6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints are an eleven-point underdog heading into Sunday night’s match-up with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So will Coach Sean Payton use the big point spread as extra motivation????
cut 19 (19) “…significant”
If the season ended today, the Saints would not make the playoffs. New Orleans is six and seven, but the team that occupies the final playoff spot in the NFC, Washington, also has a record fo six and seven.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is battling Green Bay and Arizona for the top spot in the NFC playoffs. The Cardinals dropped to 10-and-3 on the season after losing to the Rams 30-23 last night. Odell Beckham Junior had a TD catch for L-A.

The 9-and-0 LSU men’s basketball team has moved up six spots in the latest A-P Top 25 poll to number 19. They are up four spots in the coaches’ poll to number 20.

Sophomore forward Tari Eason was named SEC Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 23 points in the Tigers win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. LSU hosts Northwestern State tonight.

Also tonight, Louisiana Tech hosts L-S-U Shreveport, the Ragin Cajuns are at 14th ranked Houston, while ULM visits Stephen F Austin.

Last night, Nicholls beat Blue Mountain College 87 to 69 to improve to 4-and-0 at home. The Colonels are at Wisconsin on Wednesday.

6:30 LRN Newscast December 14

An emotional Mona Hardin appeared before the Senate Committee on State Police Oversight yesterday asking lawmakers what it will take before the state of Louisiana recognizes State Troopers killed her son following a police chase that ended in Union Parish in 2019…..
cut 9 (07) “….to justice”
The FBI is investigating Greene’s death and whether State Police tried to cover the incident up.

More serious than a heart attack. That’s the way Catherine O’Neal describes COVID-19 to the Baton Rouge Press Club. She’s the Chief Medical Officer at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and she put the death situation this way with COVID patients:
Cut 11 (11) “…here with COVID-19.”
O’Neal said comparatively, the death rate for a person coming to the hospital with a heart attack is less than four percent.

A nationally recognized civil rights attorney has the state Department of Children & Family Services in his crosshairs. Kevin Gallagher reports why…:
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints ended a five game losing streak with a 30-9 win over the New York Jets yesterday. Alvin Kamara returned after missing the last four games with knee and hamstring issues. Kamara rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, while Quarterback Taysom Hill rushed for two touchdowns.

The Saints defense did not allow a touchdown and only gave up 256 yards of total offense. Linebacker Demario Davis says they have been working on trying to get better…
Cut 18 (20) “.next one”
The Saints are now 6-7 and are in Tampa Bay this Sunday for a matchup with the Buccaneers, who beat the Bills in overtime yesterday.

The LSU men’s basketball team is now ranked 19th in the AP poll and 20th in the coaches poll. The Tigers defeated Georgia Tech on Saturday and Tari Eason had a career-high 23 points and was named SEC Player of the Week. Eason leads LSU in scoring, averaging 16 points a game and eight rebounds a contest. LSU hosts Northwestern State tomorrow night.

Nicholls hosts Blue Mountain College tonight at 6 PM. Colonels fifth-year guard Ty Gordon was named Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week today. He scored 28 points in a win over Mississippi Valley State last Thursday and hit six three-pointers.

ULM has announced Matt Kubik has returned as the program’s offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach. Kubik was at ULM from 2016 and 2019 and in 2019 ULM was one of five NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision programs to average at least 200 rushing yards and 250 passing yards per game. Coach Terry Bowden calls Kubit one of the top offensive minds in college football.

11:40 LRN Sprotscast

Saints running back Alvin Kamara rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown in his return to the field after a four-game absence and New Orleans ended a five-game losing streak as the Black and Gold beat the hapless New York Jets 30-9. Kamara says he felt good out there and the team played well…
Cut 16 (19) “..team win”
Kamara had missed the previous four games with knee and hamstring injuries. Offensive tackle Terron Armstead also returned after missing multiple games with an injury.

In other football news…Auburn Quarterback Bo Nix has announced he’s entering the transfer portal….Edna Karr running back Jaylin Lucas has announced his decommitment from Tulane. And the Pelicans lost to San Antonio 112 to 97.

8:30 LRN Newscast December 13

A rare recall effort in Louisiana failed on Saturday night as the mayor of Richwood Gerald Brown Senior survived an effort to remove him from office. La-Politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says 60-percent of the voters in the Ouachita Parish town voted against the recall effort…
cut 15 (07) “….his term”
In Orleans Parish, four-term sheriff Marlin Gusman lost to first-time candidate Susan Huston.

The grinches may be out to get you this holiday season, but there are ways to protect yourself. Jamie Angelle with the Lafayette Police Department advises meet-ups that take place for you to pay for something you bought from another individual should take place outside a police station if possible.
Cut 10 (10) “…taken advantage of.”
And if you’re concerned about “porch pirates” grabbing gifts, company’s like Amazon will deliver packages to Whole Foods or another location you may designate, like a neighbor who might be home when you’re away.

Louisiana’s own Krispy Krunchy Chicken has seen tremendous growth since 2006 and the convenience store eatery is now in 48 states. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

New Orleans gothic novelist Anne Rice has died at the age of 80. Her son says she died from complications from a stroke. Rice wrote the 1976 novel “Interivew with the Vampire” and she later produced a script for the 1994 movie that started Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

7:30 LRN Newscast

St. Tammany Parish voters soundly rejected a proposed 325-million dollar proposed casino and resort in Slidell. Pacific Peninsula Entertainment was seeking to move a casino license that belonged to a now-closed casino in northwest Louisiana. La-politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says the big question now is what happens with that casino license…
cut 14 (09) “…go next”

The CDC has given the go-ahead for 16 and 17-year olds to receive Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots. LSU Health New Orleans infectious disease specialist Doctor Fred Lopez says the Pfizer vaccine has shown it’s effective against the different variants…
Cut 7 (10) “…the United States.”
The booster shots for the newly eligible 16 and 17-year olds are available to those who have received the initial two-shot regimen of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago.

During the holiday season, online marketplace sellers try to make extra cash as buyers look for a good deal. But Lafayette Police Department spokesperson Jamie Angelle says both parties should be cautious when meeting to exchange items. He says several police departments offer a Safe Exchange location…
cut 11 (13) “…transactions alone”

The number of Krispy Krunchy Chicken outlets continues to grow and the Louisiana-based business now has the backing from a private equity firm. It’s the official fried chicken of the New Orleans Pelicans and Krispy Krunchy Foods CEO Dan Shapiro says there’s a sports icon who refers to their chicken as a guilty pleasure…
cut 5 (07) “…Tik Tok”
Krispy Krunchy’s corporate office is in Alexandria, and they plan to increase their workforce of some 170 people with the expansion to hire more trainers, sales staff, and office personnel.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints only threw 21 passes yesterday, but Alvin Kamara returned from knee and hamstring injuries and rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown as New Orleans ended a five-game losing streak with a 30-9 win over the hapless New York Jets. Saints quarterback Taysom Hill threw for 175 yards, but rushed for two touchdowns. Hill, played despite an injured middle finger on his throwing hand and says he was able to manage the injury and didn’t think much about it during the game…
cut 17 (27) “…No time”
The Saints are now 6-and-7 and at Tampa Bay this Sunday night.

The 2021 LHSAA Prep Classic saw several close games. On Friday night, Westgate won its first-ever state championship in football with a 14-13 win over Warren Easton in the Class 4A title game. Sterlington defeated district rival Union Parish in the 3A championship game as the Panthers beat the Farmers 26-24. In Class 5A, Zachary won its fourth state championship as the Broncos defeated Ponchatoula 28-20 in what is most likely Green Wave head coach Hank Tierney’s final game as head coach after 300 victories.

There are just seven undefeated teams in men’s college basketball and one of them is the LSU Tigers as the Bayou Bengals defeated Georgia Tech 69-53 on Saturday in Atlanta to improve to 9-0. The Tigers host Northwestern State tomorrow night.

Louisiana Tech improved to seven and two on the season as the Bulldogs beat U-L Lafayette 78-69. Cobe Williams had 20 points for the Dunkin Dogs, while Jordan Brown for the Cajuns had a career-high 30 points.

6:30 LRN Newscast December 13

Louisiana will soon have its first black female sheriff as Susan Hutson defeated longtime Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman. La-Politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Hutson, the former independent police monitor for New Orleans, ran on a progressive platform…
cut 13 (11) “….justice reform ballot”
And in St. Tammany Parish, voters soundly rejected a proposed casino for Slidell.

The Louisiana Department of Health is encouraging everyone 16-years and up to get a booster shot if their first two doses were the Pfizer vaccine. LSU Health New Orleans infectious disease specialist Doctor Fred Lopez…
cut 8 (09) “…..to other individuals”
The state has reported 40 probable and five confirmed cases of the Omicron variant.

There are less than two weeks to go until Christmas and law enforcement is encouraging shoppers to be careful while holiday shopping…
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Dave Brannen.”

LRN AM Newscall December 13

Louisiana’s own Krispy Krunchy Chicken has seen tremendous growth since 2006 and the convenience store eatery is now in 48 states. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

___________________________________

With FDA emergency use authorization given late last week, 16 and 17-year-olds are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster shot.  More from Dave Brannen.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Dave Brannen.” 

___________________________________

It’s time to be careful while out doing your holiday shopping. More from Dave Brannen.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Dave Brannen.” 

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Louisiana-based Krispy Krunchy Chicken is one of the largest convenience store foodservice concepts in the nation and now it’s poised to grow even more with backing from a private equity firm. Krispy Krunchy Foods CEO Dan Shapiro says Louisianans should be proud to claim Krispy Krunchy Chicken as one of their own.

Cut 4 (08) “…would be. “

From its humble beginnings at a Lafayette convenience store more than three decades ago to now more than 2,700 locations in 48 states, Shapiro says chances are there’s one near you. In addition to being the official fried chicken of the New Orleans Pelicans, Shapiro says there’s also a sports icon who refers to Krispy Krunchy as her guilty pleasure.

Cut 5 (07) “…and Tik Tok.”

And Krispy Krunchy isn’t just chicken, they also serve red beans and rice, jambalaya, and boudin balls. Shapiro says it’s quite entertaining to see folks as far away as Oregon and Massachusetts be introduced to Cajun staples for the first time.

Cut 6 (10) “…they love it.”

Krispy Krunchy’s corporate office is in Alexandria, and they plan to increase their workforce of some 170 people with the expansion to hire more trainers, sales staff, and office personnel.

__________________________________________________

The CDC has given the go-ahead for 16 and 17-year olds to receive Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots. LSU Health New Orleans infectious disease specialist Doctor Fred Lopez says the Pfizer vaccine has shown it’s effective against the different variants…

Cut 7 (10) “…the United States.”

The booster shots for the newly eligible 16 and 17-year olds are available to those who have received the initial two-shot regimen of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago.

Dr. Lopez says the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine can fade after six months, and with the Delta and Omicron variants circulating, it’s one of the reasons to get boosted with the third Pfizer dose.

Cut 8 (09) “…to other individuals.”

Dr. Lopez on why the move to permit Pfizer booster shots to those 16 and older now is the right thing to do.

Cut 9 (12)  “…from these individuals.”

The expansion to Pfizer booster shots for 16 and 17-year olds took effect immediately last Thursday with emergency authorization from the FDA.

_______________________________________________________

The grinches may be out to get you this holiday season, but there are ways to protect yourself. Jamie Angelle with the Lafayette Police Department advises meet-ups that take place for you to pay for something you bought from another individual take place outside a police station if possible.

Cut 10 (10)  “…taken advantage of.”

And if you’re concerned about “porch pirates” grabbing gifts, company’s like Amazon will deliver packages to Whole Foods or another location you may designate, like a neighbor who might be home when you’re away.

Angelle says there are options to exchanging money for items you purchased other than outside a cop shop that can help to keep you safe when meeting up with someone you don’t really know.

Cut  11 (13)  “…transactions alone.”  

If you’re carrying around more cash than usual during the holidays, Angelle suggests an alternative so you don’t wind up losing it to a thief.

Cut 12 (11) “…carry around cash.”

______________________________________________________

The Louisiana election season for 2021 has finally ended with the December 11th election and while voter turnout was low as predicted LaPolitics.com Editor Jeremy Alford says one race, in particular, should grab national headlines with Democrat Susan Hutson unseating four-term incumbent Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman with 53-percent of the vote.

Cut 13 (11) “…justice reform ballot.”

Last year Jason Williams, who also ran on a criminal justice reform platform was elected District Attorney of Orleans Parish.

Another race of interest was in St. Tammany Parish to allow a gaming casino to be built in Slidell. With a 32-percent turnout, voters rejected to allow a Bossier Parish casino license to relocate in St. Tammany 63 to 37-percent. Alford says the question now is where the casino license will go.

Cut 14 (09)  “…go next.”

Alford says even Mississippi casinos didn’t campaign against it because early polling indicated there was no threat of the measure passing.

And in Ouachita Parish there was an attempt to recall Richwood Mayor Gerald Brown, Sr. Alford says a recall vote is extremely rare and the measure failed with a voter turnout of 21-percent.

Cut 15 (07)  “…his term.”

Thirty-four parish held elections Saturday which also consisted of various bond issues and run-offs for municipal elections.

_________________________________________________

Saints running back Alvin Kamara rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown in his return to the field after a four-game absence and New Orleans ended a five-game losing streak as the Black and Gold beat the hapless New York Jets 30-9. Kamara says he felt good out there and the team played well…

Cut  16 (19) “..team win”

Kamara had missed the previous four games with knee and hamstring injuries. Offensive tackle Terron Armstead also returned after missing multiple games with an injury.

Taysom Hill started at quarterback despite an injured middle finger on his throwing hand. He rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 175 yards. Hill says he was able to manage the injury and didn’t think much about during the game…

Cut 17 (27) “  go time” 

The Saints defense did not allow a touchdown and only gave up 256 yards of total offense. Linebacker Demario Davis says they have been working on trying to get better…

Cut 18 (20) “.next one”  

The Saints are now 6-7 and are in Tampa Bay this Sunday for a matchup with the Buccaneers.

7:30 LRN Sportscast

Louisiana Radio Network Sports. I’m Erik Picolli…
The Westgate Tigers from New Iberia are state champs in football for the first time in school history. The Tigers topped Warren Easton 14-13 in the Class 4A Championship game in the Superdome last night. Westgate had a legendary goal line stand in the final minutes of the game to keep the Eagles from winning their first state title since 1942.

University High also won a low scoring championship game as the Cubs notched a 14-7 win over E-D White to complete a perfect 13-0 season. The U-High defense allowed just 88 yards of offense in the second half.

In the Division Four state championship game, Southern Lab dominated Ouachita Christian 38-14 and in the Class Two-A game, Many (Man-ee) never could get its running game going as the Tigers lost to Amite 17-6.

In the NBA, the Pelicans beat the Detroit Pistons 109-93 last night.
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Three more state championships in football will be decided today. Starting at noon at the Superdome, Logansport faces Homer in the Class 1a title game.

The Class 3A championship game at 3:30 is a matchup of district rivals as top-seeded Sterlington takes on Union Parish. The Panthers beat the Farmers earlier this season and Sterlington Coach Lee Doty knew he had a good team on his hands, but didn’t know they would go through the season undefeated…
Cut 17 (16) “ ever coached”

The final game of the day is the 5A championship as Zachary faces Ponchatoula in a battle of unbeaten teams. Kick-off for that one will be around 7 PM. You can watch the games on the N-F-H-S- Network-dot-com.

College basketball…25th ranked LSU takes on Georgia Tech in Atlanta and Louisiana Tech hosts the Ragin Cajuns in a game that can be seen on E-S-P-N-U.