Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

06.22.16
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LRN PM Newscall June 22nd

The Baton Rouge mother who was arrested after allegedly beating her sons for robbing a neighbor’s house might not have to stand trial, according to District Attorney Hillar Moore. Don Molino has more…

CUT 1 (24)  “I’m Don Molino ”

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The rehabilitation of the Jimmy Davis Bridge in Shreveport-Bossier has been cancelled, and the state Department of Transportation says they’ll build a new four-lane bridge over the Red River instead. Michelle Southern has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

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East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore is not sure yet if he’ll prosecute a Baton Rouge mother who was arrested after allegedly beating her children for breaking into someone’s home. Police say 30-year-old Schaquana Spears was charged with two counts of child cruelty for whipping her three children with an electrical cord. Moore understands parents need to discipline their children.

CUT 3 (11)  “been pretty”

People from all over the nation have taken to social media in support of Spears’ actions. Authorities say the 10, 12, and 13-year-olds broke into a neighbor’s house and stole a hover board, electronics, and socks. He says there is a difference between discipline and child abuse, and his office is looking into the severity of the beating. But he says this may just be a family that needs help.

CUT 4 (11)  “criminality there”

Moore says it will take a while to go through all the facts of this case and decide whether or not to prosecute.

CUT 5 (09)  “is it not”

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Governor John Bel Edwards has signed into law two bills that will regulate drone use in Louisiana. Baton Rouge Sen. Dan Claitor authored one of the measures and says under his bill, you could be charged with criminal trespassing if you use a drone to peep on your neighbors.

CUT 6 (10) “that’s prohibited”

Claitor says there are some exceptions included in his bill.

CUT 7 (08) “an exception”

The other drone regulation law signed by the governor would prohibit the public from flying drones above schools or jails and prisons. The White House is also implementing rules that allow drones less than 55 pounds to fly up to 100 miles per hour and 400 feet high within the view of the operator. Claitor says he doesn’t expect to file any more legislation on the issue.

CUT 8 (09) “to speak”

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The state Department of Transportation cancels plans to rehabilitate the Jimmy Davis Bridge over the Red River in Shreveport-Bossier and instead they decide to build a new four-lane bridge. DOTD spokesperson Cindy Dorfner says this new bridge will mean less congestion and an easier drive for commuters.

CUT 9 (12) “and forth”

Dorfner says they aren’t sure at this point how much the new bridge will cost or when it will be complete. She says the old bridge will remain open during the construction. She says they have to get the design process started first.

cut 10 (07)  “the bridge”

Dorfner says they would have spent at least 20-million dollars on rehabbing a 60-year-old bridge, but that would not address the problem of congestion, which is why they’ve made the decision to move forward with a new bridge.

Cut 11 (11) “four lane bridge”

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The lawyer of a Marksville City Marshall accused of fatally shooting a 6-year-old boy has filed a motion to move the trial out of Avoyelles Parish. 31-year-old Derrick Stafford’s attorney, Christopher LaCour says with all the media coverage he doesn’t believe Stafford can get a fair trial in this parish…

cut 12 (09) “is corrupt”

Stafford and fellow officer Norris Greenhouse Jr. are facing second-degree murder charges in last November’s shooting death of Jeremy Mardis. LaCour says neither Stafford nor Greenhouse intended to kill the autistic boy. He says he wants to give Stafford the best defense he can and that won’t happen if the case is heard in Avoyelles Parish.

Cut 13 (11)  “fair trial”

Stafford and Greenhouse are set to go to trial this fall.

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K-through-12 public schools will see a cut in state funding as a result of a spending plan approved by the Senate finance committee. The head of the Louisiana School Board Association, Scott Richard (Ree-shard), says if schools receive fewer state dollars, it will jeopardize the successes that have taken place  in public education….

cut 14 (07)  “reading scores”

But on an 8-2 vote, the Senate Finance Committee decided to not to give public colleges a reduction in state dollars, instead K-12 public schools would be put on the chopping block. Shreveport Senator Gregory Tarver says universities have been cut enough….

cut 15 (09) “other schools”

This spending proposal still has to be approved by the full Senate and House before the special session ends at midnight on Thursday. Lake Charles Senator Ronnie Johns also supports the idea that public colleges shouldn’t be cut any further…

cut 16 (06) “young people”

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06.22.16
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10:30 LRN Newscast June 22nd

Two days are left in the legislative session and the Senate is expected to try and pass legislation that raises more revenue to cover a 600-million dollar shortfall. But Jeremy Alford, publisher of la-politics-dot-com, says House leaders say they’ve reached their saturation point on passing revenue generating bills…
cut 14 (11) “…more revenue”
So far lawmakers have agreed to raise 284-million dollars in this session.

Attorney General Jeff Landry announces 57 individuals have been arrested as part of Operation Broken Heart, which is a statewide initative that involved law enforcement to reduce internet crimes against children. LaFourche Parish Sheriff Craig Weber says this needs to be a priority, because victims of internet crime tend to become unlawful individuals later in life…
cut 6 (09) “…children”

Former opelousas state senator and now candidate in the fourth district congressional race, Elbert Guillory, has an unique add on YouTube. Guillory is shown holding a bag of cocunets and he says there are not enough politicians in Washington D-C to do the right thing…
cut 9 (12) “….our homeland”
Last year, in his campaign for Lt. Governor Guillory had an ad that featured the “N-word” several times.

A group called Together Louisiana says local governments are missing out on one-point-six billion dollars a year in revenue as a result of the industrial tax exemption program. But a tax expert with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Jim Patterson, says without this exemption many businesses might not come or stay in Louisiana…
cut 13 (07) “…our state”
Together Louisiana says the governor has the power to ask local governments if they want tax exempted.

Former opelousas state senator and now candidate in the fourth district congressional race, Elbert Guillory, has an unique add on YouTube. Guillory is shown holding a bag of cocunets and he says there are not enough politicians in Washington D-C who do the right thing…
cut 9 (12) “….our homeland”
Last year, in his campaign for Lt. Governor Guillory had an ad that featured the “N-word” several times.

06.21.16
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17:30 LRN Newscast ##Legislative Report###

The legislative session ends on Thursday night at midnight and 284-million dollars in revenues have been approved as a result of changes to tax laws. Governor John Bel Edwards has pushed for 600-million dollars in the hopes the state can avoid making cuts to the budget.

Senate President John Alario says he wants to revive a piece of legislation that would reduce the amount of tax deductions a person receives if they itemize on their state income tax forms. The proposal would generate an estimated 88-million dollars. It’s an effort supported by the governor, but such a proposal has already been dismissed by the Louisiana House.

If 284-million dollars is all that could be raised, cuts will occur to higher ed, various health care services and the TOPS program to name a few. How much of the revenue raised in this special session should go to TOPS versus hospitals that provide care for the poor is a major debate right now.

Governor Edwards has established a task Force to develop ways Louisiana can safely lower its prison population and reduce inmate housing costs. Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc says Louisiana incarcerates more residents per capita than anywhere else in the world and this task force will come up with recommendations that the legislature can approve in 2017…:
CUT 3 (07) “some sense”
LeBlanc says more programs at the local level can help reduce the recividism rate and lower the jail population.

The governor has signed a bill into law that raised the age threshold for victims of sex trafficking from 18 to 21. Before this law, victims between 18 to 21 could have been arrested for prostitution. Executive Director of Project 41 in West Monroe, Lindsey Nadler, says the public can also get involved in the fight against human trafficking…
cut 11 (10) “…is key”

06.21.16
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16:45 LRN Sportscast June 21st

Multiple media outlets are reporting that the 76ers have told Ben Simmons they plan on taking the former LSU star number one in Thursday night’s NBA draft. Simmons worked out for the 76ers yesterday and tonight he’ll be on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

The Pelicans have three picks in the NBA Draft, including the number six overall selection. Once the draft concludes, the Pelicans will focus on free-agency. Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Norris Cole are players that the Pelicans will have a chance to re-sign, but General Manager Dell Demps says it has to be a good fit…
cut 19 (20) “…everybody”
The Pelicans have released their summer league schedule. They’ll play at least three games in Las Vegas, starting with the Lakers on July 8th.

The Saints released their 2016 training camp schedule today as the team will hold its first practice at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs in West Virgina on July 28th. New Orleans will have joint practices with the Patriots on August 9th and 10th in Foxboro, Massachusetts and in Houston with the Texans on August 18th and 19th. The team will have four open practices to the public at their training facility in Metairie from August 22nd to the 25th.

In other football news…ESPN’s Darren Rovell says former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham has signed an endorsement deal with Campbell’s Chunky Soup.

The Monroe News Star reports Louisiana Tech is adding Iowa State linebacker Jordan Harris to their roster as he’ll suit up this season in Ruston as a graduate transfer. Harris started all 12 games for the Cyclones last season and had 70 tackles.

Northwestern State has named Bobby Barbier (BAR-bee-ay) as the Demons new head baseball coach. He played and coached for the Demons from 2002 to 2009 and was associate head coach last season.

LSU baseball announces that second baseman Cole Freeman has been chosen to wear number eight next season. Mikie Mahtook started the tradition of passing the jersey number eight to another player and he was placed on the disabled list today by Tampa Bay. He was hit by a pitch in the left hand in yesterday’s loss to Cleveland.

06.21.16
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16:30 LRN Newscast June 21

A manpower report published in Forbes Magazine says New Orleans and Baton Rouge rank 1-2 when it comes to toughest cities to find a job this summer. LSU Economist Loren Scott there is some truth to the report that construction of large scale construction projects between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is slowing down due to the energy market. But he says right in the middle is St. James Parish, where there are a large number of huge potential projects that are in the design and financing stages…:
cut 14 (11) “…New Orleans area”

At the state capitol, time is ticking on lawmakers to give final approval on tax changes designed to raise revenue to avoid major cuts to state services. At this point the state doesn’t have enough money to fully fund TOPS and there’s disagreement at what level the program should be funded.

The governor has formed a task force that will provide the legislature with recommendations on how to reduce the state’s incarceration rate, which is said to be the highest in the world. Louisiana’s Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc says they lack needed resources at the local level that can provide an alternative to housing an offender in jail…
cut 4 (09) “…that access”
LeBlanc says providing released inmates with health care can also help reduce the recidivism rate.

Here’s a bizarre story out of Caddo Parish, sheriff’s office spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says they arrested a Shreveport man for trespassing after he climbed up a historic monument outside of the courthouse during the middle of the night and the statue’s arm fell off in the process…
cut 16 (06) “…with trespassing”
Twenty-seven-year-old Tromell Conerlious’ bond was set at 500-dollars.

06.21.16
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15:30 LRN Newscast June 21st

Manpower says based on its survey of metropolitan areas, New Orleans and Baton Rouge are the two worst in the country to find a job this summer. LSU Economist Doctor Loren Scott says the summer is a slow time for New Orleans tourism industry…
cut 13 (07) “…heat is brutal”
Scott says the job outlook is actually much worse in Houma and Lafayette, because of the downturn in the oil and gas industry.

A new report released by the Annie E Casey Foundation finds Louisiana ranks 48th for child well-being. Teresa Falgoust, with the Agenda for Children, says the state ranks so low because of the number of kids who live in poverty, but the report highlights some positives. Falgoust says Louisiana ranks seventh in pre-school attendance and literacy has improved…
cut 8 (09) “…71-percent”
The governor has formed a Justice Reinvestment Task Force that aims to safely reduce the incarceration rate and the cost of housing inmates. Halen Doughty has more…
voicer 1 (30) “…I’m Halen Doughty”

Shreveport police are calling the death of an 81-year-old man a homicide. Authorities say William Hines was found dead inside his home on Monday afternoon. An exact cause of death is not known, but investigators have enough information to determine Hines was murdered as there was a stab wound to his upper body.

06.21.16
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14:30 LRN Newscast June 21st

Louisiana ranks 48th in overall child well-being according to the Annie E Casey Foundation. Teresa Falgoust, with Agenda for Children, says unfortunately the number of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods is on the rise in Louisiana and more children are also living in families burdened by high housing costs…
cut 7 (06) “…on housing”
Falgoust says the state is making progress in some areas as they have more children than ever who have health insurance.

A recent study released by ManpowerGroup finds New Orleans has the lowest job prospects out of all metropolitan areas in the country for the next three months. Baton Rouge is ranked second But LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says there are other areas of the state suffering more…
cut 12 (10) “…there”
Scott believes New Orleans is ranked low, because tourism drops off in the summer.

The governor has signed a bill into law that raised the age threshold for victims of sex trafficking from 18 to 21. Before this law, victims between 18 to 21 could have been arrested for prostitution. Executive Director of Project 41 in West Monroe, Lindsey Nadler, says they are thrilled about the new law, because jail is not what these victims need…
cut 10 (08) “….here locally”

A Shreveport man has been arrested after he broke a historic monument while trying to climb on top of it. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Cindy Chadwick, says surveillance footage shows 27-year-old Tromell Cornelious playing a trumpet and walking around in front of the Caddo parish courthouse after midnight on June 10….
cut 15 (11) “…arm off”
Chadwick says Cornelious was charged with trespassing.

06.21.16
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LRN PM Newscall June 21st

The governor has formed a Justice Reinvestment Task Force that aims to safely reduce the incarceration rate and cost of housing inmates. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Halen Doughty ”

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Louisiana ranks 48th in the country when it comes to child well-being according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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A Justice Reinvestment Task Force has been established that will develop ways Louisiana can safely lower its prison population and reduce the cost of housing inmates. Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc says Louisiana incarcerates more residents per capita than anywhere else in the world and hopefully this task force can come up with solutions that the legislature will approve in 2017.

CUT 3 (07)  “some sense”

LeBlanc says many of the reforms will be aimed at the local level, because half of the prison population are housed in sheriff’s jails. He says right now they lack the needed resources on the local level that can provide an alternative to housing an offender in jail.

CUT 4 (09)  “that access”

LeBlanc says the recommendations will be a combination of legislation, policy, and budget reforms. He says one way they can reduce the recidivism rate is by making sure released inmates have access to healthcare and the state’s expanded Medicaid program should help in that area.

CUT 5 (07)  “big issue”

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When it comes to child well-being, Louisiana ranks 48th in the country, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2016 Kids Count Data Book. Teresa Falgoust with the Agenda for Children says we rank so low because the number of kids in poverty in Louisiana is higher than in most other states. She says poverty drives a lot of other indicators of child well-being.

CUT 6 (09) “factor here”

Falgoust says the problem is getting worse with more children living in poverty and more children whose parents don’t have secure employment. She also says more families are burdened with high housing costs, which means parents don’t have a lot of money left over for food, clothing, and other needs.

CUT 7 (06) “on housing”

But Falgoust does says Louisiana teens are more likely to graduate on time and the teen birth rates in the state are dropping. She also says Louisiana children rank 7thin preschool attendance and literacy has improved.

CUT 8 (09) “71%”

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The governor has signed a bill into law that raised the age threshold for victims of sex trafficking from 18 to 21. Before this law, victims ages 18 to 21 could have been arrested for prostitution. Executive Director of Project 41, Lindsey Nadler, says sex trafficking is a bigger problem in Louisiana than people may realize. The Polaris Project reports almost 350 cases of sex trafficking reported in Louisiana since 2012. Nadler says there are likely even more cases than that.

CUT 9 (07) “as criminals”

Nadler says human trafficking occurs heavily along interstate routes, which means some areas of the state are hotspots.  She says they thrilled about the new law because jail is not what these victims need.

cut 10 (08)  “here locally”

Under the new law, denying knowing the victims’ age cannot be used as a legal defense, and those convicted of sex trafficking will have to register as sex offenders and could spend between 15 and 50 years in jail. Nadler says there a plenty of things people can do to get involved in the fight against human trafficking.

Cut 11 (10) “is key”

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A recent study released by ManpowerGroup finds that New Orleans is the worst city for jobs during the summer months. According to the survey, The Big Easy has only a 1% net employment outlook for the third quarter of 2016. Baton Rouge is at 2%. But LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott says the state of the oil industry is what is driving the majority of the job losses in Louisiana…:

cut 12 (10) “at all there”

The outlooks report was put together by asking employers in the top 100 metropolitan areas how they expect to see their payrolls between now and September. The numbers in are not seasonally adjusted, and Scott believes New Orleans ranks so low because tourism takes a big hit in the summer…:

Cut 13 (07)  “heat is brutal”

Scott says there is some truth to the report that construction of large scale construction projects between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is slowing down due to the energy market. But he says right in the middle is St. James Parish, where there are a large number of huge potential projects that are in the design and financing stages…:

cut 14 (11)  “New Orleans area”

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A Shreveport man has been arrested after he broke a historic monument while trying to climb on top of it. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Cindy Chadwick, says surveillance footage shows 27-year-old Tromell Cornelious playing a trumpet and walking around in front of the Caddo parish courthouse after midnight on June 10.

cut 15 (11) “arm off”

Chadwick says Cornelious was arrested today when police found him at a Greyhound bus stop trying to leave town. She says he won’t face many charges, because they don’t believe he broke the monument on purpose.

cut 16 (06) “with tresspassing”

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06.21.16
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LRN 11:40 Sportscast June 21st

The Pelicans have the sixth overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft. General Manager Dell Demps will not say which player they make take, but selecting a small forward is one possibility. Demps admits they struggled at that position last year, because Quincy Pondexter missed the season with an injury…
cut 18 (16) “…us back”
The Pelicans also have two selections in the second round.

Former LSU basketball star Ben Simmons is a guest on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon tonight. Simmons is expected to be the number one overall pick.

And Coach Johnny Jones said on ESPN Baton Rouge radio that center Darcy Malone will graduate and not play for the Tigers next season. Malone appeared in 19 games last season for the purple and gold.

For the second straight year in a row, Toledo Bend in Sabine and DeSoto parishes, has been named the top fishing destination in America by Bassmaster Magazine. Bassmaster editor James Hall says there were over 130 10-pound bass catches at Toledo Bend this year….
cut 8 (11) “…is fantastic”
Caddo Lake ranked number 7 in Bassmaster’s Central Division of top 25 best fisheries.

06.21.16
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10:30 LRN Newscast June 21st

We’re in the final days of the second special session and lawmakers are still arguing over TOPS funding. Halen Doughty has more…
voicer 2 (30) “….I’m Halen Doughty”

We’ll get an idea on how much the Senate would like to fund TOPS, as the Senate finance committee unveils the upper chamber’s plan today.

The investigation continues into the death of twin three-year-old who died in a hot pickup truck in Bossier City over the weekend. Police spokesperson Mark Natale says they are trying to determine if criminal charges are warranted.

For the second straight year in a row, Toledo Bend in Sabine and DeSoto parishes, has been named the top fishing destination in America by Bassmaster Magazine. Bassmaster editor James Hall says there were over 130 10-pound bass catches at Toledo Bend this year….
cut 8 (11) “…is fantastic”

LSU’s Penninington Biomedical Research Lab is looking for older adults, who have not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, to participate in a study that they hope will lead to the prevention of the disease. Director of the Pennington’s Institute for Dementia Research, Doctor Jeffrey Keller, says the study is critical because in the year 205o, they expect 15-million people will have Alzheimer’s…
cut 15 (10) “…disease”
For more information go to Pennington’s website.