8:30 LRN Newscast July 23

A tropical depression moving south of Louisiana is expected to bring the Bayou State a lot of rain over the next few days. The system is expected to make landfall in Texas on Saturday, but two to four inches and possibly six inches of rain is expected to fall across south Louisiana through Monday…
cut 14 (07) “….moisture”
National Weather Service Forecaster Donald Williams says the system could be a tropical storm when it makes landfall in Texas on Saturday.

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins is scheduled to qualify at the Secretary of State’s office today to run against U-S Senator Bill Cassidy in the November third election. We were not sure if a major Democratic challenger would run. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Perkins’ entry into the race is good for voters…
cut 6 (08) “….of issues”

Seven candidates for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat qualified on Wednesday, looking to fill the position currently held by Ralph Abraham who is not seeking reelection. Among them is Abraham’s former Chief of Staff Luke Letlow, who says his campaign will not just run on the record and accomplishments of Abraham…
Cut 7 (09) “…sector as well.”
Scotty Robinson, Matt Hasty, Lance Harris and Allen Guillory are the other Republicans who have qualified. Two Democrats have qualified, including the Chief Operating Officer at Grambling State, Martin Lemelle Junior…
cut 10 (09) “….through technology”
Small business owner Candy Christophe of Alexandria has also qualified for the race. Qualifying ends at 4:30 tomorrow.

7:30 LRN Newscast July 23

Democratic Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins will officially qualify for the US Senate race today, challenging Republican incumbent Bill Cassidy.
Cut 1 (29) “I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Tropical Depression eight is moving through the central Gulf of Mexico heading towards Texas. Donald Williams with the National Weather Service says the system is not expected to develop into a hurricane and at most may become a weak tropical storm…
cut 13 (06) “….organized”
The system is expected to bring rain to south Louisiana.

Seven candidates have filed their paperwork at the Secretary of State’s office in Baton Rouge seeking to replace Ralph Abraham as Louisiana’s fifth district congressman. Republican Lance Harris is looking to jump from the state legislature to the U-S House of Representatives. Harris is a businessman from Alexandria..
cut 11 (09) “….create jobs”
Harris is one of five Republicans to qualify. The others are Allen Guillory, Matt Hasty, Luke Letlow and Scotty Robinson. Two Democrats have qualified. Clinical social worker Candy Christophe is also from Alexandria and she’s entered the race to create change…
cut 9 (10) “….want to see”
The other Democrat in the race is Martin Lemelle of Ruston. Qualifying ends tomorrow at 4:30.

6:30 LRN Newscast July 23

Democratic Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins will challenge Republican Senator Bill Cassidy in the November 3rd election. Before he got into politics, Perkins served in the Army and is a former student body president at West Point and Harvard. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Cassidy can not underestimate Perkins.
Cut 4 (09)_ “…to campaign”
Perkins will file his official paperwork at the Secretary of State’s Office at 11 AM.

Tropical Depression eight has formed in the central Gulf and it could dump rain on south Louisiana on its way to Texas. National Weather Service forecaster Donald Williams…
Cut 12 (13) “…state”
The National Hurricane Center’s forecast says the depression will develop into a Tropical Storm tomorrow.

In a statewide poll commissioned by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, 76-percent of the state’s residents support the governor’s mask mandate and 61-percent say the public health emergency in Louisiana should not be canceled. U-L Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the Remington Research Group surveyed 36-hundred Louisiana residents…
cut 17 (09) “…board”
Schexnayder opposes an effort by a group of Republican lawmakers to revoke the governor’s coronavirus emergency order.

Governor John Bel Edwards will hold another COVID-19 briefing today at 2:30. The state reproted an addition 60 deaths yesterday. The highest one day total since May 1st.

530 PM LRN News

Democrats are lining up to take on Senator Bill Cassidy in November with a number of newly announced candidates saying they’ll file paperwork this week. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins was the highlight, but Baton Rouge progressive activist Antoine Peirce, the first candidate to announce for the race, is also going to be on the ballot after filling in the paperwork today.

Cut 10 (12) “…cannabis.”

The National Hurricane Center is giving a tropical wave in the central Gulf of Mexico a high chance to develop into a tropical cyclone over the next two days. State Climatologist Barry Keim says this disturbance will have a more immediate impact on the state.

Cut 4 (11)_ “of Louisiana”

There’s also Tropical Storm Gonzalo in the Atlantic, which is expected to reach the Caribbean on Saturday.

Louisiana has added nearly 1,000 COVID hospitalizations since moving into Phase Two June 5th. Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says that’s concerning healthcare providers who are already dealing with an influx of patients who weren’t being treated during the stay at home order.

Cut 11 (11) “hospital”

We now have 1581 COVID hospitalizations, nearly triple our low point of 542 June 13th.

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell files paperwork seeking a fourth term in the office representing northwest Louisiana. Campbell is one of the state’s longest-serving elected officials, first elected to the State Senate in 1975. Campbell says he wants to continue his work serving the working people of the state.

Cut 14 (11) “…them.”

4:30 PM Newscast

The state reports 60 new COVID-19 fatalities today, the highest daily addition since May 1. Total statewide death toll: 3,558. The state also added another 2,800 cases and is on course to surpass 100,000 total cases tomorrow. 62,456 are presumed recovered.

Statewide COVID hospitalizations are nearly triple what they were at our low point on June 13th. Matt Doyle reports healthcare providers are worried about hospital capacity again

cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”  

 

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins has announced he will run against Republican Senator Bill Cassidy in the November 3rd election. Perkins will officially qualify tomorrow. John Paul Bourgeois from Gretna was the first person to sign up to challenge Cassidy. Bourgeois is an epidemiologist and public health librarian. The Gretna resident says he’s running against Cassidy because he tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act…

Cut 9 (12) “…not acceptable.”

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell files paperwork seeking a fourth term in the office representing northwest Louisiana. The Louisiana Political Hall of Famer says if given another term he will continue to fight for more rural broadband access and against predatory utility practices.

Cut 15 (11) “…mind” 

 

330 PM LRN News

Over 2,800 new COVID positive tests are being reported today along with a startling 54 person increase in COVID hospitalizations. The state is nearly back to where it was in late April when it comes to hospital bed usage, and several regions of Louisiana are now actively working to move ICU patients into less slammed areas. Some have called the recent concern over ballooning cases hysteria caused by higher overall testing but Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says that’s false, and the state now has an over ten percent positive rate for COVID tests.

Cut 13 (09) “…tested” 

We now have 1581 COVID hospitalizations, nearly triple our low point of 542 June 13th.

The National Hurricane Center is giving a tropical wave in the central Gulf of Mexico a high chance to develop into a tropical cyclone over the next two days. State Climatologist Barry Keim…

Cut 3 (12)  “….of the tracking”  

The Democrats managed to find a big-name candidate to take on Senator Bill Cassidy after months of hand-wringing over a lack of candidates with fundraising appeal. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins has announced he will run Perkins says he decided to run because America and Louisiana are at a crossroads

Cut 6 (10) “…head on”

Cassidy says he’s done a lot during his five years in the U-S Senate and plans to run on that record…

Cut 8 (07) “…more to do”

Perkins gives Cassidy a major challenger from the Democratic Party, but Cassidy holds a huge fundraising advantage. John Paul Bourgeois of Gretna and Baton Rouge progressive activist Antoine Peirce also sighed up to run against the Senior Senator.

230 PM LRN News

Louisiana reports 54 new COVID hospitalizations putting us at 1581 total, the highest mark since May 1st. The nearly 2,800 new positive tests put us less than 700 cases away from breaking 100,000 total since the pandemic began, a number that almost certainly will be reached tomorrow.

Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says these numbers are alarming but starting next week they hope they will level off due to the Governor’s face mask and bar ban mandate. 

Cut 12 (09) “…systems” 

The National Hurricane Center is giving a tropical wave in the central Gulf of Mexico a high chance to develop into a tropical cyclone over the next two days.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s likely to head for Houston, but if this system continues to develop, we could see some high winds and storm surge along the coastline.

Cut 5 (11)  “for us”

Democrats are lining up to take on Senator Bill Cassidy in November with a number of newly announced candidates saying they’ll file paperwork this week. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins was the highlight, but Paul Bourgeois from Gretna was the first person to sign up to challenge Cassidy. Bourgeois is an epidemiologist and public health librarian. The Gretna resident says he’s running against Cassidy because he tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act…

Cut 9 (12) “…not acceptable.”

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell files paperwork seeking a fourth term in the office representing northwest Louisiana. Campbell is one of the state’s longest-serving elected officials, first elected to the State Senate in 1975. Campbell says he wants to continue his work serving the working people of the state.

Cut 14 (11) “…them.”

Campbell has made several attempts to run for federal and statewide offices but has not been successful, his most recent effort a loss to now-Senator John Kennedy in 2016.

1:30 LRN Newscast July 22

Louisiana reported another 28-hundred coronavirus cases today bringing the total number to 99,354. Hospitalizations also increased by another 54 to 1,581.

Statewide COVID hospitalizations are nearly triple what they were at our low point June 13th, and that has healthcare providers worried about capacity again. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins has announced his candidacy for U-S Senate, giving Republican Incumbent Bill Cassidy a major challenger from the Democratic Party. Perkins says he’s tired of the political games in Washington DC and he wants to help create a government that serves everyone…
Cut 7 (04) “by them”
Antoine Pierce of Baton Rouge is another Democrat who signed up today to challenge Cassidy. Pierce says reducing poverty is one of his main goals…
cut 10 (12) “….cannabis”
Cassidy touts his work in reducing prescription drug prices and health care premiums.

Qualifying is also underway for the 5th District Congressional race, which is an open seat because Republican Ralph Abraham is not seeking reelection. So far five candidates are signed up

1230 PM LRN News

Louisiana has added over 900 COVID hospitalizations since moving into Phase Two June 5th. Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Alex Billioux says that’s concerning healthcare providers who are already dealing with an influx of patients who weren’t being treated during the stay at home order.

Cut 11 (11) “hospital”

We now have 1527 COVID hospitalizations, nearly triple our low point of 542 June 13th.

Coalition for Responsible Home Education Director Rachel Coleman says many parents are considering homeschooling for the fall with school life being uncertain. Coleman says if you’re considering homeschooling know you must have a caregiver who can be a full-time educator that can provide a curriculum of quality at least equal to that offered by public schools of the same grade.

Cut 13 (12) “…school” 

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins announces he’s running for U-S Senate, giving Republican Incumbent Bill Cassidy a major challenger for the November 3rd election. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

11:30 LRN Newscast July 22

Louisiana will remain in Phase Two through early August as the number of people hospitalized by COVID-19 continues to rise…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

Qualifying for the November federal election is underway and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy is up for re-election. The doctor from Baton Rouge says he has a strong record to run on…
cut 8 (07) “…more to do”
Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins announced this morning that he will for Senate giving Cassidy a major Democratic challenger.

The National Hurricane Center is giving a tropical wave moving towards the central Gulf of Mexico a medium chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours. State Climatologist Barry Keim says even if this system doesn’t develop into a named storm, it will still bring rain to the Bayou State…
cut 4 (11) “…of Louisiana”
Tropical Storm Gonzalo formed in the middle of the Atlantic this morning. Gonzalo is expected to develop into a hurricane as it heads towards the Caribbean. Gonzalo could be bearing down on Jamaica on Monday.

A new era in Monroe city government is underway as Friday Ellis has been sworn-in as mayor….
cut 15 (11) “….of its residents”
Ellis ran as an independent and defeated longtime mayor Jamie Mayo.