Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

06.04.16
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07:30 LRN Sportscast June 4th

It was a long day at the ballpark for the LSU Tigers, but it was worth it for the Bayou Bengals who defeated Utah Valley 7-1. The game was scheduled to begin at 2 PM, but bad weather prevented the two teams from taking the field until 8:30 PM. Jake Fraley started it for the Tigers with this two-run blast….
cut 30 (13) “…Tigers”
That’s Chris Blair of the LSU Sports Radio Network. Greg Deichmann also hit a two-run homer and Jared Poche (Po-shay) struck out eight in six innings to get the win.

LSU is scheduled to play again at 7 PM tonight. But more rain is in the forecast and two games have to be played, before the Tigers can play. Southeastern Louisiana and Rice face each other at 9 AM to get the action started.

The Ragin Cajuns rallied back from a one run deficit in the 7th inning to beat Princeton 5-3 to advance to the winner’s bracket of the Lafayette Regional. Kennon Fontenot homered for the Cajuns, but it was Joe Robbins RBI triple in the 8th inning that snapped a 3-3 tie. Eric Carter was the winning pitcher as he threw three innings of relief and struck out five.

So, it will be UL Lafayette against Arizona tonight at 7 PM at the Tigue.

Louisiana Tech and Cal-State Fullerton will resume its regional game at 10 AM this morning in Starkville. The game is scoreless in the 7th inning thanks to Phillip Diehl’s outstanding start for the Bulldogs.

Tulane will play an elimination game against Ole Miss at 1 PM as the Green Wave lost to Boston College 7-2, while the Rebels were upset by Utah, 6-5 in 10 innings.

LSU softball lost to Michigan 2-0 last night and they’ll play Alabama at 1;30 in an elimination game in the Women’s College World Series.

06.03.16
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16:45 LRN Sportscast June 3rd

Rain and lightening have pushed back the start of the Baton Rouge Regional. LSU and Utah Valley have been waiting since two o’ clock to play. When they do play, Jared Poche will be on the mound for the Tigers. The junior lefthander from Lutcher has allowed four earned runs in his last three starts. Coach Paul Mainieri calls Poche the ultimate competitor…
cut 30 (13) “…needs to”
Poche faces a Wolverine line-up that has eight hitters who are batting .296 or higher.

They are also waiting out the weather in Lafayette. The first game of that regional, Arizona versus Sam Houston State has yet to start. They hope to begin play at 5:30 at the Tigue. UL-Lafayette versus Princeton is the scheduled second game of the day.

Louisiana Tech is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 29 years tonight as the Bulldogs take on Cal State Fullerton at 6:30 PM. The Bulldogs do have some postseason experience on their coaching staff. Assistant Coach Jake Wells was part of Mississippi State’s coaching staff that went to the College World Series in 2013. Tech Head coach Greg Goff says it’s comforting to have Wells on his staff for this situation…
cut 19 (16) “…so far”
La Tech will start lefthander Phillip Diehl on the mound. He’s 5-and-5 with a 4.70 ERA.

The LSU softball team will try to play again tonight in Oklahoma City at the Women’s College World Series. Their game last night against Michigan was rained out and they’ll attempt to play again at 8:30.

06.03.16
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LRN Newscast 15:30 June 3rd

There are numerous scattered thunderstorms across the state today as much of south and central Louisiana are under a flash flood watch through Saturday night. Donald Jones, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says be prepared for locally heavy downpours…
cut 3 (08) “….next week”
Rain and lightening has pushed back the start of the LSU baseball game until 5 PM.

A measure is heading to Senate floor final legislative passage that will result in voters deciding whether colleges should have authority to raise tuition. Currently, it takes a two-thirds vote in the legislature to raise tuition above a certain level. Higher Ed Commissioner Joseph Rallo says letting universities set their own tuition is in the best interest of students…
cut 8 (10) “…amount of tuition”
The Tangiaphoa Parish Sheriff’s office is seeking clues into the murder of three people during a 24-hour period. Two people were found shot to death in an SUV in Natalbany on Thursday and then this morning, the body of 18-year-old Marquise Lightfoot was found about a block away from the double homicide. Sheriff Daniel Edwards…
cut 14 (08) “…rule em”
Edwards says they are offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in these recent murders.

Legislation that raises the age a person can be put through the adult criminal justice system is close to final legislative passage. Under the bill 17-years would be put through the juvenile system, instead of the adult, which is good thing for the state, accorrding Joshua Perry, the director of the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights…
cut 12 (08) “….to children’

06.03.16
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14:30 LRN Newscast June 3rd

It looks like voters will have the opportunity this fall to determine if public colleges should have authority to raise tuition. A constitutional amendment that would place that item on the ballot is close to final passage. Higher Education Commissioner Joseph Rallo says Louisiana is the only state that doesn’t allow its institutions to set their own tuition and that puts state colleges at a competitive disadvantage with schools in other states…
cut 7 (10) “….the marketplace”
Currently, it takes a two-thirds vote from the state legislature to raise tuition above a certain level.

A judge in New Orleans has refused to lower the bond for the man accused of killing former Saints star Will Smith. Cardell Hayes will remain in prison on a 1.75 million dollar bond for the April 9th shooting.

Flash flood watches are in effect for most parishes in south and central Louisiana until Saturday night. Donald Jones is with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles…
cut 5 (07) “…of days”
The weather has already caused delays at the baseball regionals in Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

A bill to increase the age for an individual being charged for a violent crime from 17 to 18 is close to final legislative passage. Michelle Southern has more…
voicer 2 (30) “…I’m Michelle Southern”

06.03.16
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11:40 LRN Sportscast June 3rd

Junior lefthander Jared Poche starts on the hill this afternoon for the Fighting Tigers, who face Utah Valley to open the Baton Rouge Regional. Coach Paul Mainieri believes Poche’s postseason experience will serve him and the team well today….
cut 17 (22) “….good start”
Poche will face a Utah Valley line-up that has six batters who are hitting .300 or better.

Louisiana Tech will face Cal State Fullerton tonight in the Starkville Regional. The Bulldogs are ending a 29-year postseason drought, while the Titans are in the NCAA Baseball Tournament for a 25th straight season.

The Ragin Cajuns will face Princeton tonight in the opening round of the Lafayette Regional. The Cajuns have played really well at the Tigue this season as they have a 23-and-5 record at home. Princeton is 24-19 on the season and the Tigers are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.

Tulane is the second-seed in the Oxford Regional and they’ll play Boston College at three PM at Swayze Field. The Green Wave won a regional in Oxford in 2004. They beat former Washington pitcher and two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum in one of those contests. Today, the Greenies will face righthander Justin Dunn, who has a 1.35 ERA.

At a hearing today in the Will Smith case, off-duty New Orleans police officer Chrstopher Mcgaw testified that Cardell Hayes, the man accused of fatally shooting the former Saints player, said at the scene that he got out of his vehicle armed with a gun. Mcgaw also says Hayes told him that Smith said he had a gun too.

06.02.16
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17:30 LRN Newscast June 2nd ***Legislative Report***

Pro-choice and pro-life advocates rallied in the Capitol City today. Halen Doughty has more…
voicer 2 (31) “…I’m Halen Doughty”

The state senate has given approval to legislation that would prohibit abortions in cases when it’s learned the fetus has a gentic abnormality. Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor says the proposed law violates a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion…
cut 30 (04) “…like it or not”
The House is expected to give the bill final approval.

There was spirited debate on the House floor over a bill that would require fourth through sixth graders in public schools to recite a passage of the Declaration of Independence every day. Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton objects to the legislation because Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner and wrote the document as did many of our Founding Fathers…
cut 25 (10) “…slaves”
Denham Springs Representative Valarie Hodges, says civil rights and women’s activists have quoted the Declaration in their campaigns for equality…
cut 24 (11) “…in their liberation”
The measure passed on a 70-23 vote and it heads to the Senate. But the upper chamber has only four days to act on the legislation before the session ends.

06.02.16
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16:45 LRN Sportscast June 2nd

Junior left-hander Jared Poche will start on the mound tomorrow when the LSU Tigers begin play in the Baton Rouge Regional against Utah Valley….
cut 30 (08) “….what happens”
Poche is 7-4 on the year with a 3.61 ERA. Utah Valley brings a seven-game winning streak into the regional and they’ve won 11 of their last 13. Wolverines Head Coach Eric Madsen says his guys are playing sound baseball…
cut 18 (14) “…supposed to”
LSU first baseman Greg Deichmann says they are excited…
cut 28 (11) “…home game”

Freshman Nick Lee will be on the mound for the Cajuns when they take on Princeton tomorrow night at Tigue Moore Field. UL Lafayette relief pitcher Eric Carter says they have complete confidence Lee can get the job done…
cut 25 (14) “…tomorrow”
Lee is 7-1 with a 3.18 ERA.

Southeastern Louisiana will send sophomore right hander Mac Sceroler to hill when the Lions face Rice tomorrow night. Sceroler is a ten-game winner and boasts an ERA of 2.18.

Louisiana Tech head baseball coach Greg Goff says junior right-hander Phillip Diehl will start against Cal State Fullerton tomorrow and they’ll pitch Casey Sutton on Saturday. Diehl is 5-and-5 with a 4.70 ERA.

And tonight LSU faces Michigan in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series.

06.02.16
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LRN PM Newscall June 2nd

A statewide poll shows Republican Donald Trump is ahead in the Presidential election without many undecided voters. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Pro-choice and pro-life advocates rallied in the Capitol City today. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Halen Doughty”

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Another arrest has been made in the fatal shooting that took the lives of two Southern students in April. Baton Rouge Police Cpl. L’Jean Mckneely says 25-year-old Brandon Henderson of Baton Rouge has been charged with two counts of second degree murder.

CUT 3 (08)  “the shooting”

22-year-old Ernest Felton was previously arrested for attempted second degree murder. But Mckneely says that charge could be upgraded, because they believe bullets from his gun fatally struck Lashuntae Benton and Annette January.

CUT 4 (07)  “still pending”

Mckneely says they just want to get closure for the families. He says more arrests could be made, as the investigation is ongoing.

CUT 5 (09)  “this shooting”

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The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the murder of two men found in a vehicle in Natalbany early this morning. Spokesperson Dawn Panepinto says they received a call around 4 a.m. regarding gunshots in the area. She says when police arrived, they located the men unresponsive.

CUT 6 (09) “right now”

Panepinto says the identity of the victims has not yet been released. She says right now, it’s believed the shooter is still on the loose.

CUT 7 (10) “suspects”

Panepinto says Natalbany isn’t a place that usually sees a lot of crime. She urges anyone with information on the double murder to come forward and there is a possibility of a cash reward.

CUT 8 (09) “it’s anonymous”

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A Southern Media and Opinion Research poll finds in the Presidential race, Republican Donald Trump is ahead with not many voters undecided. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says in a poll of 500 likely voters, Trump draws in 53-percent of the vote compared to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 39-percent. He says Trump will probably will Louisiana but both candidates have a pretty high unfavorable rating…

CUT 9 (09) “are 52”

Pinsonat says he’s never seen an election where both candidates had an unfavorable rating over 50-percent, but the chances are Trump is going to win in Louisiana. He says white democrats favor Trump over Clinton, 48-percent to 43-percent.

cut 10 (10)  “Louisiana”

The poll shows only 14-percent of those surveyed were undecided. Pinsonat says Governor John Bel Edwards will likely benefit from Clinton not being popular in Louisiana.

Cut 11 (10) “break”

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Pro-choice advocates protested outside the Governor’s Mansion, while pro-life supporters rallied on the steps of the Capitol today. Executive Director for the New Orleans Abortion Fund, Amy Irvin, says they are concerned about the anti-abortion legislation signed into law by the governor. She says these laws could cost the state money, as they may be unconstitutional.

cut 12 (12) “attention to”

Louisiana recently passed legislation tripling its waiting period for women to get an abortion, and a common second trimester abortion procedure will be soon be banned. There are other pieces of legislation moving through the process that could impact funding for abortion clinics in the state. Irvin says this kind of legislation will hurt women’s access to healthcare in Louisiana.

Cut 13 (09)  “four clinics”

But not everyone is upset about the legislation coming out of this session. Legislative Director for the Louisiana Right to Life, Deanna Wallace says they showed up at the Capitol to show their support for Governor John Bel Edwards and the pro-life bills that he’s signed.

cut 14 (09)  “their mothers”

Wallace says they’re glad that being pro-life in the state isn’t a right or left issue- it’s a human rights issue. She says these laws will not affect women’s ability to get quality healthcare in Louisiana.

cut 15 (12) “and men”

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06.02.16
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11:40 LRN Sportscast June 2nd

LSU, Rice, Southeastern Louisiana and Utah Valley all get an opportunity to practice at Alex Box Stadium today ahead of the start of tomorrow’s regional. SLU pitcher Kyle Cedotal says they’re looking forward to a home field advantage on Friday night against Rice….
cut 20 (15) “….at LSU”
Utah Valley is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Wolverines Head Coach Eric Madsen hopes his team can adjust quickly to the south Louisiana heat and the big crowd that’s expected in the Box for the regional opener…
cut 17 (07) “…for em”
Utah Valley and LSU will meet at 2 PM on Friday.

UL Lafayette Coach Tony Robichaux says freshman Nick Lee will pitch tomorrow night in Princeton in the Cajuns first game in the regional. Gunner Leger will start on Saturday. Senior second baseman Stefan Trosclair is looking forward to playing in front of the home fans this weekend….

cut 30 (11) “…for us”
UL Lafayette’s game agaisnt Princeton is set to start at 7 PM on Friday.

The Women’s College World Series gets underway today and LSU will take on Michigan at 8:30. The Wolverines eliminated the Tigers from the WCWS last year when they beat the Bayou Bengals six to three.

The LHSAA has announced high school principals will vote next Wednesday on four different playoff proposals for football and other sports. This past January, member principals voted to expand the current public-private school split to basketball, baseball and softball.

06.02.16
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10:30 LRN Newscast

The number of substance-exposed babies born in Louisiana has tripled since 2008, according to the Department of Children and Family Services. Halen Doughty reports it’s led to a greater demand for foster families…
voicer 1 (31) “…I’m Halen Doughty”

Baton Rouge Police have charged a 25-year-old man with second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of two Southern University students back in April. Authorities say Brandon Christopher Henderson admitting to firing the first shots that initiated the exchange of gunfire that killed Lashuntae Benton and Annette January.

Legislation that would allow domestic violence victims to carry a concealed weapon with an expedited permit receives final legislative passage. Denham Springs Representative Valarie Hodges says many concealed carry classes have a wait list, and it can take several weeks to get into the class and then get the permit. She says women could be attacked or murdered during this time…
cut 12 (09) “…have time”

The U.S. Senate election is five months away and Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy has a large lead in a Southern Media and Opinion Research poll of 500 likely voters. Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says Kennedy drew 32-percent of the votes followed by GOP Congressman Charles Boustany with 10-percent. Pinsonat says the poll shows Kennedy’s favorable rating is at 62-percent:
CUT 7 (08) “John Kennedy”