Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

03.26.15
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LRN Sportscast 16:45 March 26

LSU’s Jarell Martin is heading to the NBA after two years of college basketball. Martin has decided to enter the NBA Draft after averaging 17 points and nine rebounds a game this past season. Coach Johnny Jones says NBA scouts like Martin’s versatility and that will help him on the next level….
cut 17 (18) “….athleticism”

In college basketball tonight….U-L Lafayette will host Evansville in the CIT semifinals. Tip-off from Blackham Coliseum is at 7:30. Louisiana Tech’s season is over after losing in the NIT quartrfinals to Temple, while ULM is getting ready to play in the CBI title series. The Warhawks will face Loyola of Chicago in a best of three series starting Monday in the Windy City.

Saints Coach Sean Payton still believes there’s still a lot of good football left in the 36-year-old Drew Brees. The head coach also says his QB is fine with the trade that sent Jimmy Graham to Seattle. Payton says Brees understands they had to make changes on offense in order to improve the defense….
cut 19 (16) “….down 10”

The Pelicans are off tonight after losing their fourth straight last night in a 95 to 93 loss to the Rockets. With eleven games to go in the regular season, New Orleans is 3.5 games back of Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans hosts Sacramento tomorrow night.

And the Independence Bowl is looking for a new title sponsor that’s because Duck Commander has ended its relationship with the bowl game.

03.26.15
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PM LRN Newscall March 26

An 11-year-old boy has missed more than two weeks of school because his hair is too long according to Rapides Parish School Board policy. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The Terrebonne DA says a grand jury has cleared a deputy who shot and killed a 14-year-old boy near Houma last September. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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Shreveport’s Independence Bowl finds itself, once again, without a sponsor. Duck Commander, who was the title sponsor of last year’s game, will not return as the title sponsor this year. Mayor Ollie Tyler says she is determined to help the I-Bowl foundation find a new sponsor…

CUT 3 (06)  “us economically”

Last year’s game was played under a letter of intent between Duck Commander and the Independence Bowl and not a contract. This isn’t the first time the bowl has had sponsorship issues. The 2008 game was played without a sponsor. Tyler says this game is not only important for Shreveport, but the entire area…

CUT 4 (08)  “areas benefit”

Tyler says a hotel tax, which narrowly failed last year, would provide much needed, ongoing revenue for the Independence bowl. She says the measure could be back on the ballot this fall. Tyler feels the passage of this occupancy tax will be significant in landing a new title sponsor…

CUT 5 (11)  “develop this area”

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An 11-year-old boy has missed more than two weeks of school because his hair is too long according to Rapides Parish School Board policy. Ashton Bodiford’s hair falls past the middle of his back. Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman, who is not involved in this case, says it’s time for courts to recognize that students should be able to have a greater range of appearances…

CUT 6 (06)  “with the student”

Esman says courts have ruled that schools are within their rights to have appearance policies like this. Bodiford was told he could not return to school until his hair was cut to meet the requirements. His parents say the rules are unfair and discriminatory and want a policy that is equal for both genders. Esman says the 5th grader should not be penalized just because someone doesn’t like the way he looks…

CUT 7 (10)  “the victim”

Policy requires male students to keep their hair no longer than chin length in the back and no longer than three inches on top. Bodiford’s parents hope to address the issue at next month’s school board meeting. Esman says, because of previous court rulings, the family has a hard road ahead…

CUT 8 (10)  “and unfair”

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The Terrebonne DA says a grand jury has cleared a deputy who shot and killed a 14-year-old boy near Houma last September. They returned a ruling of “no true bill” which means there wasn’t evidence presented that indicated Deputy Preston Norman committed a crime in the death of Cameron Tillman. Carlos Lazarus is the First Assistant DA in Terrebonne…:

CUT 9 (09)  “or another”

The FBI is also investigating this case. Family members of Tillman assert the juvenile did not have a weapon but the sheriff’s office say he was holding what looked exactly like a .45-caliber pistol. Lazarus says it was a pellet pistol…:

cut 10 (10) “you can not tell the difference”

The sheriff’s office says Norman and other deputies were responding to a call of children brandishing guns at an abandoned house where the incident took place. Lazarus says he showed the jury pictures of the weapon the juvenile was holding and a real .45-caliber pistol and said they are identical…:

cut 11 (11)  “what he should do”

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One of the four Louisiana National Guard soliders, who was killed in a helicopter crash on March 10th near Pensacola, Florida, is laid to rest today in Alexandria. Chief Warrant Officer 4, David Strother, leaves behind a wife and a son, a stepdaugther and mother. Louisiana National Guard Captain Kreg Stiles says Strother was a great American and human being…

cut 12 (09)  “him justice”

Strother served in the National Guard from 1988 to 2007 and then returned in 2009 and served until his death. He had over 24-hundred flight hours, including 700 combat hours. Stiles says Strother was born to serve our country and born to fly…

cut 13 (10)  “duplicate that”

Strother was a Black Hawk pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. His remains returned to central Louisiana last week and Captain Stiles says Strother’s family and friends have been impressed with the outpouring of support from the residents of central Louisiana…

cut 14 (10)  “completely amazing”

03.26.15
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LRN Sportscast 11:40 March 26

The Pelicans lost their fourth straight last night as the Houston Rockets soared past New Orleans 95-93. Tyreke Evans had 28 points, Anthony Davis had 24 poitns, but Eric Gordon failed to make a field goal in 42 minutes on the floor. New Orleans is three and a half games back of O-K-C for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and there’s just 11 games left.

Shreveport’s Independence Bowl finds itself, once again, without a sponsor. Duck Commander, who was the title sponsor of last year’s game, will not return as the title sponsor this year. Mayor Ollie Tyler says she is determined to help the I-Bowl foundation find a new sponsor…:
CUT 3 (06) “us economically”
Tyler says a hotel tax, which narrowly failed last year, would provide much needed, revenue for the Independence bowl. She hopes the item will appear on the ballot again this fall.

Tough ending to the season for Louisiana Tech as they were eliminated in the NIT as the Bulldogs lost to Temple 77-59.

But ULM has reached the CBI championship. Tylor Ongwae and Majok Deng each had 22 points as the Warhawks flew past Vermont 71-65. Louisiana-Monroe will now face Loyola of Chicago in a best of three title series, which will begin on Monday in the Windy City.

Tonight U-L Lafayette hosts Evansville in the semifinals of the CIT. Tip-off in the Blackham Coliseum is set for 7:30.

In college baseball yesterday…Northwestern State defeated Mississippi Valley four to one and Nicholls State knocked off U-L Lafayette three to one. The Cajuns committed four errors in the contest. It’s the first time in program history that Nicholls has won games over LSU and U-L Lafayette in the same season.

LSU begins a three-game series tomorrow night against Kentucky at the Box.

03.25.15
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LRN Newscast 17:30 March 25

The Ponchatoula Strawberry festival has apologized for its controversial 2015 poster and have made the decision not to sell it at next month’s festival. Michelle Southern has the story…
cut 2 (30) “….reporting”

The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering a 13-thousand reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individuals involved in a goat beheading. A 12-second video has surfaced that shows young men standing around a goat and they cheer when the goat’s head is cut by a samurai sword.

A total of 46 Beau Chene (SHEN) High School Students have been suspended after an investigation into a pupil who is accused of changing grades. St. Landry school superintendent Edward Brown says the scheme began unraveling after one pupil became suspicious…:
CUT 4 (09) “central office”
He says the investigation is ongoing.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office they don’t believe the elephants who kept an 18-wheeler from being overturned on I-49 yesterday were harmed. Capt Tony Moran says after the driver became stranded, he gave a command for the elephants to help out…:
CUT 10 (10) “didn’t appear to be abused”
Moran says the elephants were being transported from Florida to a circus in the Dallas area.

03.25.15
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LRN Sportscast 16:45 March 25

LSU Sophomore forward Jarell Martin announced today that he’s leaving the Tigers to enter the N-B-A draft. The six-foot-ten forward from Baton Rouge averaged nearly 17 points and nine rebounds this past season. Martin is glad that he played a role in getting the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament, but it’s now time to move on….
cut 16 (13) “…hand and hand”
Fellow LSU forward Jordan Mickey might also leave for the NBA, but he says as of now he’s still considering his options. And Tigers assistant coach Eric Musselman was named today as the new head coach at Nevada.

Tonight….Louisiana Tech faces Temple in the quarterfinals of the NIT. These two teams met in November and lost to the Owls 82 to 75. Tip-off tonight is at 8 PM.

ULM is hoping for a White Out at Fant-Ewing Colisuem tonight as the Warhawks host Vermont in the semifinals of the CBI tournament. ULM has one senior in its starting line-up and Atheltics Director Brian Wickstorm hopes this postseason run will result in an NCAA Tournament berth next season….
cut 17 (15) “….extra games”
Tip-off is at seven P-M.

In the NBA tonight…the Pelicans look to snap their three-game losing streak as they host the Houston Rockets. There’s 12 games left in the season and New Orleans is three and a half games back of O-K-C for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said today that the team is trying to work out a long-term contract with defensive end Cam Jordan. The 2011 first-round pick has 20 sacks over the last two seasons.

03.25.15
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LRN PM Newscall March 25

Over 40 Beau Chene (SHEN) High School Students have been suspended after an investigation into a student who is accused of changing their grades. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

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The Strawberry Festival Board and the Kiwanis Club of Ponchatoula have both apologized for the controversial 2015 poster and said they will not sell it at the event. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30) “reporting”

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A total of 46 Beau Chene High (SHEN) School Students have been suspended after an investigation into a student who is accused of changing their grades. St. Landry school superintendent Edward Brown says a student was able to gain access to a web-based grading computer program, after obtaining a teacher’s password…

CUT 3 (10)  “grade changing”

It’s reported that the accused student would charge money or favors in exchange for changing grades. Brown says some students didn’t know their grades were being altered. He says the scheme began unraveling after one pupil became suspicious…

CUT 4 (09)  “central office”

Brown says the suspensions vary in length based on the student’s involvement, but no specifics were given. He says he’s confident they’ve caught all involved, but there’s no way to be certain. Brown says they’ll use this situation to teach students a lesson that reaches far beyond the classroom…

CUT 5 (08)  “the system”

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Baton Rouge Police are looking for 31-year-old Yovanni Anibal Ramos-Salazar for the killing of a 28-year-old man who was accused of rape. Authorities say it was a vigilante killing. Corporal Don Coppola says the man who was fatally shot has been identified as 28-year-old Joel Guevara…

CUT 6 (09)  “family members”

Family members of Guevara say the rape allegations against him are false, but Coppola says they were looking to arrest him for an alleged rape that took place in January

CUT 7 (10)  “and stalking”

Ramos-Salazar was last seen driving a silver 2000 Toyota Tundra pickup with a Louisiana license plate. The shooting occurred outside of a Baton Rouge apartment complex on Sunday and Coppola says Ramos-Salazar targeted Guevara after learning of a sexual assault that occurred against one of his family members

CUT 8 (08)  “on construction”

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Many people are awed by the pictures and video circling of the two elephants who helped kept an 18-wheeler from overturning yesterday on I-49 near Powhatan (Pow-Hat-Tin). There was a concern by some that this was some sort of animal abuse. But Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office Capt Tony Moran says the animals seemed to be willing to assist…:

CUT 9 (09)  “from overturning”

Moran says these were circus elephants who were being transported from New Orleans to Dallas and after the driver became stranded, he gave a command to the elephants to help out…:

cut 10 (10) “didn’t appear to be abused”

Moran says deputies reported that at no time did the animals appear to be injured during this incident. He says the elephants were a huge help…:

cut 11 (03)  “did a great job”

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The Strawberry Festival Board and the Kiwanis Club of Ponchatoula have both apologized for the controversial 2015 poster and said they will not sell it at the event. A meeting was held this morning with the NAACP and other concerned leaders who felt this year’s festival poster was racist. Pontchatoula Councilman Melvin Toomer was at that meeting…:

cut 12 (11)  “which they have done”

Toomer says the Kiwanis Club Organization, which is responsible for the poster, will not be selling it at the festival April 10th-12th — but they will continue to distribute it before that time. The club board had originally said they would not stop selling the poster but Toomer says the compromise all parties reached today made both sides happy…:

cut 13 (10)  “for everybody”

The civil rights organization also called on both boards to have a more diverse membership which they agreed to make an effort to do. Toomer says they didn’t mind that the club would continue to sell the poster before the festival because that’s “inside their house” which is less offensive than it being sold at the event…:

cut 14 (10)  “that’s your house”

03.25.15
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11:40 LRN Sportscast March 25

LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin meets with the media this afternoon where it’s expected based on reports that he’ll enter the NBA Draft. Martin led the Tigers in scoring this past season.

Martin’s teammate, Jordan Mickey, says he has yet to make a decision on whether he’ll leave LSU early. Tiger Rag editor Cody Worsham believes the six-foot-eight forward from Dallas could use another year of college basketball….
cut 19 (13) “….game more”
And there are reports that LSU assistant coach Eric Musselman could be named the new head coach at Nevada.

In college hoops tonight…U-L-M hosts Vermont in the semifinals of the CBI tournament, while Louisiana Tech faces Temple in the quarterfinals of the NIT. The winner will head to Madison Square Garden in New York for the NIT semifinals.

Saints Coach Sean Payton spoke with reporters this morning in at the NFL owners meeting and repeated a statement that general manager Mickey Loomis made earlier in the week and that’s there’s no truth to the rumors the team is looking to trade quarterback Drew Brees. Payton also said they will not trade up to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Payton also said today that the team is speaking with defensive end Cameron Jordan about a contract extension. In four seasons with the Black and Gold, Jordan has 29 sacks and five forced fumbles.

In the NBA…the Pelicans host the Rockets tonight. Houston center Dwight Howard returns to the court after missing 23 games because of a knee injury. New Orleans has won the two previous meetings against the Rockets this season.

In college baseball last night…Mark Laird hit an inside the park home run to highlight LSU’s 13-7 win over Tulane. Louisiana Tech trounced Grambling eight to one. Daniel Midyett hit a three-run blast in Southeastern’s seven to six victory over ULM. U-L Lafayette edged McNeese State six to five in 12 innings.

03.24.15
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LRN Newscast 17:30 March 24

A new study conducted for the state by LSU economist Dr. Loren Scott shows the film tax credit program created nearly 13-thousand jobs, but cost Louisiana 171-million dollars last fiscal year. And Scott adds that many of the jobs produced do not benefit Louisiana…
CUT 11 (09) Q: “he spent”
The state’s film tax credit program is expected to face changes in the upcoming legislative session.

The Department of Health and Hospitals says Louisiana has cut the rate of Tuberculosis cases by more than half from 2010 to 2014. DHH’s Charles DeGraw says they have also reduced the percentage of TB cases with HIV infection from 10% in 2010 to 4 percent in 2014…:
CUT 14 (10) Q: “who have Tuberculosis.”
Republican Congressman Charles Boustany says a contract has been awarded to build a new VA clinic in Lafayette. Boustany says once construction begins, it will take 18 months to complete …:
CUT 6 (11) “long overdue”
However, Boustany says there is still no word from the VA on the construction of a new clinic in Lake Charles.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s office says two elephants were used to keep an 18-wheeler from overturning on I-49. Deputies say a truck carrying elephants from New Orleans to Dallas got stuck in the mud, when deputies arrived on the scene this morning, they were surprised to find the elephants on the side of the truck that was starting to tip over. The 18-wheeler was eventually pulled out of the mud and no citations were issued, and the elephants were uninjured.

03.24.15
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16:45 LRN Sportscast March 24

The LSU baseball team wraps up a five-game road trip tonight at Tulane. It looks like LSU has found a new lead-off hitter. Senior Chris Sciambra was inserted into the line-up on Friday and drove in four runs in game two against Arkansas and then had four hits in the series finale. Coach Paul Mainieri is proud the Baton Rouge native is able to contribute…
cut 18 (19) “…our team” (2x)
First pitch is at 6:30.

In other action…Louisiana Tech hosts Lincoln Parish rival Grambling State at 6 PM. The Ragin Cajuns face McNeese State in Lake Charles, U-L-M is at Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State hosts Mississippi Valley State.

A proposal to expand instant replay so that personal fouls could be reviewed never came up for a vote at today’s NFL owners meeting. In fact, most proposals to make changes to the instant replay system were rejected. The owners approved several player safety enhancements, including one that would allow for the stopping of a play if a medical adviser believes a player is unstable and should be taken off the field.

ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman reports that LSU sophomore forward Jordan Mickey is leaning towards entering the NBA draft. Mickey was a first-team ALL SEC selection this past season as he led the league in rebounding and he’s also the top shot blocker in the country.

Fresh off a win over Texas A-and-M, Louisiana Tech looks to keep advancing in the N-I-T as they visit Temple tomorrow night. U-L-M has a C-B-I semifinal game tomorrow as the Warhawks will host Vermont and in the C-I-T, the Ragin Cajuns will take on Evansville and the game will be played in historic Blackham Coliseum Thursday night.

03.24.15
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11:40 LRN Sportscast March 24

The number one ranked LSU baseball team heads down I-10 tonight to play Tulane at 6:30. It should be an emotional game for LSU hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Andy Cannizaro, who is a former all-american shorstop at Tulane. He helped the Green Wave reach the College World Series in 2001. Coach Paul Mainieri is interested to see how Tulane fans will react to Cannizaro…
cut 17 (14) “…baseball history”
First pitch is at 6:30. Other in-state matchups tonight include…Grambling at Louisiana Tech. McNeese hosts U-L Lafayette and ULM visits Southeastern Louisiana.

W-W-L’s Kristin Garic reports that outside linebacker and defensive end Anthony Spencer is visiting with Saints officials. He was drafted by Dallas in the first round in 2007 and helped the Cowboys gets in the playoffs last year.

U-L-M is getting ready to host a postseason basketball game tomorrow night as the Warhawks will face Vermont in the semi-finals of the CBI tournament. The Warhawks rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat Mercer 71 to 69 last night. Tylor Ongwae tied a career-high with 27 points.

The Ragin Cajuns will also host a postseason game this week as U-L Lafayette will take on Evansville this Thursday. The game will be played at Blackham Coliseum. It’s the first time since 2006 that a men’s basketball game has been played at that venue.

And Louisiana Tech will play Temple tomorrow night in the quarterfinals of the N-I-T. Alex Hamilton had 25 points as the Bulldogs beat Texas A-and-M 84 to 72. Hamilton hit three, 3-pointers. As a team, Tech had 11 from beyond the arc.

In high school basketball news…Anacoco’s Will Reese has been anmed as the Class B Most Outstanding Player of the year as he led Anacoco to its first ever boys state championship. The Class B girls player of the is Madyson Brasseaux of Lacassine. She’s a McNeese State commitment.