6:30 LRN Newscast October 27

Governor John Bel Edwards has filed a lawsuit challenging a petition filed by the Republican-led House of Representatives that ends the restrictions put in place by the governor to control the spread of the coronavirus. Sixty-five Republicans signed the petition, but Edwards says he will not comply because he believes its unconstitutional…
cut 6 (11) “…told me”
Baton Rouge State Judge William Morvant will hear the case.

Today is the final day of early voting for the November third election. There have been long lines at polling locations but Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says the average wait time to vote has been about 25 minutes…
cut 9 (10) “…over the state’
When early voting concludes at seven PM, the number of early votes could reach one-million.

The parents of 31-year old Trayford Pellerin, the black man who was shot by police August 21st, are suing Lafayette Police for damages related to his death. Also named in the suit is Lafayette Consolidated Government and 10 police officers. Family attorney Ronald Haley says they want justice and change.
Cut 11 (12) “their investigation”
The lawsuit argues that Pellerin never threatened anyone and it remains unclear whether he had a knife in his possession. Lafayette Police and Lafayette Consolidated government declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Metairie native Amy Coney Barrett has been sworn in as the newest justice on the US Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed her on a 52-48 vote.

Tropical Storm Zeta is moving over the Yucatan Peninsula but it’s expected to strengthen into a hurricane once it gets into the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall in southeast Louisiana tomorrow night as a Category One storm.

Update LRN PM Newscall October 26 ###Edwards files lawsuit against petition###

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season is not done with Louisiana as another storm is expected to make landfall in the Bayou State. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “  I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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Attorney General Jeff Landry says the signing of a legislative petition clearly states the Governor no longer has any authority to enforce his COVID public health emergency orders. Matt Doyle has the story.

cut 2 (29) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

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Hurricane Zeta is expected to enter the southern Gulf of Mexico tomorrow morning as a hurricane and then track across the gulf with a likely landfall in southeast Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the official forecast track has Zeta as a Category one storm when it makes landfall Wednesday night

Cut 3 (10)  “…this landfall”  

It will be the fifth named storm to make landfall in Louisiana in 2020 and the eleventh for the United States. Keim says the previous record was nine, set in 1916. He says Zeta also ties a record for most named storms in a season with 27 which was set in 2005

Cut 4 (10)   “…170-year period”   

After Zeta passes over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula it will move northwest, and then turn to the northeast because of an approaching cold front

Cut 5 (12) “…too long”

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Passage of Amendment Six on the November ballot would allow senior citizens with higher income levels to qualify for a property tax assessment freeze. Currently, if you are 65 or older and make less than $77-thousand annually your property taxes can be frozen for your homestead. Public Affairs Research Council President, Robert Travis Scott, says passage would increase the annual income limit.

Cut 6 (08) “…or less”

Scott says Amendment 6 should be attractive for senior voters whose income falls in between the current levels.

Cut 7 (12) “…very popular”

Opponents however feel the change in income levels would force local governments to be more dependent on sales tax revenue which is more volatile.

Cut 8 (06) “…we stop”

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Attorney General Jeff Landry says the Governor’s public health emergency has been terminated for seven days and he now has no authority to enforce COVID restrictions.

After the House signed a petition Friday overturning the order many businesses began operating without restrictions. Landry says if the state penalizes you or tries to shut you down for doing that…

Cut 9 (12) “did”

According to the petition’s supporters, the Governor is allowed to issue another public health declaration Friday that would re-implement Phase Three.

Landry says businesses no longer have to abide by the Governor’s public health restrictions, but they can maintain policies such as a mask mandate…

Cut 10 (09) “want to”

Governor Edwards announced Monday afternoon he is filing a lawsuit challenging the petition from state lawmakers and he says Phase Three restrictions are still in place. Landry says he’s ready to defend the petition in court

Cut 11 (08) “…case.”

The petition was signed by 65 House GOP lawmakers at the end of the special session amidst frustrations that legislative attempts to limit or eliminate the Governor’s public health authority had failed. Many say their constituents feel the ongoing restrictions are hurting businesses and hampering the state’s recovery, but Edwards says that just doesn’t make any sense…

Cut 12 (10) “ ..states” 

Edwards says if his order is overturned…

Cut 13 (13) “…testing”

The Governor adds that it would also block GOHSEP from providing additional nurses and doctors to medical facilities in areas that see a surge in cases, and stops the National Guard from processing and transporting pandemic supplies like PPE and testing kits around the state.

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A bizarre killing spree with a knife took in LaPlace on Sunday that resulted in the deaths of two individuals and serious injuries to the suspect’s sister. St John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Trege says 23- year old Oscar Urisa attacked and killed his 31-year old girlfriend and her 15-year old sister, and also stabbed his 17-year old sister and 15-year old brother with a machete.

Cut 14 (11) “… his sister”

Trege says the horrific attacks began at a residence on Fairway Drive when Urias’s girlfriend, Elizabeth Tornbene followed the suspect into his bedroom, then Urias immerged wearing a mask and yielding two knives into the living room.

Cut 15 (06) “killing people” 

The suspect was apprehended after allegedly stabbing and killing the 15-year old sister of his girlfriend in a garage on North Sugar Ridge.

Trege says Urias’s 17-year old sister was also injured in the attack and this is the most vicious crime he’s ever investigated.

Cut 16 (12) “…my 32-years” 

Urias is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

4:45 LRN Sportscast October 26

It was an impressive debut for freshman quarterback TJ Finley as he threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score in a 52-24 win over South Carolina on Saturday. Finley says he was well prepared heading into his first collegiate start…
cut 18 (25) ” very quick”
LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron said today that Myles Brennan will practice today, but he will not play against Auburn unless he’s 100-percent.

Former LSU star Odell Beckham Junior is done for the season as the Browns receiver has a torn ACL.

The Saints won their 15th straight game in the month of October as they held off Carolina 27-24 to improve to 4-2 yesterday. Quarterback Drew Brees was efficient as he threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown. Brees’ second TD pass came at the end of the first half to give New Orleans a 21-17 halftime lead
Cut 15 (08) “..the game”
The Saints were 12 of 14 on third down, however, New Orleans defense had trouble slowing down Carolina’s passing game. But Marcus Davenport had a key sack on the Panthers’ final drive that led to a 65-yard field goal try that came up short.

New Orleans remains in second place in the NFC South. That’s because Tampa Bay beat Oakland 45 to 20 to improve to 5-2. Also, Tom Brady moved past Brees for the most NFL touchdown passes in history. Brady had four TD passes on the day.

2:30 LRN Newscast October 26

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season is not done with Louisiana as another storm is expected to make landfall in the Bayou State…
Cut 1 (30) “ I’m Jeff Palermo”

A longtime LSU season ticket holder says he was attacked and robbed at Tiger Stadium following the victory over South Carolina on Saturday. The victim’s daughter-in-law said in a Facebook post the attacker posed as a stadium worker before repeatedly hitting her father in law in the head when the two were alone in a restroom. The victim had his wallet stolen and suffered lacerations to his head. LSU says it’s police department is investigating.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has sent a petition to John Bel Edwards that they believe should result in the cancellation of the governor’s coronavirus restrictions. Governor Edwards refuses to cancel the order and he says if his order is overturned…
cut 13 (13) “…testing”
The courts will likely have to decide if the petition is enough to cancel the governor’s coronavirus emergency order.

If Constitutional Amendment Six on the November ballot passes it would allow homeowners with higher incomes to qualify for the property tax assessment freeze. Robert Travis Scott of the Public Affairs Research Council says this proposed consitutional change should be attractice for those 65 and older and whose income falls in between the current levels…
cut 7 (12) “….very popular”
The exemption would result in fewer tax dollars for local government.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Saints with the help of three-thousand fans in the Superdome were able to defeat the Carolina Panthers 27-24 yesterday for their fourth win of the season. Carolina Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater played well in his return to New Orleans as he threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He led Carolina on a potential game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, but Marcus Davenport sacked Bridgewater which led to a 65-yard field goal. Coach Sean Payton knows kicker Joey Slye has a strong leg…
cut 17 (12) good win”
The Saints are 4-2, a half-game back of Tampa Bay who beat the Raiders on Sunday. New Orleans is at Chicago next Sunday. The Bears visit the L-A Rams tonight.

Former LSU star Odell Beckham Junior’s season is over as the Browns receiver suffered a torn ACL in yesterday’s win over the Bengals.

After beating South Carolina 52-24 on Saturday, the LSU Tigers now get ready to visit Auburn. LSU freshman quarterback TJ Finley believes the win over the Gamecocks can turn their season around….
cut 20 (24) “….together today”

Ragin Cajuns return specialist Chris Smith has been named Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season. Smith returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown at the end of the first half to help Louisiana beat UAB 24-20. The Cajuns are back on the road this Saturday as they visit Texas Southern. UAB will be in Ruston on Saturday to face La Tech, who lost a second straight conference game on Saturday to UTSA.

10:30 LRN Newscast October 26

Tropical Storm Zeta is near hurricane strength as it approaches Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and its expected to maintain hurricane strength as it emerges in the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. According to the National Hurricane Center, Zeta will remain a category one storm as it moves across the Gulf, making landfall as a hurricane in southeast Louisiana on Wednesday night.

A Pennington Biomedical Research survey shows pandemic lockdowns reduced mental health and increased weight gain around the world…
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says the petition the House of Representatives signed on Friday ends the governor’s public health emergency orders for COVID-19. Crowley Representative John Stefanski says signing the petition was the only option left for lawmakers as the governor rejected all compromise efforts to make the Legislature a partner in COVID policy…
cut 8 (08) “….on that”
Governor Edwards says his COVID emergency orders remain in place despite the petition and he’s ready to argue the issue in court.

Construction has been completed on a 72 million dollar widening project of Interstate Ten from southeast Baton Rouge to Ascension Parish. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson…
Cut 9 (09) “time”
Wilson says the extra lane will shave an estimated 15 minutes off the standard commute for those living in the area.

9:30 LRN Newscast October 26

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says the petition signed by 65 members of the state House of Representatives ends the governor’s coronavirus emergency orders. But Governor Edwards says the peitition process is unconstitutional, which means we are headed to a court battle…
cut 5 (14) “….die”
The petition also orders the governor not to issue any additional public emergency declarations for a week. Crowley Republican Representative John Stefanski argued the seven-day ban on COVID restrictions is reasonable and could demonstrate the state is ready to advance past Phase Three…
Cut 7 (09) “as well”

State officials cut the ribbon this morning on the completed I-10 widening project in Ascension and East Baton Rouge parishes. It cost 72-million dollars in federal and state funding to add an additional lane and it took two years to complete. Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says this will make life better for the roughly 100-thousand drivers who travel through the corridor every day…
cut 11 (08) “…that way”

Even without wide receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanual Sanders, the Saints still defeated the Carolina Panthers 27 to 24 yesterday. Marquez Callaway stepped up and caught eight passes, so did Alvin Kamara and he also rushed for 83 yards. Quarterback Drew Brees says they are finding different ways to win…
cut 16 (12) “…do that”

8:30 LRN Newscast October 26

Governor John Bel Edwards unloaded on the 65 House of Representatives who signed a petition ordering him to end the pandemic public health emergency declaration. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (40) “ I’m Matt Doyle”

And the state has to prepare for another storm, Zeta is expected to be a Category One hurricane or tropical storm when it makes landfall in southeast Louisiana on Wednesday night.

A Pennington Biomedical Research Center survey in April shows similar behaviors worldwide during the stay at home orders. Lead author Dr. Emily Flanagan says 77-hundred people worldwide answered their online questionnaire that asked about diet, physical activity, mental health, and sleep. Flannagan says respondents with increased anxiety noted a shift in sleep patterns.
Cut 12 (11) “numbers locally.”.
Flanagan says anxiety levels doubled among people who took the study.

Construction has been completed on a 72 million dollar widening project of Interstate Ten from southeast Baton Rouge to Ascension Parish. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson…
Cut 9 (09) “time”
Wilson says the extra lane will shave an estimated 15 minutes off the standard commute for those living in the area.

7:30 LRN Newscast October 26

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says the petition the House of Representatives signed on Friday ends the governor’s public health emergency orders for COVID-19. When the petition received the necessary signatures, the special session ended on Friday. Crowley Representative John Stefanski says signing the petition was the only option left for lawmakers as the governor rejected all compromise efforts to make the Legislature a partner in COVID policy…
cut 8 (08) “….on that”
Governor Edwards says his COVID emergency orders remain in place despite the petition and he’s ready to argue the issue in court. He says canceling his emergency order will result in a loss of federal funding through the Stafford Act…
cut 6 (08) “….funding”

A global study conducted by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that the COVID-19 stay at home orders resulted in a reduction in mental health, sleep and exercise. Lead author of the study, Doctor Emily Flanagan says the survey indicated 25-percent of respondents reported weight gain, even though they were eating out less…
cut 13 (03) “….snacking behaviors”
The survey also found a decrease in physical activity among the 77-hundred people who completed the online questionnaire worldwide.

State officials will cut the ribbon this morning on the completion of the I-10 widening project in East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says this is a big deal for anyone driving in or out of New Orleans and will shave an estimated 15 minutes off the standard commute through the region.
Cut 10 (10) “…compensate”
That’s right now the state will look to widen I-10 in Baton Rouge.

6:45 LRN Sportscast October 26

The Saints won their 15th straight game in the month of October as they held off Carolina 27-24 to improve to 4-2 yesterday. Quarterback Drew Brees was efficient as he threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown. Brees’ second TD pass came at the end of the first half to give New Orleans a 21-17 halftime lead
Cut 15 (08) “..the game”
The Saints were 12 of 14 on third down, however, New Orleans defense had trouble slowing down Carolina’s passing game. But Marcus Davenport had a key sack on the Panthers’ final drive that led to a 65-yard field goal try that came up short.

New Orleans remains in second place in the NFC South. That’s because Tampa Bay beat Oakland 45 to 20 to improve to 5-2. Also, Tom Brady moved past Brees for the most NFL touchdown passes in history. Brady had four TD passes on the day.

LSU freshman quarterback TJ Finley says the Tigers have their swagger back after beating South Carolina 52-24 on Saturday. Finley threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score. Running back John Emery was impressed with Finley’s demeanor in his first collegiate game…
cut 19 (19) “…so calm”
It helped that the Tigers got their running game going as LSU rushed for 265 yards.

LSU remains out of the AP Top 25. The Ragin Cajuns are receiving votes and they are ranked 29th and they’ll visit Texas State on Saturday.

Louisiana Tech has dropped two straight Conference USA games and they’ll host UAB on Saturday. ULM is still winless and the Warhawks are home to face Appalachian State.