LRN PM Newscall January 7

The Louisiana National Guard is mobilizing to assist local, parish, and state emergency officials in advance of flooding threats due to near record crests expected along the Mississippi River. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (28)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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Louisiana ranks 49th in the country for academic achievement in a report conducted by Education Week Magazine. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The Louisiana National Guard is mobilizing to assist local, parish, and state emergency officials in advance of flooding threats due to near record crests expected along the Mississippi River. Col. Pete Schneider says they’re bringing on extra soldiers and airmen to aid efforts…

CUT 3 (08)  “for the flooding”

He says on Friday guardsmen will begin 24-hour levee inspections in Concordia, East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas Parishes to look for seepage. Schneider says The Guard will perform a variety of operations…

CUT 4 (09)  “the spillways”

The guard has issued 13,000 sand bags to West Feliciana Parish and an additional 13,000 are being sent to Avoyelles Parish for the anticipated opening of the Morganza Spillway. More guardsmen are expected to be brought on in the coming days. Schneider says The Guard stands ready to help the people of the Louisiana…

CUT 5 (10)  “of the state”

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In an effort to contend with the rising waters of the Mississippi River, the US Army Corps of Engineers announces that the Morganza Spillway in Pointe Coupee Parish will be opened on Monday. The spillway is expected to be fully operational on January 13. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says opening the Morganza diverts water from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya Basin…

CUT 6 (08) “down the river”

Graves was the head of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority when the Morganza was last opened in 2011. He says that while opening the spillway will protect Baton Rouge and New Orleans from massive flooding, it could cause flooding in the lower Atchafalaya Basin…

CUT 7 (08) “from flooding” 

With the opening of the spillway, there is the potential risk of flood from Butte La Rose down to Morgan City. Graves says how long the Morganza will remain open depends on how the Mississippi flows in the next week or two…

CUT 8 (09) “ramping down”

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The man accused of stabbing LSU Football tight end Dillon Gordon at Reggie’s Bar in Tigerland early Tuesday morning has been arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force. Baton Rouge Police Cpl. L’Jean McKneely says 20-year-old Jamal Joseph Vaughn was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison this morning and charged with aggravated 2nd Degree Battery.

CUT 9 (08)  “interview him”

McKneely says there was an argument between Gordon and Vaughn, which led to a fist fight at the bar. He says Gordon was stabbed multiple times during the fight.

cut 10 (07)  “the scene”

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The new mayor of Springfield has reinstated former Police Chief Jimmy Jones after he pled guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief last year for trashing a woman’s DUI citation as a favor to the previous mayor. The town’s attorney Brian Abels says Springfield needed a police chief and the people of the town wanted him back in the position.

Cut 11 (10) “law enforcement”

Prosecutor with the State Attorney General’s Office, David Caldwell, says this isn’t a good idea because it could affect the Springfield Police Department with future investigations. But Abels says the town of Springfield believes Jones will do a good job as police chief.

cut 12 (05) “somehow envisioned”

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For a second straight year, Louisiana’s public schools rank 49th in the nation in academic achievement. That’s according to Education Week Magazine, who has unveiled its Quality Counts report. Education Week Research Center director Holly Yetcick (Yet-ick) says Louisiana scored a 69 out of 100 for classroom performance, which is just above a passing grade

cut 13 (02)  “this year”

Yetcick says their report looks at a variety of factors, including how schools are financed and Louisiana saw its score drop in that category

cut 14 (05)  “this year”

Yetcick says they do see areas where Louisiana is making slight gains. She says the biggest improvement was seen with fourth graders and their reading ability

cut 15 (10)  “pretty low”

 

LRN Sportscast 11:40 January 7

So we now know Sean Payton is staying on as the head coach of the Saints. So what’s it going to take for New Orleans to get back to the playoffs after missing out on postseason play the last two seasons….
cut 16 (11) “…focus on”
Payton says interim defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will likely return next season.

Payton will have to find a new quarterbacks coach. Mike Neu is reportedly taking the job as the head coach at Ball State.

In the NFL….Tampa Bay has fired Lovie Smith after two seasons. Former Northeast Louisiana University quarterback and Calvary Baptist Coach Doug Pederson will reportedly interview for the head coaching job with the Eagles.

And the Bronocos have announced that New Orleans native Peyton Manning will start at quarterback for them in the playoffs.

LSU left tackle Jerald Hawkins has announced he’s leaving school early to enter the NFL draft. Hawkins is from Baldwin and he’s expected to be selected in the second or third round.

College basketball tonight…Louisiana Tech hosts Old Dominion inside the Thomas Assembly Center. The Bulldogs have won 39 straigh home games which is one shy from tying the program record. Tech lost by 19 points to Old Dominion last year.

17:30 LRN Newscast January 6

Sean Payton is remaining as the head coach of the Saints, despite weeks of speculation that he may want to coach for another NFL team. Payton spoke with reporters for about an hour talking about his love for the fans, the franchise and the city, despite all of its faults…
cut 14 (12) “….it is home”
Payton says he hopes Drew Brees is his quarterback in New Orleans for many years to come. Brees has one year left on his current contract.

Governor-elect John Bel Edwards reappoints Jimmy LeBlanc as secretary of corrections. LeBlanc says he and Edwards are on the same page when it comes to reducing Louisiana’s prison population and progress has been made…:
CUT 6 (08) “big prisons”
LeBlanc is the lone cabinet secretary holdover from the Jindal Administration.

Trial dates have been set for the two deputy Marksville city marshals charged with the shooting death of a 6-year-old boy. 32-year-old Derrick Stafford and 24-year-old Norris Greenhouse entered pleas of not guilty and will be tried separately in the death of Jeremy Mardis. Legal analyst Tim Meche says it’s not a surprise that the two men will be tried separately…:
CUT 3 (10) “as well”
Stafford’s trial is set to begin September 26th, while Greenhouse’s trial will start November 28th.

A second person has been arrested in the murder of 31-year-old Shontel Joseph of Opelousas, who was found in a burned out home in Church Point this past weekend. Deputy Chief Brant Thompson with the State Fire Marshal’s office says 33-year-old Nicholas Dupuis was charged with first-degree murder and arson and more arrests are possible…
cut 11 (09) “….as well”
Twenty-two-year-old Kantarise Lazaro of Church Point has also been arrested.

LRN Newscast 16:30 January 6

Coach Sean Payton ended weeks of speculation about his future by announcing he’s staying in New Orleans and can’t imagine coaching anywhere else. Payton added that he’s eager to continue working with Quarterback Drew Brees.

Governor Jindal announced he’s granted clemency for 21 people who have been convicted of crimes. That brings the total number of pardons during his two terms to 83, which is well below the hundreds granted by former governors Kathleen Blanco and Mike Foster.

A judge has set trial dates in the fall for The two former Marksville deputy marshals accused in the murder of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis. Legal analyst Tim Meche says Derrick Stafford will be eager to get his trial underway since he hasn’t posted the $1 million dollar bond…:
CUT 4 (09) “goes to trial”
Stafford’s trial is set to begin September 26th, while Norris Greenhouse’s trial will start November 28th.

Governor-elect John Bel Edwards reappoints Jimmy LeBlanc as secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. The two say they are on the same page when it comes to reducing Louisiana’s prison population — the highest in the world. LeBlanc says solving the state’s prison problem is not something that can happen overnight…

CUT 7 (09) “to the plate”
LeBlanc is the lone cabinet secretary holdover from the Jindal Administration.

Tonight’s Powerball drawing — a whopping $500 million dollars — is now the 6th largest in the history of lottery jackpots in North America. We asked these folks what they would do if they won…
cut 13 (04) “….of myself’
You have until 9 tonight to get your $2 ticket. The cash value of tonight’s half a billion dollar prize is $306 million.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 January 6

Sean Payton announces he’s staying as the head coach of the Saints and hopes to remain in New Orleans for many years to come…
cut 15 (11) “…wagon out of town”
Payton had an hour-long press conference at the team’s training facility in Metairie and talked about his love for the city and franchise. When asked about the rumors that he was looking to coach elsewhere, Payton said there’s no backstory or hidden conversations.

Payton still has two years left on his current deal. He says any talk of a contract extenstion will take care of itself. The coach also denied any kind of rift between him and general manager Mickey Loomis and also said its likely that interim defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will be back next season.

An impressive win for the LSU men’s basketball team last night as the Tigers trounced ninth ranked Kentucky 85-67. They were able to win by 18 points, even though, freshman sensation Ben Simmons, missed a good portion of the first half because of foul trouble. Junior guard Tim Quarterman picked up the slack as he had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists….
cut 30 (17) “…out for”
LSU is now 2-0 in the SEC and they’ll play Florida on Saturday in Gainesville.

The Pelicans begin a two-game homestand tonight against Dallas. The Mavericks should be a little tired, after winning in double overtime over Sacramento last night. New Orleans is playing in its first game since beating the Mavs last Saturday. Tip-off tonight is at 7 PM.

11:40 LRN Sportscast January 6

Big victory for the LSU men’s basketball team last night as they defeated ninth ranked Kentucky 85-67. Junior guard Tim Quarterman led the way as he scored 21 points, had 10 rebounds and seven assists…
cut 28 (11) “…team defense”
Craig Victor had 15 points and 12 rebounds and freshman sensation Ben Simmons had 14 points and 10 boards. Simmons watched much of the first half, because of foul trouble, but the Tigers still had a 10 point lead at halftime. Coach Johnny Jones credits Simmons supporting cast…
cut 29 (10) “….staying the course”
The Tigers are 2-0 in the SEC and they’ll face Florida in Gainesville this Saturday.

Saints Coach Sean Payton addresses the media this afteroon as reports swirl that other teams are interested in hiring him. Payton has two years left on his contract in New Orleans and the Black and Gold would have to be compensated by the team that hired him away from the Big Easy.

The Pelicans host the Dallas Mavericks tonight at the Smoothie King Center. Dallas should be a tired team. They needed two overtimes to beat the Sacramento Kings last night. The Pels haven’t played since Saturday when they beat the Mavericks in Dallas. Tip-off tonight is at 7 PM.

LRN Newscast 17:30 Jan 5

President Barack Obama announces an executive order requiring background checks in order to purchase guns at flea markets, websites, and other informal settings. Eric Gill reports…
voicer 1 (29) “…I’m Eric Gill”

Governor-elect John Bel Edwards named Doctor Rebekah Gee as the state’s secretary for the Department of Health and Hospitals. The LSU professor will have the challenge of managing a nine-point-seven billion dollar agency and putting procedures in place so more poor working families can get health insurance through Medicaid.

Twenty-seven-year-old Eric John Senegal was killed in an altercation with authorities in southwest Louisiana. State Police Sergeant James Anderson says Beauregard Parish deputies were at his residence in Ragley, serving a narcotics search warrant, when gunfire erupted…
cut 10 (07) “…for review”
Two Beauregard Parish Sheriff deputies have been placed on desk duty following the incident.

For the first time ever, a desert cardinal has been spotted in Louisiana. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist Dan O’ Malley spotted the bird in Jefferson Davis Parish. O’ Malley says the bird looks like a female northern cardinal…
cut 16 (09) “…rounded appearance”
Pending acceptance by the Louisiana Bird Records Committee, it will bring the official list of birds in Louisiana to 480 species.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 January 5th

LSU’s new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda says his style calls for a smart and aggressive defense. The former Wisconsin defensive coordinator says he’s already looked at game tape of LSU’s defense and believes the talent is there to produce a great defense…
cut 7 (10) “…dictate terms on people”
It was also announced today that LSU is working on extending offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s contract.

And LSU Coach Les Miles says he’s banning his players from bars after senior tight end Dillon Gordon was stabbed multiple times. His injuries are not considered life threatening, but Miles says there’s no point in going to a bar, if violence erupts…
cut 13 (11) “…..fight night club”
Police continue to search for a suspect in Gordon’s stabbing.

Saints Coach Sean Payton is scheduled to talk with reporters tomorrow as speculation swirls he might not be the coach in New Orleans next season. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Payton is looking at the vacancy in San Francisco. Quarterback Drew Brees hopes the uncertainity surrounding who will be the head coach next year will be resolved soon…
cut 18 (12) “….steam ahead”
ESPN is reporting Brees will not need surgery on his injured foot. Doctors have advised Brees to rest his foot for the next four to six weeks.

On the 28th anniversary of the death of former LSU great Pete Maravich, LSU will host 9th ranked Kentucky inside the arena named after Maravich. The Tigers, who won their SEC opener over Vanderbilt, can make a big statement with a win over the Wildcats.Tip-off is at 8 PM.

LRN PM Newscall January 5

President Barak Obama announces an executive order requiring background checks in order to purchase guns at flea markets, websites, and other informal settings. Eric Gill reports…

CUT 1 (29)  “I’m Eric Gill”

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LSU’s new defensive coordiantor Dave Aranda says he’s blessed and humbled to coach for the Fighting Tigers. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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President Barack Obama announces an executive order requiring background checks in order to purchase guns at flea markets, websites, and other informal settings. The hope is to expand the number of gun sales subject to background checks. President of the Louisiana Shooting Association, Dan Zelenka, doesn’t think increasing the number of background checks will have much effect on gun crime…

CUT 3 (10)  “background checks” 2X

The current law states that only federally licensed gun dealers are required to conduct background checks on buyers, but those who sell in informal settings do not have to register as dealers. Zelenka doesn’t see this executive order making that much of a difference…

CUT 4 (10)  “discounted prices”

Critics say the President is over reaching in issuing this executive order. The order would apply to anyone “in the business” of selling firearms. Zelenka says he’s waiting to see how the federal government defines a “gun dealer”…

CUT 5 (10)  “casual seller”

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LSU’s new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda says he’s blessed and humbled to have the opportunity to coach for the Tigers. Aranda comes to Baton Rouge after guiding one of the top defenses in the country at Wisconsin. He describes his defense as smart…aggression

CUT 6 (08) “intelligent”

Aranda says he’s already looked at game tape of LSU’s defense and believes the talent is there to produce a great defense…

CUT 7 (10) “on people” 

It was also announced they are working on extending offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s contract. Athletic Director Joe Alleva was present at the press conference and said big things are happening for the LSU football program…

CUT 8 (08) “season already”

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Louisiana State Police is investigating a Monday night officer involved shooting in Ragley, about 25 miles north of Lake Charles that left one man and a dog dead. Sgt. James Anderson says they began looking into the incident after a request from the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office.

CUT 9 (09)  “the residence”

The man killed is identified as 27-year-old Eric John Senegal. Anderson says deputies were at the residence serving a search warrant. He says they are releasing very few details until they gather all the facts.

cut 10 (07)  “for review”

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An LSU football player was involved in a bar fight early Tuesday in which he was stabbed multiple times, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. School officials identify the victim as tight end Dillon Gordon. BRPD Cpl. Don Coppola says they responded to a physical altercation Reggie’s around 12:45 this morning…:

Cut 11 (05) “multiple times”

The injuries to Dillon were not life-threatening and he’s been released from the hospital. Coppola says the victim suffered multiple lacerations and cuts. He says the incident remains under investigation…:

cut 12 (09) “later be made”

During a news conference Tuesday, Coach Les Miles was asked about players going to bars and he said he’s cutting it off…:

cut 13 (11)  “fight night club”

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announces the discovery of a rare bird for Louisiana. LDWF biologist Dan O’Malley discovered a pyrrhuloxia (peer-uh-lox-i-a), commonly known as a desert cardinal, just south of Welsh in Jefferson Davis Parish…

cut 14 (08)  “type habitats” 

This is the first time this particular species of bird has been recorded in Louisiana. Although this bird is normally found in the southwestern US and northern Mexico, O’Malley says there is evidence that the desert cardinal is on the move this year…

cut 15 (08)  “of Texas”

He discovered the pyrrhuloxia while observing a mixed flock of birds during the Lacassine-Thornwell Christmas Bird Count. O’Malley says this bird is fairly difficult to identify because it looks a lot like a female northern cardinal…

cut 16 (09)  “rounded appearance”

LRN Sportscast 11:40 January 5

LSU’s new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda says he’s blessed and humbled to have the opportunity to coach for the Tigers. Aranda comes to Baton Rouge after guiding one of the top defenses in the country at Wisconsin. He describes his defense as smart…aggression…
cut 6 (08) “…intelligent”
After Aranda spoke, Coach Les Miles announced that they are working on extending offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s contract.

LSU senior tight end Dillon Gordon is recovering after he was stabbed in a bar fight near the LSU campus. The injuries are not considered life-threatening. Gordon appeared in four games in 2015 during an injury riddled season and caught one pass. Because of his injuries on the football field, he’s seeking another year of eligibility from the NCAA. Police are still looking for the man who injured Gordon.

Still waiting to find out what will happen with Saints head coach Sean Payton. He’s been connected to the vacancy in New York as the football Giants are looking to replace Tom Coughlin. Quarterback Drew Brees hopes Payton is back and the future Hall of Famer says he’s open to a contract extension…
cut 17 (13) “…day after”
Payton is scheduled to speak with reporters tomorrow.

Big game tonight at the PMAC as the LSU Tigers host ninth ranked Kentucky. The Tigers are 8-5, while the Wildcats are 11-2 and the favorite to win the SEC. Tonight’s 8:00 tip-off is a sell out.

Elsewhere tonight…Nicholls is at Memphis, McNeese State visits Houston Baptist and Tulane battles the Houston Cougars. And Louisiana Tech’s Alex Hamilton has been named Conference USA Co-player of the week. The Bulldogs host Old Dominion on Thursday.