4:45 LRN Sportscast

NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning says he enjoyed watching LSU starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier at last week’s Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux. After waiting his turn since arriving at LSU in 2021, Nussmeier finally gets a chance to start. The Lake Charles native credits the strong bond he’s developed with co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan for his development…
cut 20 (19) “….apart”

The Saints released their training camp schedule today. The first practice will be at U-C Irvine in California on July 24th. The Black And Gold will return to New Orleans on August 19th and hold a practice at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium on the 20th and there will also be a practice at the Superdome on August 23rd.

Texas and Oklahoma officially joined the Southeastern Conference today. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says one of the challenges of increasing their membership to 16 schools is football scheduling…
cut 19 (12) “…finalized”
Men’s basketball is sticking with an 18-game schedule, while baseball is staying at 30.

Former LSU baseball players who entered the transfer portal following the 2024 season are finding new homes. Pennsylvania native Paxton Kling says he’s committed to Penn State. Relief pitcher Aiden Moffett has committed to Texas and catcher Brady Neal announced today that he plans on attending Alabama.

The Pelicans starting center the last three years, Jonas Valanciunas has signed a three-year, 30-million dollar deal with the Washington Wizards. And reserve forward Naji Marshall is signing with Dallas and so is four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson who is leaving Golden State.

LRN PM Newscall July 1

Hurricane Beryl is a life threatening Category 4 storm as it enters the Caribbean. Mel Bridges has more.

Cut 1 (28) …I’m Mel Bridges.”

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After a unanimous vote, Dr. Wade Rousse (rhymes with moose) will serve as the next president of McNeese State University. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

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Hurricane Beryl is a Category 4 storm as it moves into the Caribbean. Beryl is the first hurricane in what is expected to be a very busy season. LSU climatologist Barry Keim says this early start is due to factors such as abnormally warm sea surface temperatures.

Cut 3 (07) “…August.”

Keim says Beryl has already set a record for the earliest Category 4 hurricane to form in a season, as most category 4 hurricanes occur in August.

Cut 4 (06) “…rest of season.”

Keim says Beryl is likely to miss Louisiana. The National Hurricane Center’s official forecast has Beryl hitting the Yucatan peninsula later this week, but Keim says there are a couple of models showing a turn towards the Gulf Coast.

Cut 5 (06)  “…(x2) problem.”

Whether Beryl threatens Louisiana or not, Keim encourages residents to start hurricane prepping if they haven’t already.

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After a unanimous vote by the University of Louisiana System, Dr. Wade Rousse (rhymes with moose) will serve as the next president of McNeese State University. Rousse says he could hardly sleep the night prior, as he was so excited to get to work as university president.

Cut 6 (12) “…forward.”

Rousse says he and his team are focusing on seeing construction projects and building updates through, and making sure every student and faculty knows how their time at McNeese will help them in the workforce. He thinks all this should help curb McNeese’s declining enrollment rate.

Cut 7 (10) “…(x2) enrollment.”  

McNeese was hit hard by Hurricane Laura in 2020 and is facing around a 21% decline in enrollment. Rousse hopes that ongoing facility upgrades in addition to his focus on ensuring each part of the university has a clear goal will help bring McNeese back.

Cut 8 (12)  “…experiences.”

Rousse previously served various roles at McNeese, most recently as executive vice president.

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Ville Platte Farmer Richard Fontenot has been elected the 13th president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau. Fontenot, a rice, soybean, and crawfish farmer was elected Sunday at the organization’s 102nd convention. He says the honor is humbling.

Cut 9 (11) “…of words.”

Among the biggest issues Fontenot says the industry is facing is the lack of a current Farm Bill. He says farmers need that safety net to receive the financial lending they need to put their crops in.

Cut 10 (07) “…next spring.”

The other issue he says farmers face is labor, the expectation of labor rates, and being able to remain sustainable with the price of commodities they currently receive.

Fontenot praised the staff and LFB and acknowledged the new generation of delegates who were also elected, and he vowed to work together to engage and motivate members in new ways.

Cut 11 (12) ” …behind us.”

Fontenot previously served as Third-Vice President of the LFB for nine years

1:30 LRN Newscast

It is a scorcher outside as heat index values could go up to 115 degrees today. And then there is Hurricane Beryl a life threatening Category Four star that’s enter the Caribbean. Mel Bridges has more…
Cut 1 (28) …I’m Mel Bridges.”

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office is investigating what appears to be a murder-suicide and one of the victims is a juvenile. Sheriff Jason Ard says an adult male and female are also dead. They were found dead this morning at home in Hammond that’s located in Livingston Parish.

Ville Platte Farmer Richard Fontenot has been elected the 13th president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau. Fontenot, a rice, soybean, and crawfish farmer was elected Sunday at the organization’s 102nd convention. He says the honor is humbling.
Cut 9 (11) “…of words.”
Fontenot says pushing Congress to approve a new Farm Bill and workforce issues on the farm are some of the main issues he plans to address.

Today is the first day on the job for new McNeese State president Doctor Wade Rousse. The Lake Charles school is still rebuilding after Hurricane Laura in 2020
cut 8 (12) “…student experiences”
Rousse says reversing a 21-percent decline in enrollment over the last few years is another one of his goals.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier still expects the Tigers offense to be explosive this season. Nussmeier is replacing a Heisman Trophy quarterback and LSU also has to replace two first round picks at receiver. But Nussmeier says LSU’s receiver group still has a bunch of dogs…
cut 17 (18) “…the ball”

Former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell is facing a lawsuit as he’s accused of taking a 74-thousand dollar check that was meant as a donation for Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama. Russell has also been fired as a volunteer coach at Williamson. A local businessman claims his 74-thousand dollar check for new weight room equipment ended up in Russell’s bank account.

Today Southeastern Conference officially welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC making it a 16 league team. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says Texas and O-U officially accepted invitations into the SEC in July of 2021, so the league has had plenty of time to prepare…
Cut 10 (08) “…teams.”
One big change will be the SEC Baseball Tournament. All 16 teams will go to Hoover, Alabama for the tourney and it will be single elimination throughout. Football is also staying with an eight-game league schedule, through at least 2025.

Conference USA officially welcomed Kennesaw State as its tenth member today. The Owls won three Big South championships in the program’s first five seasons at the Division One level.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley officially joined the Southland Conference today and Stephen F Austin is back at the Southland giving the league twelve teams.

9:30 LRN Newscast

Several state laws go into effect today including Senate Bill 323 which was a key tort reform measure approved in the regular session to help bring more private insurance companies to Louisiana…
cut 15 (11) “…policy”
That’s Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot who says Senate Bill 323 streamlines bad faith statues, clarifies the claims process and details the duties of good faith.

The personal finance website Wallethub says Louisiana residents are the least diligent with credit in the United States. Analyst Cassandra Happe says most of the responsibility to fix poor credit diligence falls on those who actually have it…
cut 9 (12) “….credit report”

The SEC officially welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference today, making it a 16 school league….
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Today is the first day on the job as president of McNeese State for Doctor Wade Rousse. Rousse has served McNeese in various roles since 2019.

The LSU Board of Supervisors has given president Doctor William Tate a 25-thousand dollar raise and a three-year contract extension. The board can terminate Tate’s contract early, if they are not happy with his performance.

8:30 LRN Newscast

Several new laws go into effect today including one the Louisiana Department of Insurance says establishes a simple, clear timeline for when a claim should be paid. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says the measure also gives insurance companies an additional 30 days to pay a claim following a natural disaster…
cut 14 (12) “….30 days’
Talbot says this legislation seeks to reduce unnecessary litigation.

The personal finance website Wallethub has found Louisiana residents are least diligent with their credit. Wallethub’s Cassandra Happe says there is a large percentage of Louisiana adults who have collection agencies going after them for money that is past due…
cut 8 (09) “…payment”

Beginning August 1st both Medicaid and private insurers are required to cover for the care or treatment of menopause and perimenopause in Louisiana. New Orleans Democratic Representative Aimee Freeman says physicians asked her to author the bill because even though many of the medications they prescribe are generic they were often rejected by Medicaid.
Cut 4 (12) “…as needed.”
Medications to treat symptoms like hot flashes, bone loss, and night sweats will be covered, and patients won’t have to wait for prior approval from their insurer.

Texas and Oklahoma officially join the Southeastern Conference today. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says one of the challenges of increasing their membership to 16 schools is football scheduling…
cut 11 (12) “…finalized”

7:30 LRN Newscast

Several new laws go into effect today and the Fair Claims Processing bill is one of them. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says says the new law establishes a simple, clear timeline for the claims process that makes it easier for policyholders and property insurers to understand when a claim should be paid.
Cut 13 (12) “…clock starts.”
The law gives insurance companies 30 days for residential and 60 days for commercial from when the “proof of loss” statement was submitted to pay the claims, there’s a 30-day extension if the damage occurred from a storm that resulted in a state of emergency.

Texas and Oklahoma officially join the Southeastern Conference today. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says the NCAA’s best conference just got better…
cut 12 (12) “…coming in”

Beginning next month treatments for menopause and perimenopause will be covered by insurance in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Richard Fontenot has been elected as the Louisiana Farm Bureau’s new president. He’s a fourth-generation rice, soybean and crawfish farmer in Evangeline Parish. Fontenot succeeds Jim Harper of Cheneyville. Fontenot has been a leader in the rice industry. He’s a past chairman of the Louisiana Rice Research Board.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Texas and Oklahoma officially join the Southeastern Conference today. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says the NCAA’s best conference just got better…
cut 12 (12) “…coming in”
This expansion gets rid of divisional play so say goodbye to what has been considered the most difficult division in all of football, the SEC West.

It’s Garrett Nussmeier’s time. The Lake Charles native has been at LSU since 2021 and he heads into the 2024 season as the Tigers starting quarterback. LSU is coming off back-to-back ten win seasons and Nussmeier says the team is determined to get in the twelve team playoff…
Cut 16 (13 “…as well.”
Nussmeier spoke at the Manning Passing Academy.

Texas A-and-M has named Michael Earley as the Aggies new baseball coach. He has been the hitting coach at College Station for the last three seasons. He’s hired former LSU pitching coach Jason Kelly as his pitching coach. Kelly is leaving Washington after two seasons as head coach.

Two former LSU baseball players have found new homes. Center fielder Paxton Kling is returning to his home state and will play for Penn State. Relief pitcher Aiden Moffett has committed Texas, left-hander Cam Johnson has officially said he’ll play at Oklahoma next season.

The Pelicans need to find a new starting center as Jonas Valanciunas has signed a three year deal for 30 million dollars with the Washington Wizards. In his three seasons in New Orleans, Valanciunas played in nearly every game and averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pelicans have also lost forward Naji Marshall in free agency. Marshall has reportedly agreed to a three-year, 27 million dollar contract to the Mavericks. He averaged eight points a game last season and shot a career best 39-percent from three point territory.

The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese has become the first WNBA player to record ten consecutive double-doubles. Reese had 10 points and 16 rebounds yesterday in a 70 to 62 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

6:30 LRN Newscast

It’s July first and there are two named storms. Beryl is a Category Three hurricane as it moves into the Caribbean. Beryl is expected to hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula by the end of the week and end up as a tropical storm in the southern Gulf of Mexico. There’s also Tropical Storm Chris which is producing heavy rainfall and flooding over portions of Eastern Mexico.

Several new laws go into effect today and the Fair Claims Processing bill is one of them. Colleen Crain has more.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Beginning August 1st both Medicaid and private insurers are required to cover for the care or treatment of menopause and perimenopause as a result of a new law approved by Louisiana lawmakers. New Orleans Democratic Representative Aimee Freeman says insurers opposed this new law…
cut 5 (10) “…along the way”
Freeman says there’s been more research on how to treat menopausal side effects and women deserve to have that coverage.

Today Southeastern Conference officially welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC making it a 16 league team. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says Texas and O-U officially accepted invitations into the SEC in July of 2021, so the league has had plenty of time to prepare…
Cut 10 (08) “…teams.”

No more divisional play in football and baseball.

LRN AM Newscall July 1

Beginning next month treatments for menopause and perimenopause will be covered by insurance in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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The SEC officially welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference today, making it sixteen schools starting the 2024 season.  Sean Richardson has the story.

Cut 2 (34)  “…I’m Sean Richardson.” 

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Several new laws go into effect today and the Fair Claims Processing bill is one of them. Colleen Crain has more.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.” 

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Beginning August 1st both Medicaid and private insurers are required to cover for the care or treatment of menopause and perimenopause in Louisiana. New Orlean Democrat Representative Aimee Freem says physicians asked her to sponsor the bill because even though many of the medications they prescribe are generic they were often rejected by Medicaid.

Cut 4 (12) “…as needed.”

So, medications to treat symptoms like hot flashes, bone loss, and night sweats will be covered, and patients won’t have to wait for prior approval from their insurer.

While in committee Freeman says private insurance companies testified against the legislation because it’s a mandate.

Cut 5 (10) “…along the way.”

Freeman says she received bipartisan support for the bill. In committee, it was recommended that that requirement for private insurers be removed but when it reached the House floor, she says Representative Peter Egan added it back in.

Cut 6 (12) “…Republican colleagues.”

Freeman says there’s been more research on how to treat menopausal side effects and women deserve to have that coverage.

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A new survey from WalletHub shows Louisiana residents are the least diligent with credit in the U.S. during the first quarter of this year, meaning they’re not managing debt or their credit score responsibly. WalletHub Analyst Cassandra Happe (happy) says this is likely because Louisianians have high debt overall and may be unable to make payments…

Cut 7 (09) “…recently.”

The study used six metrics to determine each state’s score for diligence in credit  such as percentage of customers who have collections tradelines, which Louisiana scored last in. Happe says they put double weight on that metric because letting your account go to collections makes things much harder to resolve.

Cut 8 (09) “…payment.”

Though state and local governments could make more of an effort to teach financial literacy, Happe says most of the responsibility to fix poor credit diligence falls on those who actually have it.

Cut 9 (12)  “…credit report.

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Today Southeastern Conference officially welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC making it a 16 league team. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says it’s been a long time coming, as Texas and O-U officially accepted invitations into the SEC in July of 2021. Vincent says the league has had plenty of time to prepare for this new era of the SEC…

Cut 10 (12) “…teams.”

One hurdle has been scheduling. With the SEC trying to preserve old rivalries and spark new ones.Vincent says for now the league is sticking to an eight game conference football schedule, but could add a ninth conference game in the future…

Cut 11 (08) “…do that.”

The 2024-25 athletic season also marks a new television deal for the Southeastern Conference as the league is no longer partners with CBS. The 2:30 Saturday afternoon games will now air on ABC. Vincent says it’s exciting time for the SEC…

Cut 12 (10) “…coming in.” 

This expansion gets rid of divisional play so say goodbye to what has been considered the most difficult division in all of football, the SEC West.

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Several new laws go into effect today and the Fair Claims Processing bill is one of them. The new law establishes a simple, clear timeline for the claims process that makes it easier for policyholders and property insurers to understand what their responsibilities are during the claim. River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot.

Cut 13 (12)  “…clock starts.”

The law gives insurance companies 30 days for residential and 60 days for commercial from when the “proof of loss” statement was submitted to pay the claims for non-declared catastrophes and an additional 30 days for name storms and declared catastrophes for residential and commercial properties.

Cut 14 (12)  “…30 days.”

Talbot says there is no one new law that can lower insurance rates, but this legislation along with others approved in the last legislative session are taking steps lure more property insurers into Louisiana…

Cut 15 (11)  “…policy.”

The Fair Claims Processing law aims to reduce unnecessary lawsuits and simplify the legal process with hopes of bringing back a competitive market for the Louisiana insurance market.

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It’s Garrett Nussmeier’s time. The Lake Charles native has been at LSU since 2021 and he heads into the 2024 season as the Tigers starting quarterback. LSU is coming off back-to-back ten win seasons and Nussmeier says the team is determined to get in the twelve team playoff this season…

Cut 16 (13 “…as well.” 

The defense’s improvement will be a big story line heading into the 2024 season. On offense, the Tigers have to replace two starting receivers that were selected in the first round, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas. But Nussmeier says LSU’s receiver group still has a bunch of dogs…

Cut 17 (18) “…the ball.”

LSU will also have a new offensive coordinator this season as Joe Sloan and Cortez Hankton will serve as co-offensive coordinators. Sloan has been the Tigers quarterbacks coach since 2022. Nussmeier says he has a strong bond with Sloan, who will be the one calling plays on Saturday…

Cut 18 (19)  “…apart.”

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