Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

03.03.23
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LRN PM Newscall March 4

The process of certifying  signatures collected in the effort to recall New Orleans Mayor  LaToya Cantrell is underway. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Crawfish season is starting to heat up and suppliers are setting trends for consumers. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 2 (30)  “….I’m Teiko Foxx” 

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Lawyers for New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell are expected to take legal action after the number of signatures needed to trigger a recall election of the mayor has been decreased. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin reached an agreement with the NoLaToya campaign on a number of signatures after it was determined there are about 25-thousand inactive voters on the Orleans Parish voter rolls

Cut 3 (10) “…we did that 

The number of verified signatures needed is now just under 45-thousand, it was more than 49-thousand.

Cantrell says recall effort is now an attempt to disenfranchise Black voters. Ardoin says that is a false assessment…

Cut  4 (12)  “…be changed.” 

The Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters is counting the signatures the NoLaToya campaign collected. They have until March 22nd to determine if they were successful in recalling the mayor. A recall election would take place in October.

Ardoin explains why it’s difficult to keep an accurate number of registered voters who live in Orleans Parish…

Cut 5 (09) “…after them.”

The NoLaToya campaign is not saying how many signatures they collected. Ardoin believes it will be very close on whether they got enough certified signatures.

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Whether you’re observing Lenten season or love great times with family and friends in the backyard, crawfish season is here, and prices are starting to look favorable for the delicious mudbugs. The crawfish industry is seeing a solid supply of good-sized crawfish. Co-Founder of The Crawfish App, Laney King

Cut 6 (09)  “…last year” 

As supply increases, prices are expected to continue to fall over the next couple of months. King says it’s easy to locate the red crustaceans at a price that’s affordable.

Cut 7 (08)  “…ten friends” 

More than 100 million pounds of crawfish are harvested each year with an annual economic impact of $120 million. King says prices are starting to stabilize for the economy.

Cut 8 (06)  “…great news” 

Over 1,650 vendors across the state can be found on The Crawfish App.

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Tax reform was among the topics that Republican candidates for governor addressed at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s annual meeting. Treasurer John Schroder says for the state to compete with surrounding states that have either eliminated, don’t have, or reduced their income Lousiana must eliminate the income tax…

Cut 9 (08) “…18 years.”

Schroder says 40% of the state budget is from income tax.

Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson says it’s vital for the state to eliminate income tax to keep residents and companies from leaving the state.

Cut 10 (11) “…they’re successful.” 

Attorney General Jeff Landry agrees that the state’s tax code is hurting more than helping, and surrounding states have either eliminated, don’t have, or reduced their state income tax.

Cut 11 (10)  “…about that.”

Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says the state has complicated structures in the tax code and to level the playing field there are lots of exemptions and credits.

Cut 12 (11) “…to be successful.”

The primary is October 14th.

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State Police have launched a new way for citizens to interact with the department via a website that allows them to voice their compliments, complaints, or concerns about troopers. Lt. Melissa Matey says the new link can be found on their website at LSP-dot-org.

Cut 13 (09) “…those concerns.” 

Information that’s submitted with be received directly by LSP Internal Affairs personnel.

Before the link, the public could only interact electronically with state police via their social media platforms. Matey says now they can also use the new Compliments/Complaints link and social media also.

Cut 14 (10)   “…affairs personnel.”

Matey says there are several positive interactions that troopers have with the public and this new link gives them the ability to share those stories with their supervisors and the department.

Cut 15 (06) “…contact us.”

03.03.23
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11:40 LRN Sportscast

The LSU Baseball team returns home tonight after winning the 3rd annual Round Rock Baseball classic last weekend and beating Texas on Tuesday night. The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season to Iowa and it took late-game heroics from Gavin Dugas to get past Texas, but Coach Jay Johnson says those games helped them prepare for SEC play…
Cut 17 (15) “…match that.”
LSU will face Butler tonight at 6:30. The Bulldogs will start a left-hander on the mound. Cole Graverson has a 5.40 ERA. LSU will start Paul Skenes, who has given up one run in two starts.

The Ragin Cajuns host Campbell tonight at Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park. Campbell has won the last four Big South regular season championships. Louisiana Tech hosts Northwestern out of the Big 10, ULM is at U-I-W. Nichollas hosts Memphis.

The LSU Lady Tigers begin play today at 5 PM in the SEC Tournament. Coach Kim Mulkey’s team will face Georgia, who they beat in overtime in the PMAC a month ago. The Lady Tigers have not made it past the quarterfinals since 2015.

The Ragin Cajuns will face Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament tomorrow night. U-L Lafayette Coach Bob Marlin says winning the first game in a tournament is always tough…
cut 19 (20) “….that building”
Georgia Southern beat ULM last night to 66 to 57 to end the Warhawks season with a record of 11 and 21.

Tonight the Pelicans are at Golden State, looking to build off of Wednesday night’s victory at Portland.

03.03.23
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8:30 LRN Newscast

The four main Republican candidates for governor appeared yesterday at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s annual meeting. Addressing the state’s high crime rate was a topic of conversation. Attorney General Jeff Landry says he’s got years of experience…
cut 12 (10) “…seven years”
Treasurer John Schroder….
Cut 13 (09) “…more and more brazen.”
Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says she would like to see incentives to attract more people into law enforcement while Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson would like to use State Police to supplement local law enforcement in high crime areas.

A new literacy program funded by the state is currently available to help pre-K through 5th-grade students who are reading below grade level. The state is collaborating with Scholastic – for Reading Enrichment and Academic Deliverables, who will deliver free books to students that can help improve their reading…
cut 30 (10) “….what they’re reading”
That’s Deputy Superintendent for the Department of Education, Jenna Chiasson. For more information go to read-L-A-dot-scholastic-dot-com.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly announces it will greatly reduce the cost of many older types of insulin used to treat diabetes. Lilly says for those with health insurance or Medicare, their monthly cost should be no more than $35. Dr. Daniel Hsia (pronounce: SHAH), with the LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center says this is tremendous news; especially for Type 1 diabetics…:
Cut 14 (09) “…another huge victory.”

03.03.23
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7:30 LRN Newscast

Four Republican gubernatorial candidates addressed members of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and what they each would prioritize as governor.
Cut 2 (44) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, are returning to their pre-COVID benefit amount as the additional assistance has expired. This will impact about 462-thousand Louisiana households. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Department of Children and Family Services, Monica Brown, says additional resources are available for families in need…
cut 5 (08) “…..help them”
Again that number is 2-1-1.

Trina Edwards, the 44-year-old widow of former four-term Governor Edwin Edwards, has announced a wedding date for her and her fiancé, 79-year-old former legislative leader John Alario. She says they plan to marry June 1st at the State Supreme Court Building in New Orleans…
Cut 7 (09) “…30 or 40 people.”
Trina Edwards was married to Edwin Edwards for ten years before he died in July 2021.

03.03.23
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6:45 LRN Sportscast

We now have a date on when Alvin Kamara’s battery case will go to trial. A judge in Las Vegas has set the trial date for July 31st. Training camp begins in late July. Kamara has also entered a plea of not guilty. Las Vegas Police say Kamara, Bengals cornerback Chris Lammonds and two others beat a man in a casino near an elevator prior to the 2022 Pro Bowl Game.

The top ranked LSU baseball team will take on the two and six Butler Bulldogs tonight at Alex Box Stadium. The Bulldogs were picked to finish in last place in the Big East Conference.

Louisiana Tech hosts Northwestern out of the Big 10 tonight. Bulldogs Coach Lane Burroughs says he will never schedule a game against Ole Miss again as a result of how the Rebels handled Wednesday’s weather-suspended game that resulted in a loss for Tech, even though they were winning when play was halted.

The Ragin Cajuns host Campbell. ULM is at Incarnate Word.

The Pelicans are at Golden State tonight. New Orleans is a game ahead of the Lakers for the final spot in the play-in tournament.

The LSU Lady Tigers begin play in the SEC Tournament at 5 PM today in Greenville, South Carolina. LSU is the two-seed and they’ll play Georgia, who they beat in overtime in Baton Rouge a month ago.

The ULM men’s basketball team’s season is over after losing to Georgia Southern 66-57 in the Sun Belt Tournament. The Eagles will play the Ragin Cajuns in Pensacola, Florida on Saturday night. Cajuns Coach Bob Marlin likes his chances, because he believes he has the best player in the Sun Belt in Jordan Brown….
cut 20 (18) “…this tournament”
The Cajuns and Georgia Southern meet Saturday night at 7:30.

03.03.23
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6:30 LRN newscast

Four Republican gubernatorial candidates addressed members of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry at their annual meeting yesterday and outlined what their priorities would be if elected. Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt told business leaders she wants to grow the state’s economy and pass tax reforms that respect hard-spent tax dollars.
Cut 10 (07) “…woke ideology.”
Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson, who’s the youngest candidate says the state needs to make drastic changes to keep Louisiana from the bottom of every list. He says his priorities when elected to represent District 89 will be the same as governor.
Cut 11 (10) “…have to do.”
Attorney General Jeff Landry says he would fix a broken education system, while Treasurer John Schroder says Louisiana has to restore trust in government.

Households receiving extra benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program return to their pre-COVID regular allotments this month. Deputy Assistant Secretary for DCFS, Monica Brown, says SNAP households should review their regular benefit amount and ensure their information with D-C-F-S is up to to date, because there are factors that could lead to an increase in benefits.
Cut 4 (08) “…benefit amount.”

Drugmaker Eli Lily caps the patient insulin out-of-pocket costs at 35-dollars per month. The American Diabetes Association says over a half-million Louisianans suffer with diabetes. That’s over 14 percent of the population. Doctor Daniel Hsia (SHAH) with LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center hopes to see Eli Lilly’s example become an industry standard…:
Cut 16 (11) “…that really need it.”
Eli Lilly says they will also make savings cards available to diabetics who do not have health coverage.

03.02.23
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5:30 LRN Newscast

Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul says they are actively chasing leads as they search for a Georgia man who was in the state’s capitol city on a business trip but has been missing for more than a week.
cut 1 (39) “…Brooke Thorington”

A St. Gabriel police officer has been arrested in Livingston Parish on murder charges. Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard says 27-year-old Andre Redditt fatally shot his estranged partner.

The state department of education has started a new program to help K-through-fifth graders who are not reading at grade level. Deputy Superintendent Jenna Chaisson says families can register at read-L-A-dot-scholastic-dot-com and receive free books and resources that can improve a child’s reading ability…
cut 11 (08) “….new resource”
An estimated 150-thousand students are eligible.

Ponchatoula Representative Bill Wheat plans on filing legislation that would put a moratorium on the drilling of carbon capture wells below Lake Maurepas. Wheat says residents who care about Lake Maurepas are concerned about the long-term impacts of burying carbon that is sequestered under the lake…
cut 14 (12) “….what’s happening there”
Wheat says he’ll file a second bill that would assure that any future carbon drilling projects must pass environmental impact studies.

03.02.23
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LRN PM Newscall March 2

Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul discussed the Nathan Millard case on Talk Louisiana this morning, he’s the Georgia man who vanished last week.  Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (39)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Access to new resources to improve reading levels among students in the state are now available. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (30)  “….I’m Teiko Foxx” 

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Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul spoke publicly today for the first time about a missing businessman from Georgia; not seen for over a week after leaving a downtown bar on February 22nd. Paul says they’ve had training cadets canvas the area for Nathan Millard and they’ve been reviewing camera footage.

Cut 3 (10) “…Mr. Millard.” 

Paul, who appeared on WRKF’s Talk Louisiana, says it’s still a missing persons case at this time, and they are exhausting all investigative efforts. The 42-year-old man was last seen walking towards his Third Street hotel around 11:30 PM on February 29th after being cut off from the bar at Happy’s Irish Pub. Paul says he’s limited as to what details he can share with the public.

Cut  4 (10)  “…going on.” 

Milliard’s phone was reportedly located several blocks away from where he was last seen and a man used his credit card even further away at the Greyhound bus station. Paul says they are still retrieving and reviewing camera footage from downtown businesses to help fill in the gaps.

Cut 5 (08) “…tell us.”

If you have any information about Millard, you are encouraged to contact BRPD or Crimestoppers.

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An active weather day is expected today. L-R-N meteorologist John Wetherbee says the greatest risk for severe weather is for the Shreveport-Ruston area…

Cut 6 (15)  “…severe thunderstorms” 

The entire state is under a wind advisory as a result of this approaching cold front. Wetherbee says the greatest threat for the tornado outbreak is northwest Louisiana…

Cut 7 (08)  “…egg shaped” 

Wetherbee says we could see strong storms could develop this afternoon in north Louisiana…

Cut 8 (06)  “..evening tonight” 

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A new Louisiana-funded literacy program designed to help pre-K through 5th-grade students is available. The state collaborated with Scholastic – for Reading Enrichment and Academic Deliverables to provide books to students reading below grade level. Deputy Superintendent for the Department of Education, Jenna Chiasson, says the process is quite simple to get started.

Cut 9 (09) “…dot-scholastic-dot-com.”

More than 150,000 students are eligible to participate across the state. Chiasson says the READ program encourages interaction within the entire family.

Cut 10 (10) “…what they’re reading.” 

READ is the result of an Act passed in the 2022 legislative session.

Cut 11 (09)  “…this new resource.”

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A Tangipahoa Parish lawmaker wants to suspend drilling of carbon capture wells in Lake Maurepas. Ponchatoula Representative Bill Wheat (R – Dist.73) says he’ll file a bill for the regular legislative session in April that would impose a moratorium on carbon sequestration, until certain environmental concerns are addressed. Wheat says the technology is somewhat new and there are a lot of questions…:

Cut 12 (14) “…recreation on the lake.”

Air Products plans to build a $4.5-billion hydrogen producing plant in Ascension Parish, and inject the plants carbon emissions deep under the Lake Maurepas in order to meet federal emission standards. It’s but one of about $20-billion in carbon planned or under consideration in south Louisiana. Wheat says his bill is not an anti-carbon drilling crusade, but aimed at defending a fragile ecosystem…:

Cut 13 (11) “…wildlife management area.” 

Wheat says the public has far too little information on what is planned for Lake Maurepas to be 100-percent comfortable with it. He says the legislature needs to “put the brakes on”…:

Cut 14 (12)   “…what’s happening here.”

Wheat says he’ll file a second bill that would assure that any future carbon drilling projects must pass environmental impact studies.

03.02.23
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11:30 LRN Newscast

As a search team from Texas is in town looking for a Georgia man who went missing a week ago, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul was a guest on Jim Engster’s Talk Louisiana this morning discussing the case. Paul says they’ve had training cadets canvas the area for Nathan Millard and they’ve been reviewing camera footage.
Cut 3 (10) “…Mr. Millard.”

An active weather day is expected today. L-R-N meteorologist John Wetherbee says the greatest risk for severe weather is for the Shreveport-Ruston area…
Cut 6 (15) “…severe thunderstorms”

The Louisiana Association of Business & Industry’s Annual Meeting today in Baton Rouge will feature the first forum of 2023 Governor candidates….:
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

St. Gabriel Police officer, 27-year-old Andre Redditt, was arrested in an early morning shooting in Denham Springs. Livingston Parish Sheriff deputies say Redditt shot and killed his estranged partner, 26-year-old Dylan Martin. The St. Gabriel Police Department says Redditt has since been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

03.02.23
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11:40 LRN Sportscast

Two of the best scorers in the NBA went against each other last night, Brandon Ingram for New Orleans, Damien Lillard for Portland. Lillard had 41 points, while Ingram 40. But it was Ingram and the Pelicans that got the win, 121 to 110. New Orleans is at Golden State tomorrow.

LSU concluded the home portion of its schedule last night as the Tigers lost to Missouri 81-76. The Tigers led by 19 points in the first half.

La Tech looks to snap a six-game losing streak tonight as they host F-I-U. Since Cobe Williams left the team two weeks ago, Coach Talvin Hester has had to depend more on Isaiah Crawford who is averaging 15 points a game…
cut 19 (19) “….through Isaiah”
Tip off is at 6 PM.

LSU’s new special teams coach John Jancek has never been a special teams coordinator before. Brody Miller with the Athletic expects several different analysts that are on staff will help coach up the special teams…
cut 17 (20) “….special teams”
The Tigers are set to begin spring football a week from today.

Louisiana Tech baseball is not happy with how yesterday’s game ended with Ole Miss. The Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to take a five to four lead. But lightning moved into the area and the game never resumed. Since the Rebels did not not bat in the bottom of the seventh, the game reverts back to the scoere at the end of the sixth inning, with Ole Miss leading four to three, so the Rebels get credit for the win.