6:45 LRN Sportscast December 2

Louisiana Tech is set to leave today for Denton, Texas where they’ll finally play a football game against North Texas tomorrow night. The Bulldogs have not played since beating UAB in double overtime on Halloween. Since then they’ve had four games postponed or canceled because of COVID. Tech has also announced they’ve added a game for next week against T-C-U at Fort Worth.

It’s unclear who will start at quarterback for LSU on Saturday when they host number one ranked Alabama. TJ Finley struggled in the loss to the Aggies last Saturday. Linebacker Jabril Cox says the veterans on the team are doing what they can to support Finley and Max Johnson…
cut 20 (17) “…always are.”
The Tigers are 29.5 point underdogs on Saturday to the Crimson Tide.

Training camp is underway for the Pelicans and they expected to be better on defense this season with the acquisitions of veteran guard Eric Bledsoe and the six-foot-eleven Steven Adams from New Zealand. Bledsoe has been a proven starter and says he’ll do whatever he can to help the team win…
cut 17 (14) “….to help”
It looks like the Pelicans will be part of the NBA’s Christmas Day lineup for a second straight season. There are reports New Orleans will play Miami on December 25th at 11 AM. Later that day, the Saints are set to host Minnesota at the Superdome at 3:30.

Tonight in college basketball, the Ragin Cajuns are at UNO. McNeese opens its home schedule by hosting Dallas Christian tonight. And last night Nicholls ended its west coast road trip with a 73-50 loss to St. Mary’s.

4:45 LRN Sportscast December 1

A struggling LSU football team is preparing to face number one ranked Alabama on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Coach Ed Orgeron’s defense is coming off its best performance of the year, giving up just one offensive touchdown to Texas A-and-M. But Coach O says they will be tested by Alabama’s offense that’s averaging 49 points per game…
cut 20 (17) “….explosive play”
Also, Alabama Coach Nick Saban is set to return to the sidelines after missing last Saturday’s Iron Bowl because of a positive COVID-19 test.

The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Saints rookie receiver Marquez Callaway sprained his knee in last Sunday’s win and could miss a little time.

The Pelicans opened training camp today and veteran Eric Bledsoe is one of the new faces. He was acquired from Milwaukee in a four-team trade that sent fan favorite Jrue Holiday to the Bucks. Bledsoe is entering his eleventh season after averaging 15 points a game last season and he looks forward to taking on a leadership role in New Orleans…
cut 16 (11) “..up for it”
Bledsoe is expected to start in the backcourt with point guard Lonzo Ball.

LSU freshman guard Cam Thomas scored 21 points as the Fighting Tigers crushed Southeastern Louisiana 96-43. Thomas hit four three-pointers and was nine of ten from the free-throw line. In his first three games, he’s averaging 24 points and shooting 44-percent from three-point territory.

Nicholls fell to 2-2 on the season as they lost to California 60-49. The Colonels finish their season-opening road trip tonight with a match-up against mid-major power St. Mary’s.

9:30 LRN Newscast December 1

Most of Louisiana experienced freezing temperatures this morning. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

The search continues in Kenner for two armed robbery suspects involved in the murder of a gas station clerk early Monday morning on Williams Boulevard. The 30-year-old victim leaves behind a pregnant wife and a one-year-old child. Shreveport police are also investigating a shooting that left a pregnant woman dead and another man injured.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is investigating about 32-thousand new unemployment claims for potential fraud. L-W-C Secretary Ava Dejoie says the suspicious claims are being rigorously reviewed and unfortunately this is happening all over the country…
cut 11 (11) “…situationj”
Dejoie says the review of all of these claims, could result in a delay of benefits for some recipients.

After a nearly three-year process, Entergy Louisiana says it has acquired Washington Parish Energy Center, near Bogalusa. Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scardigli says it’s a modern and low-carbon facility and it will add to the company’s clean energy portfolio…
cut 6 (08) “…our customers”
Scardigli says the 261-million dollar acquisition will result in an extra dollar increase in monthly bills over the next year for customers.

8:30 LRN Newscast December 1

It’s Giving Tuesday and Foodbanks are in need of aid as we move into the holidays. Matt Doyle has the story…
voicer 1 (28) “….I’m Matt Doyle

Public visitation is today at St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Baton Rouge for former LSU football player and successful restauranteur Ruffin Rodrigue. The Thibodaux native was an offensive guard for the Tigers in the 1980s and his Ruffino’s restaurants in Baton Rouge and Lafayette are popular eateries in south Louisiana. Rodrigue was just 53.

Most of the state is experiencing its first hard freeze of the winter this morning. After a warm November, State Climatologist Barry Keim says this first freeze is running a little behind schedule.
Cut 13 (11) “…Baton Rouge.”
Temperatures will warm up into the 50s today and we’ll see a gradual warm-up until another shot of cold air arrives at the end of the workweek.

Entergy Louisiana says it has completed its purchase of the Washington Parish Energy Center near Bogalusa. The utility company says the natural gas-powered plant will add a reliable source of clean-energy power. Entergy Spokesperson Brandon Scardigili says customers will see a slight increase in their bill to finance the 261-million dollar acquisition…
cut 5 (10) “…the country”

7:30 LRN Newscast December 1

If you’ve recently applied for unemployment in Louisiana, there could be a delay in payment. That’s because the Louisiana Workforce Commission is reviewing about 32-thousand claims that could be fraudulent. LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie says the timing could not be worse.
Cut 10 (12) “…unfortunate.”
L-W-C says it has already stopped over 160-thousand claims since the pandemic led to a big jump in unemployment.

Entergy Louisiana has completed its purchase of the Washington Parish Energy Center near Bogalusa. Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scardigli says the 361-megawatt natural gas-powered facility will deliver a cost-effective and low-carbon source of power to the company’s grid.
Cut 4 (09) “…those goals.”

It’s giving Tuesday and there are a lot of non-profits asking for help today, including food banks. Second Harvest Food Bank, which serves the needy across south Louisiana, says they love donations, but they can also use volunteers. He says they make sure their volunteers are protected from COVID…
cut 9 (12) “…volunteers”
Second Harvest’s website has more information on volunteer opportunities and how to donate.

State Climatologist Barry Keim has this advice before you leave the house today…
cut 15 (06) “…days”
Temperatures are below freezing for a large portion of the state this morning. Expect rain during the middle week, chilly temperatures at the end of the workweek, but the weekend looks nice.

6:45 LRN Sportscast December 1

After giving up 112 yards of offense to Denver on Sunday, the Saints now rank number one in the NFL in total defense. According to the NFL, it’s the first time, the Saints have ranked number one in total defense since week 8 of the 2020 season. Coach Sean Payton on the improvement of the defense since the start of this year
cut 17 (16) “…red zone.”
New Orleans is nine and two and they’ve clinched a fourth straight winning season as they get ready to visit Atlanta this Sunday for a noon kick-off.

NBA training camps open today as Zion Williamson is set to begin his second season in the league. New Orleans hopes we’ll see a healthy Williamson this year. The former number one pick only played in 24 games last season,b ut still averaged 22 points a game and shot 58-percent from the field. The Pels first pre-season game is December 14th at Miami.

LSU’s best receiver Terrace Marshall has decided to opt-out for the rest of the season as he’ll get ready for the NFL draft. Coach Ed Orgeron expects freshman tight end Arik Gilbert to become a bigger part of the passing game
cut 19 (22) “…good receivers.”
Orgeron says he’ll decide later this week on how he’ll use his two freshmen quarterbacks against top-ranked Alabama. Also, Nick Saban is expected to be on the sidelines on Saturday night after missing Alabama’s win over Auburn because of a positive COVID-19 test.

In college basketball, LSU crushed Southeastern Louisiana 96-43 last night as freshman Cam Thomas led the Tigers with 21 points.

6:30 LRN newscast

It’s December first and cold weather has arrived in the Bayou State….
cut 14 (10) “…direction”
That’s State Climatologist Barry Keim who says he’s seeing temperatures in the upper 20s this morning in north and central Louisiana, while south Louisiana is right around the freezing mark. Highs will only be in the 50s today.

Food banks across the country are being inundated with requests for aid and are seeking your help on this Giving Tuesday. Second Harvest Food Bank spokesperson Jay Vise says families are struggling with federal benefits dried up and unemployment running out.
Cut 7 (09) “…across Louisiana.”
Vise says they do a major distribution every week at a location in Metairie and thousands of families line up for food.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is reviewing unemployment claims they believe to be fraudulent. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The number of COVID patients in hospitals has surpassed 12-hundred. The highest it’s been since mid-August.

4:45 LRN Sportscast November 30

It wasn’t much of a football game, but it goes down as a Black and Gold victory as New Orleans defeated the quarterback less Denver Broncos 31-3. Because of COVID issues involving the Broncos QBs, Denver was forced to use a practice squad receiver and running backs as their quarterbacks. Saints Coach Sean Payton summed it up well…
Cut 13 (06) “…it is what is”
New Orleans has won eight in a row and they are 9-2 on the season.

LSU fell to 3-and-4 after a 20-7 loss to Texas A-and-M. It was another bad game on the road for freshman starting quarterback TJ Finley. Coach Ed Orgeron says the offensive line didn’t give Finley much help…
cut 16 (22) “….should of”
The Tigers will play the rest of the season without their best receiver as Terrace Marshall has opted out to get ready for the NFL draft.

The 20th ranked Ragin Cajuns routed winless ULM 70-20 on Saturday as Quarterback Levi Lewis accounted for five touchdowns. Coach Billy Napier says it was a good performance in their first game since November 14th…
cut 19 (21) “….Central Arkansas”
The Cajuns are at App State on Friday and that game has been moved to 7:30 PM and it will be televised on ESPN.

Louisiana Tech hopes to play its first game since Halloween when they take on North Texas on Thursday. The Mean Green are 3-and-4 on the season, while the Bulldogs are 4-and-3.

In basketball tonight, LSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana, while Grambling visits La Tech. The Bulldogs beat Northwestern State 91-77 last night.

LRN PM Newscall November 30

Southwest Louisiana breathes a sigh of relief as the 2020 Hurricane Season comes to an end. Matt Doyle spoke with Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter about the historic struggles his city faces…

Cut 1 (30) “  I’m Matt Doyle”  

_______________________________________

LSU’s best wide receiver Terrace Marshall has decided to end his college career and get ready for the NFL draft. Jeff Palermo has the story..

cut 2 (31) … I’m Jeff Palermo.”  

_____________________________

We will see the coldest temperatures of the season tomorrow morning with lows dipping into the upper 20s. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says if you use a space heater, make sure it’s at least three feet away from combustible objects and plugged directly into wall outlets

Cut 3 (10)  “…a fire”

Rodrigue says make sure you have a working smoke detector…

Cut 4 (11)   “…our website”  

Rodrigue also advises residents to get a carbon monoxide detector. She says if you have a chimney that can burn wood, make sure you have the chimney cleaned before starting a fire…

Cut 5  (10) “… too late” 

_____________________________________________

Southwest Louisiana says good riddance to the worst hurricane season in recent memory. Lake Charles and surrounding areas were hammered by Hurricane Laura in late August and then Hurricane Delta six weeks later. Mayor Nic Hunter says residents are still fighting to recover.

Cut 6 (09) “..pieces.”

Laura was tied for the most powerful storm to make landfall in Louisiana in recorded history. It brought horrendous wind damage that stretched from Cameron Parish all the way into Monroe. Delta produced heavy floods due to rain.

Hunter says the good news is that vital services have returned and major employers and industries in the area are committed to staying.

Cut 7 (12) “..back.”

Hunter says they don’t quite have a timeline on when life will fully return to normal but it’s likely to at least take months as debris still lines the streets.

Cut 8 (12) “.basis.”

_______________________________________________________

In Kenner, a 30-year old gas station clerk was brutally murdered early this morning after cooperating with two men that robbed the store. Kenner PD Lt. Michael Cunningham says Abd Del Ghader Sylla was killed when two men entered the station on Williams Boulevard as if they were shopping then approached the clerk with a gun and demanded cash.

Cut 9 (12) “…no reason.”

Kenner Police are asking for the public’s assistance as the suspects remain at large. Photos of the suspects are posted on the Kenner PD’s Facebook page; Cunningham says the gunman was wearing a white knit cap and black face mask.

Cut 10 (10) “…call us.”

Cunningham says surveillance video from the store shows Sylla cooperated with the suspects and no struggle ensued whatsoever, but still the clerk was shot while on his knees with his hands in the air.

Cut 11 (07) “…the street.”

You can call Kenner Police Department at (504) 712-2222 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111

_____________________________________

Today is Cyber Monday, one of the largest online shopping days of the year. Carmen Million with the Better Business Bureau of South-Central Louisiana says according to an Accenture Holiday Shopping Survey more people are shopping online this year than before.

Cut 12 (12) “…COVID disease.” 

Million says there are a few things you should do to make sure your online purchases are safe, for example, avoid popup windows and check for secure sites.

Cut 13 (12) “… it’s activated.”

Million says also look for the Better Business Bureau seal and click on it to see if they are an actual accredited member.

Another tip before you put that purchase in your shopping cart, Million says to compare prices but also check shipping dates so it will arrive on time. But most importantly Million says to use a credit card as opposed to a debit card, where the money comes directly out of your account.

Cut 14 (11) “…misrepresented” 

Also check return policies, especially on large items, you might be responsible for a restocking fee and shipping.

11:40 LRN Sportscast November 30

Denver completed just one pass yesterday as the Saints won their eighth in a row beating the Broncos 31-3. None of Denver’s quarterbacks could play because of COVID concerns, so the team had to use running backs and a practice squad receiver instead. Saints Q-B Taysom Hill only threw for 78 yards, but Coach Sean Payton says the game plan was to keep the ball on the ground…
cut 15 (10) “….of that’

LSU faces a huge task this Saturday as they will host top-ranked Alabama at 7 PM. The Tigers offense struggled in a 20-7 loss to Texas A-and-M last Saturday, but at least the defense played its best game of the season. Linebacker Micah Baskerville led the way with 12 tackles…
cut 18 (18) “…getting better”

The Ragin Cajuns scored a season-high 70 points in a 70-20 win over ULM on Saturday. The 70 points are the most scored in the series history. Quarterback Levi Lewis accounted for five total touchdowns. Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell each rushed for over 90 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Kyren Lacy led the receivers with five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Coach Billy Napier’s offense produced 511 total yards…
cut 20 (20) “…in mind”
The Cajuns are up to number 20 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. -L Lafayette visits Appalachian State on Friday in a game that will be shown on ESPN at 7:30.