09:30 LRN Newscast November 21st

A national polling firm predicts the runoff elections in Louisiana. Michelle Southern takes a look.
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Governor John Bel Edwards has invited community leaders and law enforcement to the State Capitol this morning to discuss the community response to the pending Department of Justice announcement regarding their investigation into the Alton Sterling police shooting. Sterling was shot in July and we’ve been waiting to hear if charges will be filed.

LSU researchers have discovered that oil from the Deepwater Horizon spil has made it into the tissue of the land animal, the Seaside Sparrow. Phillip Stouffer says when we think of oil spills, there’s mainly concern about marine animals, but their research shows wildlife that lives strictly on land can be impacted….
cut 6 (04) “…they’re facing”
Stouffer says the exposure to the oil could damage the birds’ reproductive systems.

The average price for a Thanksgiving dinner made at home is just under 50-dollaars. That’s according to the Louisiana Farm Bureau, who surveyed prices of items that are traditionally consumed on Thanksgiving day. Chair of the Farm Bureau’s women’s committee, Denise Canatella, encourages people to look around for the best deals…
cut 13 (12) “…for you”

08:30 LRN Newscast November 21st

It’s been a year since Governor John Bel Edwards was elected into office. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 3 (27) “…I’m Emelie Gunn”

Governor Edwards has invited Baton Rouge community leaders and law enforcement officials to the Capitol for a meeting this morning to discuss the pending Department of Justice announcement regarding their investigation into the Alton Sterling shooting. Sterling was fatally shot in July after a confrontation with two white police officers and we’ve been waiting to hear if the officers will be charged.

A poll on the third district Congressional race by the Trafalgar Group finds Republican Clay Higgins leading fellow GOP candidate Scott Angelle 49-to-42-percent. Higgins has never held political office before and he’s getting his support from those who voted for Donald Trump….
cut 9 (08) “…Trump effect”
The runoff election is December 10th.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau finds the cost of a Thanksgiving meal in the Bayou State will be below the national average this year, thanks to the hard work of farmers. Chair of the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, Denise Canatella, says they found that families can still affordably provide a bountiful meal on Thanksgiving….
cut 11 (10) “…in Louisiana”
The average price for a Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana is $49.79.

07:30 LRN Newscast November 21st

Governor John Bel Edwards is hosting a meeting at the State Capitol this morning with community leaders and law enforcement officials in response to the pending Department of Justice announcement concerning the Alton Sterling case. The group is expected to talk about how relationships between residents and police officers can improve.

A poll on the third district Congressional race shows law enforcement officer, Captain Clay Higgins, is leading Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle in the runoff between two Republicans. Higgins is at 49-percent, while Angelle is at 42-percent. Pollster Robert Cahaly says this is a hard fought race between establishment Republicans and Trump supporters….
cut 10 (07) “…to Higgins”
In the 4th district congressional race, the poll finds Republican Mike Johnson has a huge lead over Democrat Marshall Jones.

LSU scientists have found the first evidence of Deepwater Horizon oil in a land animal—the Seaside Sparrow. LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources Professor Phillip Stouffer says they believe the oil got into the birds’ system, because they are feeding off the marsh and the oil is trapped in the marsh…
cut 4 (09) “birds’ tissue” 11
Researchers also found that the direct exposure to the oil could be damaging the birds’ reproductive systems.

The average price for a Thanksgiving dinner will be $49.79, which is slightly less than the national average. That’s according to the Louisiana Farm Bureau. Denise Canatella, who is the chair of the Farm Bureau’s Women Committee, says the low prices are a testament to farmers hard work following the floods and drought conditions they’ve dealt with this year…
cut 12 (09) “…low price”
Canatella says Louisiana shoppers can expect to pay less for sweet potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie mix, and pie shells.

06:45 LRN Sportscast November 21st

The LSU Tigers suffered a painful 16-10 loss to Florida. The Tigers had plenty of chances to beat the Gators, but there were too many mistakes, including five trips into the red zone and coming away with just one touchdown. Safety John Battle says the coaches are not the blame for this loss….
cut 17 (18) “…A-and-M”
Interim Head Coach Ed Orgeron’s candidacy to become permanent head coach for the Tigers took a hit with this loss. Orgeron is now 4-and-2 since he took over for the fired Les Miles.

The Baton Rouge Advocate reports Orgeron remains a candidate for the head coaching job, but there’s also great interest in Florida State Head Coach Jimbo Fisher.

A 3:00 kickoff time on Friday has been set for Louisiana Tech’s regular season finale at Southern Miss. The Bulldogs have won seven in a row and they’ve already wrapped up the Conference USA West Division. A win on Friday and they could possibly host the CUSA title game in Shreveport.

A big crowd is expected for Saturday’s Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern. Over 40-thousand tickets have been sold for the game, which is 13-thousand more than last year at this time. Both teams are 8-0 in the SWAC and feature two dynamic quarterbacks, Austin Howard for Southern and Devante Kincade for Grambling.

In the NFL…Tampa Bay won again to move past the Saints into second place in the NFC South. The Bucs are now 5-5 after a nice 19-17 win on the road over Kansas City. Former LSU Tiger Spencer Ware had 69 yards rushing in that contest. The Black and Gold host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The Rams fell to 4-6 after losing to Miami 14-10

06:30 LRN Newscast November 21st

Governor John Bel Edwards was elected into office one year ago today. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the governor has had quite the year. He says he’s had some successes, including the approval of a higher sales tax that prevented the state from bigger budget cuts.
cut 14 (09) “out alive”
Pinsonat says expect Edwards to deal with budget issues for the remainder of his time in office.

A new poll on the U.S. Senate runoff finds Republican John Kennedy with a huge lead over Democrat Foster Campbell. Kennedy leads Campbell 58-to-35 percent in the Trafalgar survey. Pollster Robert Cahaly says there are some national analysts who believe Campbell has a chance, because Edwards beat Republican David Vitter in last year’s governor’s race…
cut 7 (10) “…the Democrat”

The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is slightly below the national average. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

We’re seeing a light freeze across much of Louisiana this morning. But it will warm up to a high around 70. A marginal risk for severe weather in northwest Louisiana tomorrow.

LRN AM Newscall November 20th

A national polling firm predicts the runoff elections in Louisiana. Michelle Southern takes a look.

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Thanksgiving feasts should be affordable, according to the Louisiana Farm Bureau. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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It’s been a year since Governor John Bel Edwards was elected into office. Emelie Gunn has more on what we can expect for the remainder of his term…

Cut 3 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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LSU scientists have found the first evidence of Deepwater Horizon oil in a land animal—the Seaside Sparrow. LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources Professor Phillip Stouffer says they believe the oil got into the birds’ system, because they are feeding off the marsh and the oil is trapped in the marsh…

cut 4  (09) “birds’ tissue” 11

Researchers also found that the direct exposure to the oil could be damaging the birds’ reproductive systems. LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources Associate Professor Sabrina Taylor says the study tells us the oil didn’t affect the offshore and the near shore ecosystems, but the marsh land where the sparrows live.

Cut 5  (11)  “spill is”

Taylor says the oil gets buried under sediments and can be released during storms. Stouffer says when we think of oil spills, there’s mainly concern about marine animals, but their research shows wildlife that lives strictly on land can be impacted….

Cut 6 (04) “they’re facing”

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A survey from a national polling firm on the 2016 runoffs in Louisiana predicts winners. Pollster Robert Cahaly with the Trafalgar Group says some national pollsters thought Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards victory last year meant Democrat Foster Campbell had a shot in the US Senate runoff. But he says there were unusual circumstances surrounding that election.

CUT 7 (10)  “the Democrat”

Republican John Kennedy leads Campbell in the Trafalgar poll 58 to 35-percent. Cahaly says Kennedy is unifying the GOP behind him.

Cut 8 (07) “red state”

Cahaly says the 3rd Congressional District race between Republicans Scott Angelle and Clay Higgins is a good illustration of the divide we’re seeing within the Republican Party nationally.

Cut 9 (08)  “Trump effect”

Cahaly says he’s got Higgins leading Angelle 49 to 42-percent. He says it remains to be seen whether or not Trump supporters are still energized about the election. He says either way, this will be a hard fought race between establishment Republicans and the Trump coalition.

Cut 10 (07)  “to Higgins”

The poll also found that Republican Mike Johnson has a strong lead over Democrat Marshall Jones in the 4th Congressional District race, which Cahaly says isn’t surprising in a red state.

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The Louisiana Farm Bureau finds the cost of a Thanksgiving meal will be below the national average this year, thanks to the hard work of Louisiana farmers and ranchers. Chair of the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, Denise Canatella, says they found that families can still affordably provide a bountiful meal on Thanksgiving.

cut 11 (10) “in Louisiana”

Canatella says Louisiana shoppers can expect to pay less for Thanksgiving favorites like sweet potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie mix, and pie shells. She says the low prices are a testament to farmers’ hard work following the floods and drought they’ve dealt with this year.

cut 12 (09) “low price”

The average price for a Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana  $49.79, which is slightly less than the national average. But Canatella says shoppers will pay a little more for turkey, milk, rolls, whip cream, and a veggie tray. She encourages people to look around to find the best deals.

Cut 13 (12) “for you”

______________________________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards was elected into office one year ago today. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the governor has had quite the year. He says he’s had some successes, including the approval of higher sales tax that prevented the state from bigger budget cuts.

cut 14 (09) “out alive”

Pinsonat says Edwards will likely be dealing with budget issues for the remainder of his years in office. He says despite budget problems, civil unrest from a police shooting and devastating flooding, the governor’s approval rating is high…

Cut 15 (10) “approval rating”

Pinsonat says Edwards faces some uncertainty with a new Republican presidency. He says it might be more difficult for a Democratic governor to get federal assistance…

Cut 16 (09)” the process”

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After a disappointing 16-10 loss to Florida, interim head coach Ed Orgeron’s chances of keeping the job on a permanent basis seem to be dwindling. The Tigers had plenty of chances to beat the Gators, but there were too many mistakes, including five trips into the red zone and coming away with just one touchdown. Safety John Battle says the coaches are not the blame for this loss….

Cut 17 (18) “A-and-M”

LSU came into this season with championship aspirations, instead they are 6-4 heading into the regular season finale. The Tigers lost by a combined 21 points in the four losses. Quarterback Danny Etling says they’ve learned every play matters in major college football…

Cut 18 (13) “ right attitude”

Orgeron says beating Florida would have been a great win for the program, but now they have to focus on the regular season finale against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night…

Cut 19 (10)   “come Thursday”

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast November 18th

For the second straight game, the Saints had a kick blocked and it played a huge role in a second consecutive defeat for the Black and Gold. Coach Sean Payton on the special teams miscue in the 23-20 defeat to the Panthers…
cut 30 (08) “….it’s disappointing”
The Saints are now a disappointing 4-6 and a long shot to make the playoffs.

LSU is a 13.5 point favorite to beat Florida on Saturday, even though the Gators have one of the best defenses in the SEC. Tigers center Ethan Pocic says Florida is excellent at swarming towards the football…
cut 18 (17) “….limit that”
Kick-off on Saturday is at noon.

Good news for duck hunters, surveys find there are over twice as many ducks in Louisiana as there were at this time last year. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says they really aren’t sure why there are so many more ducks, but they have some theories….
cut 27 (10) “…migrants down”
Duck hunting season opens in the east zone tomorrow morning.

In college basketball tonight, LSU hosts North Florida. The Tigers are 2-0 and shooting 53-percent from the field. U-N-F is 1-and-2 on the year.

The Pelicans host Portland tonight. Anthony Davis is expected to play after missing the last game with a quad injury. Tonight also marks guard Jrue Holiday’s first action on the court this season.

10:30 LRN Newscast November 18th

The Restore Louisiana Taskforce is meeting today to discuss how the state will distribute the first round of federal disaster aid for flood victims. Congress approved 438 million dollars worth of assistance. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter Payer, says they are recommending a program that has three different ways the money will be dispersed….
cut 10 (09) “….for reimbursement”
Payer says about 307-million dollars of this first round of money will go to low to moderate income families first.

A strong cold front will move through Louisiana today. State Climatologist Barry Keim says Saturday will be one of the coldest days we’ve experienced in a while…
cut 14 (10) “…quite sometime”
There is a chance for rain today as the front moves through.

Good news for duck hunters, there are twice as many waterfowl in Louisiana as there were last year at this time, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Don Molino has more…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

For the second straight game, the Saints had a kick blocked and it played a huge role in a second consecutive defeat for the Black and Gold. Coach Sean Payton on the special team miscue in the 23-20 defeat to the Panthers…
cut 30 (08) “….it’s disappointing”

09:30 LRN Newscast November 18th

GOP leaders in Washington are planning for the next Congress now that they know a Republican will be in the White House. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Metairie says a strong border security bill is a priority, because the U.S. lacks strong enforcement of the border…
cut 5 (10) “…national security
Scalise says improving the national economy is also a priority.

Duck hunting season opens statewide tomorrow morning as the east zone, joins the West and Coastal zones, which opened last weekend. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says their surveys indicate there are over twice as many ducks than last November, so it should be a good weekend for some hunters…
cut 8 (10) “…few areas”
The Restore Louisiana Task Force meets at this hour to decide how they’ll allocate 438-million dollars in federal flood aid that was approved by Congress in September. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter Payer, says the state wants to first provide relief for those, who are most at risk of losing their home due to a lack of immediate resources…
cut 11 (11) “…and disabled”
Payer says they still anticipate Congress will approve another round of federal aid before the end of the year to help all flood victims

Also at this hour, the joint legislative budget committee meets where they’ll vote on Governor John Bel Edwards plan to eliminate a budget deficit that’s over 300-million dollars. The governor’s proposal includes an 18-million cut to higher education.

08:30 LRN Newscast November 18th

The Restore Louisiana Taskforce meets this morning where it’s expected they’ll approve a plan on how the state will distribute the 438-million dollars in federal flood aid that was approved by Congress in September. The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Julie Baxter, says they anticipate Congress will approve another round of federal aid next month…
cut 12 (10) “….the recovery”
Payer says this first round of federal cash will likely be available to low and moderate income flood victims.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Metairie says GOP leaders in Congress are looking at passing a bill early next year that removes provisions from Obamacare that he says are raising health care costs…
cut 4 (11) “…their doctors”
Scalise says another priority for the new Congress is a strong border security bill.

Duck hunters will love this news. State waterfowl study leader Larry Reynolds says their surveys have found three million ducks are in the state, which is almost two million more than last November. But Reynolds is not sure how long we’ll see this large duck count….
cut 9 (09) “…the season”
Duck hunting season will be open statewide, starting tomorrow morning.

There’s a chance for rain today as a strong cold front swings through the state. But State Climatologist Barry Keim says not everyone will see rain drops…
cut 15 (08) “…that regard”
It will be a chilly Saturday. Highs in the low 60s with a good breeze from the north.