Updated LRN AM Newscall July 13 ###sports cuts added###

The House Education Committee will discuss plans on schools reopening in August during a 10 o’clock meeting at the state capitol today. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________________

As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, is herd immunity a possible answer? Matt Doyle reports the state health department says no…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

___________________________________________

A mask is now required for individuals when they are inside a business or outdoors and unable to keep a distance from others. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (28)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”  

______________________________

Starting today, Lousiana residents eight years old and up are required to wear a mask when indoors and outdoors and you cannot be physically distant from others. Governor John Bel Edwards says many might not agree with this order, but he says research shows face masks can slow the spread of COVID-19…

Cut 4 (12)_ “will happen”

Businesses will be required to tell people they must have a mask on while inside their location. Edwards says the order exempts people with certain medical conditions from wearing a mask, but he says if that’s the case you shouldn’t be near people outside of your household anyways…

Cut 5 (07)  “…under any circumstances”

The governor has also ordered all bars closed as the state has moved to third in the country for per capita cases. He says based on contact tracing at least 36 outbreaks started in bars and the number is likely more than that…

Cut 6 (11) “…to hear them.”

Bars will remain closed and the mask mandate will remain in place until at least July 24th.

__________________

Lousiana’s education and health leaders along with the head of the LHSAA will speak today at a House Education Committee meeting about reopening schools and getting kids back on the athletic fields. House Education Chairman Ray Garofalo encourages parents to watch the 10 AM meeting on the state’s legislative website.

Cut 7 (11) “…reopen.”

You can watch live at legis.la.gov. If you miss the live broadcast you and find the meeting in the legislative video archives.

Garofalo says they’ll get school officials to lay out exactly what a potential “hybrid model” of education would look like, and how much off-campus learning would be required.

Cut 8 (05) “…classroom”

A number of school districts have already released their preliminary back to school plans.

Garofalo says athletics is an important part of the high school experience and he plans on asking LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine how they plan to make it possible.

Cut 9 (08) “…health.”

Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, sparked controversy recently when he sent a letter to BESE requesting all K-12 sports be canceled for fall.

_______________

Louisiana is reporting nearly 80-thousand coronavirus cases. The state has four-point-six million people, which means two-percent of the state’s residents have tested positive. Regional public health director for Acadiana, Doctor Tina Stefanski, says if you think herd immunity is the answer for this virus, we are not close…

Cut 10 (10) “…have recovered”

Stefanski says scientific evidence has shown the best way to beat the virus without closing businesses back down again is by wearing masks

Cut 11 (11) “…level of transmission”

Assistant State Health Officer, Doctor Joe Kanter, says persons between the age of 18 to 29 continues to be the age group with the most new cases and there’s evidence they are spreading the virus to older, sicker people

Cut 12 (07)      increase in deaths” 

The state is reporting over 33-hundred deaths.

___________________________________

A recent study shows 73% of people say they are concerned about returning to work and spending time away from their pets and 59% are worried their dog or cat may suffer from separation anxiety.  LSU Vet School Assistant Professor of Community Practice Nancy Welborn says now is the time to prep your pets for that transition.

Cut 13 (08) “…then come back.” 

Welborn says it is important to shake up the daily routine of leaving the house as pets, especially dogs, can pick up on the patterns that indicate when someone is leaving.

Cut 14 (11) “…the night before.”

Welborn adds using a different door to exit your home if possible as well as staggering the times that you leave can throw off triggers.

Welborn says it will help to give your pet something to play with to help take their mind off the fact that you are leaving.

Cut 15 (11) “…of different options.” 

____________________________

The Pelicans are getting used to life inside the NBA’s bubble in Orlando, Florida. The team is staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and veteran shooting guard J-J Redick says he has no complaints

Cut 16 (24) “…it’s fine” 

Guard Josh Hart has a nice wine cellar at his New Orleans area home, but in Orlando he’s had to settle for a 15-bottle wine fridge in his room

Cut 17  (23) “…works out” 

The Pelicans had their first practice last Friday and their first scrimmage game against another opponent is a week from Wednesday. Head Coach Alvin Gentry says the goal is pick up where they left off when the season was suspended in March

Cut 18  (23) “…high level”   

3:30 LRN Newscast July 10

The State Fire Marshal’s office has conducted around 3,100 coronavirus spread mitigation compliance checks between June 26 and July 5, but no penalties have been handed down. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that’s because businesses are correcting shortcomings after the first visit.
Cut 9 (10) “…consider penalizing somebody.”
Browning says the lack of citations is an indicator that businesses care enough about their customers and employees to be in compliance.

It will be a hot weekend as heat index values will reach 110, maybe even 115 degrees. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a high pressure system in the northern Gulf of Mexico will limit cloudiness and thunderstorms
Cut 3 (11) “…lots of humidity”

A judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Shreveport’s mask mandate. Matt Doyle asked a legal expert if cities have the legal authority to issue these mandates…
Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

The Saints are offering their season ticket holders the opportunity to opt out of the 2020 season. Fans can either request a refund or just roll the money over to the 2021 season. If a season ticket holder opts out, they can still renew season tickets for 2021, without having to go on the team’s waiting list. No decision has been made yet on fans inside the Dome this year.

LRN PM Newscall July 10

A local judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Shreveport’s mask mandate. Matt Doyle asked a legal expert if cities have the legal authority to issue these mandates…

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

____________________________

Despite a high number of compliance checks, the State Fire Marshal’s office has not cited or shut down a single business for not following COVID mitigation requirements. Why is that? Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”  

_____________________________

It will be a hot weekend as heat index values will reach 110, maybe even 115 degrees. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a high pressure system in the northern Gulf of Mexico will limit cloudiness and thunderstorms

Cut 3 (11)  “…lots of humidity”  

This stretch of hot weather will continue into early next week and Keim says it will be quite warm for outdoor activities in the morning…

Cut 4 (11)_ “    low 70s” 

Keim says rain chances are low this weekend…

Cut 5 (10)  “…miss it”
______________________

A Caddo District Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the City’s implementation of a mandate requiring masks to be worn inside businesses.

New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and East Baton Rouge Parish have also issued similar mandates. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino believes they do have the authority to do so.

Cut 6 (13) “…basis.”

If the mandate were to be implemented non-compliant businesses could potentially be shut down while the state remained in Phase Two.

Ciolino says governments are afforded a lot of leeways when it comes to this kind of policy.

Cut 7 (09) “…health.”

Governor Edwards has often said that he is not, and has not considered a statewide mask mandate.

Ciolino says mask mandate opponents will have a hard time arguing against the mandates in potential court proceedings.

Cut 8 (10) “…box”

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins has until July 16th to respond, and the five businesses suing to stop the mandate have until July 17th to reply.

_______________________

 

The State Fire Marshal’s office has conducted around 3,100 coronavirus spread mitigation compliance checks between June 26 and July 5, yet there hasn’t been any penalization of the rule breakers.  State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says that’s because businesses are correcting shortcomings after the first visit.

Cut 9 (10) “…consider penalizing somebody.”

Browning says the lack of citations or shutdowns is a strong indicator that businesses care enough about their customers and employees to come into compliance.

Cut 10 (07) “…everything goes bad”

Browning says after a third check, if there are businesses that are blatantly defying the rules, that’s when further action will be taken, but says it has yet to come to that.

Cut 11 (07) “…exceeded our expectations.”

_________________________________________________________

The coronavirus pandemic may have put a dent into many sectors of the economy, but the Louisiana Lottery says they’ve just finished their second-best fiscal year ever that ended on June 30th.  Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says that’s in large part due to an uptick in scratch-off sales from April through June.

Cut 12 (05) “…in our history.”

Multi-state jackpots such Powerball and Mega Millions ended the year down by about $66 million due to a 12-month drought of jackpots exceeding $400 million.

Many lottery retailers such as grocery and convenience stores were deemed essential and stayed open, which Chopin says was vital in maintaining player activity.

Cut 13 (08) “…have become inaccessible.” 

Chopin says the ability to avoid interrupting player’s routines while other aspects of life were on hold also contributed to captivating their audience.

Cut 14 (07) “…do for entertainment.”

1:30 LRN Newscast July 10

Louisiana reported more than 26-hundred new COVID-19 cases today. That’s the most ever in a single day for the Bayou State that didn’t include backlog cases since the pandemic started. The state’s death toll is up to 3,272 and hospitalizations rose by 75.

Despite a high number of compliance checks, the State Fire Marshal’s office has not cited or shut down a single business for not following COVID mitigation requirements…
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

A Shreveport judge has temporarily blocked the city from enforcing a mask mandate. A court hearing to determine if the temporary restraining order will be converted to a preliminary injunction is set for July 20th. Five Shreveport businesses owners filed the lawsuit this morning. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino believes government does have the authority to issue a mask requirement when public health is at stake…
cut 7 (09) “….health”

Saturday is Louisiana’s presidential primary, but there are local issues on the ballot for two dozen parishes. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says masks are recommended and hand sanitizer will be provided, but they will not be handing out I voted stickers…
cut 15 (03) “…stickers”
Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM and if you want to vote in the presidential primary you have to be registered with the republican or democratic party.

11:40 LRN Sportscast July 10

Are the dominoes starting to fall on whether we’ll have a college football season or not? The Big Ten has announced that if there is a season, they’ll only play conference games. Sports Illustrated college football writer Ross Dellenger says concern is growing on whether there will be a season…
cut 16 (10) “…of it all”
Dellenger says the athletic directors from the 14 SEC schools are scheduled to meet in Birmingham on Monday. Dellenger doesn’t expect the SEC to make a decision regarding the upcoming college football season anytime soon, but there are several options on the table, including waiting until 2021…
cut 18 (06) “…spring season”
SEC Football Media Days were scheduled for next week, but dates have not been set up on when they will be held virtually.

The Saints are giving their season ticket holders the ability to opt out of the 2020 season. For fans who have already paid for their tickets, they can either request a refund or just roll it over to the 2021 season. If season ticket holders do opt out, they can keep their season ticket holder status for 2021. No decision has been made on whether fans will be allowed in the Superdome to watch games, but if fans are allowed in the Dome it would be a small percentage of total capacity.

According to court papers, Zion Williamson’s stepfather accepted a 400-thousand dollar payment from a marketing agent prior to the start of his only season at Duke. Williamson is involved in a court battle with Gina Ford, who claims Zion breached their marketing agreement when he decided to sign with CAA. Williamson’s attorney has responded by saying the court papers are fradulent.

And a big happy birthday to the longtime voice of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Dave Nitz turns 78-years-old today.

10:30 LRN Newscast July 10

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers wants it a requirement for everyone inside a school campus to wear a mask when classes resume next month. LFT President Larry Carter says their members are serious about a mandatory facemask policy and they are putting their money where their mouth is to make it happen…
Cut 11 (09) “…give out”

The state reports 1,042 people are hospitalized as a result of COVID-19. That’s the highest it has been since May 15th. Governor John Bel Edwards says some hospitals also report a low supply of Remdesivir, which is an approved therapeutic drug for severely ill COVID patients
Cut 8 (12) “…on that”
Edwards says hospital leaders have also told him staffing has become a problem, with hospital personnel testing positive for COVID-19.

Voting for Louisiana’s Presidential Primary is tomorrow. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says workers at the polling locations will regularly wipe down voting machines, hand sanitizer will be available and masks are recommended. Ardoin says they also have enough poll workers to support the voting locations…
Cut 13 (09) “…on Election Day.”
Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM.

Pennington Researchers are testing out a new smartphone app that can tell how many calories a meal contains just by taking a picture of the plate of food in front of you. Co-principal investigator Doctor Corby Martin says they are looking for about 150 individuals to test out the app…
cut 5 (12) “…like we hope”
For more information go to Pennington’s website.

5:30 LRN Newscast

State contact tracing data has identified 16 outbreaks linked to restaurants leading to at least 68 known cases. Assistant health secretary, Doctor Alex Billioux, says compliance checks are happening, but he’s unaware if any business has been cited
Cut 4 (10)_ “…is done”
That data has also identified that Bars lead the way with 36 outbreaks that have produced at least 393 cases.

33 percent of pet owners say their pets have been packing on pounds alongside them. LSU Vet School Assistant Professor of Community Practice Nancy Welborn says pet obesity is a serious issue, and to counter it you should know the appropriate daily caloric intake for your pet and take a quarter portion of that in kibble and feed it to them throughout the day.
Cut 8 (06) “…makes them happy.”

Ohio State and North Carolina have suspended their voluntary workouts because of positive COVID-19 cases, but LSU Coach Ed Orgeron says the virus is under control among his players. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

According to the U-S-A Today, Teurlings Catholic offensive lineman Jacob Lemaire has spent four days in the intensive care after being infected with COVID-19 and developing pneumonia. Lemaire’s mother tells the USA Today that her son is on oxygen, but he’s doing really well.

4:45 LRN Sportscast July 9

As cases continue to climb in several states, the concern grows that the college football season will be delayed, shortened or possibly moved to the spring. LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says his players will be ready for any scenario…
cut 14 (09) “>…go play”
Orgeron says his football team has seen a low number of cases after a spike that occurred in June that was tied to players going to off campus bars.

The Big 10 Conference has decided their schools will only play conference games this fall if they get to play at all. That means the Big 10 football season will consist of just conference games. Tulane was set to play Northwestern on September 12th. But that game will not happen anymore.

The A-C-C says fall sports will not start until September 1st.

__________________________________________________________________________

Several Republican lawmakers say they oppose State Senator Cleo Fields’ request for K-12 athletics to be cancelled in the fall. When asked about the letter sent by the Baton Rouge Democrat to BESE, Governor Edwards agreed with detractors in saying that it is too early to make that call. The LHSAA says they are fully committed to having a safe return of high school athletics in the fall. The association encourages member schools to folow LHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee Guidelines to ensure the safety of student-athletes, coaches and administrators. The brief statements concludes by saying reoepning high school sports depends on all of us working together.

According to the U-S-A Today, Teurlings Catholic offensive lineman Jacob Lemaire has spent four days in the intensive care after being infected with COVID-19 and developing pneumonia. Lemaire’s mother tells the USA Today that her son is on oxygen, but he’s doing really well.

4:30 LRN Newscast July 9

Through contact tracing, the state has identified the settings where they’ve seen the most coronavirus outbreaks. Bars lead the way with 36 outbreaks that’s produced at least 393 cases. Assistant health secretary, Doctor Alex Billioux, says the bar setting presents a lot of challenges to manage
Cut 3 (11) “…other speak”

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says coronavirus cases involving his players are under control as his team goes through voluntary workouts. At one time LSU reportedly had at least 30 players in quarantine, but in an interview on WWL Radio, Orgeron said that was inaccurate
Cut 12 (10) “…control”
The Big 10 announced today that they’ll only play conference games this fall.

33% of pet owners say their pet has gained weight during the quarantine. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson is stepping down as chairwoman of the Louisiana Democratic Party. She’s led the party for the last eight years. Candidates to replace Peterson have emerged. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says he may run and Lafayette lawyer Katie Bernhardt has already announced her candidacy. An election is set for August 29th.

3:30 LRN Newscast July 9

Louisiana reported 18-hundred more coronavirus cases today and hospitalizations also rose by 20. The state reported 16 more deaths. The state has reported 151-thousand test for this month, but the huge surge in testing has led to delays in people getting their results back. Governor John Bel Edwards says they are working on trying to speed up the process…
cut 10 (11) “…longer that”

The state health department has also released a list of where they are seeing the most outbreaks in the community and leading the way its bars, followed by restaurants and industrial settings. Assistant health secretary Doctor Alex Billioux has this advice…
cut 5 (12) “….protect your family”

As cases continue to climb in several states, the concern grows that the college football season will be delayed, shortened or possibly moved to the spring. LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says his players will be ready for any scenario…
cut 14 (09) “>…go play”
Orgeron says his football team has seen a low number of cases after a spike that occurred in June that was tied to players going to off campus bars.

People aren’t the only ones packing on the pounds during the pandemic as 33% of pet owners say their pet has gained weight during quarantine, according to a study out of the state of Washington. LSU Vet School Assistant Professor of Community Practice Nancy Welborn says pets are receiving extra TLC from their owners.
Cut 6 (10) “…of how often.”