16:45 LRN Sportscast October 14th

Saturday night’s game against Southern Miss will be the last non-conference game of the year for the Tigers. That’s because LSU is no longer playing South Alabama on November 19th. Florida has replaced the Jaguars on the schedule and Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says Athletic director Joe Alleva should get credit for getting the Florida game played in Tiger Stadium…
cut 18 (11) “…for him”
LSU will travel to Florida in 2017 and 2018.

LSU will be without one of their starting safeties in Saturday night’s game against Southern Miss. Head Coach Ed Orgeron says senior Rickey Jefferson suffered a serious leg injury in practice this week….
Cut 15 (14) “I know that”
Junior John Battle will take Jefferson’s spot in the starting line-up.

Three Saints players have been ruled out for Sunday’s game against Carolina, offensive tackle Terron Armstead, cornerback Delvin Breaux and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Defensive end Paul Kruger, tight end Josh Hill, guard Senio Kelemete and linebacker James Laurinaits are questionable.

Carolina Quarterback Cam Newton is also listed questionable in the injury report. But Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera says he expects Newton to play “barring a setback” after he missed last Monday night’s loss to Tampa Bay, because of a concussion. Rivera also believes running back Jonathan Stewart will play after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury.

It’s homecoming on the ULM campus this weekend and the Warhawks will host Texas State on Saturday night at Malone Stadium. ULM goes into the game ranked last in the country in rush defense, allowing nearly 300 yards a game on the ground.

Louisiana Tech has had trouble stopping other teams’ passing attacks. The Bulldogs are at UMASS on Saturday. Massachusetts is averaging just over 300 yards of total offense a game.

14:30 LRN Newscast October 14th

After receiving 438-million dollars in federal flood recovery dollars from Congress, US Representative Garret Graves of Baton Rouge told a flood recovery task force that they’ll seek more aid in December. Graves says the Comite River Diversion Project and other flood mitigation plans will be at the top of their funding request…
cut 10 (10) “…and businesses”
The governor’s chief disaster recovery adviser says the first round of money will likely go to low to moderate income homeowners who don’t have the resources to rebuild.

Senate candidate Troy Hebert has lost his legal challenge as he tried to get a state district judge to order Louisiana Public Broadcasting and the Council for a Better Louisiana to include more than five candidates in next week’s US Senate debate. Also, former US Senator Mary Landrieu has endorsed Democrat Caroline Fayard in the Senate race.

Following an explosion at Camp Minden in September, a plan has put into place to dispose over 200-thousand pounds of explosives that contain an unstable chemical compound…
voicer 1 (30) “…I”m Jeff Palermo

A 20-year-old Baton Rouge man has been charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of his mother. Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says the 37-year-old mother and her son were involved in a physical argument…
Cut 6 (10) “striking her”
McKneely says the shooter, Dexter Clay Junior, has been cooperative with detectives.

LRN PM Newscall October 14th

Following an explosion at Camp Minden in September, a plan has put into place to dispose over 200-thousand pounds of explosives that contain an unstable chemical compound. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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At the second meeting of the Restore Louisiana Task Force, Congressman Garret Graves urges members to move quickly as more federal aid is coming. Don Molino has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

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Officials announce plans to dispose of volatile explosives at Camp Minden in Webster Parish that led to a bunker exploding in September. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Brown says there are three bunkers that contain Clean Burning Ignitor, which is deteriorating and becoming more unstable by the day. He says on Monday they will open the doors of one of the bunkers and let the fire out.

Cut 3 (12) “taking off”

The chemical compounds are being stored at Camp Minden after they had been improperly stored by an explosives company that went out of business. The Louisiana National Guard has been burning off M6 propellant in contained burning chambers. Brown says nearly 200-thousand pounds of the CBI will be destroyed, as well as 40-thousand pounds of M6 propellant.

cut 4  (09) “ignitor”

Officials have set three separate dates to burn each of the bunkers, Monday, October 22, and October 29. It will take place early in the morning to take advantage of calm wind. Brown says DEQ and the EPA will be on hand to monitor the air quality. He says they do not anticipate a chain reaction of explosions with their plan.

Cut 5  (10)  “plan in place”

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A 20-year-old Baton Rouge man has been charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of his mother. BRPD Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says the 37-year-old mother and her son got into a verbal argument, which turned physical…

Cut 6 (10) “striking her”

McKneely says when authorities arrived at the scene, Dexter Clay Jr. was applying pressure to the wound on his mother, Melissa Clay. He says Dexter Clay fully cooperated with police…

CUT 7 (07)  “negligent homicide”

McKneely says the mother was transported to a local hospital where she later died. He says the shooting was clearly an accident…

Cut 8 (10) “through it”

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Flood recovery discussions are ongoing, as the Restore Louisiana Task Force is deciding how to spend the $438 million the state has received so far from the federal government. Republican Baton Rouge Congressman Garrett Graves says they will seek more federal assistance, but it’s important for the state to decide quickly how they’ll allocate the first installment of federal funds.

Cut 9 (10)  “be spent”

Graves says Louisiana’s congressional delegation will seek additional funding from Congress when they return for their lame duck session after the November election. He says the Comite River Diversion project and other flood mitigation plans will be at the top of the list for their funding request.

Cut 10 (07) “and businesses”

Graves says the task force needs to come up with specific areas that need disaster funding, like home repair and mental health. He says it will be easier to get federal dollars approved if Congress understands exactly where the money will go.

cut 11 (10) “next request”

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A 12-year-old and a 14-year-old have been arrested for vandalizing over 50 graves and smashing urns in an Independence Cemetery. Vincent Spitale, president of Colonial Cemetery Association, says this is very upsetting for the families as they have to go through the grieving process again. He says so many things were destroyed.

cut 12 (10) “cement floor”

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office has charged the teens with multiple counts of criminal damage to property, desecration of a grave and simple burglary. Spitale says all the name plates were broken and the doors will have to be replaced. He says he wishes he could understand why the teens did a heinous act like this…

Cut 13 (03) “from it”

Spitale says they aren’t sure how much it will cost to repair the cemetery. He says family members of those whose graves were damaged or destroyed came out to see the destruction.

cut 14 (07) “this time”

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LSU will be without one of their starting safeties in Saturday night’s game against Southern Miss. Head Coach Ed Orgeron says senior Rickey Jefferson suffered a serious leg injury in practice this week….

Cut 15 (14) “I know that”

Junior John Battle will take Jefferson’s spot in the starting line-up.. Coach O’ says the whole team is ready to play after an unexpected week off and the death of the school’s live mascot…

Cut 16  (12)  “on Saturday night”

13:30 LRN Newscast October 14th

At a meeting of the Restore Louisiana Task Force, Congressman Garret Graves urges members to move quickly as more federal aid is coming. Don Molino has more…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Don Molino”

Baton Rouge Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old mother by her own son. Sergeant L’Jean McKneely says the two were having a physical argument and the 20-year-old son, Dexter Clay Junior, was holding a gun…
cut 8 (10) “…through it”
Clay has been charged with negligent homicide.

Louisiana Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Brown says three bunkers at Camp Minden in Webster Parish contain chemical compounds that are becoming volatile. Brown says on Monday, a robot will open the doors of one of the bunkers to let the fire out…
cut 5 (10) “….plan in place”
Brown says if all goes well early Monday morning, then they’ll do the other two bunkers later in October.

In Tangipahoa Parish, a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old have been arrested for vandalizing over 50 graves and smashing urns in an Independence Cemetery. Vincent Spitale, president of Colonial Cemetery Association, says so many things were destroyed….
cut 12 (10) “…cement floor”
The teens are facing several charges.

11:40 LRN Sportscast October 14th

LSU will not play South Alabama on November 19th, they’ll instead make up the missed game against SEC foe Florida and inside Tiger Stadium. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says this could be good for Interim Head Coach Ed Orgeron who is looking to get the job on a permanent basis…:
CUT 17 (08) “might be yours”
Those five games are Ole Miss, Alabama, at Arkansas, Florida and at Texas A&M. Tomorrow night, the Tigers will host Southern Miss. LSU will have a new starter at safety as Rickey Jefferson broke a bone in his leg and he’ll miss significant time. John Battle will likely replace Jefferson in the defensive backfield.

Tonight, Tulane hosts Memphis. Tomorrow, Louisiana Tech is at UMASS. Southeastern travels to Stehen F Austin. ULM hosts Texas State for homecoming, McNeese hosts Central Arkansas, Northwestern is at Lamar, Southern is at Jackson State and Nicholls vists Houston Baptist.

Two teams desperate for a win meet Sunday in the Superdome as the 1-and-3 Saints host the one-and-four Panthers. Carolina is one of the big disappoinments in the NFL this season. New Orleans defensive end Cam Jordan says defenses have been able to put more pressure on Carolina quarterback Cam Newton…
cut 20 (10) “…of time”
Newton didn’t play last week, because of a concussion, but he has been cleared to take the field against the Saints.

High school football action….St. James and Lutcher meet in a rematch of last year’s Class 3A state championship game. The contest on CST tonight is St. Thomas More versus Carencro.

10:30 LRN Newscast October 14th

We’re halfway through October, but you wouldn’t know it by the weather. State climatologist Barry Keim it’s abnormally warm and dry this month. He says a lack of clouds and rain is keeping temperatures higher than usual for this time of year.
Cut 8 (07) “future”
He says so far this month Louisiana has only seen one one-hundredth of an inch of rain.

LSU Health New Orleans will be one of 11 sites in the country that will use immunotherapy to treat Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. Director of the LSU Health New Orleans Cancer Doctor Augusto Ochoa says this is huge news, because other forms of treatment were unsuccessful…
cut 5 (11) “…got treated”
The Al Copeland Foundation donated 100-thousand dollars to support this clinical trial.

LSU will play Florida this season and the game will be held in Death Valley on November 19th, instead of the Swamp. LSU’s previously scheduled game for that day against South Alabama has been cancelled. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says swapping out the Jaguars for the Gators, creates a difficult finish to the season….:
Cut 16 (08) “and Texas A&M”
As part of the deal, LSU agreed to play Florida in Gainesville the next two years.

An East Baton Rouge Parish flood victim, who is retired, will be able to pay off his damaged thanks to the Powerball. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says 72-year-old James Lapeze won a one-million-dollar prize by playing Powerball…
cut 15 (10) “…start playing”
After taxes are taken out, Lapeze will take home 700-thousand dollars.

10:30 LRN Newscast October 13th

The deadline for August flood victims to register for federal assistance through FEMA has been pushed back until to November 14th. FEMA spokesperson Kurt Pickering says it’s a sign the federal government remains committed to the recovery in Louisiana, despite the recent destruction from Hurricane Matthew…
cut 6 (08) “….set up”
And the US Housing and Urban Development has made it official. Louisiana will receive 438-million dollars in flood recovery dollars as part of a 500-million dollar disaster aid package approved by Congress last month.

A Baton Rouge judge hears arguments for a second day today regarding a lawsuit concerning next week’s US Senate debate in Ruston. Candidate Troy Hebert believes a government funded organiziation like Louisiana Public Broadcasting should not exclude candidates from the debate. LPB invited five candidates and there’s 24 names on the ballot.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s office says the three inmates who escaped their detention center in August are finally back in police custody. Captain Tony Moran on how they fled…
cut 8 (09) “…and escaped”
The last inmate to be caught was 35-year-old Walshea Mitchell and he was found in Oklahoma. The other two jail birds were located in Colorado and Oregon.

Tulane University researchers are pulling together a number of their researchers and staff in an effort to learn more about the brain. Doctor Laura Levy says they received a 3.7 million dollar donation to jump start the effort and they are also expected to receive federal grants…
cut 15 (09) “….national objective”
She says scientists don’t know much about the brain, and they hope this university-wide collaboration will help them learn more.

LRN AM Newscall October 13th

The deadline for August flood victims to apply for FEMA assistance is extended to November 14th. Emelie Gunn has more on the federal government’s response to the flooding…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Boating fatalities are significantly up, as 22 people have died on Louisiana’s waterways in 2016. Halen Doughty reports the state only had 13 fatal crashes on the waterways at this time last year.

Cut 2 (27) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Tulane researchers are teaming up in a university-wide collaboration to learn more about the brain. Jeff Palermo has more on the schoo’s new Brain Institute…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The deadline for August flood victims to apply for FEMA aid or low interest loans from the Small Business Administration has been extended until to November 14th. FEMA spokesperson Kurt Pickering says this will give people more time to register for assistance. He says so far, individual households in Louisiana have received 699 million dollars in grants to repair their homes.

cut 4  (04)  “150,000”

Pickering says by applying for FEMA aid, it also starts the process to receive an SBA loan, which can provide flood victims up to 200-thousand dollars and up to 2 million dollars for businesses.

Cut 5  (11)  “from us”

Pickering says the federal government remains very committed to the recovery process in Louisiana, despite the massive damage the East Coast received from Hurricane Matthew. He says FEMA staff will not be moved from Louisiana.

Cut 6 (08) “set up”

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Over six weeks and three thousand miles later, three escaped Natchitoches parish inmates are once again behind bars. Capt. Tony Moran with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office says 35-year-old Walshea Mitchell, 24-year-old Michael Elliot, and 34-year-old Willie Ethridge were all captured in different states, and they’re working to figure out how they managed to get that far.

CUT 7 (08)  “the escape”

Moran says Mitchell was captured in Oklahoma yesterday, Elliot was apprehended in Colorado a few days ago, and Ethridge was caught in Oregon a couple of weeks ago. He says the inmates escaped from Natchitoches Parish Detention Center on August 27th.

Cut 8 (09) “and escaped”

Moran says multiple law enforcement agencies in several states worked together to get these criminals back into police custody. He says in addition to the charges they were serving time for, they will all face new charges.

Cut 9 (08)  “on the run”

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Fatalities on Louisiana’s waterways are well above what they were at this time last year, as 7 people died in boating accidents in September alone. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck says there have been 22 deaths this year, compared to only 13 through September of last year. He says most of the deaths could have been prevented.

Cut 10 (08) “the water”

Einck says LDWF conducts boating safety patrols on the waterways to make sure everyone is wearing a life jacket and that the operator is sober. He encourages anyone who is going out on the water to make a plan with your loved ones and always bring your cell phone.

cut 11 (08) “with you”

LDWF has investigated 110 boating crashes so far this year, 12 of which happened in September. Einck says a lot of last month’s accidents involved boaters hitting something in the water. He says it’s important to always be aware of your surroundings.

cut 12 (08) “your speeds”

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Tulane University researchers are teaming up to learn more about the brain in a new collaboration called the Brain Institute. Tulane Vice President for Research, Dr. Laura Levy, says understanding the brain is one of the true frontiers of the life sciences. She says scientists don’t know much about the brain, and they hope this university-wide collaboration will help them learn more.

Cut 13 (09) “disease states”

Levy says the purpose of the Brain Institute is to bring together people from across the university who may not even know each other to collaborate and share ideas. She says graduate and undergraduate students will also be a part of the discussions.

cut 14 (08)  “make progress”

Levy says they received a $3.7 million donation to jumpstart the initiative, and the donors Marta and Bill Marko, set a fundraising goal of $50 million. She says the National Institute of Health is also expected to contribute grants to help with the cost of their research.

Cut 15 (09) “national objective”

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The LSU Tigers are getting closer to taking the field after not playing last Saturday because of Hurricane Matthew. The Bayou Bengals face Southern Miss on Saturday night in Death Valley in just the third ever meeting between the two teams. LSU is a 26-point favorite, but offensive guard Garrett Brumfield says there’s no over looking the Golden Eagles

Cut 16  (10)  “play the game”

Fullback JD Moore says after not having the opportunity to play last weekend, the team is ready to take the field again in Tiger Stadium…

Cut 17 (12)  “to play”

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The Saints welcome the defending NFC Champs to the Superdome this Sunday as they’ll battle the Carolina Panthers at noon. Carolina is a disappointing 1-and-4 on the season, but Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro says don’t let the Panthers record fool you…

Cut 18 (12) “lightly”

New Orleans comes into Sunday’s contest with a 1-and-3 record, but they went into an open week by beating San Diego on October 2nd. Saints cornerback Ken Crawley says both teams will be desperate for a win…

Cut 19 (16)   “be ready”

16:45 LRN Sportscast October 12th

LSU Coach Ed Orgeron says it’s likely star running back Leonard Fournette will miss his second straight game due to an ankle injury. Fournette hasn’t played since the 18-13 loss to Auburn. Coach O said on the SEC coaches teleconference that it’s taken Fournette longer to recover than they thought.

Tonight at Cajun Field, it’s UL Lafayette versus Appalachian State in a nationally televised contest on ESPN Two. Anthony Jennings will start at quarterback against the Mountaineers. The former LSU Tiger was sent to the bench during the double overtime loss to New Mexico State, after throwing two interceptions. But Coach Mark Hudspeth says Jennings has had a great week of practice…
cut 18 (12) “…his attitude”
The turnover bug has bitten UL Lafayette lately, they’ve turned it over seven times in the last three games. Kick-off tonight is at 7 PM.

The NFL’s competition committee says Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks will draw a flag if he continues his bow and arrow touchdown celebration. The league says the gesture mimics a violent act. Cooks says he plans to continue to do the celebration in some form and he’s suprised the NFL is cracking down on what he said started as sign of his faith in God.

The Saints host the Panthers this Sunday. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was back at practice today after missing Monday night’s game because of a concussion. Panthers Coach Ron Rivera has not said if Newton will play against the Saints.

Will Pelicans star Anthony Davis be healthy for the regular season opener, which is two weeks from tonight. Davis turned his ankle in a preseason game against the Rockets today in China and he’ll reportedly miss the next 10 to 15 days.

In college basketball…Natchitoches Central star Brandon Rachal committed to the LSU Tigers today. Six-foot-six wingman has led the Chiefs to Class 5A state title appearance twice in the last three seasons. The four star prospect averaged 15 points and six rebounds a game last year.

15:30 LRN Newscast October 12th

New teachers will be required to go through a full-year classroom residency alongside an experienced teacher as part of getting certified. BESE president Jim Garvey says some teachers have already gone through the apprenticeship as part of a pilot program and gave positive reviews…
cut 7 (10) “…lead teacher”
The one year residency will be required for certification starting July 1st, 2018.

An attorney in Metairie has filed a petition to recall Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni, who has been at the center of sexting scandal involving a 17-year-old boy. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says they need to collect 87-thousand written signatures in six months….
cut 11 (06) “….to vote”
If they are able to get the necessary signatures, then a vote will occur to recall Yenni.
A report from 24-7 Wall Street find that 23-percent of Louisiana adults have at least a four-year degree, but that’s eight percentage points below the national average. Demographer Greg Rigamer says the ability to afford college is one reason why Louisiana is lower than the national average, also many find decent paying jobs without a four-year degree…
cut 15 (09) “…college education”

Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana is concerned about the possibility of an increase child abuse cases, because of the recent floods in Louisiana. Executive Director Amanda Brunson says research shows child abuse rates go up in the three to twelve months following a natural disaster. She says parents having a hard time can call 1-800-children…
cut 5 (10) “…crisis intervention”