12:30 LRN Newscast Oct 3

33-year-old schoolteacher Morgan Freche of Loranger has been arrested on charges of rape of a student who allegedly fathered her newborn child. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office says she was booked for third-degree rape, oral sexual battery, and multiple counts of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The investigation says the allegations against the teacher and the now 17-year-old student date back approximately two years.

The Louisiana Department of Education is one of 20 states to be awarded $10 million to improve career opportunities for students with disabilities. Superintendent of Education, Dr. Cade Brumley says it’s part of the US Department of Education’s Pathway to Partnerships to help prepare these students for life after high school.

Cut 6 (11) “…(x2) students with disabilities.”

Brumley says the funding will enable them to focus on life after high school for students with disabilities.

The Louisiana Treasury announced more than 80 thousand names of unclaimed property owners in every parish will be published beginning today through Friday. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU coach Brian Kelly says he has the utmost confidence in his defensive coordinator Matt House. Through five games, the Tigers’ defense ranks 105th in scoring defense, allowing 31 points a game. Kelly says one major reason why LSU’s defense has struggled is the number of young players on the field…
Cut 18 (15) “…at a higher level.”

The Saints have failed to score more than 21 points in ten straight games, but head coach Dennis Allen is not planning on making any changes with his offensive staff…
Cut 16 (16) “…on the board.”
A lot of the criticism is coming down on Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.

At 1 PM, high school principals will hold a special meeting in Baton Rouge to vote on the definition of a select school. A yes vote would keep the select definition the LHSAA used last year that resulted in several public schools being defined as select schools, which prompted a lawsuit.

Louisiana Tech’s Smoke Harris has been named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week. Harris had a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown in Friday night’s 24-10 win over UTEP. Tech hosts Western Kentucky on Thursday.

Nicholls Safety Tyler Morton was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Morton had an interception and a forced fumble in the Colonels 31 to 10 win at McNeese to open Southland play. Nicholls hosts Houston Christian and McNeese is at Texas A-and-M Commerce.

The Major League Baseball playoffs start today…former LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman gets the start as the Blue Jays begin a best of three series at Minnesota.

11:30 LRN Newscast

House GOP leader State Representative Blake Miquez and sugar cane farmer Hugh Andre are running for Senate in District 22, one of the most competitive races in the state. The race includes Lafayette, Iberia, and St. Martin parishes. The Advocate Journalist Tyler Bridges says the winner will determine if the higher chamber remains conservative in a pragmatic bipartisan manner.

Cut 13 (10) “… LGBTQ rights.”

And Bridges says the winner of this race will also determine the next Senate President Pro Tem.

The Louisiana Treasury has announced nearly 81 thousand names of unclaimed property owners have been published in local newspapers. To find the list of Unclaimed Property owners, State Treasurer John Schroder encourages residents in every parish to check the Legal Notices section in their local newspaper. He says this is a crucial step in reuniting residents with unclaimed funds.

Cut 5 (07) “ …return it.”  

Residents can also visit LA Wallet or visit LACashClaim.org to check names for unclaimed property.

Amendment 4 on the October 14th ballot would allow local governments to remove property tax exemptions from nonprofit organizations that lease housing. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Early voting is underway for the October 14th primary election and will continue through Saturday. Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.  If you will not be in town during early voting or election day, officials urge residents to request an absentee ballot. On election day, polls will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

10:30 LRN Newscast

The state made available 500 grants of up to 10-thousand dollars for Citizens policyholders to fortify their roofs. Teiko Foxx reports the grants were gone in just over two minutes and a second round of grants will be available in two weeks…
cut 1 (31) “….I’m Teiko Foxx”

At 1 PM, high school principals will hold a special meeting in Baton Rouge to vote on the definition of a select school. A yes vote would keep the select definition the LHSAA used last year that resulted in several non-select schools being defined as select schools, which prompted a lawsuit.

Beginning today, nearly 81 thousand new names of unclaimed property owners have been published in local newspapers. State Treasurer John Schroder says they are committed to reconnecting residents with money received by the Louisiana Treasury.
Cut 3 (11) “…new data.”
Unclaimed Property consists of abandoned financial assets like checking and savings accounts, unpaid wages, life insurance payouts, proceeds from safety deposit boxes, and more.

There are four constitutional amendments on the October 14th ballot and the fourth amendment would allow a local government to take away a non-profits property tax exemption if their building receives multiple health or safety violations. Public Affairs Research Council President Steve Procopio says supporters of the amendment say it’s way to address blight, but on the other hand…
cut 12 (05) “….the voters”
Go to PAR’s website for information on all of the amendments.

9:30 LRN Newscast

The first 500 grants for Louisiana’s Fortify Homes Program were given out in less than three minutes when they became available yesterday afternoon. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says they will make another 500 grants available to Citizen policyholders in two weeks and he’s not surprised by the popularity…
cut 9 (13) “,,,succession”
The grants can be worth up to 10-thousand dollars for a homeowner to buy a new roof that can better withstand hurricane force winds.

Congressman Troy Carter is co-authoring legislation that would result in the federal government providing funds to help athletic departments of HBCU schools like Southern and Grambling. Carter the says the legislation is called the Prime Act…
cut 5 (13) “…university experience”
So far only Democrats are backing the legislation.

There’s a heated senate race ongoing in Acadiana as Republican Blake Miguez, who has served as the House GOP’s leader, is trying to succeed Fred Mills as the state senator for District 22. But Advocate reporter Tyler Bridges says the bipartisan political establishment in the district favors sugarcane farmer Hugh Andre…
cut 15 (12) “…everybody”
Early voting continues through Saturday this week.

Constitutional Amendment four on the October 14th ballot would allow local governments to remove property tax exemptions from nonprofit organizations that lease housing and have repeated public health or safety violations. But Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio says the passage would not mean the tax exemption status is automatically pulled…
cut 11 (06) “…..to do that”

8:30 LRN Newscast

The District 22 Senate race in Acadiana is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the state. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (33) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

A federal judge is sanctioning LSU for failing to preserve evidence in the ongoing lawsuit against the university where several former students say the school mishandled cases of sexual misconduct and assault. The cellphones of former tennis coaches were wiped clean and the judge is ordering LSU to pay fees.

500 grants of up to 10-thousand dollars were accounted for in just over two minutes yesterday when the Louisiana Department of Insurance made available grants that Citizens homeowners can use to fortify their roofs. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says they plan to give out three-thousand grants by the end of the year…
cut 9 (15) “…..at large”
For more information go to the Louisiana Department of Insurance’s website.

New Orleans Congressman Troy Carter is co-authoring legislation that would provide federal dollars for HBCU athletic departments. Carter says a larger funding stream would allow schools like Grambling and Southern to become more competitive
cut 4 (07) “…better training”
So far only Democrats have said they support the bill.

7:30 LRN Newscast

That didn’t take long. The Louisiana Department of Insurance made available 500 grants of up to 10-thousand dollars for Citizens policyholders to fortify their roofs. Teiko Foxx reports the grants were gone in just over two minutes and a second round of grants will be available in two weeks…
cut 1 (31) “….I’m Teiko Foxx”

No one matched the six numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing so the grand prize for Wednesday night’s drawing is expected to be one-point-two billion dollars.

Constitutional Amendment 4 on the October 14th ballot would allow local governments to remove property tax exemptions from nonprofit organizations that lease housing and have repeated public health or safety violations. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio says the entity must have at least three violations within a 12-month period.
Cut 10 (09) “…tax exemption.”
Procopio says opponents of the amendment say code enforcement violations can be subjective.

New Orleans Congressman Troy Carter is a co-author of a bill that would provide federal dollars to historically black colleges to help them compete in college athletics. Carter says schools like Grambling and Southern have great traditions, but suffer from a lack of funding. Carter calls the legislation the Prime Act…
cut 6 (12) “…that do”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU Coach Brian Kelly says he has the utmost confidence in defensive coordinator Matt House despite the Tigers troubles on defense. But Kelly wants to get more from his defensive line, which is why he’s hired former assistant Pete Jenkins. The 82-year-old is considered a guru when it comes to coaching defensive linemen. Kelly says he’ll help out John Jancek, who took over as D-Line coach when Jimmy Lindsey had a medical emergency before the start of preseason camp…
cut 19 (19) “….in that room”
LSU is at Missouri for an 11 AM kick off on Saturday. Chris Hilton, Aaron Anderson and Omar Speights are listed as questionable.

Saints Coach Dennis Allen says he’s not making changes with his coaching staff after New Orleans failed to score more than 21 points for a tenth straight game in a 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A lot of the criticism is coming down on Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Allen says the longtime OC understands the fans want to see better results…
Cut 17 (13) “…get it fixed.”
New Orleans is at New England on Sunday. The Patriots are 1-and-3 and just lost two of their best defensive players to injuries, rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Matthew Judon.

The Pelicans begin training camp today and can Zion Williamson stay healthy? Pelicans Vice President David Griffin is very encouraged by the commitment Williamson showed during the offseason.

The Major League playoffs start today…former LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman gets the start as the Blue Jays begin a best of three series at Minnesota.

6:30 LRN Newscast

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program will open its second round of 500 grants of up to $10 thousand in two weeks for Citizens policyholders to strengthen their roofs. Donelon says the first round of grants came available yesterday and went very quickly…
Cut 7 (07) “…seconds pass.”
For more information go to the state Department of Insurance’s website.

There’s a big state senate race going on in Acadiana. The two main candidates are Republican Blake Miguez and Huge Andre. The 41-year-old Miguez has been the House GOP leader since 2020 and Advocate Reporter Tyler Bridges says if MIguez wins, the Senate will move more to the right…
cut 14 (11) “….woke liberals”
But Bridges says Andre has the support of the political establishment in Lafayette, Iberia and St. Martin Parishes.

Amendment 4 on the October 14th ballot would allow local governments to remove property tax exemptions from nonprofit organizations that lease housing. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

AM LRN Newscast Oct 3

After exhausting its first round of grants in less than three minutes, the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program will open its second round of grants for 500 Citizens policyholders in two weeks. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

_______________________________________________

Amendment 4 on the October 14th ballot would allow local governments to remove property tax exemptions from nonprofit organizations that lease housing. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 2 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

______________________________________________

The District 22 Senate race in Lafayette, Iberia, and St. Martin parishes is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the state. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (33) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

______________________________________________

New Orleans Congressman Troy Carter has introduced the PRIME Act to increase athletic budgets at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Junior Colleges. Carter says a larger funding stream would allow HBCUs to become more competitive.

Cut 4 (07) “…better training.”

Last year, LSU had an athletic budget of $192 million, while Southern University reported only $18 million. Carter says larger athletic budgets allow universities to hire talented coaching staff for their athletes.

Cut 5 (13) “…university experience.”

Texas A&M’s Kyle’s Field is estimated at a $485 million facility. Morehouse’s Forbes Arena is only $8 million. Carter hopes both Democratic and Republican lawmakers will help push this legislation through.

Cut 6 (12) “…goal post.”

These grants will be awarded by the Department of Education.

_________________________________________________

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program will open its second round of 500 grants of up to $10 thousand in two weeks for Citizens policyholders to strengthen their roofs. Donelon says the first round of grants was very successful.

Cut 7 (07) “…seconds pass.”

The LFHP has enough funding to award approximately 3,000 grants. Donelon says residents will have to meet certain requirements to be eligible for the grant including…

Cut 8 (08) “…flood zone.” 

Grant funds are paid directly to contractors. Homeowners are financially responsible for all costs beyond the full grant amount. Grant funding is limited to construction costs.

The Legislature set aside $30 million for the program earlier this year. Donelon says this will provide relief to Citizens policyholders who are paying the highest premiums.

Cut 9 (13)  “…or succession.”

The remaining grants will be available to all eligible homeowners across the state in upcoming weeks.

_________________________________________________

Amendment 4 on the October 14th ballot would allow local governments to remove property tax exemptions from nonprofit organizations that lease housing and have repeated public health or safety violations. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio says the entity must have at least three violations within a 12-month period.

Cut 10 (09) “…tax exemption.”

Procopio says passage wouldn’t mean the tax exemption status is automatically pulled…

Cut 11 (06) “…to do that.”

When it comes to blight, Procopio says some believe this is one proposed way to punish the violator but on the other hand…

Cut 12 (05) “…the voters.” 

Early voting for the October 14th primary ends Saturday evening.

_________________________________________________

The District 22 Senate race, which includes Lafayette, Iberia, and St. Martin parishes is one of the most competitive in the state. The top two candidates are House GOP leader Representative Blake Miguez and the largest sugar cane farmer in the area Hugh Andre. The Advocate Journalist Tyler Bridges says the winner will determine if the higher chamber remains conservative in a pragmatic bipartisan manner.

Cut 13 (10) “… LGBTQ rights.”

And Bridges says the winner of this race will also determine the next Senate President Pro Tem.

If Miguez, who’s currently leading in the polls, wins, Bridges believes the Senate will go to the extreme right.

Cut 14 (11) “…woke Liberals.”

Andre, who Bridges says isn’t as polished as Miguez, is well known in the area for being self-made and his uncle and grandfather were sheriffs in St. Martin Parish. Bridges says the bipartisan political establishment in the district favors Andre.

Cut 15 (12) “…everybody.”

Out of the five candidates running for the Senate seat, Republicans Andre and Miguez are expected to force a runoff. The seat is being vacated by Senator Fred Mills who is term-limited.

______________________________________________________________

The Saints have failed to score more than 21 points in ten straight games, but head coach Dennis Allen is not planning on making any changes with his offensive staff…

Cut 16 (16) “…on the board.”

A lot of the criticism is coming down on Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Allen says the longtime OC understands the fans want to see better results…

Cut 17 (13) “…get it fixed.”

________________________________________________________________

LSU football coach Brian Kelly says he has the utmost confidence in his defensive coordinator Matt House. Through four games, the Tigers’ defense ranks 105th in scoring defense, allowing 31 points a game. Kelly says one major reason why LSU’s defense has struggled is the number of new and young players on the field…

Cut 18 (15) “…at a higher level.”

Kelly has confirmed they’ve hired former LSU defensive line coach Pete Jenkins as an analyst. He’s considered a guru when it comes to coaching defensive lineman. Kelly says he’ll help out John Jancek, who was named D-Line coach when Jimmy Lindsey had a medical emergency before the season…

Cut 19 (19) “…in that room.” 

While LSU is struggling on defense, the Tigers have an elite offense. It’s ranked sixth in the country, averaging 530 yards a game. Kelly says the LSU offense is looking like the one Joe Burrow directed in 2019….

Cut 20 (20) “..about the defense”