07:30 LRN Newscast, March 29th

A bill that would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana has once again been filed for the upcoming legislative session. The measure by Marrero Representative Kyle Green would put a max life sentence for first degree murder and rape convictions. He proposed the same bill in 2020 and 2022 but believes they need to take another look…:
CUT 13 (11) “get it right”

As the LSU Women’s Basketball team heads to the Final 4 to face Virginia Tech on Friday, Coach Kim Mulkey comments on her flashy courtside fashion which she says is in no way meant to take away from the team:
CUT 17 (18) “game for us”
The game Friday tips at 6.

The East Baton Rouge Coroner says fentanyl was involved in the death of Nathan Millard, like so many others.
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

Minden Representative Wayne McMahan is once again trying to make it legal for pet owners to have the cremated remains of their pet buried with them. He says the measure still allows a cemetery to decide if they’ll allow it…:
CUT 11 (05) “to do”
He says this would just make it legal. The regular session begins April 10th.

06:45 LRN Sportscast, March 29th

The No. 1 LSU Baseball team had an easy time versus Grambling Tuesday as the Tigers exploded for a 17-5 victory in 7 innings. It’s the 8th run-rule win of the season for the Bayou Bengals. Designated hitter Cade Beloso launched a three-run homer and collected four RBI, and Dylan Crews, who leads the nation in hitting, had two hits pushing his hitting streak to 23 games. LSU will take on No. 10 Tennessee in a highly anticipated SEC series beginning Thursday.

The LSU Women’s Basketball Team had a huge fan send-off to the Final 4 Tuesday. The Tigers will face No. 1 seeded Virginia Tech Friday. When Coach Kim Mulkey was at Baylor she faced The Hokies in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Baylor won 90-48 but Mulkey says she could see budding talent:
Cut 16 (16) “only players”
The game in Dallas Friday tips at 6.

Steph Curry led Golden State to a 120-109 comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Pels led by 17 at the half, but Curry exploded for the Warriors finishing with 39 points.

The Saints have signed former Raiders wide receiver Bryan Edwards. Edwards was drafted by the Raiders in the third round in 2020 and had his best season with new Saints quarterback Derek Carr in 2021. New Orleans Saints Coach Dennis Allen said they saw Edwards’ talent coming out of the draft and liked his chemistry with Carr…:
Cut 19 (17) “to help us”
At the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday, Allen shared an update on wide receiver Michael Thomas and his recovery from toe surgery. He said Thomas is making progress but is not 100%, but the team feels good about how things are going.

06:30 LRN Newscast, March 29th

The autopsy is in for the Georgia businessman who went missing in Baton Rouge and was located almost two weeks later. East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark says Nathan Millard died from a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and fentanyl. Dr. Clark says fentanyl is lucrative to drug dealers even though it’s responsible for the majority of overdoses…:
CUT 6 (08) “addiction disorders”
He says there is a high possibility that any illicit drugs on the streets are dangerously laced with fentanyl.

Marrero Representative Kyle Green files a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana. He says the legislation is based on morality not to mention it’s extremely difficult to carry out a death sentence:
Cut 15 (09) “with that”
The legislation says anyone who commits first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and treason would receive a maximum life sentence.

The state department of transportation says there are now just three proposed locations for a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge – all connecting the East and West Banks of Iberville Parish. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says the $1.5 billion dollar project has received $300 million in state funding, which is a good starting point:
Cut 8 (11) “gets built”
He says they hope to narrow down the location of the new bridge when environmental evaluations are completed in the summer of 2024.

The two Baton Rouge Police Officers who died in a helicopter crash, Sgt. David Poirrier and Cpl. Scotty Canezaro, will be honored with a special procession today from the West Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office to BRPD Headquarters. It’s slated to begin around 10:30am.

09:30 LRN Newscast, March 27th

Congressional leaders from both parties are in negotiations on the “Lower Energy Costs Act” which supporters say would restore energy independence instead of relying on foreign countries. Baton Rouge Congressman Garrett Graves says the measure would mandate offshore lease sales, streamline permitting processes, and increase state shares of federal royalties for offshore oil and gas production and wind farms…:
Cut 5 (11) “for Louisiana”
The House will meet this week to choose which amendments will be considered.

Two Baton Rouge Police Officers died when their helicopter crashed over the weekend in West Baton Rouge Parish while in pursuit of a vehicle running from cops. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the helicopter was a Robinson R-44 and went down around 3am Sunday. The FAA is investigating why the crash happened.

Should voters be able to put items on a statewide ballot? It’s not an option in Louisiana. Brooke Thorington dives into this…:
CUT 3 (33) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

LSU women’s basketball is off to the Final Four after beating Miami last night 54-42. The Tigers shot just 30 percent from the field, with Alexis Morris leading the way with 21 points…:
Cut 16 (10) “our game”

08:30 LRN Newscast, March 27th

Louisiana is putting up record employment numbers with over two million employed for February 2023, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor statistics. Education and Health services saw an increase in 3,400 jobs since January and the leisure and hospitality industry gained 1,200 jobs, which Mark Jones with the Louisiana Workforce Commission says is common:
Cut 8 (12) “in manufacturing”
New Orleans led the way, adding 2,700 jobs this month especially in the leisure and hospitality industry.

The FAA is investigating the Baton Rouge Police Department helicopter crash that claimed the lives of two officers Sunday morning. The chopper was in pursuit of a vehicle running from BRPD, and it’s reported no one was aware it had crashed for many hours. Chief Murphy Paul is asking for prayers for the families of the victims.

Will lawmakers rely on modified fossil fuel energy production or jump-start renewable energies? We spoke with Congressman Garret Graves on the topic. Teiko Foxx has more…:
Cut 1 (33) “I’m Teiko Foxx”

The LSU Women’s Basketball team has punched a ticket to the Final Four following a 54-42 win over Miami last night in the Greenville regional. It’s the Tigers first trip to the Final Four since 2008, and the fifth time Coach Kim Mulkey has made it there during her 23-year career.

07:30 LRN Newscast, March 27th

Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul is asking for prayers this morning for the families of two fallen officers who died in a helicopter crash in West Baton Rouge Parish. They were in pursuit of a vehicle running from police. Paul says the FAA is the lead investigator..:
CUT 14 (14) “community”
The officers are not being identified at this time.

Should voters have the ability to put an initiative, like raising the minimum wage or legalizing marijuana, on a statewide ballot? New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry says Louisiana does not have any type of ballot initiative protocol so she’s proposing a change..:
Cut 10 (12) “give another option”

At least 4 people have been shot at a gathering in Webster Parish at a Minden Park. Police Chief Jared McIver said they are still trying to sort out the details of what happened. Minden police are investigating. At least one of the injured was flown to Ochsner LSU Health Hospital in Shreveport.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics released data showing Louisiana’s employment numbers are reaching historic levels…:
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Kace Kieschnick”

06:45 LRN Sportscast, March 27th

LSU women’s basketball is heading to its sixth final four and its first since 2008 as the Lady Tigers defeated Miami 54-42 in Greenville, South Carolina last night. It’s the fifth time Coach Kim Mulkey has made it to the Final Four during her 23-year career as a head coach…:
Cut 15 (15) “to do”
LSU will play the winner of tonight’s game between Virginia Tech and Ohio State in the national semi-finals on Friday night in Dallas.

The top-ranked LSU Baseball team used a six-run 4th inning to break a 4-4 tie and propel the Tigers to a 14-5 victory over No. 3 Arkansas in the series finale and second game of a Saturday doubleheader at Alex Box Stadium. In the first game of the day LSU beat the Razorbacks 12-2.

Louisiana Tech dropped the finale of a three game Conference USA series at Western Kentucky 5-2. The Bulldogs swept Saturday’s doubleheader, 5-3 and 3-2.

UL-Lafayette swept the doubleheader Saturday over South Alabama 22-5 and 10-6.

McNeese fell 8-5 Sunday to drop the Southland Conference Series versus Nicholls. Southeastern fell to Texas A&M Corpus Christi 3-1.

LSU needs to find a new defensive line coach as Jamar Cain has left the program to join Sean Payton in Denver as a pass rush specialist for the Broncos. Fourth-year junior Jacobian Guillory says it was tough news to take, but he still thinks LSU’s d-line will be elite, especially when injured players return for preseason camp…:
Cut 18 (18) “in the country”

06:30 LRN Newscast, March 27th

The Baton Rouge Police Department is mourning the death of two officers who were killed when their helicopter crashed in a sugarcane field in West Baton Rouge Parish while pursuing a vehicle running from police. Chief Murphy Paul says they are waiting to release the officers’ names:
Cut 13 (12) “in prayer”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating why the chopper wjent down.

The federal Bureau of Labor statistics shows Louisiana is putting up record employment numbers with over 2 million estimated employed for February 2023, the eighth highest in the history of the series. Mark Jones with the Louisiana Workforce Commission says Louisiana added more than 6,000 jobs from January to February..:
Cut 7 (10) “among the nation”

Congressional leaders from both parties are in negotiations on House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s “Lower Energy Costs Act” which supporters, like Baton Rouge Congressman Garrett Graves, say would restore energy independence instead of relying on foreign countries…:
Cut 4 (08) “energy needs”
He is hopeful that with some modifications it will pass in the House this week.

LSU women’s basketball is heading to its sixth final four and its first since 2008 as the Tigers defeated Miami 54-42 in Greenville, South Carolina last night. LSU will play the winner of tonight’s game between Virginia Tech and Ohio State.

10:30 LRN Newscast, March 25th

Coach Kim Mulkey was asked about the Elton John like pink feathered blazer she wore in LSU’s 66-63 win over Utah Friday sending The Tigers to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2008. She said we like to be flashy in Louisiana, and she’s just filling the bill for her home state. The score remained close the entire game and Mulkey says it was one tough matchup…:
CUT 28 (12) “we just made a few more plays”
LSU will face Miami tomorrow at 6pm with a trip to the Final 4 on the line.

Today is an Election Day in Louisiana where voters will decide on several races and proposals. The Secretary of State’s Office says 7 parishes have races on the ballot, 12 have propositions and 9 have both. Polls close at 8pm tonight and anyone in line by that time will still be allowed to vote.

If you’re craving crawfish, you’ll be pleased to know prices continue to drop. Brooke Thorington has more…:
Cut 2 (33) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The St. Mary Parish Sherriff’s office says a high school student has been arrested and charged with assault in connection to a threat made to a teacher on Snapchat. The suspect is identified as 18-year-old Dravian Morris of Berwick who allegedly threated bodily harm to a local teacher on the social media platform.

09:30 LRN Newscast, March 25th

The LSU Women’s Basketball team is headed to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2008 following a 66-63 victory over Utah Friday. Angel Reese picked up her 31st double double this season to tie an SEC record with 17 points and 12 rebounds in the game. She says it was a tough game but they were determined…:
CUT 29 (08) “for this team”
The Tigers will play Miami Sunday at 6 with a trip to the Final 4 on the line.

Governor John Bel Edwards warned of severe weather last night, but Louisiana dodged a bullet as the hardest hit area was rural Mississippi where officials there say tornadoes claimed the lives of 23 people and injured dozens more.

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles says the potential risk for severe thunderstorms returns to mainly Central Louisiana on Sunday as a warm front continues to move through the area.

With March Madness in its most exciting days, state officials are urging people to be responsible if you’re going to place a sports bet. Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Behavioral Health Program Manager Robert Henson says with any form of gambling knowing your limits is critical..:
CUT 13 (04) “to spend”
Governor John Bel Edwards proclaimed March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources announce more than 100 orphaned well sites in the Monroe and Shreveport areas have been plugged with funding from the federal Infrastructure Law since work began in January. DNR spokesperson Patrick Courreges says another 30-plus wells should be plugged by the end of the month…:
Cut 3 (09) “state funding”
The state Office of Conservation normally plugs 120 to 200 wells a year and there are over four-thousand orphaned well sites in Louisiana.