LRN Sportscast 16:45 Sept 18

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees says unfortunately the perception is that NFL players beat their wives and children. But Brees says that’s not the case despite the reports of domestic violence involving several NFL players. He says there’s a lot of players doing great things in the community. Brees added that the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases provide examples for other players that there are consequences for poor decisions away from the field….
cut 29 (11) “….right path’
The Saints will host the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday. It remains to be seen if linebacker David Hawthorne will play. He’s missed the last two practices with an ankle injury.

Tonight’s NFL match-up features two teams from the NFC South. Tampa Bay is searching for its first win of the season as they visit Atlanta.

The SEC opener between LSU and Mississippi State will take place Saturday night. Both teams are 3-and-0 and the Bulldogs have one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC. Dak Prescott is fourth in the SEC in total offense. Defensive tackle Christian LaCouture says he’s an explosive player…
cut 30 (13) “…big time plays”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 6:02.

Louisiana Tech will host Northwestern State on Saturday night. Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz is impressed with the Demons offense, which is led by senior quarterback Zach Adkins…
cut 19 (13) ‘…very well”
Kick-off for this one is at 6 PM.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

Drew Brees has chimed in on the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson domestic abuse cases. The Saints Quarterback is considered one of the faces of the NFL and says with the league dealing with all these PR hits, he understands it’s more important than ever to represent properly on and off the field…:
CUT 28 (11) “this position”

The Saints are continuing preparations today for the Vikings, who will be without their star running back Adrian Peterson. Safety Kenny Vaccaro says Minnesota still has has a good quarterback in Matt Cassel and a couple of talented receivers led by Cordarrelle Patterson…
cut 30 (15) “…what to do”

The LSU Tigers will be tested for the first time this Saturday in Tiger Stadium as they welcome Mississippi State to death valley. A match-up to watch is LSU left tackle La’el Collins versus Bulldogs defensive end Preston Smith. The senior has won back-to-back Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week Awards.

In other college football action this weekend…Grambling State is at Jackson State. These two teams never played last season, because the players at Grambling refused to play, because of poor training conditions and they were upset with the leadership at Grambling.

Louisiana Tech will host Northwestern State on Saturday. The Bulldogs have been excellent in the red zone as they’ve scored every time they’ve moved the football inside the opponents 20-yard line.

And the Ragin Cajuns are at Boise State. It’s the first meeting between the two schools. The Broncos will return the trip back to Lafayette in 2016.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 Sept 17

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will not play this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Peterson was placed on the NFL’s exempt list, which will keep him from participating in team activities until his child abuse case is resolved. Minnesota team officials began the week by saying that Peterson will play against the Saints.

Carolina has also placed star defensive end Greg Hardy on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list until his domestic violence case is resolved. The 2013 Pro Bowler was found guilty in July for assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder. Hardy is appealing the verdit and a hearing date is set for November 17th. The Saints face the Panthers on October 30th and December seventh.

At the Saints training facility, coach Sean Payton said today that running back Mark Ingram underwent surgery this week to repair a fracture in his hand. Doctors inserted two screws above Ingram’s thumb, because the bone was fractured and displaced.

It’s LSU and Mississippi State this Saturday in Tiger Stadium. It will be the SEC opener for both teams. The Bulldogs are averaging nearly 44 points a game and Tigers defensive coordinator John Chavis says his defense will be tested…
cut 18 (17) “….this season’
Kick-off on Saturday is at 6:00.

The Ragin Cajuns are hoping for a better performance from their defense this Saturday against Boise State. U-L Lafayette is allowing 455 yards per game and they’ve only forced one turnover through three games this season. The Broncos are 2-and-1, with wins over Colorado State and UCONN and a season opening loss to Ole Miss.

McNeese State’s 2015 baseball schedule came out today. The Cowboys will be at UL Lafayette on February 24th and LSU on March 11th.

LRN sportscast 16:45 for Sept 16

It’s been a tough start to the 2014 season for the New Orleans Saints and the news about running back Mark Ingram doesn’t make it any better. Ingram will reportedly miss the next four weeks because of an injured hand. Saints radio color analyst Hokie Gajan says Ingram’s injury comes at a time when the Saints were having their most success running the football since Sean Payton has been the coach….
cut 15 (07) “…step up”
Cadet doesn’t have a carry on the season yet, while Robinson has 59 yards on 14 carries and one touchdown.

The Vikings are planning to play running Adrian Peterson against the Saints this Sunday, despite the fact he faces child abuse charges. But the governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, said today that the Vikings should suspend Peterson until the child abuse case in Texas is resolved. Dayton helped get funding approved for a new one-billion dollar stadium for the Vikings.

Anthony Jennings has solidified himself as the LSU Tigers starting quarterback. But Coach Les Miles says fans can still expect to seek back-up and true freshman Brandon Harris get some snaps…
cut 30 (08) “…last three”
Miles says LSU will face one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC this Saturday. Dak Prescott, who is from Haughton, Louisiana, has completed nearly 60-percent of his passes for 696 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also rushed for 273 yards and two scores.

Northwestern State quarterback Zach Adkins is the Louisiana Sports Writers Association offensive player of the week. Adkins completed a school record 19 straight passes in the Demons 51 to 27 win over Southern. The senior from California will lead Northwestern into Ruston this Saturday. It’s the home opener for the Bulldogs, who have won their last two games by a combined score of 90-41.

11:40 LRN Sportscast September 16

No confirmation from Coach Sean Payton, but reports indicate running back Mark Ingram will be out at least four weeks with a hand injury. Ingram is averaging six yards a carry this season and has scored three touchdowns. Saints radio color analyst Hokie Gajan says it’s ashame because Payton said prior to the season that Ingram was finally healthy after dealing with various injuries his first three seasons in the NFL…
cut 14 (09) “…long time”
The Saints seek their first win of the season this Sunday against the Vikings. Payton says mental errors are the reason why the Black and Gold are off to an 0-and-2 start.

Former Saints running back Darren Sproles looked good last night as he helped the Eagles come from behind to beat the Colts 30 to 27. Sproles had seven catches for 152 yards and a 19-yard touchdown run.

The intensity should be up a notch or two this week at practice as the LSU Tigers dive into SEC play this Saturday against Mississippi State. Coach Les Miles on Saturday’s match-up….
cut 30 (19) “…play better”
Miles says linebackers Kwon Alexander and Lamar Louis will start against the Bulldogs after sitting out the ULM game with injuries.

In Ruston, Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz says junior defensive lineman Malcolm Pichon has been suspended indefinitely and defensive end Vontarrius Dora will miss Saturday’s game against Northwestern State because of a foot injury.

Demons quarterback Zach Adkins has been named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Offensive Player of the week. Adkins completed a school-record 19 straight passes in Saturday’s win over Southern.

PM Newscall Sept 15

Louisiana ranks 12th in the country for having the rudest drivers in the nation. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

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The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announce testing confirms that the brain-eating ameba, Naegleria Fowleri, has been found in a water system in Sabine Parish. Eric Gill has more…

CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

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

State Police say a south Louisiana man was killed yesterday when a tree limb came crashing down on him while on his Harley Davidson. Trooper Jared Sandifer says 53-year-old Travis Lessard of Gonzales and his brother were riding their motorcycles on Highway 22 in Livingston Parish when the fatal crash occurred…

CUT 3 (08) “the other”

Sandifer says they are not sure what caused the tree limb to fall, killing one person and seriously injuring another….

CUT 4 (09)  “this happening”

Sandifer says Lessard and his 52-year-old brother, Joseph Lessard of Maurepas, were transported to local hospitals after they were hit by the tree limb…

CUT 5 (07) “serious injuries”

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

PayScale-dot-com ranks Louisiana Tech number one in the state in early- and mid-career salaries for graduates. The report says Tech graduates, early in their career, earn an average of over $49,000 per year. University spokesman Dave Guerin says they are proud of this recognition…

CUT 6 (11)  “our institution”

Louisiana Tech also ranked number one for median mid-career salaries, with graduates who have at least 10 years of experience in their field, averaging over $86,000 a year. Guerin feels this ranking is a real testiment of the faculty at Tech…

CUT 7 (09) “they work for”

Overall, Tech ranks number 59 in the nation in median mid-career salaries for graduates among public universities. Guerin says PayScale-dot-com also ranks LA Tech tops in the state as it relates to return on investment…

CUT 8 (12) “southeastern United States”

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Two Shreveport police officers have been put on routine paid administrative leave after they were involved in a shooting of an armed robbery suspect. Corporal Marcus Hines the incident happened Saturday night and the person who was shot has been identified as 26-year-old Anthony Thomas of Shreveport…

CUT 9 (06)  “right wrist”

Hines says Thomas gunshot wound is considered non-life threatening, but he faces numerous criminal charges…

CUT 10 (11) “his person”

Hines says officers came in contact with Thomas after receiving reports he and at least two other male suspects used a handgun to rob a man at an ATM machine. He says when the officers responded to the scene a struggle ensued with Thomas and he was shot in the right wrist by one of the officers…

CUT 11 (09) “sprained fingers

___________________________________________________

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announce testing confirms that the brain-eating ameba, Naegleria Fowleri, has been found in a water system in Sabine Parish. The ameba was also discovered in St. John the Baptist Parish last month. Office of Public Health Medical Director, Takiesha Davis, says while the ameba is potentially dangerous, it doesn’t make the water unusable…

CUT 12 (08) “a person’s nose”

She says, to limit infection, avoid getting water up one’s nose. The ameba has to get directly into the brain to cause problems. Davis says the department’s new ameba sampling program is in its third stage and they are finding this ameba now because they are looking for it…

CUT 13 (10) “normally tested for”

She says, so far, no one has been infected with the ameba as a result of the recent discoveries. Davis says a chlorine burn of the water supply in Sabine Parish has been ordered…

cut 14 (07) “in controlling it”

16:45 LRN Sportscast Sept 15

The Saints are 0-and-2 and now it looks like their leading rusher will miss the next four weeks of the season, because of a broken hand. ESPN is reporting running back Mark Ingram hurt his hand in yesterday’s 26-24 loss against Cleveland. When asked about it today, Coach Sean Payton said he nothing to report now on the injury. Ingram rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Browns.

New Orleans will look for win number one on the season this Sunday against Minnesota. The Vikings said today that running back Adrian Peterson will play. Peterson sat out Minnesota’s loss to New England yesterday after he was charged with child abuse. Peterson released a statement today saying that without a doubt, he’s not a child abuser. Peterson admits to injuring his child, but that was not his intention when he disciplined his son.

In the latest AP Top 25 poll, the LSU Tigers are ranked eighth. Florida State is number one, followed by Alabama at three, Auburn at five and Texas A-and-M at six.

LSU’s offense got off to a slow start on Saturday in the Tigers 31-to-0 win over over ULM, but still ended up rushing for 219 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Travin Dural caught six passes, but the former Breaux Bridge standout says the offense has a long way to go…
cut 18 (15) “….looking the same”
Coach Les Miles said today that Ellliot Porter will start at center again this Saturday, even though Ethan Pocic, who started the first two games of the season at center, is healthy enough to play.

The Ragin Cajuns top wide receiver, Jamal Robinson, will reportedly miss the next four weeks of the season because of a lower leg injury. Robinson also missed Saturday’s blowout loss to Ole Miss.

And Nicholls State head coach Charlie Stubbs has resigned, citing health issues. The Colonels have lost nine straight games, dating back to last year.

LRN newscast 09:30 September 15

Senator Mary Landrieu says her campaign office has reimbursed the Federal Treasury after a review of her flight records found that 33-thousand dollars in flights were improperly charged to her Senate office. Landrieu says she takes full responsiblity and a system has been put in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again. But Louisiana republican party executive director Jason Dore believes there’s more information in the report and the issue is not dead…
cut 12 (05) “…taxpayer dollars”

The state department of revenue announces the arrest of a tax preparer from Tallulah who was allegedly involved in a 60-thousand dollar tax fraud scheme. Officials say Chetoria Tyler filed tax returns that contained false claims for state child care tax credits. Tyler faces multiple charges of computer fraud, filing false public records and tax evasion.

Attorneys for the state Department of Corrections are asking a federal appellate court to reverse a judge’s ruling that said conditions on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola are unconstitutional during the summer time. Judge Brian Jackson says the state must install a cooling system that will keep heat indexes from going over 88 degrees.

Saints fans are frustrated today after a 26 to 24 loss to Cleveland yesterday. Some blame the loss on former first round pick and cornerback Patrick Robinson, who was guilty of a couple of penalties and was beat on Cleveland’s first touchdown of the game. But Coach Sean payton says it’s not fair to blame one player…
cut 20 (14) “…one player”
New Orleans will host Minnesota this Sunday.

LRN Newscast 08:30 Sept 15

US Senator Mary Landrieu has admitted to over 33-thousand dollars in flights that were improperly charged to her Senate office, when the money for the flights should have been paid by her campaign. Landrieu says she takes full responsibility and these errors are the result of sloppy bookkeeping. But executive director of the Louisiana republican party, Jason Dore, says bookkeeping mistakes are no excuse…
cut 11 (06) “….up in jail”

Former police officers in the Municipal Police Employees Retirement System will receive its first cost of living adjustment since 2002. Ben Huxen, chief advisor to the commissioner of Administration, says after more than 12 years, this increase is very important….
cut 14 (06) “….as well”
Huxen says the adjustment will help about 45-hundred people in the system.

State police say a tree limb is the cause of a fatal motorcycle accident. Troopers say 53-year-old Travis Lessard of Gonzales was riding a Harley Davidson on L-A 22 in Livingston Parish when a tree limb fell and struck him and his 52-year-old brother who was riding his motorcycle next to him. Lessard died at a local hospital, while his brother Joseph Lessard suffered serious injuries.

Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne plans on making stops in Shreveport, Lafayette and Monroe in coming weeks to discuss how to grow tourism in those areas. Dardenne says there are two sites in Monroe that can help attract more visitors to northeast Louisiana…
cut 9 (14) “….World Heritage Site”
Dardenne will be in Shreveport tomorrow. He says the history of the Louisiana Hayride is one thing they can capitalize more on in that area of the state.

LRN Newscast 07:30 September 15

Senator Mary Landrieu has completed a report on the use of flights for campaign events and has admitted to over 33-thousand dollars in improperly charged flights. Eric Gill has more…
cut 2 (28) “…reporting”

Who Dat nation is asking what’s wrong with the Saints after the Black and Gold fell to 0-and-2 on the season with a 26 to 24 loss to Cleveland. Coach Sean Payton says they’ll correct the mistakes…
cut 19 (13) “…we’ll do that”
The Saints host Minnesota this Sunday.

Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne will begin a series of town hall meetings in Shreveport tomorrow to discuss with local leaders ways to increase tourism. Dardenne says one resource he wants to tap into is the history of the Louisiana Hayride…
cut 7 (08)_ “….Elvis was on”
Dardenne says he’ll have similar meetings in Lafayette and Monroe next month.

The LSU AgCenter is asking gardeners to look for a small insect called a chilli thrips which can feed on the young, tender parts of many plants. The pest damages new growth and they’re most obvious and prolific on roses. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Allen Ownings says to see if a plant is infected, place a white piece of paper under the plant, shake it, and see what falls on the paper…
cut 6 (08) “….hard to identify”
Owings says there are insecticides that can effectively deal with chilli thrips.