Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

03.08.23
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4:45 LRN Sportscast

The LSU baseball team goes after its seventh straight win tonight as they host Lamar at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers are 11-and-1, while the Cardinals are ten and two. Coach Jay Johnson has a quick scouting report on the visitors from Beaumont, Texas….
Cut 18 (06) “…really, really well.”
Lamar has a team ERA of 2.68. LSU’s team ERA is 2.88 First pitch is at 6:30.

In other action tonight, the Ragin Cajuns host McNeese. The Cowboys have won five in a row, including a five-to-four win over the Cajuns last week in Lake Charles. ULM hosts Northwestern State. The Warhawks won last night over Memphis four to three.

The Pelicans begin a four-game homestand tonight against Dallas. New Orleans is 31-and-34 and tied with two other teams for the final spot in the play-in tournament. But the Pels will play six of their next eight games at the Smoothie King Center. Tip time tonight is at 6:30.

LSU football has signed an offensive lineman out of the transfer portal that started 23 games the last two seasons at Maryland. Mason Lunsford will enroll at LSU this summer and he’ll have two years of eligibility. The Tigers were looking for competition at center and guard. Spring football kicks-off tomorrow for the Tigers.

The Cajuns kicked off spring practice yesterday, but starting quarterback Chandler Fields was not on the field. Coach Michael Desormeaux says Fields is recovering from a procedure for a non-football injury. He’s expected to be out for a week. But with Q-B Ben Wooldridge sidelined with an ACL injury, freshman Zeon Chriss took snpas with the first team.

McNeese has fired men’s basketball coach John Aiken after going 22 and 45 during his two seasons in Lake Charles. LSU faces Georgia tonight in the SEC Tournament, while Louisiana Tech takes on FIU in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. Both teams are 14 and 17 on the season.

03.08.23
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LRN PM Newscall March 8

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says important issues on the national level keep him from running for governor. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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This weekend, we move the clocks up an hour for Daylight Saving Time. A Louisiana lawmaker believes we should be Daylight Saving time year round. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (32)  “….I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

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Congressman Garret Graves says the Republican Party’s slim majority in the U-S House of Representatives is a big reason why he decided not to run for governor. Graves, who was re-elected to a fifth term last year, has a lot of important issues to tackle on the federal level…

Cut 3 (07) “…not to run” 

The gubernatorial race has several major candidates, Republicans Jeff Landry, John Schroder, Sharon Hewitt and Richard Nelson. Democrat Shawn Wilson and independent Hunter Lundy are also contenders. Graves said it was not an easy decision to remain in Washington D.C.

Cut  4 (12)  “…the field.” 

Graves says even though he’s not a candidate for governor, he plans to be involved in the race by asking the candidates direct on how they plan to improve Louisiana.

Cut 5 (07) “…best governor”

Graves believes the next governor of the state has yet to announce their candidacy. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack is expected to get in the race Thursday. Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder also says he’s considering a campaign.

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This weekend, Louisiana returns to daylight saving time something Haughton Representative Dodie Horton wishes was year-round.  Horton passed a bill in 2020 that would make daylight saving time permanent in Louisiana but it only goes into effect if Congress passes the  “Sunshine Protection Act”.

Cut 6 (05)  “…full time.” 

A 2021 poll conducted by The Associated Press – NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found only 25% of people preferred changing between standard and daylight time.

Cut 7 (07)  “…year round.” 

Horton says reduced crime, decrease in seasonal depression, and child obesity are benefits of a permanent time switch.

Cut 8 (06)  “…the day.” 

Standard time resumes in November.

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Attorney General Jeff Landry says the state scored a huge victory Tuesday in federal court challenging California’s ban on the importation and sale of alligator products. Landry says the ban could have disrupted the supply chain and decimated the industry.

Cut 9 (11) “…yesterday we won.”

Landry says the alligator trade has directly led to the resurgence and conservation of the American alligator as well as the protection and maintenance of their wetland habitat.

Cut 10 (12) “…unbelievable it was great.” 

He says as much as $100 million in revenue to the alligator industry in Louisiana would have been lost. Landry also thanked State Wildlife and Fisheries and members of the industry for helping them win the case.

Cut 11 (12)  “…and the world.”

Landry credits the state and industry for increasing the alligator population and removing it from the endangered species list.

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A Chalmette church pastor is arrested for allegedly molesting a minor for a span of several years. Louisiana State Police Trooper Kate Stegall says they were first made aware of the accusations last November, and the investigation turned up numerous alleged assaults that happened from 2010 to 2013; starting when the victim was just 14…:

Cut 12 (12) “…Milton Martin the Third” 

56-year-old Milton Martin III, of Chalmette, is charged with sexual battery and carnal knowledge of a juvenile. He is pastor of the First Pentecostal Church of Chalmette. He’s accused of molesting the victim for over three years. Stegall says the LSP Special Victims Unit investigation turned up sufficient evidence and victim testimony to issue a warrant for Martin’s arrest…:

Cut 13 (07) “…St. Bernard Parish jail.” 

Trooper Stegall says the alleged victim should be commended for having the courage to come forward and tell someone…:

Cut 14 (08)   “…of other victims.”

Stegall says any others who may have been a victim of Milton – or any other abuser – should contact the State Police Special Victims Unit at 504-310-7011.

03.08.23
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11:40 LRN Sportscast

The top ranked LSU baseball team goes after its seventh straight win as they host Lamar at Alex Box Stadium. The Fighting Tigers are getting great contributions from their freshman class. Paxton Kling is hitting .391 and is hit his first collegiate home run on Monday. Johnson says the 2022 High School Player of the Year in Pennsylvania decommitted from the Tigers after Paul Mainieri retired…
Cut 19 (22) “…him around”
Kling started in right field on Monday and went 3-for-3 at the plate.

Last night the Warhawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a four to three win over Memphis. Nicholls edged Penn three to two. Tonight the Cajuns host McNeese while Northwestern State travels to ULM.

A disappointing season for the LSU men’s basketball team could come to an end tonight as the Tigers face Georgia in an SEC Tournament game. The Tigers went 2 and-16 in league play, but Coach Matt McMahon says tonight is the start of a new season….
cut 17 (17) “….on Wednesday”
Tip off will be around 8:30 tonight.

In the Southland, Northwestern State and Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi will play in the tournament title game at 4 PM. The winner will receive an invite to the NCAA Tournament. The Demons beat UNO yesterday, while Islanders eliminated McNeese. The Cowboys have fired head coach John Aiken after an 11-23 campaign. That’s the most losses in a single season in program history.

03.08.23
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9:30 LRN Newscast

Baton Rouge Police do not suspect foul play in the death of Georgia businessman Nathan Millard who was found Monday morning after he went missing on February 23rd. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education says it supports the governor’s proposal of a two-thousand dollar teacher pay raise. If the revenues are there, the governor would like to see a three-thousand dollar pay hike. BESE says the three-thousand dollar raise should go to teachers who are highly effective or work in high-needs schools.

A crash in Grant Parish killed two juveniles Monday evening. Master Trooper Casey Wallace says it happened when five juveniles attempted to tow a disabled Go-Cart with a tractor. Wallace says another vehicle came over a hill and struck the tractor on Louisiana Highway 1240 near Brumley Road which also impacted the teens on the Go-Cart.
Cut 7 (08) “…at the hospital.”

Field burning by farmers has been responsible for fatal crashes in south Louisiana in recent years, which is why Houma Representative Beryl Amedee is looking to form a task force to discuss other potential options….
cut 4 (09) “….these things”
Amedee says the smoke from the fires also cause breathing issues for some. Field burning is an economical way for farmers to clear their fields of stubble, weeds and waste.

03.08.23
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8:30 LRN Newscast

Baton Rouge authorities do not suspect foul play in the death of a businessman from Georgia. Nathan Millard was missing for nearly two weeks until his body was found Monday morning wrapped in plastic in a blighted part of north Baton Rouge. BRPD Captain Kevin Heinz says thanks to surveillance video they’ve traced Millard’s movements before he vanished. One of his stops was at a Greyhound bus station and a security guard offered him a ride…
cut 15 (08) “…..own accord”
Heinz says a pending toxicology report will determine if drug use led to his death.

Former Louisiana Congressman John Fleming from Minden is running for State Treasurer. The other announced candidates are Republican Scott McKnight and Democrat Dustin Granger. Fleming says as Treasurer, he would make better investments of taxpayer dollars than his opponents…
cut 11 (10) “…..politically correct”

A south Louisiana lawmaker wants to see if there are other options farmers could use instead of field burning. Teiko Foxx has more…
cut 1 (30) “….I’m Teiko Foxx”

Wi-Fi is finally returning to parts of the Southeastern Louisiana campus after a suspected cyberattack created a network outage nearly two weeks ago. School email, online class resources, online billing, computer labs and printing still remains unavailable. State Police is looking into the cyberattack.

03.08.23
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7:30 LRN Newscast

Baton Rouge authorities do not suspect foul play in the death of a Georgia man who went missing on February 23rd. Nathan Millard’s body was found Monday morning wrapped in plastic and carpet in a blighted part of north Baton Rouge…
cut 13 (14) “…..signs of foul play”
BRPD Captain Kevin Heinz says an autopsy found no external or internal injuries and they will know more when the toxicology report comes back.

Many sugar cane and rice farmers burn their fields after harvest to clear stubble, weeds and waste, but Houma Representative Beryl Amedee wonders if there are other methods farmers could use…
cut 6 (09) “….should”
Amedee says the smoke from field burning causes low visibility on roads and breathing issues for those with chronic respiratory problems.

Former Minden Congressman John Fleming wants to be Louisiana’s next State Treasurer…:
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

There’s speculation Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack will announce tomorrow he’s running for governor. He’ll join a crowded field that already features several Republicans, Jeff Landry, John Schroder, Sharon Hewitt and Richard Nelson. Also the major Democrat in the race, Shawn Wilson, has the endorsement of Governor Edwards.

03.08.23
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6:45 LRN Sportscast

Spring football gets underway tomorrow for the LSU Tigers and several players will not play because of injuries. According to the Advocate newspaper, they are Mason Taylor, Armoni Goodwin, Charles Turner, Mekhi Wingo, Duce Chestnut, Jordan Jefferson and Aaron Anderson. Sophomore defensive lineman Maason Smith will be a limited participant after tearing his A-C-L in the season opener against Florida State.

The top ranked LSU baseball team welcomes Lamar to Alex Box Stadium tonight. The Cardinals are 10-and-2 and they have wins over Texas A-and-M and Kansas State. First pitch at the Box is at 6:30. Also tonight, McNeese is at U-L Lafayette, ULM hosts Northwestern State.

Last night the Warhawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a four to three win over Memphis. Cardell Thibodeaux had the game winning hit in the eighth, Nicholls edged Penn three to two and 24th ranked Campbell crushed Tulane 17-7.

The LSU Tigers will face the Georgia Bulldogs in the opening round of the SEC Men’s basketball tournament tonight in Nashville. These two teams met on Valentine’s Day in Athens and it was Georgia who won by two points. Tigers Coach Matt McMahon says taking care of the basketball will be a key tonight…
cut 16 (10) “…on Wednesday”
The Tigers were just 2-and-16 in SEC play, while Georgia was 6-and-12.

McNeese’s run in the Southland Tournament ended last night with an 80-63 loss to top-seeded Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi. The Islanders will play Northwestern State in today’s tournament championship game at 4 PM. The Demons defeated UNO last night 74-70 to advance to their first Southland Tournament championship game since 2013. DeMarcus Sharp led the way with 31 points.

03.08.23
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6:30 LRN Newscast

Baton Rouge Police do not suspect foul play in the death of Georgia businessman, Nathan Millard who was found Monday morning after he went missing on February 23rd. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Here’s the latest on the governor’s race, Congressman Garret Graves is not running, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack could get in, and Democrat Shawn Wilson has received the endorsement of Governor John Bel Edwards.

Former District 4 Louisiana Congressman and Minden resident Dr. John Fleming is running for State Treasurer this fall. Fleming – a Republican – is a medical doctor and owns several businesses. He says he is well-qualified for the job for that reason, and for his recent years working in the Donald Trump White House on the financial policy team…:
Cut 10 (11) “…in this area.”
Republican Scott McKnight and Democrat Dustin Granger are the other two announced candidates.

Houma Representative Beryl Amedee says agriculture field burning is a real issue in her district as the smoke from the burning causes low visibility on roads and it’s an health issue…
cut 5 (10) “…..health impact”
Amedee is looking at creating a task force to see what alternatives are out there besides field burning, which saves farmers millions every year.

03.07.23
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4:45 LRN Sportscast March 7

New Saints quarterback Derek Carr has signed a four-year deal worth a reported 150-million dollars, with 100-million in guaranteed money. Locked on Saints Podcast host, Ross Jackson, says the contract is cap friendly…
cut 17 (10) “…as well”
The Saints will likely need to restructure wide receiver Michael Thomas’ deal and they also have to improve the offensive line.

The Ragin Cajuns men’s basketball team is going dancing as they are headed to the NCAA Tournament after beating South Alabama 71-66 in the Sun Belt Tournament Championship game. Cajuns guard Themus Fulks had a career-high 23 points, while Jordan Brown had 13 points and 16 boards. Coach Bob Marlin says three-point shooting was the difference…
Cut 14 (08) “…three for eleven.”
This is the fifth NCAA Tournament berth for the Cajuns.

The top ranked LSU baseball team won its sixth straight game last night, the third consecutive game by run-rule as they blanked the Butler Bulldogs 11 to nothing in seven innings. Sophomore right-hander Thatcher Hurd struck out 11 in six scoreless innings. Dylan Crews continues to lead LSU at the plate. The Tigers centerfielder had two more hits last night including a home run. Freshmen Paxton Kling and Brady Neal also homered. Coach Jay Johnson says this freshman class is special…
cut 16 (22) “…that way”
LSU will host Lamar on Wednesday night.

Tonight in the Southland Conference tournament, McNeese faces top seeded Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi at 5:30, while Northwestern State battles UNO in the other semifinal game.

03.07.23
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LRN PM Newscall March 7

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is not running for governor, but another potential Republican candidate emerges. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (29)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Governor Edwards continues his overseas trade mission in Asia. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (33)  “….I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Republican Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is not running for governor this year. Political consultant Roy Fletcher says Graves’ decision is not a surprise…

Cut 3 (07) “…not to run” 

In an email to supporters, Graves says it’s clear the best service he can provide to Louisiana and the next governor is by building upon recent wins in the U-S Congress. Fletcher says there are a lot of Republicans who wanted Graves to run, but he has a good situation in the U-S House…

Cut  4 (09)  “…wants to do” 

With Graves not running, another Republican name has surfaced as a possible candidate, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack. Fletcher expects Waguespack to make an official announcement on Thursday that he is running…

Cut 5 (08) “…issues too”

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Governor John Bel Edwards is officially endorsing retired DOTD Secretary, Shawn Wilson for governor. Wilson announced his campaign for governor yesterday with a video on his website. LA-Polictics.com Publisher, Jeremy Alford says although Wilson’s announcement has come a bit late – he already has an edge in the race.

Cut 6 (11)  “…same about.” 

Under Governor Edwards leadership, Wilson served as Transportation Secretary for seven years. Alford says Wilson’s base of supporters will serve as a solid component in his race for governor.

Cut 7 (11)  “…election day” 

Attorney General Jeff Landry has five million dollars in his campaign funds putting Wilson at a preliminary disadvantage. Alford says the race for governor will be unpredictable.

Cut 8 (05)  “…the unexpected.” 

Louisiana’s gubernatorial election is October 14th.

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Governor Edwards and business leaders continue their mission abroad building and nurturing foreign trade relationships. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Secretary Don Pierson spoke to us from Tokyo this morning, he says the chemical company Shintech is approaching a $10 billion investment with the state and future investments are dependent on demonstrating a commitment from the state.

Cut 9 (10) “…to Louisiana.”

Pierson says the Bayou State’s agriculture industry benefits from foreign trade along with state ports. For example, Zen-Noh (zen-no-ah) grain is able to access grain from farmers via the Mississippi River and then distribute it globally. He says in addition to the state’s traditional relationships, they are nurturing new ones.

Cut 10 (12) “…our future.” 

In America, businesses operate independently but in Asia, Pierson says many companies are guided by their government. So the trip has included meetings with executives from the  Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Cut 11 (12)  “…talking to.”

The Louisiana delegation has also met with the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel on their visit.

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After losing in the Sun Belt Tournament Championship game last season, the Ragin Cajuns won in the league’s tournament title last night as they defeated South Alabama 71 to 66. The win puts Bob Marlin’s team in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014

Cut 12 (14) “…make it happen” 

U-L Lafayette will find out on Sunday who they will play and where in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

They entered the season as the favorites to win the Sun Belt and they’ve compiled a record of 26-and-7. Marlin says it’s a special group of players….

Cut 13 (04) “…great things” 

Cajuns guard Themus Fulks had a career-high 23 points, while Jordan Brown had 13 points and 16 rebounds. Marlin says three-point shooting was the difference in the game…

Cut 14 (08)   “…three for eleven.”

This is the fifth NCAA Tournament berth for the Cajuns.