Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

01.31.18
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16:45 LRN Sportscast January 31

The LSU men’s basketball team will look to pull off the uspet tonight as they visit Tennessee. Because of suspensions, the Tigers will have just nine players available. Reserves Wayde Sims and Brandon Rachal will serve a one-game suspension tonight, while Galen Alexander and Mayan Kiir are on a leave of absence. That leaves LSU with just two players who are six-foot-five or taller, Duop Reath and Aaron Epps.

In other action tonight, Tulane is at East Carolina. The Green Wave have lost four of their last five.

Northwestern State looks for its first Southland win as they visit UNO. The Privateers lead the league with an 8-2 record. Southeastern Louisiana is 7-2 in the Southland and they host Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi at the University Center in Hammond.

The Pelcians fell to 7th place in the Western Conference after losing to Sacramento 114 to 103. New Orleans begins a two-game road trip in Oklahoma City on Friday.

Athlon Sports ranks the Top 50 players in college football for 2018 and two LSU Tigers made the list. Cornerback Greedy Williams, who intercepted six passes in 2017 and linebacker Devin White who made 133 tackles in his first year as a full-time starter.

New Southeastern Louisiana Football Coach Frank Scelfo says he wants to bring a physical style of football to Hammond. Scelfo replaces Ron Roberts, who guided the Lions to two Southland championships. Scelfo says he also wants to run a program where the student-athletes excel in the classroom…
cut 18 (16) “…is unacceptable”

In the preseason USA Today softball coaches poll, the LSU Tigers are ranked 8th and UL Lafayette is ranked 22nd.

01.31.18
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LRN PM Newscall January 31

Gas prices are seeing an unusual spike for this time of year, according to AAA. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 1 (28) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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An Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress, including Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Garret Graves, hit a garbage truck near Charlottesville, Virginia.  Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Today is the deadline for retailers to mail notices to Louisiana residents who purchased products online, but did not pay sales tax at the time of purchase. Customers are required to include these forms so they can pay those taxes when they file their taxes this year. Louisiana Department of Revenue spokesperson Byron Henderson says after you receive the notice, you have two options.

Cut 3 (10) “our website.”

Henderson says if you’re thinking of skipping out on the taxes, just know the state now has an easy way to double check that you’ve paid them.

Cut 4  (11) “tax returns” 

Henderson says if you fail to report these taxes, it’ll cost you.

Cut 5  (05)  “could apply”

Louisiana customers won’t need to worry about Amazon, as they charge sales tax at the time of purchase.

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Louisiana drivers continue to see higher gas prices and a return to three-dollars a gallon may not be too far off.  The current average for a gallon of regular gasoline is 2.43, up from six cents a week ago.  Triple A fuel analyst Don Redman says oil is trading at around 64-dollars a barrel.  He says demand is driving the oil market…

Cut 6 (11)  “seen that.”

Redman says drivers should be concerned about where oil may end up by summer.  He says with increases coming on a daily basis, we may be paying much higher prices during the busy travel season…

Cut 7 (09)  “in Louisiana.”

Redman also says refineries will begin the process of changing to summer blend which always tacks on extra cost to consumers…

Cut 8 (06) “over with.”

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I-10 westbound was closed for several hours this morning at the West Pearl River Bridge in Slidell due to multiple accidents involving two 18-wheelers that were hauling live bees. Trooper Dustin Dwight says 8 vehicles were involved in the crash and first responders were dealing with a mess…:

Cut 9 (09) “the cargo”

Dwight says thankfully they were able to contain the bees fairly quickly, but it was quite a task…:

Cut 10 (09) “plus career”

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An Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress to a retreat in West Virginia, including Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Garret Graves collided with a garbage truck near Charlottesville, Virginia.  Officials says one in the garbage truck is dead and another seriously injured. Cassidy explains what happened…

Cut 11 (06) “got stuck.”

Cassidy says he was fortunate and he and his wife Laura were not injured, but says other passengers felt the brunt of the collision, which derailed the train.  Doctors on board began assisting the passengers in the garbage truck immediately…

Cut 12 (12) “attended to.”

Both Cassidy and his wife are doctors.  They rushed to the garbage truck and describes the scene of the collision…

Cut 13 (06) “serious condition.”

Graves’ office has confirmed he is ok.

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Louisianans looking to buy local products at their grocery store should look for a new logo. Louisiana Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says they have overhauled their Certified logo program with flashier, more diverse logos to further highlight goods made in the Bayou State.

Cut 14 (10) “of Louisiana”

The program also features a new website.

For a product to be Certified Louisiana, it has to pass state and federal food safety tests, and be made primarily in the Pelican State. Strain says there’s a couple of different certified options for products that pass the test.

Cut 15 (06) “to Table”

Strain says the logos are bigger and flashier than in the past. He hopes it spurs more interest in Louisiana goods.

Cut 16  (10)  “buy Louisiana”

Businesses or individuals interested in applying for Certified Louisiana can apply at the LDAF website. The program has a 25 dollar application fee.

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01.31.18
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11:40 LRN Sportscast January 31

LSU is a 10.5 point underdog for tonight’s game against Tennessee. The Tigers are 3-5 in the SEC, while the Volunteers are 5-3. Six-foot-seven sophomore forward Grant Williams leads Tennessee in scoring averaging 16 points and six rebounds a game. Coach Will Wade says Williams is one of the better players in the SEC….
cut 20 (12) “….for us”
The Tigers most consistent player in the SEC has been Duop Reath, who is averaging 17 points a game in league play.

In other action tonight, Tulane travels to East Carolina. The Wave have lost three straight matchups with the Pirates.

In the Southland…Southeastern Louisiana and UNO are batting for first place. The Lions host Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi, while the Privateers take on Northwestern State in New Orleans.

New Southeastern Louisiana Head Coach Frank Scelfo is asking the North shore area to rally around the Lions football team. Scelfo says through his time across college and the pros, he’s found that getting support from the community is a key to success…
cut 17 (19) “….in them”
Scelfo takes over an S-L-U program that won two conference championships under former head coach Ron Roberts.

The Pelicans had another disappointing loss last night as they fell to the Sacramento Kings 114 to 103. New Orleans was outscored in second-chance points 26-0. Anthony Davis had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Pels who visits Oklahoma City on Friday.

01.31.18
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10:30 LRN Newscast January 31

The TOPS task force is meeting and they are looking at several recommendations to change the popular scholarship program. Governor Edwards has said he doesn’t want to make major changes, but Senate Education Chairman Blade Morrish is proposing a four-thousand dollar stipend for those TOPS Opporutunity recipients, but the award amount would go up for students who achieve a higher ACT score and GPA…
cut 9 (07) “….21st century”
Morrish’s proposal would need legislative approval.

Louisiana has been experiencing a horrendous flu season and today the state is offering free vaccinations for the virus. Regional Health Director Dr. Marilyn Reynaud details who is at the highest risk of getting the flu…
Cut 11 (13) “of age”
The free flu shots will be available from 1-4:30 at more than 60 parish health units.

House Speaker Taylor Barras provides Governor Edwards with budget cutting proposals as part of the negotiations to solve next fiscal year’s billion dollar shortfall. House Republican delegation chairman Lance Harris says they are pushing for a lower spending cap…:
cut 14 (11) “budget reforms”
Edwards asked Republican lawmakers to present a plan on how to address the fiscal cliff which could be discussed in a special session next month.

One of the special guests at last night’s State of the Union was 14-year-old Bella Reed, who was born with cystic fibrois. Congressman Clay Higgins says he’s worked with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to support critical research and advances in eradicating the fatal disease….
cut 5 (10) “…cure it”

01.30.18
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16:45 LRN Sportscast January 30

LSU basketball will be short handed for their matchup with 18th ranked Tennessee. Coach Will Wade has suspended two players for tomorrow night’s game, Wayde Sims and Brandon Rachal for violating team polices. And Mayan Kiir and Galen Alexander are done for the rest of the season, because of discplinary reasons. Not having Kiir and Sims leaves the Tigers short handed in the post. Wade says he will not use that as an excuse…
cut 18 (08) “…figure that out”
Tip-off tomorrow is at 5:30 central time.

Tonight in college hoops, McNeese State can move to 5-4 in the Southland, if they are able to beat Sam Houston State. 6:30 is tip time.

Frank Scelfo was introduced today as the new head football coach of Southeastern Louisiana. The Abbeville native has previously been an offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech and Tulane. Scelfo has also spent time as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL.
The Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings tonight at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans beat the Kings in the first meeting between these two Western Conference foes and the Kings defeated the Pelicans in game two of the regular season series. Its game two without injured All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. The Pelicans are looking to bolster their roster and have spoken to the Chicago Bulls about forward Nikola Mirotic, but ESPN reports the deal couldn’t be completed because of a contract issue.

The Ragin Cajuns have been picked by the league’s coaches to win the Western Division of the Sun Belt. UT Arlington is picked to finish in second place, Texas State third place and ULM was predicted to finish in last place. South Alabama is the favorite to win the East Division.

And Ragin Cajun athletics announced a two-year patnership with Cox Sports Television today. C-S-T will be televising several softball and baseball games this year, including the LSU contest on March 7th.

01.30.18
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15:30 LRN Newscast January 30

The U-S can witness a rare trifecta tomorrow morning of a super moon, a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse. But Jeff Palermo reports Louisiana will not have a great view…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

President Trump has invited two Louisiana residents to tonight’s State of the Union address. Cajun Navy founder Jon Bridgers and Ashlee Leppert, an electronics technician with the U-S Coast Guard in New Orleans. Both invitees rescued Hurricane Harvey victms.

The state is suing three Louisiana businesses for tax evasion amid allegations they didn’t withhold and remit appropriate payroll taxes from employee earnings. Department of Revenue spokesman Byron Henderson says these businesses allegedly misidentified workers as independent contractors…:
Cut 3 (07) “tax withheld”
The companies are Elliott Roofing Services in Metairie, Antunez Painting in Baton Rouge and Extreme Cars and Trucks in Monroe.

The port of New Orleans set a record in 2017 for the number of cruise passengers as one-point-one million set sail from the Big Easy. Spokesperson Donnell Jackson says they are expecting additional growth this year, as the 2500 passenger Royal Caribbean International returns to New Orleans in December. He also says Norwegian Cruise Line will be replacing the Norwegian Pearl..:
ctu 13 (08) “…our of New Orleans”

01.30.18
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11:40 LRN Sportscast January 30

LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade announces reserves Mayan Kiir and Galen Alexander of Breaux Bridge will not play for the Tigers again this season for violating team policies. Wade says Alexander will look to play somewhere else next season, while there’s a chance that the six-foot-nine Kiir will return to the team following the spring semester
cut 17 (19) “…our team”
Wade has also suspended Wayde Sims and Brandon Rachaal for tomorrow night’s game against 18th ranked Tennessee.

Grambling State has won its sixth straight last night as they defeated Mississippi Valley State 92-89 in overtime. Ivy Smith Junior led the way with 26 points. Grambling is now in a three-way tie for second place.

The Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings tonight. New Orleans looking to rebound after a tough loss on Sunday when the Pels squandered a 21 point lead and lost to the Clippers 112 to 103. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

Southeastern Louisiana is set to name Abbeville native Frank Scelfo as the Lions new head football coach. Scelfo graduated from ULM in 1981 and spent eight seasons as the offensive coordinator at Tulane and he was also the O-C at Louisiana Tech from 2007 to 2009.

ESPN has released its 2018 college baseball schedule and LSU is scheduled to appear on ESPN networks 12 times.

UL Lafayette has been picked as the favorite to win the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference in a poll of the league’s coaches. U-T Arlington is picked to finish second, Texas State third and ULM is expected to finish in last place. South Alabama is the preseason favorite to win the East.

01.29.18
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18:30 LRN Newscasts January 29th

New Orleans Police say several French Quarter strip clubs lost their liquor licenses because of criminal activity including prostitution. Michelle Southern reports…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Two people died after their Ford F-250 work truck slammed into an 18-wheeler this morning in Madison Parish. It happened on US Highway 65 near the Tensas Parish line. The two people inside the work truck were killed, 38-year-old Michael Shayne Butler of Jonesville and 36-year-old Richard Hudnall of Jena.

Tax filing season began today. There are several ways to file, including using a tax preparer. If you decide to use a tax preparer to file your return, state department of revenue spokesperson Bryon Henderson says it’s important to find a reputable preparer…
Cut 4 (09) “for you.”
Your federal tax return is due April 17, state returns are due May 15.

Officials cut the ribbon today on the new LSU Center for River Studies, which has a state of art model of the Mississippi River. Director Clint Willson says it gives coastal scientists a powerful tool on how sediment diversion can help in the fight against coastal erosion…:
Cut 6 (12) “have available”
The project is the result of a collaboration between LSU and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

01.29.18
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17:30 LRN Newscast January 29

The head of Louisiana’s Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control says they’ve suspended the liquor licenses for eight French Quarter strip clubs, because they found evidence of prostitution, drug sales and lewd acts. New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison says the investigation’s target was not prostitutes, but human traffickers. He says no one has been charged with human trafficking, but the investigation continues…
cut 11 (06) “…as well”
Hearings are scheduled in Februay to see if the clubs who had their liquor licenses suspended will get them back.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue began accepting state income tax returns today. Spokesperson Bryon Henderson says make sure your personal information is up to date with LDR…:
Cut 5 (10) “contact information”
The state return deadline is May 15th.

The two adults who died when their pontoon boat capsized in a hunting accident in Woodville, Mississippi have been identified. They are Darrin Vince and Madaline Hemba. A child also drowned. Woodville Police Chief Jessie Stewart says the bodies were recovered around 3 PM yesterday and thankfully a fourth person survived….
cut 12 (07) “….notified authorities”

The Slidell Police Department arrests two Gulfport men for allegedly trying to sell fake flat-screen televisions. Detective Daniel Seuzeneau says they got a report about the suspects’ activities taking place at a gas station near a Mardi Gras parade route. He says cops moved in to check the serial numbers on the TVs, and quickly learned they weren’t stolen…:
Cut 14 (10) “inside the boxes”
The two men have been charged with theft by fraud.

01.29.18
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16:45 LRN Sportscast January 29

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri plans on starting the 2018 season by using Zack Hess as a starting pitcher. The sophomore right-hander excelled out of the bullpen last season, but Mainieri believes the flame thrower is best suited to be a starter this year and not the team’s closer…
cut 19 (19) “…starting pitcher”
Mainieri has Hess as his Saturday night starter, while he plans on Caleb Gilbert being the Friday night pitcher. Todd Peterson could be the third starter in the weekend rotation.

Southeastern Lousiaina will reportedly introduce its new head football coach tomorrow. Football Scoop-dot-com reports it will be Frank Scelfo, who is a ULM grad and has previously been an offensive coordinator at Tulane and Louisiana Tech.

The Pelicans blew a 21-point first half lead and lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 112 to 103 in the team’s first game since the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins. The loss dropped New Orleans into a sixth place tie with Portland in the Western Conference standings. New Orleans hosts Sacramento tomorrow night.

In college basketball, after getting thumped by Auburn 95-70 last Saturday, LSU faces another ranked opponent on Wednesday night. The Tigers visit 18th ranked Tennessee for a 5:30 tip.

The Ragin Cajuns are 19-3, but they are not getting any votes for the Top 25. UL Lafayette begins a three-game road trip on Saturday when they visit ULM.

In the Southland, UNO leads with an 8-2 record, a half-a-game better than Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State. The Privateers host Northwestern State on Wednesday and then Nicholls makes a trip to Lakefront Arena on Saturday.

Tonight Grambling is at Mississippi Valley State.