Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

02.19.15
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LRN Newscast 07:30 February 19

Secretary of State Tom Schedler announces reduced days of operation for 14 museums. Starting in mid-April, the old state capitol in Baton Rouge and the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport will only operate three days a week. Schedler says he has less state dollars to work with…
cut 13 (10) “…currently expand”
Schedler says 12 smaller museums under his control will only be open one-day a week.

Over 184-thousand Louisianans have enrolled for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. That’s an 81-percent increase in participation compared to last year and Marketplace director Kevin Counihan says they still have a long way to go, especially when it comes to making the customer experience easier…
cut 8 (06) “….we’re working on”

The State Department of Ag and Forestry says an insect pest called Emerald Ash Borer has been found in Louisiana. Commissioner Mike Strain says the bug attacks ash trees and has been confirmed in Webster Parish…
cut 10 (07) “…the trees die”
Strain says there’s no method to eradicate the insect, so to keep it him from spreading he’s urging residents in north Louisiana to not transport firewood more than ten miles.

A doctoral candidate in LSU’s college of Engineering is working on technology that would use drones to kill off mosquitos. Charles Malveaux says drones are used to apply chemicals for other purposes, especially agriculture, and it can be a powerful tool in combating mosquitoes…
cut 6 (11) “..in the future”
Malveaux says he knew someone who died from the West Nile Virus.

02.19.15
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LRN Sportscast 06:45 February 19

For the first time since 2009, Nicholls State has defeated LSU in baseball. The Colonels doubled up the second ranked Tigers six to three on a chilly night at Alex Box Stadium. LSU left 17 runners on base and committed four errors in the field. Colonels first baseman Seth Stevens had two hits and two RBIs for the 3-and-1 Colonels.

Elsewhere…U-L Lafayette scored four runs in the first inning and went on to beat Northwestern State seven to three. Centerfielder Joe Robbins hit a home run and tied a career-high with 4 RBI.

Louisiana Tech won its first game of the year as they pounded McNeese State 12 to 2. Centerfielder Bryce Stark hit a grand slam and Bre’shon Kimbell added a solo shot.

Tulane scored two runs in the top of the ninth to get past Southeastern Louisiana five to four. The Lions fall to four and one on the season. And U-N-O scored four runs in the second to hold off Southern Miss seven to six.

The Pelicans have announced Jrue Holiday will miss at least another three weeks with a stress reaction in his lower right leg. Holiday missed 48 games last year because of a very similiar injury. New Orleans is at Orlando tomorrow. Today is the NBA trade deadline.

The U-L Lafayette men’s basketball team hosts Texas State tonight at the Cajundome. The Cajuns are 8-and-7 in the Sun Belt and in fifth place in the league standings. Head Coach Bob Marlin says a victory is important tonight with the conference tournament right around the corner…
cut 16 (17) “….at home”
The Ragin Cajuns have lost seven of their last eleven games.

Also tonight, Louisiana Tech is at Charlotte, and Tulane hosts Central Florida.

02.19.15
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LRN Newscast 06:30 February 19th

The federal government announces that nearly 185-thousand Louisianans signed up for insurance through the federal Insurance Marketplace as of Sunday’s deadline. Michelle Southern has more…
cut 2 (30) “….reporting”

The state department of Revenue announces they will begin issuing tax refunds the week of March second, which is a week later than originally planned. Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield says the delay is in response to the recent increase and still unfolding developments centered around fraudulent tax returns filed across the country.

A dozen museums under the control of the Secretary of State will be open only one day a week, because of budget cuts to that department. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says the reduced hours are in place for the foreseeable future…
cut 14 (10) “….as it looks”
The old state capitol in Baton Rouge and the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport will be in operation for three days a week, instead of five.

Big upset in college baseball last night as Nicholls State defeated second ranked LSU six to three. The Tigers left 17 runners on base, while Colonels first baseman Seth Stevens had two hits and two RBIs.

02.18.15
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LRN Newscast 17:30 February 18

Over 184-thousand Louisiana residents enrolled for health insurance through the federal marketplace that was set up by the Affordable Care Act. The open enrollment deadline was Sunday. Marketplace director Kevin Counihan hopes open enrollment next year will be bigger and better than it was this year…
cut 9 (09) “…certainly does”

Crawfish processors say new federal guidelines regarding guest worker wages could cause a big hike in the price of the mudbugs. Louisiana’s crawfish industry depends heavily on legal foreign workers to perform jobs they can’t fill locally. Lafayette restaurant owner and crawfish processor Frank Randol says the federal government mandates those workers now be paid $12.35 an hour…:
CUT 3 (08) “wholesale level”

The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office says a Bernice woman is under arrest after leaving her eight-month old son on a relative’s doorstep. Sheriff Dusty Gates says they received a call from the child’s father reporting that the baby was left outside a relative’s residence in Bernice…:
CUT 12 (12) “30 degrees”
The infant’s mother, 23-year-old Keondra Ferguson, is charged with criminal child abandonment.

A hard freeze warning is in effect for northern Tangipahoa, St. Helena St. Tammany and Washington parishes for midnight tonight until eight o’ clock tomorrow morning. The National Weather Service says temperatures could drop into the mid-20s in this part of the state. We could see low temps fall into the low 20s in northeast Louisiana.

02.18.15
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LRN Sportscast 16:45 February 18

Tonight at Alex Box Stadium, LSU will host Nicholls State. Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri used three different line-ups during the weekend sweep of Kansas and the head coach plans to continue shuffling players in and out of the line-up to find out who he can count on…
cut 18 (10) “…right guys”
After tonight, LSU will host Boston College. Because of the likliehood of rainy weather on Sunday, the two teams have decided to play a split doubleheader on Friday, with game one at two o’ clock and game two at seven o’ clock. They’ll wrap up the series on Saturday with a three o’ clock game.

Louisiana Tech won its first game of the season today and it was the first win for new head coach Greg Goff as the Bulldogs crushed McNeese State 12-to-2. Byrce Stark hit a grand slam for Tech, while Phil Maton allowed one run over seven innings for the win. It was the first loss of the season for McNeese State.

The Pelicans announced today that guard Jrue Holiday will be out at least another three weeks after re-aggravating the stress reaction in his lower right leg. Holiday has missed the last 16 games with the injury. In 37 games. Holiday has averaged 15 points and seven assists a contest. New Orleans is at Orlando on Friday night and they hope to have Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson back from injuries.

Baton Rouge based Marucci BodiTrak has developed what they call a smart fabric to help diagnose head injuries to football players during games. President Curtis Cruz says when an impact or collection of impacts registers hard enough into the fabric, a team official will automatically be notified via a mobile device…
cut 15 (07) “this level”
Cruz says they’ll try this technology out during LSU spring football and there will be pilot programs with several youth football organizations in the fall.

02.18.15
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11:40 LRN Sportscast

The fourth ranked LSU baseball team plays its first mid-week game of the season tonight as the Tigers host Nicholls State. Freshman right-hander Doug Norman will start on the mound for LSU, while the Colonels counter with a senior. Chalmette’s Ryan Deemes starts tonight after making a dozen starts last season. LSU Coach Paul Mainieri says tonight’s game should be a good challenge for his team…
cut 17 (19) “….or form”
First pitch is at 6:30. In other college baseball action today, Louisiana Tech wraps up a mid-week series at McNeese State. The Cowboys are undefeated, while the Bulldogs are winless. U-L Lafayette is at Northwestern State and Southeastern Lousisiana hosts Tulane, the Lions beat Jackson State 19-10 last night.

The LSU men’s basketball team had an eight point lead with 12 minutes left, but couldn’t hold on as Texas A-and-M rallied to beat the Tigers 68-62. LSU missed its last seven shots as the Tigers fell to seven and six in conference play.

A Baton Rouge company has developed what they call a smart fabric to help diagnose head injuries to football players during games. Michelle Southern reports….
voicer 4 (32) “…reporting”

02.17.15
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LRN Newscast 17:30 Feb 17

Folks in Louisiana have enjoyed Fat Tuesday festivities, despite some cold temperatures. At the Courir de Mardi Gras in Mamou, Mayor Ricky Fontentot says the riders and runners were out in their costumes and ready to roll through the countryside as they do every year…
cut 6 (10) “…enjoying themselves”

A report by the Schott Foundation for Public Education shows the black male high school graduation rates in Louisiana trails whites’ by 16 points. For the 2012-13 school year, only 53-percent of black male students graduated compared to 69-percent of white males. Foundation President John Jackson says these numbers are reason for concern…:
CUT 13 (12) “to succeed”
He says the results of this study indicate a climate that doesn’t foster health living and learning environments for black males.

State Police say a third person has died from Monday’s truck versus train collision in DeSoto Parish. Trooper Matt Harris says the driver and the two passengers in the truck were the ones killed in the wreck. Harris says truck attempted to cross over a set of tracks that didn’t have a warning gate or lights…
cut 9 (09) “…proceed forward”
Harris says they believe the driver stopped, but began moving forward when it was already too late and they were hit.

Union Parish authorities have arrested a 23-year-old mother who allegedly left her eight-month-old son on his grandfather’s droopstep wrapped in a blanket and in a car seat. Detectives say Keondra Kenshun Ferguson left the child there, because she was depressed and there was no one to help her. Deputies believe the child was outside in mid-30 temperatures for an hour and a half. Ferguson was charged with child abandonment and the father is now taking care of the baby.

02.17.15
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LRN sportscast 16:45 February 17

The LSU men’s basketball team looks for its second straight win on the road when they visit Texas A-and-M tonight. The Tigers are coming off an 18-point win over Tennessee in Knoxville. LSU’s Jarell Martin says the team’s confidence is high…
cut 18 (14) “….end of the year”
Martin enters the game averaging nearly 16 points and nine rebounds a game. Tip-off is at eight o’ clock.

The top high school football prospect in the state announced today that he plans on playing his college football at Ole Miss. Quarterback Shea Patterson, who has led Calvary Baptist to two straight championships, chose the Rebels over LSU and USC. Patterson has thrown for over five-thousand yards and 72 touchdowns during his career at Calvary.

ULM Football Coach Todd Berry announced today that Travis Niekamp and Adam Waugh will serve as the Warhawks co-defensive coordinators in 2015. Niekamp has been with ULM the last three seasons, coaching linebackers and special teams. Waugh is entering his sixth season and he’s been the program’s safeties coach.

The Daily Advertiser reports that Melvin Smith will be the new defensive coordinator for U-L Lafayette. Smith was at Auburn last season and coached the Tigers cornerbacks.

In Lake Charles today…McNeese State improved to 4-0 on the season, while Louisiana Tech fell to 0-4 as the Cowboys doubled up the Bulldogs four to two. The same two teams will play tomorrow afternoon at 1 PM.

Also tomorrow…LSU will host Nicholls State, and the Cajuns are at Northwestern State. Game time has been moved up to 4 PM, because of expected cold temperatures in Natchitoches.

02.17.15
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LRN Sportscast 11:40 Feb 17

The LSU men’s basketball team is at Texas A-and-M tonight and the Tigers have played well on the road. They are 4-2 in league games away from the PMAC and 6-2 in true road games overall. Sophomore guard Tim Quarterman says they have the mindset they can win on any team’s floor….
cut 17 (14) “….get the win”
The Tigers are coming off an 18 point victory over Tennessee on the Volunteers home floor.

In college basketball action last night….Zeek Woodley had 36 points as the Northwestern State beat Central Arkansas 86-70. Woodley was 12 of 16 from the floor and hit 10 of his 11 free throws. And McNeese State snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Southeastern Louisiana 74-69.

LSU pitcher Alex Lange has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week. Lange threw five scoreless innings against Kansas on Saturday afternoon. He also struck out seven, while allowing just two hits and a walk. The Tigers host Nicholls State on Wednesday.

The Colonels were scheduled to host Southern tonight. But because of the cold conditions that game has been postponed until May fifth.

Louisiana Tech looks for its first win of the season this afternoon when the Bulldogs visit McNeese State. It’s the start of a two game series between the two teams. The Cowboys started their season by sweeping Arkansas Pine Bluff.

And Southeastern Louisiana looks to improve to 4-and-0 when they visit Jackson State at four o’ clock today. Through three games this season, the Lions pitching staff has a team ERA of 1.67.

And tomorrow’s U-L Lafayette and Northwestern State baseball game has been moved up to four P-M, because of cold temperatures.

02.16.15
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LRN Sportscast 16:45 February 16

LSU right-hander Alex Lange has been named SEC freshman pitcher of the week. The Missouri native threw five shutout innings on Saturday, allowing just two hits and striking out seven in a Tigers victory over Kansas.

In high school football news…Calvary Baptist quarterback Shea Patterson will announce his verbal committment tomorrow. Patterson is considered one of the best high school quarterbacks in the country as he heads into his senior season. He’s reportedly considering LSU, Ole Miss and USC. He’s led the Cavaliers to state championships the last two years.

The girls high school basketball playoff brackets came out today. Here are your number one seeds in the seven classes, starting with Class C and heading on up. Summerfield, Florien, North Central, Pickering, U-High, Warren Easton and Ponchatoula. The state championship games will once again be played in Lake Charles during the first week of March.

The LSU men’s basketball team leaves today for College Station, where they’ll play Texas A-and-M tomorrow night. The Tigers 18-and-7 overall. The braketologists have LSU in the NCAA Tournament, but sophomore forward Jarell Martin says he’s not paying attention to what the so-called experts are saying…
cut 30 (10) “…for me”
LSU is listed anywhere from a nine seed to a 11-seed based on the various projections for the Field of 68.

In college basketball action tonight…Northwestern State hosts Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana looks for its fourth straight win as they visit McNeese State. In the SWAC…Grambling hosts Prairie View and Southern is at Mississippi Valley State.

And with ULM’s win on Saturday over Appalachian State, the Warhawks have clinched a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.