8:30 LRN Newscast

Two former candidates for governor, Eddie Rispone and Ralph Abraham are urging fellow Republicans to support Jeff Landry’s campaign for governor in 2023; a move that is irking other Republicans considering entering the race. LSU-Shreveport political science professor Jeff Sadow says it’s certainly a divisive political move on Rispone’s part…:
Cut 4 (09) “…every other state.”
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, who is expected to run for governor, says the Republican Party should not be controlled by a few people.

This week the federal government approved the Gulf of Mexico’s first two wind energy farms. But could a wind turbine withstand a powerful hurricane? CEO of Gulf Wind Technology in Avondale, James Martin, believes it can…
cut 9 (09) “…a problem”

There are eight constitutional amendments for voters to decide on the November 8th ballot, and one of them applies only to Orleans Parish…
Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

The Baton Rouge area will be bustling with energy this weekend as 10th ranked LSU hosts sixth ranked Alabama in a big college football game. Many hotels are completely booked and with a six PM kick-off, President of the Baton Rouge Lodging Association Gary Jupiter, expects a lot of late checkout requests for Sunday….
cut 15 (11) “….ready to go”

7:30 LRN Newscast

Former candidate for Louisiana Governor Eddie Rispone says he’s throwing his support – and his money – behind Attorney General Jeff Landry; a move that irks other republicans considering running for Governor next year…:
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

According to a study published in JAMA, since abortion clinics were closed permanently in August, the number of online purchases from Louisiana addresses for abortion pills has increased 170-percent. Louisiana leads every other state in requests, Mississippi is second.

The former home of Avondale shipyards, once one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, could one day be used to build huge wind turbines that could produce wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico. The CEO of Gulf Wind Technology in Avondale James Martin says the oil and gas industry should not see new clean energy companies as competition
cut 8 (08) “….business”
The U-S Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has identified two zones in the Gulf of Mexico, one of them near Lake Charles for future wind energy development. A lease sale is expected in the months ahead.

Baton Rouge hotels are near capacity for this Saturday’s game between 10th ranked LSU and sixth ranked Alabama. President of the Baton Rouge Lodging Association Gary Jupiter, oversees two hotels in downtown B-R, and says it’s great news, but staffing remains an issue…
cut 14 (05) “….my hotels”
Higher end hotels are charging nearly 600-dollars a night.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Tough loss for the Pelicans last night as they fell in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers 120 to 117, despite 27 points from Zion Williamson.

Four Astros pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter last night as Houston evened the World Series at two games a piece with a five to nothing win over the Phillies. Alex Bregman had a two-run double.

LSU is coming off a bye week which is allowing them to get healthier for their matchup with sixth ranked Alabama. Coach Brian Kelly says running back John Emery and reciver Jack Bech should play on Saturday after missing the last game because of injuries. Kelly says sophomore left guard Garrett Dellinger is close to returning after injuring his knee in the Tennessee loss…
cut 17 (20) “….long run”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 6 PM.

La Tech is getting ready to host Middle Tennessee in a Conference USA contest this Saturday in Ruston. Both teams are 1-and-3 in league play, but the Blue Raiders have a signature non-conference win over Miami in September. Bulldogs Coach Sonny Cumbie says his team needs to play well in order to break a three-game losing streak…
Cut 19 (19) “….do things” …
Cumbie says they plan to start Parker McNeil at quarterback after missing last Friday’s loss to F-I-U because of an injury.

Cajuns quarterback Chandler Fields is back to full health, but Coach Michael Desormeaux says his plan is to play Bent Wooldridge for the whole game against Troy. Desormeaux likes how Wooldridge has played the last three games. Kick-off against Troy on Saturday is at 4 PM.

6:30 LRN newscast

New clean energy producers are gearing up to eventually put wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico- now that the federal government has given the green light. Marsanne Golsby has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Marsanne Golsby.”

Over 150 people in the Paulina community of St. James Parish remain evacuated from their homes this morning after a train derailment yesterday afternoon that resulted in 20-thousand gallons of hydrochloric acid spilling from one of the cars. There’s no timetable on when they will be able to return to their homes.

Voters have eight constitutional amendments on the November 8th ballot. Amendment #6 could be a source of some confusion as it pertains only to property owners in one parish; Orleans. Public Affairs Research Council president Steven Procopio says it has to be voted on statewide because it is a proposed change to the Constitution. He says it places a 10-percent cap on how much Orleans residents’ property assessments can go up in a single year…:
Cut 10 (09) “…to a hundred and ten.”
Polls will be open on Tuesday November eighth from 6 AM to 8 PM.

It’s just two days away until kickoff for the biggest game of the season at Tiger Stadium and the excitement level is high. The excitement level is not the only thing that’s high… so are hotel rates, some as high as $599 a night. Gary Jupiter is President of the Baton Rouge Lodging Association…
Cut 13 (05) “…sold out.”
Jupiter says the LSU-Alabama game is one of their busiest weekends of the year.

LRN AM Newscall November 3 2022

Former candidate for Louisiana Governor Eddie Rispone says he’s throwing his support – and his money – behind Attorney General Jeff Landry; a move that irks other republicans considering running for Governor next year…:

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

_________________________________________________

New clean energy producers are gearing up to eventually put wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico- now the federal government has given the green light. Marsanne Golsby has more.

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Marsanne Golsby.”

______________________________________________

There are eight constitutional amendments for voters to decide on the November 8th ballot, and one of them applies only to Orleans Parish. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 3 (29) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

________________________________________________

Two former candidates for governor, Eddie Rispone and Ralph Abraham are urging fellow republicans to support Jeff Landry’s campaign for governor in 2023; a move that is irking other republicans considering entering the race. LSU-Shreveport political science professor Jeff Sadow says it’s certainly a divisive political move on Rispone’s part…:

Cut 4 (09)  “…every other state.”

Rispone told GOP activists this week he’s supporting the Attorney General, and he wants fellow republicans to break tradition and get behind one candidate – his candidate – ahead of the 2023 general election. Sadow says the intent is to avoid another in-party battle, like Rispone and Abraham got into in 2019…:

Cut 5 (13) “…what wins votes.”

Rispone’s backing of Landry rankles other potential GOP candidates like state Treasurer John Schroder and Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, who says the Republican Party “should not be controlled by a few people.” Sadow says Louisiana’s open primary system is the reason elections pit two members of the same party against one another to make a runoff…:

Cut 6 (07)  “…the majority party.” 

Rispone feels the state needs to move to party primaries like in most other states. Dr. Sadow says he agrees.

_______________________________________________

The CEO of Gulf Wind Technology in Avondale says the Gulf of Mexico has the potential to create one of the world’s largest markets for clean energy produced by wind farms. The federal government has selected the first two areas for offshore wind development in the Gulf. James Martin says the Gulf is an ideal location.

Cut 7 (11) “…service them.”

His company is located at Avondale,  which was home of Avondale shipyards, once one of the largest shipbuilders in the world. It closed in 2014, but he says it’s facilities could be used to build huge wind turbines. He also says the oil and gas industry should not see new clean energy companies as competition.

Cut 8 (08)  “…business.”

As to whether or not wind farms can survive hurricanes, Martin points out that thousands of oil rigs in the gulf have survived named storms and taken direct hits.

Cut 9 (09)  “…problem.”

_________________________________________________

Voters have eight constitutional amendments to decide on the November 8th ballot. Amendment #6 could be a source of some confusion as it pertains only to property owners in one parish; Orleans. Public Affairs Research Council president Steven Procopio says it has to be voted on statewide because it is a proposed change to the Constitution. He says it places a 10-percent cap on how much Orleans residents’ property assessments can go up in a single year…:

Cut 10 (09) “…to a hundred and ten.” 

Procopio says voting YES on Amendment 6 will agree to give Orleans property owners a cushion against any drastic tax hikes…:

Cut  11 (10)  “…one big shock.”

A vote of NO would maintain the current property tax system in Orleans Parish as it is, which could have unintended consequences…:

Cut 12 (07) “…police and fire et cetera.” 

Procopio says PAR never tells voters how they should vote on these matters. They provide information so you can make that decision yourself.

_________________________________________________

It’s just two days away until kickoff for the biggest game of the season at Tiger Stadium and emotions are high as the Crimson Tide and their fans begin to make their way into Baton Rouge. Emotions aren’t the only thing that’s high… so are hotel rates, some as high as $599 a night.  Gary Jupiter is President of the Baton Rouge Lodging Association…

Cut 13 (05) “…sold out.”

Jupiter oversees two downtown Baton Rouge hotels and says historically when the Bama fans come to town it’s one of their busiest weekends and this one is no exception. And with the industry still facing post-pandemic staff shortages…

Cut 14 (05)  “…my hotels.”

And with a Saturday night kickoff in Death Valley, Jupiter says it’s safe to assume plenty of hotel guests will be requesting a late checkout Sunday.

Cut 15 (11)  “…ready to go.”

_____________________________________________________

10th-ranked LSU continues its preparations today for sixth-ranked Alabama, which is led by last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Bryce Young. The junior from California has thrown for 19 hundred yards and 18 touchdowns. LSU Coach Brian Kelly marvels at Young’s ability…

Cut 16 (16)  “…college football.” 

LSU is coming off a bye week which is allowed them to get healthier for this top-ten matchup. Kelly says running back John Emery and receiver Jack Bech should be able to play this Saturday after missing the last game because of injuries. He says sophomore left guard Garrett Dellinger is close to returning after injuring his knee in the Tennessee loss…

Cut 17 (20) “…long run” 

___________________________________________________________

Northwestern State who is 3-and-0 and in first place in the Southland will head to Texas on Saturday to face A&M Commerce. The Lions are having a successful start in their first season in the Southland as they are 3-and-1. Demons Coach Brad Laird says his team needs a good week of preparation…

Cut 18 (13) “…this week” 

Kick-off is at 2 PM.

_________________________________________________

La Tech is getting ready to host Middle Tennessee in a Conference USA contest this Saturday in Ruston. Both teams are 1-and-3 in league play, but the Blue Raiders have a signature non-conference win over Miami in September. Bulldogs Coach Sonny Cumbie says his team needs to play well in order to break a three-game losing streak…

Cut 19 (19) “….do things” …

True freshman Landry Lyddy started at quarterback last week, but Cumbie says they are going back to senior Parker McNeil, who was hurt for last week’s loss to FIU…

Cut 20 (13) “…football games”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

Based on the college football playoff rankings released last night, It will be a top ten matchup between LSU and Alabama on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are ranked sixth and the Tigers are ranked tenth and the seven and one Tulane Green Wave are ranked 19th.

Nick Saban holds a six and one record as the head coach at Alabama in games played in Tiger Stadium. Saban says it is more important than ever to stay poised playing in a hostile environment like Death Valley…
cut 18 (16) “….beat ourselves”
Kick-off is at 6 PM. The weather forecast calls for a 50-percent chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms on Saturday night.

Tonight the Pelicans battle the Lakers to complete a three-game road trip. New Orleans is 4-and-2, while the Lakers are one and five.

The Ragin Cajuns are gearing up to face the division leader in the Sun Belt West. Troy is 4-and-1 and allowing just 14 points a game. U-L Lafayette put up 35 points against Troy last year, but every point was hard to come by. Coach Michael Desormeaux says this year they’ll face an even better Troy defense that has depth and knows how to take away the big play…
cut 20 (13) “….for them”
Kick-off is at 4 PM.

Tonight is game four of the World Series with the Phillies up two game to one. Philadelphia will send former LSU star Aaron Nola to the mound tonight.

And Albany High School has decided to forfeit this Friday’s game against Bogalusa over security concerns. There was a fatal shooting outside of Bogalusa’s stadium on homecoming night on October 15th.

1:30 LRN Newscast

Early voting ended yesterday. The Secretary of State’s Office says about 363-thousand registered voters have casted a ballot. That’s a combination of in person early voting and absentee ballots. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says that’s about 55-thousand more ballots than the 2018 election, the last mid-term election….
cut 9 (07) “…in popularity”
Ardoin reminds voters the November eighth election is on a Tuesday, so polls are open from 6 AM to 8 PM.

Governor John Bel Edwards is asking the Louisiana Inspector General to look into the Ware Youth Center in Red River Parish after the New York Times reported rape allegations involving guards and dozens of suicide attempts by incarcerated youth. Office of Juvenile Justice assistant secretary Curtis Nelson Gordon…
cut 13 (08) “…being met”
The New York Times report says there were at least 64 suicide attempts at Ware from 2019 to 2020.

After the location of Friday’s game between Albany and Bogalusa changed a few times over security concerns of the fatal homecoming game shooting at Bogalusa, yesterday Albany opted to forfeit. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Saturday night’s game between LSU and Alabama is now a Top Ten matchup as the first college football playoff rankings were unveiled last night and Alabama is ranked sixth while LSU is ranked tenth. The Tigers are the highest ranked two-loss team.

11:30 LRN Newscast

Governor John Bel Edwards calls for an investigation into the Ware Youth Center in Red River Parish after an extensive New York Times report that says the facility is plaqued by rape allegations involving guards and dozens of suicide attempts by incarcerated youth. The Office of Juvenile Justice does not run the facility, but assistant secretary Nelson Gordon says Ware provides services to the state…
cut 12 (11) “…Ware Center”
The governor’s office says Louisiana’s Inspector General will lead the investigation.

Louisiana residents are buying Powerball tickets in the hopes of winning the one-point-two billion dollar grand prize. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Dustin Annison says a couple of players recently won a million dollars…
cut 14 (06) “…jackpot run”

A Baton Rouge man who set out for a six-mile hike in Arkansas last week has been found alive and safe. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Early voting ended yesterday. The Secretary of State’s Office says they received 363-thousand ballots for the November eighth election. 272-thousand early voted in person and 91-thousand voted absentee. Also 43-percent of the early votes were registered Republicans, 42-percent from Democrats.

9:30 LRN Newscast

The state Office of Juvenile Justice says all is well at the temporary juvenile center set up on the grounds of Angola prison. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Two more people are under arrest in connection with the fatal overdose death of a 15-year-old Galliano girl last month. Lafourche Parish deputies arrested 21-year-old Anthony Francis, of Larose, and 18-year-old Sergio Perez, of Cutoff, were charged with drug distribution. 18-year-old Blayne Terrebonne was arrested last week.

67-year-old Clinton Preston Smith who got lost while hiking in northwest Arkansas at the Buffalo National River has been found alive. Park spokesperson Casse Branstetter says he set off on his hike last Thursday and it took until yesterday for search crews to locate him….
cut 11 (11) “….outcome is this”
Smith was dehydrated, but in good spirits.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says the bird flu has been detected in hunter-harvested blue-winged teal in southwest Louisiana. State wildlife veterinarian Jim LaCour says bird flu is a low risk for for public health, but recommends avoiding contact with infected birds. Lacour says if you come across any unexplained mortality among birds, contact LDWF…
cut 9 (09) “….for testing” (2x)

8:30 LRN Newscast

State officials report all is going well with juvenile offenders transferred last month to a new facility on the grounds of Angola State Prison. Assistant Secretary of Juvenile Justice Curtis Nelson says the facility is named the West Feliciana Center for Youth and it is separated and secure from Angola’s adult population…:
Cut 4 (11) “…can’t see outside.”
Nelson says there have been no incidents of violence or unrest in the two weeks since it opened.

Many Louisiana residents are dreaming of winning tonight’s one-point-two billion dollar Powerball jackpot. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Dustin Annison asks everyone to play responsibly…
cut 15 (08) “…this evening”
You have until nine pm tonight to buy a ticket, the drawing is just before 10 PM.

A Baton Rouge man who set out for a six-mile hike in Arkansas last week has been found alive and safe. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Early voting ended yesterday. The Secretary of State’s Office says they received 363-thousand ballots for the November eighth election. 272-thousand early voted in person and 91-thousand voted absentee. Also 43-percent of the early votes were registered Republicans, 42-percent from Democrats.