9:30 AM Newscast

Four people, including three kids, are killed in a house fire in Raceland early yesterday morning.  We’re told one adult in the home did manage to escape. Ken Pastorick with the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal says Pastorick says while the cause is still under investigation, it’s possible that a lack of working smoke alarms may have made the difference between life and death.

Cut 6 (09) “…believe they were.”

For the second time ever, there are more than two million non-farm jobs in Louisiana. Adam Knapp, the CEO of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, says this is tremendous as every region of the state is experiencing job growth.

Cut 9 (08)  “…rarely the case.”

Knapp especially singled out the Northshore, with places like Slidell and Hammond leading the state.

—————————–

More than one-thousand girls ages 5 to 19 will descend upon Ruston this weekend for the 50th Dixie Softball World Series.  It’s being held at the Ruston Sports Complex.  It’s a community wide effort.  Experience Ruston’s Tori Davis says volunteers will help as scorekeepers, announcers and gate workers, plus more than 80 families will host visiting players and their families.

Cut 12 (13) “…many days.”

Baton Rouge Police will be featured on the TV show “On Patrol: Live.” Police recruitment rates have been down nationwide Chief TJ Morse says he hopes the exposure brought by the show can help stop the slide in Baton Rouge. Morse says the department’s most recent basic training graduating class was seven officers.

Cut 15 (14) “…82-thousand.”

 

8:30 AM Newscast

More than one-thousand girls ages 5 to 19 will descend upon Ruston this weekend for the 50th Dixie Softball World Series. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

For only the second time ever, the number of non-farm jobs in Louisiana surpasses the two-million mark. The state eclipsed the milestone in the second quarter this year. Adam Knapp, the CEO of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, says while the job growth can be attributed to efforts to grow diverse, resilient industries, two of them are leading the way.

Cut 8 (10) “…across the U.S.”

———————————

Four people are dead, including three children…killed in a house fire in Lacourche Parish.  It happened in Raceland around one yesterday morning.  Pastorick says one adult managed to escape the flames.

Cut 5 (07) “…she is hospitalized”

The Baton Rouge Police Department will be featured on the TV show “On Patrol: Live.” Police Chief TJ Morse says he’s excited for people to get a look at the inner workings and advanced technology of policework in the Capitol Area

Cut 14 (13) “…really is.”

The program airs Friday and Saturday nights on Reelz and streams on Peacock.

7:30 AM Newscast

Four people, including three kids, are killed in a house fire in Lafourche Parish. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

A coastal restoration project heavily damaged by Hurricane Zeta in 2020 could be revived soon, according to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.  CPRA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently signed an agreement authorizing the use of up to 4 million cubic yards of sand—to repair the West Belle Headland west of Port Fourchon. To give you some idea, that’s enough sand to fill up the inside of the Superdome.

—————————————-

For only the second time ever, the number of non-farm jobs in Louisiana surpasses the two-million mark. The state eclipsed the milestone in the second quarter this year. Adam Knapp, the CEO of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, says this is tremendous news and a testament to the growth of the economy.

Cut 7 (11) “…that since then.”

Knapp says every region of the state is experiencing job growth.

More than a thousand softball players will be in Ruston this weekend for the 50th Dixie Softball World series.  The tournament will run from tomorrow through Wednesday at the Ruston sports complex with opening ceremonies tonight at Louisiana Tech.   Experience Ruston’s Tori Davis says the tournament will have major impact on the local economy.

Cut 11 (11) “…like this.”

 

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough got the starting reps in the Saints’ second practice as head coach Kellen Moore searches for his starter in a three-way position battle. The quarterbacks agreed balancing competitiveness with consistency is key. Shough says each will have their highs and lows.

Cut 16 (18) “…with them too.”

Second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler was the first to throw an interception on a pass he meant to throw away. Rookie Quincy Riley made the play in the end zone.

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died yesterday at the age of 71. Authorities responded to a morning call about cardiac arrest, and Hogan was pronounced dead later at a hospital.

Louisiana Tech is bringing new turf to the football stadium, and the field will now be known as Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium. The new field will replace the turf originally installed in 2015 and feature an Origin Bank logo at each 25-yard line. The blue Bulldogs end zones and midfield logo will remain the same, and installation is set to be finished by the end of July, before players report for camp.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was fired up in his address to the Baton Rouge Rotary Club. He says he has two goals: beating Clemson and competing for championships.

Cut 20 (13) “… a championship.”

Kelly has yet to win a season opener in Baton Rouge, and the Tigers have failed to start 1-and-0 since 2019. Clemson, though, has had similar troubles losing their last two openers. A loss to LSU would also be their fourth straight against SEC teams after three last year.

6:30 AM Newscast

Louisiana achieves a jobs milestone for only the second time in the state’s history. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Baton Rouge Police Department will be featured on the TV show “On Patrol: Live,” which airs Friday and Saturday nights on Reelz and streams on Peacock. Police Chief TJ Morse says it’s focus on a day in the life of his officers.

Cut 13 (08)  “…action, action, action.”

———————–

Four people, including three children, were killed in a house fire in Lafourche Parish early yesterday morning. Ken Pastorick with the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal says firefighters were called to the home in Raceland at around one yesterday morning.

Cut 4 (08) “…six-year-old male.”

The cause of that fire is still under investigation.

As many as 90 softball teams from ten states will be in Ruston this weekend for the 50th Dixie Softball World Series. More than one-thousand players ages 5 to 19 will compete at the Ruston Sports Complex. Experience Ruston’s Tori Davis.

Cut 10 (10) “…this weekend.”

REVISED LRN AM Newscall July 25 (Fixes spelling of Chief Morse’s name in On Patrol Live story)

Four people, including three kids, are killed in a house fire in Lafourche Parish. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

____________________________________________

Louisiana achieves a jobs milestone for only the second time in the state’s history. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

More than one-thousand girls ages 5 to 19 will descend upon Ruston this weekend for the 50th Dixie Softball World Series. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

____________________________________________

Four people, including three kids, are killed in a house fire in Lafourche Parish early yesterday morning. Ken Pastorick with the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal says firefighters were called to the home in Raceland at around one yesterday morning.

Cut 4 (08) “…six-year-old male.”

Pastorick says one adult managed to escape.

Cut 5 (07) “…she is hospitalized”

Pastorick says while the cause is still under investigation, it’s possible that a lack of working smoke alarms may have made the difference between life and death.

Cut 6 (09) “…believe they were.”

________________________________________________________

For only the second time ever, the number of non-farm jobs in Louisiana surpasses the two-million mark. The state eclipsed the milestone in the second quarter this year. Adam Knapp, the CEO of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, says this is tremendous news and a testament to the growth of the economy.

Cut 7 (11) “…that since then.”

Knapp says while the job growth can be attributed to efforts to grow diverse, resilient industries, two of them are leading the way.

Cut 8 (10) “…across the U.S.”

Knapp says every region of the state is experiencing job growth.

Cut 9 (08)  “…rarely the case.”

Knapp especially singled out the Northshore, with places like Slidell and Hammond leading the state.

________________________________________________________

As many as 90 softball teams from ten states will make their way to Ruston this weekend for the 50th Dixie Softball World Series. More than one-thousand players ages 5 to 19 will compete at the Ruston Sports Complex. Experience Ruston’s Tori Davis says it’s a massive event.

Cut 10 (10) “…this weekend.”

The tournament will run from tomorrow through Wednesday, with opening ceremonies at Louisiana Tech’s Thomas Assembly Center scheduled for tonight. Davis says it will have a major impact on the local economy, much larger than even a Bulldogs football game.

Cut 11 (11) “…like this.”

Davis says it will be a community-wide effort. Ruston Dixie Softball volunteers will help as scorekeepers, announcers and gate workers. Davis highlighted over 80 families that will act as hosts for visiting players and their families.

Cut 12 (13) “…many days.”

________________________________________________________

The Baton Rouge Police Department will be featured on the TV show “On Patrol: Live.” The program airs Friday and Saturday nights on Reelz and streams on Peacock. Police Chief TJ Morse says it’s not the high-octane reality shows of the past, but rather a day in the life of an officer.

Cut 13 (08)  “…action, action, action.”

Morse says he’s excited for people to get a look at the inner workings and advanced technology of policework in the Capitol Area. It’s something he’s been looking into for over a year.

Cut 14 (13) “…really is.”

Police recruitment rates have been down nationwide, and Morse hopes the exposure brought by the show can help stop the slide in Baton Rouge. Morse says the department’s most recent basic training graduating class was seven officers.

Cut 15 (14) “…82-thousand.”

________________________________________________________

Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough (“shuck”) got the starting reps in the Saints’ second practice as head coach Kellen Moore searches for his starter in a three-way position battle. The quarterbacks agreed balancing competitiveness with consistency is key. Shough says each will have their highs and lows.

Cut 16 (14) “…can be successful.”

After a perfect nine-for-nine practice with the first team Wednesday, 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler threw the first interception of camp on a ball he was trying to throw out the back of the endzone. Rattler says he’s known Shough for a long time.

Cut 17 (16)  “…with them too.”

2023 4th round pick Jake Haener is the senior of the group but the last to receive first team reps. Haener lost out on the starting job last year to Rattler following the Derek Carr injury, but Moore has insisted he’s involved in the competition. Haener says he’s learned the NFL doesn’t care about your feelings.

Cut 18 (13) “…totally respect that.”

5:30 LRN Newscast

From a scorcher to a soaker. It’s going to be a wet weekend throughout South Louisiana. This, as a tropical system makes its way west across the Gulf Coast. Now, there’s no chance of this growing into a cyclone. Still, LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says by the time the system leaves the area, it’s going to dump a lot of rain.

Cut 7 (07) “…even into Saturday.”

The Procter and Gamble manufacturing plant in Alexandria is hosting a job fair Saturday at the Randolph Riverfront Center. P&G External Relations Senior Manager Kevin Hood says from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., prospective employees can meet the local plant team and enjoy the event with their families.

Cut 3 (12) “…enjoy the event.”

The plant produces laundry products distributed across the country.

On the heels of 28-million dollars being restored by the Trump administration, the Department of Education releases another 1.3-billion dollars to the State of Louisiana for back to school programs. Michael Faulk, the executive director of the Louisiana School Superintendents Association, says school districts have gone through a detailed application process to get that grant money restored.

Cut 10 (16) “…the school year.”

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser has been tapped to lead the newly-formed National Committee on Aerospace, Aviation and Defense. Nungesser says the formation of the committee was his idea.

Cut 12 (09) “…to our states.”

The committee is also led by the lieutenant governors of Alabama, Wisconsin, Utah, Maryland and North Carolina.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was fired up in his address to the Baton Rouge Rotary Club. He says he has two goals: beating Clemson and competing for championships.

Cut 20 (13) “… a championship.”

The Tigers will travel to South Carolina August 30.

LSU pitcher Kade Anderson signed an $8.8 million signing bonus with the Mariners. It’s the seventh-largest bonus in MLB draft history but falls roughly $700,000 short of the slot value at the number three overall pick

Tigers D-H Ethan Frey also signed his contract with the Astros for nearly one million dollars, almost 200 thousand dollars above his slot value at pick 95.

The Saints’ quarterbacks spoke for the first time after the team’s second training camp practice today. After a perfect day yesterday, Spencer Rattler threw the first interception of camp to rookie Quincy Riley on a pass he was trying to throw out the back of the endzone.  He says the quarterback room is supportive of one another, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t competition.

Cut 21 (07) “…built for this.”

Second-round Pick Tyler Shough got the starting reps today after Rattler did yesterday. The rookie says it’s important not to fall into the trap of one-upping each other.

Cut 22 (09) “…will happen.”

Veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks and Alontae Taylor got into the first fight of camp after an incomplete pass in the end zone. Benches cleared, but the scuffle defused quickly. New Orleans will put pads on next week, and their first preseason matchup with the Chargers is scheduled for August 10.

4:30 PM LRN Newscast

We’re going to go from a scorcher of a work week to a wet weekend – at least in South Louisiana. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a tropical system that’s working its way west along the Gulf Coast is bringing heavy rains and thunderstorms, and some areas experienced some of that last night.

Cut 6 (09) “…Sunday and Monday.”

In less than a week, house fires across the state have claimed seven lives. Last Friday in Iberia Parish, a 71-year-old man died. On Sunday in Livingston Parish, a 65-year-old man died. On Monday in Winn Parish, a 51-year-old woman died. The State Fire Marshall Office said none of the homes had working smoke alarms. In the wee hours of this morning in Lafourche Parish, a 20-year-old woman, a 14-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old boy lost their lives and while firefighters found smoke alarms in the home, they don’t believe they were working.

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser will lead the newly formed National Committee on Aerospace, Aviation and Defense, a committee he says was his idea. Along with Nungesser, the committee is led by the lieutenant governors of Alabama, Wisconsin, Utah, Maryland and North Carolina. Nungesser says the aerospace industry represents the future of travel.

Cut 14 (07) “…in two hours.”

The committee will hold its first meeting October 20th in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Procter and Gamble manufacturing plant in Alexandria is hosting a job fair with food and entertainment Saturday at the Randolph Riverfront Center. Senior Manager Kevin Hood says qualified candidates won’t be hired on the spot but will have an opportunity to discuss pay, benefits and responsibilities. He says the plant will be actively hiring over the next year.

Cut 5 (11) “…to offer jobs.”

3:30 PM LRN Newscast

South Louisiana should plan for storms this weekend. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a tropical system is working its way west along the Gulf Coast bringing heavy rains and some low-lying areas could see some flooding.

Cut 8 (10) “…kind of flooding.”

Keim says this system has neither the time nor the conditions required to develop into a tropical cyclone.

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser will lead the newly-formed National Committee on Aerospace, Aviation and Defense and he says while Louisiana has a NASA facility, the state could do so much more.

Cut 13 (10)  “…spaceport in Louisiana.”

The committee will hold its first meeting October 20th in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Procter & Gamble Alexandria Manufacturing plant is hosting its WOW Community Event at the Randolph Riverfront Center Saturday. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

Earlier this week, we reported the Trump administration released 28-million dollars in previously withheld after-school grants for Louisiana. Now, the Department of Education says it’s going to release an additional 1.3-billion dollars. Michael Faulk, the executive director of the Louisiana School Superintendents Association, says that will get the state closer to the funding it had been expecting.

Cut 9 (07)  “…have not released.”