AM Newscall, **Hokie Gajan Update — Dies at 56**, April 12th, 2016

A bill to address equal pay in Louisiana will be heard on the Senate floor today. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The proposed “Pastor Protection Act” will be heard by the House Civil Law Committee today. This bill would allow clergy members and religious organizations to decline to participate in a same sex marriage. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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 The Southern University community is mourning after the death of two students. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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A bill will be heard on the Senate floor today to address equal pay. Governor John Bel Edwards supports the legislation and says Louisiana comes in dead last in the country when it comes to the wage gap between men and women. He says women in the state earn only 65 cents for every dollar a man makes.

cut 4  (10)  “top of”

A study by the National Partnership finds there close to a 17-thousand dollar pay gap per year between men and women. Edwards says the bill up for discuss today, is a carefully crafted piece of legislation that promotes equal pay of men and women for similar work, without being too onerous.

Cut 5  (10)  “rectify it”

 The study finds the state’s wage gag is costing women close to 11 billion dollars a year. Edwards says many businesses may not realize there is a pay differential. He says things must change in order to help the women of Louisiana.

Cut 6 (08)  “business either” 

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The defense attorney in the Will Smith case believes once all of the evidence comes out his client will be innocent. Cardell Hayes has been charged with second degree murder in the fatal shooting of the former-Saint, who was killed after a three-car fender bender turned violent in New Orleans. Attorney John Fuller hopes more details of the incident will come out in a preliminary hearing.

CUT 7 (11)  “knowledge of”

Smith’s wife Racquel Smith was also shot, but suffered no fatal injuries. Hayes will reportedly be charged in that shooting as well. Fuller stands by his claims that there was another gun at the scene and Hayes was not the aggressor.

Cut 8  (09)  “on that night”

Fuller has filed a motion to preserve all ballistic evidence. He says that when all the evidence from New Orleans Police is revealed, it will change everyone’s impression of the incident. He also says this was first encounter with Smith.

Cut 9 (08)  “New Orleans Saint”

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The House Civil Law Committee will hear testimony today on the “Pastor Protection Act,” which would allow a clergy member or religious organization to deny participation in a same sex marriage. Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson, says the bill should not create a lot of controversy…

Cut 10 (06) “essential”

Johnson says this proposal is not as broad as similar bills that have gotten backlash in other states, like bills in Mississippi and North Carolina. He says this just protects a person’s religious beliefs, and he feels confident that once people read the legislation and understand it, any opposition will be withdrawn.

cut 11 (07) “against”

But Matthew Patterson with Equality Louisiana says if this law really only pertained to ministers and religious organizations, it would not be necessary because they are already protected under the First Amendment.

cut 12 (08) “to do”

Patterson says what the bill actually does is give organizations with any sort of religious affiliation to deny service to people in same sex relationships. He says this could include places like hospitals, homeless shelters and food banks that are typically associated with a religious group.

Cut 13 (07)  “to people”

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Southern University will hold a candlelight vigil tonight for the two students that were shot and killed outside of a party near the LSU campus. Interim Athletic Director Roman Banks says 19-year-old Annette January of Indiana was a member of the track and field team and 19-year-old Lashuntae Benton of Lake Charles was a student athletic trainer. He says everyone is having a hard time coping with the deaths of these bright young women.

Cut 14 (09)  “our support” 

One person has been arrested in connection with the case but no one has been charged with murder of the two girls. Banks says both girls were not doing anything wrong or somewhere they weren’t supposed to be. He says they were good kids.

Cut 15 (10) “law enforcement”

Banks says they’re continuing to ask for prayers for the Benton and January families. He says Benton always went above and beyond her duties as she was a volunteer student athletic trainer.

Cut 16  (09)  “eventually”

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Former Saints & LSU star, Hokie Gajan, has succumbed to his illnesses. He was 56 years old. The Saints color analyst’s daughter, Kristin Gajan Sell, told WWL the hospital staff felt Hokie would be best served with round the clock care and medical attention as he was moved to ICU earlier.

Cut 17 (09) “about him”

The 56-year-old was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in December of 2015, and he had to miss the final games of last season as he underwent chemo. Sell says her father did not get depressed and he remained in good spirits till the end.

Cut 18 (11) “to be Hokie”

Friends and supporters organized a benefit last week, although Gajan was unable to attend as he was in the hospital. Sell says the outpouring of affection from everyone has been a true blessing.

Cut 19 (10) “for him”

 

LRN AM Newscall April 12, 2016

A bill to address equal pay in Louisiana will be heard on the Senate floor today. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (27) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

The proposed “Pastor Protection Act” will be heard by the House Civil Law Committee today. This bill would allow clergy members and religious organizations to decline to participate in a same sex marriage. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________

 The Southern University community is mourning after the death of two students. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________________

A bill will be heard on the Senate floor today to address equal pay. Governor John Bel Edwards supports the legislation and says Louisiana comes in dead last in the country when it comes to the wage gap between men and women. He says women in the state earn only 65 cents for every dollar a man makes.

cut 4  (10)  “top of”

A study by the National Partnership finds there close to a 17-thousand dollar pay gap per year between men and women. Edwards says the bill up for discuss today, is a carefully crafted piece of legislation that promotes equal pay of men and women for similar work, without being too onerous.

Cut 5  (10)  “rectify it”

 The study finds the state’s wage gag is costing women close to 11 billion dollars a year. Edwards says many businesses may not realize there is a pay differential. He says things must change in order to help the women of Louisiana.

Cut 6 (08)  “business either” 

___________________________________________________

The defense attorney in the Will Smith case believes once all of the evidence comes out his client will be innocent. Cardell Hayes has been charged with second degree murder in the fatal shooting of the former-Saint, who was killed after a three-car fender bender turned violent in New Orleans. Attorney John Fuller hopes more details of the incident will come out in a preliminary hearing.

CUT 7 (11)  “knowledge of”

Smith’s wife Racquel Smith was also shot, but suffered no fatal injuries. Hayes will reportedly be charged in that shooting as well. Fuller stands by his claims that there was another gun at the scene and Hayes was not the aggressor.

Cut 8  (09)  “on that night”

Fuller has filed a motion to preserve all ballistic evidence. He says that when all the evidence from New Orleans Police is revealed, it will change everyone’s impression of the incident. He also says this was first encounter with Smith.

Cut 9 (08)  “New Orleans Saint”

___________________________________________________

The House Civil Law Committee will hear testimony today on the “Pastor Protection Act,” which would allow a clergy member or religious organization to deny participation in a same sex marriage. Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson, says the bill should not create a lot of controversy…

Cut 10 (06) “essential”

Johnson says this proposal is not as broad as similar bills that have gotten backlash in other states, like bills in Mississippi and North Carolina. He says this just protects a person’s religious beliefs, and he feels confident that once people read the legislation and understand it, any opposition will be withdrawn.

cut 11 (07) “against”

But Matthew Patterson with Equality Louisiana says if this law really only pertained to ministers and religious organizations, it would not be necessary because they are already protected under the First Amendment.

cut 12 (08) “to do”

Patterson says what the bill actually does is give organizations with any sort of religious affiliation to deny service to people in same sex relationships. He says this could include places like hospitals, homeless shelters and food banks that are typically associated with a religious group.

Cut 13 (07)  “to people”

___________________________________________________________

Southern University will hold a candlelight vigil tonight for the two students that were shot and killed outside of a party near the LSU campus. Interim Athletic Director Roman Banks says 19-year-old Annette January of Indiana was a member of the track and field team and 19-year-old Lashuntae Benton of Lake Charles was a student athletic trainer. He says everyone is having a hard time coping with the deaths of these bright young women.

Cut 14 (09)  “our support” 

One person has been arrested in connection with the case but no one has been charged with murder of the two girls. Banks says both girls were not doing anything wrong or somewhere they weren’t supposed to be. He says they were good kids.

Cut 15 (10) “law enforcement”

Banks says they’re continuing to ask for prayers for the Benton and January families. He says Benton always went above and beyond her duties as she was a volunteer student athletic trainer.

Cut 16  (09)  “eventually”

__________________________________________________________

The family of former Saints & LSU star, Hokie Gajan, says doctors have moved him into intensive care after his battle with cancer intensifies. The Saints color analyst’s daughter, Kristin Gajan Sell, told WWL the hospital staff felt Hokie would be best served with round the clock care and medical attention.

Cut 17 (09) “about him”

The 56-year-old was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in December of 2015, and he had to miss the final games of last season as he underwent chemo. Sell says her father is not getting depressed and he continues to remain in good spirits.

Cut 18 (11) “to be Hokie”

Friends and supporters organized a benefit last week, although Gajan was unable to attend as he was in the hospital. Sell says the outpouring of affection from everyone has been a true blessing.

Cut 19 (10) “for him”

18:30 LRN Newscast

A legal expert says a claim of self-defense will be hard to prove in the murder of former Saints standout Will Smith. Cardell Hayes is facing a charge of second-degree murder, but he claims he was not the aggressor. Legal Analyst Chick Foret says the investigation is still ongoing, but at this point forensic evidence seems to tell a different story than what Hayes is suggesting.

cut 14 (08)  “the defendant”

Hayes is being held on a one million dollar bond.

Southern University is mourning over the death of two of its students who were killed when gunfire rung out an apartment complex early Sunday morning. Baton Rouge Sergeant Don Coppola…

cut 5 (04) “….hospital”
One person has been arrested and police hope to make another arrest in the near future.

Two children were killed in Livingston Parish after being hit being struck by an apparent drunk driver. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

A 22-year-old has been booked by Covington Police for his role in the death of a teen who smoked synthetic marijuana. Jabari Pea allegedly sold the drug to two teenagers, and one of them, 17-year-old Alexander Shelby, later died from using the drug. Pes has been charged with second degree murder and is being held in St. Tammany Parish Jail on a $200,000 bond.

16:30 LRN Newscast April 11, 2016

The man who is accused of shooting and killing former-Saints defensive end Will Smith is claiming he was not the aggressor. Michelle Southern has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

Autopsies of the two 19-year-old Southern University students who were fatally shot reveal that one of the women was shot in the head and the arm, and the other was hit in the torso. A ballistics test that could prove which of the two shooters involved fired the deadly shots will not be released until later this week or possibly next week.

A fatal accident in Livingston parish left two Baton Rouge children dead. Trooper Bryan Lee says the vehicle that struck five people on the side of the road was driven by 26-year-old Jerry Ervin, who is believed to have been impaired. He says they also believe 50-year-old Travis Rose was drunk and left a garbage compactor in the road after it fell out of his truck, which started the series of tragic events.

CUT 7 (09) “no insurance”

Lee says the two children were pronounced dead at the scene.

Pinwheels lined the front of the state capitol today as a display of child abuse prevention awareness, and Governor John Bel Edwards declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. State Police Major Doug Cain says the public can get involved in raising awareness about this issue.

cut 10 (07)  “it represents”

13:30 Newscast, April 11th, 2016

A legal expert says a claim of self-defense will be hard to prove in the murder of former Saints standout Will Smith. Cardell Hayes is facing a charge of second degree murder, but his attorney says Hayes was not the aggressor in what cops are calling a road rage incident. Legal analyst Chick Forest….:
CUT 12 (09) “this together”
Hayes is being held on a million dollars bond.

Baton Rouge Police say another arrest will almost certainly be made in the shooting incident which took the lives of two 19-year-old Southern University women. Sgt. Don Coppola says they’ve already arrested 22-year-old Ernest Felton for the attempted murder of an injured male victim. He says investigators believe the women were not the intended targets of the shooting…:
CUT 4 (08) “gunfire exchange”
The victims are 19-year-old Lashunte Benton of Lake Charles and 19-year-old Annette January of Indiana.

State Police say two children are dead after a fatal wreck on a highway in Livingston Parish last night. Trooper Bryan Lee says impairment is suspected on the part of two of the four vehicles involved. Lee says the two children killed were ages four and six and they were standing on the road as adults were attempting to remove a garbage compactor from the road..:
CUT 6 (09) “those vehicles”
He says the driver of that vehicle is suspected of being impaired as is the driver of the vehicle who lost the garbage compacter, 50-year-old Travis Rose of Denham Springs. So far Rose is the only charged in the vehicular homicides.

Northern and Central Louisiana could get hit with more heavy rain, as the National Weather Service issues a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. Forecaster CS Ross advises people to keep an eye to the sky today and tomorrow…:
cut 15 (07) “or two”

 

 

12:30 Newscast, April 11th, 2016

New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison says he visited with the wife of former Saints player Will Smith Sunday. Smith was shot to death in an apparent road rage incident and Cardell Hayes is booked in the murder. Harrison says Smith’s wife, Racquel, was also shot and injured…:
CUT 1 (08) “tough time”
Hayes is being held on a million dollars bond.

A 4-year-old and a 6-year-old were killed in a four vehicle fatality crash in Livingston Parish Sunday evening, and State Police say impairment is a suspected factor. They say a man dropped a trash compactor in a roadway, left it there and returned home. 34-year-old Michelle Ramsey and another vehicle stopped to try to remove the object, when a drunk driver drove through hazard triangles and crashed into five people. The 2 young Ramsey children died on the scene. 4 others were seriously injured, including the impaired driver. The man who dropped the trash compactor was located at his home impaired and was arrested on many charges including vehicular homicide.

Today Governor John Bel Edwards declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Louisiana. State Police Major Doug Cain says kids are our most important resource, and everyone needs to do what they can to them…:
CUT 9 (12) “look into it”
According to Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana, there were over 12-thousand victims of child abuse and neglect in 2014, the latest year statistics are available.

An 85-year-old man was killed as he tried to cross the interstate in Westlake, according to cops. They say Walter J. Kibodeaux of Sulphur was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

11:30 Newscast, April 11th, 2016

The New Orleans Police Department says there are no new updates in the case of the shooting death of former Saints player Will Smith. The suspect in the case, Cardell Hayes, faces second degree murder charges after police say he rear ended Smith’s vehicle and then shot and killed him after an argument. Hayes is being held on a million dollars bond. His attorney claims his client did not start the fight and looks forward to the details of the case coming out.

Baton Rouge Police are looking to arrest another gunman in the shooting that killed two Southern University students and injured another man. 22-year-old Ernest Felton has already been arrested and charged with attempted second Degree murder in the case. Sgt. Don Coppola says investigators are working to determine who fired the gun killing the two women…:
CUT 3 (08) “young ladies”
He believes the 19-year-old women were caught in a crossfire.

Even though lawmakers weren’t able to raise enough to fill the budget hole for next fiscal year which still needs $750 million dollars, it looks like we may end the financial year that ends June 30th with a surplus. State Treasurer John Kennedy says it could happen if tax increases that came out of the special session generate more than what the legislative fiscal analysts predicted…:
Cut 15 (09) “as well”
He says tn December, the state revenues were down 15-percent, but now revenues are only down 6-percent.

The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office arrests a man accused of shooting a killing another man. They say 54-year-old Lorenzo Zeigler of Calhoun allegedly shot the victim, 26-year-old Mario Wiley following an argument. Zeigler is charged with second degree murder.

Longtime WWL radio analyst Hokie Gajan, who has been battling cancer, has been moved into intensive care according to the station.

 

09:30 Newscast, April 11th, 2016

A lawyer for the man accused of killing former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith says the public will have a much different opinion about what happened once all the facts come to light. 28-year-old Cardell Hayes is charged in the murder which cops say appeared to be sparked by road rage. He is being held on a million dollars bond.

Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s not sure when a call will be made for a second special session to address next fiscal year’s $750 million dollar deficit. He says not enough revenue was raised during the last special session to close the budget gap and lawmakers must find a way to keep critical programs open…:
CUT 9 (06) “to begin with”
So far two credit rating agencies have downgraded Louisiana’s credit rating.

Lafayette Police arrest a man in connection with an accidental shooting that claimed the life of a Baton Rouge man. They say 21-year-old Kenneth Mills is charged with negligent homicide in the death of Colin Norwood who is also 21.

A man is under arrest in connection with a shooting that left two Southern University students dead and another man injured near LSU Sunday. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, say 22-year-old Ernest Felton allegedly exchanged gunfire with the male victim when 19-year-old Annette January and Lashuntae Benton were caught in the crossfire and killed. Felton is charged with attempted second degree murder and investigators are still working to determine who is responsible for the shooting deaths of the women.

In surprising news, State Treasurer John Kennedy says we may end this fiscal year with a surplus. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

08:30 Newscast, April 11th, 2016

A memorial at the site where former New Orleans Saint Will Smith was shot and killed is getting bigger with flowers and sports memorabilia. New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison says 28-year-old Cardell Hayes is charged with murder in the incident that could have been sparked by road rage:
CUT 12 (10) “as such”
Bond for Hayes is set at $1 million dollars and according to a warrant read in court, Smith was shot in the back and side.

Governor John Bel Edwards says a second special session is needed to address next fiscal year’s $750 million dollar shortfall. He says lawmakers need to stabilize the budget, and they need to do it sooner rather than later…:
Cut 8 (05) “Louisiana is”
They plan to present a proposed budget to lawmakers tomorrow for next fiscal year.

After all the concerns about the budget crisis, State Treasurer John Kennedy says Louisiana may actually end this fiscal year with a surplus. In December, the state revenues were down 15-percent, but now revenues are only down 6-percent, according to Kennedy…:
Cut 13 (10) “this year”
He attributes this move to an increase in tax collections.

A woman from northwest Louisiana becomes the first in the nation to enlist in an infantry combat position in the US Army. 25-year-old Grace Barnett says patriotism runs in her blood and is excited about the challenge that lies ahead:
Cut 5 (10) “at me”
She says she hopes to be an example for other women.

 

07:30 Newscast, April 11th, 2016

Bond has been set for $1 million dollars for Cardelle Hayes, the man accused of killing former Saints player Will Smith over the weekend in an apparent road rage incident. According to a warrant read in court last night, Smith was shot in the back and side. New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison says it’s too early to tell in the investigation if Hayes and Smith knew each other…:
cut 11 (08) “right now”
Saints offensive tackle Zach Strief told WWL Radio an argument should never turn into a gunfight and this incident gives New Orleans black eye…:
CUT 1 (06) “like this”

Also according to WWL Radio, former Saints and LSU running back Hokie Gajan is in intensive care as his battle with cancer intensifies. The color analyst for the Black and Gold has been facing a dire diagnoses since late last year.

Louisiana is still facing a 750-million budget deficit and Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to call another session. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A Natchitoches Parish woman is the first female to enlist in an infantry combat position in the U.S. Army. 25-year-old Grace Barnett of Robeline, who was in law enforcement, says it’s a great honor to serve her country on the front lines…”
cut 4 (10) “larger scale”