LRN PM Newscall October 2nd

After one of the most oppressive summers on record, fall-like temperatures are on the horizon, just a little later than normal. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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There are a lot of questions about the Saints offense after they fail to score a touchdown in a 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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It’s officially fall but it sure still feels like summer in Louisiana. Highs Sunday reached into the 90s, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says we should start to see autumn-like temperatures into the weekend.

Cut 3 (12) “…taste of fall.”

Keim says the fall-like weather is arriving late for Louisiana, usually by mid-September we’ll experience our first drop in temperatures signifying that autumn has arrived.

Cut 4 (12) “…right here.”

For football and any outdoor activity this weekend, Keim says you’ll definitely feel a chill in the air, especially compared to the oppressive summer temperatures that have been relentless.

Cut 5 (06) “ …finally arrives.”  

Lows on Saturday will be in the lower 60s and upper 50s.

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Tonight’s Powerball jackpot is a staggering $1.04 billion with a cash value of $478 million, making it the fourth-largest jackpot in the history of the game. Louisiana Lottery Spokesperson Dustin Annison says sales normally pick up when there’s a jackpot of this size because of the excitement.

Cut 6 (11) “…one million.”

Jackpot winners can either take the cash value of $478 million in one payment or the billion-dollar jackpot in annual payments over 29 years. Annison says players can win prizes from the lottery without matching all six numbers.

Cut 7 (12) “…your numbers.” 

It’s the second largest jackpot this year and the 9th largest U-S jackpot. Annison says the odds of winning the jackpot is one in 292 million but the odds of winning any prize is one in 25. Although players are excited, he urges people to play responsibly.

Cut 8 (09) “..to win.”

Tickets must be purchased by 9 p.m. to qualify for tonight’s drawing.

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Investigators with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Enforcement Division have arrested 30-year-old Zachary Faulk of Merryville. Commissioner Mike Strain says Faulk faces one count of negligent burning and one count of violating the state burn ban after he allegedly started a fire on his property on August 17th…

Cut 9 (11) “…several days.” 

Strain says the blaze that Faulk was arrested in connection to was adjacent to and part of the Tiger Island Fire, but the big battle was to save the town of Merryville…

Cut 10 (10) “…court of law.”

Faulk surrendered himself on September 25th to the Beauregard Parish Jail. (Bond was set at $50,000)

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It was a rough weekend for LSU and Saints fans as their teams suffered disappointing losses. The Fighting Tigers gave up a school record 706 yards in 55-49 loss to Ole Miss. Many fans are putting defensive coordinator Matt House on the hot seat, but Coach Brian Kelly says everyone needs to pick up their game..

Cut 11 (12) “…play better.”

On Sunday, the Saints failed to score a touchdown in a 26-9 defeat to Tampa Bay. New Orleans has scored 21 or fewer points in ten consecutive games. Quarterback Derek Carr threw for only 127 yards in yesterday’s loss…

Cut 12 (08) “..right now” 

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Saints offense was for the most part a no-show in yesterday’s 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Saints Quarterback Derek Carr played despite a banged up shoulder, but only threw for 127 yards. Coach Dennis Allen was asked about Carr’s performance…
cut 16 (14) “…we had”
Alvin Kamara returned from a three-game suspension and could not provide a spark, despite getting eleven carries and catching 13 passes. Chris Olave only had one catch for four yards. Sunday marked the tenth consecutive game that the Saints have been held to 21 points or fewer.

New Orleans is now 2-and-2 and they’ll head to New England this Sunday. The Patriots are having their offensive struggles they lost 38 to 3 to Dallas yesterday. Mac Jones threw for 150 yards and he was intercepted twice.

What is up with LSU’s defense? They gave up a school record 706 yards in a 55-49 loss to Ole Miss. Brian Kelly says they are trying to coach up their personnel…
cut 19 (12) “…every week”
This Saturday 23rd ranked LSU is at 21st ranked Missouri.

ULM lost an absolute heartbreaker on Saturday night as Appalachian State kicked a 54-yard field with no time left to beat the Warhawks 41-40. ULM failed to score on third and goal earlier in the quarter and couldn’t run out the clock late in the fourth quarter. Coach Terry Bowden is sick to his stomach over his loss…
Cut 17 (14) “…a long time”
ULM hosts South Alabama this Saturday.

8:30 LRN Newscast

We’ve entered the final two months of the 2023 hurricane season and it’s been a quiet one for Louisiana. But state climatologist Barry Keim says we are not out of the woods yet…
cut 12 (08) “…major hurricane”
There have been 18 named storms, which means it has been an above average season.

The LSU Tigers defense had an all-time bad performance on Saturday night in Oxford as the Rebels outscored the Bayou Bengals 55 to 49. LSU gave up a school record 706 yards and Coach Brian Kelly says everyone should be mad….
Cut 18 (11) “…acceptable”
While LSU couldn’t get keep Ole Miss out of the end zone, the Saints could not find the end zone in a 26 to 9 loss to Tampa Bay.

This Sunday the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum will open in New Orleans. It’s located inside the Morial Convention Center. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the two-million-dollar exhibit will be the first in the state dedicated to memorializing events and honoring Louisiana heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.
Cut 8 (11) “…incredible museum.”
The Louisiana Civil Rights Museum is part of the Civil Rights Trail, which has 13 markers around the state.

The LSU Ag Center will use a nearly 800-thousand dollar grant to help teach more high school students on how to use drones. LSU AgCenter education outreach program coordinator Brian Gautreau says drones are being used more in agriculture, so this type of education can be beneficial for future farmers…
cut 5 (11) “…of it”

7:30 LRN Newscast

Now that it’s October, that means only two official months left of hurricane season. So far it’s been quiet for Louisiana. Jeanne Burns has more…
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

What is up with LSU’s defense? They gave up a school record 706 yards in a 55-49 loss to Ole Miss. Brian Kelly says they are trying to coach up their personnel…
cut 19 (12) “…every week”
This Saturday 23rd ranked LSU is at 21st ranked Missouri.

Early voting is underway and the October 14th ballot features four constitutional amendments. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio says amendment three would increase from 10 to 25-percent the amount of surplus dollars that the state must use to pay down retirement debt…
cut 13 (08) “….around 2029”

A nearly 800-thousand dollar grant will be used to provide drone training to high school students in Louisiana. LSU AgCenter education outreach program coordinator, Brian Gautreau, says the money will be used to introduce youth to careers using drones and how to program drones…
cut 6 (12) “….agricultural careers”
Gautreau says he envisions youth who come out of the training will participate in competitions, like the AgCenter’s annual 4-H University.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints failed to find the end zone in a disappointing 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a battle of first-place teams in the NFC South. Despite the return of running back Alvin Kamara from a three-game suspension, New Orleans only had 197 yards of total offense. Coach Dennis Allen says it was an unacceptable performance…
Cut 15 (15) “…very good”
Kamara got plenty of chances. He carried the ball 11 times for 51 yards and he caught 13 passes but for just 33 yards. A-K not happy with what they are doing on offense…
cut 30 (18) “…I like losing”
The Saints have lost two in a row and they’ll play the next two on the road, at New England this Sunday and at Houston in two weeks.

The LSU Tigers defense had an all-time bad performance on Saturday night in Oxford as the Rebels outscored the Bayou Bengals 55 to 49. LSU gave up a school record 706 yards and Coach Brian Kelly says everyone should be mad….
Cut 18 (11) “…acceptable”
Missed tackles have been a big a problem. According to Pro Football Focus, LSU had a season-high 11 missed tackles in Oxford.

ULM missed out on a big win to open up Sun Belt play on Saturday night in Monroe. Instead Appalachian State kicked a game-winning 54-yard field goal as time expired as the Mountaineers left northeast Louisiana with a 41-40 victory.

The Ragin Cajuns fell to Minnesota 35-24. U-L Lafayette opens Sun Belt play this Saturday by hosting Texas State in a game that can be seen on ESPN-U.

6:30 LRN Newscast

Early voting resumes today for the October 14th primary and it will continue until Saturday. The ballot has four Constitutional Amendments on it. Amendment three asks if the state should use 25-percent of state surplus dollars to pay down retirement debt for state workers, troopers, teachers and school employees….
cut 14 (10) “…..and roads”
That’s Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio. Par-Louisiana-dot-org has a complete break down of the four amendments.

We’ve made it to October and Louisiana has yet to be threatened by a tropical storm. But State Climatologist Barry Keim says we are not out of the woods yet…
cut 11 (10) “….of October”
There have been 18 named storms this year, which is an above average season.

The Louisiana Civil Rights Museum will open its doors to the public in New Orleans at the Ernest Morial Convention Center on Sunday. Teiko Foxx has more
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

LRN AM Newscall October 2

The Louisiana Civil Rights Museum will open its doors to the public in New Orleans at the Ernest Morial Convention Center on Sunday. Teiko Foxx has more

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

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Now that it’s October, that means only two official months left of hurricane season. So far it’s been quiet for Louisiana. Jeanne Burns has more…

Cut 2 (29)  “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

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Amendment 3 on the October 14th ballot would increase the percentage of state surplus dollars to pay off state retirement debt of $17-billion. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (30) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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The LSU AgCenter and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture have received a nearly $800,000 grant to bring drone education to high school students. Louisiana 4-H STEM Coordinator Brian Gautreau says the training will provide students with knowledge about how drones and other agriculture technologies.

Cut 4 (08) “…are needed.”

Students are also prepared to take the Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 certification which will allow them to fly drones commercially. Gautreau says he’s working with farmers to get students hands-on field experience on agricultural sites.

Cut 5 (11) “…other drones.”

The grant will also fund the Agriculture Career Exploration with Drones camp which is a year-long course for 4-H students across the state. Students will receive the Trust Advance certification which is needed for recreational flight in the state. Gautreau says the course will introduce youth to careers using drones and teach them to program drones.

Cut 6 (12) “…agricultural careers.”

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More than 30 years in the making, the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum will officially open to the public inside the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans on Sunday. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the museum is part of a continued effort to educate visitors about Louisiana’s place in the Civil Rights Movement and the real-life activists like Leona Tate…

Cut 7 (13) “…on forever.”

The five thousand-square-foot exhibit includes information about lunch counter sit-ins, Southern University students marching to the Capitol in 1960, swim-ins leading to the desegregation of public pools, and more. Nungessor says the museum serves as a way to learn about the past.

Cut 8 (11) “…incredible museum.” 

The two-million-dollar exhibit will be the first in the state dedicated to memorializing events and honoring Louisiana heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Nungesser says the ‘dream cube’ will give the public the ‘wow factor’.

Cut 9 (09)  “…were there.”

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Even with officially two months left in hurricane season, State Climatologist Barry Keim says if we can get through the next few weeks without a named storm in the Gulf, it’s highly likely Louisiana will be unscathed this season. Statistically, the latest storm on record to threaten the Bayou State was Halloween 28 years ago.

Cut 10 (07) “…in general.”

So far, this Atlantic Hurricane Season there have been 18 named storms; six were hurricanes and three were major hurricanes. The average is 14 named storms.

And now that we’ve reached the next to last month of hurricane season, Keim says on average one named storm forms in the North Atlantic Basin in October…

Cut 11 (10) “…of October.”

Zeta made landfall as late as October 28, 2020, and in 1985 Hurricane Juan showed up late to the party and was still hanging around the Louisiana coast on Halloween day.

Keim says even with a few late-season named storms in our history we’re not out of the woods just yet…

Cut 12 (08) “…major hurricane.” 

For the last 175 years, Keim says a hurricane has never made landfall in Louisiana during the month of November. Hurricane Season ends November 30th.

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Passage of Amendment 3 on the October 14th ballot would require lawmakers to use 25 percent of any state surplus to pay state retirement debt. President of the Public Affairs and Research Council Steven Procopio says this would increase the current minimum of ten percent to 25 percent.

Cut 13 (08) “…around 2029,”

Procopio says when there is a state surplus of dollars, it’s a matter of do voters want to a portion towards paying off retirement debt…

Cut 14 (10) “…and roads.”

The four major retirement systems (Teachers, State Employees, School Employees, and State Police, have a combined $17 billion gap between how much they need to pay in benefits and their investment assets.

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The Saints failed to find the end zone in a disappointing 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a battle of first-place teams in the NFC South. Despite the return of running back Alvin Kamara, New Orleans only had 197 yards of total offense. Coach Dennis Allen says it was an unacceptable performance…

Cut 15 (15) “…very good”

Despite a banged-up shoulder, Saints quarterback Derek Carr threw for just 127 yards. Allen was asked about Carr’s performance…

Cut 16 (14) “…we had”

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ULM lost an absolute heartbreaker on Saturday night as Appalachian State kicked a 54-yard field with no time left to beat the Warhawks 41-40. ULM failed to score on third and goal earlier in the quarter and couldn’t run out the clock late in the fourth quarter. Coach Terry Bowden is sick to his stomach over his loss…

Cut 17 (14) “…a long time”

ULM hosts South Alabama this Saturday.

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The LSU Tigers defense gave an all-time bad performance on Saturday night in Oxford as the Rebels outscored the Bayou Bengals 55 to 49. LSU gave up a school record 706 yards and Coach Brian Kelly says everyone should be mad….

Cut 18 (11) “…acceptable”

LSU’s defense has been a source of frustration all season and on Saturday night they made some personnel changes. Cornerbacks Ashton Stamps and Laterrance Welch saw their most playing time of the year, linebacker Omar Speights returned to the starting line-up. They used a number of defensive linemen. But the scheme, the personnel, and the tackling were flat-out bad. Kelly says they will continue to coach this unit up…

Cut 19 (12) “…ever week” 

The loss drops LSU’s record to 3-2 overall, 2-1 in the SEC. Getting into the college football playoff is a pipe dream, even repeating as the SEC West champs is a long shot. Kelly says it’s very disappointing, but they can’t give up…

Cut 20 (20) “..get better” 

 

7:30 LRN sportscast

Louisiana Radio Network Sports, I’m Jeanne Burns

The top two scoring teams in the Southeastern Conference meet today at 5 PM as 13th ranked LSU visits 20th ranked Ole Miss. Both teams are averaging 42 points a game. But Ole Miss has yet to get its top running back going, Quinshon Judkins. Coach Brian Kelly says he knows Judkins is a talented back that’s capable of having a big night….

Cut 15 (11) “…best players”

A win for LSU and they improve to 3-0 in the SEC. The Rebels are trying to avoid a second consecutive loss.

 

Louisiana Tech won on the road last night for the first time since 2020 as the Bulldogs defeated U-TEP 24-10. Jack Turner threw for 152 yards and a touchdown, while Tyre Shelton rushed for 104 yards and a score. Tech is 2-and-0 in Conference USA.

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The Ragin Cajuns look to pull off the upset later this morning as they visit Minnesota. ULM hosts Appalachian State to begin Sun Belt Play. Nicholls and McNeese meet in Lake Charles to begin Southland play. Both teams are looking for their first win of the season. Northwestern State hosts Eastern Illinois, while Southeastern Louisiana hosts Tarleton State and Tulane takes on U-A-B in New Orleans.

 

In high school football last night, Calvary Baptist defeated Westgate 32-22. Ruston edged Neville 14-10, Oak Grove over Mangham 28-12 and Edna Karr beat Brother Martin 19-7.

 

Saints Quarterback Derek Carr is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carr practiced for the first time this week yesterday, but he was limited by a shoulder injury. Former LSU star and Buccaneers linebacker Devin White is also questionable as he has a foot injury.

 

Louisiana Radio Network Sports

4:45 LRN Sportscast

13th ranked LSU is at 20th ranked Ole Miss on Saturday for a 5 PM kick off in Oxford. The Fighting Tigers have struggled on defense and they’ve had trouble stopping teams on third down. Coach Brian Kelly says at practice this week, they harped on the fundamentals…
Cut 14 (11) “…third down”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara makes his season debut Sunday when New Orleans hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at noon. Kamara was suspended the first three games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy stemming from a fight at a Las Vegas casino. Kamara says he stayed active while away from the team
Cut 18 (14) “…to play”

Louisiana Tech jumps back into Conference USA play tonight as they travel to the Sun Bowl to face the UTEP Miners in El Paso, Texas. Tech enters the game with a 2-3 record, while the Miners are 1-4 after losing to UNLV last weekend. Second year Bulldogs Coach Sonny Cumbie says UTEP is better than what its record shows…
Cut 16 (17) “…football team.”
The Bulldogs have not won a game on the road since December of 2020.

The Ragin Cajuns are making a long road trip as they will face Minnesota in Minneapolis on Saturday at 11 AM. U-L Lafayette has 18 sacks on the season, which leads the nation and defensive tackle Marcus Wiser returns for this game after serving a one-year suspension for using a prohibited over-the-counter substance.

4:30 LRN Newscast

If Congress doesn’t reach an agreement by midnight Saturday, the federal government will shut down. Brooke Thorington has more
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A government shutdown will not stop the Saints from hosting the Buccaneers on Sunday and there’s a 50-50 chance quarterback Derek Carr will play. Carr practiced on a limited basis today with a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game last Sunday. He’s listed as questionable.

Nearly 600 orphaned wells have been plugged since the beginning of the year. Much of the money comes from the 2021 Infrastructure law. And Governor John Bel Edwards is optimistic another round of funding will come down in the near future.
Cut 13 (10) “…we can.”

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey are back with a newly reimagined “Greatest Show on Earth” after a six-year hiatus and their first stop is in Bossier City tonight. The cast consists of 75 individuals from 18 countries. Performer Wesley Williams says his three-story unicycle performance is an incredible back-and-forth experience.
Cut 8 (12) “…magical thing.”
Four performances between tonight and Sunday at the Brookshire Grocery Arena.