6:30 LRN Newscast November 21

Governor Edwards touched on hopes for his second term and a Presidential congratulations on his first Ask The Governor radio show since reelection…
Cut 1 (28) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Office of Motor Vehicles locations remain closed today as a result of the attempted ransomware attack on state computer servers on Monday. O-M-V officials say all hands are on deck in trying to get the computer system up and going. Edwards is optimistic O-M-V offices will re-open sometime today.

Former LSU student and ex-Phi Delta Theta member Matthew Naquin is out on bond pending his appeal after he was sentenced to 5-years-in prison, 2.5 years of the sentence are suspended for his role in the alcohol poisoning death of pledge Max Gruver. Naquin must also perform one-thousand hours of community service. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino…
cut 6 (05) “…judge’s discretion”
The judge also ordered Naquin to write an apology letter to Gruver’s parents and give nine separate one-hour anti-hazing talks to high school students.

Shared Hope International has given Louisiana an “A” grade for its laws to combat minor sex trafficking. But Shared Hope International Founder, Linda Smith, says the state no longer has the top score because child sex trafficking victims are not fully protected from criminalization for prostitution, which she says is physiologically damaging to the child…
cut 14 (10) “….the crime”

4:45 LRN Sportscast November 20

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron has taken the blame for the poor performance by the defense in the win over Ole Miss. But Tigers safety Jacoby Stevens says it’s up to the players to make plays…
cut 20 (19) “….that play”
Orgeron says even though linebacker Michael Divinity has returned to practice this week. He’s not eligible to play unless the Tigers reach the national championship game.

Louisiana Tech played poorly on Friday against Marshall and lost their first conference game. Starting quarterback J’Mar Smith, leading receiver Adrian Hardy and starting linebacker James Jackson were suspended for the game, but Coach Skip Holtz is not using that as an excuse for why they lost. Smith and Hardy will also miss Saturday’s game at UAB.

The eight and two Ragin Cajuns are receiving votes in this week’s coaches poll. Offensive lineman Kevin Dotson says getting some national recognition is making the alums proud…
Cut 17 (23) before you”
U-L Lafayette hosts Troy on Saturday.

Also in the Sun Belt, ULM hosts Coastal Carolina. The Warhawks need to win their final two games in order to be bowl eligible.

Tomorrow night in Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana hosts Nicholls. The winner of this game will win at least a share of the Southland Conference title and an automatic berth into the FCS Playoffs.

S-L-U men’s basketball team is at Tusla, while the Lady Lions hoops squad is at LSU for a 6:30 tip-off at the PMAC.

LRN PM Newscall November 20

The state added 3,600 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs over the year, pulling the employment rate down about half a percent over that period. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

__________________________________

Former LSU frat member Matthew Naquin now knows his fate for his role in the 2017 hazing death of Max Gruver. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

cut  2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”    

__________________________________________

Louisiana’s unemployment rate fell nearly a half a percent year-to-year for October, having added 3,600 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs. The state’s unemployment rate now sits at 4.5 percent, up from 4.3 percent last month, but Workforce Commission Chief Economist Ali Bustamante says the trend is still towards growth.

Cut 3 (06)   “months” 

The state also remains in “Full Employment”.

Bustamante credits growth in the professional business services sector, which gained 3,200 jobs from this time last year.

Cut 4 (08) “…industry”

Bustamante says growth in professional services has led to record employment in the Baton Rouge and Hammond areas.

It’s not all rosy news though; year to year Monroe is down 800 jobs, Alexandria has lost 300 jobs, Houma bled 1,700 jobs, and Shreveport is down 1,600 jobs, but Bustamante sees a new trend.

Cut 5 (06) “…months” 

New Orleans lost 500 jobs over the last month, but has still gained 8,600 year to year.

_______________________

The former LSU frat member at the center of the hazing death of fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver receives a five-year prison sentence, half of the sentence is suspended, so Matthew Naquin is set to serve two and half years. Max’s mom, Rae Ann Gruver, says Naquin showed no remorse when he addressed the court

Cut 6 (06) “…he said today.”

Naquin was found guilty in July of negligent homicide. He was also sentenced to one-thousand hours of community service and three years probation.

Judge Beau Higginbotham says Naquin must write a letter of apology to the Gruvers and speak to high school students about the dangers of hazing. Maxwell’s mother says Naquin is not the right person to lead an anti-hazing campaign…

Cut 7 (09) “…is wrong.”

Naquin is expected to bond out of prison today as he’ll remain free on bond pending appeals.

Naquin’s attorney John McLindon says he was disappointed in the sentencing as he felt it should have been more on par with others that had received lesser sentences in connection to Gruver’s death.

Cut 8 (12) “   …under the bus.”

McLindon says not enough blame has been put on Gruver who had a history of heavy drinking.

Cut 9 (10) “…responsibility in this.″

_______________________

Over a million dollars worth of drugs were seized during a bust in Shreveport thanks to K-9 cop named Mingo who sniffed out the narcotic filled shipping container.

Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond says they seized 24 pounds of THC wax, 2028 grams of THC gummies, 2,910 doses of THC oil, and…

Cut 10 (12) “blunts.”

The container was found in a vehicle at a home on the 100 block of Kayla Street.

Raymond says Shreveport is right on the I-20, and Raymond says it’s likely the narcotics came into Louisiana via that drug highway…

Cut 11 (09) “…citizens”

Most of the bust was THC related, and while drug offenses aren’t counted as violent crime, Raymond says they often lead to violence…

Cut 12 (09) “…safer.” 

Arrests are expected to follow soon.

________________________________________

A 14-year-old is under arrest after allegedly stabbing his 50-year-old father to death with a spear inside their Terrytown home. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says they received a call this morning from a teen who said he stabbed his father multiple times and needed assistance.

Cut 13 (06) “…scene.”

The boy is now in custody.

Lopinto says they aren’t sure what provoked the outburst this morning, but they suspect the son may have a mental illness.

Cut 14 (12) “…case.”

The Sheriff says it was a shocking discovery and a tragedy.

Cut 15 (12) “…too far.”

2:30 LRN Newscast November 20

The state workforce commission says the October employment report shows Louisiana added 36-hundred jobs over the year. The Baton Rouge metro area set a new employment record for a second consecutive month. But year to year Monroe is down 800 jobs, Alexandria has lost 300 jobs, Houma bled 1,700 jobs, and Shreveport is down 1,600 jobs. However, L-W-C Chief Economist Ali Bustamante sees a new trend.
Cut 5 (06) “…months”

A 14-year-old is under arrest after allegedly stabbing his father to death with a spear inside their Terrytown home. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says they received a call this morning from a teen who said he stabbed his father multiple times and needed assistance…
cut 13 (06) “…scene”
Lopinto says investigators the son may be suffering from a mental illness, but has never been committed.

Former LSU frat member Matthew Naquin, the man at the center of the hazing death of fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver receives a five-year prison sentence, 2.5 years of that sentence has been suspended. Naquin must also perform community service and write a letter of apology to the Gruvers, plus speak to high school students about the dangers of hazing. Maxwell’s mother, Rae Ann Gruver says Naquin is not the right person to lead an anti-hazing campaign…
Cut 7 (09) “…is wrong.”
Naquin’s attorney, John McLindon says not enough blame was put on Gruver who established a history of heavy drinking….
cut 9 (10) “….responsibility in this”
An autopsy revealed Gruver’s blood alcohol was more than six times the legal limit to drive. T-H-C was also found in his system.

1:30 LRN Newscast November 20

Former LSU frat member Matthew Naquin now knows his fate for his role in the 2017 hazing death of Max Gruver. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Jefferson Parish authorities say a 14-year-old used a spear to kill his 50-year-old father. Sheriff Joe Lopinto says the teenager called 9-1-1- after the fatal stabbing at a home in Terrytown. The teen is in custody and deputies have the spear that was used to kill the man. Lopinto says there may be some mental illness with the teen, but no signs he was committed.

State Police and other agencies are investigating the cyberattack that crippled many of the state’s computer servers and it still has OMV locations closed today. Jeff Moulton with the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission says law enforcement does its best to track down the people behind the cyberattacks, but they are often never found.
Cut 15 (08) “…trickier than that.”
Seven state agencies were initially impacted by the attempted ransomware attack.

Northwest Louisiana authorities announce the seizure of over one million dollars worth of drugs from a bust in Shreveport. Police Chief Ben Raymond says it’s likely the narcotics came into Louisiana from I-20…
cut 11 (09) “…citizens”
Most of the drugs confiscated were T-H-C related. Officials are expected to announce arrest details soon.

11:40 LRN Sportscast November 20

LSU is trying to correct the mistakes that led to Ole Miss rushing for over 400 yards in the Tigers win over the Rebels on Saturday. Safety Jacoby Stevens says he’s embarrassed…
cut 18 (15) do that”
On today’s SEC teleconference, Coach Ed Orgeron provided a timeline on when linebacker Michael Divinity will return to the field for the Tigers. Orgeron says he’s not eligible for the next two games or the SEC Title game. He says if there’s a national championship game, Divinity could possibly play in that game.

No big changes with the new college football playoff rankings. LSU is still number one followed by Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia and Alabama.

After playing the last two games on the road, the Ragin Cajuns return home Saturday to host Troy. The Trojans rank 10th in the F-B-S in scoring, averaging 39 points a game. U-L Lafayette Coach Billy Napier says Troy is explosive on offense…
cut 16 (24) “…making improvement”
The eight and two Ragin Cajuns are receiving votes in this week’s coaches poll.

In college basketball last night, LSU defeated the University of Maryland Baltimore County 77-50 as Charles Manning had 16 points off the bench.

Rhode Island defeated Nicholls 70-65, Louisiana Tech trounced Mississippi Valley 76-43 and Northwestern State knocked off Louisiana College 67-60.

The Pelicans have a two-game winning streak, they beat Portland 115 to 104 last night.

11:30 LRN Newscast

The former LSU frat member at the center of the hazing death of fratnerity pledge Maxwell Gruver receives a five-year prison sentence, half of the sentence is suspended, so Matthew Naquin is set to serve two and half years. Max’s mom, Rae Ann Gruver, says Naquin showed no remorse when he addressed the court…
cut 6 (06) “….what he said today”
Naquin was found guilty in July of negligent homicide. He was also sentenced to one-thousand hours of community service and three years probation.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate is down nearly a half a percent year-to-year for October, having added 3,600 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs. The state’s unemployment rate now sits at 4.5 percent, up from 4.3 percent last month, but Workforce Commission Chief Economist Ali Bustamante says the trend is still towards growth.
Cut 3 (06) “months”
The state also remains in “Full Employment”.

Researchers at UL Lafayette develop a device that can alert Epileptic patients of an attack about an hour before it’s set to hit…
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

No big changes with the new college football playoff rankings. LSU is still number one followed by Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia and Alabama.

Louisiana Tech has set a press conference for 11:30 tomorrow to announce new plans for the complete rebuild of the university’s baseball, softball and soccer complexes. Those facilities were destroyed by a tornado last April.

10:30 LRN Newscast

Baton Rouge Judge Beau Higginbotham has sentenced former LSU student Matthew Naquin to five years in prison for his role in the hazing death of fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver, who died from alcohol poisoning. But the judge suspended all but two and a half years and Naquin will have to perform one-thousand hours of community service.

Monday’s attempted ransomware attack on state computer systems results in the OMV remaining closed this morning. How often do these types of cyberattacks happen? Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The St. Tammany Sheriff’s office is urging businesses to be on the lookout for counterfeit money after arresting two people, 44-year-old Kenyatta Meads and 46-year-old Lynn Pommier are accused of making phony bills. Captain Scott Lee…
cut 12 (10) “…money”
Meads is facing 191 counts of Monetary Instrument Abuse.

Two UL-Lafayette researchers say they’ve developed a system to predict epileptic seizures. Doctor Magdy Bayoumi (Mag-Dee Buy-oo-me) says they’ve invented a detection device that can be placed on a patient’s head like a swimcap and it scans brainwaves for suspicious activities…
cut 5 (10) “…predict”
Bayoumi says the next step in the process is developing a way to bring the system to people who suffer from epilepsy.

9:30 LRN Newscast

OMV locations remain closed this morning because of Monday’s attempted ransomware attack on state computer systems. Louisiana cybersecurity commissioner Jeff Moulton says someone installed unauthorized software onto a state computer. Moulton says the software contained a virus that holds data hostage until a ransom is paid…
Cut 13 (11) “…make good backups.”
Moulton says this particular virus was contained to about 130 servers and 16-hundred work stations.

U-L Lafayette researchers have developed technology that can warn when a seizure is imminent for a person who suffers from epilepsy. Doctor Magdy Bayoumi (Mag-Dee Buy-oo-me) says special sensors embedded in headgear similar to a swimmer’s cap can predict the seizures…
cut 6 (09) “…seizure”
The technology was tested on 22 patients at Boston Children’s Hospital and there was a 99 percent rate of accuracy.

Former LSU student Matthew Naquin’s sentencing hearing is underway. He’s facing up to five years in prison for his role in the 2017 hazing death of fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver, who drank himself to death during a hazing ritual. Legal analyst Franz Borghardt says since Naquin does not have a previous criminal history, he could just get probation…
cut 8 (08) “…some jail time”
Two other co-defendants who were charged with a misdemeanor, received the maximum sentence, 30-days in jail.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about phony money after deputies arrested two people involved in a counterfeiting operation. Captain Scott Lee says 44-year-old Kenyatta Meads and 46-year-old Lynn Pommier produced mostly small bills.
Cut 10 (12) “…bills.”
Meads has been arrested on two separate occasions for counterfeiting.

8:30 LRN Newscast November 20

A former LSU frat member found guilty of negligent homicide in a hazing death receives his sentence today. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

An Alabama man has been charged with murder after fatally shooting another man following LSU’s win over Alabama. Colbert County Sheriff Frank Williamson says 31-year-old David Fulkerson got into an argument with the victim over the ball game. He says alcohol played a role. The victim, James Merritt, died from his wounds days later. He suspects Merritt was an LSU fan.

State Police and other agencies are investigating the cyberattack that crippled many of the state’s computer servers and it still has OMV locations closed today. Jeff Moulton with the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission says law enforcement does its best to track down the people behind the cyberattacks, but often they can avoid being found.
Cut 15 (08) “…trickier than that.”
Seven state agencies were initially impacted by the attempted ransomware attack.

The St. Tammany Sheriff’s office is urging businesses to be on the lookout for counterfeit money after arresting two people, 44-year-old Kenyatta Meads and 46-year-old Lynn Pommier for making phony bills. Captain Scott Lee…
cut 12 (10) “…money”
Meads is facing 191 counts of Monetary Instrument Abuse.