LRN Newscast 08:30 October 24

Polls are open and they will remain open until 8 PM. The headliner on the ballot is the governor’s race. There are four main candidates on the ballot, Republican Scott Angelle, Republican Jay Dardenne, Democrat John Bel Edwards and Republican David Vitter.

A person connected to the Vitter campaign was arrested yesterday and accused of recording a conversation involving Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand. The incident happened at the Old Metairie coffee shop. The man arrested is Robert Frenzel, a private investigator from Texas. According to campaign finance reports, Vitter’s campaign has spent 130-thousand dollars this year on an investigative agency, where Frenzel works.

Normand, who supports Dardenne in the governor’s race, told a New Orleans television station, he believes Frenzel was spying on behalf of Vitter. A statement from Vitter’s campaign admits Frenzel works for a firm they hired to do research, which is legal, but this incident has nothing to do with the sheriff.

Amite police have arrested a mother and father after their four-year-old child allegedly brought a loaded pistol to school. Investigators believe the gun was in the parents’ vehicle and the child put it into his book sack during the ride to school. 36-year-old Kenji Steptow and 30-year-old Kenisha Steptow were charged with child desertion, which is a misdemeanor.

The Mississippi Cop who was refused access to a restaurant in Destin because he was wearing an LSU hat says he’s never going back, even though Harry T’s has issued an apology for “Unsportsmanlike conduct.” The fan is Don Bass with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi. He says following being told he was not welcome, he sent the owner an email…:
CUT 10 (11) “went from there”
Harry T’s is “very sorry” and is hosting an LSU party at the establishment today.

LRN Sportscast 7:30 Oct 24

Tonight 5th ranked LSU will face Western Kentucky for homecoming. It’s being reported the Tigers could be without two starters on defense. Junior defensive tackle Christian LaCouture has a foot injury and according to the Baton Rouge Advocate is not expected to play. Junior cornerback Tre’Davious White might also miss the game, because of a knee injury. LSU is going up against a team that loves to throw the football. Western Kentucky quarterback Brandon Doughty has thrown for 2,709 yards, which is second best in the nation.

Louisiana Tech is home to take on Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs are in a three-way tie for first place in the West division of Conference USA, with a 2-and-1 record. Kickoff is at 2:30.

ULM looks to snap a four-game losing streak as they face Idaho. It’s the start of a three-game road trip for the Warhawks.

Tulane is also on the road today…as they battle Navy.

It’s homecoming for Grambling as they host Mississippi Valley. Grambling is undefeated in the SWAC, while the Delta Devils are winless in league play. Southern will take on Texas Southern. The Jags need to win to keep pace with Grambling.

In the Southland…McNeese State looks to stay undefeated as they host Northwestern State. Nicholls State tries to make it two wins in a row as they take on Sam Houston State and Southeastern Lousiaina visits Houston Baptist.

In high school football last night…Eunice clobbered Church Point 37-6, Evangel beat Airline 37-7, Ouachita Christian smashed Mangham 52-18, Riverside routed St. Charles Catholic 35-3, Teurlings Catholc topped its crosstown rivals, St. Thomas More 42-28.

In the NFL…the Saints will visit Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts tomorrow. The last time these two teams met, the Saints won 62 to 7 at home.

And the Pelicans wrapped up the preseason last night with a 93-90 win over Miami.

LRN Sportscast 16:45 October 23rd

There are some big high school football games on the schedule tonight. In Shreveport, two of the best teams in Class Five-A go at it as Airline visits Evangel. Over in Monroe, Ouachita Christisian hosts Mangham in a battle for the district lead. In Lafayette…it will be a crosstown battle as St. Thomas More visits Teurlings Catholic. Just down the road from that game….Church Point hosts Eunice and in the River Parishes….St. Charles Catholic hosts Riverside.

LSU is a 15.5 point favorite to beat Western Kentucky tomorrow night in Tiger Stadium. But Coach Les Miles has told his team not to expect an easy victory, because of what the Hilltoppers can do on offense….
cut 15 (14) “…nice match-up”
Kick-off tomorrow night is just after 6 PM.

UL Monroe and Louisiana Tech are listed as favorites in Las Vegas for their respective games. The Warhawks are at Idaho, while the Bulldogs host Middle Tennessee. ULM is favorite by one point and they are playing in Moscow for the first time since 2004. Tech is a touchdown favorite and is expected to have star running back Kenneth Dixon back for this game.

Grambling State is expected to win on Saturday. The Tigers are 5-0 in the SWAC, while Mississippi Valley state is winless in league play. Southern will travel to Texas Southern. The Jaguars need to win to keep pace with Grambling.

In Lake Charles…McNeese State will look to stay undefeated on the season as they host Northwestern State. The Demons won their first game of the year last week against Lamar.

And in the NBA….the Pelicans close out their preseason schedule with a home game against Miami tonight. New Orleans will tip it off for real on Tuesday against Golden State.

LRN Sportscast 11:40 Oct 23

Two teams expected to have better records when the season started meet Sunday in Indianapolis as the Colts host the Saints. It’s a game where Saints quarterback Drew Brees has a chance to put up some big numbers. New Orleans is third in the league in passing, while the Colts are 29th in the NFL in pass defense. Kick-off on Sunday is at noon.

The LSU Tigers put their perfect 6-0 record on the line Saturday night in Tiger Stadium when they host Western Kentucky, who has a record of 6-1. LSU has done well this year getting to the opposing passer, but the Hilltoppers have allowed just eight sacks. Coach Les Miles explains the challenges his defense faces when it comes to rushing the Hilltopper quarterback…
cut 24 (10) “…and throw”
Kick-off is just after 6 PM on Saturday night

The Pelicans wrap up the preseason with a home game against the Miami Heat tonight . The team announced today that they’ve released Sean Kilpatrick and Chris Douglas Roberts. That puts New Orleans’ roster at 17 players. They’ll have to cut two more before the start of the regular season.

In the Southland Conference on Saturday…McNeese State looks to stay undefeated as they host Northwestern State for homecoming. Southeastern Louisiana is at Houston Baptist. The Lions are 2-and-2 in league play, while the Huskies are winless in the Southland. And Nicholls State, who is coming off a victory travels to sam Houston State, who is on a four-game winning streak.

Elsewhere…ULM is making the long trip to Idaho today, where they’ll play the Vandals tomorrow, while Louisiana Tech hosts Middle Tennessee, Grambling hosts Mississippi Valley and Southern is at Texas Southern.

Louisiana College takes on Kentucky Wesleyan.

There are several big high school football games on the schedule tonight. Airline is at Evangel, while Ouachia Christian hosts Mangham. In south Louisiana…St. Thomas More renews its rivalry with Teurlings Catholic, Eunice is at Church Point and Riverside visits St. Charles Catholic.

LRN Newscast 09:30 Oct 23

Election day is tomorrow and polls are open from seven A-M to eight PM. Emelie Gunn has more…
cut 1 (31) “…Emelie Gunn”

Rain is in the forecast for much of the state on election day. But heavy rainfall is expected to hit Louisiana on Sunday as a result of a low pressure system. Several inches of rain are expected to fall across the state from Sunday to Tuesday.

Alliance for Affordable Energy, is raising concerns that rate hikes could be in store for Cleco customers, if a proposed a merger with Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets is allowed to go through. But Cleco spokesperson Robbyn Cooper denies that allegation…
cut 10 (08) “….is approved”
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is expected to vote early next year on whether to approve the proposed Cleco merger.

Thousands of Louisiana drivers are seeking answers about a letter they received that says they face fines for allowing their car insurance to lapse. State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the Office of Motor Vehicles should have had a better process in place for those who received these letters and he’ll meet with OMV Commissioner Stephen Campbell next week to talk about how to determine if a fine is warranted…
cut 12 (06) “….owed to the state”
Some of these cases are over a decade old.

LRN Newscast 08:30 October 23rd

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon believes the debt collection notices sent out by the state Office of Motor Vehicles to Louisiana citizens, claiming they are facing fines for allowing their auto insurance to lapse, is an attempt by the Jindal administration to plug a hole in the state’s budget. Donelon says if you have paperwork to dispute these allegations, contact the O-M-V….
cut 13 (10) “….collection efforts”
The OMV hotline is open from 8 AM to 8 PM, including Saturday and Sunday.

The Secretary of State’s office is anticipating a voter turnout of 45 to 50-percent for tomorrow’s October 24th primary. Spokesperson Meg Casper says they hope their prediction is wrong and over 50-percent of the electorate vote…
cut 6 (09) “….voice is heard”
Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM.

The Alliance for Affordable Energy, isn’t happy with the possible merger of Pineville-based Cleco and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. Logan Atkinson-Burke with the Alliance for Affordable Energy says it’s a bad and unfair deal for Cleco customers….
cut 7 (10) “…for them”
But Cleco spokesperson Robbyn Cooper says as part of the agreement, Macquarie has committed to providing rate credits for customers totally 65 million dollars over a ten year period…
cut 9 (04) “…even better’
The Louisiana Public Service Commission will decide early next year whether to approve the merger.

A federal judge fines the state 50-thousand dollars as part of the case brought by Angola death row inmates, who say its too hot during the summer. Judge Brian Jackson says the fines are the result of state correction officials manipulating the court-order collection of temperature data on death row by installing awings and using soaker hoses.

LRN Newscast 07:30 October 23rd

There are thousands of Louisiana residents upset over letters they’ve recived from the Office of Motor Vehicles that say they’re facing fines for allowing their auto insurance to lapse. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says a person can dispute their fine…
cut 11 (10) “….indebtedness”
If you want to dispute the fines, call the OMV at (225) 925-6146 from 8 AM to 8 PM, including Saturday and Sunday.

The Secretary of State’s office is gearing up for a statewide election tomorrow, where the gubernatorial primary is the headliner on the ballot. Spokesperson Meg Casper says to see what’s on the ballot, go to Geaux Vote-dot-com…
cut 4 (10) “….real time”
Polls will be open tomorrow from 7 AM to 8 PM.

Some much needed rain is on its way to the Bayou State. The National Weather Service says we could see as much as seven inches come down between now and Wednesday. Rain chances are 100-percent for most of the state on Sunday.

A proposed merger between Pineville-based Cleco and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, has some left feeling uneasy. Don Molino has more…
cut 2 (31) “….reporting”

LRN Sportscast 6:45 Oct 23

LSU will have a walk-thru later today as they put the finishing touches on its preparations for Saturday night’s homecoming contest versus Western Kentucky. The Tigers have struggled on special teams this year. In the last two weeks, they’ve allowed a kickoff return and a punt return for a touchdown. Coach Les Miles says special teams have been an emphasis at practice this week…
cut 16 (15) “….we see”
Punter Jamie Keehn has also struggled this year as his average per punt is down five yards from last year.

The Saints are heading into Sunday’s game against the Colts as healthy as they’ve been all season. Left tackle Terron Armstead says he plans on playing after missing the last two games with a knee injury. Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is also back at practice.

There are several big high school football games on the schedule tonight. In north Louisiana….Airline is at Evangel, while Ouachia Christian hosts Mangham. In south Louisiana…St. Thomas More renews its rivalry with Teurlings Catholic, Eunice is at Church Point and Riverside visits St. Charles Catholic.

The Pelicans play their final preseason game of the year tonight as they take on the Miami Heat. The game will be played at the Smoothie King Center, which has a big new scoreboard this year. Forward Luke Babbit is listed as questionable to play, with a strained hamstring. The regular season begins Tuesday at Golden State.

Hockey is returning to Shreveport. The Shreveport Mudbugs will be a member of the N-A-H-L, which is a junior league, starting next year. Tommy Scott, who owned the franchise when the team ceased operations in 2011, has signed a lease for the team play at the Hirsch Coliseum. Before the puck drops, one-point-five million dollars in upgrades will occur at the Hirsch.

LRN Newscast 06:30 Oct 23

Tomorrow is election day. Polls will open at seven A-M and close at 8 P-M and you’ll need a photo ID to vote. Secretary of State spokesperson Meg Casper says there’s a time limit of three minutes in the voting booth…
cut 5 (08) “…very quickly”
The Secretary of State’s office predicts a voter turnout of 45 to 50-percent.

The Alliance for Affordable Energy, has concerns about the proposed merger between Pineville-based Cleco and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. Logan Atkinson-Burke , with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, says Macauarie has a history of purchasing utilities and then raising rates….
cut 8 (10) “…late cases”
A Cleco spokesperson says Macquarie is committed to providing rate credits once the merger is approved.

OMV offices continue to get a flood of calls and people coming to them, wanting answers about a letter that says they face fines for allowing their car insurance to lapse. State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the Office of Motor Vehicles should have had a better process in place for those who received these letters and he plans to meet with OMV Commissioner Stephen Campbell next week to talk about how the insurance department can help determine if a fine is warranted…
cut 12 (06) “….owed to the state”
Some of these cases are over a decade old.

Authorities in Baton Rouge continue to search for one more suspect who was involved in the murders of an elderly couple, where robbery appears to be the motive. One man was arrested earlier this week in Florida after allegedly leaving the victims’ bodies at a truck stop in Hammond.

17:30 LRN Newscast

In the final televised gubernatorial debate before the October 24th primary, Republican Scott Angelle brought up Senator David Vitter’s prostitution scandal and said Vitter’s past would cast a shadow over Louisiana and potentially hurt the state attract new businesses and grow the economy…
cut 13 (09) “….can not afford”
A spokesperson for Vitter’s campaign says desperate candidates like Angelle, say desperate things.

According to analysis from the Center for Public Integrity, Louisiana leads the country in political TV advertising this year at 15.8 million dollars. Jeremy Alford, with lapolitics.com, says Republican David Vitter and a Super PAC supporting him has also spent a lot of money on ads. He says much of them target the other two republican candidates..:
CUT 7 (06) “on em”
He says the bad news is that negative ads tend to keep people from voting. Election Day is Saturday.

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon believes the debt collection notices sent out by the state Office of Motor Vehicles to Louisiana citizens, who allegedly allowed their auto insurance to lapse, is an attempt by the Jindal administration to plug a hole in the state’s budget. But Donelon is glad the OMV will allow a person to defend themself from paying these fines…
cut 11 (10) “…indebtedness”
The OMV sent 1.2 million notices notifying residents that they are facing fines for allowing their auto insurance to lapse. Many of the cases happened several years ago.

Shreveport police say they’ve arrested a 17-year-old for making threats of terrorism towards the students at Byrd High School. Authorities say Donovan Mosley posted a video to “Facebook” that the cvilian population at Byrd should be ready when he arrives on campus with a gun. Mosley was arrested at his home and booked on one count of terrorism.