2:30 LRN Newscast

The mother of Bryan Vasquez, the 12-year-old non-verbal autistic boy found dead in a lagoon last month 12 days after disappearing from his home has been arrested. New Orleans Police Deputy Superintendent Hans Ganthier (GAHN-thee-ay) says 34-year-old Hilda Vasquez was arrested yesterday.

Cut 6 (05) “…and negligent homicide.”

Police say Hilda Vasquez had a history of abusing her son, dating back to when he was an infant.

It was 90 years ago today when former Governor Huey Long was shot inside the State Capitol. Two days later, Long, who was a U.S. Senator at the time, would die at the age of 42. Retired LSU College of Business Dean Richard White wrote a book on Huey Long’s life; he said all in all, Huey Long was a fascinating man.

Cut 5 (14) “…up the rest.”

A six-year-old child shot during a balloon release ceremony has died from her injuries. Jeff Palermo has the details.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

It appears that injuries to a couple of key players for LSU aren’t as bad as initially feared. Coach Brian Kelly said center Braelin Moore and tight end Trey’Dez Green both have a chance to play Saturday night against Florida. Moore sprained an ankle on the first play of Saturday night’s win over Louisiana Tech, while Green injured a knee in the fourth quarter.

12:30 LRN Newscast

The mother of Bryan Vasquez, the 12-year-old non-verbal autistic boy found dead in a lagoon 12 days after disappearing from his home has been arrested. 34-year-old Hilda Vasquez is charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and negligent homicide. NOPD Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon says this was not the first time Hilda had been negligent or abusive towards her son.

Cut 7 (12) “…on his part.”

A six-year-old south Louisiana girl shot during a balloon release has died. Lafayette Police Sergeant Robin Green says a verbal argument between two men at the balloon release led to the shooting that ultimately killed Riley Francis.

Cut 11 (11) “…at each other.”

The ACLU of Louisiana says federal and state officials are breaking the law by housing ICE detainees at the State Penitentiary at Angola. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 27 (37) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

5:30 LRN Newscast

COVID cases are on the rise in Louisiana. Dr. Joseph Bocchini (buh-KEEN-ee), a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Willis-Knighton in Shreveport, says spikes in COVID cases have happened every summer since the virus first appeared five years ago, and this year has proven to be no different.

Cut 6 (13) “…over 15-percent.”

A man wanted for a killing in Ruston was arrested in Texas following a police chase that started on I-20 near Bossier City. Dylan Castaneda with Ruston Police says 31-year-old Virgil Mack of Dubach fatally shot 35-year-old Ontario Spivey at a convenience store. Castaneda says a local police officer helped I-D Mack…

Cut 10 (10) “…guy identified.”

This weekend is the annual 2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday in Louisiana. Byron Henderson with the Louisiana Department of Revenue says through Sunday, firearms, ammunition, certain types of knives and hunting apparel are tax-free. Other items, though, are ineligible for the tax break.

Cut 4 (09) “…such as airboats.”

LSU and Louisiana Tech will play each other for the 21st time Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Coach Brian Kelly has great respect for the Bulldogs and their head coach Sonny Cumbie…

Cut 11 (13) “…do the same.”

LSU is expected to win big, as the third ranked Tigers are favored by 37.5 points.

4:30 LRN Newscast

Louisiana is once again seeing a summertime spike in COVID cases. COVID today is very different than it was when it first spread around the world in 2020. Dr. Joseph Bocchini (buh-KEEN-ee), a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Willis-Knighton, says while COVID can still have very severe consequences, the likelihood of that is somewhat diminished nowadays.

Cut 8 (10) “…have been vaccinated.”

What a difference a year makes. Last year at the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, SeaD Consulting found that four of the five vendors it tested were selling imported shrimp. This year, it tested seven, and all seven were selling Louisiana shrimp as required. SeaD Co-founder Erin Williams was very happy to see that everyone complied with the spirit of the festival.

Cut 14 (12) “…domestic fishing industries.”

The Louisiana Supreme Court has denied a death row inmate’s request for a rehearing. Andre Champagne has the story…

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

A Winnsboro woman is under arrest, accused of setting fire to a house with six people inside. The State Fire Marshal’s Office says 26-year-old Raquel Thomas intentionally set the house on fire. Everyone made it out. Thomas is charged with six counts of attempted first degree murder and two counts of aggravated arson.

LRN PM Newscall September 5

COVID cases are on the rise in Louisiana. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The Louisiana Supreme Court has denied a death row inmate’s request for a rehearing. Andre Champagne has the story…

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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This weekend is the annual 2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday in Louisiana. Byron Henderson with the Louisiana Department of Revenue says between now and Sunday, purchases of a wide range of hunting supplies are exempt from all state and local sales taxes.

Cut 3 (10) “…types of knives.”

Henderson says there are certain hunting-related items, though, that are ineligible for the sales tax exemption this weekend.

Cut 4 (09) “…such as airboats.”

Henderson says the sales tax exemption is not intended for business use.

Cut 5 (09) “…or commercial purchases.”

Louisiana holds the 2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday during the first contiguous Friday through Sunday in the month of September every year.

________________________________________________

COVID cases are on the rise in Louisiana. Dr. Joseph Bocchini (buh-KEEN-ee), a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Willis-Knighton in Shreveport, says spikes in COVID cases have happened every summer since the virus first appeared five years ago, and this year has proven to be no different.

Cut 6 (13) “…over 15-percent.”

Dr. Bocchini says so far, this year’s spike isn’t as severe as those in years past, but time will ultimately tell.

Cut 7 (09) “…up each week.”

COVID today is very different than it was when it first spread around the world in 2020, when it shut the whole world down. Bocchini says while COVID can still have very severe consequences today, the likelihood is somewhat diminished as compared to five years ago.

Cut 8 (10) “…have been vaccinated.”

Bocchini says staying up to date with your COVID vaccinations is your very best defense against being infected against the virus. If you haven’t been vaccinated, take the precautions that you became accustomed to during the pandemic, including wearing masks and social distancing.

________________________________________________

A man wanted for a murder last night (Thursday night) in Ruston was arrested in Texas after a police chase that started on Interstate 20 near Bossier City. Dylan Castaneda with Ruston Police says 31-year-old Virgil Mack of Dubach fatally shot 35-year-old Ontario Spivey of Ruston at the USA Travel Plaza convenience store. Castaneda says security cameras captured the shooting…

Cut 9 (09)  “…shooting itself.”

The police chase ended in Marshall, Texas when Mack crashed his vehicle. Castaneda says they were able to identify Mack as the shooter thanks to the help of a local police officer…

Cut 10 (10) “…guy identified.”

Mack has been charged with second-degree murder.

__________________________________________________________________

LSU and Louisiana Tech will play each other for the 21st time on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Coach Brian Kelly has great respect for the Bulldogs and their head coach Sonny Cumbie…

Cut 11 (13) “…do the same.”

LSU is expected to win big, as the third ranked Tigers are favorite by 37.5 points. LSU is coming off an impressive win over Clemson, who was ranked heading into the matchup. The Bulldogs are a mid-major program that has not had a winning season since 2019. Kelly says every Saturday there is a standard and he wants his players to live up to that standard…

Cut 12 (13) “…drive themselves.”

Kick-off in Tiger Stadium is at 6:30.

_____________________________________________________________

It appears that vendors at last weekend’s Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival got the memo. Organizers told them in no uncertain terms that they were only to sell Louisiana shrimp, and they all complied. SeaD (“seed”) Consulting did genetic testing on shrimp from seven vendors – and the shrimp from all seven were indeed found to be from local waters. Co-founder Erin Williams says it’s a far cry from last year, when shrimp from four of the five vendors they tested turned out to be imported.

Cut 13 (09)  “…help that along.”

Organizers were very diligent in ensuring that the vendors only sold shrimp caught in waters off the Louisiana coast. Still, Williams was very happy to see that all vendors complied with the spirit of the festival.

Cut 14 (12) “…domestic fishing industries.”

 

1:30 LRN Newscast

A man wanted for a killing in Ruston last night was arrested in Texas following a police chase that started on I-20 near Bossier City. Dylan Castaneda with Ruston Police says 31-year-old Virgil Mack of Dubach fatally shot 35-year-old Ontario Spivey of Ruston at the USA Travel Plaza convenience store. Castaneda says they were able to identify Mack thanks to the help of a local police officer…

Cut 10 (10) “…guy identified.”

COVID cases are on the rise in Louisiana. Dr. Joseph Bocchini (buh-KEEN-ee), a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Willis-Knighton in Shreveport, says so far, this year’s spike isn’t as severe as those in years past, but time will ultimately tell.

Cut 7 (09) “…up each week.”

This weekend is the annual 2nd Amendment Sales Tax Holiday in Louisiana. Byron Henderson with the Louisiana Department of Revenue says between now and Sunday, firearms, ammunition, certain types of knives and hunting apparel are tax-free. Other items, though, are ineligible for the tax break.

Cut 4 (09) “…such as airboats.”

LSU and Louisiana Tech will play each other for the 21st time on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Coach Brian Kelly has great respect for the Bulldogs and their head coach Sonny Cumbie…

Cut 11 (13) “…do the same.”

LSU is expected to win big, as the third ranked Tigers are favored by 37.5 points.

11:30 LRN Newscast

COVID cases are on the rise in Louisiana. Dr. Joseph Bocchini (buh-KEEN-ee), a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Willis-Knighton in Shreveport, says spikes in COVID cases have happened every summer since the virus first appeared five years ago, and this year has proven to be no different.

Cut 6 (13) “…over 15-percent.”

If it’s not COVID, then allergies can really make people’s lives miserable this time of year. Ragweed is the biggest culprit when it comes to fall allergies, and Dr. John Carlson, an allergist and immunologist at Ochsner Health, says mold spores are also a problem.

Cut 14 (08) “…the air.”

Carlson says pollen counts are usually the highest between four A-M and eight A-M, so limit your outdoor activities and shower after spending an extended amount of time outdoors.

Saying imported shrimp will turn people into aliens – I’m not making this up – Senator John Kennedy is pushing for increased inspections of shrimp imports. In a floor speech, Kennedy said on a good day, the U.S. may inspect two-percent of all imported shrimp, which pales in comparison to inspection rates of other countries.

Cut 9 (12)  “…States of America.”

After shutting out Southeastern last week, 24-0, Louisiana Tech has a much more difficult task tomorrow night against LSU. First-year Tech defensive coordinator Luke Olson will have his hands full with shutting down an elite LSU offense. The Bulldogs are known to blitz often, and junior linebacker Mekhi (muh-KYE) Mason says the Bulldogs need to get to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier early and often.

Cut 12 (09) “…applying pressure.”

LRN AM Newscall September 5

The Louisiana Secretary of State announces the results of a months-long investigation into non-citizens registering to vote. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

In a way that only he could, Senator John Kennedy issues a stark warning about eating imported shrimp. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

____________________________________________

Summer is winding down, but fall allergies are ramping up. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (28) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office launched an investigation back in May into the number of non-citizens registering to vote; and yesterday, Secretary Nancy Landry announced the results of that investigation.

Cut 4 (15) “…past several years.”

(390 non-citizens were on the voter rolls, with 79 of then having voted in elections over the last several years.) Secretary Landry says investigators were able to determine their citizenship after getting free access to the federal SAVE database – SAVE stands for Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements. She said in previous presidential administrations, it was $1.75 per name to search, but the Trump administration removed that charge. Landry said she will pursue legal action against those who illegally registered to vote.

Cut 5 (10) “…state laws implicated.”

Landry says especially in local races, every vote counts, and just a small handful of votes can decide the election.

Cut 6 (12) “…in that race.”

Landry says with the signing of Act 500, it will be harder for non-citizens to register to vote, since people will now be required to prove their citizenship when registering to vote.

_________________________________________________

In a way that only he could, Senator John Kennedy issued a stark warning about eating imported shrimp, making his point on the Senate floor using a visual aid.

Cut 7 (17) “…by other countries.”

Kennedy said that’s because the imported shrimp was found to be radioactive – at least the shrimp sold in Walmart stores in Louisiana and other states that was recalled.

Cut 8 (14) “…an extra ear.”

Kennedy said on a good day, the U.S. may inspect two-percent of all shrimp that’s imported into the country, and that pales in comparison to the inspection rates of other countries.

Cut 9 (12)  “…States of America.”

___________________________________________

Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie and his team will have its toughest challenge of the season as they travel to Baton Rouge to face LSU in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 2018. Cumbie had lots of praise for LSU senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

Cut 10 (13) “…great challenge.”

Louisiana Tech’s defense was on full display in week one, shutting out Southeastern, 24-0. Louisiana Tech linebackers combined for 39 tackles and three sacks. Junior linebacker Mekhi Mason said his unit is one of the best in the nation.

Cut 11 (10) “…out there.”

First-year Louisiana Tech defensive coordinator Luke Olson will have his hands full with shutting down an elite LSU offense. The Bulldogs are known to blitz often and junior linebacker Mekhi Mason says the Bulldogs need to get to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier early and often.

Cut 12 (09) “…applying pressure.”

___________________________________________________________

Most Louisiana residents can’t wait for some fall weather, but we can do without fall allergies. Dr. John Carlson, an allergist and immunologist at Ochsner Health, says there are some real good options at your local drug store that can prevent a reaction to seasonal allergies…

Cut 13 (04)  “…in it.”

Dr. Carlson says Saline nasal sprays and artificial tears can also help wash pollen out of your eyes.

Ragweed is the biggest culprit when it comes to fall allergies, and Carlson says mold spores are also a problem.

Cut 14 (08) “…the air.”

Carlson says pollen counts are usually the highest between four A-M and eight A-M, so limit your outdoor activities and shower after spending an extended amount of time outdoors. He says if allergies are hindering your lifestyle, there are some options.

Cut 15 (15) “…different allergies.”

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Saints veteran cornerback Alontae Taylor was limited in practice yesterday due to a lingering groin injury that has kept him out all summer. Taylor says that he is doing everything he can to play in the opener, but does not want to rush it if he isn’t 100-percent.

Cut 16 (13) “…if I can.”

The Saints open up their season against a very talented Arizona Cardinals defense. Second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler will play his first game under the Kellen Moore system. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier says Rattler needs to just be himself.

Cut 17 (14)  “…your job.”

__________________________________________________

LSU senior right guard Josh Thompson was a huge transfer portal addition for the Tigers as he brought in the most playing experience to the entire unit. The Northwestern transfer ultimately made the decision to come down to Baton Rouge to get the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Cut 18 (10) “…is everything.”

LSU senior cornerback Mansoor Delane wanted to play for a team that was going to develop him for the NFL while being able to compete for a national championship. Delane said he knew the Tigers were building something special after seeing its heavy transfer portal haul in the offseason.

Cut 19 (16) “…come here.”

Delane was a key contributor in the opening win against Clemson. He had a critical interception and two pass breakups. Delane admits that the win was a great start for the 2025 season, but the Tigers won’t be satisfied until it brings back some hardware home.

Cut 20 (15) “…be better.”

5:30 LRN Newscast

There continues to be very little tropical activity in the Gulf, but because it’s been so quiet, sea surface water temperatures are two-degrees hotter than normal. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says that could spell trouble if a storm threatens Louisiana…

Cut 9 (10)  “…big deal.”

DOTD and Destination Zero Deaths launch the “Buckle Up, Phone Down” High School Video and Pledge Contest. DOTD Spokesman Rodney Mallet says the contest includes a pledge they are asking all Louisianans to sign – agreeing to avoid phone use, wear a seatbelt, and speak up when they feel unsafe in cars with others.

Cut 5 (09) “…these days.”

The pledge and contest rules can be found on DOTD’s website.

After casting what was, for all intents and purposes, the deciding vote that sealed his confirmation as health secretary, Senator Bill Cassidy sparred with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his health policies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing this morning. After Kennedy said he agreed with Cassidy’s assertion that President Trump deserves a Nobel Prize for his role in Operation Warp Speed – expeditiously developing COVID-19 vaccines – Cassidy took him to task for something he told Colorado Senator Michael Bennet.

Cut 6 (15) “…question of fact.”

What Kennedy actually told Bennet is that he agreed with one of his CDC nominees that evidence is mounting that mRNA vaccines cause serious harm, including death, among young people.

4:30 LRN Newscast

Five months ago to the day, Senator Bill Cassidy essentially confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. Today, Cassidy took him to task over his policies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Cassidy told Kennedy that his policies are causing great confusion as to who can get COVID-19 vaccines and who can’t get them.

Cut 8 (09) “…you’re wrong.”

DOTD along with Destination Zero Deaths are looking for a commitment to safe driving, and they’ve launched the “Buckle Up, Phone Down” High School Video and Pledge Contest. DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett says a panel of judges will choose the top three videos, and winners will receive cash prizes.

Cut 3 (06) “…safe driving.”

Submissions will be accepted now through October 31, and they can be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long.

The quiet hurricane season could pose problems if a storm threatens Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

It appears that vendors at the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival got the memo. Organizers told them in no uncertain terms that they were only to sell Louisiana shrimp, and they were true to their word. SeaD Consulting did genetic testing on shrimp from seven vendors – and the shrimp from all seven were indeed found to be from local waters.