3:30 LRN Newscast

For the second time this week there has been a shooting at Baker High School in East Baton Rouge Parish. No one was injured in Monday’s shooting, but today officials say a male was shot in the school’s parking lot and is in stable condition. Preston Castille, the president of Helix Community Schools, the charter school network that Baker High School belongs too, says they do not know if the shootings are related.

Cut 13 (14) “…remain safe”

Castille says summer school for the time being will be held virtually.

Wisconsin-based Faith Technologies Incorporated is building a 200-million dollar facility in Monroe to expand its manufacturing capacity for innovative electrical solutions. L-E-D Secretary Susan Bouregois says it’s a great economic win for north Louisiana to go along with the new data centers…

Cut 11 (07) “…center opportunities”

 

The state Department of Education says k-through-third grade reading proficiency climbed 16.5 percentage points from the beginning to the end of the school year. The Center for Literacy and Learning worked with many of the high-performing districts, including LaSalle, Rapides and Vernon Parishes. CEO John Wyble…

Cut 8 (13) “…great thing”

What a thrill for a group of little leaguers in Pittsburgh as former LSU star and Pirates ace Paul Skenes stopped by their practice Monday and played catch with the kids and signed autographs. A father of one of the little leaguers, Eddie Dubis, says it’s something you don’t see from the modern professional athlete….

Cut 5 (12) “…city of Pittsburgh”

LRN PM Newscall June 10

A Pittsburgh little league practice became a lifelong memory Monday night when ex-LSU star and Pirates ace Paul Skenes decided to drop in on his day off. Kace Kieschnick reports

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

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Louisiana’s youngest students made great strides in reading proficiency. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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A little league team in the north suburbs of Pittsburgh got a surprise visit from the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Monday evening. Paul Skenes was driving by Ingomar Franklin Park when he saw the lights on for a little league practice and decided to check it out. Eddie Dubis, a coach in the league and father of two of the kids, says it only took a few minutes for the 6-6 superstar to be noticed.

Cut 3 (10) “…two hours.”

Skenes stayed to take pictures, sign autographs and play catch on his day off. Dubis says what started as a group of 30 or 40 kids quickly tripled and it’s an experience his 11 and 13-year-old sons will never forget.

Cut 4 (09) “…about it.”

Dubis compared the drop-in to Micky Mantle or Willie Mayes playing ball with kids in the 60s and 70s but said it’s something you don’t see from modern athletes. He says Paul Skenes is baseball in Pittsburgh.

Cut 5 (12) “…city of Pittsburgh.”

Skenes followed the visit with a start at PNC Park against the Dodgers last night. He allowed just six hits and two runs in six innings and struck out seven in one of his best outings in nearly a month. The Pirates lost 12-3.

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The Department of Education says literacy screening results show that at the end of the school year, more than 66-percent of students from kindergarten through third grade were reading at or above grade level — an increase of more than 16 percentage points from the start of the school year. John Wyble, the CEO of the Center for Literacy and Learning, says this increase can be attributed to a return to the science of reading.

Cut 6 (11) “…what they read.”

The Center worked with many school districts to improve their students’ literacy; and each one had more than 71-percent of their K-through-3 students reading at or above grade level at the end of the year. Wyble says the progress can also be attributed to schools diligently staying on top of students’ progress in their reading abilities.

Cut 7 (10) “…support and interventions.”

Wyble says the Center for Literacy and Learning has been working with many of the school districts where students have shown great improvement in reading.

Cut 8 (13) “…a great thing.”

Kindergartners showed the greatest progress, with 69-percent of students reading at or above grade level at the end of the school year, compared to just 29-percent at the start of the year.

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An 80-million-dollar Faith Technologies Incorporated manufacturing facility is coming to Monroe. Construction is already underway and expected to be completed spring 2027. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the facility will produce electrical assemblies and energy solutions to ship to project sites along the I-20 corridor.

Cut 9 (09)  “…power-first economy.”

The 500,000-square-foot facility will be the first Louisiana location for FTI. The company has navigated the engineering, construction, manufacturing and clean energy sectors since 1972. Bourgeois says welcoming them to the area is a big win for Monroe.

Cut 10 (07) “…all day long.” 

Louisiana has already seen massive investments into data centers in Richland Parish, Rapides Parish and the Shreveport Bossier area. Bourgeois says these investments are the meeting point between the history and future of the Louisiana economy.

Cut 11 (07) “…center opportunities.”

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For the second time in three days, a shooting rocks an East Baton Rouge Parish school. A student was shot while leaving Baker High School this morning. Preston Castille, the president and CEO of Helix Community Schools, the charter school network that Baker High School belongs to, says it happened while summer school was in session.

Cut 12 (08) “…still on campus.” 

That student is hospitalized in stable condition, and a suspect is in custody. Castille says while he cannot say for certain, the fact that this is the second shooting at the school in three days leads him to believe that the incidents are related, and that’s very troubling.

Cut 13 (14) “…staff remain safe.”

Castille says as such, all activities and in-person instruction have been cancelled.

Cut 14 (09) “…had been resolved.”

No word as to when the Baker High School campus will reopen.

1:30 LRN Newscast

The Louisiana Department of Education says k-through-third grade reading proficiency climbed 16.5 percentage points from the beginning to the end of the school year.  Two-thirds of K-through third grade students finished the year at or above reading grade level. The Center for Literacy and Learning worked with many of the high-performing districts, including LaSalle, Rapides and Vernon Parishes. CEO John Wyble…

Cut 8 (13) “…great thing”

Faith Technologies Incorporated, located in Wisconsin, is building 200-million dollar facility in Monroe to expand its manufacturing capacity for innovative electrical solutions. L-E-D Secretary Susan Bouregois says it’s another great economic win for north Louisiana to go along with the construction of new data centers…

Cut 11 (07) “…center opportunities”

 

A Pittsburgh little league practice became a lifelong memory Monday night when ex-LSU star and Pirates ace Paul Skenes decided to drop in on his day off. Kace Kieschnick reports

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

LSU baseball has received a commitment from one of the top outfielders in the transfer portal. Bino Watters who had an excellent sophomore season at Notre Dame has reportedly committed to the Tigers. Watters played left field for the Fighting Irish and hit .362 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs and was a first-team All-ACC selection.

12:30 LRN Newscast

Louisiana’s youngest students made great strides in reading proficiency. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

LDH announces that the Louisiana Carrot Initiative is now available at all Louisiana Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market locations. The Carrot Initiative provides SNAP recipients with a 30-cent bonus for every dollar spent on fresh fruits and veggies. Participants can earn up to 25 dollars in bonus benefits each month.

 

An 80-million-dollar Faith Technologies Incorporated manufacturing facility is coming to Monroe. Construction is already underway and expected to be completed spring 2027. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the facility will produce electrical assemblies and energy solutions to ship to project sites along the I-20 corridor.

Cut 9 (09)  “…power-first economy.”

Have you seen the social media posts involving former LSU star Paul Skenes playing catch with a group of little leaguers at a park in Pittsburgh? Eddie Dubuis, is a father of two of the kids that had a chance to meet Skenes…

Cut 4 (09) “…talking about”

The Pirates All-Star was driving around on his off day, saw the kids playing baseball, and decided to stop his car and watch. Before you knew it, he was playing catch with the little leaguers and signing autographs.

11:30 LRN Newscast

Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts has been sentenced to 90 days jail for having sex with a teenager….

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The victim’s mother calls Roberts a predator with hair extensions and high heels. Roberts told the court she blames herself for what happened on July 20th 2024 during her teenage son’s birthday party. Roberts added she’s been an embarrassment to the city.

Also, Louisiana Radio Network regrets the error sent to our affiliates that wrongly identified Roberts as Misty Cordell, a candidate for Congress.

 

The Department of Education says literacy screening results show that at the end of the school year, more than 66-percent of students from kindergarten through third grade were reading at or above grade level– an increase of more than 16 percentage points. John Wyble, the CEO of the Center for Literacy and Learning, says this increase can be attributed to a return to the science of reading.

Cut 6 (11) “…what they read.”

What a thrill for a group of little leaguers in Pittsburgh as former LSU star and Pirates ace Paul Skenes stopped by their practice Monday and played catch with the kids and signed autographs. A father of one of the little leaguers, Eddie Dubis, says it’s something you don’t see very often from the modern professional athlete,….

Cut 5 (12) “…city of Pittsburgh”

10:30 LRN Newscast

She faced up to 17 years in prison; instead, she got 90 days. That was the sentence Judge Kent Savoie handed to former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts, who was convicted back in March of having sex with a 16-year-old boy while she was in office. Pamela Sleezer, who’s been covering the trial for the American Press, says the prosecution was not happy with the lenient sentence.

Cut 10 (11) “…for these crimes.”

The man convicted of killing a Covington priest and his caretaker in 2022 has been sentenced to life. St. Tammany Parish DA Collin Sims says Antonio Tyson will serve his sentence on Angola’s death row, but will not be executed because of his mental health issues…

Cut 8 (13) “….so we did”

 

LDWF will hold a special black-bellied whistling duck season that will run from October third to the 11th. Hunters can target black-bellied whistling ducks during the regular duck hunting season that runs from November into January, but Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak says surveys indicate there is also an opportunity to harvest black bellied whistling ducks in early October…

Cut 14 (08) “…earlier in the year”

Sportsmen are not allowed to hunt Black-bellied whistling ducks during the September teal season, so now they have that opportunity in early October.

A little league team in the north suburbs of Pittsburgh got a surprise visit from the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Monday evening. Paul Skenes was driving by Ingomar Franklin Park when he saw the lights on for a little league practice and decided to check it out. Eddie Dubis, a coach in the league and father of two of the kids, says it only took a few minutes for the 6-6 superstar to be noticed.

Cut 3 (10) “…two hours.”

Skenes pitched well last night against the Dodgers, but the Pirates still lost to the two-time defending World Series champions.

9:30 LRN Newscast

Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts has been sentenced to 90 days in prison for having sex with a teenage boy during a pool party. The prosecution was looking for the max sentence, 17 years, because the illegal act occurred while she was mayor. Pamela Sleezer covered the trial for the American Press and says Judge Kent Savoie did not her elected position into consideration…

Cut 12 (07) “…this occurred”

Louisiana Radio Network distributed information to its affiliates that misidentified the former Mayor as Misti Cordell. LRN regrets the error.

Antonio Tyson will live the rest of his life on death row for the 2022 brutal murders of Father Otis Young of Covington and his caretaker Ruth Prats. ST. Tammany D-A Collin Sims says Tyson committed the murders after serving 30 years for charges of forcible rape, armed robbery and burglary…

Cut 9 (07) “….Department of Corrections”

Tyson will serve his life sentence on death row, but will not be put to death, because of his mental health issues.

According to the Louisiana Emergency Response Network, ATV and UTV wrecks cause 500 hospital trips a year, 100 of those are ICU visits, between nine and 14 result in deaths. That’s why the state is launching a Statewide Youth ATV-UTV Safety Task Force Initiative. Jay Cripple with the New Orleans Regional Safety Commission, says Louisiana 4-H has a nationally recognized training program, which they plan to promote…

Cut 5 (12) “…of these tragedies”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is providing a special black-bellied whistling duck hunting season. It will run from October 3rd to the 11th with a possession limit of 12. LDWF Waterfowl Program manager Jason Olszak says there’s been a growing abundance of this species…

Cut 15 (08) “…end of January”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Good outing for former LSU star Paul Skenes versus the two-time defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers last night. Skenes allowed two runs in six innings and struck out seven, but the Pirates bullpen was awful, and L-A won 12 to 3. The night before, Skenes did a really cool thing by spending two hours at a Pittsburgh Little League field playing catch and signing autographs and providing the thrill of a lifetime for the kids.

WRAL News in Raleigh is reporting that North Carolina State is investigating whether LSU violated the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act in its hiring of men’s basketball coach Will Wade. N-C State believes LSU may have worked to help Wade avoid a larger buyout fee. Wade paid a four-million dollar buyout. His contract called for him to pay a five-million dollar buyout if he left before April 1st. Wade was announced as LSU’s coach on March 26th.

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a special black-bellied whistling duck season that will run from October third to the 11th. Hunters can target black-bellied whistling ducks during the regular duck hunting season that runs from November into January, but LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak says surveys indicate there is also an opportunity to harvest black bellied whistling ducks in early October…

Cut 14 (08) “…earlier in the year”

Hunters see Black-bellied whistling ducks during the September teal season and their numbers decline in the fall because they migrate to Mexico and Central America by early to mid-fall.

Loyola University in New Orleans is moving from N-A-I-A to Division Two and will compete in the Gulf South Conference starting in the Fall of 2027. The  move to Division Two will attract better athletes. Men’s basketball won an NAIA championship in 2022 and baseball was in the NAIA World Series last spring.

LRN AM Newscall June 10 ###Correction on the last name of the DeRidder story###

The Louisiana Youth ATV/UTV Safety Task Force is uniting law enforcement, education and healthcare professionals to protect young people across the state. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

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Outrage in Beauregard Parish as a judge goes easy on a former mayor. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Duck hunters can enjoy a special black-bellied whistling duck season starting this year. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Louisiana is launching a statewide Youth ATV-UTV Safety Task Force. Jay Cripple with the New Orleans Regional Safety Commission says ATV and UTV wrecks result in 500 hospital trips per year and the most injured group is 10 to 19-year-olds.

Cut 4 (08) “…fatalities a year.”

The task force will be a collaboration between law enforcement, state, safety, education and healthcare officials with the goal of spreading awareness to Louisiana families. Cripple says one effort will be promoting the nationally-recognized training program offered by Louisiana 4-H.

Cut 5 (12) “…of these tragedies.”

Cripple says common causes of youth injury include reckless speeds, lack of proper safety equipment, and vehicles with size and power kids are unable to control. He says parents often buy their kids a vehicle they can grow into, which is not a good idea.

Cut 6 (09) “…operating the vehicle.”

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A man who killed a Covington priest and his caretaker shortly after being released from prison will spend the rest of his natural life on death row. 49-year-old Antonio Tyson had pleaded guilty to first degree murder in the 2022 killings of Father Otis Young and Ruth Prats. St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Collin Sims says he and the victims’ families had originally sought the death penalty; however, late disclosures regarding Tyson’s low IQ forced a change of direction.

Cut 7 (10) “…resolve the case.”

So Sims secured a plea deal which calls for Tyson to serve his life prison sentence on death row. He says it’s essentially a death sentence without the execution.

Cut 8 (13) “…so we did.”

Sims says what makes this case all the more tragic is that just months before killing Young and Prats, Tyson had been released from the Rayburn Correctional Facility after serving 30 years of a 40-year sentence for forcible rape, armed robbery and burglary.

Cut 9 (07)  “…Department of Corrections.”

As part of his plea deal, Tyson has agreed to waive all rights to pursue sentence reductions, judicial reviews or release mechanisms.

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She faced up to 17 years in prison; instead, she got 90 days. That was the sentence Judge Kent Savoie handed to former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts, who was convicted back in March of having sex with a 16-year-old boy while she was in office. Pamela Sleezer, who’s been covering the trial for the American Press, says the prosecution was not happy with the lenient sentence.

Cut 10 (11) “…for these crimes.”

The victim’s mother called the 44-year-old a predator with hair extensions in high heels during her impact statement. Sleezer says while Savoie acknowledged the mother’s statement, he considered other factors as well.

Cut 11 (10) “…sentencing and everything.”

During the sentencing, the prosecution implored Judge Savoie to be mindful of the fact that Roberts committed this crime while she was serving as mayor. Sleezer says Savoie was unfazed by that.

Cut 12 (11) “…that this occurred.”

Roberts must also pay a five-thousand-dollar fine, undergo regular drug screenings and psychological therapy, and register as a sex offender.

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced a new experimental black-bellied whistling duck season starting this year. LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak says the season will run from October 3rd to the 11th and will offer hunters the opportunity to exclusively target the species.

Cut 13 (06)  “…next four years.”

Shooting hours for the special season will be sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit is four ducks with a possession limit of 12.

Olszak says the black-bellied whistling duck population has shown it can support more harvesting opportunities over the last two decades.

Cut 14 (08) “…in the year.”

The season will run later in the year than teal season due to the species’ late nesting. Olszak says historically, black-bellied whistling ducks left the state or gravitated towards urban areas, but recent research shows that’s changing.

Cut 15 (08) “…end of January.”

5:30 LRN Newscast

Office of Motor Vehicle locations had to shut down today because of network outages. Thomas Mule’ (myoo-LAY) with the Office of Technology Services says connectivity issues began while installing new network equipment….

Cut 12 (08) “…started going out.”

But Mule says they have the connectivity issues ironed out and OMV offices are expected to be open tomorrow.

The Chairman of the Louisiana House Insurance Committee is considering a run for Congress. Gabe Firment from Grant Parish would run for the seat that fellow Republican Julia Letlow is leaving….

Cut 8 (10) “…sense to me.”

Monroe Representative Michael Echols is planning on running in the fifth district. Qualifying is in the first week of August.

 

Meta announced the launch of America’s Workforce Academy, a nationwide AI infrastructure jobs training program with an academy in Baton Rouge. Meta Director of U.S. Policy Diana Doukas says the program will pay participants to train in a variety of jobs..

Cut 3 (09) “…next decade.”

The academy requires no prior experience and provides tuition, airfare and lodging. For more information go to meta-dot-com-backslash Americas-Workforce Academy.

The Louisiana America 250 commission is hosting a free Fourth of July concert in downtown Baton Rouge. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says there will be live music in Repentance Park starting at 2 p.m. and culminating with a big fireworks show over the Mississippi River…

Cut 9 (09)  “…to America.”

The concert will feature performances from local stars Amanda Shaw, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., John Schneider and Wayne Toups