7:30 LRN Newscast

Saturday’s special election drew 17-percent of registered voters. Don Molino has a recap…
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Don Molino.”

In St. Landry Parish, Cleven Clark, who ran against Melville police chief Anthony Moreau, has bonded out of jail after he allegedly hit a Meville Police officer who rode past his daughter’s house with sirens going off in celebration. Clark denies hitting the officer and told a Lafayette TV station the officers were harassing his family. It’s a tradition in Melville for police to celebrate with sirens when a chief is elected.

The Saints own the number one-seed in the NFC after the Rams lost to the Bears last night and New Orleans topped Tampa Bay 28-14. The Black and Gold trailed 14-3 in the third quarter, but Coach Sean Payton says his team responded…
cut 5 (12) “…little bit”
Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 201 yards and had a passing and rushing touchdown.

A group of LSU faculty and students have teamed up to create a rehab program for stroke patients using an adapted guitar. Assistant Kinesiology Professor Nikita Kuznetsov (KOOZ-nets-ahv) helped to create the project after a musician and friend suffered a stroke. Kuznetsov says the guitar could be an avenue for recovery, because of the focused movements involved in strumming…
Cut 10 (11) “…song production”
Kuznetsov says they are testing the guitar with healthy, young adults to characterize motor learning skills and determine how people will actually interact with the device.

6:45 LRN Sportscast December 10

Down 14-3 the Saints needed a spark and they got one from Taysom Hill. The versatile Hill blocked a punt and it led to a 28-14 win over Tampa Bay and the victory clinched a second straight NFC South title. Coach Sean Payton says Hill showed again why he’s so important to this team…
cut 6 (11) “…do it well”
New Orleans defense also dominated after giving up a touchdown drive on the Bucs first possession. Quarterback Drew Brees shook off two turnovers to throw for 201 yards. He had one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.

And with three weeks remaining the Black and Gold have the top seed in the NFC South after the Bears beat the Rams in Chicago. The 11-and-2 Saints will visit Carolina next Monday night. The Panthers lost again yesterday to Cleveland.

Anthony Davis injured his hip in a first-quarter collision and only scored six points last night, but the Pelicans still defeated Detroit 116 to 108. Jrue Holiday stepped up and had 37 points, while Julius Randle added 28 points, six rebounds and five assists. New Orleans is at Boston tonight and Coach Alvin Gentry is not sure Davis will play.

LSU went on a 16-2 run late in the first half to pull away from Incarnate Word and earn a 91-50 victory. It’s the fewest points allowed by LSU with Will Wade as its head coach. Freshmen Naz Reid and Ja’vonte Smart each had 16 points. The Tigers begin a two-game road trip on Wednesday against Houston.

At the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Classic, the Class 5A championship game was the best game, as Zachary quarterback Keilon Brown connected with Chris Hilton on an 80-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter and the Broncos beat West Monroe 27-24 for their second straight title.

6:30 LRN Newscast December 10

Republican Kyle Ardoin remains Louisiana’s Secretary of State as he defeated Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup in Saturday’s election for the statewide post. Ardoin has held the job since May when he took over for Tom Schedler, who stepped down because of a sexual harassment scandal. Ardoin received 59-percent of the vote…
cut 14 (09) “…history”
In Shreveport, 33-year-old political newcomer Adrian Perkins defeated incumbent Ollie Tyler in the city’s mayoral race. Perkins is an attorney and war veteran. His promise of a better Shreveport led to a landslide victory over the 73-year-old Tyler…
cut 16 (11) “….call home”
Perkins will be sworn in before the end of the year.

For the first time in franchise history, the Saints are back-to-back division champions. New Orleans clinched the NFC South crown on Sunday with a come from behind 28-14 win over Tampa Bay. New Orleans trailed 14-3 in the third quarter, but scored 25 unanswered points to avenge an earlier loss to the Buccaneers. Coach Sean Payton…
cut 4 (13) “…an important win”
And with the Rams losing to the Bears last night, New Orleans once again owns the top spot in the N-F-C Standings with three games left.

LRN AM Newscall December 9

An LSU grad from Walker may have a useful app you’ll want to download to your smart device.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (29) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

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A group of LSU faculty and students have teamed up to create a rehab program for stroke patients using an adapted guitar. Connor Ferrill has the story.

Cut 2 (27) “…I’m Connor Ferrill.”  

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Saturday’s special election drew 17-percent of registered voters. Don Molino has a recap on what happened…

Cut 3 (28) “I’m  Don Molino.”

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For the first time in franchise history, the Saints are back-to-back division champions. New Orleans clinched the NFC South crown on Sunday with a come from behind 28-14 win over Tampa Bay. New Orleans trailed 14-3 in the third quarter, but scored 25 unanswered points to avenge an earlier loss to the Buccaneers. Coach Sean Payton…

Cut 4 (13) “…important win″

New Orleans rushed for just three yards in the first half and Quarterback Drew Brees was intercepted in the second quarter and fumbled in the third quarter. But Payton likes how his team bounced back

Cut 5 (12) “…little bit.”

Brees finished with 201 yards passing. He threw one touchdown pass and ran for another. The defense held the Bucs to 279 yards, but the game turned when Taysom Hill blocked a punt in the third quarter. Payton says the versatile Hill showed again why he’s important to this team…

Cut 6 (11) “…do it well.”

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A useful app you may want to download to your smart device is available now, and the developer behind the app is an LSU grad from Walker, Louisiana.  The app is called Find a Spot and it links you with a friend to find the best possible geographical meetup place in the middle of your two locations.  App developer Derrick Denicola says the idea came to him while sitting in traffic.

Cut 7 (07) “…that I value a lot.”

Maybe if you aren’t taking a car to your next destination.  Denicola says Find a Spot has you covered there too.

Cut 8 (11) “…be really neat.″

Denicola says it took about seven years to produce the app after first coming up with the idea. He says the app has received about 45-hundred downloads. The 2007 LSU grad says it’s simple to use, even his parents can figure it out, which was his goal…

Cut 9 (10)  “…password in” 

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A group of LSU faculty and students have teamed up to create a rehab program for stroke patients using an adapted guitar. Assistant Professor of the School of Kinesiology Nikita Kuznetsov (KOOZ-nets-ahv) helped to create the project after a musician and friend suffered from a stroke. Kuznetsov said the guitar could be an avenue for recovery because of the focused movements involved in strumming…

Cut 10 (11)   “…song production”

The adaptive guitar is capable of creating many types of chords through a mechanical device placed on the neck of the guitar. Kuznetsov, not an engineer himself, said he proposed the guitar device to mechanical engineering seniors at LSU as a possible project in an engineering design course…

Cut 11 (07) “…at LSU”

Kuznetsov said he hopes the program will not only improve motor function but that it will improve quality of life by providing a strong community for patients…

Cut 12 (12)   “…movement rehabilitation”

Contact Nikita@lsu.edu for a chance to participate in the study.

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Louisiana voters decide to keep Republican Kyle Ardoin as Secretary of State. Ardoin defeated Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup in Saturday’s special election and had this to say to his supporters

Cut 13 (11) “…upon me.”

Ardoin received 59-percent of the vote in a low voter turnout election. The 51-year-old Ville Platte native has served as interim Secretary of State since Tom Schedler resigned in May amid a sexual harassment scandal.

Cut 14 (09) “…in history.”

Shreveport has a new mayor. 33-year-old West Pointe graduate, Adrian Perkins, easily defeated Mayor Ollie Tyler, who was seeking a second term. Perkins received 64-percent of the vote and says Shreveport’s future starts now…

Cut 15 (13) “…seeking one.”

Perkins is a war vetera and attorney with no previous political experience. His promise of a better Shreveport led to a landslide victory over the incumenbent…

Cut 16 (11)  call home”

7:30 LRN Sportscast December 8

The Saints are hoping to wrap up the NFC South title tomorrow when they visit the Tampa Bay Bucaneers. The Bucs have won their last two and they lead the NFL in passing offense. Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston has thrown four touchdown passes and zero interceptions in the last two games. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins says they know what to expect from the Bucs…
cut 18 (18) “…have success”
Kick-off is noon and there’s a good chance for rain at kick-off.

The Pelicans had an eight point lead in the fourthe quarter, but lost to the Grizzlies 107-103 last night. New Orleans was just 7-of-29 from three point territory and they had 18 turnovers that led to 26 points for Memphis. The Pels fall to 13-14 on the season.

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There were plenty of points scored during day two of the 2018 AllState Sugar Bowl prep classic. Last night in the 3A title game, Sterlington could not hold on to an eight-point halftime lead and lost to Eunice 59-47. It’s the Bobcats first state championship since 1982. Simeon Ardoin rushed for three scores.

Michael Hollins rushed for 240 yards and four touchdowns as U-High defeated St. Thomas More 55-46 as the Cubs won their first back-to-back titles in school history.

Amite won its first state title since 2004 as the Warriors beat Welsh 47-20. Amani Gilmore threw five touchowns and ran for another.

Tonight the 5A title game features West Monroe versus defending champion Zachary. Kick off will be after 7 PM.

LSU linebacker Devin White told a Baton Rouge radio station it was a no brainer for him to play in the Fiesta Bowl. And the future first round pick says he’s not made decision on whether he’ll turn pro and enter the 2019 NFL draft.

12:30 LRN Newscast December 7

A strong storm system is moving in from Texas and it has much of Louisiana under a flash flood watch until Saturday night. Rain has been falling in north Louisiana for much of the day and three to six inches of rain is possible. State Climatologist Barry Keim says everyone should be prepared for a drenching…
cut 14 (09) :”…be an issue”

US Representative and now candidate for governor, Republican Ralph Abraham, says Governor John Bel Edwards has been relentless in his effort to raise taxes. But Eric Holl, spokesperson for the 2019 Democratic Coordinator Campaign team, says Abraham’s proposal for over a billion dollars in across the board cuts would have devastated the state…
cut 12 (08) “…critical services”
Abraham announced his intention to run yesterday.

Tomorrow is election day across Louisiana. The Secretary of State’s race is on the ballot in every parish. There’s a mayoral race in Shreveport and several parishes have tax issues on the ballot. The Secretary of State’s office believes we’ll see a voter turnout around 20-percent.

Tomorrow is Buddy Guy day in Louisiana as a stretch of highway in hometown of Lettsworth in Pointe Coupee Parish will be named Buddy Guy Way. The Blues legend started playing guitar on a two-string bow and never thought he would really make it…
cut 8 (13) “…really true”

11:30 LRN Newscast December 7

Flash flood watches are posted for much of Louisiana until 6:00 on Saturday. State Climatologist Barry Keim tells us what is going on…
cut 13 (12) “…southeastern Louisiana”
Keim says some areas could see three to six inches of rain.

Tomorrow is election day in Louisiana as polls open at 7 AM and close at 8 PM. Voters in every parish will have a chance to vote on the Secretary of State’s race. JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon says the two candidates, Republican Kyle Ardoin and Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup lack name recognition…
cut 4 (06) “…along party lines”
And Couvillon says that means Ardoin should come out on top.

The state football championships continue in the Superdome today. Kicking off at this hour its Welsh versus Amite.

What do we know about the latest candidate in the Governor’s race? Kevin Barnhart talks with ULM Poli Sci Professor Joshua Stockley for a closer look at Congressman Ralph Abraham.
Cut 2 (28) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

A state judge rules that the builders of the Bayou Bridge pipeline must pay 450 dollars to three property owners in St. Martin Parish for trespassing, but they still had the right to seize the land under the state’s eminent domain laws. The 162-mile pipeline from Lake Charles to St. James is nearly completed.

11:40 LRN sportscast December 7

The Saints will look to bounce back from last week’s loss to Dallas when they vist the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday. Quarterback Drew Brees says it’s a defeat they can learn from…
cut 17 (15) “….happen again”
Brees will need to get rid of the football as Tampa Bay has become better at rushing the passer since they fired defensive coordinator Mike Smith on October 15th. They’ve had 24 sacks in their last six games.

LSU’s Greedy Williams and Cole Tracy missed out on winning college football awards. Willams was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, while Tracy was up for the Groza Trophy.

LSU commitment Derek Stingley has been named the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year. For his career at Dunham High School, Stingley had 27 interceptions and returned 15 kicks and punts for touchdowns.

It’s day two of the All-State Sugar Bowl Prep Classic. Yesterday, Kentwood, Lafayette Christian and Notre Dame of Crowley each won a state title. Tonight at about 7:00, Eunice seeks its first state title since 1982, while their opponent, Sterlington, won a Two-A crown in 2016 and now they are trying to win a championship in 3A. Panthers head coach Lee Doty says the Bobcats have a couple of player makers by the anmes of Deon Ardoin and Avery Lee…
cut 30 (11) “….big play ability”
The Prep classic concludes tomorrow night with the 5A championship game as West Monroe faces defending champ Zachary.

Tonight’s Pelicans game against the Grizzlies is a sell-out. New Orleans is 13-and-13 and it’s the same record they had at this time last year. Memphis has been one of the surprises in the NBA as they lead the Southwest Division with a 14-9 record. Tip-off is at seven PM.

AM Newscall December 7

A win Sunday over Tampa Bay and the Saints clinch a second consecutive NFC South title. The Bucs beat New Orleans in the season opener and Quarterback Drew Brees says Tampa Bay’s defense has been playing well lately…
cut 16 (20) “…continues to be”
Good news on the injury front for the Saints, Wide receiver Michael Thomas was a full participant at practice yesterday after sitting out on Wednesday. And running back Mark Ingram has been nominated for NFL Man of the Year. It goes to a player who gives back to his community.

LSU’s Greedy Williams and Cole Tracy came up empty at last night’s college Football Awards. Tracy didn’t win the Lou Groza award and Williams didn’t take home the Jim Thorpe Award which goes to the best defensive back.

At the state football championships yesterday, Kentwood won its ninth state title by beating previously unbeaten Oak Grove 40-21. Kangaroos quarterback TJ Hookfin threw for two touchdown passes, he also rushed for a score and caught a touchdown pass from LSU commitment Trey Palmer.

Lafayette Christian was the easy winner in the Division Four title game as the Knights crushed Lafayette Christian 56-7. L-C-A quarterback Zachary Clement (Clay-mon) had 333 yards of total offense, 222 yards through the air.

And in the Division III state title, Notre Dame thumped Catholic High of New Iberia 42-21. Noah Bourgeois capped off his sensational senior campaign with 162 yards rushing and the Pioneers won the school’s sixth state title.

Today at noon, Welsh goes for its second straight title as they battle Amite, St. Thomas More takes on University High in the Division Two title game and tonight its Sterlington versus Eunice. The Bobcats haven’t won a state title since 1982.

16:45 LRN Sportscast December 6

With a win on Sunday over Tampa Bay, the Saints can clinch an NFC South Title. It would be the first time in franchise history that the Saints won back-to-back division crowns. New Orleans will bring a 10-2 record to Tampa Bay, while the Bucs are 5-7. There’s also a 100-percent chance for rain on Sunday in Tampa Bay. Also Michael Thomas was a full participant at practice today, after missing yesterday’s practice.

The Pelicans up and down season continued last night as New Orleans beat the Mavericks 132-106. The Pels shot 55-percent from the field and hit a season high 17 3- pointers. New Orleans also had 29 fast break points, which pleased head coach Alvin Gentry. Julius Randle had 27 points and a season-high 18 rebounds. New Orleans hosts Memphis on Friday.

According to Rivals.com, LSU’s 2019 recruiting class is the third best in the country, behind Alabama, who is number one and the Aggies are number two. LSU has 3 five-star prospects.

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The Kentwood Kangaroos won their ninth state championship in school history with a 40-21 win over Oak Grove. The Tigers started the game right, as Otis Moore returned an interception for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Moore also had a rushing touchdown, but the Kangaroos were too much. Kentwood quarterback TJ Hookfin caught a touchdown pass, rushed for another touchdown and threw for two more scores.
Right now at the Dome, it’s the Division Four title game as Ascension Catholic is taking on Lafayette Christian.

Tonight, it’s the Division Three title game as Notre Dame faces Catholic High of New Iberia. The Panthers are defending champs, beating Pioneers 33-16 in last year’s the title game. But earlier this year Notre Dame beat Catholic 49-0.

Three more championship games are on tap tomorrow as. in Class Two-A, Amite takes on defending champion Welsh at noon. At 3:30, it’s the Division Three title game as University High faces St. Thomas More. And then its the Three-A title game as Eunce and Sterlington square off at 7 PM.