LRN PM Newscall May 21st

LSU mourns the death of its only Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Cannon, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 80. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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A bill barring drivers from touching their phone while on the road failed to pass the legislature, but gathered surprising levels of support. Becca Dill has more.

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Cannon had a fall from grace in the 1980s,  when he was convicted on counterfeiting charges and served two and a half years in prison. He says he came through the rough period a better person…

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After his release from prison, Cannon became the Director of Dentistry at the State Penitentiary at Angola. He held that job until his retirement in January.

When LSU won the national title in 1958, they were picked to finish 8th in the 12 team SEC. But Cannon was so confident they would win the league, he bought a bunch of tickets for his family and friends before the season started…

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New Orleans is the only city that has been invited to bid for the 2024 Super Bowl, potentially setting the stage for the Big Easy’s 11th time hosting the big game. Saints Owner Gayle Benson will pitch NFL executives on hosting Super Bowl 58 on Wednesday. Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation President Jay Cicero says unlike past years, there’s no competing bids.

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New Orleans’s last Super Bowl was in 2013. Cicero says everyone knows no one can do the big game better.

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Cicero says with a little luck, and a good presentation, Gayle Benson will bring the game home to the Crescent City in his first year running the team since her husband Tom passed away.

cut 8 (05) “it awarded”     

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Breaux Bridge Representative Mike Huval’s distracted driving bill found a surprising amount of success, but ultimately failed to cross the finish line. The bill would bar drivers from touching their phone while on the road. Huval says the surprising momentum the legislation gained indicates a growing interest in safer roads.

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The bill sparked vigorous debate, specifically from a north Louisiana lawmaker who expressed concerns about their ability to serve their constituents while on the three hour trip from Shreveport to the capital. Huval says arguments like those were common, and legislators just haven’t warmed up to the idea in the upper chamber.

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Huval says the skyrocketing numbers of distracted driving incidents are raising awareness of the dangers of taking your eyes off the road.

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The National Hurricane Center is watching a tropical disturbance that’s expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico this week. Forecasters only give the system a 20-percent chance of developing into a depression over the next five days. Danielle Manning in the National Weather Service office in Slidell says it’s still hard to figure out the track with this low pressure…

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Manning says the biggest threat as of now to Louisiana is the potential of a wet holiday weekend

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Manning says it is rare to see a named storm before the start of the hurricane season, which officially begins June 1st….

Cut 14 (05)  “since 1851”