06:30 LRN Newscast, October 17th

We will soon learn more about Governor-Elect Jeff Landry’s plans for Louisiana. A big change in political ideology is expected as the state transitions from a moderate Democrat to a conservative, as Governor John Bel Edwards battled with Republican lawmakers over his years in office. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat…:
Cut 5 (09) “four years”
With no runoff, Landry has until January 8th to look at who he wants to bring in to fill his cabinet positions.

Does Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson have a shot at becoming the next U-S Speaker of the House? Despite being well-liked among his colleagues, ULM Political Science Professor Dr. Joshua Stockley thinks Johnson may be too conservative to get the 217 votes he needs…:
Cut 10 (11) “of leadership”
The House is expected to vote today to elect a new speaker.

Louisiana U-S Senator Bill Cassidy is back from a trip to war-torn Israel. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 3 (33) I’m Jeff Palermo”

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and his 78-year-old mother were carjacked at gunpoint Monday night in New Orleans, according to his spokesman. No other details of the crime were immediately available, though OPDA said Williams and his mother were not harmed.

08:30 LRN Newscast, October 11th

Congressional members are scheduled to vote their next Speaker of the House today. Among the contenders are Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio Representative Jim Jordan. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan believes the election process will take a while..:
Cut 8 (10) “…anytime soon.”
When former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was elected in January it took fifteen rounds of voting and several concessions to far-right party members.

Small business optimism nationwide dips in September as inflation remains the single greatest problem in operating a business. National Federation of Independent Business State Director Dawn McVea says the report also found that 43 percent of owners reported job openings that were hard to fill…:
Cut 5 (12) “just frustrating”

Thanks to a disturbance in the Gulf south Louisiana will have rain today. Brooke Thorington has more…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville ranks in the top 10 as one of the most haunted destinations in the world, according to a recent report from Planet Cruise. Analyzing data from Trip Advisor, the Myrtles had 179 haunted mentions, and 62 spooky mentions.

Gas prices continue to fall in Louisiana. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular dropped another penny overnight to $3.19 which is over 10 cents lower than the same time last week.

07:30 LRN Newscast, October 11th

After hearing from potential candidates last night, the US House begins the lengthy process of choosing the next Speaker…:
Cut 2 (33) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The state is getting some badly needed rain today into tomorrow, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says this disturbance will leave behind a delightful weekend…:
Cut 12 (11) “absolutely glorious”

The NFIB Small Business Optimism index decreased again in September as inflation remains the owners’ most important problem. NFIB State Director Dawn McVea…:
Cut 6 (10) “the year”
She says the latest report also found 43 percent of owners reported job openings that were hard to fill.

Constitutional amendment three on Saturday’s ballot asks voters if they want to require lawmakers to use 25 percent of any state surplus to pay retirement debt for the four state retirement systems. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson, who authored the amendment, says the state spends over a billion dollars every year just in interest on this debt…:
Cut 13 (09) “other things”
Opponents of the amendment say state surplus dollars help fund road and bridge work, coastal restoration, and other infrastructure needs.

06:45 LRN Sportscast, October 11th

In a rare Tuesday night game, Louisiana Tech fell to Middle Tennessee 31-23 in Conference USA action. The Bulldogs are now 3-5 on the season and 2-2 on conference play. They’ll be back in action on Tuesday, October 24th hosting New Mexico State in another nationally televised game.

LSU is set to take on Auburn this Saturday in Death Valley. The Purple and Gold have one of the best offenses in college football, but it’s not just Jayden Daniels and the passing game. Logan Diggs has established himself as one of the top running backs in the SEC, rushing for over 100 yards in the last two games. Coach Brian Kelly:
Cut 18 (24) “at that”
Kick off Saturday is 6pm.

The Pelicans opened up preseason action last night and Zion Williamson made his first appearance since injuring his right hamstring last January. New Orleans fell 122-105 to the Orlando Magic. Zion had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists in 16 minutes.

ULM is coming off a humbling 48-point loss to South Alabama at home last Saturday as they get ready to go on the road to play Texas State. Coach Terry Bowden says they can’t let the defeat to the Jaguars to define their season..:
Cut 16 (17) “…will respond.”
ULM at Texas State kicks off at 6 PM.

Saints defensive end Cam Jordan is featured on an adorable viral video of his recent visit to a local school. Cam is chatting with the students in the class when the camera pans to a student whose jaw is dropped as if he can’t believe what was happening. Look it up.

06:30 LRN Newscast, October 11th

Congressional members are scheduled to vote on their next Speaker of the House today. Among the contenders are Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio Representative Jim Jordan. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan expects it will be a close race between the two…:
Cut 7 (09) “the Democrats”
Former President Trump has endorsed Jordan and the only member of Louisiana’s congressional delegation to voice their support for Scalise is Congresswoman Julia Letlow.

South Louisiana, grab your umbrella when you leave the house today. When is the last time you’ve heard that? Lots of rain is in the forecast thanks to a disturbance in the gulf…:
CUT 10 (09) “the state”
That’s State Climatologist Barry Keim who says rain will last most of today into Thursday.

Inflation remains the top problem for small business owners nationwide resulting in less optimism for the future. Teiko Foxx has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

09:30 LRN Newscast, October 10th

A system in the gulf could bring some much-needed rain to south Louisiana on Wednesday. Slidell National Weather Service Meteorologist Phil Grigsby says predicted rainfall amounts are in the one-to-two-inch range and higher in coastal parishes which will be welcome…:
Cut 12 (03) “the area”
While the gulf disturbance will bring rain to Louisiana it’s not expected to develop into a depression and or tropical storm.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot for Saturday’s elections is 4:30pm today. Louisiana Deputy Secretary of State for Outreach Joel Watson says registered voters can request an absentee ballot at voterportal-dot-sos-dot-la-dot-gov…:
Cut 7 (12) “do so”
Additional election information including your sample ballot can be found on the GeauxVote mobile app.

The Gonzales Police Department is seeking information on a Sunday night shooting at a park in Ascension Parish that left several hurt and led to a fatal car crash as people were fleeing the area. They say at least 4 people sustained gunshot wounds in the incident, and a vehicle trying to escape crashed leaving two hurt and a woman dead. Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact the authorities.

The University of Louisiana System Board has delayed hiring their own President Jim Henderson as Louisiana Tech’s next president to allow public input. Teiko Foxx explains…:
Cut 3 (33) “I’m Teiko Foxx”

08:30 LRN Newscast, October 10th

A tropical disturbance has the potential to bring a lot of rain to south Louisiana tomorrow. LRN Meteorologist John Wetherbee has more:
Cut 2 (26) “you updated”

State Police say a Covington man is dead following a suspected drunk driver crash in St. Tammany Parish. They say 46-year-old Kimberly Dufrene of Covington was making a turn when she traveled into the opposite lane of traffic and hit a motorcycle driven by 67-year-old Douglas Jenkins. Jenkins succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. Dufrene was booked for vehicular homicide and 2nd offense DWI.

Efforts are underway to bring a black bear hunting season to Louisiana. A vote will likely take place at The Louisiana Wildlife Commission’s November meeting. After being on the endangered species list, State Wildlife says today the black bear population here is just over 12 hundred. Commission member Joe McPherson says lawmakers sponsored legislation to bring black bear hunting back…:
Cut 5 (06) “community”
He says if the commission chooses to bring black bear hunting season back it wouldn’t be until the 2024-2025 season.

The University of Louisiana System Board has delayed hiring their own President Jim Henderson, as Louisiana Tech’s next president to allow public input. Henderson says it’s just procedural and returning to a university environment at an institution like Tech was always his plan
CUT 14 (12) “this process”

07:30 LRN Newscast, October 10th

A system in the gulf could bring some much-needed rain to South Louisiana by mid-week. Phil Grigsby is with the National Weather Service in Slidell…:
Cut 10 (11) “Wednesday night”
The majority of the rainfall will be south of I-10 and I-12.

State Officials say early voting turnout for this Saturday’s primary election in Louisiana saw an 8 percent drop from the 2019 governor’s race. That does not include absentee ballots and the deadline to request one is 4:30 this afternoon. Louisiana Deputy Secretary of State for Outreach Joel Watson says all completed absentee ballots should be returned in person….:
Cut 9 (07) “voters’ staff”
Requests can be made online by visiting voterportal.sos.la.gov.

Could Louisiana soon be getting a black bear hunting season? Brooke Thorington reports…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Brooke Thorington”

The University of Louisiana System Board has delayed hiring their own President, Jim Henderson, as Louisiana Tech’s next president to allow public input. Henderson says this is just procedural…:
Cut 13 (10) “constituent groups”
A final decision is expected to be made at an October 25th special meeting.

06:45 LRN Sportscast, October 10th

LSU Coach Brian Kelly spoke with the media Monday afternoon to recap the Missouri victory and preview Saturday’s home contest against Auburn. He says after watching film of his team from the weekend, they are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel:
Cut 18 (22) “out there”
Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the game, has been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season and is now in the Heisman Trophy conversation. LSU takes on Auburn Saturday night in Death Valley at 6pm and Kelly says his team is very much in the hunt to repeat as SEC West champs.

Louisiana Tech will face Conference USA opponent Middle Tennessee tonight on the road at 6pm in a game that will be nationally televised on CBS. The Bulldogs are 3-4 and 2-1 in conference play.

There is a lot to be happy about for Saints fans after New Orleans embarrassed the Patriots Sunday in a 34-0 shutout. Coach Dennis Allen liked how his team ended trips in the red zone with touchdowns…:
Cut 16 (22) “executed”
New Orleans will take on the Texans in Week 6. The Cardinals have claimed running back Tony Jones Jr. off waivers after the Saints released him ahead of Sunday’s game.

The Louisiana Christian Football team is ranked in the NAIA Top 25 poll for the first time in program history. The Wildcats, who are currently 6-0 on the season, came in at #25 in the rankings following a 55-0 win over North American over the weekend.

06:30 LRN Newscast, October 10th

Tropical moisture is expected to move into South Louisiana on Wednesday bringing in heavy rainfall. Phil Grigsby with the National Weather Service in Slidell says they could use some showers…:
Cut 11 (11) “that stuff”
The gulf disturbance is not expected to develop into a depression or tropical storm.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot for Saturday’s elections is 4:30pm today. Louisiana Deputy Secretary of State for Outreach Joel Watson says those ballots must be returned by Friday..:
Cut 8 (09) “…Saturday night.”
You can request an absentee ballot today online at voterportal-dot-sos-dot-la-dot-gov.

Sportsman’s Paradise has set the stage to create a hunting season for black bears. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission member Joe McPherson says a recent report indicates there’s a viable population of the original “Teddy Bear,”…:
Cut 4 (10) “to sportsmen”
A vote on the matter will likely take place at the next commission meeting in November.

The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.73 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Monday. Tomorrow night’s drawing has a cash value of about 756.6 million.