LRN AM Newscall September 16

Outgoing Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy is blaming President Trump and  Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy for the growing number of measle cases in the U-S. Joe Gallinaro has the story…

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

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LSU and Ole Miss’s top-10 showdown this weekend could be the biggest event ever held in Oxford. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

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Our first taste of fall is coming. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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US Senator Bill Cassidy blames President Trump and US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy for the worst measles outbreak in 35 years. The President and Kennedy have linked autism to childhood vaccines. Cassidy, who is a doctor that has done vaccine research, says there is crazy stuff being said about vaccines…

Cut 4 (06) “…pediatrician”

The US has confirmed about 33-hundred measles cases this year, about eight percent of the patients have required hospitalizations and four people have died. Cassidy made the swing vote that resulted in Kennedy’s confirmation. Cassidy told reporters on Tuesday he supported the nomination because Trump and Kennedy promised they would put guardrails around their actions, but that didn’t happen…

Cut 5 (10) “…live up to it.”

Cassidy was asked if he regretted the vote…

Cut 6 (05) “…given a commitment.”

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The city of Oxford is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of college football fans for the top-10 matchup between LSU and Ole Miss this weekend. Kinney Ferris, the executive director of Visit Oxford, says the game is all anyone in town has been talking about for months.

Cut 7 (12) “…being ranked.”

Ferris says Oxford could see the most visitors in the city’s history this weekend. That record is currently held by Ole Miss’s 2024 win over second-ranked Georgia, when Oxford saw nearly 200-thousand out-of-towners.

Cut 8 (09) “…around it.”

Ferris says hotels are filling fast, but there is still some availability left. She says if Tiger fans are still looking for a place to stay, there could still be hope even if hotels are shown as fully booked.

Cut 9 (12)  “…not directly.”

She says there are also numerous Air-B-N-Bs and other rental options in the area.

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While the notion of sleeping with a night light causing myopia may be a myth, a new study shows that sleeping in near total darkness may increase heart health. Tulane University Professor Dr. Lu Qi (“chee”) led the study that was published in the European Heart Journal, and he says data from more than 11-thousand participants showed negative effects of sleeping with lights on.

Cut 10 (12) “…of cardiovascular diseases.”

Dr. Qi says sleeping with lights on can have a chain reaction of negative health conditions.

Cut 11 (09) “…for cardiovascular disease.”

Qi says sleeping in total darkness is shown to have additional benefits.

Cut 12 (10) “…of premature mortality.”

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Looks like we will get some relief from the heat and humidity. LSU health climatologist Barry Keim says a back door cold front will swing through the state today and you’ll feel difference starting on Thursday…

Cut 13 (11)  “…some time” 

Keim says it is referred to as a back door cold front, because the cool air will move into the state from the northeast, instead of the northwest, which is unusual. But the results will still be less humidity, dropping dew point temperatures into the upper 60s…

Cut 14 (13) “…in the air.”

Keim says the cooler air will stick around until Saturday morning…

Cut 15 (08) “…back to normal.”

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With all of the coach and player swaps between the schools, both LSU and Ole Miss have a lot of insight on how to counter one another ahead of their game this weekend. For the Tigers, Ole Miss transfer defensive end Princewill Umanmielen says he and linebacker TJ Dottery have been giving their teammates the inside scoop on their former school.

Cut 16 (12) “…for sure.”

The Tigers’ defense is number-one in the nation in yards allowed per game, but the Rebels’ backfield of Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy will be its biggest test this season. Chambliss ran for 71 yards against the Tigers last season and Umanmielen says LSU will need to contain him.

Cut 17 (15) “…next play mentality.”

LSU coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator helped to develop Chambliss when he transferred from division-two Ferris State last year. He says Chambliss has plenty of experience despite only one season in the SEC.

Cut 18 (12) “…Caleb Williams.”

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ULM welcomes Southeastern Louisiana for its home opener on Saturday. The Warhawks fell to 0-and-2 after losing to UAB 26-20 last weekend. Coach Bryant Vincent says that his team needs to be ready for the Lions this week.

Cut 19 (17) “…Super Bowl.”

Southeastern got its first win of the season with a 30-25 win over North Alabama. The Lions have started the year 1-and-2 after making the preseason top 25. Head coach Frank Scelfo says it’s a tough game against an FBS team finding its identity.

Cut 20 (18) “…the ball.”

Kickoff in Monroe is at 3:30

5:30 LRN Newscast

The 47-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing four people at a residence in Houma is facing four counts of first-degree murder. Joe Gallinaro has the latest…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

The defensive backs coach at Calvary Baptist High School died in an early morning crash on Interstate 20 near Haughton today. The Bossier Parish Coroner’s Office pronounced Virgil Williams dead just before 4:30 AM. Williams was a graduate of Evangel, winning two state titles for the Eagles. He went on to be a star football player at Southern University, where he was dubbed Virgil Island.

 

Record high diesel prices continue to rise. According to Gas-buddy the statewide average price for a gallon of diesel gas is $5.83. Patrick DeHaan says this is bad news, because when diesel prices go up, so does the price on everything we buy….

Cut 4 (08) “…runs on diesel.”

DeHaan says consumers will not see any real relief until military conflicts cease in Iran and between Ukraine and Russia.

Louisiana is set to get a break from the heat and humidity. LSU health climatologist Barry Keim says a back door cold front will move through the state tomorrow and this will reduce the humidity, dropping dew point temperatures into the upper 60s…

Cut 14 (13) “…in the air”

Keim says the cooler air will stick around until Saturday morning.

4:30 LRN Newscast

The man suspected of fatally stabbing four people in Houma over the weekend is facing four-counts of first-degree murder. Lt. Blake Tabor with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office says 47-year-old Kaegan Solet is hospitalized as he was injured during the attack. Tabor says upon Solet’s medical discharge, he will be transferred directly into the custody of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office…

Cut 11 (08) “…all charges.”

Tabor says deputies are supervising Solet 24-7 during his hospitalization.

Louisiana is seeing improvements when it comes to absenteeism rates for public school students, thanks to the “Power of Presence” Campaign that kicked off last year.  According to Misty Davis, Executive director of attendance strategy for the Department of Education, nearly 22-percent of public-school students were counted as chronically absent during the last school year…down from 28 percent in 2021, but still higher than pre-COVID numbers.

Cut 29 (09) “…the past.”

 

Already record-high diesel prices continue to go up with no end in sight. According to Gas-Buddy, the statewide price for a gallon of diesel gasoline is $5.83. A month ago, diesel prices were around five dollars a gallon. Gas-Buddy’s Patrick DeHaan says Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russia’s diesel-producing refineries is the reason why diesel prices are rising …

Cut 3 (08) “…anymore.”

DeHaan says when diesel prices go up, so does nearly everything else.

A hostile atmosphere is expected when seventh ranked LSU and eighth ranked Ole Miss meet on Saturday night as Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford as a villain after leaving the Rebels for LSU after six seasons at Ole Miss. Rebels Coach Pete Golding is trying to lower the temperature by telling reporters that Oxford has a reputation for being welcoming and not to ruin that reputation…

Cut 9 (11) “…respect piece”

Kick off is at 6:30.

3:30 LRN Newscast

The statewide average for a gallon of diesel gasoline is now up to a record-high of $5.83, according to Gas Buddy. Supply is low because of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. President Trump has called on Ukraine to stop targeting Russian refineries. The president has also predicted gas prices will fall after the midterm elections. But Patrick DeHaan says consumers will not see any real relief until military conflicts cease in Iran and between Ukraine and Russia…

Cut 5 (07) “…get addresed.”

Looks like we are going to get some relief from the heat and humidity. LSU health climatologist Barry Keim says a back door cold front will swing through the state tomorrow and you’ll feel difference starting on Thursday…

Cut 13 (11) “….some time”

Keim says humidity levels will creep back up on Saturday.

 

The 47-year-old man suspected of fatally stabbing four people in Houma has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder. Lt. Blake Tabor with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, says Kaegan Solet was also injured in the attack and is being treated at an out of area hospital. Tabor says deputies are in constant supervision of Solet throughout his hospitalization…

Cut 12 (12) “….during the booking procedures”

Tabor says a young boy who survived the attack is showing signs of getting better.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin says assistant coach and 2019 national champion head coach Ed Orgeron is improving from a health scare that began in mid-August.

Cut 7 (12) “…thing to follow.”

Kiffin says Orgeron is back with the team but it’s unknown if he’ll travel to Oxford.

2:30 LRN Newscast

The 47-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing four people on the property of a residence in Houma is facing four counts of first-degree murder. Lt. Blake Tabor with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office says Kaegan Solet is also facing one count of Attempted First-Degree murder for severely injuring a child…

Cut 10 (10) “…this investigation.”

Tabor says the injured child continues to recover.

LSU special assistant and former head football coach Ed Orgeron has been sidelined since mid-August with an undisclosed health issue. He missed both of the Tigers’ first games but head coach Lane Kiffin says his health is improving.

Cut 6 (10) “…through a lot.”

Kiffin says Coach O has been back in the building during the day but couldn’t confirm whether he’ll make the trip to Oxford this weekend.

 

The rapid rise in diesel prices is showing no signs of slowing down. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

In a social media post, Governor Jeff Landry says his 16th annual gator hunt fundraiser in his hometown of St. Martinville brought in seven million dollars. FBI Director Kash Patel was one of the attendees this year. The money will go to Landry’s re-election campaign, the Louisiana Republican Party and political action committees connected to the governor.

1:30 LRN Newscast

Record high diesel prices continue to rise. According to Gas-buddy the statewide average price for a gallon of diesel gas is $5.83. Patrick DeHaan says this is bad news, because when diesel prices go up, so does the price on everything we buy….

Cut 4 (08) “…runs on diesel.”

DeHaan says consumers will not see any real relief until military conflicts cease in Iran and between Ukraine and Russia.

Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford on Saturday, where he spent six seasons as the head coach of the Rebels. Current Ole Miss Coach Pete Golding says Kiffin’s former players are NOT treating this game against LSU any differently…

Cut 8 (12) “…exactly the same”

Kick off is at 6:30.

 

The 47-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing four people at a residence in Houma is facing four counts of first-degree murder. Joe Gallinaro has the latest…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro”

A massive search involving multiple law enforcement agencies are looking an inmate who escaped from a Shreveport hospital this morning. Authorities say 24-year-old Tre’veon Jackson escaped from custody last night outside Ochsner Health. He got away as a deputy was preparing to place him in transport van to return to the Caddo Correctional Center. Authorities suspect Jackson was also involved in a car jacking last night in Bossier City.

12:30 LRN Newscast

Commercial property owners who have Louisiana Citizens have an opportunity to lower their insurance costs. Jeff Palermo has the story

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The Office of Motor Vehicles is closed again today as the department modernizes its system. The OMV did not give a date for when it would reopen but said it will resume normal operations once additional validation and readiness reviews are completed

Already record-high diesel prices continue to go up with no end in sight. According to Gas-Buddy, the statewide price for a gallon of diesel gasoline is $5.83. A month ago, diesel prices were around five dollars a gallon. Gas-Buddy’s Patrick DeHaan says Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russia’s diesel-producing refineries is the reason why diesel prices are rising …

Cut 3 (08) “…anymore.”

DeHaan says when diesel prices go up, so does nearly everything else.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin says assistant coach and 2019 national champion head coach Ed Orgeron is improving from a health scare that began in mid-August. Kiffin says Coach O has been back in the building during the day but couldn’t confirm whether he’ll make the trip to Oxford this weekend when the Tigers take on Ole Miss.

Cut 7 (12) “…thing to follow.”

11:30 LRN Newscast

In 2021, nearly 28-percent of Louisiana public school students were considered chronically absent, but that number was down to 22-percent last year thanks to efforts from the Department of Education. Executive Director of attendance strategy Misty Davis says they’ve learned it’s more effective to reward kids for good attendance than it is to punish them for being absent.

Cut 5 (08) “…good attendance.”

Governor Jeff Landry says commercial property owners with Louisiana Citizens Insurance could benefit from a chance to get private coverage through Property Insurance Company of America.

Cut 12 (10) “…40 percent reduction.”

Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says moving commercial policies out of Citizens will lower the insurer of last resort’s exposure and reinsurance costs, improving its financial condition and helping to put downward pressure on premiums for Citizens policyholders.

LSU special assistant and former head coach Ed Orgeron has been sidelined since mid-August with an undisclosed health issue. He missed both of the Tigers’ first two games, but Kiffin says his health is improving.

Cut 6 (10) “…through a lot.”

Kiffin and Orgeron worked together under Pete Carroll at USC in the early 2000s, and Kiffin also hired him to his staff at Tennessee and USC.

After opening the season with a 31-30 loss to the Lions, the Saints have another tough matchup against the Ravens Sunday. New Orleans gave up 156 rushing yards to running back Jahmyr Gibbs and will now face Derrick Henry. Head coach Kellen Moore says the defense needs to be better stopping the run.

Cut 18 (15) “…direction there.”

10:30 LRN Newscast

Commercial property owners who have Louisiana Citizens Insurance will have a chance to get coverage from private insurer, Property Insurance Company of America.  Landry says the potential savings are between 15 to 40-percent for an annual premium.

Cut 11 (11) “…PICA.”

Louisiana is making strides in improving the absenteeism rate of public-school students. Executive director of attendance strategy for the Department of Education, Misty Davis, says last year the state launched a campaign to increase attendance, and it called for schools to take proactive measures to reduce the absenteeism and truancy rate…

Cut 4 (10) “…attendance issues.”

According to the state department of Education, nearly 22-percent of public-school students were counted as chronically absent during the last school year. That’s’ down from 28-percent in 2021.

 

Lane Kiffin and the Tigers face off against Ole Miss in a top ten return for the former Rebels coach this weekend. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

Office of Motor Vehicle locations are closed for a second straight day as the state agency completes the transition from its antiquated mainframe to a modernized system. The O-M-V says offices are scheduled to reopen and resume normal operations once additional validation and readiness reviews are completed.

9:30 LRN Newscast

A Minden man faces a second-degree murder charge for allegedly killing his uncle in a domestic dispute. Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker says 21-year-old Luther David Hair was arrested for the shooting of his 58-year-old uncle, Daniel Hair, at a home in the 34-hundred block of Dorcheat Road.

Cut 7 (12) “…in the head.”

Louisiana’s campaign to increase public school attendance and decrease the absenteeism and truancy rate is proving effective. Executive director of attendance strategy for the Department of Education, Misty Davis, says it’s not about punishing students who keep missing school; they’ve found it to be more beneficial if you reward students for good attendance

Cut 5 (08) “…good attendance.”

The percentage of public-school students counted as chronically absent during the last school year has decreased by six points since 2021.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin will be back in Oxford as the Tigers take on Ole Miss this weekend. More than 30 staff members and players have switched schools since Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU. He says the coaching staffs are very familiar with one another, but Ole Miss coach Pete Golding will have more intel on him than he does on his former defensive coordinator.

Cut 15 (08) “…play against.”

Commercial property owners who have policies with Louisiana Citizens Insurance have the opportunity to switch to a private provider. Governor Jeff Landry says the potential savings for Louisiana Citizens commercial policyholders is significant…

Cut 12 (10) “…40 percent reduction.”

Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says this should help homeowners who have Citizens Insurance. He says moving commercial policies out of Citizens will lower the insurer of last resort’s exposure and help put downward pressure on premiums for Citizens policyholders.