10:30 LRN Newscast October 17

Louisiana once again leads the nation for murders, even though the number of killings has declined over the last two decades. Kelley Ray has more…
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

New Orleans Police detectives are investigating the death of a child who was attacked with a knife. Authorities are not releasing much other information. Over the weekend, an 11-month-old was shot and stabbed multiple times in Zachary. The child’s father, 33-year-old Fabian Smith, has been charged with murder.

The state Department of Children and Family Services will determine what will happen next to a child that was born to a 13-year-old girl in Baker. The teen left the child at the doorstep of one of her teachers. Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn says he’s getting the word out, because Louisiana law allows mothers to legally relinquish their newborns without reprcussions…
cut 15 (05) “…for you”
Police suspect the father is also just 13-years-old.

Customers who use the Waitr app for food delivery can make a donation between two to ten dollars and the money will go towards deliverying hot meals to feed needy families during the week of Thanksgiving. Waitr Chief Marketing Officer Sonny Mayugba says they want to make sure Thanksgiving is a day of hope for those who are less fortunate…
cut 11 (13) “…excited about”

17:30 LRN Newscast October 16

The fire is out at the platform that was the site of an explosion last night on Lake Pontchartrain. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says the platform is just a storage facility and owned by Clovelly Oil Company:
Cut 4 (12) “supply boat”
The Coast Guard is continuing to coordinate the search for a Texas man missing since the explosion occurred.

Investigators are piecing together the strange case of a baby born to a 13-year-old girl. Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn says the family wasn’t aware she was pregnant and gave birth in her bedroom. Dunn says the teen decided to drop the newborn off, with the umbilical cord still attached on a school teacher’s front porch…
Cut 13 (07) “right place.”
Police suspect the father is also just 13-years-old.

Zachary police say a man accused of allegedly murdering his 11-month-old baby is in custody. 33-year-old Fabian Smith is charged in the death of Jericho Smith. Police arrived on the scene to find the baby lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds. Police Chief David McDavid says Smith did not own up to the incident initially…
cut 6 (08) “….tragic event”
An autopsy report has determined the child stabbed and shot multiple times.

Voters approved all three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says with the passage of amendment two, spouses of all first responders who die while on duty will receive a full property tax exemption and it’s retroactive….
cut 10 (10) “…valuable job”

16:45 LRN Sportscast October 16

It wasn’t Drew Brees’ best performance as he threw two interceptions yesterday, one went for a touchdown, but the Saints still beat Detroit 52-38. Brees says there’s a lot of mistakes that need to be corrected going forward…
cut 20 (20) “….get better”
New Orleans goes after its fourth straight win this Sunday in Green Bay. The Saints will not have to worry about Aaron Rodgers. The Packers star QB has a broken collarbone and he’ll need surgery, likely ending his 2017 season. Brett Hundley will start against the Saints this Sunday.

New Orleans is a half-game back of Carolina for first place in the NFC South.

There are positive vibes surrounding the LSU football team after they came back from a 20-point deficit to beat Auburn 27-23. A fumble and blown coverage on defense led to a quick 14-0 lead for Auburn. But Tigers Coach Ed Orgeron says his players didn’t dwell on the mistakes…
cut 30 (16) “….to the next”
LSU is at Ole Miss on Saturday. Orgeron hinted that starting left tackle KJ Malone could miss several weeks with an undisclosed injury.

In the latest FCS Coaches poll, Grambling State is up to number 17. The Tigers take on Alcorn State this Saturday in a rematch of last year’s SWAC title game.

McNeese is ranked 19th and Nicholls is 20th. The Colonels are off this Saturday, while the Cowboys host Incarnate Word.

16:30 LRN Newscast October 16

The search continues for a missing worker after an oil and gas platform exploded in Lake Pontchartrain on Sunday…
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

New Orleans is on the verge of electing its first female mayor. Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell and former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet are in the November 18 runoff. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says with history in the making, expect to hear more about this race…
Cut 12 (07) “sharp edged.”

An autopsy on an 11-month old East Baton Rouge child finds that the infant was shot, stabbed and beaten. Authorities have charged 33-year-old Fabian Smith with first-degree murder. Zachary Police Chief David McDavid says they responded to the home after another child in Smith’s house alerted a neighbor of what happened…
cut 8 (07) “….call 9-1-1″
Police are still searching for a motive.

Baton Rouge police say a homeowner fatally shot another man during a verbal altercation in his front yard. Sergeant Don Coppola says 26-year-old Clayton Bradford died at the scene on West Brock Place…
cut 16 (11) “…fired”
Coppola says the 36-year-old shooter is cooperating and no arrests have been made as of yet.

15:30 LRN Newscast October 16

Zachary Police have charged a 33-year-old man with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting, stabbing and beating an 11-month old child. Police Chief David McDavid says they found several weapons in the house and the autopsy shows the baby died of multiple stab and gunshot wounds….
cut 7 (06) “…head also”
McDavid says Fabian Smith was the only adult home at the time of the murder. A motive hasn’t been established.

Also in East Baton Rouge, Baker Police say a 13-year-old secretely gave birth to a child and then left the baby, with the umbillica cord still attached on a teacher’s front porch. Authorities say the mother’s parents didn’t know their child was pregnant, but the baby appears to be healthy.

The search continues for a missing worker who was present during an explosion on an energy platform in Lake Pontchartrain. Three other workers are in critical condition.

The statewide turnout for Saturday’s special election for state treasurer was just 13-percent. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says the two men who made the runoff, Democrat Derrick Edwards and Republican John Schroder have their work cut out for them, when it comes to securing votes….
cut 13 (09) “…a ballot”
The runoff is November 18.

The three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot all passed. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott, says with the passage of amendment three, the state has created a new fund that will only receive money, if the legislature decided to increase the gasoline tax….
cut 11 (07) “…have now”
Scott says that means new revenues from a gasoline tax must go towards highway construction. The approval of amendment one means property taxes can not be collected during construction work of a home or business.

LRN PM Newscall October 16

The search continues for a missing worker after an oil and gas platform exploded in Lake Pontchartrain on Sunday. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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New Orleans will see it’s first female mayor in it’s history.  Kelley Ray has more on the upcoming runoff election…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

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Three victims from last night’s energy platform explosion on Lake Pontchartrain remain in critical condition and the search for one of the workers continues today. Jefferson Parish EMS Director Mike Guilliot says seven people were taken to the hospital

Cut 3 (14) “were discharged”

Officials can’t find any environmental impacts from the blast and the Coast Guard says the platform is no longer burning. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto says the platform is just a storage facility and owned by Clovelly Oil Company. Lopinto says the explosion occurred at 8 PM on Sunday

Cut 4  (12) “supply boat” 

Officials say cleaning chemicals used during a maintenance operation could be a possible cause. Lopinto is not releasing much information on the 8th worker that remains missing…

Cut 5  (12)  “find em”

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Zachary police say a man accused of allegedly murdering his 11-month-old baby is in custody.  33-year-old Fabian Smith is charged in the death of Jericho Smith.  Police arrived on the scene Saturday to find the baby lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds.  Police Chief David McDavid says Smith did not own up to the incident initially…

Cut 6 (08)  “tragic event.”

McDavid says they found multiple weapons in the house and the autopsy shows the baby died of stab and gunshot wounds…

Cut 7 (06) “head also.” 

McDavid says neighbors called 9-1-1 after other children in the Smith’s house ran next door telling them what happened…

Cut 8 (07) “call 911.”

Fabian Smith was the only adult home at the time of the murder.

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The three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot passed and are now law. President of the Public Affairs Research Council Robert Travis Scott says the first amendment which establishes a property tax exemption for construction work in progress will make things more certain for tax assessors.

Cut 9 (11)  “be taxed”

Amendment number two expands an already existing law and will give the spouses of volunteer firefighters, EMS, and paramedics who die on duty, a full property tax exemption on their home. Scott says this will be retroactive to those who have already suffered this tragedy.

Cut 10 (10) “valuable job”

Scott says with the passage of amendment three, the state has created a new fund within the transportation fund. He says this fund will receive any new money if the legislature decided to increase the gas tax.

Cut 11 (07) “have now” 

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New Orleans is on the verge of electing its  first female mayor.  Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell and former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet are in the November 18 runoff. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says with history in the making, more attention will be drawn to the Mayor’s race in the runoff election…

Cut 12 (07) “sharp edged.” 

Voter turnout for the Mayoral primary was 32 percent.  The state Treasurer’s race will also be decided next month. Dubos expects a less than 10 percent turnout statewide. He says Democrat Derrick Edwards and Republican John Schroder have their work cut out for them, when it comes to securing votes.

Cut 13 (09)  “a ballot.”

Dubos says even though New Orleans has never had a female mayor, it’s not a big surprise to see two women in the runoff.

Cut 14 (12) “have two.”

A dismal 13 percent voters, representing about 400,000, participated statewide on Saturday.

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Detectives in Baton Rouge are investigating a fatal shooting last night that left a 26-year-old dead after a homeowner claims he brandished a firearm and charged at him. BRPD Sgt. Don Coppola says the 36-year-old homeowner told police he was standing in his yard when he shot Clayton Bradford after a verbal altercation.

Cut 15 (10) “crimes unit”

Coppola says the investigation is still under investigation so there is no word on if the homeowner faces any charges. He says the two had a verbal altercation in the homeowner’s front yard when things turned ugly.

Cut 16  (11)  “fired”

14:30 LRN Newscast October 16

An autopsy on an 11-month old East Baton Rouge child finds that the infant was shot, stabbed and beaten. Authorities have charged 33-year-old Fabian Smith with first-degree murder. Zachary Police Chief David McDavid says they responded to the home after another child in Smith’s house alerted a neighbor of what happened…
cut 8 (07) “….call 9-1-1”
Police are still searching for a motive.

In nearby Baker, police say a 13-year-old secretly gave birth to a child and then left the baby on her teacher’s front porch. The umbilical cord was still on the newborn. Police believe the girl gave birth to the child herself and her parents didn’t even know she was pregnant. The father is also believed to be 13-years-old. But Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn told a Baton Rouge TV station that the baby is fully healthy.

New Orleans will see it’s first female mayor in it’s history. Kelley Ray has more on the upcoming runoff election…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kelley Ray.”

Voters approved all three constitutional amendments on Saturday’s ballot. Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott says with the passage of amendment two, spouses of all first responders who die while on duty will receive a full property tax exemption and it’s retroactive….
cut 10 (10) “…valuable job”

11:40 LRN Sportscast October 16

For the first time since 2013 the Saints have a winning record. New Orleans scored a franchise best three defensive touchdowns in one game to beat Detroit 52-38. The 52 points scored ties a club record for second most points scored in one game and the Black and Gold forced five turnovers, which is the most ever in the Sean Payton era. But Payton is not pleased about his team almost allowing the Lions to rally back from a 35-point deficit…
cut 19 (12) “…continue to win”
New Orleans is now 3-and-2 and they have a good chance at winning its fourth straight game this Sunday in Green Bay. That’s because Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone and could miss the rest of the season.

The LSU Tigers are once again ranked in the Top 25 polls after their historic come from behind win over Auburn. LSU trailed by 20 points, but roared back to beat their SEC West rival 27-23. The defense held Auburn to 64 yards in the 2nd half, D.J. Chark returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and Connor Culp kicked two field goals in the final three minutes. Head Coach Ed Orgeron…
Cut 16 (20) “football game”
This Saturday the Tigers are at Ole Miss. The Rebels are 3-and-3 overall, 1-and-2 in the SEC. They are led by former Calvary Baptist Quarterback Shea Patterson. Kick-off is at 6:15.

LRN AM Newscall October 16 ##Updated with sports cuts###

State health officials say now is the time for Louisianans to get their flu shot, as the influenza season is starting. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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Looks like the Bayou State has gotten some much needed relief from the heat as a cold front passed through last night. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Congressman Garret Graves is seeking to protect Cajuns, saying they’re endangered.  Kelley Ray has more…

Cut 3 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

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State health officials are reminding Louisianans it’s time to get your annual flu vaccination. Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public Heath Dr. Parham Jaberi says the flu season has begun and doctors are starting to see a small number of cases.

Cut 4  (09) “from now”

LDH will host flu vaccination clinics until December in all parts of the state and residents can visit LDH’s website for locations and dates. Jaberi says walk-ins are welcome. He says the flu shot is free for individuals with insurance and 10 dollars for those without insurance.

Cut 5  (09)  “them somewhere”

Jaberi says it’s important to get a flu shot because the virus is dangerous to young children and the elderly. He says many people think they can get the flu from the vaccine, but that’s not true.

Cut 6 (10) “actual illness”

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A significant cold front moved through the Bayou State leaving us with some much needed relief. State Climatologist Barry Keim says this front has brought in much cooler and drier Canadian air and pushed out the warm Gulf of Mexico air. He says the afternoon highs will be in the 70s in northern parishes and low 80s in the coastal zone.

Cut 7 (11)  “coastal parishes”

Keim says this cool weather will stick around all week long. He says we may have broken the back of summer.

Cut 8 (07) “be over”

Keim says even as temperatures in the 90s subside, expect a warmer than usual autumn.

Cut 9 (11)  “currently getting”

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Baton Rouge Republican Congressman Garret Graves authored legislation seeking to protect Cajuns, saying they are endangered, because of coastal land loss.  He is pushing for them to be protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.  Graves believes the federal government has been mismanaging the Mississippi River system for years, endangering the Cajun’s way of life…

Cut 10 (08)  “primarily live.”

Graves claims endangered species are given extra protections and since the Cajun culture is threatened, he wants them to be afforded the same opportunity…

Cut 11 (13) “same protections.”

He says no matter how his fellow congressman feel, the federal government needs to get out of the business of “land grabbing”…

Cut 12 (09) “that loss.”

Following discussion on the floor and some good natured jabbing, Graves withdrew his amendment from consideration.

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Halloween is only two weeks away and Louisiana residents are rushing to find the hottest costume. Store manager for Halloween Express in Baton Rouge DeMarcus Cox says the most popular costume this year is Pennywise the Clown from the movie It. He says it looks like guys are going for scarier outfits for this Halloween.

Cut 13 (08) “scream man”

Cox says women aren’t on board for the scary theme this year, instead dressing up as female superheroes.

Cut 14 (10) “wonder woman”

Cox says the trends show even kids are looking to be scary with clown costumes. But he says the favorite costume for children is…

Cut 15 (05) “policeman “

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The LSU Tigers are once again ranked in the Top 25 polls after their historic come from behind win over Auburn. LSU trailed by 20 points, but roared back to beat their SEC West rival 27-23. The defense held Auburn to 64 yards in the 2nd half, D.J. Chark returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and Connor Culp kicked two field goals in the final three minutes. Head Coach Ed Orgeron…

Cut 16  (20)  “football game”

It’s the Tigers largest come from behind win at home since 1949. LSU is now 5-2, 2-1 in the SEC. Two weeks ago, some wondered if LSU would finish with a winning record. Now they are in position to compete for an SEC West title. Orgeron says his team never showed any signs of quitting after the upset loss to Troy…

Cut 17 (21)  “have been” 

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The Saints nearly blew a 35-point lead, but an opportunistic Black and Gold defense preserved a 52-38 victory over the Detroit Lions. The Saints defense, which looked very bad at the beginning of the season, forced five turnovers and scored a franchise record three touchdowns in one game. Head Coach Sean Payton credits the pressure put on Detroit QB Matthew Stafford

Cut 18 (17) “sack fumble early” 

An interception in the end zone by Cam Jordan on a batted pass sealed the victory. Before that big play by Jordan, the Lions scored four straight TDs. One of the scores was a punt return and another a pick six. The Saints offense failed to get a first down in eight straight possessions in the second half. Payton not happy with how his team finished

Cut 19 (12) to win“

The Saints have won three in a row and for the first time since 2013 they have a winning record at 3-2. Quarterback Drew Brees tossed two touchdown passes, but only threw for 186 yards and he threw his first two interceptions of the season. Brees says there’s a lot of mistakes that need to be corrected going forward

cut 20 (20)  “get better” 

16:45 LRN Sportscast October 12

The Saints host the Lions on Sunday in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. Detroit has won the last three meetings between the two teams. Head Coach Sean Payton says it’s easy to see why New Orleans lost those games…
cut 20 (19) “….three for the Lions”
Saints wide receiver Willie Snead and offensive tackle Terron Armstead were limted at practice today. The duo could make their season debut on Sunday.

In NFL action tonight….the Eagles are at the Carolina Panthers. Since New Orleans beat the Panthers two weeks ago, Carolina and Cam Newton have looked much better. They lead the NFC South with a 4-and-1 record. New Orleans is 2-and-2 on the season.

It’s game night at Cajun Field as UL Lafayette will host Texas State for a 6:30 PM kickoff tonight on ESPN-U. The Cajuns struggled on defense in their first four games, but looked much better in the win over Idaho last Saturday. Coach Mark Hudspeth says getting pressure on the quarterback was the key
Cut 17 (17) “our success”
The Cajuns are still ranked 128th nationally out of 129 FBS teams in scoring defense.

Auburn seeks its first win in Tiger Stadium since 1999. The 10th ranked Tigers lone loss in 2017 is versus defending national champion Clemson. They are led by quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who is fourth in the SEC in passing yards per game.