8:30 LRN Newscast September 24

It was six months ago when thousands of workers were forced to file for unemployment because of coronavirus pandemic business closures. Matt Doyle reports those workers who are still out of work can no longer collect unemployment from the state…
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Matt Doyle”

FEMA RVs are headed to southwest Louisiana for residents whose homes are uninhabitable due to Hurricane Laura. FEMA representative Jerry Stolar says the first goal is to place trailers on the homeowner’s property, but they are also looking at creating R-V parks.

The Louisiana Unclaimed Property Program is once again temporarily short of money. It also happened two years ago. State Treasurer John Schroder says the Legislature draws 10-to-15 million dollars a year out of the program to supplement the budget, but that’s becoming less feasible…
Cut 10 (11) “…Money Out.”
Schroder says the shortfall will mean that individuals will see a delay in getting money out of the fund, once they make a claim.

Next Wednesday is the deadline for all Louisiana households to compelte the 2020 Census. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says federal funding and representation is at stake…
cut 9 (09) “….can’t afford”
To complete the census go to my-2020-census-dot-gov.

7:30 LRN newscast September 24

Democrats are crying foul after the state voter registration website was down on Tuesday night which was National Voter Registration Day. Matt Doyle spoke with the new Chair of the state party…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Entergy reports that it has cost one-point-four billion dollars to fix power lines and restore electricity in areas affected by Hurricane Laura. It’s unknown how much of the repair costs would be covered by the federal government or Entergy ratepayers. The restoration process is nearly complete as the utility company reports just 28-hundred outages.

Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder says the Unclaimed Property Program is temporarily short of money, so residents who seek to claim money that belongs to them from that fund, will see a delay in getting their cash. Schroder says the shortfall is the result of budget sweeps and he says there’s a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would create the Unclaimed Property Permanent Trust Fund…
cut 12 (12) “….only”

The deadline for residents to complete the 2020 Census is Wednesday and about 10-percent of Louisianians have failed to respond. That’s according to Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser who is concerned because federal funding is at stake…
cut 7 (12) “….accurate count”
To respond to the Census go to my2020census.gov.

6:45 LRN Sportscast September 24

Sophomore running back Chris Curry and junior linebacker Damone Clark will wear the coveted number 18 jersey for LSU this season. Number 18 is synonymous with success…both on and off the field, as well as a selfless attitude. Curry, who is expected to get the start on Saturday, says he was shocked when he learned he would wear number 18
Cut 18 (18) “…for the team”
LSU has also been picked to finish second in the SEC West according to a preseason media poll. The media picked Alabama to win the West, while Florida is the preseason favorite in the East.

The 19th ranked Ragin Cajuns will be without five starters for Saturday’s home opener against Georgia Southern, because of COVID-19. That group includes running back Elijah Mitchell, who rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns last week.

The Saints are getting ready to play the 2-and-0 Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is off to a great start. He’s thrown six touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Plus he’s been sacked just one time. Coach Sean Payton says Rodgers is protected by an experienced offensive line…
cut 17 (18) “….might be”
Payton says he will also be more diligent when it comes to wearing a mask. He was fined 100-thousand dollars for keeping his gaither around his neck in Monday night’s loss to Las Vegas. The coach says he may wear a different type of mask Sunday night.

An investigation into whether LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade illegally paid recruits or others around them has been turned over to an independent panel that handles complex cases. An ultimate resolution could take six to 12 months.

6:30 LRN Newscast September 24

Tens of thousands of Louisianans will stop receiving state unemployment payments this week, and start drawing down federally extended benefits. That’s because the state only pays out unemployment for six months and these individuals first filed for unemployment in March. Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie…
Cut 4 (06)“ …individuals”
But Dejoie says many of these individuals can still receive unemployment benefits from the federal government for another 13 weeks.

Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder says the state’s unclaimed property fund is temporarily running low on cash. Schroder says individuals who find money in the fund that belongs to them, may have to wait until late October before they get their money…
cut 11 (05) “…to wait”
Schroder says the temporary shortfall is the result of 37-million dollars being used from the fund to help pay for state government.

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has come under fire after the state voter registration portal was shut down for “scheduled maintenance” for hours on National Voter Registration Day Tuesday. New State Democratic Party Chair Katie Bernhardt says this is a case of voter suppression…
cut 13 (11) “…suppression”
The site was down from 8 PM to 11:30 PM. Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin calls it an unfortunate error and he takes full responsibility. Ardoin reminds voters they have until October 13 to register to vote or change their party affiliation for the November 3rd presidential election.

4:45 LRN Sportscast September 23

With the college football season set to start for SEC schools on Saturday, the league released its preseason media poll today. Media members picked LSU to finish in second place in the SEC West behind Alabama. Auburn is picked to finish in third, followed by Texas A-and-M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas. Florida is the preseason favorite in the East, receiving 53 first-place votes, while Georgia has been picked to finish in second and the Bulldogs received 43 first-place votes.

After getting fined 100-thousand dollars by the NFL for failing to properly wear a mask in Monday night’s loss to Las Vegas, Saints Coach Sean Payton says he may do something else than wear a gaither…
cut 30 (13) “…with it”
Payton and the Saints returned to practice today as they get ready for Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

Despite not having a full roster because of COVID-19 and being down 17 points to Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech still rallied to defeat the Golden Eagles last Saturday. Coach Skip Holtz says he’s still amazed they won…
cut 19 (29) “…as a coach”
Louisiana Tech is home this Saturday to host Houston Baptist. Huskies Quarterback Bailey Zappe has thrown for 1,047 yards and seven touchdowns in two games, both were losses to North Texas and Texas Tech. Kick-off at Joe Aillet Stadium is at 6 PM.

LRN PM Newscall September 23

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy says the November election should not stop President Trump from naming a Supreme Court Justice nominee. Jim Shannon has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…Jim Shannon”  

____________________________

The vast majority of Entergy Louisiana customers in southwest Louisiana have now had their power restored. Matt Doyle has the story.

cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

A Pineville police officer who alleged Sunday night that he had been ambushed and shot is now under arrest for allegedly shooting himself and then lying about it.

Deputy Chief of Pineville P-D Darrell Basco says the incident was investigated and they now believe Officer John Goulart Jr. filed a false report.

Cut 3 (10)  “shot him”  

The incident occurred behind a shopping center, and Goulart suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital Monday.

Basco says they’re still piecing together exactly what happened but they’re confident Goulart was lying.

Cut 4 (09)“ office” 

Goulart has been booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center and is on administrative leave.

Basco says the incident is incredibly disappointing.

Cut 5 (13)  “to do ”

CrimeStoppers offered a 5,000 dollar reward for information leading to an arrest in what was initially believed to have been an ambush.

_________________

Democrats say the winner of the November presidential election should be the one who names a new justice to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat. But Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy says the U-S Constitution says nothing about the electoral calendar

Cut 6 (11)  “…Senate votes”  

The President is expected to announce a nominee on Saturday and hearings could start next month. But Kennedy says the Senate will not rush to hold a confirmation vote before the election

Cut 7 (10)“ …we’re ready” 

Kennedy says as a member of the Judiciary Committee, he’ll judge the nominee on basis of intelligence, temperament and integrity and he’s not looking for a judge to be a politician in robes…

Cut 8 (08)  “…ought to be” 

________________________

Only 2,500 Entergy Louisiana customers in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes remain without power just under a month after Laura devastated southwest Louisiana.

Spokesperson Brandon Scardigli says restoring power to the hard-hit area has been a monumental task.

Cut 9 (10) “…time”

Entergy Louisiana sustained an estimated 1.25 to 1.4 billion dollars in damage to its infrastructure as a result of the storm.

Scardigli says they managed to get power back to 99 percent of their customers by bringing a 13,000 worker strong army into southwest Louisiana.

Cut 10 (09) “…Canada”

About 13,000 total customers remain without power in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes.

Scardigli says those 2,500 customers are scattered throughout the parish and not in just one geographical area. He says they’re mostly homes that were severely damaged.

Cut 11 (09) “…right away”

____________________________________________________

During a visit to LSU’s campus, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Doctor Deborah Birx says the changes made to Louisiana’s COVID-19 mitigation measures saved lives. Birx says two and a half months ago, 80-percent of the parishes had over a ten-percent positivity rate on coronavirus tests taken, but there’s been a decline in cases since the mask mandate

Cut 12 (05) “…masks work”

On July 11th, Governor Edwards called for a statewide mask mandate and closed bars. Birx says it’s important these mitigation measures stay in place…

Cut 13 (07) “…discussion”

Since Birx was on the LSU campus, she was asked about the university having 25-thousand fans inside Tiger Stadium this Saturday for the season opener versus Mississippi State. Birx says it’s important that fans stay socially distanced from others and the no tailgating rule is a good one…

Cut 14 (10) “…event”

1:30 LRN Newscast September 23

During a visit to LSU’s campus, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Doctor Deborah Birx says the changes made to Louisiana’s COVID-19 mitigation measures saved lives. Birx says two and a half months ago, 80-percent of the parishes had over a ten-percent positivity rate on coronavirus tests taken, but there’s been a decline in new cases since the mask mandate
Cut 12 (05) “…masks work”
On July 11th, Governor Edwards called for a statewide mask mandate.

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy says the Constitution does not prohibit the Senate from confirming a Supreme Court Justice nominee, even though we are 41 days away from a presidential election. Kennedy sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and says he’s not looking for a judge to be a politician in robes…
Cut 8 (08) “…ought to be”
President Trump has said he’ll nominate a new Supreme Court Justice on Saturday.

The vast majority of Entergy Louisiana customers in southwest Louisiana have now had their power restored. Matt Doyle has the story.
cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The Louisiana Democratic Party is accusing Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin of voter suppression and gross incompetence because the voter registration portal on the Secretary of State’s website was down for several hours yesterday, which was National Voter Registration Day. Ardoin says the website issues were the result of maintenance and he calls it an unfortunate error.

11:40 LRN Sportscast September 23

LSU’s season opener against Mississippi State will certainly feel and sound different on Saturday as Tiger Stadium, which holds 100-thousand fans, will be limited to just 25-thousand because of the coronavirus. But Safety Jacoby Stevens says the smaller crowd will not damper their enthusiasm…
Cut 16 (22) “…upcoming Saturday”
LSU running back Tyrion Davis Price says that he will dedicate his performance on Saturday to Remy Hidalgo. He’s the lineman from Denham Springs who collapsed at practice last week and died a few days later. The school has scheduled a celebration in Hidalgo’s honor on Saturday night at Yellow Jacket Stadium.

There were a lot of heroes in Louisiana Tech’s come from behind one-point win over Southern Miss last Saturday. Freshman linebacker Tyler Grubbs fits that description as he had 16 tackles in his collegiate debut. Coach Skip Holtz compliments Grubbs’ preparation, who was fourth string on the depth chart when he arrived on campus…
Cut 18 (30) “…four years”
Louisiana Tech hosts Houston Baptist on Saturday night.

The Southland Conference has announced seven of its schools, including the four from Louisiana, will play a six-game spring schedule starting on February 20th.

11:30 LRN Newscast September 23

The upcoming special session will see a major debate over the reopening of Louisiana’s economy. Many GOP lawmakers have vocally condemned the Governor for acting unilaterally on pandemic restrictions, but Edwards says you can’t manage a public health crisis by committee…
Cut 13 (10) “…council”
But Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder believes the governor’s coronavirus rules have created an imbalance of power.

A Pineville police officer who alleged Sunday night that he had been ambushed and shot is now under arrest for allegedly shooting himself and then lying about it. Deputy Chief of Pineville P-D Darrell Basco says the incident was investigated and they now believe Officer John Goulart Jr. filed a false report.
Cut 3 (10) “shot him”
Goulart has a gunshot wound in his leg and placed on administrative leave.

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy says the November election should not stop President Trump from naming a Supreme Court Justice nominee. Jim Shannon has the story…
cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jim Shannon”

Today is the last day for residents in 21 parishes impacted by Hurricane Laura to apply for disaster food stamp assistance. The program called D-SNAP can help families who don’t regularly receive food stamps buy groceries because they’ve lost income or power for an extended period of time because of the storm. More information can be found on the Department of Children and Family Services website.

10:30 LRN Newscast

No bills have been filed for the special session that lawmakers have called that’s set to begin Monday. Republicans are looking to roll back some of the governor’s coronavirus restrictions, like getting bars back open. But John Bel Edwards says if the virus is too prevalent there are some things you just can’t do…
cut 15 (09) “….the virus”

Democrats say the winner of the November presidential election should be the one who names a new justice to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat. But Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy says the U-S Constitution is clear on this issue…
cut 6 (12) “…Senate votes”
The President is expected to announce a nominee on Saturday.
400 “mystery seed” specimens were mailed to Louisiana residents two months ago and an analysis of the specimens revealed some good news. Matt Doyle spoke with Ag Commissioner Mike Strain.
Cut 2 (31) “…Matt Doyle”

The Calcasieu Parish School Board says they plan to re-open between 10 to 15 schools next week. The board believes most schools can be reopened by the third week of October. In Calcasieu, power has been restored to 92-percent of the customers.