeping.”

The victim has been identified as Tylen Anderson; Tregre says the two had gotten into a heated argument before the fatal shooting.

9:30 LRN Newscast

Yet another threat is made against a high school in Rapides Parish. This one was posted online last night against Tioga High School. The Sheriff’s Office has extra patrols on hand. This follows threats made against Pineville, Peabody Magnet and Alexandria Senior high schools. Rapides Parish school board member Willard McCall says these threats are no jokes – they all waste valuable law enforcement resources.

Cut 6 (08) “…to play with.”

A juvenile has been arrested in connection with the threat against Pineville High School.

U-L Lafayette says this year’s freshman class is its biggest ever at more than 32-hundred. Dr. DeWayne Bowie, the vice president for enrollment management, says the school prides itself in keeping class sizes down to a personal level.

Cut 9 (11)  “…we do that.”

Governor Landry makes a formal request to the Pentagon for the federal government to pay for the deployment of one-thousand Louisiana National Guard Troops, who would assist local law enforcement in fighting crime. Landry appeared on Fox News last night; he says when he took office last year, there was a decline in violent crime in New Orleans, but recently there’s been an uptick…

Cut 3 (08) “…right now.”

Landry says the state is also seeing elevated crime rates in Shreveport and Baton Rouge.

The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office says it made an arrest ten minutes after a 20-year-old man killed a 21-year-old man execution style, and then put the body in a trunk. Sheriff Mike Tregre (“traig”) says Tyler Bourgeois and Tylen Anderson got into a heated argument as they were driving around Saturday night.

Cut 15 (12) “…Mr. Anderson.”

LRN AM Newscall September 30

A juvenile is arrested for allegedly posting a threat against a Rapides Parish high school. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The state department of transportation says a significant step has occurred in building a new Mississippi River Bridge south of Baton Rouge. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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The St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office says a LaPlace man killed another man execution style and then dumped his body in a trunk. Andre Champagne has the story.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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Detectives with the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a juvenile in connection with a threat posted onto social media against Pineville High School. Rapides Parish School Board member Willard McCall says that school was not the only one in the parish to come under threat over the last several days.

Cut 4 (05) “…across the river.”

The other two schools were Peabody Magnet High School and Alexandria Senior High School. McCall says all three schools were in session yesterday, but they were understandably on edge.

Cut 5 (06) “…doing other things.”

McCall says these threats are no jokes – they all waste valuable law enforcement resources.

Cut 6 (08) “…to play with.”

The investigation into the threats against Peabody Magnet and Alexandria Senior high schools is ongoing. The threat against Pineville High School turned out not to be credible. Still, the juvenile arrested is charged with terrorizing and is booked into the Renaissance Home for Youth.

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Many Louisiana colleges and universities are reporting record freshman enrollments for this school year. You can add UL-Lafayette to the list. Dr. DeWayne Bowie is the vice president for enrollment management.

Cut 7 (12) “…over last year.”

(3,214 incoming freshmen, nearly a five-percent increase over last year.) Dr. Bowie says besides being the largest freshman class in the school’s history, the quality of this year’s freshman class at UL-Lafayette is very good.

Cut 8 (09) “…is a 3.73.”

Bowie says despite the growing freshman class and, in effect, the growing overall student enrollment, UL-Lafayette prides itself in keeping class sizes down to a personal level.

Cut 9 (11)  “…we do that.”

UL-Lafayette’s overall enrollment is just under 20-thousand students, including almost 14-thousand undergraduate students.

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The Federal Highway Administration has given the state the green light to conduct an environmental assessment for a new proposed Mississippi River Bridge south of Baton Rouge. Louisiana Transportation Secretary Glenn Ledet (le-DAY) says the approval marks a significant step in advancing the projects, and it begins the formal process to ensure the bridge is planned responsibly.

Cut 10 (10) “…this associated project?”

DOTD has already identified three locations for a proposed bridge to cross south of the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge. Ledet says the environmental assessment will help engineers develop a more detailed road design, conceptual bridge designs and cost estimates for the three alternatives.

Cut 11 (12) “…the river.”

Two community briefings have been scheduled in December in St. Gabriel and Plaquemine. Four larger public meetings will follow in early 2026. Ledet says the goal is for the environmental assessment to take a year to complete.

Cut 12 (08) “…to reach.”

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The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office says it made an arrest ten minutes after a 20-year-old man killed a 21-year-old man execution style, and then put the body in a trunk. Sheriff Mike Tregre (“traig”) says Saturday night, they received a 911 call about a gunshot near Railroad Avenue, and the caller also saw a man loading the body into an orange Dodge Charger.

Cut 13 (13)  “…very impressive.”

Tregre says a deputy saw a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle with a possible body inside the trunk. He says the deputy executed a traffic stop and the driver told deputies there was a body in the trunk.

Cut 14 (06) “…was sleeping.”

Tyler Bourgeois was arrested for second-degree murder, and the victim has been identified as Tylen Anderson. Both men are from LaPlace. Tregre says Bourgeois and Anderson knew each other, and a heated argument developed while the two were driving around Saturday night.

Cut 15 (12) “…Mr. Anderson.”

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The Saints are pretty banged up injury-wise, but the black and gold could get tight end Taysom Hill back on the practice field this week. Head coach Kellen Moore said that it will take some time for Hill to get fully healthy, but the team is excited to bring back the veteran.

Cut 16 (15) “…fired up.”

One of the bright spots during the Saints 31-19 loss to the Bills was rookie safety Jonas Sanker. The third round draft pick intercepted Josh Allen while totaling five tackles and deflecting three passes. Moore says he is very impressed with Sanker’s growth.

Cut 17 (18)  “…to progress.”

The Saints had their most success running the ball so far this season against Buffalo, rushing for 189 yards. New Orleans running back Kendre Miller had a productive game against the Bills as he rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Moore says the former second round pick has done a great job of battling through injuries while earning additional playtime.

Cut 18 (17) “…hits it.”

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ULM defeated Arkansas State for the first time in 15 years this past weekend. The Warhawks will hit the road to take on a talented Northwestern team who just beat UCLA. Head coach Bryant Vincent says that the team has a shot to beat the Big Ten team if they can continue to play together like it did against Arkansas State.

Cut 19 (22) “…do that.”

Northwestern is the second Power Four team ULM will face this season. Vincent says he favors playing games like this early on rather than later in the season.

Cut 20 (17) “…your team.”

 

4:30 LRN Newscast

A Chicago woman visiting New Orleans for her 33rd birthday is shot and killed on Bourbon Street early yesterday morning. Police say there was a fight that broke out near Canal Street, and it escalated into gunfire, and the woman was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick is urging people who visit the French Quarter to leave their guns at home.

Cut 8 (10) “…high-risk situation.”

What was supposed to be a festive weekend in Alexandria turned into a weekend of frustration and anger. All events during homecoming weekend at Peabody Magnet High School were cancelled because of what officials say was a credible security threat. Community activist Tony Brown is furious.

Cut 12 (09) “…happy about it.”

Governor Landry wants the EPA to pick up the pace in cleaning up the Tangipahoa River following last month’s explosion at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland. In a video posted to social media, Landry said he watched a video of what the river looks like more than 30 days after the explosion, and he was disgusted at the sight of all the oil in the water.

Cut 9 (08)  “…going fast enough.”

The EPA says it’s already cleaned up almost seven million gallons of waste from the river and adjacent ponds and four million gallons have been shipped for disposal.

Many LSU fans are down on their football team following Saturday’s 24-19 loss to Ole Miss. It’s the Tigers first loss of the season and the offense does not look good. Linebacker Whit Weeks has not lost faith…

Cut 3 (10) “…us yet.”

3:30 LRN Newscast

She was in the wrong place at the wrong time – a woman visiting New Orleans from Chicago celebrating her 33rd birthday is shot dead on Bourbon Street early yesterday morning. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says a fight broke out near Canal Street, and it culminated in gunfire.

Cut 6 (07) “…and witness statements.”

The Saints are 0-4 for the first time since 2012 after losing to Buffalo 31-19. Just like two of their previous losses, New Orleans was in the game in the fourth quarter, but didn’t make enough plays to win. Spencer Rattler is now 0-and-10 as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Cut 4 (10) “…keep progressing.”

The Saints will host the Giants this weekend. New York receiver and former LSU star Malik Nabers is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Due to what they say were credible threats, officials in Alexandria cancel Peabody Magnet High School’s homecoming weekend. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

That threat is one of several threats made towards schools in Rapides Parish; and now, we’re getting word that a juvenile has been arrested in connection with a threat against Pineville High School. The threat was determined not to be credible. The juvenile is charged with terrorizing and is booked into the Renaissance Home for Youth.

12:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Landry wants the EPA to pick up the pace in cleaning up the Tangipahoa River following last month’s explosion at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland. In a video posted to social media, Landry said his commitment is to the people of Tangipahoa Parish, especially those who live near the site of the explosion and the river.

Cut 11 (10) “…before the fire.”

LSU suffers its first loss of the season, falling to Ole Miss, 24-19. Garrett Nussmeier had one of his worst games, throwing for only 197 yards with a touchdown and a costly interception. Coach Brian Kelly says the offense’s failure comes as a collective unit.

Cut 30 (13) “…the ball.”

Due to what they say were credible threats, officials in Alexandria cancel Peabody Magnet High School’s homecoming weekend. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

LRN AM Newscall September 29

You can count Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple among those who would support a change to how the National Hurricane Center rates the strength of hurricanes. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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A southwest Louisiana man who raped and molested multiple children in the 1990s and then fled to the Midwest has been sentenced to life in prison. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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LSU football suffered its first loss of the season against Ole Miss by a score of 24 to 19 after yet another poor offensive showing. Andre Champagne has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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You can count Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple among those who would support a change in how the National Hurricane Center rates the strength of hurricanes. Currently, the hurricane center rates hurricanes from Category One to Category Five based solely on wind speed. A consortium of experts from the University of South Florida is proposing a different system that would also consider rainfall and storm surge, which Temple says are often more dangerous than wind speed.

Cut 4 (06) “…actual wind speeds.”

Temple says the proposed new rating system would better assist governments in deciding when to issue evacuation orders.

Cut 5 (09) “…need to evacuate.”

Temple says the proposed new hurricane rating system would give very different ratings for notable storms in the past that had been given relatively lower ratings on the Saffir-Simpson Scale based on wind speed alone.

Cut 6 (09) “…these other variables.”

The proposed new scale would include an overall Category Six designation for the most severe storms – those with Category Five designations in two or more factors.

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A south Louisiana man, who went on the run for more than 20 years after raping and molesting several children in the 1990s, has been sentenced to three consecutive life sentences in prison. Calcasieu Parish District Attorney Stephen Dwight says Choy Van Leo fled southwest Louisiana in 2000 after he was indicted and it was not until last year that he was found working at a restaurant in small town of Spirit Lake, Iowa…

Cut 7 (05) “…he may be.”

The 61-year-old Van Leo was brought back to Louisiana, and he was convicted last month on three counts of aggravated rape and four counts of child molestation.  Dwight says the victims were between the ages of four and 12-years-old and the crimes happened from 1992 to 2000….

Cut 8 (07) “…faced their accuser.”

Dwight says the juvenile victims were either family members or friends of his family.

Van Leo owned a restaurant in Sulphur and owned an Asian restaurant in Spring Lake, Iowa. Dwight says he thought he got away with it…

Cut 9 (05)  “…anything like that.”

Van Leo was arrested in May of 2024.

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LSU Health Shreveport is awarded a 7.5-million-dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to launch a new research center. It’s the first NSF-funded center grant in the history of LSUHS. Dr. Oren Rom, the senior associate dean for basic and translational research, says the center will provide research opportunities for students at every level.

Cut 10 (12) “…and so on.”

Dr. Rom says as part of the research center, they will teach them the basic skills in biotechnology and molecular biology, specifically in the field of metabolic research to combat diseases like obesity, diabetes and liver disease.

Cut 11 (07) “…tackle those diseases.”

Rom says research into combatting those diseases is very important, especially in Louisiana.

Cut 12 (14) “…throughout the world.”

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LSU football suffered its first loss of the season to Ole Miss by a score of 24 -19. The Tigers were unable to move the ball during most of the evening, totaling just 254 total yards of offense. LSU was only 2 for 11 on third downs. Head coach Brian Kelly said the coaching staff has to do a better job of putting the players in position to convert.

Cut 13 (12)  “…some plays.”

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had one of his worst games in the purple and gold, throwing for only 197 yards with a touchdown and costly interception. Although Nussmeier struggled for most of the night, Kelly says the offense’s failure comes as a collective unit.

Cut 14 (13) “…the ball.”

The Tigers rushed for 57 yards against one of the worst rush defenses in the nation. LSU handed the ball off to running backs only two times in the first half. Kelly blamed a lack of plays…

Cut 15 (12) “…first half.”

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The Ragin Cajuns ended a two-game losing streak with an unbelievable double overtime 54-51 victory over Marshall to begin Sun Belt play. U-L Lafayette was down by 17 points in the third quarter, but Coach Michael Desormeaux says his team didn’t blink…

Cut 16 (17) “…this group.”

The Cajuns were coming off a blown off loss to Missouri and three point defeat Eastern Michigan. The victory gives U-L Lafayette a 2-3 record heading into its first by weekend. Desormeaux says he’s proud of how his team responded to a two-game losing streak…

Cut 17 (18)  “…to win.”

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Louisiana Tech improved to 4-and-1 and 2-and-0 in Conference USA play with another dominating defensive performance on Saturday night in El Paso as the Bulldogs defeated UTEP 30-11. Tech intercepted five passes; two were returned for a touchdown. Unfortunately, Kolbe Fields suffered what appeared to be a serious injury on one of the interceptions. Coach Sonny Cumbie says they may have to move on without Fields…

Cut 18 (18) “…football team.”

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ULM fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter but rallied to beat Arkansas State for a 28-16 win and their first win over the Red Wolves since 2009. Warhawks Coach Bryant Vincent says the defense played great as they did not allow an offensive touchdown and sacked A-S-U quarterback Jaylen Raynor multiple times…

Cut 19 (18) “…pretty good.”

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The Saints kept it close; but once again, they just couldn’t get over the hump as they fell to the Buffalo Bills, 31-19. The loss drops the Saints to 0-and-4 on the season and left quarterback Spencer Rattler still searching for his first NFL win as a starting quarterback. After the game, Head Coach Kellen Moore said the Saints will keep improving and will get into the win column soon.

Cut 20 (19) “…of these games.”

The Saints appeared to take a 22-21 lead six minutes into the 4th quarter on a 17-yard pass to Brandin Cooks, but the touchdown was overturned after replay showed the ball hitting the turf. The Saints settled for a field goal, and the Bills scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to seal the win.

 

5:30 LRN Newscast

Early voting starts Saturday in the New Orleans mayoral election. UNO Political Science Professor Ed Chervenak says Helena Moreno has such a big lead in the polls that the other two major candidates in the race, Royce Duplessis and Oliver Thomas, are just hoping to get the race to a runoff.

Cut 3 (09) “…percent plus one.”

Early voting ends October 4th; election day is October 11th.

An Amite man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a 35-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter. Daniel Callihan avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Callie Brunett and her daughter, Erin. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux says capital punishment cases are difficult to prosecute, so this is a positive result.

Cut 7 (09) “…great benefit.”

If you have a “baby on board,” take a few minutes to check on the installation of your child safety seat. As part of National Seat Check Saturday, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is setting up nine free safety seat inspection stations around the state. Bridget Gardner with the Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force says most parents fail to properly install child safety seats.

Cut 9 (10)  “…don’t get it right.”

LSU’s defense will have its hands full against Ole Miss Saturday. Last time the Tigers played the Rebels in Oxford, LSU’s defense surrendered a program-worst 707 yards. ESPN analyst and former LSU defensive tackle Booger McFarland says he has a lot more confidence in this 2025 squad.

Cut 13 (13)  “…the field.”

4:30 LRN Newscast

An Amite man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to killing a 35-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter. Daniel Callihan’s attorney, Kerry Cuccia, says his client is a different person than he was 15 months ago.

Cut 8 (13) “…the time.”

Early voting starts Saturday in the New Orleans mayoral election, and polls show it could be a runaway for Helena Moreno. UNO Political Science Professor Ed Chervenak says the other two major candidates, Royce Duplessis and Oliver Thomas, are pulling out all the stops in portraying Moreno in a negative light.

Cut 5 (10) “…the city council.”

Early voting runs through October 4th; Election Day is October 11th.

Saturday is National Seat Check Saturday, and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is setting up nine free safety seat inspection stations around the state from nine to noon. Bridget Gardner, the state director for the Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force, says an improperly installed seat or an improperly buckled child is as dangerous as a lack of a child safety seat altogether.

Cut 10 (14) “…room for injury.”

Big day for LSU Saturday as they face Ole Miss in Oxford. ESPN analyst and former LSU defensive tackle Booger McFarland says the Tigers must be able to run the ball efficiently in order to open up other parts of the offense.

Cut 12 (09) “…130 yards.”