Monroe was setting of dueling campaign rallies yesterday as Governor Edwards and President Trump descended on the city to duke it out for the Governor’s race. President Trump said he couldn’t believe a deep red state that went handily for Trump in 2016 had elected a Democratic governor just a year before…

Cut 5 (13) “…please.”

Edwards meanwhile slammed his opponent Eddie Rispone for calling for tax cuts that the Governor says would wreck higher education. He also warned against Rispone’s plans for Medicaid…

Cut 7 (09) “…Louisiana” 

Early voting for the run-off runs through Saturday. Election day Saturday November 16^th.

Tiger fans headed to Tuscaloosa for the game this Saturday are urged to have a little patience as the city is being swamped with visitors…

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

A cold front move across Louisiana today, dropping temps ahead of what will be a chilly weekend. Temps this morning are in the low 60’s statewide, which State Climatologist Barry Keim says will rise to the upper 60’s in northern parishes and upper 70’s in southern Louisiana.  Tomorrow…

Cut  12 (06) “…air filters in.” 

Busy day for Monroe yesterday as President Trump and Governor Edwards threw dueling campaign rallies…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

A cold front will push across Louisiana today, dropping temps ahead of what should be a chilly weekend. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the front will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to the state.
Cut 11 (06) “…so relatively light.”
High temps tomorrow in the 50s and near-freezing temperatures Saturday morning.

The town of Tuscaloosa in Alabama will be overrun by college football fans on Saturday for the big SEC showdown between the Tigers and Crimson Tide. CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama Jim Page says T-Town has a population of about 100-thousand, but that won’t be the case Saturday…
cut 9 (09) “….case this Saturday”
Page encourages fans to get on campus or downtown early, especially since President Donald Trump is expected to attend the game.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is looking to hire 24 new enforcement agents. Qualified cadets must have at least four years of military experience, or a two-year degree from a technical college, or 60 semester hours from a university. LDWF spokesperson Adam Einck says a six-month training program will begin in March…
cut 15 (08) “…stuff”
If interested, apply at the Department of Civil Service’s Website.

Monroe was a political hotbed yesterday as Governor John Bel Edwards and President Donald Trump descended on the city as the 2019 Louisiana Governor’s race heats up. Thousands crammed into the Monroe Civic Center to hear the President hype up Republican candidate Eddie Rispone….
Cut 4 (11) “…extreme left.”
Before the President’s arrival, Edwards spoke to hundreds of supporters at a Monroe park. Edwards slammed Rispone for calling for tax cuts that the Governor says would wreck higher education. He also warned against Rispone’s plans for Medicaid…
Cut 7 (09) “…Louisiana”
Early voting for the November 16th election continues through Saturday.

Tiger fans headed to Tuscaloosa for the big game are urged to have patience on Saturday as the city will be swamped with football fans…
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is looking for new enforcement agents to help preserve the Sportsman’s Paradise. LDWF spokesperson Adam Einck says applications will be accepted for until November 24th and they hope to hire 24 cadets interested in making the outdoors their next office.
Cut 14 (12) “…hunters”
You can apply at the Department of Civil service’s website.

Busy day for Monroe yesterday as President Trump and Governor Edwards threw dueling campaign rallies…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

_____________________________

 Tiger fans headed to Tuscalousa for the game this Saturday are urged to have a little paitence as the city is being swamped with visitors…

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

________________________

Temps begin to fall today ahead of a chilly Louisiana weekend.  Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “…Jeff Palermo”

________________________

Monroe was home to dueling rallies yesterday as Governor Edwards and President Trump descended on the city to rally for the Governor’s race.

The President was in town last night to hype up Eddie Rispone to voters in a region that went for Ralph Abraham in the primary. He sold rally-goers on Rispone’s conservative bona fides…

Cut 4 (11) “…extreme left.”

And said he couldn’t believe a deep red state that went handily for Trump in 2016 had elected a Democratic governor just a year before…

Cut 5 (13) “…please.”

Edwards rallied earlier that day. He slammed Rispone for bringing the President into the race, saying the Baton Rouge businessman had to bring in a national leader because he had no local plans.

Cut 6 (10) “*cheering*.”

Edwards slammed Rispone for calling for tax cuts that the Governor says would wreck higher education. He also warned against Rispone’s plans for Medicaid…

Cut 7 (09) “…Louisiana” 

Early voting for the run-off runs through Saturday.

____________________

Tiger fans are flocking to Tuscaloosa for the biggest college football game in the nation this week as LSU takes on Bama on Saturday.  Don’t already have accommodations?  President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama Jim Page says putting your head in a bed might be costly.

Cut 8 (09) “…at a premium.”

T-Town has a population of about 100,000 but on any typical game day, but Page says that number can double or triple.

Cut 9 (09)  “case this Saturday.”

Traffic is expected to be intense.  College Gameday will be broadcasting from the campus and security will also be slowing things down as President Trump will be in attendance at the game.  Page says extra time is something all game-day revelers need to account for.

Cut 10 (12) “…longer than normal.”

_________________________________

A cold front moves across Louisiana today, dropping temps ahead of what should be a chilly weekend.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says the front will bring scattered showers to the state.

Cut 11 (06) “…so relatively light.”

Some shower activity could linger into Friday, but will most likely be cleared out in time for high school football action.  However, Keim says having an umbrella might not be a bad idea.

Temps this morning are in the low 60’s statewide, which Keim says will rise to the upper 60’s in northern parishes and upper 70’s in southern Louisiana.  Tomorrow will be much colder.

Cut  12 (06) “…air filters in.” 

Keim says the weekend forecast does call for temps in the 30’s for some portions of the state, which could mean frost.

Cut 13 (08) “…vegetation for sure.”

_______________________

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries needs more Wildlife Enforcement Cadets to help preserve the Sportsman’s Paradise.

LDWF spokesperson Adam Einck says applications will be accepted for game wardens from now until the 24^th, and they’re going to need 24 new cadets interested in making the outdoors their next office.

Cut 14 (12) “…hunters” 

Qualified cadets must have at least four years of military experience, or a two-year degree from a technical college, or 60 semester hours from a university.

If accepted cadets will start their six-month training program in March. Einck says it’s not an easy program, and cadets will need to be mentally and physically fit.

Cut 15 (08) “…stuff.”

Einck says you don’t have to be an outdoorsman to apply, but they’d definitely prefer applicants have a love for the wilderness and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Cut 16  (09)  …long ways.  

You can apply at the Department of Civil Service’s website.

________________________________

A  win for LSU on Saturday against Alabama and the Tigers will take a big step forward towards a berth in the four-team college football playoff. LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire says the team understands the high stakes…

Cut 17  (23)  this area ”   

Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban said quarterback Tua Tagvailoa is doing ok at practice this week and it’s still a game-time decision as to whether he plays against LSU. If Tua can’t play, Mac Jones will start. LSU safety Jacoby Stevens says they are preparing for both…

cut 18  (16) “they have” 

___________________________________________________

After beating Texas State for homecoming on Saturday, the Ragin Cajuns are back at it tonight as they visit Coastal Carolina. U-L Lafayette Coach Billy Napier says Coastal is not easy to prepare for on a short week…

cut 19 (23), players”    

Napier says tonight will be a tough game as Coastal is better than its 4-and-4 record…

cut 20 (11) “ they have”   

A study of the gubernatorial primary results show President Trump’s October rally in Lake Charles was not a major factor in pushing Governor Edwards to a run-off.  LSU political researcher Dr. Michael Henderson says that naturally leads to a question about the effectiveness of injecting national politics into state races…
Cut 8 (08) “…all about partisanship.”
Trump continues to focus on the Governor’s race with an appearance in Monroe tonight.
The College Football Playoff selection committee has Ohio State number one over LSU. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says its probably better for LSU that they are ranked second…

Cut 4 (12) “…about that.”

The selection committee ranked Alabama in third.

Public school report cards are out, and by state metrics, the overall quality is up, but a new federal rating metric, the Every Student Succeeds Act, has identified hundreds of problematic schools.

Cut 10 (11) “years.”

That’s Superintendent of Education John White who says 571 schools were identified under ESSA as failing certain disadvantaged populations within the school.

Renown Pointe Coupee Parish Pulitzer-nominated author, and former UL Lafayette Writer-in-Residence Ernest Gaines has died. Gaines found mass critical acclaim with his works The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman and A Lesson Before Dying, but in an 2008 interview with Jim Engster, Gaines says he saw a lot of himself in a protagonist from his 1963 short story, The Sky is Gray.

Cut 14 (07) “…everything.”

Gaines was 86.

A study of the gubernatorial primary results show President Trump’s rally in Lake Charles may have only had a slight boost.  LSU political researcher Dr. Michael Henderson says Trump may have only moved the needle in the Lake Charles region by about 2%, which resulted in an additional 2,000 GOP votes versus 2015.
Cut 6 (11) “…avoid a runoff.”
Trump continues to focus on the Governor’s race with an appearance in Monroe tonight.
To the surprise of some LSU fans, the Tigers are not number one in the first college football playoff ranking for the 2019 season. The selection committee ranked Ohio State ahead of LSU and Alabama is third. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says he’s not surprised with the Buckeyes getting the top spot…

Cut 3 (12)   “…and defense” 

Public school report cards are out and the state’s overall performance score is up slightly, but the report shows more work needs to be done to improve struggling schools. 16 percent of schools scored an A, 32 percent a B, 29 percent a C, 14 percent a D, and nine percent a failing grade. Superintendent of Education John White compares that to last year.
Cut 9 (08)  “schools.”
The total number of school systems that earned an A rating jumped from four last year to nine this year.

Renown Pointe Coupee Parish Pulitzer-nominated author, and former UL Lafayette Writer-in-Residence Ernest Gaines passed away yesterday at 86. Gaines was born on a plantation into a rural sharecropping family during the Great Depression, and told Jim Engster during an interview in 2008 that it wasn’t an easy upbringing…

Cut  12 (11) “…that way.” 

President Donald Trump will rally Republican voters in northeast Louisiana tonight with what is expected to be a lively speech at the Monroe Civic Center. Trump is in the Bayou State to support Republican Gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone. LSU political science researcher Mike Henderson says based on the polling he’s seen, the impeachment inquiry into Trump has not led to more voters for Rispone….
cut 7 (11) “…remained pretty steady”

Public school report cards were released today. State Superintendent of Education John White says there were 219 schools identified as in need of comprehensive improvement and 39-percent saw an improved performance score of three-percent or higher….
cut 11 (07) “….state”
In the first college football playoff ranking, LSU is number two, behind Ohio State. Alabama is ranked third, Penn State Fourth. So two teams from the SEC and Big 10 are in the top four, but Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says that will change
Cut 5 (08) “… self out”
LSU is at Alabama this Saturday and the other big game is Penn State at Minnesota.

Renown Pointe Coupee Parish Pulitzer-nominated author, and former UL Lafayette Writer-in-Residence Ernest Gaines passed away at the age of 86 at his home near New Roads. Gaines moved to California in his teens because African Americans did not have a high school at that time in Pointe Coupee. Gaines returned home in the 80s after living in San Francisco.
Cut 13 (11) “…changed”
Much of Gaines’ work focuses on the experience of African Americans living in the Jim Crow south.

Public school report cards are out, and by state metrics, the overall quality is up, but a new federal rating metric, the Every Student Succeeds Act, has identified hundreds of problematic schools.

Cut 10 (11) “years.”

That’s Superintendent of Education John White who says 571 schools were identified under ESSA as failing certain disadvantaged populations within the school.

A study of the gubernatorial primary results show President Trump’s October rally in Lake Charles was not a major factor in pushing Governor Edwards to a run-off.  LSU political researcher Dr. Michael Henderson says that naturally leads to a question about the effectiveness of injecting national politics into state races…

Cut 8 (08) “…all about partisanship.”

LSU is ranked second and not first in the first college football playoff rankings for 2019. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Monroe is a political battleground today with Governor Edwards meeting with campaign volunteers earlier today in response to President Trump’s rally later tonight for Eddie Rispone. Polls show a tight race and Monroe is home to the kinds of rural conservative voters that both campaigns are fighting over. Trump will be speaking at the Monroe Civic Center at 7PM, and lines are already forming for the event.

Eddie Rispone is hoping President Trump’s visit to Monroe tonight will put him in the Governor’s mansion. But a recent study indicates Trump may not be pushing voters as much as one would think.
cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

The College Football Playoff selection committee has Ohio State number one over LSU. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says its probably better for LSU that they are ranked second…
cut 4 (12) “…about that”

Public school report cards are out and the state’s overall performance score is up slightly, but the report shows more work needs to be done to improve struggling schools. 16 percent of schools scored an A, 32 percent a B, 29 percent a C, 14 percent a D, and nine percent a failing grade. Superintendent of Education John White compares that to last year.
cut 9 (08) ‘…schools”
571 schools have been identified as needing improvement after achieving low marks for two consecutive years.

One of the best authors the world has ever seen has passed away. Pointe Coupee Parish native Ernest Gaines has died at 86. He wrote two critically acclaimed books, the Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman and a Lesson Before Dying, but saw a lot of himself in a protagonist from his 1963 short story, The Sky is Gray…
cut 14 (07) “…everything”
Much of Gaines’ work focuses on the experience of African Americans living in the Jim Crow south.

A study of the gubernatorial primary results shows President Trump’s October rally in Lake Charles may have only had a slight boost at the ballot box.  LSU political researcher Dr. Michael Henderson says Trump may have only moved the needle in the Lake Charles region by about 2%, which resulted in an additional 2,000 GOP votes versus 2015.
Cut 6 (11) “…avoid a runoff.”
Trump continues to focus on the Governor’s race with an appearance in Monroe tonight.
Renown Pointe Coupee Parish Pulitzer-nominated author, and former UL Lafayette Writer-in-Residence Ernest Gaines passed away yesterday at 86. Gaines would eventually move to California in his teens because African Americans did not have a high school at that time in Pointe Coupee. Gaines returned home in the 80s after living in San Francisco.

Cut 13 (11) “…changed”

The high cost of medical marijuana has advocates concerns it’s becoming a treatment exclusively for the rich. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (29) “…Matt Doyle”