Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

08.20.14
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LRN PM Newscall for August 20

US Senator Mary Landrieu and Congressman Bill Cassidy have officially joined the November 4th US Senate race. Michelle Southern reports.

CUT 1 (32) “reporting”

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State education superintendent John White says plans to implement Common Core in public schools are moving forward. Jeff Palermo has the story…

CUT 2 (31) “reporting”

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The National Hurricane Center is watching a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic that has a medium chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours. Models show the tropical wave move through the Caribbean in the coming days. State climatologist Barry Keim says it’s not  a surprise to see the tropics getting active…

CUT 3 (06) “take place”

Keim says we’ll need to start keeping a close eye on the tropics as we are heading into the busy part of the season…

CUT 4 (09) “week period”

At this point, there’s only been two named storms this year and NOAA has predicted there’s a good chance we’ll see a below normal season. Keim says a developing El Nino weather pattern has suppressed tropical activity

CUT 5 (05) “wind shear”

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A former LSU football player awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to three counts of attempted second degree murder in a 2011 shooting at a truck stop casino in Port Allen. Demetri Robinson, a tight end on LSU’s 2003 National Championship team, entered his plea yesterday. Assistant District Attorney Tony Clayton says his office offered no deal to Robinson for his guilty plea…

CUT 6 (09)  “charged him with”

Robinson shot a cashier and fired at two others after being asked to leave the establishment. Clayton says prior to the incident, Robinson was banned from the casino truck stop…

CUT 7 (12) “from the store”

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 5th. Clayton says Robinson is facing a lengthy stay behind bars…

CUT 8 (08) “150 years”

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Incumbent US Senator Mary Landrieu and her main challenger, Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy, have officially signed up for the Senate race in the November 4th election. Today was the first day of qualifying which runs through Friday. Landrieu, who has held the office for 18 years, says this campaign is about leadership…:

CUT 9 (08)  “that have helped our state”

Cassidy says it’s important to remove Senator Landrieu from Congress so the GOP can regain control. He says the incumbent’s ties to President Obama and his policies hurt Louisiana. But Landrieu says Cassidy is doing everything he can to avoid talking about the real issues of this campaign…:

CUT 10 (11) “continue to hear that”

But Cassidy says most people agree that this country is going in the wrong direction under Mr. Obama and Landrieu is part of the problem for supporting the President 97% of the time..:

CUT 11 (09) “clearly we differ”

Cassidy says his main message to voters leading up to election day will be that we can do better than we’re doing right now…:

CUT 12 (13) “97% of the time”

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State education superintendent John White says public schools are moving forward with Common Core education standards after a judge lifts the Jindal administration’s suspension  of contracts for the tests tied to Common Core. White says it’s time to that we focus on the welfare of the student…

CUT 13 (09) “people of Louisiana”

White says students in grades third through eighth can anticipate taking new english and math tests as part of the Common Core standards. Despite the ruling, Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols, is still concerned  a legal contract is not in place to give out the exam known as PARCC…

cut 14 (07) “those tests”

After Nichols spoke, White says Judge Todd Hernandez’s ruling is clear and it says the current contract can be used to provide the tests tied to Common Core…

cut 15 (10) “student learning”

08.19.14
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18:30 LRN Newscast August 19

A Baton Rouge judge has ruled in favor of a group of parents and teachers in its legal battle against Bobby Jindal regarding Common Core. With his ruling, the judge has lifted Jindal’s suspension of contracts used to purchase the tests tied to Common Core. Jindal’s attorney is expected to appeal, so it’s too early to know if Common Core tests will be used this school year.

Louisiana Attorney General – Buddy Caldwell – filed a lawsuit today against State Farm claiming the insurance company has created a culture of unsafe business practices when it comes to vehicle repairs. Assistant A-G Randy Ishee says there are multiple cases where State Farm forced shops to use sub-standard parts.
CUT 9 (11) “cut corners”
State Farm says the accusations are not in line with its mission and history of vehicle safety advancements.

Covington Police have arrested the brother of St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed on charges of sexual battery. Police Chief Tim Lentz says Richard Reed allegedly assaulted an intoxicated woman ealier this month at a restaurant, and authorities saw the surveillance video…:
cut 13 :12 sec. Q: “with violence”
Lent says Reed surrendered to officers last night.

A dog attack last night in Houma has a 71 year-old woman in the hospital with severe lacerations to her face, arms and hands. Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis says there were two dogs inside her residence, and the male dog – who belonged to the victim’s son-was the one who attacked her…:
cut 4 :05 Q: “type mix”
Duplantis says they are still investigating what provoked the attack.

08.19.14
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16:45 Sportscast August 19

The Saints will face the Colts on Saturday in the third preseason game of the year. A priority for the Black and Gold is to reduce the number of penalities called against the team. The Black and Gold were flagged 22 times for 184 yards against the Titans last Friday. Linebacker Curtis Lofton says they came away with a victory last week, but they have to stay away from the penalities…
cut 18 (11) “…tough defense”
Saints safety Jairus Byrd practiced at full speed today for the first time since training camp started. Coach Sean Payton says Byrd looked sharp and plans to play him on Saturday night.

Former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mahtieu was removed from the physically unable to perform list by the Arizona Cardinals. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says there is some optimism Mathieu will be ready to play in the regular season opener.

The LSU Tigers hold a scrimmage today, the final one before they begin preparations for the season opener against Wisconsin. A decision on who will start at quarterback for the Bayou Bengals is not expected anytime soon. And Badger head coach Gary Anderson says he’ll wait until the day of the game to decide between returning starter Joel Stave and dual-threat QB Tanner McEvoy.

ULM begins game week preparations today for its season opener against Wake Forest. That game is set for August 28th at Malone Stadium.

In Lafayette, Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth is concerned about all of the injuries in the secondary. Junior safety TJ Worthy started ten games last season, but has missed over a week because of a concussion.

And in basketball…Louisiana Tech won its exhibition opener in Bahamas last night, beating Pyramid Food Rockets 134-52. Junior college transfer Qiydar (Key-dar) Davis led the Bulldogs with 22 points.

08.19.14
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LRN Sportscast 11:40 August 19

Saturday’s preseason game against the Colts is big for all of the players who are on the bubble to make the roster. Undrafted rookie receiver Brandon Coleman is one of those players. But Coach Sean Payton says he liked what saw from the former Rutgers standout during yesterday’s drills…
cut 17 (16) “….that’s encouraging”
A priority for Saturday’s preseason game against the Colts will be to reduce the number of penalties called against the team. The Black and Gold were flagged 22 times for 184 yards against Tennessee on Friday. And ESPN reports tight end Jimmy Graham faces more than 33-thousand dollars in fines for dunking the football twice through the goalposts in the win over the Titans. The NFL outlawed Graham’s celbratory dunk in the offseason.

One of LSU’s top recruits in the 2014 class is expected to start practicing soon for the Tigers. Defensive tackle Travonte Valentine was waiting for the NCAA Clearinghouse to approve his high school transprict. That approval came down yesterday and the Florida prep star could be with the team as early as today.

The LSU Tigers will hold a scrimmage this afternoon as there’s still no word from Coach Les Miles on who will start at quarterback in the season opener against Wisconsin. Badgers Coach Gary Anderson says he’s not naming a starting Q-B until gameday, it will be either Joel Stave or Tanner McEvoy.

In Lafayette, Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth is concerned about all of the injuries in the secondary. Junior safety TJ Worthy started ten games last season, but has missed over a week because of a concussion.

And in basketball…Louisiana Tech won its exhibition opener in Bahamas last night, beating Pyramid Food Rockets 134-52. Junior college transfer Qiydar (Key-dar) Davis led the Bulldogs with 22 points.

08.18.14
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16:45 LRN Sportscast August 18

Don’t expect to see Saints tight end Jimmy Graham dunk the football through the goal posts during the regular season. Graham was penalized twice for his celebratory dunk of the football in Friday’s preseason game, and after the second time, he got an earful from Coach Sean Payton. Graham says you won’t see it in the regular season…
cut 30 (15) “…for the team’
Graham says he and Payton are also fine and there’s no problem between the two.

Four star defensive tackle Travonte Valentine has reportedly received clearance from the NCAA clearinghouse to play football at LSU. Once Valentine joins the team, he’ll have to practice without pads for a few days, but could be someone that Coach Les Miles depends on before the season is over.

The LSU football team will hold its final scrimmage before the start of the regular season tomorrow. Coach Les Miles says several players stood out on defense during Saturday’s scrimmage…
cut 17 (22) “….capable of doing”

Fall camp is over for the ULM Warhawks and Coach Todd Berry has settled on a starting quarterback. Pete Thomas, a transfer from North Carolina state, will take the first snap in the season opener against Wake Forest.

Louisiana Tech learned today that receiver Sterling Griffin has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Griffin had 33 catches for 357 yards last season.

 

08.18.14
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LRN Sportscast 11:40 August 18

After missing the first two preseason games because of an oblique injury, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is expected to play in Saturday’s exhibition contest against the Indianapolis Colts. Brees practiced fully yesterday afternoon. Safety Jairus Byrd is expected to have his first full practice today as he continues to recover from offseason back surgery. Also, Saints tight end Jimmy Graham says he will not dunk the football through the goal posts during the regular season, after being flagged twice in Friday’s preseason game.

LSU Freshman defensive tackle Travonte Valentine has reportedly been cleared to participate in practice by the NCAA clearinghouse. Valentine is a four-star prospect out of the state of Florida.

ULM Football Coach Todd Berry has named North Carolina State transfer Pete Thomas as his starting quarterback for the August 28th season opener against Wake Forest. Thomas beat out Brayle Brown and Earnest Carrington.

Big things are expected from the Ragin Cajuns offense as quarterback Terrence Broadway is returning for his senior season. But UL Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth says sophomore running back Elijah McGuire has also looked good in preseason camp….
cut 19 (17) “…and explosive”
McGuire rushed for 863 yards and eight touchdowns last season and also caught 22 passes for three more scores.

Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz says wide receiver Sterling Griffin has been granted a sixth year of eligibility. Griffin missed all of 2010 and most of the 2012 season because of injuries. Last year, Griffin started ten games and caught 33 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns.

08.17.14
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LRN Am Newscall Aug 18

The upcoming CBS Television series “NCIS: New Orleans” will do some filming in Baton Rouge at the USS KIDD. Eric Gill has the story…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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Forty-five years ago today Hurricane Camille left a lasting legacy on the gulf coast. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 Audio (30) “reporting”

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Louisiana Economic Development has created a new website to help meet recruitment needs of Louisiana employers, while also being a centralized hub for job seekers. Scott Carwile has more…

Cut 3 Audio  (31) “reporting”

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The upcoming CBS Television series “NCIS: New Orleans” will do some filming in Baton Rouge at the USS KIDD. USS KIDD Executive Director Alex Juan says the show was looking for a real naval battle ship and the KIDD was an ideal location. But Juan says you shouldn’t expect to recognize the ship in the episode…

Cut 4  (09)  “choose our location”

The USS KIDD will be closed to the public through Friday for ongoing inventory and filming on the ship. No word on when the episode filmed on the KIDD will air. Juan hopes this is the start of a beautiful relationship between “NCIS: New Orleans” and the USS KIDD…

Cut 5  (08)  “us moving forward”

The series premiere of “NCIS: New Orleans” is set for September 23rd. Juan says this partnership could not have come at a better time as they’ve been looking for ways to create additional income for the USS KIDD…

Cut 6 (10)  “this is awesome”

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Another court hearing takes place today regarding the controversial Common Core education standards. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says  at issue today, is whether Governor Bobby Jindal violated his constitutional authority when he took steps to suspend the testing contracts that are tied to Common Core

CUT 7 (06) “and testing”

Common Core supporters were victorious last week when Judge Tim Kelley denied a request from 17 lawmakers to halt the implementation of the academic standards. Erwin says that ruling is not a predictor of what will happen today…

CUT 8 (06)   “being sued”

Erwin says today’s hearing is the result of a lawsuit filed by parents and teachers who support the Common Core standards and the judge hearing in the case has already denied a motion to dismiss any parts of the case…

CUT 9 (10)  “standards”

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Forty-five years ago today one of the most descrutive hurricanes in US history made landfall along the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Camille was a Category Five storm when it churned over the mouth of the Mississippi River, before slamming into the Mississippi coast. Louisiana State Climatologist Barry Keim

cut 10 (12)  “as a Category 5”

The storm killed an estimated 150 people in Louisiana and Mississippi. In those days US 90 was a major east-west route and State Climatologist Barry Keim says flooding tore the highway up and left debris everywhere

cut 11 (08)  “Pass Christian” 

The 1969 hurricane season was very active as there were 12 hurricanes, the second most in US history. Keim says Camille is the reason why we now have the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

cut 12 (08) “landfall”

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Louisiana Economic Development has created a new, free website to help meet recruitment needs of Louisiana employers, while also being a centralized hub for job seekers. Louisiana Job Connection will accelerate the job/applicant search process for both employers and potential employees. Executive Director Kristi Williams says this is not your typical job board site…

Cut 13 (06)  “in the site”

LouisianaJobConnection-dot-com will automatically match job seekers with jobs for which they are most qualified. Job seekers just need to fill out their information and the site will immediately notify you of available jobs that match your skill set. Williams says if you have a page on the website LinkedIn, the process is even easier…

Cut 14 (07)  “re-enter information”

Williams says businesses have been posting their available positions on the website for the last few months. She says they are excited about the website because they see its ease of use and recognize the benefit it can have to their businesses. Williams says the site is not only free for job seekers, but to any business in the state, too…

Cut 15  (05)   “information in”

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We’re less than two weeks away from LSU’s kicking the season off against Wisconsin and Coach Les Miles has provided very little information on who is leading the battle for the starting quarterback. Miles says Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris are improving and he likes how they are competing

Cut 16  (17)   “handling it”

The Tigers held a scrimmage on Saturday and LSU did not provide any individual statistics on the quarterbacks. Miles did say that the defense made it difficult for the offense to move the ball. The mad hatter highlighted some standout individual performances

Cut 17  (22)   “capable of doing”

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The Ragin Cajuns also held their second scrimmage of preseason camp on Saturday. UL Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth says all of the players came out of it healthy and starting quarterback Terrence Broadway was sharp

Cut 18 (17)  “looked sharp”

Hudspeth says sophomore running back Elijah McGuire also looked like he’s ready for the season to begin..

cut 19 (17)  “and explosive”

08.16.14
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LRN Newscast 10:30 August 16

Campaign finance reports show Republican Congressm and US Senate candidate Bill Cassidy surpassing democratic incumbent senator Mary Landrieu when it comes to cash on hand. Don Molino has the story…
cut 1 (30) “,,,reporting”

The state department of health and hospitals says there’s been 13 more confirmed cases of the West Nile virus this week, bringing this year’s total to 42. Most of the recent activity is in Caddo Parish.

An LSU engineering professor is involved in research that’s trying to develop technology so your vehicle could one day communicate with other vehicles on the road. Professor Sherif Ishak says hopefully soon, cars will be able to warn other drivers of accidents, traffic jams and other road hazards. He says the technology is similar to how Wi-Fi works….
cut 7 (12) “….to another”

The Saints beat the Titans 31 to 24 last night in preseason action, but Coach Sean Payton called it painful to watch because of the 22 penalties called against his team for 184 yards…..
cut 20 (07) “…it was ugly’
Payton says having that many penalties is a sign of an undiscplined team.

08.16.14
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LRN Newscast 09:30 August 16

A Baton Rouge judge has denied a request from a group of lawmakers who were seeking a temporary injunction to block the implementation of Common Core. Council For a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says an assessment test is still not in place for this school year, but this ruling is encouraging for Common Core supporters….
cut 14 :08 sec. Q: “thing to do”
Another Common Core hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Elio Motors is about a year away from producing its three-wheeled vehicle at the former General Motors plant in Shreveport. Paul Elio has told the Associated Press that 27-thousand people have already reserved one of their cars that will get 84 miles to the gallon and cost 68-hundred dollars. Caddo Parish Commissioner Michael Thibodeaux says he’s not surprised in the interest
cut 10 (06) “overseas”
Elio plans to produce 250-thousand cars a year at the Shreveport facility by 2016.

LSU is involved in research, where the goal is to develop technology so a car can communicate with other vehicles through a Wi-Fi like network to give traffic information to fellow drivers…:
cut 6 :09 sec. Q: “entire network”
That’s LSU Engineering Professor Sherif (sha-REEF) Ishak (EYE shack), who says this promising technology can help reduce traffic delays and accidents on roadways.

According to the Federal Elections Commission, G-O-P Congressman and US Senate candidate Bill Cassidy has slightly more campaign cash available than Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says it will be interesting to see how the Landrieu campaign reacts

cut 4 (10) “walk in the park”

Cassidy’s war chest is at 5-point-6 million dollars , while Landrieu is at 5-point-5 million.

08.16.14
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LRN Newscast 08:30 August 16

Supporters of the controversial Common Core academic standards won a battle in the courtroom Friday. Judge Tim Kelley denied a request from 17 lawmakers, who filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary injunction of the implementation of Common Core. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says it was a strong ruling by Judge Kelley…:
CUT 12 (10) “three or four of them”
Another Common Core lawsuit will be heard Monday.

The Saints beat the Tennessee Titans 31-24 last night in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. But Coach Sean Payton is not happy his team committed 22 penalties….
cut 30 (06) “…poor coaching’
Payton says they’ll issue will be addressed when the team returns to the practice field Sunday.

G-O-P U.S. Senate candidate Bill Cassidy has more on-hand cash for his campaign than Democratic Incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu, according to the federal election commission. Cassidy has 5-point-six million; Landrieu has 5-point-5 million. U-L-L Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the money will keep coming in…:
cut 5 :06 sec. Q: “like this”
Between candidates and third party groups, the total amount could reach $25 million dollars.

LSU is currently involved in research focusing on cars that will have the ability to communicate with each other. Eric Gill has more…
cut 2 (31) “….reporting”