Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

08.25.20
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11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU plans to continue practicing this week, but they are monitoring Hurricane Laura and its impact on the Baton Rouge area. Reserve tight end Aaron Moffitt will miss the rest of the season as he’s torn his ACL. The son of head strength coach Tommy Moffitt played on special teams last season.

The Cleveland Browns confirmed today that former LSU star Grant Delpit will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury. Delpit went down during practice yesterday.

The Saints are off today and expected to return to training camp tomorrow. So far the reports on quarterback Jameis Winston have been good as he’ll serve as a back-up to Drew Brees. Second-year offensive lineman Erik McCoy says Winston is adapting to the new playbook and expectations…
cut 18 (10) “…now”

08.25.20
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11:30 LRN Newscast

Hurricane Laura is moving through the Gulf of Mexico with its eyes set for southwest Louisiana, southeast Texas coastline. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Laura is expected to ramp up to a category three storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour…
cut 12 (08) “…wind shear”
A hurricane warning is in effect San Luis Pass, Texas to Intracoastal City, Louisiana.

Laura has been compared to Hurricane Rita, which caused massive damage in Cameron Parish. Cameron Assistant Emergency Preparedness Director Ashley Buller says Rita is still fresh in the mind for many Cameron residents…
cut 5 (12) “…for the best”
Cameron Parish is under a mandatory evacuation and Buller says many residents started leaving over the weekend.

300 dollar Federally enhanced unemployment benefits will be sent out to qualifying unemployment recipients tomorrow. Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie says this first payment is retroactive to August 1st, so expect a large payment Wednesday.
Cut 6 (08) “payments”
Dejoie says over 400,000 people will receive the benefits, but those receiving less than 100 dollars a week in state benefits are not eligible due to federal policy.

After hurricanes blow through an area, gasoline can be scarce. Gas Buddy Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan says their app can help you locate operational fuel sources…
cut 15 (10) “…to find fuel”
DeHaan says expect gas prices to go up a few pennies as Laura will disrupt production, but because of COVID, the supply of fuel is in good shape.

08.25.20
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10:30 LRN Newscast August 25

Hurricane Laura is moving across the southeastern Gulf of Mexico this morning at 16 miles per hour and with maximum sustained winds at 75 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center expects Laura to intensify into a major hurricane tomorrow and make landfall along the Louisiana-Texas border Thursday morning.

Here’s what Governor Edwards has to say about Laura…
cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

With the forecast calling for Hurricane Laura to strike the southwest Louisiana coast as a Category Three storm, residents in low-lying areas are heading for higher ground. There’s a mandatory evacuation for Cameron Parish, but Cameron’s assistant emergency preparedness director Ashley Buller says many people started leaving last weekend…
cut 3 (11) “….around here”
The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a storm surge as much as 13 feet in some areas.

Motorists may soon feel the impact of Hurricane Laura at the pump. Gas Buddy Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan says you should see the price go up in the region, but supply shouldn’t be a big issue..
Cut 13 (11) “…to go around.”
The statewide average gasoline price according to Gas-Buddy is a $1.85.

08.25.20
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9:30 LRN Newscast August 25

Laura has developed into a hurricane and the National Hurricane Center expects Laura to strengthen into a Category Three storm and slam into southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Governor Edwards says Laura’s track and potential strength is reminiscent of Rita and residents should take this storm seriously and that means no hurricane parties…
cut 6 (09) “….their time preparing”
Lake Charles is in the bullseye of Laura. Calcasieu Emergency Preparedness director Dick Gremillion says it’s not the winds that have them most concerned…
cut 10 (11) “…several years ago”
All of Cameron Parish is under a mandatory evacuation order.

The statewide average gasoline price according to Gas-Buddy is $1.85 but we could see prices rise as oil platforms along the Texas and Louisiana coast shut down as a result of Hurricane Laura. Gasbuddy petroleum senior analyst Patrick DeHaan…
cut 14 (09) “….48 hours or so”

Students are back in the classroom at LSU today for the first time since last March. LSU interim President Thomas Galligan told Talk Louisiana the Rec Center is also open at limited capacity, as is the student union and dining halls…
cut 8 (08) “…careful”
The school has opened four on-campus rapid COVID-19 testing sites in an effort to quickly isolate those who are infected.

08.25.20
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8:30 LRN Newscast August 25

Laura has developed into a hurricane and the forecast calls for Laura to strengthen into a major hurricane, category three before it makes landfall near the Louisiana-Texas border late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Governor Edwards says this storm parallels one of the state’s most historic storms…
cut 5 (09) “…Rita”

Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, LSU is beginning its fall semester as students are back in the classroom for the first time since last March. Interim president Thomas Galligan says a six and a half foot tall plexiglass shield has been installed at podiums to protect instructors and students…
cut 7 (09) “…protection”
Face coverings are also required on campus.

Could Hurricane Laura impact drivers at the pump? Experts indicate the potential is there. Kevin Barnhart has the story…
cut 3 (30) “….I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Even though a major storm is heading towards Louisiana, Governor Edwards says enhanced unemployment checks will still go out tomorrow. The Edwards administration says about 400-thousand Louisiana residents are eligible for 300-dollars a week and the first checks will be 900-dollars. since the benefit is retroactive to August 1st.

08.25.20
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LRN Newscast 7:30

Tropical Storm Laura is now Hurricane Laura in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Its maximum sustained winds have reached 75 miles per hour and it’s moving west-northwest at 17 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center expects Laura to become a major hurricane tomorrow and maintain that intensity when it makes landfall along the Louisiana-Texas border Thursday morning.

Here’s what Governor Edwards has to say about Laura…
cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

It appears southwest Louisiana will take the brunt of what Laura has to offer. Calcasieu Parish Emergency Preparedness director Dick Gremillion says Lake Charles is not on the coast, but storm surge still threatens the city due to the marshland to the south and…
cut 11 (10) “…Gulf”
The National Hurricane Center says a seven to eleven-foot storm surge is predicted from High Island Texas to Morgan City.

Today is the first day of classes at LSU. The school has opened four on-campus rapid COVID-19 testing sites. LSU interim president Thomas Galligan says efforts like this show the administration is serious about safety, but still…
cut 9 (08) “…reverese”
Currently, a third of all classes will be in person, a third will be a hybrid between in-person and virtual, and a third will be online only.

08.25.20
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6:45 LRN Sportscast August 25

The defending national champion LSU Tigers are ranked sixth in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 rankings. The Tigers received one first-place vote. Clemson is ranked number one, Ohio State is number two, but they will not play in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. Once the games start, AP voters will only rank teams that are playing.

What about the college football playoff? The C-F-P says they will begin issuing regular rankings on November 17th and select the four teams that will participate in the playoff on December 20th. The semifinals are still set for New Year’s Day, the Sugar and Rose Bowls will be the semis. The national title game is set for January 11th in Miami.

ULM has made it official, they will play at Army on September 12th. Cajuns Coach Billy Napier says receiver Cassius Allen has suffered what appears to be a significant knee injury.

At Saints camp, the coaches are trying to figure out who will start at center this season. It could be either last year’s second-round pick Erik McCoy or this year’s first-round draft pick Ceasar Ruiz. Either player could also play right guard. Coach Sean Payton says they don’t have a clear idea yet on who will play what position…
cut 17 (11) “…combination”
The position battle opened up after the Saints released veteran right guard Larry Warford after drafting Ruiz.

Former LSU star and Browns rookie safety Grant Delpit was carted off the field yesterday and the concern is that he injured his Achilles tendon. Shortly after Delpit got hurt, another former Tiger, starting cornerback Greedy Williams went down with a shoulder injury for the Browns.

08.25.20
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6:30 LRN Newscast August 25

Tropical Storm Laura is now expected to become a major hurricane and make landfall along the Louisiana-Texas border early Thursday morning. Governor John Bel Edwards says while Tropical Storm Marco weakened, there’s no indication that will happen with Laura…
cut 4 (07) “…rain impact”
Laura is expected to bring major impacts to southwest Louisiana. Calcasieu Emergency Preparedness director Dick Gremillion says it’s not the winds that have them most concerned…
cut 10 (11) “…several years ago”
Louisiana’s entire coastline is under a storm surge watch. Laura is currently a tropical storm as it has moved past Cuba and will grow into a hurricane today and the National Hurricane Center calls for Laura to be a Category Three storm when it makes landfall early Thursday morning.

LSU students are set to begin classes today under a New Normal. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

The state reported 622 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday and 18 new deaths. Also, the positivity rate on COVID-19 tests coming back is down to eight percent, which is an improvement.

08.24.20
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4:45 LRN Sportscast

The defending national champion LSU Tigers are ranked sixth in the AP preseason poll. The team that LSU beat in the national championship game, Clemson, is ranked number one. Ohio State, who is not playing in the fall, is ranked second. Alabama is ranked third with two first-place votes, Georgia is ranked fourth and Oklahoma is ranked fifth.

The college football playoff committee announced today that it will begin providing regular rankings on November 17th and then select the four teams for the college football playoff on December 20th. The semifinals are still set for New Year’s Day, which will be the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl. The national championship game will take place on January 11th in Miami.

ULM announces it will play at Army on September 12th. It’s the first time the Warhawks will play against one of the United States service academies.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Billy Napier says redshirt sophomore wide receiver Cassieu Allen suffered a significant knee injury on Saturday, but no word if he’s out for the season.

There’s a three-way battle for starting quarterback at Louisiana Tech. Senior Westin Elliot, redshirt sophomore Aaron Allen and graduate transfer Luke Anthony are competing for the job. Anthony was a three-year starter at Abilene Christian and says he had interest from Power Five schools, but knew La Tech was the place for him…
cut 18 (20) “…my fit”

At Saints camp, the team has released veteran linebacker Nigel Bradham, who they just signed prior to the start of training camp. Coach Sean Payton says Bradham’s release will allow some younger linebackers, like third-round pick Zack Baun, to get more reps. Payton says the team is planning to hold a scrimmage in the Superdome on Friday.

08.24.20
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LRN PM Newscall August 24

The competitive race for the 5th district Congressional seat held by a retiring Congressman Ralph Abraham sees its first TV ad buy. Brooke Thorington has the story…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”  

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Governor Edwards responded to the new outlook for Marco and Laura, along with good pandemic news at his 1130AM press conference today. Matt Doyle has more…

cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

_____________________________

Louisiana has caught a break with Marco as it’s barely a Tropical Storm as it’ approaches Louisiana’s coast National Weather Service Meteorologist Freddie Zeigler says wind shear and dry air has pushed all of the thunderstorm activity to Florida and Alabama…

Cut 3 (11)  “…activity”  

The forecast calls for Marco to move into Plaquemines and Lower Jefferson Parish this afternoon and then into LaFourche Parish as it continues to weaken.

Zeigler says the bigger concern is with Tropical Storm Laura which is near Cuba. Laura is expected to strengthen as it develops into a Category Two hurricane this week and make landfall along the Lousiana-Texas coast on Wednesday night, Thursday morning. Zeigler says Laura could produce a dangerous storm surge…

Cut 4 (12)“ …Gulf coast.” 

Zeigler says they also expect Laura to be a big storm, which means a large portion of the region could be impacted…

Cut 5 (08)  “…wind field”

_________________

Retiring Congressman Ralph Abraham’s former Chief of Staff Luke Letlow is the first candidate in the 5th Congressional District race to hit the TV airwaves with ads.

Letlow is reporting a strong 500,000 dollars raised so far in the race. ULM Poli Sci Professor Joshua Stockley says its certainly early for a campaign to start TV ads…

Cut 6 (07) “…risk”

Nine candidates are contending for the vacant seat in the ruby-red district that encompasses large swaths of the northeast and central portions of the state.

Letlows two major Republican opponents are state lawmaker Lance Harris and Police Juror Scotty Robinson. Stockley says Letlow is flexing his frontrunner status.

Cut 7 (12) “…their own.”

The three are likely contending to be the strong favorite in a run-off race with a Democratic candidate.

Stockley says there is some risk in running ads so early in the season considering everyone is distracted by hurricane season, the pandemic, and the Presidential Election.

Cut 8 (11) “October”

The race is on the November 3rd Presidential ballot, and a likely run-off is set for December 5th.

______________________________

A police pursuit on LA Highway 82 in St. Mary Parish ends in a fatal crash, leaving two people dead. A Patterson Police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by 39-year-old Joseph James of Franklin, but Trooper Thomas Gossen says the driver fled, reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Cut 9 (11) “…in the hospital.”

46-year-old Warren Joe Hines and 17-year-old Markqel James, both of Franklin were identified as the passengers. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

A toxicology sample was obtained from the driver. Gossen says it is unclear what motivated James to evade police.

Cut 10 (09) “…with disastrous consequences.”

Gossen says the crash is a grim reminder of the importance of being properly restrained.

Cut 11 (07) “…important as well.”

________________

Governor Edwards says Louisiana is set to dodge the first of what was thought to be a one-two punch from Marco and Laura.

Edwards says projections of strong tropical storm conditions from Marco in southeast Louisiana appear unlikely to become reality.

Cut 12 (08) “…Florida”

Some storm surge along the southeast coast is still expected but rain totals and heavy winds from Marco are projected to be at best localized.

Edwards says with Marco fizzling the state is turning its attention to Laura and taking the storm very seriously ahead of its projected Wednesday night landfall in southwest Louisiana.

Cut 13 (13) “…aircraft” 

Laura is projected to be a strong category two at landfall, but Edwards warns conditions are ripe for it to develop into a major category three hurricane.

The Governor did have some good news: last week the state saw the positivity rate of COVID tests continue to drop.

Cut 14 (09) “left”

Despite the recent decline in COVID transmission Edwards says Louisiana is still around 15th in the nation for cases per capita and positivity.

Edwards says those bracing for impact from Laura in southwest Louisiana need to recognize the virus is still very much present as they make their plans.

Cut 15 (10) “shelter”