Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

02.28.23
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6:30 LRN Newscast

Every year he’s been in office, Governor John Bel Edwards has urged legislators to set a minimum wage higher than the federal rate of $7.25 an hour. Edwards has been unsuccessful so far, but he’ll again push legislators to do pass a higher minimum wage bill this year. The governor has also put 33-million dollars in his proposed budget to fund a minimum wage increase for some 47-hundred state workers
Cut 12 (11) “…an hour”

LSU Health New Orleans reports a majority of their post-op total knee replacement patients recovered just as well with Tylenol and anti-inflammatory medications versus opioids to control pain. Professor of Orthopedics Dr. Vinod Dasa (Va-node Dose-ah)…
cut 13 (09) “…opioid group”

Festival International de Louisiane announces its 2023 musical lineup. Teiko Foxx has more on this big music festival in a couple of months…
Cut 1 (25) “…Teiko Foxx.”

Another warm day today, but there’s an enhanced risk for severe weather for most of the state on Thursday.

02.27.23
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5:30 LRN Newscast

The FDA grants emergency use authorization for a combination flu and COVID home test. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (29) “….I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A federal judge has sentenced 56-year-old Vaughn Gordon of Lafayette to 90 days of home detention for his role in the riot on the U-S Capitol Building on January sixth, 2021. Court records show Gordon, who shared photos of himself on Facebook in the capitol that day, agreed to pay 500 dollars in restitution to the Department of Treasury as well.

A recent poll, paid for by the Jeff Landry Campaign, shows the attorney general with a huge lead among Republicans and independents in the race to be the next Governor. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says these type of candidate-paid voter polls are not uncommon, and conservative voters’ responses to such polls are also predictable…:
Cut 9 (08) “…a great deal.”
The poll, done by KA Consulting for the Landry Campaign, shows Landry leads with 48-percent of the republican and independent vote.

Blue Runner Foods appoints its first woman president as New Orleans native Katie Bautsch takes over the 105-year-old Creole foods manufacturing company located in Ascension Parish. Bautsch says she wants to take Blue Runner to new heights…
Cut 7 (08) “…category.”
Blue Runner is famous for its canned Creole Cream Style Red Beans. Bautsch takes over for Richard Thomas who ran Blue Runner for more than 30 years.

02.27.23
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4:45 LRN Sportscast

The Pelicans will attempt to snap a three-game losing streak tonight as they host the Orlando Magic. New Orleans has a 30-31 record, good for tenth place in the Western Conference which would be the final spot in the play-in tournament. C-J McCollum is playing with a bad thumb, but says he needs to rise above the injury….
cut 19 (13) “…our season”
After tonight, the Pels begin a three-game road trip on the West Coast.

The regular season is over for the LSU women’s basketball team and they are ranked fourth in the AP poll heading into the SEC Tournament as the number two seed. Angel Reese was named today as the SEC Player of the Week for the seventh time this season. Reese had 23 points and 26 rebounds in yesterday’s 74-59 win over Mississippi State.

LSU junior centerfielder Dylan Crews was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week after collecting ten hits in four games and driving in seven runs. Crews also scored nine times and had three doubles in the Tigers 16 to four win over Sam Houston State on Sunday. Coach Jay Johnson says Crews is the best player he’s ever coached and makes the game look easy…
cut 16 (14) “….is special”
The top ranked Tigers will be at Texas tomorrow.

Phillip Matulia has been named the Conference USA Hitter of the Week. The senior hit four home runs last week and drove in ten runs. Matulia has five home runs on the season which ranks fifth in the country. Matulia and the Bulldogs will begin a two game series against fourth ranked Ole Miss on Tuesday at Swayze Field.

02.27.23
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2:30 LRN Newscast

The FDA grants emergency use authorization for a combination flu and COVID home test. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (29) “….I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A federal judge has sentenced 56-year-old Vaughn Gordon of Lafayette to 90 days of home detention for his role in the riot on the U-S Capitol Building on January sixth, 2021. Court records show Gordon, who shared photos of himself on Facebook in the capitol that day, agreed to pay 500 dollars in restitution to the Department of Treasury as well.

A poll of 500 Republican and Independent likely voters paid for by Jeff Landry shows that 48-percent of those surveyed support the GOP attorney general in the race for governor. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says Landry’s poll is standard operating procedure in a political campaign…
cut 11 (10) “….for what it is”
Finishing in second place in Landry’s poll, was Treasurer John Schroder at six-percent.

Blue Runner Foods located in Ascension parish has its first woman president. New Orleans native Katie Bautsch is running Louisiana’s only remaining canning company….
Cut 8 (09) “…and loves.”
Blue Runner Foods makes canned and dry beans, Cajun and Creole cooking bases, soups and more.

02.27.23
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LRN PM Newscall February 27

A recent poll – paid for by the Jeff Landry Campaign – shows the candidate for governor has a large lead on all other challengers. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

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The FDA grants emergency use authorization for a combination flu and COVID home test. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (29)  “….I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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After a 17-year-old was killed on I-110 Saturday night, Baton Rouge Police are asking for the public’s help in what they believe was a targeted shooting. BRPD Sgt L’Jean McKneely says it happened just after 10:30 near the Hollywood Street exit. He says the driver, Nykobia (Nah-co-bee-ah) Keller along with a passenger had just left someone’s house.

Cut 3 (11) “…injuries.” 

McKneely says they don’t believe Keller was necessarily the intended target, but they do believe the shooter was specifically shooting at her vehicle and her passenger.

Cut  4 (05)  “…that vehicle.” 

Police do not have a description of the vehicle that was shooting at Keller and her passenger nor a motive at this time.

Cut 5 (09) “…our investigation.”

Keller is survived by her four-year-old son.

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Blue Runner Foods, located in Ascension Parish, has named its first female President to lead Louisiana’s only remaining canning company. The maker of canned beans and gumbo for 105 years has been a staple in the southern region. Newly appointed President, Katie Bautsch says she’s excited about her new role.

Cut 6 (07)  “…family’s legacy.” 

The creole foods manufacturing company has been operating in Louisiana since 1918. New Orleans native, Richard Thomas, purchased the company in 1992. Bautsch says she wants to take Blue Runner to new heights…

Cut 7 (08)  “…category.” 

Famous for its canned Creole Cream Style Red Beans, Bautsch says the delicious and authentic New Orleans Creole foods will remain.

Cut 8 (09)  “…and loves.” 

Bautsch says the goal is expand their culinary offerings as well as store availability.

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A recent poll, paid for by the Jeff Landry Campaign, shows the attorney general with a huge lead among Republicans and independents in the race to be the next Governor. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says these type of candidate-paid voter polls are not uncommon, and conservative voters’ responses to such polls are also predictable…:

Cut 9 (08) “…a great deal.”

The poll, done by KA Consulting for the Landry Campaign, shows Landry leads with 48-percent of the republican and independent vote. “Undecided” takes 2nd place with 37-percent and all other announced candidates polled in single digits. Hogan says it’s not surprising that Landry has good name recognition…:

Cut 10 (10) “…garner media attention.” 

Hogan says Landry’s poll is fairly standard operating procedure in a political campaign…:

Cut 11 (10)  “…for what it is.”

Hogan says the poll could help cement Landry’s place as front runner in the Governor’s race, but a lot can happen between now and Election Day.

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The FDA grants emergency use authorization for a combination flu and COVID home test so you can check to see what’s causing your symptoms. LSU Health New Orleans Genetics Specialist Dr. Lucio Miele says it’s a molecular test that gives you results in 30 minutes and is almost as sensitive as a PCR that is sent to a lab for results.

Cut 12 (09) “…go around.”

It’s not just a two-for-one test, Miele says it’s a three-for-one because it can detect if you have either Flu A or B and even if you have both COVID and the flu. And because COVID is still circulating and both flu and COVID vaccines are formulated for specific variants he says you should always report your test results to your physician.

Cut 13 (12) “..the COVID virus.” 

The combination test, Miele says has only been evaluated among individuals who have symptoms of the flu or COVID.

Cut 14 (08)   “…the right test.”

A prescription is not required for the Lucira COVID-19 and Flu Home test.

02.27.23
by

1:30 LRN Newscast

A recent poll – paid for by the Jeff Landry Campaign – shows the candidate for governor has a large lead on all other challengers.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

In New Orleans, there’s a court hearing on a lawsuit filed by the campaign to recall Mayor LaToya Cantrell as they are seeking from the registrar of voters an accurate number of registered voters in Orleans Parish. Lawyers for No-La-Toya-org say there are names on the voter rolls that should not be there, which would reduce the number of signatures needed to trigger a recall election.

The FDA grants emergency use authorization for a combination flu and COVID home test so you can check to see what’s causing your symptoms. LSU Health New Orleans Genetics Specialist Dr. Lucio Miele says it’s a molecular test that gives you results in 30 minutes…
Cut 12 (09) “…go around.”
Miele says it’s a three-for-one test because it can detect if you have either Flu A or B and even if you have both COVID and the flu.

Blue Runner Foods appoints its first woman president as New Orleans native Katie Bautsch takes over the 105-year-old Creole foods manufacturing company located in Ascension Parish. Bautsch says she wants to take Blue Runner to new heights…
Cut 7 (08) “…category.”
Blue Runner is famous for its canned Creole Cream Style Red Beans. Bautsch takes over for Richard Thomas who ran Blue Runner for more than 30 years.

02.27.23
by

12:30 LRN Newscast

A recent poll, paid for by the Jeff Landry Campaign, shows the attorney general with a huge lead among Republicans and independents in the race to be the next Governor. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says these type of candidate-paid voter polls are not uncommon, and conservative voters’ responses to such polls are also predictable…:
Cut 9 (08) “…a great deal.”
The poll, done by KA Consulting for the Landry Campaign, shows Landry leads with 48-percent of the republican and independent vote.

Governor Edwards’ proposed $46-billion state budget for the fiscal year that starts in July draws scrutiny from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. LABI head Stephen Waguespack says a fiscal cliff looms in 2025, as sales taxes – passed to solve the last shortfall – expire…and the governor wants to give permanent pay raises to all public school teachers. He says lawmakers need to plan for that…:
CUT 30 (07) “…over time.”
The regular session of the legislature starts April 10th.

Baton Rouge Police continue to search for the gunman who killed a 17-year-old girl who was driving on Interstate 1- 10 on Saturday night. Nykobia Keller died at the scene in what authorities call a targeted attack. Sergeant L’Jean McKneely says they do not believe Keller was necessarily the intended target, but they believe the shooter was specifically shooting at her vehicle and her passenger…
cut 4 (05) “….that vehicle”
McKneely says the passenger was unharmed.

Pineville Police are taking to the skies in an effort to curb crime. Chief Darrell Basco says their newest drone won’t require an operator to be called in when needed and it’s accessible for the patrol division 24/7. And it’s not your average drone, he says it allows them to see things in real-time…:
CUT 13(09) “…consumer drone.”
The drone is valued at $12-thousand.

02.27.23
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06:45 LRN Sportscast

After suffering their first loss of the season on Saturday, the top-ranked LSU baseball team responded on Sunday with a 16-4 win over Sam Houston State to win the Round Rock Classic in Texas. Dylan Crews was named tournament MVP as he went five for six at the plate yesterday with three doubles, four runs scored and four runs drivin in. Brayden Joubert also launched two, two-run home runs and Garret Edwards was the winning pitcher. LSU is at Texas tomorrow night.

Angel Reese put together another monster game as the fifth-ranked Lady Tigers finished off the regular season with a 74-59 win over Mississippi State yesterday. Reese had 23 points and 26 rebounds. Alexis Morris also had 23 points. LSU is 27-and-1 heading into the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. The 27-and-1 record matches the best regular season record in program history. Also, 15,721 people watched the game yesterday. That’s a PMAC record.

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Nicholls held Louisiana Tech to four hits yesterday and the Colonels blanked Bulldogs eight to nothing. Jacob Mayers struck out eleven over five innings for his second win of the season. Nicholls is 4-and-4 on the year, while Tech is 4-and-3.

S-I-U Edwardsville upended ULM eight to five, UT Arlington topped McNeese 12 to six. Southeastern Louisiana lost its first game of the season as it fell to Samford nine to three. Stephen F Austin edged Northwestern State five to four.

On the softball diamond…LSU defeated U-L Lafayette four to one after the Lady Cajuns rallied to beat the Tigers in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

College basketball…LSU lost again on Saturday night, falling to Ole Miss 82-69.

The Ragin Cajuns are the two seed in the Sun Belt Tournament and they’ll play Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s game between Georgia Southern and ULM.

The Pelicans will try to end a three-game losing streak tonight as New Orleans hosts Orlando. The Pels lost to the Knicks 128 to 106 on Saturday.

02.26.23
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LRN AM Newscall February 27

District 6 Congressman Garret Graves is feeling pressure to announce whether he will or will not run for Governor this fall. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

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LABI reacts to Governor John Bel Edwards’ proposed budget. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

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Pineville Police have added a state-of-the-art drone to their force. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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The latest AARP COVID dashboard indicates the early wave of coronavirus cases in nursing homes appears to have peaked. Louisiana AARP Director of Advocacy Andrew Muhl says that’s good news, especially for this most vulnerable age group.

Cut 4 (09)  “…activities.”

Which historically will lead to an uptick in cases days later.

Muhl says because of the anticipated post-Mardi Gras community spread if you have loved ones in long-term care facilities it’s important that you stay up to date on your vaccinations. He says it’s also important to ask the facility what their COVID protocols are and do they have enough PPE.

Cut 5 (07) “…several months.”

The most recent dashboard which covered the four-week period ending on January 22, also showed a spike in nursing home staff COVID cases. Muhl says staff cases rose from 533 to 847.

Cut 6 (10)  “…antionawide.” 

Resident cases during the same period in Louisiana went from 1,007 to 1,355. COVID deaths among residents increased from 13 to 19.

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Baton Rouge area Congressman Garret Graves says he is “feeling pressure” to run for governor, but will not commit one way or the other. So, will he run or not? “LAPolitics.com” publisher Jeremy Alford has watched many political campaigns unfold and says Graves is employing a pretty smart strategy by playing coy on the race…:

Cut 7 (12) “…bit of theatrics here”

By not immediately jumping into the governor’s race and keeping everyone guessing, Graves is also keeping his name out in front of political discussions and speculations. Alford says this could work brilliantly for Graves…:

Cut 8 (09)  “…he can do that.”

Alford says Graves could jump in late and still be able to raise enough money to compete with deep-pocketed competition like Jeff Landry, who seems assured of a victory. Alford says a recent chat he had with Senator John Kennedy during DC Mardi Gras indicates that may not be so…:

Cut 9 (11)  “…about Garret Graves.”

Graves can run for Governor this fall, and simply return to Congress should he not win. Alford says the suspense is helping Graves’ “brand” and a little “political theatre” in the race is kind of fun.

_______________________________________________

LABI reacts to the 2023-24 budget proposed by Governor John Bel Edwards. The total cost of the budget is around $45.7 billion. The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President and CEO, Stephen Waguespack says it’s imperative to have a fiscal balance.

Cut 10 (07)  “…two years.”

Edwards is asking lawmakers to approve a $2,000 raise for certified teachers and $1,000 raise for staff. The governor also proposed- firefighters, police, and deputy sheriffs receive an additional $100 a month in supplemental pay. Waguespack says…

Cut 11 (07)  “…over time.”

A one-cent sales tax was implemented in 2016 to help fund the $2 billion deficit the state was facing. Waguespack says…

Cut 12 (11) “…time dollars.”

The regular legislative session begins on April 10.

______________________________________________

Pineville Police are taking to the skies in an effort to curb crime. Chief Darrell Basco says their newest drone won’t require an operator to be called in when needed and it’s accessible for the patrol division 24/7. And it’s not your average drone, he says it allows them to see things in real-time.

Cut 13 (09) “…consumer drone.” 

The newest member of the force also has infrared and thermal capabilities and can arrive at the scene before officers allowing them to assess a situation before they respond.

Basco says the drone will increase their coverage when a patient goes missing from either the Pinecrest Developmental Center or Central State Hospital. Before the drone, Basco says they would have to send up to four cars to grid and block a search area.

Cut 14 (08)  “…piece of equipment.”

The drone can be used to assist in searches for missing children as well.

Basco says they want to use as much technology that’s available to law enforcement to help them solve crimes quicker…

Cut 15 (03)  “…it occurs.”

The drone is valued at $12,000

02.24.23
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4:45 LRN Sportscast

Tyrann Mathieu is the latest player to restructure his contract to help the Saints get back below the salary cap. Mathieu’s restructured deal reduces the hit on the salary cap by 4.6 million dollars. He’s one of five players that have restructured the deal as New Orleans tries to get below the salary cap before the start of the new league year which is March 15th. The Saints still have more work to do and could restructure the contracts of Marshon Lattimore and Cam Jordan.

The Pelicans fell to eighth place in the Western Conference Standings last night as they lost to the Toronto Raptors 115 to 110 despite 36 points from Brandon Ingram. New Orleans is 30-and-30 on the year and they will visit the Knicks tomorrow.

In college basketball tonight, the Cajuns close out the regular season by hosting South Alabama on ESPN Two at 8 PM. ULM will try to snap a six-game losing streak as they host Arkansas State.

Plenty of college baseball to take in this weekend. LSU is playing in the Round Rock Classic. They will face Iowa tomorrow. Hawkeyes pitcher Brody Brecht can throw 100 miles per hour.

The Ragin Cajuns continue their series with BYU tonight. U-L Lafayette has won the first two games, four to three and 11 to 0. Louisiana Tech hosts Nicholls. Northwestern State hosts Seton Hall, Southeastern Louisiana hosts Samford. McNeese is at UT Arlington. ULM hosts S-I-U Edwardsville and Grambling faces Alabama State in Atlanta tonight.

Northwestern State men’s basketball will play for a Southland Conference regular season championship tomorrow as the Demons visit Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi. Both teams are 12-and-4 in league play. Northwestern lost to the Islanders by six on New Year’s Eve.

Also, LSU men’s basketball looks for its second straight win as they visit Ole Miss. The Rebels made a coaching change today as Kermit Davis is out after five seasons. Both teams are 2-and-13 in SEC play.