6:30 LRN newscast July 17

State Republican leaders are weighing in on the President’s controversial tweet where he said four congresswomen of color should “go back to where they came from”. Many in the Democratic Party call it a racist tweet, but Louisiana Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham disagrees.
Cut 13 (12) “we are.”
But Southern University Political Science Department Chairman Albert Samuels says the statement is racist because it taps into a history of telling non-white citizens they are not patriotic if they speak out. Samuels sees that Republican leaders’ support of the “racist” remark is a political strategy that taps into white racial resentment over the nation’s changing demographics.
Cut 16 (06) “successful”

Baton Rouge teacher Dr. Tia Mills takes over as head of the Louisiana Association of Educators, after the retirement of former President Debbie Meaux. This comes after teachers won a 1,000 dollar pay raise, their first in over a decade. Mills says they will continue to push for a better salary in next year’s session.
Cut 7 (08) “…average”
Before the raise, the average Louisiana teacher salary was 22-hundred dollars below the southern regional average.

Triple-A says laminated glass found in many new cars is nearly unbreakable, which is not good for passengers trapped following an accident. Triple-A spokesperson Don Redman says 1 in 3 new vehicles have laminated glass windows that will not shatter, but most have at least one tempered glass window. It’s important to remember which window will break and have an accessible escape tool…
Cut 11 (07) “…to get to.”

LRN AM Newscall

One of the state’s teacher’s unions has a new President. Matt Doyle spoke with the new head of the Louisiana Association of Educators…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

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AAA says knowing what type of glass is in your car windows could be a lifesaver. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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US Senator John Kennedy and Congressman Ralph Abraham weighed in on a tweet from the President where he told a group of minorty Congresswomen to “go back to where they came from”.

Cut 3 (30) “,,.I’m Matt Doyle”

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A suspect is behind bars in the murder of Baton Rouge African American History Museum founder Sadie Roberts-Joseph, who was found dead in the trunk of a car. The coroner says Roberts-Joseph was suffocated. The victim’s daughter, Angela Roberts-Machen praises the work of law enforcement.

Cut 4 (12) “…out what happened.” 

38-year-old Ron Jermaine Bell is in jail for the killing of the 75-year-old Capital City civil activist. Police say Bell was a tenant of one of Roberts-Joseph’s houses and behind on rent.  Roberts-Machen says during a difficult time, the family found comfort in the thorough work of detectives.

Cut 5  (09) “…was being done.” 

Roberts-Machen says her mother’s hard work, sacrifice, and dedication has built a legacy of inclusion.  It is a legacy she says will continue.

Cut 6 (10) “…fruition in death.”
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Dr. Tia Mills has taken over as head of the Louisiana Association of Educators, after the retirement of former President Debbie Meaux, who served two terms.

This comes just after teachers won a 1,000 dollar pay raise, their first pay raise in over a decade. Mills says the plan is to continue pushing for a better salary in next year’s session.

Cut 7 (08) “…average”

Before the last session’s raise, Louisiana teachers were roughly 2,200 dollar below the southern regional average.

The governor’s race is set to heat up with qualifying next month. Mills says the LAE will be getting involved in the race and supporting Governor Edwards’ re-election bid.

Cut 8 (08) “…education.”

Mills says she was encouraged by lawmaker’s decision to increase public education spending in the last session, but she says the new funding level isn’t the destination, but the first step.

Cut 9 (10) “…to go.”

Mills has worked as a special education teacher at Eden Park Superintendant’s Academy, and received the Horace Mann award for excellence in teaching in 2017.

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New research from AAA shows vehicle escape tools to bust out a window can be a lifesaver, but you need to know what type of glass your car windows have.  AAA spokesperson Don Redman says tempered glass will shatter, but laminated glass like you find in a windshield will not.

Cut 10 (11) “…vehicle catches fire.”

With many bodies of water around the state, one wrong move could result in someone being stuck in a submerged vehicle.  Redman says 1 in 3 new vehicles have laminated glass windows that will not shatter, but most have at least one tempered glass window.  It’s important to remember which window will break.

Cut 11 (07) “…to get to.”

Redman says there the acronym SURE will help those in an emergency situation.

Cut 12 (06) “…the vehicle quickly.”
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State Republican leaders are weighing in on the President’s tweet where he asked a group of Democratic black, Puerto Rican, and Palestinian Congresswomen to “go back to where they came from”.

The tweet provoked a national controversy with many calling the sentiment racist, but Alto Congressman Ralph Abraham disagrees.

Cut 13 (12) “we are.”

Abraham says if the four Congresswomen want to go somewhere else, he would pay for their plane ticket.

US Senator John Kennedy says the tweet was not worded well, but it was not racist, and backed up the President’s criticism of the four freshman Congresswomen.

Cut 14 (09) “…America”

The four young Congresswomen, known as “The Squad”, had been vocal of their criticism of the United State’s immigration and criminal justice policies.

Southern University Political Science Department Chairman Albert Samuels says the statement is racist because it taps into a history of telling non-white citizens that they aren’t patriotic if they speak out.

Cut 15 (11) “…America.”

Three of the Congresswomen were born in the US, and the fourth was naturalized.

Samuels says see major state Republican leaders support the “racist” remark is a political strategy that taps into white racial resentment over the nation’s changing demographics.

Cut 16  (06) “successful”  

Louisiana Democratic Party Chairwomen Karen Carter Peterson says the Republican Congressional delegation’s support for the “racist remarks shameful.”

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New Pelicans players Lonzo Ball, Derric Favors, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram were introduced to the media on Tuesday. Ball says he’s ready for a fresh start in New Orleans after two so-so seasons in Los Angeles. Ball has yet to show the ability to score at a high rate in the NBA, but Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin says Ball is special on the defensive end of the court

cut 17 (19) “to do” 

Ingram averaged 18 points a game last season, while missing 30 games because of injuries. Hart played two seasons in L-A and is excited to see this team grow in the Big Easy

The Pelicans acquired Favors in a trade with Utah. In nine seasons with the Jazz , Favors averaged 12 points and seven rebounds a game. He’s also known as a great team leader and guy who played a big role in making Utah a factor again in the Western Conference. Favors on his role in New Orleans

5:30 PM Newscast

Baton Rouge Police arrest 38-year-old Ronn Bell in the murder of civil activist Saide Roberts-Joseph. The 75-year-old was found dead in her trunk on Friday. Chief Murphy Paul says Bell has been charged with first-degree murder. Paul says they don’t have an exact motive, but Bell was a tenant in one of her rent houses
Cut 12 (08) “…was owed.”
Roberts-Joseph was the founder of Baton Rouge’s African American history museum and her murder shook the community because she was known her kindness.
A 60-year-old East Feliciana Parish man is arrested for a second time in less than four months for negligent homicide, after striking a pedestrian with his truck on LA Hwy 10 in West Feliciana Parish. State Trooper Taylor Scrantz says Salvatore Euggino of Ethel was involved in another fatal accident in March, addingit is rare for anyone to be arrested twice for vehicular homicide in such a short amount of time.
Cut 5 (10) “…the deceased individuals.”

Campaign finance reports are out, with Governor Edwards sitting pretty with 9.6 million on hand while his Republican challengers fight it out for a spot in the run-off…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of three people, accused of selling narcotics illegally in the Ruston area. Along with dealing drugs from their home, authorities say they were selling candy and treats to neighborhood children.  During a search warrant execution, authorities say they found marijuana, hydrocodone, Vicodin, paraphernalia, scales, and baggies. Agents say the scales were on a table with some of the items being sold to neighborhood children included chips, candy, nachos, pickles, popsicles, and drinks.

4:30 PM Newscast

Baton Rouge Police arrest 38-year-old Ronn Bell in the murder of civil activist Saide Roberts-Joseph. The 75-year-old was found dead in her trunk on Friday. A preliminary autopsy found that Roberts-Joseph died from being suffocated. Since Bell has been charged with first-degree murder, prosecutors can seek the death penalty. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says no decision has been made on that…

Cut 14 (11) “…other case”

Paul says they don’t have an exact motive, but Bell was a tenant in one of her rent houses
A 60-year-old East Feliciana Parish man is arrested for a second time in less than four months for negligent homicide, after striking a pedestrian with his truck on LA Hwy 10 in West Feliciana Parish. State Trooper Taylor Scrantz says Salvatore Euggino was involved in another fatal accident in March.

Cut 3 (11) “…survive the crash.”

Governor’s race finance reports are out and Governor Edwards has 9.6 million cash on hand, while Republicans Eddie Rispone and Congressman Abraham have 9.8 and 1.3 million dollars respectively. John Bel Edwards was barred from fundraising during the legislative season, but UL Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the Gov had already built up a substantial warchest.

Cut 9 (10) “race.”

Edwards is the only candidate so far to run statewide TV ads.

The Bonnet Carre Spillway will remain open longer than officials hoped because of Hurricane-slash-Tropical Storm Barry. Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett says they aren’t concerned that the additional water will put any of the levee system in danger.

Cut 7 (11) “…slow fall.”

Toxic algae blooms linked to the Spillway’s opening have continued to shutter Mississippi beaches during a peak tourist season.

330PM LRN News

Baton Rouge Police arrest 38-year-old Ronn Bell in the murder of civil rights activist Saide Roberts-Joseph. The 75-year-old was found dead in her trunk on Friday and was a local icon, and founder of Baton Rouge’s African American history museum. Chief Murphy Paul credits great police work.

Cut 13 (09) “…your efforts”

A preliminary autopsy found that Roberts-Joseph died from being suffocated.

Governor’s race finance reports are out and Governor Edwards has 9.6 million cash on hand, while Republicans Eddie Rispone and Congressman Abraham have 9.8 and 1.3 million dollars respectively. Rispone has mostly self funded, and UL Lafayette Poli Sci Professor Pearson Cross says the candidate needs to ramp up his campaign.

Cut 11 (10) “…short”

Rispone raised 277,000 dollars from contributions during that period.

An East Feliciana Parish man has been arrested for the second time in four months for his role in a fatal wreck. 

cut  2 (31) I’m Jeff Palermo”  

The Bonnet Carre Spillway will remain open longer than officials hoped because of Hurricane-slash-Tropical Storm Barry. Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett says before they can close the Spillway, the Mississippi river must drop to 21 feet at the structure in St. Charles Parish, but that has yet to happen…

Cut 6 (10) “…to us.”

2:30 LRN newscast July 16

Baton Rouge Police have made an arrest in the murder of civil activist Saide Roberts-Joseph. The 75-year-old was found dead in her trunk on Friday. Chief Murphy Paul says Ronn Bell has been charged with first-degree murder. Paul says they don’t have an exact motive, but Bell was a tenant in one of her rent houses…
cut 12 (08) “…was owed”
Roberts-Joseph was the founder of Baton Rouge’s African American history museum.

The U-S Army Corps of Engineers said last month that it was there hope they would be able to begin to close the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish this month. But Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett says Hurricane Barry has changed those plans…
cut 8 (10) “….right now”
The spillway has been open for a record number of days this year.

Campaign finance reports are out, with Governor Edwards sitting pretty with 9.6 million on hand while his Republican challengers fight it out for a spot in the run-off…
voicer 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Congressman Abraham is in full support of President Trump who tweeted that four minority members of the U-S House of Representatives should leave the country, because of what he calls anti-American comments . Abraham says he’ll buy the plane tickets for them.

1:30 PM Newscast

Governor’s race finance reports are out and Governor Edwards has 9.6 million cash on hand, while Republicans Eddie Rispone and Congressman Abraham have 9.8 and 1.3 million dollars respectively. Congressman Ralph Abraham, the leading Republican in the so far limited polling available, raised 800,000 dollars during the most recent fundraising period. UL Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says he’s picking up steam, but…

Cut 10 (08) “….come in”
Edwards is the only candidate so far to run statewide TV ads.

The Bonnet Carre Spillway will remain open longer than officials hoped because of Hurricane-slash-Tropical Storm Barry. Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett says they aren’t concerned that the additional water will put any of the levee system in danger.

Cut 7 (11) “…slow fall.”

A 60-year-old East Feliciana Parish man is arrested for a second time in less than four months for negligent homicide. The pedestrian who died on Monday has been identified as Ricky Pourciau.  State Trooper Taylor Scrantz says Euggino fled the scene after the crash but was later located at a local business.  A breath test has ruled out the possibility of alcohol involvement.
Cut 4 (08) “…negligent driving.”
Scrantz says it is rare for anyone to be arrested twice for vehicular homicide in such a short amount of time.

Governor Edwards is praising the state’s level of readiness in the face of Barry but wants to remind folks that “This is just the beginning of Hurricane Season, and we have a long way to go.” Edwards says one thing that really inspired confidence for the next storm was how well the state’s levee systems held up. He says not a single levee was breached, with only a few even being overtopped.

Cut 15 (08) “…locations.”

1230PM LRN News

Governor’s race finance reports are out and Governor Edwards has 9.6 million cash on hand, while Republicans Eddie Rispone and Congressman Abraham have 9.8 and 1.3 million dollars respectively.

John Bel Edwards was barred from fundraising during the legislative season, but UL Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says the gov had already built up a substantial warchest.

Cut 9, 10 seconds, race

Edwards is the only candidate to run TV ads.

A 50-year-old St. Francisville man is dead after being struck by a truck driven by 60-year-old Salvatore Euggino of Ethel, who four months ago was arrested in another fatal crash. State Trooper Taylor Scrantz says it is rare for anyone to be arrested twice for vehicular homicide in such a short amount of time.

Cut 5 (10) “…the deceased individuals.”

The pedestrian who died on Monday has been identified as Ricky Pourciau.

One in five adults in the state, just over 650,000, started college but never got a degree. But a new program from the University of Louisiana system aims to get those individuals degrees. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

11:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Edwards is praising the state’s level of readiness in the face of Barry but reminds everyone the hurricane season just started. The Governor singled out some impressive feats, such as a record-breaking 900,000 sandbags distributed statewide. He says now is the time to figure out what residents can do even better…
Cut 13 (09) “as well.”
As of this morning, five-thousand Cleco customers were still without power, while Entergy has 56-hundred customers impacted by outages.

The Bonnet Carre Spillway will remain open longer than officials hoped because of Hurricane-slash-Tropical Storm Barry. Corps of Engineers spokesperson Ricky Boyett says before they can close the Spillway, the Mississippi river must drop to 21 feet at the structure in St. Charles Parish, but that has yet to happen…
Cut 6 (10) “…to us.”
There was hope before Barry arrived that the Corps could begin closing Bonnet Carre Spillway in mid-July.

A 50-year-old St. Francisville man is dead after being struck by a truck on LA Hwy 10 in West Feliciana Parish driven by 60-year-old Salvatore Euggino of Ethel. State Trooper Taylor Scrantz says this is the second time in less than four months that troopers have arrested Euggino for negligent homicide.
Cut 3 (11) “…survive the crash.”
The pedestrian in Monday’s crash was identified as Ricky Pourciau.

The optimism of small business owners has seen a modest downturn, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. NFIB State Director Dawn Starns says business owners are more cautious with spending and credits politics on both the federal and state level…
Cut 10 (07) “…to the vest.”
But Starns says small business optimism is still at historically high levels.

10:30 AM Newscast

A new program called Compete Louisiana aims to ease the burden of returning to college for those that may have finished school without receiving a degree.  One in five adults in the state started college but never got a degree. President of the University of Louisiana system Jim Henderson says time management is the biggest hurdle for those that are targeted by the program.
Cut 8 (07) “…that is meaningless.”
Henderson says coaches will be assigned to individuals to figure out the right program and advise the student.
The optimism of small business owners has seen a modest downturn, slipping 1.7 points to 103.3. NFIB State Director Dawn Starns says the national political scene has a huge impact, and following the recent Democratic debates and discussion of the 2020 election, small business owners are being more cautious not knowing what may happen.

Cut 12 (10) “…the fall hits.”

The Office of Juvenile Justice is set to apply for a bond to phase out two old, decaying youth prisons, with newer “Therapeutic Model” facilities. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

Cleco says 92 percent of their customers that lost power during Barry have seen service restored. As of 9am, approximately 5000 Cleco customers are still in the dark, with just over half of those being St. Mary Parish, followed by Iberia Parish with just shy of 2000 without power. The company plans to restore power to most customers today, with scattered outages overnight.