3:30 PM LRN Newscast Oct 29

Parishes in southeast Louisiana are assessing damage and beginning the cleanup and recovery from a rare late October storm. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 2 (40) “I’m Jeff Palermo”  

The St Bernard Sheriff’s Office is imposing a strict curfew tonight from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Friday.  Plaquemines Parish set a curfew from sunset until sunrise. They will also have security checkpoints at the parish lines on the westbank and eastbank to screen motorists entering the parish during curfew hours.

Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, in Terrebonne Parish shortly after 4 pm Wednesday. Lieutenant Brennan Matherne with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s says numerous trees are down in neighboring Lafourche Parish and there’s property damage in Golden Meadow and Leeville. Zeta was a fast-moving storm and Matherne says the speed of the storm helped minimize the damage.

Cut 11 (12) “…quickly.”

To say the Bayou State is experiencing weather extremes is an understatement, after a Category Two hurricane strikes the state, now we are experiencing much cooler temperatures in less than 24 hours. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the next couple of days could be even colder, not significantly but chilly.

Cut 15 (12) “in the 60s” 

 

2:30 PM LRN Newscast Oct 28

Southeast Louisiana is recovering from the fifth named storm to make landfall in the state this year, the near category three Hurricane Zeta. Power is out to 469-thousand customers in Louisiana, but Governor John Bel Edwards says the good news is preliminary estimates show it won’t be weeks before the lights come on for most customers.

Cut 4 (11)   “.roads”   

Hurricane Zeta was still a Category One storm when the center of the storm reached St. Tammany Parish.  Parish President Mike Cooper says that even though the storm had weakened by the time it got there, St. Tammany still felt some significant winds.

Cut 6 (12) “…trees down”

Zeta made landfall around 4pm Wednesday near Cocodrie, which is located in Terrebonne Parish. Lieutenant Brennan Matherne with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s office says the southern end of their parish took quite a big hit.

Cut 10 (08) “structures”

There’s reported property damage in Golden Meadow and Leeville.

St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis says winds of 100-miles per hour were clocked at their emergency operations center in Chalmette.

Cut 8 (11) “..power lines”   (2x)

Due to the extensive damage in St Bernard, the Sheriff’s Office is imposing a strict curfew tonight from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Friday

11:30 AM LRN Newscast Oct 29

Southeast Louisiana is recovering from the fifth named storm to make landfall in the state this year, the near category three Hurricane Zeta. Governor Edwards says unfortunately we are reporting the first storm-related death, a 55-year-old New Orleans man who died from electrocution due to a downed powerline.

Cut 3 (11)  “…gentleman”  

The only levee failures from Hurricane Zeta occurred in Grand Isle as the Category Two storm caused three breaches in what is known as the burrito levee, a large roll of plastic filled with sand. Jefferson Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Joseph Valiente says the breaches have led to flooding in the coastal town…

Cut 12 (12) “ .down there” 

The governor’s office says they have pumps trying to drain the water.

To say the Bayou State is experiencing weather extremes is an understatement, after a Category Two hurricane strikes the state, now we are experiencing much cooler temperatures in less than 24 hours. State Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s a very odd one-two punch.

Cut 13 (12) “…time of year”

469-thousand customers are without power according to the PSC and Entergy is hoping to have the majority restored for their customers by the weekend. Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scardgili says a Category Two storm on average means 7 to 10 days without power. Entergy has 4,500 crew members working to bring the lights back on and hopefully, the worst-case projection won’t be true for most.

Cut 14 (10) “…two”

10:30 AM LRN Newscast Oct 29

The PSC reports 469-thousand are without power in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Zeta which made landfall just after 4 PM yesterday near Cocodrie. Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scardgili says the immediate post-storm period can be dangerous and if you see any compromised electrical equipment keep your distance.

Cut 15 (12) “.process”

In St Bernard Parish, Parish President Guy McInnis says winds of 100-miles per hour winds were clocked at their emergency operations as the Category Two hurricane swept over the area. McInnis says there were no serious injuries during the storm and he would like to keep it that way…

Cut 9 (10) “shouldn’t be”

Nearly one million early votes have been cast in Louisiana for the November 3rd Presidential Election. JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon says the early vote was marginally more Democratic than in past years, showing an increase in Democratic enthusiasm relative to Republicans, but not substantially so.

Cut 5 (12) “…parish”

An LSU-Health Sciences Center Study shows more women in Louisiana are receiving breast cancer diagnoses and treatment because of Medicaid expansion. Lead Author Dr. Quyen (Quinn) Chu says they compared breast cancer rates before and after ACA expansion in 2016 and it’s led to a 27-percent increase in early-stage diagnosis.

Cut 7 (12) “stage three”

LRN AM Newscall Oct 29

Early voting has wrapped up in Louisiana and nearly a million votes have been cast ahead of the November 3rd election. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “   I’m Matt Doyle”

________________________________

An LSU-Health Sciences Center study shows more women in the state are receiving breast cancer diagnoses sooner due to Medicaid expansion. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington” 

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48 hours ago forecasts projected Zeta would be at a category one when it made landfall. It made landfall near Cocodrie yesterday as a near cat 3. Matt Doyle asks a climatologist what happened…

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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Nearly one million early votes have been cast in Louisiana for the November 3rd Presidential Election.

JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon says between early voting and mail-in ballots 964,000 votes have been cast, shattering 2016’s record of 531,000. He says there’s a number of reasons why…

Cut 4 (09) “mail”

146,000 of those early votes were by mail. Couvillon anticipates about another 40,000 mail-in ballots have yet to be counted which would put us above a million total early votes cast.

Couvillon says the early vote was marginally more Democratic than in past years, showing an increase in Democratic enthusiasm relative to Republicans, but not substantially so.

Cut 5 (12) “…parish”

Early voting ended on Tuesday.

Couvillon estimates that we could see 73 percent total participation for the November 3rd election. He disagrees with analysts who say early voting isn’t indicative of total participation.

Cut 6 (07) “turnout”

That would put early votes at 45 percent of the total vote.

_____________________________

An LSU-Health Sciences Center Study shows more women in Louisiana are receiving breast cancer diagnoses and treatment because of Medicaid expansion. Lead Author Dr. Quyen (Quinn) Chu says they compared breast cancer rates before and after ACA expansion in 2016 and it’s led to a 27-percent increase in early-stage diagnosis.

Cut 7 (12) “stage three”

Chu says the data is additional evidence that Medicaid expansion works. Chu says the national average of uninsured is 8.9-percent, after ACA expansion in Louisiana the uninsured rate for the state is below the national average at 8-percent.

Cut 8 (11) “…is 17.7 percent.”

The study compared breast cancer data among women in Louisiana from 2012 to 2018. It showed after Medicaid expansion in 2016 more than 91-thousand women received breast cancer screenings for the first time and more than a thousand were diagnosed with breast cancer as a result.

Cut 9 (08) “impact lives”

Chu says they plan to compare data of other common medical conditions before and after Medicaid expansion.

________________________

Zeta’s rapid and unexpected strengthening caught a lot of people off guard, going from an expected weak category one at landfall on Tuesday forecasts to a near cat three by landfall Wednesday.

State Climatologist Barry Keim says the truth is forecasters just aren’t very good at predicting how powerful a system will become.

Cut 10 (07) “…years”

Keim says there was good reason to believe Zeta was going to remain a relatively tame system.

Cut 11 (09) “back down”

Keim says despite missing the call on how strong Zeta would be forecasters did nail the fact that it would make landfall in southeast Louisiana as far back as this weekend when it was in the Caribbean.

Cut 12 (07) “at that”.

___________________

500-thousand are without power* in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Zeta which made landfall just after 4 PM yesterday near Cocodrie.

Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scardigli warns there could be some prolonged outages.

Cut 13 (11) “range”

Scardigli says they have 4,500 workers springing into action to bring the lights back on and hopefully those worst-case projections won’t be true for most.

Cut 14 (10) “…two”

Scardgili says the immediate post-storm period can be dangerous and if you see any compromised electrical equipment keep your distance.

Cut 15 (12) “.process”

_______________________

After ending UAB’s 21-game home winning streak last Friday, U-L Lafayette is back on the road this Saturday for a matchup with Texas State. The Cajuns are 4-and-1 on the season, but Coach Billy Napier says there is still room for improvement…

cut 16 (23) “ next opportunity”

Texas State comes into the game with a 1-and-6 record and their only win came against ULM. They play two quarterbacks, Tyler Vitt and Brady McBride. Napier says McBride started his college career at Memphis

cut 17 (25)   as well”

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Now that Hurricane Zeta is out of here, the Saints will continue preparations today for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. The Bears 5-and-2 and they’ve defended the pass well this season. Coach Sean Payton says Chicago has an excellent secondary…

cut 18 (16) ” and they are smart” 

No precipitation is in the forecast for Sunday, but it’s expected to be very windy inside Soldier Field on Sunday.

______________________________________________

LSU will play the Auburn Tigers on the road Saturday and freshman T.J. Finley may lead the offense again.  Coach Ed Orgeron says Myles Brennan’s injury continues to keep him on the sidelines.

cut 19 (10) “our second

Finley seems to have earned the trust of the team after his stellar performance against South Carolina, and Orgeron says what stood out the most was the poise that the young quarterback showed.

cut 20 (09) “impressed with”

 

9:30 PM LRN Newscast Oct 28

New Orleans EMS reports the first fatality of Hurricane Zeta after a person was electrocuted. There are also reports of levees being breeched on Grand Isle and in St Bernard Parish the Chalmette Ferry broke loose from its mooring and is lodged under a dock. In Lafourche parish reportedly five buildings collapsed in the southern part of the parish. Terrebonne Parish officials say they have received several calls of downed power lines and utility poles. Approximately 500 thousand are without power in southeast Louisiana. Zeta has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds at 85 mph.

Governor John Bel Edwards says unfortunately it will be a rough evening for southeastern Louisiana…

Cut 15 (12) “weather aware” 

Louisiana is the first state to have five named storms make landfall in one season.

The family of a mentally ill Shreveport man who died after an incident with police is seeking a 25-million-dollar settlement from the city.

Cut 1 (29) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

The head of State Police is retiring while the L-S-P is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation looking into the death of a Black man while in State Police custody last year. Colonel Kevin Reeves’ retirement is effective Friday. Governor John Bel Edwards praised Reeves’ tenure…

Cut 6 (06) “…going forward”

8:30 PM LRN Newscast Oct 28

New Orleans is reporting the first death from Zeta after a person was electrocuted tonight. Zeta begins to slightly weaken as it moves in southeastern Mississippi. However life-threatening surge and strong winds continue to batter southeastern Louisiana.  Zeta continues to hold Category two hurricane status with maximum sustained winds at 104 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center says Zeta is moving North Northeast at 25 miles per hour and Entergy reports 500-thousand customers are without power.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is riding out Hurricane Zeta in Plaquemines Parish, where he once served as parish president. Zeta is the record 5th named storm to make landfall in Louisiana. Nungesser says it’s been a tough hurricane season…

Cut 11 (10) “…over.”

The family of Tommie McGlothen Jr., a mentally ill man who died after being in Shreveport Police custody, is seeking a 25-million-dollar wrongful death settlement from the City of Shreveport. Family attorney James Carter says they have a strong case and notes the Shreveport City Council has requested the Department of Justice investigate SPD for patterns of civil rights violations…

Cut 4 (09)   “.citizens”   

The head of State Police, Colonel Kevin Reeves, is retiring. This announcement comes as a federal investigation is ongoing into the death of a Black Man while in State Police custody last year. But Governor Edwards says Reeves retirement has been in the works…
Cut 7 (07) “…for retiring”

Reeve’s retirement is effective Friday.

7:30 PM LRN Newscast Oct 28

Officials say a person has been taken to a hospital with minor injuries after an apartment collapsed in New Orleans as Hurricane Zeta pummeled the city. Mayor LaToya Cantrell told WDSU-TV that the person sustained minor injuries after a building collapsed at Washington Garden Apartments. Zeta is forecast to continue to move from southeastern Louisiana into Mississippi during the next hour or two, and then move across the southeastern and eastern United States later tonight and tomorrow. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to 100 miles per hour

Entergy reports 367-thousand are without power.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is hunkering down during Hurricane Zeta in Plaquemines Parish, where he’s concerned about flooding as construction continues on a federal levee system…

Cut 9 (12) “overtopping”

The head of State Police, Colonel Kevin Reeves, has announced he will retire at the end of the week. There’s an ongoing investigation into the death of a black man while in State police custody. But Governor Edwards says he knew of Reeves’ retirement plans since last year…

Cut 8 (05) “…asked for”

The family of Tommie McGlothen Jr., a mentally ill man who died after being in Shreveport Police custody, is seeking a 25-million-dollar wrongful death settlement from the City of Shreveport. Video shows officers beating McGlothen and the coroner’s report says he was then left unattended in a police cruiser for 48 minutes and later died. Family attorney James Carter…

Cut 3 (11)  “…forward”  

Carter says the City has until Thursday to respond or the family will file a lawsuit seeking those damages.

6:30 PM LRN Newscast Oct 28

The eyewall of Zeta is moving over the city of New Orleans and 276-thousand are without power in the area as conditions worsen in the Crescent City. The National Weather Service said Zeta came ashore near Cocodrie with sustained winds of 110 mph shortly after 4 pm. Maximum sustained winds are now at 105 mph moving North Northeast at 25 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center says Zeta is responsible for life-threatening surge and strong winds across southeast Louisiana.

Governor John Bel Edwards says unfortunately it will be a rough evening for southeastern Louisiana…

Cut 15 (12) “weather aware” 

The family of a mentally ill Shreveport man who died after an incident with police is seeking a 25-million-dollar settlement from the city.

Cut 1 (29) “  I’m Matt Doyle”  

The head of State Police is retiring while the L-S-P is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation looking into the death of a Black man while in State Police custody last year. Colonel Kevin Reeves’ retirement is effective Friday. Governor John Bel Edwards praised Reeves’ tenure…

Cut 6 (06) “…going forward”

 

5:30 PM LRN Newscast Oct 28 UPDATE

Hurricane Zeta made landfall along the Lafourche/Terrebonne parish line shortly after 4 pm today, as a Category Two storm, just a mile short of a Category Three. The National Weather Service said Zeta came ashore near Cocodrie with sustained winds of 110 mph. The Eyewall is approaching New Orleans and life-threatening surge along the coastline has been reported.  Zeta was forecast to hit as a relatively weak Category 1, but it strengthened to just under a Category Three before coming ashore.

Entergy is reporting outages for 209-thousand customers.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is riding out Hurricane Zeta in Plaquemines Parish, where he once served as parish president. Zeta is the record 5th named storm to make landfall in Louisiana. Nungesser says it’s been a tough hurricane season but we’re almost out of it, and hopefully, this is the last storm of the year…

Cut 11 (10) “…over.”

The family of a Shreveport man who died after an incident with Shreveport police is seeking 25 million dollars and has given the city until Thursday to respond or a civil suit will be filed. Tommie McGlothen Jr. died April 5th and video shows him handcuffed and being severely beaten by four officers who now face negligent homicide charges. Family attorney James Carter hopes the city won’t drag this out…

Cut 5 (10) “..resolved”

The head of State Police, Colonel Kevin Reeves, is retiring. This announcement comes as a federal investigation is ongoing into the death of a Black Man while in State Police custody last year. But Governor Edwards says Reeves retirement has been in the works…
Cut 7 (07) “…for retiring”

Reeve’s retirement is effective Friday.