Rainy weekend on the way as a passing tropical wave is set to bring one to three inches of water to the Bayou State, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says don’t cancel your plans just yet, but try to avoid any extended outdoor events for the next few days.

Cut 8 (05) “…inside.”

Rain chances are highest near the coast, and will decrease the further north you live.

Baton Rouge Police arrest a teenager in the fatal shooting of his mother’s boyfriend during a domestic dispute. The suspect’s identity is being concealed due to being a minor, but Baton Rouge Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says it appears the teen fired shots into 36-year-old Michael Allen’s home after Allen and the kid’s mom had a domestic dispute.

Cut 13 (11) “…as a result.”

McKneely says following the shooting, it appears the body was left in the home for several days before being discovered by authorities.

American Idol is holding open auditions at the Baton Rouge Hilton this Sunday just a season after Livingston’s Laine Hardy became the first Louisianan to win the competition. The auditions begin at 9 AM in the morning and run through 5 PM, and Senior Supervising Producer with American Idol Patrick Lynn says everyone is welcome to show up and perform.

Cut 11 (05) “to lose” 

He adds make sure you come prepared with three different songs.

Before you roll into your Idol audition, tune into CBS Sunday morning at 8AM as Louisiana Key Academy in Baton Rouge gets spotlighted for it’s nationally renowned educational work. The segment will focus on dyslexia and the school’s educational model to accommodate children that face that hurdle. Academy Principal Heather Bourgeois…

Cut 3 (11) “…their full potential.”

The filming took place last year.

Louisiana will see one to three inches of rain starting today and running through the weekend as a tropical wave passes through the state. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the threat of severe weather is minimal and even less than minimal the further north you go, but we certainly will see a good number of showers.

Cut 6, 9 seconds, northward

Keim says the showers will push south Louisiana temps down into the 80s.

American Idol is back in the Bayou State one season after Laine Hardy of Livingston became the first Louisianan to win the competition. Idol will be setting up shop for open auditions Sunday at the Baton Rouge Hilton, and Senior Supervising Producer with American Idol Patrick Lynn says come prepared with three songs, and be ready to put on a show…

Cut 10 (08) “…TV”

The auditions begin at 9 AM and will run through five in the afternoon.

A Baton Rouge public charter school for children with dyslexia will be featured on CBS this weekend. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “..I’m Kevin Barnhart”

An LSU study finds Mississippi River diversions can actually do more harm than good for wetland restoration. The study raises concerns about five billion dollars’ worth of planned diversion projects the state is seeking to initiate. Coastal Sciences Professor Gene Turner says more study needs to be done before opening the flood gates…

Cut 9 (10) “…begin”AM

The study looked two artificial and one natural diversion and found land loss, instead of the creation or maintenance land. 

Louisiana Key Academy in Baton Rouge will receive the national spotlight when it is featured on the CBS Sunday Morning Show. The segment will focus on dyslexia and the school’s educational model. Academy Principal Heather Bourgeois…

Cut 3 (11) “…their full potential.”

The show airs Sunday at 8AM.

Attorney General Jeff Landry is launching an antitrust probe into big tech companies. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”AM

American Idol is holding open auditions at the Baton Rouge Hilton this Sunday starting at 9AM just a season after local boy Laine Hardy became the first Louisianan to win the competition. Senior Supervising Producer with American Idol Patrick Lynn says come prepared with three songs, and…

Cut 9, 11 seconds, good

A public visitation will be held today in former Governor Kathleen Blanco’s hometown of Lafayette. Services were held in Baton Rouge Thursday to honor the state’s first and only female governor. Blanco made an impact on many people across the state like Mary Ann Shepard who felt moved to visit the capitol and pay her respects even though she never met Governor Blanco.
Cut 6 (07) “…she spoke.”
Visitation will be at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Lafayette . The public can pay respects from 12:30 until 8pm.
Attorney General Jeff Landry launches an antitrust probe of big tech companies.  Among the concerns, Landry says companies may be stifling competition in the digital ad space, content suppression, and data mining of consumers.When asked what steps may be taken to discourage companies from nefarious practices, Landry says that is open for discussion.

Cut 12 (04) “…off the table.”

Cheap crude prices may be foreshadowing incredibly cheap gas prices at the pump in Louisiana for the upcoming fall season. A barrel of crude oil is sitting at just above 55 dollars today after a summer with limit production interruptions and only a brief mid-east flareup. AAA Fuel Analyst says he does not expect the price to change much over the next few months.

Cut 13 (11) “…cheaper barrel.”

Crude was 68 dollars a barrel this time last year.

An LSU study finds Mississippi River diversions can actually do more harm than good for wetland restoration. The study looked at three different diversions and found land loss, instead of creating or maintaining land. Coastal Sciences Professor Gene Turner says that runs contrary to the prevailing opinion on how to restore the coast.

Cut 7 (08) “…will help”

The study was conducted by studying satellite imagery before and after the diversions opened.

Former staff members lined the steps of the capitol Thursday as former Governor Kathleen Blanco’s casket was taken to the rotunda to lie in state. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (32) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

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A peer-reviewed paper out of LSU calls into question the prevailing opinion that river diversions actually help restore wetlands. Matt Doyle spoke with the author of the study…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

______________________________

Attorney General Jeff Landry is launching an antitrust probe into big tech companies. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

________________________________________

A public visitation will be held today in former Governor Kathleen Blanco’s hometown of Lafayette. Services were held in Baton Rouge Thursday to honor the state’s first and only female governor.  Spokesperson for the Department of Children and Family Services and former Blanco Staffer Catherine Heitman remembers Blanco for her tenacity.

Cut 4 (09) “…our leader.”

Hundreds paid their respects at the state capitol and they were also able to view mementos from her life. They included the red suit she wore during her inauguration, her wedding photo and a picture of her son Ben who died in an accident in 1997. Ceci Neustrom was a close friend of Blanco’s.

Cut 5 (08) “…life she gave us.”

Blanco made an impact on many people across the state like Mary Ann Shepard who felt moved to visit the capitol and pay her respects even though she never met Governor Blanco.

Cut 6 (07) “…she spoke.”

Visitation will be at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Lafayette . The public can pay respects from 12:30 until 8pm. Mass and the funeral will be on Saturday at 10:30 am. A private burial will follow.

____________________________

An LSU study finds Mississippi River diversions can actually do more harm than good for wetland restoration. The study looked at Caernarvon, St. Phillips, and Davis Pond diversions and found land loss, instead of creating or maintaining land. Coastal Sciences Professor Gene Turner says that runs contrary to the prevailing opinion on how to restore the coast.

Cut 7 (08) “…will help”

Caernarvon opened in 1991, Davis Pond in 2002, and St. Phillips was a natural diversion that occurred in 1973.

Turner says that may be because of the significant side effects of introducing so much freshwater to the brackish systems.

Cut 8 (12) “…area”

The study raises concerns about the five billion dollars’ worth of planned diversion projects in the state is seeking to initiate. Turner says more study needs to be done before opening the flood gates…

Cut 9 (10) “…begin”

The study was conducted by studying satellite imagery before and after the diversions opened.

_______________________

Attorney General Jeff Landry is launching an antitrust probe of big tech companies.  Among the concerns, Landry says companies may be stifling competition in the digital ad space, content suppression, and data mining of consumers.

Cut 10 (09) “…don’t even want.”

Landry says he has been ringing the alarm bell for about 18 months on the practices of big tech companies but says the cooperation from those companies is low.

Cut 11 (11) “…very dangerous space.” 

When asked what steps may be taken to discourage companies from nefarious practices, Landry says that is open for discussion.

Cut 12 (04) “…off the table.”

_____________________________

Cheap crude prices may be foreshadowing incredibly cheap gas prices at the pump in Louisiana for the upcoming fall season.

A barrel of crude oil is sitting at just above 55 dollars today after a summer with limit production interruptions and only a brief mid-east flareup. AAA Fuel Analyst says he does not expect the price to change much over the next few months.

Cut 13 (11) “…cheaper barrel.”

Crude was 68 dollars a barrel this time last year. It’s highest point in the last year was last October, when it peaked at 76 dollars a barrel.

Those crude prices are translating to a statewide average of 2.22 a gallon, nearly 40 cents a gallon lower than the same time last year. Redman says their projects indicate that price at the pump will continue to plummet as crude prices freeze.

Cut 14 (07) “under that”

Redman says expect that to translate in fall to prices under 1.90 a gallon in certain areas of the state like Baton Rouge.

Those projections are based on the idea that production will remain uninterrupted in the Mideast and Gulf Coast. Redman says another exchange with Iran, or a disturbance in the Gulf could send prices back to the usual levels.

Cut 15 (11) “…very quickly.”

Governor John Bel Edwards spoke at an interfaith ceremony celebrating the life of former Governor Kathleen Blanco at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge today. Edwards says it was Blanco’s role as a school teacher that made her love the children of Louisiana as her own.

Cut 4 (12) “…a brighter future.”

Flags will remain at half-staff until her burial in Lafayette Saturday.

The state’s most powerful business lobby, The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, endorses both Republican contenders in the Governor’s race. It’s a change of pace for the political powerhouse who did not endorse in the primary last year. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says LABI has little to lose from going hard after the Governor.

Cut 10 (06) “…Start with”

The ACLU sues the Ascension Parish Sheriff, alleging the unconstitutional detaining of a Hispanic US Citizen for four days on racial grounds.

cut  2 (30) I’m Matt Doyle” 

New evidence leads to the arrest of a 70-year-old Lonnie Frazier of Ruston on Second Degree Murder charges, fifteen years after Cheryl Williams went missing in Lincoln Parish. Lincoln Parish Lt. J.D. Driscol says the arrest has been a relief to Williams’ family, who’ve waited more than a decade to see justice served.

Cut 14 (10) “…arrest.”

Governor John Bel Edwards spoke at an interfaith ceremony celebrating the life of former Governor Kathleen Blanco at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge today. Edwards says Blanco’s impact on the state will be felt for many years to come…

Cut 5 (11) “…so dearly loved.”

Blanco will be buried Saturday in Lafayette.

The ACLU sues the Ascension Parish Sheriff, accusing the department of detaining a US Citizen for four days for immigration review because he was Hispanic. Legal Director Katie Schwartzmann says She says it appears this didn’t just happen to their client, Ramon Torres.

Cut 8 (11) “…review.”

Sheriff Bobby Webre responded to the suit, saying “I dispute these press claims by ACLU lawyers and will offer a rigorous defense in court.”

The state’s most powerful business lobby, The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, endorses both Republican contenders in the Governor’s race. It’s a change of pace for the political powerhouse that did not endorse in the primary last year. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says securing LABI endorsements is vital for a Republican candidate.

Cut 9 (11) “PACs”

The primary will be held on October 12th. If no candidate cracks 50 percent of the vote a run-off will be held on November 16th.

New evidence leads to the arrest of 70-year-old Lonnie Frazier of Ruston fifteen years after Cheryl Williams went missing in Lincoln Parish. Frazier was a person of interest in the disappearance back in 2004, but authorities say they never had enough evidence on hand to lock him up. Lincoln Parish Lt. J.D. Driscol says that didn’t stop deputies from continuing the investigation.

Cut 13 (10) “…accurate”

The Saints wrapped up their last Metairie training camp practice today and are preparing for their last two pre-season games before starting off a make or break season. Mario Edwards, Latavius Murray, and Saquan Hampton were all kept out today as the team prepares to take on the Jets this Saturday.

Nationally the team is still considered major contenders for the Lombardi this year. Now that a few pre-season games are in the books are rosters are mostly set we’ve seen both NFL.com and ESPN put out their pre-season power rankings, with the Saints taking third in both of the publications.

LSU Cornerback Kelvin Joseph let twitter know exactly where he is hoping to transfer to. The Tiger put in for the transfer portal earlier this summer, and his list shows a growing number of SEC teams on the ballot, plus Grambling and Maryland. Today he added Kentucky to that list.

Four-star freshman linebacker Donte Starks appears to be nearing eligibility to join the Purple and Gold. He’s been a no show at camp this summer as he works out some issues with his academic eligibility.

The Eastbank Little League baseball team from River Ridge advances in the World Series after beating New Jersey 4-1 yesterday, putting them one win away from competing in the US final and two wins from the championship game against an international team. Coach Scott Frazier says the kids are staying focused despite possible distractions.

Cut 10 (10) “…thousands of people.”

This is the first team from the New Orleans area to play in the Little League World Series.  Frazier says the team has plenty of momentum, adding it began in the first game against Hawaii.

Cut 11 (09) “…in this tournament.”

Frazier says the kids are having a blasé.

Cut 12 (07) “…sweet up here.”

Governor John Bel Edwards spoke at an interfaith ceremony celebrating the life of former Governor Kathleen Blanco at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge today. Edwards says Blanco’s love for all people made her a special leader, calling her authentic, consistent, and sincere.

Cut 3 (12) “…person she met.”

Blanco is now at the State Capitol one last time as she lies in state in the rotunda, The public as they wait to pay their respects were able to view various mementos from her life that include the red suit she wore during her inauguration and a letter she received from President George W Bush when he learn of her incurable cancer diagnosis in December of 2017.

The state’s most powerful business lobby, The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, endorses both Republican contenders in the Governor’s race.  Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says getting a LABI endorsement doesn’t necessarily directly influence many voters, but it does open a lot of fundraising avenues for a pro-business candidate.

Cut 11 (10) “LABI” 

The ACLU sues the Ascension Parish Sheriff, accusing the department of detaining a US Citizen for four days for immigration review because he was Hispanic. Legal Director Katie Schwartzmann says in August of last year Ramon Torres was arrested for a DUI and not released the morning after as court policy dictates.

Cut 7 (08) “…industry.”

Louisiana said goodbye to former Governor Kathleen Blanco in Baton Rouge today.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (49) “..I’m Kevin Barnhart”

____________________________________

 The ACLU sues the Ascension Parish Sheriff, alleging the unconstitutional detaining of a Hispanic US Citizen for four days on racial grounds. Matt Doyle has more…

cut  2 (30) I’m Matt Doyle”  

________________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards spoke at an interfaith ceremony celebrating the life of former Governor Kathleen Blanco at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge today. Edwards says Blanco’s love for all people made her a special leader, calling her authentic, consistent, and sincere.

Cut 3 (12) “…person she met.”

Edwards says it was Blanco’s role as a school teacher that made her love the children of Louisiana as her own.

Cut 4 (12) “…a brighter future.”

Edwards says Blanco’s impact on the state will be felt for many years to come, adding she had found peace in her final days.

Cut 5 (11) “…so dearly loved.”

Following the service, Blanco will lie in state at the Capitol rotunda until 6PM.

_____________________________

The ACLU sues the Ascension Parish Sheriff, accusing the department of detaining a US Citizen for four days for immigration review because he was Hispanic.

Legal Director Katie Schwartzmann says the office has a policy of unconstitutionally detaining Hispanic or Hispanic appearing people for immigration review by ICE, regardless of their citizenship status.

Cut 6 (09) “…Hispanic.”

In August of 2018 Ramon Torres was arrested on a DUI charge. Schwartzmann says Ascension court policy dictates he be released the morning immediately after.

Schwartzmann says Torres owned a home and worked in Baton Rouge and had several items on him at the time of his arrest that demonstrated his citizenship.

Cut 7 (08) “…industry.”

Torres says his co-workers and employer later sent additional documentation including a birth certificate, but the office continued to detain him.

The complaint is seeking an end to the office’s policy and demanding the court provide punitive damages to Mr. Torres. It also alleges that this is not just a onetime incident…

Cut 8 (11) “…review.”

Sheriff Bobby Webre responded to the suit, saying “I dispute these press claims by ACLU lawyers and will offer a rigorous defense in court.”

______________________________________

The state’s most powerful business lobby, The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, endorses both Republican contenders in the Governor’s race.

It’s a change of pace for the political powerhouse that did not endorse in the primary last year. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat says securing LABI endorsements is vital for a Republican candidate.

Cut 9 (1) “PACs”

The primary will be held on October 12th. If no candidate cracks 50 percent of the vote a run-off will be held on November 16th.

Pinsonat says the biggest question is whether or not the early endorsements signal the group’s interest in a more active role in the race. Pinsonat says LABI has little to lose from going hard after the Governor.

Cut 10 (06) “…Start with”

The political analyst says getting a LABI endorsement doesn’t necessarily directly influence many voters, but it does open a lot of fundraising floodgates for a pro-business candidate.

Cut 11 (10) “LABI” 

A Governor Edwards spokesperson told the Advocate LABI is endorsing the Governor’s opponents, because they “promising to bring back Governor Jindal’s failed policies.”

_______________________

New evidence leads to the arrest of a man fifteen years after Cheryl Williams went missing in Lincoln Parish.

Lincoln Parish Lt. J.D. Driscol says the missing persons never ended, but it did ramp up earlier this year when Lincoln Deputies began working with State Police to solve the case.

Cut 12 (10) “…challenge”

That led to the arrest of now 70-year-old Lonnie Frazier of Ruston on Second Degree Murder charges.

Frazier was a person of interest in the disappearance back in 2004, but authorities say they never had enough evidence on hand to lock him up. Driscol says that didn’t stop deputies from continuing the investigation.

Cut 13 (10) “…accurate”

Driscol says the arrest has been a relief to Williams’ family, who’ve waited more than a decade to see justice served.

Cut 14 (10) “…arrest.”

_____________________________