10:30 LRN Newscast July 20th

The heat index is already over 100-degrees in some places as the northern half of the state is under a heat advisory until Friday night. The National Weather Service says afternoon temps will climb into the mid to upper 90s. When combined with the humidity, the heat index can reach 109 degrees.

Creola Police Chief Heath Landry says one of his officers clocked an expecting Dad going 108-miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone as they were making their way out of Grant Parish. He says when officers finally pulled over Zak Evans and got him out of the vehicle, he was livid….
cut 14 (11) “….at the glass”
An ambulance took Evans’ wife Bridget to a local hospital where she gave birth, and Evans was arrested on charges of flight from an officer and careless operation, as well as ticketed for speeding.

Could state Education Superintendent John White’s job be in jeopardy? Emelie Gunn has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Meanwhile in DC, Louisiana’s Congressional delegation is working on legislation to limit annual federal flood insurance rate hikes to 10-percent. U-S Representative Clay Higgins says homeowners nationwide would approve of this…
cut 9 (11) “…happened everywhere”

09:30 LRN Newscast July 20th

An expecting father rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital missed the birth of his child after being arrested in Rapides Parish. Creola Police Chief Heath Landry says one of his officers clocked Zak Evans’ vehicle doing 108 in a 55 mph speed zone. He says the officer witnessed more dangerous driving as he attempted to pull over Evans…
cut 13 (09) “…off the road”
An ambulance took Evans’ wife to the hospital, where she gave birth to a girl, but the Dad now faces several charges.

Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s been encouraged by the latest employment numbers which show the state’s unemployment rate dropping and the number of employed increasing. Edwards says they are also seeing positive signs in the Lafayette area, the heart of the state’s oil and gas sector….
cut 12 (08) “….this too”
June employment numbers could be out tomorrow.

St. Landry Congressman Clay Higgins is spearheading an effort to reform the National Flood Insurance Program as the current one expires September 30th. Jeff Palermo has more…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Elected officials from Louisiana are sending prayers to Arizona Senator John McCain who has been diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain tumor. Louisiana’s Senior Senator Bill Cassidy describess Senator McCain a fighter and Junior Senator John Kennedy calls McCain a colleage, friend and American hero. Medical experts say Cain has a slim chance of beating this type of brain tumor.

08:30 LRN Newscast July 20

Jefferson Parish authorities are trying to determine who killed an 84-year-old woman found strangled in her bed at a Metairie senior facility. At first it was determined Pauline Ballon died of natural causes, but an autopsy revealed she was choked to death. Detectives have not established a motive or suspects.

A Grant Parish man missed the birth of his child after he was arrested for speeding his wife to the hospital. Halen Doughty has the story…
Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Governor John Bel Edwards says the state’s unemployment rate has dropped a half-percent since January 2016. Based on the latest numbers from the Louisiana Workforce Commission its at five-point-seven percent. Edwards predicts when the June employment numbers are released, it will be even lower….
cut 11 (09) “…increasing”
Edwards says even the state’s oil and gas sector is showing positive signs.

Female military veterans will have a new support system, as the state Department of Veterans Affairs is set to launch monthly Coffee Conversations. Cordinator Alex Juan says this will offer a place for military women to talk about issues affecting them. She says the discussions will be live streamed and open to all female vets.
Cut 4 (07) “the conversation”
For more information go to the state department of veterans affairs website.

07:30 LRN Newscast July 20th

Governor John Bel Edwards is pleased with job growth and creation in the Bayou State. On his monthly radio call in show, the governor said several sectors of the economy are improving, especially health care thanks to expansion of the Medicaid program.
Cut 10 (11) “more people” (2x)

A central Louisiana man rushing his expecting wife to the hospital is facing several charges after law enforcement clocked him traveling 108-miles an hour and driving recklessly. Creola Police Chief Heath Landry says they understand it was an emergency, but…
cut 15 (09) “…a wife”
Zak Evans missed the birth of his child, because he was arrested.

Louisiana’s Congressional delegation is behind an effort to reform the National Flood Insurance Program. Congressman Clay Higgins is one of the co-sponsors and the Republican from St. Landry Parish says the proposal would protect policyholders from skyrocketing premiums. He says currently, rates can increase annually by as much as 25 percent.
Cut 7 (09) “more reasonable”
The state Department of Veterans Affairs is set to launch a monthly program called “Coffee Conversations” and it’s designed to help female military veterans. Coordinator Alex Jaun says military women can be more hesitant to seek services from the VA and she provided a personal example…
cut 5 (09) “….his medicine”
For more information go to the state department of veterans affairs website.

06:45 LRN Sportscast July 20th

While making the rounds at ESPN, LSU Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron said quarterback Danny Etling is 90-percent healthy as he continues to recover from back surgery. Orgeron also repeated that Etling goes into preseason practice as the starter, but the other QBs on the roster will compete for his job. Coach O also said on the Paul Finebaum show that he expects pass rusher Arden Key to be ready towards the beginning of the season as he rehabilitates from shoulder surgery.

Saints rookies have reported for training camp and the team has placed former LSU wide receiver Travin Dural and defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence on the non-football injury list. The team has not said why.

Conference USA Media Days are underway in Dallas and Southland Football Media Day is today in Houston. Sam Houston and Central Arkansas are considered the favorites to win the league this year.

LSU baseball has welcomed 18 newcomers to the roster and 11 of them are pitchers. The Tigers have to replace their entire weekend rotation, so several of these hurlers will have a chance at becoming the Sunday starter. Veterans Zack Hess and Caleb Gilbert are expected to be the Friday and Saturday starters. Coach Paul Mainieri says Josh Smith will start at shortstop next season and Jake Slaughter will play at either third or second. LSU opens the 2018 campaign by hosting Notre Dame next season.

In major league baseball…former LSU standout Kevin Gausman threw six innings of four-hit ball as the Orioles trounced Texas 10-2. Another former Tiger, Mikie Mahtook, blasted a two-run homer in the 9th for Detroit, but the Royals came back to beat the Tigers four to three.

And the Baton Rouge Advocate reports veteran point guard Rajon Rondo’s one-year deal with the Pelicans is worth three-point-three million dollars.

06:30 LRN Newscast July 20th

Could state Education Superintendent John White’s job be in jeopardy? Emelie Gunn has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Meanwhile, in Washington DC, Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation is working on legislation to reform the National Flood Insurance Program. U.S. Representative Clay Higgins says it’s their desire to limit rate increases to no more than 10-percent a year….
cut 8 (07) “….a window”
The current flood insurance program expires September 30th.

Creola Police Chief Heath Landry says one of his officers clocked an expecting Dad going 108-miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone as they were making their way out of Grant Parish. He says when officers finally pulled over Zak Evans and got him out of the vehicle, he was livid….
cut 14 (11) “….at the glass”
An ambulance took Evans’ wife Bridget to a local hospital where she gave birth, and Evans was arrested on charges of flight from an officer and careless operation, as well as ticketed for speeding. Evans told KALB-TV that he didn’t have time to look at the speedometer because he was worried about his wife and baby.

LRN AM Newscall July 20th ###Updated newscall corrected spelling of Creola Police Chief

St. Landry Congressman Clay Higgins is spearheading an effort to reform the National Flood Insurance Program as the current one expires September 30th. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

Could state Education Superintendent John White’s job be in jeopardy? Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

A Grant Parish man missed the birth of his child after he was arrested for speeding his wife to the hospital. Halen Doughty has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________________________________

Female military veterans will have a new support system, as the state Department of Veterans Affairs is set to launch monthly Coffee Conversations in August. Female veterans outreach coordinator Alex Juan says this will offer a safe space for military women to talk about the issues affecting them. She says the discussions will be live streamed and open to all of female veterans in the state.

Cut 4  (07) “the conversation”

Louisiana is home to more than 32,000 women veterans. Juan says military women can be more hesitant to seek services from the VA than their male counterparts because females are not always well-received. She says she even ran into a similar incident yesterday morning.

Cut 5  (09)  “his medicine”

Juan says this is about changing the conversation and recognizing that both men and women serve their country. She says it’s also an opportunity for these women to talk about specific struggles they’ve faced with someone who can understand.

Cut 6 (12) “so many of them”

Female veterans interested in serving as program coordinators are encouraged to call 225-219-5005.

________________________________________________________

Louisiana’s Congressional delegation is getting behind an effort to reform the National Flood Insurance Program. Congressman Clay Higgins is one of the co-sponsors and the Republican from St. Landry Parish says the proposal would protect policyholders from skyrocketing premiums. He says currently, rates can increase by as much as 25 percent annually.

Cut 7 (09)  “more reasonable”

The current National Flood Insurance Program expires on September 30th, which is why there is a big push reauthorize the program for another six years. Higgins says it’s their desire to limit rate increases to no more than 10 percent a year.

Cut 8 (07) “a window”

Higgins says the bill authorizes $500 million per year for six years for flood control programs. He says flooding is a problem all over the country, which is why this legislation has support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Cut 9 (11)  “happened everywhere”

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Governor John Bel Edwards is pleased with job growth and creation in the Bayou State. On his monthly radio call in show, the governor said several sectors of the economy are improving, especially health care thanks to expansion of the Medicaid program.

Cut 10 (11) “more people”

Edwards says in January of 2016, the state’s unemployment rate was at 6.2-percent and the latest numbers show the unemployment rate in May of 2017 was 5.7-percent and predicts that will drop even lower when the June numbers are released.

Cut 11 (09) “increasing”

Edwards says Lafayette, the hub of the state’s oil and gas sector, is also making great strides. He says in the last year and a half, the city saw four separate months of steady job increases.

Cut 12 (08) “this too”

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A man rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital missed the birth of his child after being arrested in Rapides Parish. Creola Police Chief Heath Landry says one of his officers clocked a vehicle doing 108 in a 55 mph speed zone. He says the officer witnessed more dangerous driving as he attempted to pull over Zak Evans.

Cut 13 (09) “off the road”

Landry says the officer radioed ahead to Pineville, where officers set up a road block because Evans would not stop. He says when officers finally pulled over Evans and got him out of the vehicle, he was livid.

Cut 14 (11) “at the glass”

An ambulance took Evans’ wife Bridget to a local hospital, and Evans was arrested on charges of flight from an office and careless operation, as well as ticketed for speeding. Evans told KALB-TV that he didn’t have time to look at the speedometer because he was worried about his wife and baby. Landry says they understand it was an emergency, but there was still a safety concern.

Cut 15 (09) “and wife”

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16:30 LRN Newscast July 19th

A home invasion in East Baton Rouge Parish has left a 20-year-old suspect dead and another behind bars. Zachary Police Chief David McDavid says the attempted robbery occurred last night in neighborhood where a lot of elderly residents live and seldom do they see shootings like this…
cut 8 (11) “…burden to society”
It’s unknown yet if the homeowner will face any charges.

Last week’s qualifying period for the October elections left 41 races unopposed, and 16 with zero candidates. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says there seems to be a trend in lack of interest. He says these are demanding and stressful public service positions that don’t pay much…:
Cut 4 (10) “cussing you out”

Governor John Bel Edwards held a press conference in Baton Rouge today to announce the state has over 200-million dollars in federal grant money to spend on flood control projects in the Capital Region. He says the dollars will be used to buyout flood-prone properties and….
cut 10 (07) “…drainage projects”

During a hearing in Washington D-C, Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says something must be done about a wall that separates the east and west lanes of I-12 in Livingston Parish. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 3 (25) “I’m Halen Doughty”

15:30 LRN Newscast July 19th

Over half of the races in the October 14 election have already been settled. Michelle Southern has more…
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Authorities say an 84-year-old woman at a senior living center in Metairie was choked to death and the search is on for suspects and a motive. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s office says the victim was found dead last night. Detectives at first thought it was a death by natural causes, but an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be strangulation.

Monroe Police Chief Quentin Holmes has announced he will retire on July 30th. Mayor Jamie Mayo says he did not ask Holmes to step down, despite speculation by anonymous callers into KNOE-TV in Monroe that there was a fued between the mayor and police chief over rising crime. But Mayo says that’s not the case…
cut 14 (10) “…anonymous calls”
Holmes has served as Monroe’s top cop since 2011.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been holding press conferences to announce that flood damaged areas are receiving millions in federal dollars to protect against future storms. The governor was in Shreveport yesterday and today in Baton Rouge. He says the money will go towards drainage projects, buying out flood prone properties and in some cases, home elevation….
cut 11 (08) “…structures”

LRN PM Newscall July 19th

Over half of the races in the October 14 election have already been settled. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

______________________________________

Governor Edwards announces 220 million dollars in federal money will be allocated across the Baton Rouge area to protect against future floods and storms. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Three months ahead of the October 14 election, more than half of the races have already been settled. Candidates in 41 races had no opponents, while 16 saw no candidates at all. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says they saw a similar rate just over a year ago when 44 percent of the races were settled before reaching the ballot.

Cut 3 (08) “no one qualifies”

Schedler blames the public’s frustration with government for the disinterest in running for public office. He says these positions don’t pay much and they come with a lot of stress. He says these demanding jobs are true public service.

Cut 4  (10) “cussing you out”

Schedler says in cases where an incumbent is unopposed, he or she is simply reelected. He says the law used to allow his office to reopen qualifying if no one qualified, but often times they still wouldn’t see any candidates. That’s why there’s a new policy for such occurrences.

Cut 5  (10)  “operate as such”

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Zachary Police have made an arrest in the case of a fatal home invasion that occurred last night. Chief David McDavid says the deceased, 20-year-old Damon Hayes Jr, allegedly broke in with 20-year-old Jordale Carter and possibly two other suspects…:

Cut 6 (08) “began shooting”

Hayes died in the incident and Carter was booked on many charges including murder because his accomplice died during a crime. McDavid says two other suspects are still at large.

Cut 7 (09)  “more suspects”

McDavid says one of the suspects was reportedly trying to get a ride away from the scene, saying he was being shot at. He says the robbery occurred in an elderly neighborhood, and they seldom have shootings like this.

Cut 8 (11) “burden to society”

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Governor John Bel Edwards announced today federal funding for flood control projects in the Baton Rouge area. Edwards says 220 million dollars will go to local governments in the Capital region as part of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Cut 9 (07)  “future floods”

Edwards says each parish will submit a plan to FEMA before the money will be allocated.  He says some of the money will be used to buy back significantly damaged homes from last year’s flood and make it a green space. He says the rest of the funds will go to….

Cut 10 (07) “projects”

None of this money will go toward the much talked about Comite Diversion Canal Project because funding for that must come from a different source. Edwards says after Hurricane Katrina, a majority of hazard mitigation grant dollars went towards elevating homes but that won’t be the case this time.

Cut 11 (08) “structures”

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Monroe Police Chief Quentin Holmes has announced he is going to retire from his post. In a joint news conference with Mayor Jamie Mayo, Holmes said he has been thinking about returning to teaching for quite some time. News outlets had reported that Mayo asked for a resignation which he says is 100% not true…:

Cut 12 (07) “with that”

Mayo says Holmes will remain chief until July 30th, and during that time his office will work to name someone to serve in the interim. Holmes was named police chief in 2011 and received a no confidence vote from the union in August 2014, but he says that has nothing to do with this retirement…:

Cut 13 (10) “good grounds”

KNOE said they had received anonymous calls from people saying there was bad blood between Holmes and the Mayor over the rising crime problem in the Monroe area. Mayo says he hopes they have now cleared the air that it’s just not the case..:

Cut 14 (10) “anonymous calls”