10:30 LRN Newscast September 22nd

Governor John Bel Edwards told listeners on his monthly call-in show that he remains very confident the federal government will approve an aid package to help flood flood victims recover. The state has requested two-point-six billion dollars in federal funding, but Edwards doesn’t expect the full amount at once…
cut 12 (09) “…relief package”
Edwards is in Washington DC again for more discussions with Congressional members.

Today is the first day of fall and Louisianans can expect above average temperatures and below normal rainfall. That’s according to state climatologist Barry Keim, who says the basis for this forecast is the high probability for a La Nina..:
Cut 8 (08) “the state”
It will be another hot day across Louisiana, but cooler temperatures are in the forecast for next week.

A new poll on the presidential race in Louisiana shows Republican Donald Trump with a 16-percentage point lead over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Southern Media and Opinion Research pollster Bernie Pinsonat says Trump has high negatives at 47-percent, but that nearly as bad as Clinton’s…
cut 7 (10) “…to win”
Clinton’s unfavorable rating in Louisiana is 60-percent.

Two unusual homicides in Lafayette are apparently connected. Police say A woman’s body was found stuffed in a toolbox on Tuesday was in a relationship with the naked man who was fatally shot last week, allegedly trespassing in a person’s backyard. Corporal Bridgett Dugas says Dugas says police are actively searching for the vehicle the couple was travelling in….
cut 16 (09) “….license plate”
The cause of death from the woman found in the toolbox has not been released.

16:45 LRN Sportscast September 21st

A former LSU player told a Baton Rouge radio station that Tigers Quarterback Brandon Harris received death threats following the season opening loss to Wisconsin, and it really bothered him. Jamie Howard, who was the starting quarterback for LSU in the early 90s, said he gave Harris some advice because he was having a hard time with the death threats.

Meanwhile, the Tigers continue preparations for Saturday’s match-up with the Auburn Tigers. LSU Linebacker Kendell Beckwith and safety Jamal Adams are two of LSU’s leading tacklers. LSU defensive coordiantor Dave Aranda says believes those two can be bigger playmakers as the season goes along…
cut 18 (16) “…matched up”
LSU’s defense produced six sacks last week, while Auburn ranks last among FBS schools in sacks given up with nine.

Several NFL reporters say the Saints will likely put cornerback PJ Williams on injured reserve. Williams was carted off the field last Sunday after taking a knee to the helmet twice while trying to make a tackle. He lost consciousness and spent the night at a local hospital. Coach Sean Payton said yesterday that Williams is fine. Williams spent all of last year on injured reserve, because of a hamsting injury.

Northwestern State is looking to avoid an 0-4 start when they visit Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. The Demons have been struggling on offense. The most points they’ve scored in a game this year is 18, which they did in a 21-18 loss to Incarnate Word.

Grambling’s offense has been clicking. The Tigers won their SWAC opener last week by beating Jackson State 35-14. This Saturday Grambling hosts Alcorn State at 6 PM.

Louisiana Tech looks for a much better performance this Saturday when they visit Middle Tennessee for the Conference USA opener.

LRN Newscall PM September 21st

A new independent poll on Louisiana’s US Senate race shows its tightening. Jeff Palermo has the story..

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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A new app has been developed to help identify the more than 350 caskets that were uprooted in the recent flood in south Louisiana. Don Molino has more…

CUT 2 (26)  “I’m Don Molino”

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A new independent poll on the election for US Senate in Louisiana finds a tight race. Republican State Treasruer John Kennedy still leads the Southern Media and Opinion Research survey of 500 likely voters with 17-percent. But Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says GOP Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany is only two-percentage points back….

CUT 3 (10)  “his ads”

The poll was conducted from September 15th to the 17th. Pinsonat says Democrat Caroline Fayard has improving poll numbers as well as she’s up to 11-percent…

CUT 4 (06)  “in New Orleans”

The poll shows Democrat Foster Campbell at nine-percent and Republican Congressman John Fleming at eight percent. Pinsonat says this survey shows there’s five candidates who can still make the runoff…

CUT 5 (06)  “barn burner”

==================================================

While the August flood destroyed homes and impacted thousands of people in south Louisiana, the living were not the only ones affected. Department of Health Program Manager in Emergency Preparedness, Henry Yennie, says over 350 graves were disrupted in at least 8 parishes, and they’ve come up with a solution to get the deceased back to their final resting place.

CUT 6 (09) “the carrier”

Yennie says so far they have identified roughly 15-percent of the caskets that were disrupted in the recent flood. He says the hardest hit cemeteries are in northern Livingston parish and St. Helena parish. He says they’ve already starting using the new app as they identify the disrupted caskets.

CUT 7 (11) “identify people”

Yennie says it will be a while before the barcode system can be implemented on a larger scale. But he says in the next six months they want to put it to use targeting at risk cemeteries.

CUT 8 (10) “these barcodes”

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Millions of drivers waste money on premium gasoline, according to a new study from AAA. Spokesperson Don Redman says over 16 million drivers are putting higher octane gas in their cars, and paying more for it, when their vehicle doesn’t require it.

CUT 9 (10) “regular gasoline”

Redman says they encourage people to check their car’s owner’s manual to see what kind of gas their car requires. He says 70-percent of vehicles on the road just need regular gas.

cut 10 (09)  “your money”

Redman says some high end vehicles do require premium gas because of the way the engine is calibrated. He says the only differences between regular and premium gas are the octane levels and the price.

Cut 11 (08) “gallon difference”

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Lafayette Police are trying to get some answers in the case of a body that was discovered in a tool box. Corporal Bridgette Dugas says they received a call around 4pm Tuesday in reference to a possible deceased person enclosed in some type of bin…:

cut 12 (04) “inside a tool box”

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact authorities. Dugas says they are working to identify the victim and also the cause of death. She says details about how the box got there are scarce…:

Cut 13 (04)  “inside of the tool box”

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A West Monroe police officer who fatally shot a man in 2014 has been found not guilty of negligent homicide. Officer Jody LeDoux shot Raymond Martinez, who according to the evidence was drunk and belligerent outside of a store. Defense Attorney Mickey Dubose says despite the controversy surrounding the case, he was confident LeDoux acted properly….

cut 14 (11)  “to fire”

Dubose says Martinez reached for a silver object inside a newspaper bin that LeDoux believed to be a gun, but it turned out to be a silver flip phone. A total of nine witnesses were called during the trial, including the accused. Dubose says experts also testified about the incident.

cut 15 (10) “to surrender”

If convicted, LeDoux was charged with five years in prison. Dubose says he’s not sure whether or not LeDoux will go back to work at WMPD.

cut 16 (08) “future holds”

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14:30 LRN Newscast September 21st

An independent poll released today shows that Republican Treasurer John Kennedy’s once sizable lead in the US Senate race has been trimmed to two-percent. Southern Media and Opinion Research pollster Bernie Pinsonat says GOP Congressman Charles Boustany has closed the gap…
cut 5 (06) “…barn burner”

A West Monroe police officer who fatally shot a man in 2014 has been found not guilty of negligent homicide. Officer Jody LeDoux shot Raymond Martinez, who according to the evidence was drunk and belligerent outside of a store. Defense Attorney Mickey Dubose says…
cut 14 (11) “…to fire”
Dubose says LeDoux used his gun when he thought Martinez was reaching for a gun that turned out to be a cell phone.

Triple-A says American drivers wasted over two-point-one billion dollars in the last year by fueling their vehicles with premium gasoline when their vehicles called for traditional regular fuel. Spokesperson Don Redman says don’t use premium gas, unless your car’s owner’s manual calls for it…
cut 11 (08) “…gallon difference’

A new app has been developed to help identify the more than 350 caskets that were uprooted in the recent flood in south Louisiana. Don Molino has more…
voicer 2 (26) “I’m Don Molino”

11:30 LRN Newscast September 21st

A new independent poll on the election for US Senate in Louisiana finds a tight race. Republican State Treasruer John Kennedy still leads the Southern Media and Opinion Research survey of 500 likely voters with 17-percent. But Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says GOP Lafayette Congressman Charles Boustany is only two-percentage points back….
cut 3 (10) “…his ads”
Pinsonat says Democrat Caroline Fayard has improving poll numbers as well, as she’s up to 11-percent.

Governor John Bel Edwards will host his Ask the Governor program at two o’ cock this afternoon on many of these same stations. The governor is also scheduled to fly into Washington DC tonight to continue conversations with members of Congress about federal flood recovery dollars.

Two Louisiana metro areas are the fastest growing economies in the country, while two others are the fastest shrinking. Data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis says Lake Charles and Baton Rouge are growing very fast, while Houma-Thibodaux and Lafayette are struggling. The numbers show Houma-Thibodaux has the nation’s second-worst economy.

While the August flood destroyed homes and impacted thousands of people in south Louisiana, the living were not the only ones affected. Department of Health Program Manager in Emergency Preparedness, Henry Yennie, says over 350 graves were disrupted in at least 8 parishes, and they’ve come up with a solution to get the deceased back to their final resting place.
CUT 6 (09) “the carrier”
Yennie says it will be a while before the barcode system can be implemented on a larger scale.

10:30 LRN Newscast September 21st

A summer for the weather record books comes to an end today. Jeff Palermo has the story….
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

There are more and more flood damaged homes on the market that are listed as “Currently Damaged.” Baton Rouge area realtor Ginger Maulden says we could see this last for another year or two. Maulden says many other homeowners are in a waiting game…
cut 9 (11) “…market area”

A six-person jury in Ouachita Parish has found West Monroe police officer Jody Ledoux not guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of a homeless man in 2014. Ledoux testified he thought Raymond Martinez had a gun when he was pulling a silver and gray cell phone from his pocket.

Lafayette Police are trying to determine who stuffed a body inside a toolbox. Officers made the grisly discovery yesterday afternoon after receiving a tip about a possible body at the location. The identity of the victim and cause of the death are unknown.

Twenty-nine people have been arrested in Terrebonne Parish as part of an operation by State Police and local enforcement agencies to reduce gun violence. Trooper Jesse Lagrange says they also seized illegal narcotics and weapons and six-thousand dollars in drug money…
cut 14 (08) “…the streets”
Eighteen arrests were for felony charges.

08:30 LRN Newscast September 21st

Louisiana has two of the country’s fastest growing economies, while also having two of the fastest-shrinking, according to data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. Baton Rouge grew by over 5-percent and Lake Charles grew by about 8-percent. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says Lake Charles has almost 100 billion dollars in industrial projects…
cut 10 (10) “…one place”
The numbers also show Houma-Thibodaux has the nation’s second worst economy, shrinking nearly 8-percent and Lafayette shrunk four-percent.

More and more south Louisiana storm victims are selling their flood damaged homes as is. Baton Rouge area realtor Ginger Maulden says the category “Currently Damaged” is being used to help flood victims track and sell their homes. She says the listing is helpful to investors.
cut 7 (08) “…it later”

State Police partnered with local law enforcement agencies to arrest 29 individuals in Terrebonne Parish during a four-day span in an effort to reduce the gun violence. Drugs and guns were also taken off the streets during the operation. Trooper Jesse LaGrange says they are asking residents to contact authorities about any other criminal activity…
cut 15 (08) “…website”

Today is the final day of what has been a hot and wet summer. Alek Krautmann with the National Weather Service in Slidell says it goes down as one of the warmest summers on record for several Louisiana cities and in New Orleans it was the warmest summer on record since 1947. He says a very warm Gulf of Mexico is to blame.
cut 4 (10) “temperatures”
It will feel like summer today with temperatures in the mid-90s.

07:30 LRN Newscast September 21st

It’s a tale of two different economies in Louisiana. The federal Bureau of Economic Analysis says Houma-Thibodaux and Lafayette are two metro areas that have shrunk the most over the year, while Baton Rouge and Lake Charles are the fastest growing economies in the country. LSU economist Doctor Loren Scott says the growth is the result of the chemical industry and the liquefied natural gas export sector…
cut 11 (11) “…in Asia”

A record setting summer weather wise comes to a close today. Alex Krautmann with the National Weather Service says it goes down as one of the warmest and one of the wettest, with Baton Rouge shattering the previous record….
cut 5 (11) ‘…was received”
It will feel like summer today with high temps in the mid 90s.

Many flood victims in the Baton Rouge area are choosing to sell their flood damaged homes as is. Halen Dougthy has more…
voicer 1 (30) “…I’m Halen Doughty”

After deliberating for one hour, a six-person jury in Ouachita Parish determined West Monroe Police Officer Jody Ledoux was “Not Guilty” of negligent homicide in the shooting death of Raymond Martinez in December of 2014. Ledoux testified he thought the homeless man was reaching for a gun, when he was pulling a silver and gray cell phone from his pocket.

06:45 LRN Sportscast September 21st

18th ranked LSU is getting ready for an Auburn team struggling on offense. The War Eagles have scored a total of 29 points against the two Power 5 teams they’ve played this year. Tigers Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda says the big challenge is all of the formations that Auburn uses…
cut 16 (12) “…main points”
Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn has announced Sean White will remain the Tigers starting quarterback, even though Auburn has struggled to produce big plays through the air.

The Saints have an extra day to prepare for the Atlanta Falcons, who they host on Monday night. Falcons QB Matt Ryan has been sharp this season, completing 73-percent of his passes, with four touchdowns and one interception, but Atlatna’s defense has given up a bunch of points this season.

Louisiana Tech looks for a much better performance this Saturday when they visit Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs allowed 666 total yards in a 59-45 loss to Texas Texas last week. Calling the plays for the Blue Raiders this Saturday will be Tony Franklin. He was the offensive coordinator for Tech from 2010 to 2012.

Grambling’s offense has been clicking. The Tigers won their SWAC opener last week by beating Jackson State 35-14. This Saturday Grambling hosts Alcorn State at 6 PM. Fans are encouraged to wear white for the 6 PM kickoff at Robinson Stadium.

Southern also has a SWAC game this Saturday as the Jaguars visit Alabama A-and-M. Southern has already forced nine turnovers through three games.

In the Southland….Southeastern Louisiana begins the home portion of its schedule by hosting winless Northwestern State. The Lions are 12-and-1 in home openers.

06:30 LRN Newscast September 21st

Two Louisiana metro areas are the fastest growing economies in the country, while two others are the fastest shrinking. Data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis says Lake Charles and Baton Rouge are growing very fast, while Houma-Thibodaux and Lafayette are struggling. LSU Economist Doctor Loren Scott says a decline in drilling in the Gulf is to blame…
cut 12 (10) “…gas industry”
The numbers show Houma-Thibodaux has the nation’s second-worst economy.

One of the warmest and wettest summers in history comes to an end today, with it being the final day of summer. Alex Krautmann with the National Weather Service says a warm Gulf led to high rainfall totals…
cut 6 (10) “….downpours”

There are more and more flood damaged homes on the market that are listed as “Currently Damaged.” Baton Rouge area realtor Ginger Maulden says we could see this last for another year or two. Maulden says many other homeowners are in a waiting game…
cut 9 (11) “…market area”
Governor John Bel Edwards heads to Washington D-C later today for more meetings with members of Congress as he continues to build support for a flood relief package. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy says there’s a dispute over whether to include funding for the Flint, Michigan water crisis with a flood aid package.