LRN Sportscast 16:45 april 16

The Pelicans are in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2011 after beating the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 108-103. Anthony Davis had 31 points and Coach Monty Williams was impressed with how his young superstar performed with a lot on the line….
cut 4 (09) “…free throws”
Now the Pelicans will get ready for a best of seven series with top-seeded Golden State, which will begin Saturday afternoon in Oakland. Game two is Monday night. Games three and four will be in New Orleans, next Thursday and Saturday nights.

The LSU baseball team is heading to Georgia for a three-game series that starts tomorrow night against the Bulldogs. Coach Paul Mainieri has announced Alex Lange will get the start on Friday, after missing last weekend because of elbow tightness. The Tigers are coming off an 11-2 victory over Lamar last night.

Looking ahead to the weekend of college baseball…there’s a good match-up between state schools in Hammond as Southeastern Louisiana hosts McNeese for three games. The Lions lead the Southland Conference with an 11-and-four record and the Cowboys are right behind them with a 12-and-6 league mark. Northwestern State is also near the top of the standings. The Demons host Central Arkansas this weekend.

In the Sun Belt…ULM, who beat Northwestern State last night, will host Arkansas State, while the Ragin Cajuns are at Texas State. Louisiana Tech hosts UAB.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball has signed one of the top junior college basketball players in the country. His name is Justin Leon. He’s six-foot-eight and averaged 21.5 points and 10 rebounds last season for Shawnee Community College in Illinois.

ULM has signed a couple of prep basketball stars, six-foot-eight power forward Ramses Sandifer from Mississippi and six-foot-five guard Wade Martin from West Virginia. Sandifer averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds during his three-year career at St. Joseph’s High in Missipppi.

LRN PM Newscall April 16

The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s office says a deputy directing traffic at a school crossing in Paradis was shot multiple times in an apparent ambush. Michelle Southern reports..:

CUT 1 (22) “reporting”

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Governor Bobby Jindal has been criticized by some for a fiscal policy based on Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform, but Jindal says he’s always been opposed to new taxes on Louisiana residents. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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The Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2011 after last night’s 108-103 win over San Antonio. The Pels will face Golden State in a first round best-of-seven series beginning Saturday. The Pelicans scored 34-points in the first quarter and head coach Monty Williams says that came as a surprise…

CUT 3 (07)  “bench was great”

Games one and two will be played in Oakland before coming to New Orleans for games three and four next Thursday and Saturday. Williams says Anthony Davis’s play down the stretch was key in this big win…

CUT 4 (09)  “free throws”

Davis scored 31 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the victory. Saturday’s game will be televised on ABC at 2:30. Williams says, because of the circumstances of this game, it may be the biggest win of his coaching career. He says many counted the Pels out of playoff contention six weeks ago, but they decided to take it one game at a time… (Pelicans home playoff tickets are on sale now.)

CUT 5 (07)  “won the game”

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The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s office says a deputy directing traffic at a school crossing in Paradis was shot multiple times in an apparent ambush. Captain Pat Yoes says the victim was helping buses make their way off of Highway 90 around 8:50 Thursday morning when the incident took place…:

CUT 6 (07)  “multiple times”

The deputy is identified as 36-year-old Corporal Burt Hazeltine, a married father of four. Yoes says a passerby drug the deputy behind the police car to safety. He says when other deputies arrived the suspect dropped the gun…:

CUT 7 (05) “university hospital 

The deputy is listed as in stable, but guarded condition. Yoes says there was an exchange of gunfire and the suspect’s vehicle was hit several times, but there are no other injuries in this incident. He says the shooting appears to be completely unprovoked…:

CUT 8 (04)  “off the roadway”

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The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office asks for the public’s help in the search for a missing woman whose vehicle was found intentionally set on fire and destroyed. Spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks says 54-year-old Taherah Ghassemi (ta-HAIR-ay ga-SEE-me) was reported missing by her son on Monday and hadn’t heard from his mom since Saturday…

CUT 9 (04)  “she was not”

Very few details are available as this is an ongoing active investigation. Hicks says the big concern is Ghassemi’s welfare and it’s important that she is found as soon as possible…

cut 10 (09) “sheriff’s office”

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The National Weather Service has issued Flash Flood Watches across south-central and southeastern Louisiana through Friday night as rains continue to pound the state. State Climatologist Barry Keim says over the past four to five days anywhere between five and seven inches of rain has fallen over most of south Louisiana and there’s more on the way…

cut 11 (08)  “south Louisiana”

Keim say there is the potential for up to three inches of rainfall per day through Saturday in south Louisiana. He says the biggest risk now is flash flooding and river basin flooding due to over-saturated soil. Keim says the chances for thunderstorms should drop significantly on Sunday…

cut 12 (08)  “to come in”

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Governor Bobby Jindal has been criticized by some for a fiscal policy based on Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform. But Jindal says he’s always been a supporter of no new taxes on Louisiana residents…

cut 13 (11)  “to raising taxes”

Americans for Tax Reform states that it opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle. Jindal feels it would be a mistake to raise taxes, even as the state faces a $1.6 billion budget deficit. He says the improvements to the state’s job market and economy didn’t come by accident…

cut 14 (05) “government spending”

Although he agrees with ATR’s stance on not raising taxes, Jindal says he has been opposed to tax hikes since he ran for governor back in 2003. The governor says fiscal responsibility by cutting government spending may not be popular, but it is the right thing to do…

cut 15 (07) “been before”

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LRN Sportscast 11:40 Jeff Palermo

The Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season as New Orleans punched its ticket with a 108-103 over the defending champs, the San Antonio Spurs. Anthony Davis led the way with 31 points and now the Birds will get ready to play top-seeded Golden State. Game one is Saturday afternoon at 2:30 in Oakland.

The LSU baseball team had an easy win over Lamar last night 11 to 2. Chris Chinea hit his fifth home run of the season and drove in four runs. The Tigers begin an SEC series tomorrow night at Georgia. Freshman Alex Lange will start on the mound for LSU.

Also last night…U-L-M upended Northwestern State five to one. Shortstop Kodie Tidwell had two hits and drove in two runs for the Warhawks who are now 18-and-18 on the season.

And former St. Thomas More standout and LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook hit his first major league home run in a 12-7 loss to Toronto.

John Treloar, who was an assistant basketball coach at LSU from 2004 to 2008, is returning to Baton Rouge to serve as an associate coach. The Clinton, Mississippi native has been the director of player personnel for the Phoenix Sunds the last five seasons.

ULM has signed a couple of prep basketball stars, six-foot-eight power forward Ramses Sandifer from Arcola, Mississippi and six-foot-five guard Wade Martin from Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Sandifer averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds during his three-year career at St. Joseph’s High in Missipppi.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball signed athletic forward Justin Leon. He’s six-foot-eight and spent the last two seasons at a community college in Illinois. As a sophomore, he averaged 22 points and ten rebounds a game.

And Northwestern State has signed Malike Metoyer (MA-twyer) who had a standout basketball career at nearby Lakeview High School.

And former St. Thomas More standout and LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook hit his first major league home run in a 12-7 loss to Toronto.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 April 15

It’s been a long time since a more meaningful NBA game has been played in New Orleans. A win tonight for the Pelicans and they are in the Western Conference playoffs. But they’ll have to beat the defending NBA champs. The Spurs also have something to play for as they can still get the two-seed.

If the Pelicans lose tonight, they’ll have to hope that Minnesota upsets Oklahoma City, because a Thunder victory and a New Orleans loss, puts O-K-C into the playoffs and not the Pels. New Orleans Coach Monty Williams believes his team can handle the pressure…
cut 18 (16) “…handle this”
Tip-off tonight is at 7 PM. The game is a sell out and fans have been encouraged to wear red. If the Pelicans get into the playoffs, they’ll begin a series at Golden State this weekend.

The LSU baseball team closes out a six-game homestand tonight against Lamar. Looking ahead to the weekend, the Tigers will visit Georgia and freshman pitcher Alex Lange says he’ll be able to pitch after after missing last weekend’s start, because of arm tightness.

Also tonight…Northwestern State is at ULM. The Demons shutout the Warhawks seven to nothing earlier this season. ULM leads the all-time series 108 to 107.

In college baseball action tonight….LSU hosts Lamar. The Tigers are 31-and-6 on the season, while the Cardinals are just 17 and 18. Also, ULM hosts Northwestern State. Last night, Southeastern Louisiana ended the Ragin Cajuns six game winning streak by beating UL Lafayette five to three.

The Saints have reportedly signed center Mike Golic Junior, who is the son of ESPN personality Mike Golic. The younger Mike, spent some time with the Saints, last season, but was released after New Orleans acquired Jonathan Goodwin. And the Saints are reportedly talking with free agent defensive lineman Corey Wooton, who had 16 tackles and a sack last season.

LSU Coach Les Miles says quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris will split reps in this Saturday’s spring game.

LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins will be one of 26 players to attend the NFL draft in two weeks.

LRN PM Newscall April 15

A transgender Lake Charles man has filed a federal sex discrimination lawsuit against his former employer, Tower Loan. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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Over 100 college students gathered on the steps of the state capitol today to rally against proposed budget cuts to higher education. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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A transgender Lake Charles man has filed a federal sex discrimination lawsuit against his former employer. 21-year-old Tristan Broussard alleges he was fired from Tower Loan last year when it was discovered he used to be a woman. One of Broussard’s attorneys, Amy Whelan (WAY-lan), says federal law prohibits employers discriminating against employees based on sex…

CUT 3 (10)  “sex discrimination”

The suit alleges that during a review of Broussard’s employment paperwork, it was noticed that his driver’s licence listed his sex as female. After the company’s vice president found out, Whelan says Broussard was pulled into a meeting…

CUT 4 (10)  “would be fired”

A Tower Loan spokesman says they do not comment on personnel issues or issues involving pending litigation. Whelan says they are open to talk with Tower Loan to settle this case and turn this into a success story…

CUT 5 (11)  “what they did”

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The Natchitoches Police Department says the assistant principal at Frankie Ray Jackson Senior Technical Center is under arrest for allegedly paddling a teacher. Captain Chris Payne says they got the complaint in February that a female teacher at the school had a battery committed upon her…:

CUT 6 (07)  “Vogel”

64-year-old Hugo Vogel of Goldonna was arrested this week for simple battery and was later released on $303 bond. Motive for the alleged battery is unclear. Payne says the investigation was eventually turned over to the department…:

CUT 7 (08)  “Goldonna, Louisiana

Payne says if anyone has additional information about this alleged battery or knows further details they are urged to contact authorities..:

CUT 8 (04)  “kept confidential”

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The ACLU of Louisiana is calling on the candidates for Governor to address the state’s massive incarceration problem. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says we are the world’s incarceration leader, jailing more people per capita than any place on earth. She says the gubernatorial candidates are talking about fixes for the state’s budget and overlooking a serious crisis…:

CUT 9 (06)  “in the world”

Esman says when we’re facing massive cuts to higher education, hospitals and infrastructure, the conversation needs to get started about how we can get some of that money back. She says this puts us in a terrible position of being the world’s largest incarcerator…:

cut 10 (10) “huge amoutn of money”

Esman says Louisiana wastes millions in tax dollars paying for inmates who pose little to no threat to our society and believes small offenses would be better addressed through alternatives to incarceration. She says she’s not sure why the candidates have so far not addressed this issue and hopes that now that they’ve asked them to they will…:

cut 11 (10)  “not the last”

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Over 100 college students gathered on the steps of the state capitol today to rally against proposed budget cuts to pubilc universities. Nearly all of Louisiana’s colleges were represented and many held up signs that said “No Funding, No Future”. UNO student David Teagle says these cuts equate to the theft of the future of Louisiana…

cut 12 (12)  “currently go to”

Higher ed faces huge budget cuts due to a $1.6 billion budget shortfall. Jesse Elliot, a student at LSU-Alexandria says funding for higher education has been on the chopping block for the last eight years and the state must establish stable funding for colleges and universities. He says the effects of more budget cuts reaches far beyond the schools…

cut 13 (11)  “eight years ago”

Students were joined by a handful of lawmakers who support their efforts. Winnfield Senator Gerald Long, whose district includes Northwestern State and LSU-Alexandria, feels it’s the legislature’s responsibility to enact positive ways to fund higher ed…

cut 14 (09) “failed you”

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11:40 LRN Sportscast April 15

The Pelicans can earn their first playoff berth since 2011 with a win tonight in the regular season finale against the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Monty Williams says he’s not surprised that a lot is on the line for the final regular season game of the year….
cut 17 (15) “…gonna be big”
If the Pelicans lose tonight, they can still get into the playoffs, but they’ll need the worst team in the NBA, Minnesota, to beat Oklahoma City.

In college baseball action tonight….LSU hosts Lamar. The Tigers are 31-and-6 on the season, while the Cardinals are just 17 and 18. Also, ULM hosts Northwestern State. Last night, Southeastern Louisiana ended the Ragin Cajuns six game winning streak by beating UL Lafayette five to three.

The Saints have reportedly signed center Mike Golic, who is the son of ESPN personality Mike Golic. The younger Mike, spent some time with the Saints, last season, but was released after New Orleans acquired Jonathan Goodwin. Golic has also played in the C-F-L and the arena football league. And the Saints are reportedly talking with free agent defensive lineman Corey Wooton, who had 16 tackles and a sack last season.

07:30 LRN Newscast April 15

Federal taxes are due today and Michelle Southern has some tips for last-minute filers..
cut 2 (30) “…reporting”

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, a presidential hopeful, will be in New Orleans today for a fundraiser for Republican Senator David Vitter, who is running for governor. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says Vitter is not the only one to benefit from this endorsement…
cut 6 (06) “….a favor”

College students are expected to be at the state capitol today to urge lawmakers not to make significant cuts to higher education, despite a one-point-six billion dollar shortfall. Southeastern Louisiana student body president Stephanie Travis says raising tuition is not the answer either…
cut 11 (08) “…an increase in tuition”

Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson says his religious freedom bill has been misunderstood. During a speech on the House floor, Johnson says it does not promote discrimination against gays and lesbians, but it prevents the government from taking action against people who oppose same-sex marriage….
cut 13 (08) “…involved it’
The House Civil Law committee will likely debate the bill at a future date and Johnson says he’ll amend the legislation in an attempt to lessen the opposition against his measure.

06:45 LRN Sportscast April 15

If the Pelicans win tonight’s regular season finale against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs they are in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2011. Pelicans head coach Monty Williams says the players are embracing the situation before them…
cut 16 (11) “…awesome opportunity”
If the Pelicans lose, they’ll have to hope that Oklahoma City loses to the worst team in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

LSU Coach Les Miles says quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris will split reps in this Saturday’s spring game. Miles says he wants to see Jennings and Harris to run the offense, take care of the football and move it aggressively.

In college baseball last night, Southeastern Louisiana scored three runs in the eighth inning to beat U-L Lafayette five to three. The loss snaps the Cajuns six-game winning streak, while the Lions are now 27-and-11. Also last night…LSU-Shreveport beat Centenary six to one. Tonight, Northwestern State is at ULM and LSU hosts Lamar. Freshman starting pitcher Alex Lange says he’ll be able to pitch this weekend for the Tigers after missing his start last weekend, because of arm tightness.

Former Louisiana prep football star and Ragin cajuns standout Ike Taylor has announced he’s retiring after a 12-year career in the NFL. The graduate of Abramson High School in New Orleans had 636 tackles in the NFL and won two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins will be one of 26 players to attend the NFL draft in two weeks. Collins is expected to be selected in the first round. Former Dutchtown star and Alabama defensive back Landon Collins will also be present for the draft.

06:30 LRN Newscast April 15

Louisiana college students will rally at the state capitol today to express their concerns about a potential 600-million dollar cut in state funding to public universities. Stephanie Travis, who chairs the council of student body presidents, says she started at Southeastern Louisiana in 2009 and has seen how previous budget cuts have impacted the Hammond campus….
cut 10 (07) “….previous years”

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush is in New Orleans today for a fundraiser to help Republican Senator David Vitter’s gubernatorial campaign. Presidential hopefuls Rand Paul and Chris Christie have also endorsed Vitter. Political analyst Clancy Dubos says these endorsements will help Vitter’s campaign, but endorsements alone will not get him elected…
cut 5 (10) “….the linchpin”
Today is tax day and there are still millions who have yet to file and are waiting till the last minute. If you file electronically, it must be done by midnight. But Bill Potter, a CPA in Baton Rouge, says if you don’t think you’re gonna make it, then you can file an extension….
cut 7 (11) “…with that form”
And remember only federal returns are due today. The state filing deadline is May 15th.

A family in LaFourche Parish is grieving today over the death of a three-year-old child who fell into a drainage canal and was swept away by the strong current brought on by heavy rainfall. The child’s father located the boy about 15 minutes later, 75 yards downstream.

LRN Newscasts 17:30 April 14

Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson took to the House floor today to try and clear up some of the misconceptions of his so-called religious freedom bill. Johnson says his bill does not promote discrimination against gays and lesbians. He says it’s only an attempt to safe guard religious freedom…
cut 13 (08) “…involved in it”
Johnson’s bill seeks to prevent the state from denying a resident a business license or tax deduction because of that person’s religious belief about marriage. But state representative John Bel Edwards says the legislation is vaguely written…
cut 14 (08) “….interracial marriage”
Johnson plans to change the language in his bill, when it gets its first hearing in the House Civil Law committee.

Louisiana college students will rally at the state capitol tomorrow afternoon to express their concerns about a potential 600-million dollar cut in state funding to public colleges and universities. Stephanie Travis, who chairs the council of student body presidents, says she started at Southeastern Louisiana in 2009 and has seen how previous budget cuts have impacted the Hammond campus
Cut 10 (07) “previous years”
Lawmakers are looking at how they can preserve higher education, but finding ways to raise revenue to prevent drastic cuts will be difficult. Travis says raising tuition on students is NOT the answer

State Representative Paul Hollis was not in Baton Rouge today as he continues to recover from an automobile accident that occurred with the new security system installed at the state capitol. State Police Lt. J-B Slaton says they are investigating, but it appears the security system worked properly.