7:30 LRN Newscast August 3

Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins is facing three challengers as he seeks re-election in November. There are two Democratic challengers. One of them is former oil driller Rob Anderson, who criticizes Higgins for opposing renewable energy funding. Anderson says Louisiana could lead the way in green energy…
cut 4 (08) “….fuels”
The other Democratic candidate is Mount Olive Baptist Church Pastor Bryalon Harris. There’s also a third-party candidate, Libertarian Brandon Leleux. He’s running on Libertarian like ideas
cut 6 (08) “….they want”
Higgins calls the November election a crucial turning point for our country as he says the left keeps pushing a socialist agenda.

The Louisiana Department of Health finds that 80-percent of pregnancy-related deaths of women are preventable. L-D-H reviewed 65 deaths in 2017 and the most common causes of deaths were homicide, cardiovascular and coronary conditions, motor vehicle crashes, and accidental overdose. State Perinatal Medical Director Doctor Veronica Gillispie-Bell says pregnant women need to have better access to care and guidance to seek resources…
cut 12 (10) “…community resources”

LSU will attempt to find out this week how many fans want to watch games in person if fans are allowed in Tiger Stadium. LSU ticket manager Brian Broussard says they are sending an online questionnaire to their season ticket holders…
cut 9 (13) “….fans get tickets”
But the governor’s office says it’s purely speculative at this point on what the capacity guidelines might look like when the season kicks off in late September.

6:45 LRN Sportscast August 3

After getting blown out by the Clippers on Saturday, the Pelicans will try again tonight to get a win and it’s a must-win contest against the Grizzlies, the team they are chasing for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. In two games since the NBA re-started, Zion Williamson has played 34 minutes and admits it’s hard to get in a groove when only playing 17 minutes a game…
cut 19 (15) “…it’s for me”
The Pelicans say they don’t want to play Williamson a ton of minutes after missing 13 days of practice time because he had to attend to a family matter outside of the bubble.

The Saints have released nine players as they need to get their roster size down to 80 by August 16th. Wide receiver Tommylee Lewis was one of the cuts. The team also released former LSU Tiger and offensive guard Adrian Magee.

U-L Lafayette is mourning the death of offensive line assistant coach D-J Looney who died Saturday morning following a heart attack during a team workout at Cajun Field. He was just 31-years-old. Head Coach Billy Napier says they lost a tremendous coach, leader, and person, who sincerely cared for others.

The SEC’s decision to play only conference games this season leaves ULM with two holes on their football schedule and the school will miss out on a reported three-point-two million dollars. That’s how much the school would have received for playing Arkansas and Georgia. ULM athletic director Scott McDonald still wants to talk with those schools
Cut 14 (11) “…their obligations.”
McDonald does not believe ULM will lose out on that money.

Former Warhawk and Philadelphia Eagles Coach Doug Pederson has tested positive for COVID-19.

6:30 LRN Newscast August 3

Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins is facing three challengers as he seeks re-election. Matt Doyle spoke with each candidate…
Cut 1 (43) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The state has reported 58-more people died in Louisiana from COVID-19 since Friday. The number of coronavirus patients dropped by a dozen.

LSU is asking its season ticket holders if they want to watch football games inside Tiger Stadium this season. LSU ticket manager Brian Broussard says they plan to have fans in attendance but to get an idea on how many season ticket holders want to attend games this year, they are sending them an online questionnaire this week.
Cut 8 (12) “…up of tickets.”
The governor’s office says it would be purely speculative to say how many fans will be allowed in Tiger Stadium when the season starts in late September.

Meanwhile, ULM will need to find two new opponents to replace Arkansas and Georgia since the SEC will play a conference only schedule this year. Warhawks athletics director Scott McDonald says they still plan to play 12 games…
cut 15 (10) “…those slots”

4:45 LRN Sportscast July 31

LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron is excited about the SEC moving from a normal 12-game regular-season schedule to a ten-game format with conference-only opponents. Orgeron says he’s still waiting on an exact schedule…
Cut 9 (11) “…gonna be ready.”
The season will kick off September 26th instead of September 5th and Orgeron anticipates the two additional conference opponents will come from the SEC East. Media reports say the Tigers will play Kentucky and Tennessee, along with South Carolina, Florida, and their SEC West rivals.

LSU will no longer play Nicholls as the Colonels were looking forward to their first visit to Tiger Stadium. ULM will lose two nonconference and big paychecks since they will not play Georgia or Arkansas.

The Pelicans had a 16 point lead last night but couldn’t hold on and lost to the Utah Jazz 106 to 104. Brandon Ingram’s three-pointer to win the game in the final seconds rimmed out. Coach Alvin Gentry on B-I’s missed shot just before the buzzer…
cut 19 (19) “…move on”
The Pels will play the Clippers tomorrow. Zion Williamson only played 15 minutes last night and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffen says that’s because he just missed 13 days to attend to a family emergency…
cut 30 (13) “…find that”

LRN PM Newscall July 31

Former Klan leader and state lawmaker David Duke is banned from Twitter. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

____________________________

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron looks forward to playing a ten-game SEC schedule this season. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut 2 (32) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

_____________________________

Governor Edwards tells Louisiana residents not to expect major changes with the Phase Two coronavirus guidelines as he expects to extend the mask mandate and bar closure order next week. The current order expires next Friday and Edwards it will likely be extended for another two weeks

Cut 3 (11)  “…current data”  

Edwards has been encouraged that the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital has declined over the week, but he points to Louisiana ranking number one for per capital cases. The governor says the mask mandate is part of the new normal

Cut 4 (11)_ “loved ones”

Edwards has faced criticism from some Republican lawmakers over the restrictions that have been put on businesses during this pandemic. But Edwards says he’s following the guidance from the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force

Cut 5 (12)  “…need to do”

______________________

Twitter has banned the account of former KKK leader and state lawmaker David Duke for violating the platform’s rules on hate speech.  The site has recently banned tens of thousands of extremist accounts, and Tyler Bridges, Author of The Rise and Fall of David Duke, says it was inevitable Duke would get hit as well.

Cut 6 (08) “…mainstream.”

The official release from Twitter about the ban says Duke “has been permanently suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter rules on hateful conduct.”

Bridges says Duke frequently posted comments about Jews.

Cut 7 (08) “…issues’”

Duke was already banned from Youtube and Bridges says…

Cut 8 (12) “twitter”

Duke famously ran for Governor against Edwin Edwards in 1991, and last ran for office in 2016, getting 58,000 votes in a campaign for the Senate seat that was won by John Kennedy.

____________________________________________

LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron is excited about the SEC moving from a normal 12-game regular-season schedule to a ten-game format with conference-only opponents. Orgeron says he’s still waiting on an exact schedule, but the shakeup does not take the wind out of his sails.

Cut 9 (11) “…gonna be ready.”

The season will kick off September 26 instead of September 5th and Orgeron anticipates that the two additional conference opponents will come from the SEC East, but the team will be ready.

Cut 10 (11) “…three extra weeks.”

Orgeron says the team has a great testing system in place with a great protocol and believes the team feels very safe with the virus spread mitigation efforts in place, adding that whatever comes, the team will be ready.

Cut 11 (05) “…adapt and adjust.”

___________________________

A Franklin Parish traffic stop leads to the discovery of a dead body in the trunk of a bullet-riddled car.

Court records show a trooper pulled a suspect over for speeding, saw bullet holes in the driver’s side door, and smelled pot coming out of the car. Master Trooper Michael Reichardt…

Cut 12 (07) “…car.” 

That traffic stop led to the arrest of 18-year-old Michael Mitchell Jr. who claims he and 19-year-old Cameron Powe were robbing the victim, Michael Robinson, when Powe shot Robinson and put the body in Mitchell’s trunk. Powe was arrested later that night.

Reichardt applauded the arresting trooper.

Cut 13 (11) “…street” 

But says the trooper was a little shook up by the incident.

Cut 14 (12) “…going”

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The SEC has joined the other major conferences in agreeing to only play conference football games this season, with the ten-game season set to kick off September 26th. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says the decision makes sense from a scheduling and healthcare perspective.
Cut 16 (15) “health-wise”
The SEC Championship Game will be held on December 19th in Atlanta. The revised 10-game schedule has yet to be announced and it’s unknown how many fans will be allowed inside Tiger Stadium. LSU has sent a letter to its season ticket holders asking them if they want to retain their 2020 tickets.

ULM is reportedly missing out on three-point-two million dollars because its games against Arkansas and Georgia will not be played.

The NBA returned last night with a couple of nail bitters inside the league’s bubble. New Orleans fell short to Utah 106 to 104 as Brandon Ingram missed a game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds. Ingram led the Pels with 23 points…
cut 20 (15) “…next game”
The next game is Saturday against the Clippers, who lost by two points last night to the Lakers. We’ll see if Zion Williamson sees more time on the floor. He was limited to 15 minutes but still scored 13 points last night.

The Saints have signed a couple of players, veteran wide receiver Bennie Fowler and linebacker Nigel Bradham. Fowler caught 23 passes in eight games with the Giants last season, while Bradham started 12 games for the Eagles last season at middle linebacker.

10:30 LRN Newscast July 31

Beginning Saturday any physician in good standing with the state can recommend medical cannabis. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

Former KKK leader and state lawmaker David Duke has been banned from Twitter. The social media company said that Duke’s account has been permantenly suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter Rules on hateful conduct. Twitter did not specifiy what Duke posted that resulted in the ban.

Congressional negotiations are underway over another coronavirus relief package, with Democrats and Republicans presenting widely different opening offers. Democrats want to see the expiring 600 dollar a week federal unemployment benefit extended through the year. Republicans have balked at that, and Senator John Kennedy explains why…
Cut 13 (13) “…extended.”
Some Republicans have suggested the weekly federal unemployment benefits should be reduced to 200-dollars.

Beginning tomorrow, state law will allow for year around nighttime hunting of feral hogs on private property. Jonesboro Representative Jack McFarland authored the measure and hopes the move helps reduce the hog population
Cut 10 (09) “…group of them.”

9:30 LRN Newscast July 31

Governor John Bel Edwards responds to the federal class-action lawsuit filed against him by several bar owners in the Acadiana region. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Louisiana remains number one in per-capita COVID-19 cases, but the number of coronavirus patients in the hospital has dropped the last three days. Edwards is hoping that trend continues. Also, the governor says don’t expect major changes to the Phase Two guidelines when he extends them next week. He says the mask mandate is the new normal.

Nearly 200 new state laws take effect tomorrow. These are measures approved during the regular session. One new law greatly expands the state’s medical-marijuana program, allowing for any doctor in good standing with the state to recommend the treatment for a patient dealing with a debilitating condition…
cut 5 (08) “…pallitative care”

Also starting tomorrow, properly licensed Louisiana and non-resident hunters can shoot feral hogs at night on private property the entire year with the landowner’s permission. Jonesboro Representative Jack McFarland wrote the law and says this new regulation also extends to other damaging species such as nutria, beavers, and coyotes…
cut 11 (09) “….really strange times”
Hunters are required to contact that parish’s sheriff office within 24 hours prior of attempted nighttime take.

8:30 LRN Newscast July 31

Governor Edwards has responded to the federal class-action lawsuits filed against him by bar owners over his emergency order that bans on-premise alcohol consumption. Edwards says they have a right to file a sut, but the governor believes his actions are legal…
Cut 7 (10) “…is absolutely essential.”
The state health department has traced at least 464 confirmed coronavirus infections to 41 bars.

Louisiana’s medical marijuana program expands tomorrow as a new law allows anyone who has a debilitating condition to receive a recommendation for medicinal cannabis from their doctor. Wellcana CEO John Davis says medical marijuana is a safer option than opioids…
cut 6 (12) “…side effects”

Congressional Republicans and Democrats are at an impasse in discussions over the next round of coronavirus relief aid. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

The state education department has announced they’ve received a 17-million dollar federal grant to help meet the needs of students in pre-K and through third grade during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families will be provided opportunities for high-quality remote supplemental learning resources, virtual tutoring and internet connectivity needed to access those services.

7:30 LRN Newscast July 31

Governor Edwards is defending his executive order that bans in-person consumption at bars as two federal lawsuits have been filed that attempt to block enforcement of the order. Edwards says unfortunately bars are conducive to the spread of the coronavirus and the Trump administration supports his decision…
cut 8 (10) “….number of people”

SEC presidents have agreed to shorten the college football season and play a ten-game conference only schedule that would begin on September 26th. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says it’s still to be determined if they can start a season and finish it…
cut 18 (11) “…plays otu”
And we still don’t know if fans will be allowed inside Tiger Stadium.

Louisiana’s medical marijuana program is set to expand tomorrow as physicians in good standing with the state can recommend the treatment.
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

Two Monroe teenagers have been arrested after State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and found a dead body in the trunk. 23-year-old Michael Robinson Junior of Monroe has been identified as the deceased individual. The driver of the vehicle, 18-year-old Michael Mitchell Junior of Monroe was arrested and investigators say 19-year-old Cameron Powe was also involved. Both have been charged with second-degree murder.