Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

08.20.21
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11:40 LRN sportscast

The Saints second preseason game is Monday night and quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill have yet to separate themselves as they battle for the starting job. Winston says the competition has not produced any animosity between the two…
cut 29 (23) “…individually”

LSU cornerback Derek Stingley junior has missed most of training camp with an unspecified injury and because of that Coach Ed Orgeron says any plans to play Stingley on offense has been shelved. Stingley is expected to be ready for the season opener.

The Saints say ticket holders who do not want to attend games this season can get a refund. But the Bond Commission voted to delay 28-million dollars in financing for Superdome improvements. Attorney General Jeff Landry says the franchise should give fans the opportunity to opt-out, just like last year…
cut 30 (10) “…entire time”
Landry disagrees with the vaccine requirement to attend Saints games.

An all-star team out of Lafayette competes in the Little League World Series today. Coach Steven Menard’s squad has won its last four games by a combined score of 29-3…
cut 15 (10) “…coming back”
The Louisiana Little Leaguers will play South Dakota at 4 PM.

08.20.21
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9:30 LRN Newscast August 20

Governor Edwards provides another COVID-19 briefing at 1:30 today. There are over three thousand hospital beds in Louisiana occupied by COVID patients. 39-year-old Jessica Cooper is one of them…
cut 6 (10) “…the vaccine”

A Council for a Better Louisiana study shows just one year of early childhood education can substantially boost long-term academic success. CABL President Barry Erwin says they compared the effects of just one year of pre-K compared to no pre-k and saw a big difference.
Cut 7 (07) “….high school.”
The study shows pre-k students consistently outperformed other children on standardized tests, scored higher on the ACT and 88-percent graduated high school, well above the state average.

The Saints say ticket holders who do not want to attend games this season can get a refund. But the Bond Commission voted to delay 28-million dollars in financing for Superdome improvements. Attorney General Jeff Landry says the franchise should give fans the opportunity to opt-out, just like last year…
cut 30 (10) “…entire time”
Landry disagrees with the vaccine requirement to attend Saints games.

The Lafayette Little League All-Stars are in the Little League World Series. Matt Doyle has the story ahead of their first game…
Cut 3 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

08.20.21
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8:30 LRN Newscast August 20

39-year-old Jessica Cooper of Lake Charles is among the three thousand people hospitalized in Louisiana with COVID. The single mom has an eleven-year-old daughter named Justus, who she has not seen in two weeks. Since her child is not eligible to be vaccinated, Cooper made the hard choice for Justus to learn virtually this year…
cut 5 (14) “….breathe”

Governor John Bel Edwards visited the U-L Lafayette campus yesterday to get an update on the state’s Shot for 100-dollar COVID-19 vaccine initiative. The first 75-thousand college students who get vaccinated on a college campus receive a 100-dollar VISA card. Edwards says it’s very important to get this age group vaccinated…
cut 23 (11) “…too”

A long-term study of the impacts of just one year of early childhood education shows getting four-year-olds in pre-K programs can have a huge impact on their academic success. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

An all-star team out of Lafayette competes in the Little League World Series today. Coach Steven Menard’s squad has won its last four games by a combined score of 29-3…
cut 15 (10) “…coming back”
The Louisiana Little Leaguers will play South Dakota at 4 PM.

08.20.21
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7:30 LRN Newscast August 20

A 39-year old single mom who works in disaster recovery is now dependent on healthcare workers as she fights to breathe with COVID at Baton Rouge General. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (37) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

For the first time in 16 days, the state health department has reported a drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations. It’s a small decline, nine fewer patients, but there’s been an increase in patients who are on ventilators. It’s up to 476, the highest that number has been since April 2020.

A new study released by the Council for a Better Louisiana shows how one year of early childhood education can produce better education outcomes compared to students who did not receive Pre-k education…
cut 9 (11) “…high school”
CABL President Barry Erwin says the data shows students who had one year of pre-K education outperformed other children on standardized tests, achieved higher ACT scores and a higher percentage graduated high school on time.

CLECO is explaining to its customers why they are seeing higher utility bills. President Shane Hilton says a rate increase went into effect July first…
cut 10 (11) “…equation”
Hilton says CLECO is also having to pay for costs to repair their infrastructure after last year’s hurricanes and this year’s ice storms.

08.20.21
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6:45 LRN Sportscast August 20

The Saints have decided to give ticket holders an opportunity to get a refund if they do not want to attend games inside the Superdome this season. Initially, the NFL franchise was not planning to give a refund, but the team announced yesterday that fans have until Tuesday at 4 PM to request one. The Saints say so far they’ve received less than 120 requests for refunds, while thousands have called looking to purchase tickets.

With Drew Brees gone, linebacker DeMario Davis is now in charge of getting the team fired up when the players gather for a pre-game huddle on the field. Davis on how he approaches such a responsibility…
cut 18 (18) “…going”
The Saints’ lone home preseason game is Monday night against Jacksonville.

Legal sports betting at 20 established casinos in Louisiana may take place as early as mid-September after the Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved a set of emergency rules yesterday. A month ago, Ronnie Johns was named chairman of the board and says the number one question he’s been asked is when legal sports betting is coming to Louisiana.
Cut 27 (06) “…it’s manner”
The ruling takes effect Monday, but it will likely take a few weeks for applications to be vetted.

The Lafayette Little League All-Star team will take the field this afternoon in Williamsport, Pennsylvania as they’ll play South Dakota in the Little League World Series. Their head coach, Steven Menard, says the core of this team has been together for years and they’ve grown accustomed to the bright lights and high-level competition.
Cut 14 (11) “…ESPN.”
First pitch is at 4 PM.

08.20.21
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6:30 LRN Newscast August 20

Instead of helping others with disaster aid from the 2016 floods, 39-year-old Jessica Cooper finds herself in an ICU bed at Baton Rouge General suffering from COVID. Cooper is a single mom from Lake Charles. She wasn’t vaccinated because it would require her to be off medication for several weeks in order for the vaccine to be effective.
Cut 4 (12) “…attacks quick.”
For the first time in 16 days, the state health department yesterday reported a small decline in the number of COVID patients in the hospital statewide. It’s still above three thousand. The number of patients needing a ventilator to breathe increased by 28 to 476. The state reported 58 more deaths and the death toll has reached 11,851.

In 2001, the Louisiana Legislature created the LA 4 Early Childhood program and now in 2021, data shows attending at least one year of pre-k can help a student even into their high school years….
cut 8 (12) “….kids”
That’s Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin who says all students, regardless of race or gender, showed long-term benefits by participating in LA 4.

CLECO is explaining why their utility bills are higher than usual this summer. CLECO President Shane Hilton says a rate increase went into effect July 1st and the utility provider is paying for the costs associated the damage done by ice storms and last year’s hurricanes and there’s no federal mechanism to recover those costs…
cut 11 (08) “…our customers”

08.19.21
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4:45 LRN Sportscast August 19

LSU has been dealing with numerous injuries as they’ve passed the halfway point of preseason camp. Starting right guard Chasen Hines has been out with an injury and coach Ed Orgeron says his replacement Anthony Bradford is also banged up…
cut 30 (23) “…couple of weeks”
Orgeron also says all-American cornerback Derek Stingley will be ready for the season opener, but will likely be held out of practice again next week.

The Pelicans have announced they’ve signed Josh Hart to a three-year contract., worth 38 million dollars. The 26-year-old has averaged 10 points and seven rebounds a game since he was acquired in the Anthony Davis trade.

The Saints announced today that ticket holders who do not want to attend games this year can ask for a refund. But that didn’t stop the Bond Commission from voting to delay financing on Superdome improvements. Attorney General Jeff Landry says the franchise should give fans the opportnity to opt out, just like last year…
cut 10 (10) “…entire time”
Landry disagrees with the vaccine or negative COVID test requirement in order to go to Saints games this year.

There’s a chance you could place a sports bet at a riverboat, land-based or racetrack casino near you starting next month as the Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved emergency rules so that casinos can begin applying for a license next week. Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns…
cut 8 (11) “…very quickly”
An industry source says regulators could hand out licenses to casinos as early as mid-September.

08.19.21
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LRN PM Newscall August 19

The state’s largest healthcare system notes a slight decrease in COVID hospitalizations, but the situation remains dire. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

____________________________________

A 28 million dollar line of credit for Superdome renovations was paused by the State Bond Commission in retaliation of the Saints’ vaccine ticket policy. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (40)…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

______________________________________

There’s some positive news from Ochsner Health, during their Wednesday conference call they indicated a small decline in COVID hospitalizations. CEO Warner Thomas says this week they have 1028 COVID patients across their hospital systems.

Cut 3 (12) “…in New Orleans.” 

Thomas says 89-percent of their current hospital patients are unvaccinated.

Even with a slight decline in hospital patients, Thomas says nonemergency surgeries are still having to be postponed but they aren’t all elective, they are procedures impacting those with cancer and heart disease, and those needing organ transplants.

Cut 4 (09) “…our system” 

Thomas says they have had to redeploy approximately 800 staff throughout the system to handle the influx of COVID patients which is another reason for canceling procedures.

As the fourth surge continues, Thomas says they have seen the number of children with COVID at Ochsner more than double in the last month which is alarming.

Cut 5 (12) “…seen there”

__________________________

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board approves emergency rules that would allow casinos to offer sports betting to their patrons possibly as early as mid-September. Chairman Ronnie Johns says the goal all long was to make sure legal sports wagering in Louisiana was up and running prior to the start of the football season…

Cut 6 (10) “…this quickly” 

The emergency rules approved by the board will give riverboat and land-based casinos and racetracks the ability to take sports bets starting on Monday. A month ago, Johns was named chairman of the Gaming Control Board and the number one question he’s been asked is when is legal sports betting coming to Louisiana???

Cut 7 (06) “…it’s coming”  

Last year, voters in 55 parishes said yes to legalized sports betting in their parish. Sports betting began in Mississippi in August of 2019 and Louisiana casino operators have complained about missing out on revenue. But Johns says sports betting is now a reality in Louisiana…

Cut 8 (11) “…very quickly”

The emergency rule goes into effect Monday, which allows casinos to apply for a sports betting license, It will take a few weeks for regulators to approve the application.

_______________________

The State Bond Commission voted to pause funding on a 28 million dollar line of credit for renovations to the Superdome due to the Saints’ vaccination policy.

This morning the Saints backtracked on not allowing refunds for unvaccinated season ticket holders, but if fans cancel they lose their season ticket position. Attorney General Jeff Landry says he won’t support releasing these funds until that policy is changed.

Cut 9 (08) “…were in.”

Landry says he spoke with a man who has owned season tickets since 1969 and just wants the option to opt-out for this year, the same policy that was in place last year.

Cut 10 (10) “… the entire time.”

The vote was 10-2 in favor of pausing the funding. The two votes against came from Edwards Administration members. One of those was Edwards’ Executive Counsel Matthew Block…

Cut  11 (09) “…at all.”  

The commission also voted in favor of withholding financing for New Orleans hospitals, schools, roads, and other construction projects tapped for funding by the Legislature.

The Commission refused to comment as to why but it was obvious enough that it was retaliation for the citywide vaccine-proof policy. Block noted it’s not just the city that isn’t getting paid….

Cut 12 (11) “…moment” 

_____________________________

Governor Edwards visited the U-L Lafayette campus this afternoon to get an update on the state’s Shot for 100-dollar COVID-19 vaccine initiative. The first 75-thousand students who are vaccinated on a college campus receive a 100-dollar VISA card. Edwards says it’s very important to get this age group vaccinated

Cut 13 (11) “…too”

Edwards visited the U-L Lafayette campus on a day in which the health department reported a slight decline in coronavirus patients hospitalized statewide. But the governor says the Acadiana region is seeing a high positivity rate and an increase in hospitalizations…

Cut 14 (08) “..Lafayette General.”

Today is in move-in day for U-L Lafayette students. The school’s vice president for research, innovation, and economic development, Ramesh Kolluro, says this program will help vaccinate thousands of students…

Cut 15 (09) “…pick up.” 

08.19.21
by

2:30 LRN Newscast August 19

A 28 million dollar line of credit for Superdome renovations was paused by the State Bond Commission in retaliation of the Saints’ vaccine ticket policy. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (40)…I’m Matt Doyle.”

For the first time in 16 days, the state health department reported a small decline in the number of COVID patients in the hospital statewide. It’s still above three thousand. The number of patients needing a ventilator to breathe increased by 28 to 476.

Governor John Bel Edwards visited the U-L Lafayette campus this afternoon to get an update on the state’s Shot for 100-dollar COVID-19 vaccine initiative. The first 75-thousand college students who get vaccinated on a college campus receive a 100-dollar VISA card. Edwards says it’s very important to get this age group vaccinated…
cut 13 (11) “…too”

There’s a chance you could place a sports bet at a riverboat, land-based or racetrack casino near you starting next month as the Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved emergency rules so that casinos can begin applying for a license next week. Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns…
cut 8 (11) “…very quickly”
An industry source says regulators could hand out licenses to casinos as early as mid-September.

08.19.21
by

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Saints announced today they will offer refunds to ticket holders who do want to attend games this year. The NFL franchise says anyone seeking a refund should reach out to their ticket representative by Tuesday at 4 PM. The Saints say they have received less than 120 requests for ticket refunds and they’ve received thousands of calls from fans interested in buying tickets. In order to attend Saints games this year, fans need to have at least one COVID vaccine shot or get a negative test 72 hours prior to kick-off.

There’s less than a month to go before LSU football’s home opener. Governor Edwards’s mask mandate is only for indoor places, but he recommends wearing a mask at Tiger Stadium…
cut 12 (10) “….be done”
Masks will be required to be worn in the Rose Bowl when LSU faces UCLA for the season opener.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron expects injured quarterback Myles Brennan to return this season, but there’s not an exact timeline…
cut 30 (26) :”…definite now”
Orgeron also says running back Tyrion Davis Price retweaked his injury and it’s something they’ll have to monitor the whole year. And he says All-American cornerback Derek Stingley Junior will miss next week but should be 100-percent by the time game week arrives.

And the Gaming Control Board has approved an emergency rule that would allow legalized sports wagering in Louisiana starting on August 23rd. This will allow the state riverboat and land-based casinos, and racetracks to take bets on sports contests.