LRN Sportscast 16:45 August 5

LSU’s quarterback battle between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris resumes tomorrow as the Tigers begin fall camp. Jennings missed a good portion of summer workouts because he was suspended following his arrest for an alleged break-in. Coach Les Miles was asked today if Harris was able to get a leg-up on Jennings in the quarterback derby…
cut 30 (12) “….early and late”
Miles also said today that defensive lineman Maquedis Bain, who was arrested along with Jennings, was never reinstated to the team, which is why he is no longer on the team.

LSU comes in at number 23 in the Sports Illustrated preseason college football Top 25 poll. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran believes LSU can win at least ten games this season…
cut 18 (11) “…from that”

After taking yesterday off, The Saints resumed training camp today in West Virginia with safety Jairus Byrd still on the physically unable to perform list. It’s persumed that Byrd is still rehabbing a knee injury that ended his season after four games last year. Coach Sean Payton says Byrd is progressing well and sooner rather than later, he’ll be back on the field.

Former Saints running back Pierre Thomas had a workout with the Houston Texans, but his agent says he will not be signing with the Texans at this time. Houston has a need at running back, because of a groin injury suffered by Arian Foster.

ULM athletics director Brian Wickstrom has reportedly spoke with the University of Akron about their vacant A-D position.

ULM men’s basketball released its 2015-16 schedule today. The Warhawks open the season on November 13th when it hosts McMurry University. The Warhawks will travel for non-conference games against Minnesota, Northwestern State, Houston, Penn State and West Virginia.

11:40 LRN Sportscast August 5

The LSU Tigers are reporting for fall camp today. The Bayou Bengals head into the 2015 season ranked 13th in the coaches poll. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran expects LSU’s defense to be very good this year, even though John Chavis is no longer the defensive coordinator…
cut 17 (20) “….Ed Paris”
Moran believes LSU can win at least ten games this year.

The Saints were back on the practice field in West Virginia this morning after getting a day off from training camp yesterday. Safety Jairus Byrd remains on the physically unable to perform list. Coach Sean Payton said today that Byrd is progressing well and he hopes he’ll return to the field sooner than later.

ULM athletics director Brian Wickstrom is interested in the vacant athletics director job at the University of Akron. Wicksrom has been at ULM for about two years and during that time several of the athletic facilities have undergone some sort of renovations, including the construction of a four-point-one million dollar football end zone facility.

The Houston Texans are reportedly set to sign former Saints running back Pierre Thomas. Houston needs a running back, because Arian Foster is out with a groin injury. Thomas is 30-years-old and was let go by the Saints in March. Thomas played for eight seasons with the Black and gold and rushed for 37-hundred yards and 28 touchdowns.

A judge in Illinois has found a 58-year-old Saints fan guility of shoving Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey to the ground last December. Richard Kohnke of New Orleans was found guility of a misdemeanor charge of battery and sentenced to six months of court supervision. Kohnke was sitting in McCaskey’s seats during last year’s Bears game at Soldier Field and Kohnke ended up pushing McCaskey to the ground.

17:30 LRN Newscast August 4

Governor Bobby Jindal will not participate in a primetime republican presidential debate on Thursday. The governor failed to poll high enough in five recent national polls to be one of the ten candidates to appear in the Fox News debate. Jindal will have the opportunity to take part in a debate of second tier candidates, which will take place Thursday afternoon in Cleveland.

US crude oil prices went up slightly today to $45.55 a barrel, but crude prices have fallen 20 percent in the past month. LSU economist Doctor Loren Scott says this is having a negative impact on jobs tied to oil and gas. Scott says it’s difficult to forecast oil prices but he expects the price of crude to turn around in the near future…
cut 8 (08) “…back up again’

The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team has released their updated forecast for the 2015 hurricane season and it’s not much different than their June forecast….
cut 1 (30) “…reporting”

Terrebonne Parish deputies arrest a mother in Houma for allegedly leaving her 2-year-old unattended at a car wash. Major Malcolm Wolfe says they got a report about a small child walking alone in the parking lot and apparently the child was previously left alone in the vehicle.…:
CUT 9 (09) “alone”
The mother, 33-year-old Sumer Boudloche is charged with child desertion.

16:45 LRN Sportscast August 4th

No practice for the Saints today as the players got a day off from training camp. So far the big stories after five days of camp, safety Jairus Byrd is on the physically unable to perform list and first round pick, Andrus Peat, has struggled at offensive tackle.

The LSU football team will report for fall camp tomorrow. The Tigers will begin practicing Thursday morning. The first scrimmage is set for Saturday August 15th. Football media day and fan day will take place the next day on August 16th.

The LSU men’s basketball team held a couple of workouts today as they prepare for an exhibition trip to Australia. The team leaves for the land Down Under on August 11th. They will play five games between August 15th and the 22nd. Coach Johnny Jones says he likes the mixture of vets and freshmen on his team. He say freshmen Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson have a lot of tools on the defensive end.

The annual Bayou Classic football game between Southern and Grambling will not be aired on network television this year. Instead the game will be shown on the NBC Sports Network and the kickoff time has been moved from the traditional 1:30 time slot to 4 PM.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp and he’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

But LSU fans are more concerned about the number one recruit in the Class of 2017. University High running back and linebacker Dylan Moses has de-committed from LSU as he wants to experience the recruiting process prior to national signing day in 2017. Derek Ponamsky of Bayou Bengals Insider-dot-com says Texas and Alabama will likely spend a lot of time recruiting Moses…
cut 30 (09) “….shape there’

LRN PM Newscall August 4

The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team has released their updated forecast for the 2015 hurricane season and it’s not much different than their June forecast. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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

The price of US crude oil has fallen to its lowest price in four months and LSU economist Dr. Loren Scott says it’s having a negative impact on economies in Louisiana. Jeff Palermo reports…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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

The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team has released their updated forecast for the 2015 hurricane season and it looks very much the same as their June forecast. Researchers originally predicted eight named storms with three hurricanes and one major hurricane. Lead author, Dr. Phil Klotzbach, says this update actually lowers the number of expected hurricanes this season…

CUT 3 (09)  “or five hurricane”

The new forecasts calls for five more named storms, two hurricanes, and one major hurricane. Klotzbach says the primary reason for the below-normal season is because of very strong vertical wind shears because of a strong El Nino…

CUT 4 (08)  “the storms”

He says the probability of a major hurricane making landfall along the Gulf Coast is just 12-percent, well below the full-season average of 30-percent. Klotzbach says although a below-average hurricane season is forecast, that doesn’t mean a storm won’t impact Louisiana…

CUT 5 (10) “the United States”

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

The price of US crude oil has fallen to its lowest price in four months and it is having a negative impact on economies in Louisiana. The current price for a barrel of US crude is just $45 a barrel, down from $61 a barrel on June 10th. LSU economist Dr. Loren Scott says the drop in price has caused job loss in communities heavily tied to oil and gas, like Lafayette and Houma…

CUT 6 (08)  “them at all”

As oil prices continue to plummet, some of the best paying jobs in the state are lost. He says job losses are spread throughout the oil and gas industry, from supply boats to helicopters to the drilling rigs themselves. Scott believes, as we get into the fall, there will be a significant drop in oil production in the US…
CUT 7 (06) “in the shale play”

He says the number of working rigs has dropped by nearly half of what they were a year ago. Scott says it’s difficult to forecast oil prices but expects the price of crude to turn around in the near future…

CUT 8 (08)  “back up, again”

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

Terrebonne Parish deputies arrested a mother in Houma for leaving her child unattended in a hot car for several minutes at a carwash. Major Malcolm Wolfe says  33-year-old Sumer Lynn Boudloche was charged with child desertion once officers arrived on the scene after receiving a call about a small child walking alone in the parking lot without adult supervision.

CUT 9 (09)  “vehicle alone”

Wolfe says  Boudloche left her two year old son in her running car while she went inside the business to use the restroom. He says once officers spoke with Boudloche, she slurred her speech and seemed to be under the influence of drugs.

cut 10 (09)  “car asleep”

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

A woman was killed around 9 this morning after being hit by a Kansas City Southern Freight train close to the Lincoln-Bienville Parish line. Bienville Parish Sheriff John Ballance says train engineers sounded the horn multiple times to alert the woman to move away from the tracks.

cut 11 (10)  “struck her”

Ballance says the accident occurred on the railway that runs parallel to Highway 80. He says the woman was killed instantly and police are still investigating the accident.

cut 12 (05)  “is deceased”

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

Public schools are reopening and it’s another year for the Common Core standards. The public has an opportunity to suggest changes to Common Core and a hearing to discuss new standards is set for August 19th. The president of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, Hollis Milton, is one education leader who doesn’t want to see big changes with Common Core

cut 13 (11)  “with it”

The department of education has a portal on its website that’s taking public comment on Common Core. Milton says one change he suggests is to dump the PARCC standardized test for Aspire, which is associated with the A-C-T exam…

cut 14 (06)  “political football”

Milton also believes the Aspire exams, would be a better standardized test for third through eighth graders than PARCC

cut 15 (10) “in the nation” 

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

11:40 LRN Sportscast August 4

The number one recruit for the class of 2017 has de-committed from LSU, which has some fans concerned. Dylan Moses from University High in Baton Rouge gave a verbal commitment to LSU as a 15-year-old nearly two years ago.Derek Ponamsky, of Bayou Bengals Insiders-dot-com, says Moses still considers LSU his first choice but wants a chance to enjoy the recruiting process…
cut 30 (10) “…in my opinion”
Moses has until National Signing Day in February 2017 to make his final decision.

LSU has received another commitment for the 2016 class. His name is Connor Culp and he’s a place kicker from Arizona and according to 24-7 sports he’s the fifth best kicker in the country.

The Saints players are enjoying a day off from training camp today. They’ll get back at it tomorrow morning.

The annual Bayou Classic football game between Southern and Grambling will not be aired on network television this year. Instead the game will be shown on the NBC Sports Network and kickoff time has been moved from the traditional 1:30 time slot to 4 PM.

FCS school UT Chattanooga has been added to the 2017 LSU football schedule. The Tigers are set to host Chattanooga on September 9th. The other non-conference games that season are Syracuse, Troy and BYU. LSU opens the season against the Cougars in a game that will be played in Houston.

In other college football news…ULM and Northwestern State both report for fall camp today. The Demons will kick off the season on September 3rd against Southeastern Louisiana, while the Warhawks who report today, will not actually hit the practice field until tomorrow.

In major league baseball…former LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook’s two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth helped Tampa Bay beat the Chicago White Six five to four last night.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 August 3rd

Defensive lineman Maquedius Bain announces on twitter that he’s no longer on the LSU football program. Bain was one of three LSU Tigers who was recently reinstated to the football team after charges related to an alleged break-in were dropped. The four-star recruit from Florida was expected to compete for playing time at defensive end. He’s the third defensive lineman to leave LSU this offseason.

While Bain is leaving, defensive tackle Mickey Johnson is returning to LSU. Johnson announced in the spring that he was leaving for Louisiana Tech, but Bain’s departure may have opened up a scholarship for Johnson, who has only six tackles in his LSU career.

One of the football’s top recruits for 2017 has decided to de-commit from LSU. University High linebacker and running back Dylan Moses says he still considers LSU his first choice, but he says in a post on social media that this is a once in lifetime deal and wants to live the process up to the fullest.

The Mercedes Benz Superdome turned 40-years-old today. The Dome has hosted seven Super Bowls, five Final Fours and a Wrestlemania. The general manager of the iconic building, Alan Freeman, is confident these kind of events will continue to be held in the Dome….
cut 30 (08) “….sporting events”
Freeman says the goal is to host a Super Bowl and a College Football playoff championship game in the next few years.

The Saints have announced that placekicker Morten Andersen will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Anderson played in the NFL for 25 years, 13 of those were with the Saints. No only is he the team’s all-time leading scorer, but he’s also the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,544 points. He’ll be the fourth person to be placed into the Saints Ring of Honor, joining Archie Manning, Rickey Jackson and Willie Roaf.

LRN PM Newscall August 3rd

East Baton Rouge Parish DA Hillar Moore says cell phone encryption is making it difficult to solve the murders of 29-year-old Brittney Mills and her son. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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

The massive Bayou Corne sinkhole in northern Assumption Parish, which forced the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents, formed three years ago today. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (26) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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

East Baton Rouge Parish DA Hillar Moore says cell phone encryption is making it difficult to solve the murders of 29-year-old Brittney Mills and her son. Mills, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, was shot and killed on April 24th at her apartment. The baby later died at a hospital. Moore says they can’t get into her Apple iPhone…:

CUT 3 (09)  “court ordered”

Investigators feel the shooter is likely someone that Mills knew. Moore says the victim had the iOS-8 operating software on her iPhone and nobody knows her pass code. Therefore, he says they are unable to access any of Mills’ last text messages, phone calls and contacts…:

CUT 4 (11)  “just critical”

Moore says that this software is installed on more than 80 percent of cellphones now and believes the encryption system makes it easier for bad guys to hide behind crime. He says this is the only system that does not have to comply to court orders which could lead to critical information when it comes to solving murders such as Mills’…:

CUT 5 (06) “here on out”

============================
The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s office is investigating the death of a white female who was found nude in an apartment in Pointe-aux-Chenes (Pont-ah-shan). Sheriff’s Office Capt. Dawn Foret says they have arrested 50-year-old Lee Dupre, who is the tenant of the apartment, and charged him with obstruction of justice.

CUT 6 (09)  “found her”

Foret says they are unsure if Dupre is a suspect because they’re still determining the cause of death.

CUT 7 (11) “at all”

Foret says they’re still waiting on dental records to ID the victim . She says identifying her was difficult because authorities found her decomposing.

CUT 8 (04)  “36 hours”

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

The massive Bayou Corne sinkhole in northern Assumption Parish, which forced the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents, formed three years ago today. It was created from a collapsed underground salt dome cavern operated by Texas Brine. Assumption Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness director John Boudreaux says the area is a ghost town:

CUT 9 (06)  “that remain”

Boudreaux says the latest data by Texas Brine shows the sinkhole has only grown by about an acre and a half so far this year. He says some scientists believe the pit will continue to slowly get bigger over the next decade…:

cut 10 (09)  “to grow in size”

Boudreaux says they are still monitoring the bubble spots monthly to ensure the safety of the residents who have remained in the small community. He says even though the sinkhole has stabilized, they continue to keep a close eye on it to make sure there are no more dramatic changes…:

cut 11 (10)  “dramatically”

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

Shreveport Police are looking for a 27-year-old man who pointed his gun at officers early Thursday morning. Officers attempted to stop a vehicle after discovering the plates didn’t match the car. Chief Administrative Assistant Bill Goodin says the two men in the car, 30-year-old Joe Thompkins Jr. and 27-year-old Brandon Chin, jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled on foot.

cut 12 (12)  “the officer”

Goodin says during the pursuit, Chin, who was the passenger, regained his footing and started waving the gun at the officer again. He says the officer then fired two shots at Chin but  the suspect was able to elude the officer.

cut 13 (08)  “peace officer”
Goodin says they were able to make arrangements for the driver, Thompkins, to surrender himself and he was booked on one count of flight from an officer, one count of switched license plate, and three misdemeanor traffic bench warrants. Chin is still on the loose.

cut 14 (10)  “crime stoppers”

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

The Lafayette Police Department says a 35-year-old man is fighting for his life after being shot several times by three unknown suspects in an apparent home invasion. Corporal Paul Mouton says the incident took place about 1am and witnesses report 3 black men kicked in the door of the residence and began demanding money from the occupants…:

cut 15 (10) “at that point” 

Mouton says the victim was inside the residence along with two females and three children at the time. He says the man is listed in critical condition at a local hospital…:

cut 16 (06) “the suspects” 

LRN Sportscast 11:40

The NFL’s all-time leading scorer, Morten Andersen, will be placed into the Saints Ring of Honor. Anderson was New Orleans’ kicker for 13 seasons and he was selected six times to the Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro team twice during his career in a Black and Gold uniform. He joins former Saints greats, Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf and Archie Manning in the team’s Ring of Honor.

The Mercedes Benz Superdome turns 40 today. The home of the New Orleans Saints officially opened on August 3rd, 1975. General Manager Alan Freeman says upgrades to the Dome have kept it a viable venue to host big events. He says they are constantly looking at ways to enhance the fan’s experience at the Dome…:
CUT 30 (08) “the Saints”
Over the years, the Superdome has hosted seven Super Bowls, five Final Fours, and a WrestleMania, just to name a few. Freeman is confident all of these and more will return to the Dome

At Saints training camp, no sign of safety Jairus Byrd. The team’s big free agent acquisition during the 2014 offseason, still has not participated in training camp this season. He’s been on the physically unable to peform list. Today was the fifth straight day of practices in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The players will have tomorrow off.

The Bills have suspended their offensive line coach Aaron Kromer for the first six games of the season without pay. The former Saints assistant is receiving disclpline from the team after he allegedly punched a boy in the face over a dispute involving beach chairs. Prosecutors have dropped a battery charge against Kromer.

Southeastern Louisiana begins preseason practice today. The Lions return 15 starters from last year’s team that won Southland title.

Former Louisiana Tech basketball standout Raheem Appleby has signed with a professional team in Hungary. He’ll depart in a couple of weeks for traning camp with the P-V-S-K Panthers. The Arkansas native was a three-time all-conference selection and scored 17-hundred points during his career with the Bulldogs.

LRN Newscast 17:30 July 31

Three suspended LSU football players accused of a break-in have seen their charges dropped. The East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s office says they will not pursue formal charges against Anthony Jennings, Dwayne Thomas and Maquedius Bain. The D-A’s office says the decision is based on the request of the victim not to file charges and inconsistent and contradictory statements provided. LSU says the players have been reinstated to the team.

So called “revenge porn” is outlawed in Louisiana as of Saturday when over 260 new laws hit the books. Kenner Representative Julie Stokes says nobody should post private explicit pictures of people without their permission and this measure sends a powerful message…:
CUT 4 (11) “line somewhere”
Violators could face up to two years in prison.

A new report by AAA and Columbia University finds older adults who stop driving are almost two times more likely to suffer from depression than those who remain behind the wheel. They also found that non-driving elderly are nearly 5 times more likely to enter a long term care facility. Don Redman with AAA says this isn’t that surprising…:
CUT 10 (10) “our freedom”
He says if you find your parents are no longer able to drive, it’s important you help them remain mobile.

State Superintendent of Education John White announces two daycare centers in the state have had their licenses revoked. He says while the majority of child care providers do an excellent job taking care of kids, there are a couple who refuse to follow the law…:
CUT 13 (10) “the state”
He says that incident was reported out of Baton Rouge and the other revoked license daycare is in Bossier City.