11:40 LRN sportscast September 2nd

Bad news for the Saints defense as cornerback Keenan Lewis will reportedly miss the next four to six weeks after undergoing hip surgery. Lewis’ injury adds to what is already a big list of players on defense that are injured. Safety Kenny Vaccaro and cornerback Brandon Browner didn’t play last week against Houston. Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe has been hurt since the preseason opener and safety Jarius Byrd remains on the physically unable to perform list.

The Head Health Network is partnering with the LSU football team to study how impacts to the head effect players. H-H-N President Curtis Cruz says science is just now coming to terms with what is significant as far as a critical threshold and accumulation of smaller hits…
cut 14 (11) “good decision”
The study will equip 24 players’ helmets with sensors to monitor impacts.

Coastal Carolina will join the Sun Belt Conference. The Chanticleers will begin competing in the league next school year, but won’t begin playing football in the league 2017. The Sun Belt has been looking for a 12th member so they can equally split the east and west divisions so they make geographic sense.

ULM will face Nick Chubb and the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. It’s the first of eight games on the road for the Warhawks. They’ll also visit Alabama on September 26th. ULM Coach Todd Berry admits he doesn’t have much control over scheduling, because the university needs the income from playing the big-time programs…
cut 19 (12) “….get games”
Georgia is a five touchdown favorite to beat the Warhawks. Kickoff is at 11 AM.

17:30 LRN Newscast Sept 1

Governor Bobby Jindal continues to poll low in the latest Republican presidential surveys. A Monmouth University poll gives him just 1 percent support of Iowa Republican caucus voters. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the fact that Jindal is a sitting governor could be hurting him…:
CUT 4 (09) “of the problem’
He says you can expect Jindal to remain in the race at least through the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

State Police say a crash in Tangipahoa Parish has claimed the life of a bicyclist. Trooper Dustin Dwight says the unidentified cyclist was traveling on the US 190 Tangipahoa River Bridge late Monday night…:
CUT 9 (05) “survive the crash”
Authorities are working to determine the victim’s identity, the driver that hit the bike has not been cited.

The state department of health and hospitals says they have found a brain-eating amoeba in another water system in Louisiana. This time the amoeba was located in the North Monroe Water System, which serves the town of Sterlington. It’s the fourth water system to test positive for the deadly amoeba. Officials say the water is safe to drink, just don’t get it up your nose.

Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Don Briggs says the current state of the industry in Louisiana is not pretty. He says the declining prices of crude oil has caused the Oil and Gas industry to hit record lows in several areas in the past year. Briggs says the number of working drilling sites in the state has taken a huge hit…
cut 12 (06) “71 rigs”
US crude oil prices fell $3.79 today to $45.41 a barrel in New York. That led to Exxon Mobil’s stock falling four percent.

16:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU coach Les Miles has settled on a starting quarterback for the season opener against McNeese State. Miles says both Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris showed great progress during training camp and he wouldn’t hesitate to play both quarterbacks but ultimately, Harris will be starting on Saturday.
CUT 8 (08) “an observation”
Kick off on Saturday is at 6:30. Senior right tackle Vadal Alexander says he’s been telling the young guys what to expect when they play their first game in Tiger stadium….
cut 19 (17) “….always done”

In the Sun Belt, the league has officially added Coastal Carolina to the league. Coastal Carolina will begin playing football in the Sun Belt in 2017.

By three o’ clock, the Saints had to reduce their roster to 75. Among the players released…wide receiver Nick Toon, cornerback Terrence Frederick, and outside linebacker Ronald Powell, who was a fifth round pick last season. The Black and Gold also traded wide receiver Jalen Saunders to New England for a conditional draft pick. Saunders is not needed, because of the emergence of Marcus Murphy as a kick returner.

Former Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel will make his first start for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs this Saturday as they host Southern. Driskel is looking forward to the opportunity…
cut 17 (18) “….here to play”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 6 PM.

LRN PM Newscall September 1

The latest Republican presidential polls in Iowa show Governor Bobby Jindal rounding up very little support. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Don Briggs says the current state of Louisiana’s oil and gas industry is not pretty. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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

The latest Republican presidential polls in Iowa show Governor Bobby Jindal rounding up very little support. A Monmouth University survey shows Jindal receiving one-percent of Iowa Republican caucus goers support, while a Bloomberg/Des Moines Register poll shows him with two-percent. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this has got to be discouraging for Jindal’s campaign…

CUT 3 (09)  “his optimism”

In the Bloomberg poll, Jindal’s favorability was within the top 5 candidates which could be an indicator that the governor should be able to improve his standing in the Republican field. But Pinsonat says the fact that Jindal is a sitting governor could be working against him…

CUT 4 (09)  “of the problem”

He says Jindal has a few months left to generate some excitement around his campaign and move up in the polls. Pinsonat says you can expect Jindal to remain in the race at least through the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary…

CUT 5 (09) “won’t be around”

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

Les Miles says he’s doing fine after visiting the hospital, he just had a little too much coffee after not having it in his diet for a few months. Miles missed his weekly press conference on Monday but returned to campus in the afternoon for a successful practice.

CUT 6 (12) “to roll”

LSU’s first home game is Saturday against McNeese State. Miles says McNeese is a very quality football team and they have some skilled receivers and running backs. He says the Tigers are looking forward to playing another Louisiana team in Death Valley after finishing the last season on the road.

CUT 7 (12)  “and LSU”

Miles says both Jennings and Harris showed great progress during training camp and he wouldn’t hesitate to play both quarterbacks but ultimately, sophomore Brandon Harris will be starting on Saturday for the McNeese game.

CUT 8 (08)  “an observation”

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State Police say a two vehicle crash in Tangipahoa Parish has claimed the life of a bicyclist. Trooper Dustin Dwight says the unidentified cyclist was traveling on the US 190 Tangipahoa River Bridge late Monday night…

CUT 9 (05)  “survive the crash”

He says the bicycle was not equipped with proper safety equipment and the rider was wearing dark clothing when struck from behind by an SUV. The victim was thrown from her bicycle and pronounced dead at the scene. Dwight says this is a reminder to always keep safety in mind when riding a bicycle, especially at night…

cut 10 (11)  “oncoming motorists”

Authorities are working to determine the victim’s identity. Dwight says investigators found the driver of the SUV, 24-year-old Kateria Edmon of Hammond to be not at fault…

Cut 11 (05)  “suspected, either”

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Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Don Briggs describes the current state of Louisiana’s oil and gas industry as not pretty. He says the declining prices of crude oil has caused the industry to hit record lows in several areas in the past year. Briggs says the number of working drilling sites in the state has taken a huge hit…

cut 12 (06)  “71 rigs”

He says it’s unclear when the industry will rebound. Briggs says there are only 71 oil and natural gas drilling sites in Louisiana, down from 116 a year ago. He says just nine drilling sites are in operation in South Louisiana. Briggs says the drop in production means a loss of jobs…

cut 13 (09)  “on those rigs”

He says it’s estimated that over 150,000 jobs have been lost in the industry nationwide since the crash began late last year. Briggs says continued low oil prices could not only lead to major layoffs but more state budget cuts, as well. He says every dollar drop in the price for crude oil equals a $12.5 million loss to the state budget…

cut 14 (10)  “lot of money”

11:40 Sportscast September 1

LSU Coach Les Miles says Brandon Harris will be the starting quarterback when the Tigers open the season on Saturday against McNeese State…..
cut 30 (10) “…foregone conclusion”
Miles also says he’s okay after spending part of yesterday at the hospital. The coach says it was because he drank too much coffee in a short period of time.

Junior defensive tackle Christian LaCouture says their attention is on the Cowboys…
cut 18 (14) “…we’ll be okay”
McNeese lost to Nebraska 31-24 in last year’s season opener. They have two victories over FBS schools in recent history. They beat South Florida 53-21 in 2013 and knocked off Middle Tennessee 27-21 in 2012.

The Saints have reportedly traded return specialist Jalen Saunders to the New England Patriots for a conditional draft pick. New Orleans doesn’t need Saunders as it looks like seventh rounder Marcus Murphy will be returning kicks this year.

It looks like the Sun Belt Conference is adding Coastal Carolina to the league. ESPN reports the Chanticleers will begin playing football in the league in 2017.

Former Florida Quarterback Jeff Driskel is set to make his first start for Louisiana Tech on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Southern University. Last season, Tech was upset by Northwestern State in the season opener. Driskel says the team hasn’t forgotten and they’ll be ready for the Jaguars
Cut 16 (17) “this week”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 6 PM.

LRN Newscast 17:30 August 31

According to BankRate.com, absurdly high insurance premiums is one reason Louisiana is the worst state for drivers. The website’s research and statistics analyst Chris Kahn says the reason premiums are so high could be due to a couple of different things…
cut 28 (12) “really high”
Bankrate ranked all 50 states according to the amount of fatal crashes, car thefts, commute times, gas prices, and insurance premiums.

LSU Coach Les Miles was taken to the hospital today, because he wasn’t feeling very well. But Miles was back at the team’s operations building later in the afternoon. The coach joked with reporters that he O-D’ed on coffee. The 14th ranked Tigers are getting ready to host McNeese State in the season opener on Saturday.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office says a 2-year-old girl was killed and her mother injured in a house fire in Monroe. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says little Kataleya Williams and her mother were inside the home when the fire broke out Sunday afternoon…
cut 9 (09) “in the fire”
Browning says they believe the fire was caused by a pot left unattended on the stove.

Three people have been arrested in Ascension Parish after allegedly striking moving vehicles with full one-gallon water jugs. Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Bobby Webre says no one was seriously injured, but vehicles were damaged. Webre says the suspects would throw the water jugs from a moving vehicle, which made the situation even more dangerous…
cut 4 (09) “the impact”
The three people arrested ranged from age 17 to 19-years old.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 August 31

LSU Football Coach Les Miles had to be taken to the hospital this morning. Athletic Director Joe Alleva made a statement for reporters who were expecting to hear from Miles about the season opener at his 12:30 press conference…
cut 30 (11) ‘…precautionary basis”
Miles returned to LSU’s football operations building this afternoon and told reporters he may have O-D on coffee, but he is fine.

The Tigers are getting ready to host McNeese State this Saturday. In years past, LSU has opened the season with a big-name opponent. But LSU associate athletics director Verge Ausberry says they didn’t want to do that this year, because they’ll face Mississippi State and Auburn in weeks two and three…
cut 18 (05) “…big opponents”

Seventh-round draft pick Marcus Murphy made a strong impression on Saints Coach Sean Payton in yesterday’s 27-13 loss to Houston in preseason game number three. Murphy had 43 yards rushing on eight carrie, had three receptions for 67 yards and also had some nice returns in the kicking game. Here’s what Payton had to say about the former Missouri star…
cut 29 (19) “…quick to accelerate”
The Saints will wrap up the preseason on Thursday at Green Bay.

Former Louisiana Tech standout Josh Scobee has been traded by Jacksonville to Pittsburgh. Scobee is the Jaguars all-time leading scorer. The Steelers need a kicker as both Shaun Suisham and Garrett Hartley both went down with injuries.

LRN PM Newscall August 31

Louisiana DOTD will hold the first of three public meetings tonight at 6 about proposed improvements to the I-10 Corridor which runs through Baton Rouge. I’m Jeff Palermo

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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

After West Monroe High School leaders confiscated Confederate flags from student’s vehicles Friday, principal Shelby Ainsworth says he hopes students understand the new policy. I’m Eric Gill

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Eric Gill “

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

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office says three people have been arrested after allegedly striking moving vehicles with full one-gallon water jugs. Lt. Col. Bobby Webre says their investigation led to the arrest of 19-year-old Chance Lambert, 18-year-old Layne Goodman, and 17-year-old James McCormack…

CUT 3 (09)  “could have happened”

He says no one was seriously injured in the incidents, but vehicles were damaged. Webre says the suspects would throw the water jugs from a moving vehicle, which made the situation even more dangerous…

CUT 4 (09)  “the impact”

It is reported that Lambert is a volunteer firefighter with the Galvez-Lake Volunteer Fire Department. The suspects are being charged with felony aggravated criminal damage to property…

CUT 5 (04) “adults, in this”

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The Louisiana Department of Transportation will hold the first of three public meetings about proposed improvements to the I-10 Corridor in the capital city beginning tonight at 6 p.m. at the Baton Rouge River Center. DOTD Spokesperson Rodney Mallett says the meeting will go over the results of the survey presented to residents earlier this year…

CUT 6 (10) “in Baton Rouge”

Mallett says many of the survey response suggestions included building a new bridge or adding lanes to the corridor. He says there are those who are hesitant about the benefits of any traffic flow improvements because of the possible cost to the Baton Rouge community…

CUT 7 (09)  “traffic flow”

These public meetings are a part of a requirement by law that the department receive public input before moving forward with any plans. Mallett says each meeting will be the same with the presentation, so people only need come to one. After the presentation of preliminary plans, the public will be able to give its input before DOTD moves forward with a feasibility study…

CUT 8 (08)  “in the corridor”

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

The State Fire Marshal’s Office says a 2-year-old girl was killed and her mother injured in a house fire in Monroe. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says little Kataleya Williams and her mother were inside the home when the fire broke out Sunday afternoon…

CUT 9 (09)  “in the fire”

He says burglar bars on the home hampered escape efforts. Neighbors and firefighters were able to remove them, allowing the mother to escape. Browning says they believe the fire was caused by a pot left unattended on the stove…

cut 10 (07)  “significant fire”

Authorities say the body of Williams was found under a table in the living room of the home in an apparent attempt to hide from the blaze. Browning says they don’t believe there were working smoke alarms in the home. He says this is just a sad situation…

Cut 11 (07)  “thing to happen”

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

After confiscating Confederate flags on Friday, West Monroe High School principal Shelby Ainsworth says he hopes people will understand the school’s new policy. The Ouachita Parish school’s mascot is the Rebels. He says after a mass shooting in South Carolina, the entire nation has put restrictions on the Confederate flag, and this is just a continuation of those efforts.

cut 12 (06)  “country’s officials”

At the beginning of the school year, Ainsworth says he and school officials told students they could not fly the Confederate flag from their vehicles. Ainsworth says this past Friday he announced this policy would be enacted during football games and other school events as well. Although some thought the school would not allow students to wear Rebel themed attired, Ainsworth says that was not the case

cut 13 (07)  “Confederate flag”

Ainsworth says the school has designed its own West Monroe rebels flag in recent years, and the school supports students flying that as well as the American flag. He says students may wear rebel or Confederate flag clothing, and the policy only applies to flying the flag on campus.

cut 14 (05)  “in general”

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The state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control has suspended the alcohol license for the Wet & Wild Saloon in Houma after drug and prostitution activity was discovered there. ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office uncovered some disturbing video evidence against the establishment…

cut 15 (09) “this place” 

ATC cited the business for numerous violations including allowing entertainers to engage in lewd and immoral acts and improperly allowing employees to solicit drinks from patrons for a fee. TPSO has arrested the owners, Lance and Rachel Smiley, on numerous charges. Hebert says this type of activity is something his office will not tolerate…

cut 16 (10) “health and safety” 

LRN sportscast 11:40 August 31

The Saints are 0-and-3 in the preseason after losing to Houston 27-13 yesterday. Penalties continue to be a problem for the Black and Gold. They were flagged 11 times for 148 yards. Pressuring the quarterback is also an issue. Just one sack by the defense, the first of the preseason. Coach Sean Payton says they still have time to work on these issues out…
cut 30 (12) “…stand out”
The Saints wrap up the preseason on Thursday night at Green Bay. They also have to make the first round of cuts by tomorrow afternoon.

Former Louisiana Tech kicker Josh Scobee has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Scobee is the Jaguars all-time leader scorer as he made 235 field goals during his 11 seasons in Jacksonville.

Game week has arrived for the Tigers as they kick-off the season against McNeese State this Saturday. In years past, LSU has opened the season against big name opponents, but senior associate athletics director Verge Ausberry says with Mississippi State and Auburn looming in Weeks two and three, they didn’t want to start the season with a Top 5 opponent…
cut 17 (05) “…to win”
Ausberry says it just happened to be LSU’s year to play of a couple of early SEC match-ups.

Here’s a look at the rest of the schedule for this weekend…Louisiana Tech hosts Southern. The Bulldogs are looking to repeat as Conference USA Western Division champs.

UL Lafayette travels to Kentucky. Last year, the Cajuns started 1-and-3.

Grambling is at California. ULM is at Georgia. Warhawks coach Todd Berry says senior linebacker Hunter Kissinger will not play because of a lower body injury.

And on Thursday…Tulane hosts Duke, while Southeastern Louisiana visits Northwestern State.

LRN AM Newscall August 31

A group of men and women begin their first full day of training today to become a State Police Trooper. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

September is typically the busiest month for hurricanes. Scott Carwile chats with a forecaster to tell us what we can expect…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Scott Carwile”

______________________________________

The LSU football team opens its season against McNeese State this Saturday. Jeff Palermo looks at why the Tigers are beginning the year against an FCS school, and not a big-name opponent…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

A new Louisiana State Police cadet class starts their first full day of training today in Baton Rouge. Sgt. Nick Manale says over the next 16 weeks, they will cover everything from classroom instruction to hands on scenario based training. He says these individuals were carefully selected to ensure State Police has the right people.

cut 4  (10)  “new academy”

Manale says 80 cadets will participate in the intense training in hopes of graduating in December and wearing the “Gold Boot” badge. He says this is the third State Police cadet class since 2014, which is helping to boost their numbers after not having any new troopers for five years.

Cut 5  (10)  “of course”

Manale says even though they’ve added over 100 troopers since 2014, they are still hoping to have another cadet class soon, after this current one wraps up.

Cut 6 (12)  “application process”

______________________________________

According to BankRate.com, Louisiana is the worst state for drivers. The website’s research and statistics analyst Chris Kahn says they ranked all 50 states according to the amount of fatal crashes, car thefts, commute times, gas prices, and insurance premiums….

CUT 7 (07)  “in Louisiana”

Kahn says the fatal crash rate is above the national average in the state but the one main factor that is always dragging Louisiana down is the absurdly high insurance premiums. He says the reason it’s so high could be because of a couple different things.

Cut 8  (12)  “really high” 

Kahn says one way to help get Louisiana from the bottom of the list is to chat with your insurance provider to find out about discounts.

Cut 9 (11) “insurance premiums”

______________________________________

As we enter the month of September, it’s usually the busiest month of the year for the hurricane season. State Climatologist Barry Keim says sea surface temperatures tend to peak during this month.

Cut 10 (10) “recent times”

Keim says in September, we typically see an average of three to four named storms in the north-Atlantic and about two to three become hurricanes. He says we’ve had several September hurricanes that had devastating impacts.

cut 11 (10) “good shape”

But Keim says this year an El Nino is creating wind shear, which is hurting the formation of storms. He says although these conditions have been working against the storms, we’ve already had five named storms and 10 to 12 is the average number.

 Cut 12 (07) “them apart”

______________________________________

As part of Louisiana Radio Network’s continuing Q-and-A with the men running for governor, we asked the four candidates about how transparent their administration will be once they are in office. Democrat John Bel Edwards says he’s the only candidate that voted for a bill that will bring new transparency to the records in the governor’s office…

Cut 13 (09)  “light of day”

Republican David Vitter plans to make more documents available to the public than what’s currently available and the US Senator says he’ll make himself available to the public with town hall meetings in every parish

Cut 14 (07) “relaxed way”

Republican Scott Angelle says his administration will be more transparent than any past administration. He says access to records is a critical part in building public’s trust with government

Cut 15  (08)  “Louisianians”

Republican Jay Dardenne also agrees that the records of the executive branch, including the office of the governor, need to be made open and available upon request

Cut 16  (11)  “as well”

______________________________________________

Game week has arrived for the Tigers as they kick-off the season against McNeese State this Saturday. In years past, LSU has opened the season against big name opponents, but senior associate athletics director Verge Ausberry says with Mississippi State and Auburn looming in Weeks two and three, they didn’t want to start the season with a Top 5 opponent

Cut 17 (05) “to win” 

Ausberry says it just happened to be LSU’s year to play a couple of early SEC matchups. But he says when that’s not the case, they like to open the season with a strong opponent…

Cut 18 (05) “big opponents”