1030AM LRN News

Congressman Abraham’s rather slim 21,000 dollar reelection war chest has sparked speculation that he may not be running for a fourth term in office. It’s not often that a seat opens up, and ULM Poli Sci Professor Joshua Stockley says because there’s no threat to the seat from Democrats, a potential Abraham retirement could draw massive GOP interest…

Cut 12 (11) “…field”

Qualifying for the race is in July.

Louisiana officials are in D.C. hoping to convince the feds to approve 150 million dollars in matching funds for a raised roadway running in LaFourche Parish from Golden Meadow to the Leeville Bridge. The Legislature already approved 150 million in state funds for the project, and DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says it’s strong leverage…

Cut 9 (10) “…dollars”

A new study from Yale University shows the ketogenic diet may not be beneficial if followed for more than a week.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (32)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

A former Houma Police Officer, 46-year-old Jeffery Lirette, was arrested this morning for theft and other related charges linked to over 6,500 dollars that was found missing from an expense account within the Houma Police Department. Some of the charges include 45 counts of Injuring Public Records, and seventeen counts of Forgery. Lirette was been booked into the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex.

AM Newscall 02/04/2020

Louisiana officials are seeking 150 million dollars in federal funding to help construct an elevated roadway heading to Port Fourchon. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

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Congressman Ralph Abraham’s remarkably small reelection war chest has rumors flying that he will not seek a fourth term in office. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

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A new study from Yale University shows the ketogenic diet may not be beneficial if followed for more than a week.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (32)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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Northern parishes are preparing for the possibility of severe weather with a cold front that is moving into the state tonight and into tomorrow morning.  National Weather Service Shreveport meteorologist CS Ross says along the front, a band of showers and thunderstorms have developed.

Cut 4 (10) “…front, near freezing.”

Ross adds that a light wintry mix has not been ruled out for late Wednesday night, into early Thursday morning.

A significant storm system moved through the state in early January that resulted in a deadly tornado outbreak, but Ross says while the possibility of tornado outbreaks exists, this isn’t the same scenario and is only considered a marginal risk.

Cut 5 (06) “…of severe weather.”

Although the risk is still present in other parts of the state, Ross says it decreases the further south the front travels.

Cut 6 (05) “…tornado or two.”

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Louisiana is pushing the feds to give 150 million dollars in matching funds to the state to help construct an elevated roadway on LA Highway 1 from Golden Meadow to the Leeville Bridge in Lafourche Parish.

Louisiana Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says the plan is to construct a several mile-long bridge structure over the marshlands to guarantee safe passage to Port Fourchon.

Cut 7 (10) “…marshland.”

Louisiana has already pumped over 300 million dollars into projects along that vital stretch of highway.

It doesn’t take much to make the current drive through that several mile stretch precarious, and Wilson says that’s not acceptable given Port Fourchon’s economic importance to the oil industry, and…

Cut 8 (11) “…disasters.”

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise is currently lobbying US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for the funds.

HB 578 last year OK’d 150 million dollars in state funding for the project that Wilson says was planned as leverage for getting the federal matching funds. He’s optimistic about their chances.

Cut 9 (10) “…dollars”

There’s about 400 million dollars of work left to do, so if the federal matching funds are approved the state would still need to find some additional gap funding to finish the job.

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Congressman Ralph Abraham, fresh off a primary loss in last year’s gubernatorial race, only has 21,000 dollars in his reelection war chest, sparking speculation he’s considering not running again this year.

ULM Poli Sci Professor Joshua Stockley says 21,000 dollars is a remarkably low number for someone to run a reelection campaign with…

Cut 10 (10) “…campaign”

Abraham ran in 1st place during last year’s gubernatorial primary within his congressional district.

One item that may be holding Abraham back from running for a fourth term is a campaign promise he made not to serve more than three terms. However…

Cut 11 (11) “…pledge”

Stockley notes that would be two pledges broken if so, the other being a promise to donate his congressional salary to charity.

If Abraham were to sit it out there’s no real fear by the GOP the seat could go blue, but Stockley says it would attract massive interest from Republicans…

Cut 12 (11) “…field”

Abraham has two challengers so far, Republican Ouachita Parish Police Juror Scotty Robinson, and Democrat Sandy “Candy” Christophe. Neither has over 20,000 dollars on hand.

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The keto diet may be all the rage in trying to drop pounds before the summer, but new research from Yale University show that you might not want to be on the diet for too long.  LSU Health New Orleans Professor of Public Health Melinda Sothern says after rodents were on the diet for a week, researchers discovered an increase in delta gamma t-cells.

Cut 13 (10) “…to be eliminated.”

After a week, Sothern says the rodents would eventually begin to eat more fat than they could metabolize and then store fat after a week.

Cut 14 (10) “…a higher diabetes risk.”

Sothern says perhaps the keto diet has health benefits if dosed properly, adding more research needs to be done on humans to see if the same response occurs with delta t-cells versus those in animals.

Cut 15 (12) “…a longer response.”

530PM LRN News

Iberville Sheriff Brett Stassi says his deputies have arrested 54-year-old Galen Marcantel for a horrific elder abuse in a case where it’s suspected Marcantel was taking advantage of an older, infirm woman. Marcantel had allegedly been living with the woman for many months and had barred the victim’s family from checking up on her…

Cut 8 (08) “…individual.”

The Governor’s Office for Elderly Affairs reported 1,739 caregiver neglect cases across the state last year.

Former St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister passed away. The public servant also had stints as the State GOP Chairwoman, and President Bush’s 2004 Louisiana Reelection Campaign Chair. St. Tammany Superintendent Trey Folse knew her well, and says his daughter looked up to Brister…

Cut 9 (11) “…family.”

A Texas woman is arrested in Bossier Parish, accused of stealing an ambulance from Dallas.  The chase began when Louisiana State Police intitiated a traffic stop near the Texas border. Trooper Brent Hardy says  the one tool 19-year-old Kendall Tyson probably could have used to cut through the traffic was not used during the pursuit.

Cut 5 (06) “…the lights on.”

Tyson is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated flight, resisting by false information, misrepresentation during booking, DWI, and driving without a license.

New Orleans native and former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu is a Super Bowl champion today as he helped Kansas City beat San Francisco 31-20 in last night’s Super Bowl in Miami. Mathieu is anxious to defend their title, having taken home the trophy in KC for the first time in five decades.

Cut 14 (09) “…(laugh).

4:30 PM Newscast

Pat Brister, one of St. Tammany Parish’s most accomplished public servants has passed away at the age of 73. St. Tammany Superintendent Trey Folse says during her eight-year tenure as Parish President, which ended after her reelection defeat last year, she was a strong champion for quality public schools.
Cut 10 (11) “of life.” 
Brister had stints as the State GOP Chairwoman, and President Bush’s 2004 Louisiana Reelection Campaign Chair

New Orleans native and former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu is a Super Bowl champion today as he helped Kansas City beat San Francisco 31-20 in last night’s big game in Miami. Mathieu had six tackles for K-C and the veteran safety was a pivotal player during the Chiefs championship run.
Cut 12 (12) “.   accept the challenges” 
A stolen ambulance from Texas is located in Louisiana.  Trooper Brent Hardy says State Police located the vehicle driven by 19-year-old Kendall Tyson of Dallas on Interstate 20 about eight miles into the state, then they attempted a traffic stop….that’s when Tyson then kicked up the speed.
Cut 3 (08)  “…encountering slow traffic.” 
The traffic enabled authorities to bring the chase to a stop in Bossier Parish.  Tyson faces DWI and a handful of other charges.

A Plaquemine man is arrested for elder abuse after authorities say they discovered a woman in her 70s in a home lying in a hospital bed covered in filth and animal feces. Iberville Sheriff Brett Stassi says neighbors reported not having seen the woman for months. When deputies arrived to investigate, they arrested 54-year-old Galen Marcantel after discovering…

Cut 6 (09) “…the house.”

3:30 PM Newscast

Pat Brister, one of St. Tammany Parish’s most accomplished public servants has passed away. Brister just completed two terms as Parish President, but also had stints as the State GOP Chairwoman, and President Bush’s 2004 Louisiana Reelection Campaign Chair. Brister also helped in the creation of Safe Haven St. Tammany, a mental health center founded in 2018. St. Tammany Superintendent Trey Folse knew her well.
Cut 11 (10) “…president”
Brister was 73.
A stolen ambulance from Texas is located in Louisiana.  Trooper Brent Hardy says State Police located the vehicle driven by 19-year-old Kendall Tyson of Dallas on Interstate 20, attempted a traffic stop, then pursued her for 13 miles at high speeds before heavy traffic helped bring the chase to a stop.
Cut 4 (08) “…Bossier maximum jail.”

Iberville deputies arrest a Plaquimine man for elder abuse after neighbors reported not having seen the victim in months. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

State Fire Marshal deputies arrest a 20-year-old Louisiana Tech student who admitted to having lit trash on fire inside of a building next to a dorm out of boredom. In the morning hours of January 20th, the Louisiana Tech Police Department requested the assistance of the SFM in the investigation of a fire in a building next to Hale Hall dormitory. Gavin B. Jones, 20, was booked into the Lincoln Parish Jail on one count of Simple Arson.

1:30 LRN Newscast

Pat Brister, one of St. Tammany Parish’s most accomplished public servants, passed away last night. Brister most recently served as Parish President, but also had stints as the State GOP Chairwoman, and President Bush’s 2004 Louisiana Reelection Campaign Chair. St. Tammany Superintendent Trey Foles knew her well, and says his daughters looked up to Brister…
Cut 9 (11) “…family.”
Brister was 73.

A Plaquemine man is arrested for elder abuse after authorities say they discovered a woman in her 70s in a home lying in a hospital bed covered in filth and animal feces. 54-year-old Galen Marcantel had allegedly been living with the woman for many months and had barred the victim’s family from checking up on her. Iberville Sheriff Brett Stassi says he was clearly taking advantage of her condition.

Cut 8 (08) “…individual.”

New Orleans native and former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu is a Super Bowl champion today as he helped Kansas City beat San Francisco 31-20 in last night’s Super Bowl in Miami. Many analysts say this could be the start of a dynasty as Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes just completed his third season. Mathieu is anxious to defend their title.
Cut 14 (09) “…(laugh).”

Its Kansas City’s first NFL championship in 50 years.

A stolen ambulance from Texas is located in Louisiana.  Trooper Brent Hardy says State Police located the vehicle driven by 19-year-old Kendall Tyson of Dallas on Interstate 20, attempted a traffic stop, then pursued her for 13 miles at high speeds before heavy traffic helped bring the chase to a stop.Hardy says the one tool she probably could have used to cut through the traffic was not used during the pursuit.

Cut 5 (06) “…the lights on.”

Tyson is charged with DWI, among other offenses.

12:30 PM Newscasts

New Orleans native and former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu is a Super Bowl champion today as he helped Kansas City beat San Francisco 31-20 in last night’s Super Bowl in Miami. Mathieu had six tackles for K-C and the veteran safety was a pivotal player during the Chiefs championship run.
Cut 12 (12) “.   accept the challenges” 
Mathieu tweeted after the game that he can’t wait to hear from his dad, who is in prison serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.
A stolen ambulance from Texas is located in Louisiana.  Trooper Brent Hardy says State Police located the vehicle driven by 19-year-old Kendall Tyson of Dallas on Interstate 20, attempted a traffic stop, then pursued her for 13 miles at high speeds before heavy traffic helped bring the chase to a stop.
Cut 4 (08) “…Bossier maximum jail.”
Tyson had previously used the strobes on the ambulance but didn’t do so during the pursuit.
Iberville deputies arrest a Plaquimine man for elder abuse after neighbors reported not having seen the victim in months. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

11:30 AM Newscast

A Texas woman is arrested in Bossier Parish, accused of stealing an ambulance from Dallas.  Louisiana State Police located the stolen ambulance on Interstate 20, about eight miles into the state and attempt a traffic stop.  Trooper Brent Hardy says that’s when 19-year-old Kendall Tyson then kicked up the speed.
Cut 3 (08)  “…encountering slow traffic.” 
The traffic enabled authorities to bring the chase to a stop.  Tyson is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated flight, resisting by false information, misrepresentation during booking, DWI, and driving without a license.
Committee assignments have been divided up for House Appropriations and House Ways and Means. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the Senate saw a total takeover by conservatives, so it’s still unlikely many Democratic priorities will make it the Governor, but they now may be more likely to make it to the House floor than last year.
Cut 12 (09) “…agree on”

A Plaquemine man is arrested for elder abuse after authorities say they discovered a woman in her 70s in a home lying in a hospital bed covered in filth and animal feces. Iberville Sheriff Brett Stassi says neighbors reported not having seen the woman for months. When deputies arrived to investigate, they arrested 54-year-old Galen Marcantel after discovering…
Cut 6 (09) “…the house.”
Marcantel has been charged with cruelty to persons with infirmities.
About 300 needle incineration devices are being distributed to first responders in East Baton Rouge, Terrebonne, and Point Coupee parishes.  The device is the SANDD-mini, which stands for sharps and needles destruction device.  CEO of Redhawk Holdings, the company behind the device, Darcy Klug says while the needle is destroyed, it doesn’t tamper with any possible evidence.
Cut 14 (11) “…needle stick injury.”

The device has the potential to save taxpayer dollars as a single needle stick injury can top $30k in workers comp costs.

10:30 AM Newscast

A Tulane study conducted in Texas shows minorities face longer wait times, and more questions when attempting to make an appointment with a primary care doctor. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A third person is arrested in connection to the investigation of former Livingston Parish Sheriff’s deputy Dennis Perkins and his wife Cynthia, a former school teacher.  The couple is accused of child rape, producing child porn, feeding desserts laced in bodily fluids to school children, and sexual abuse of an animal.  41-year-old Melanie Curtin of Denham Springs was apprehended Saturday in New Orleans as she was returning from a cruise on charges of video voyeurism and first degree rape.  Curtin is a former employee of the Livingston Sheriff’s Office.

New Orleans-based Urban South Brewery is opening its first satellite location. Louisiana’s second-largest craft beer brewery is opening a taproom that will also serve as a research and development facility in Houston. Houston location taproom manager Marin Slanina says they plan on bringing over some of the New Orleans brews like the Holy Roller IPA and putting a Texas twist on them.
Cut 8 (09) “…New Orleans location.”

The grand opening is February 29th.
Assignments for two key House committees are in and Democrats have increased their representation relative to the last term thanks to the bipartisan coalition that elected Speaker Clay Schexnayder.  The coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats now narrowly controls Ways and Means and Appropriations, and political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says that could stymie conservative priorities, causing inter-GOP friction…

Cut 11 (09) “…repairable.”

1030 AM LRN News

Louisiana high school principals will have to wait another year to try and mend the public private school athletics playoff split in four sports after a proposal to end the separation failed to get the 2/3rd vote needed. LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine says in the meantime they’ll look to better define what a select or private school is

Cut 14 (09) “…all sports.”

The final vote to end the split received 52 percent.

Maplewood Middle School in Sulphur is home to a Grammy winner in Mickey Smith, who was honored with the Music Educator Award. Smith came onto the Grammy’s radar after he was nominated by Sulphur local, two time Grammy nominee Sean Ardoin, who’s known for his work in creole rock and roll. Ardoin noticed Smith had grown the school band to half the schools population.

Cut 5 (11) “…classroom”

AAA is concerned about the growing movement to legalize recreational marijuana, citing evidence of increasing drug based DUIs in legal states. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says drivers are already very nonchalant about toking and driving as 70% think they won’t be caught, and it has the potential to get worse.

Cut 8 (13) “…on the highways.”

Redman says in the five years prior to the state of Washington legalizing recreational use, 9% of drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for THC. That numbers double.

Louisiana State Police added 51 Troopers to its force as their 99th cadet class graduated Friday. State Police Lt Nick Manale says they are prepping for their historic 100th cadet class at the LSP Academy and graduation day is a momentous occasion for every trooper.

Cut 11 (11) “…very challenging.”