930PM LRN Newscast June 8

Nicholls State is launching a new program, called CROWN, aimed at helping young black men stay at college, and finish their degree. After reviewing information from last year, the university discovered that only 53 percent of African American men returned after their freshman year. In response the university created the CROWN program, pairing freshman with upperclassmen mentors. CROWN Administrator Sean Chadwell says there was a lot of enthusiasm for it.

Cut 5  (12)  “…like other students”

The US Department of Justice has teamed up with several state agencies to help ensure people with serious mental illnesses have the opportunity to live in a community setting. The agreement follows a review by the DOJ in December of 2016 that claimed the state was unnecessarily relying on nursing homes to serve people with serious mental illnesses. Executive Counsel for the Department of Health, Stephen Russo:

Cut 10 (12)   “…for them is.”

Researchers say the Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” off the Louisiana coast will grow to the size of Connecticut by the end of July, as part of its yearly expansion. LSU Professor Dr. Eugene Turner says Planting season fertilizers, and other chemicals are dumped every year into waterways that feed into the Mississippi River, eventually making their way down into the delta. Turner says it’s been going on for hundreds of years.

Cut 14 (11) “watershed”

GOP House Delegation Chairman Lance Harris wrote a letter to Governor Edwards, in anticipation of the year’s third special session, calling on the Democrat to consider expanding the scope of the next session to more than just tax bills. Hes looking for reconsideration on a transparency measure known as Louisiana Checkbook, a reordering of the state’s calculations for expenditures, and is asking for the legislative auditor to have the authority to audit any state agencies financial records.

8:30 LRN Newscast June 8th

The US Justice Department reaches an agreement with Louisiana to help ensure people with serious mental illnesses are not living in a nursing home. Matt Doyle has the details.
Cut 2 (30) ” I’m Matt Doyle”

Could we see the release of 10-thousand inmates after July 1st. State Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says it will happen, unless the legislature replaces some of the temporary sales taxes that are set to expire on June 30th. Governor Edwards will give legislators another chance at passing tax bills before the end of the month as the call for a third special session this year could come out today.

Nicholls State has a new program, called CROWN, aimed at helping black students stay in college, and finish their degree. The university discovered only 53 percent of African American men returned after their freshman year. CROWN administrator Dr. Sean Chadwell says in many cases the young black men who dropped out of college after one year are the first member of their family to go to college.
Cut 4 (09) “…think of it as theirs”
The program pairs freshmen with upper classmen who will mentor and guide the students through their early years.

LSU scientists predict the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone is expected to be larger than Connecticut this summer. Fertilizer, urban runoff and sewage flowing down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf creates the dead zone, which is an area of water which lacks oxygen, forcing fish to flee and killing sea life…
cut 15 (08)_ “…kroker”
That’s LSU researcher Doctor Eugene Turner.

7:30 LRN Newscast June 8th

Louisiana Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says unless the leiglsature approves a tax bill to increase state revenues, he’ll be forced to release 10-thousand inmates starting July 1st. LeBlanc says his department is currently looking at a 75-million dollar cut. He says the inmates they would release would not be violent or sex offenders.

Louisiana’s health department says they will move people with serious mental illnesses out of state nursing homes and into community-based settings. Executive counsel for L-D-H, Stepen Russo, says they’ve already moved more than 25-hundred mentally ill people to community settings and more health screenings are underway…
cut 12 (12) “….subject matter experts”
This initative is the result of a lawsuit that claimed the state was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by not having seriously mentally ill in community-based settings.

Only 53 percent of black men at Nicholls come back to school after their freshman year, so the University is starting a new mentorship program called CROWN…
voicer 1 (30) “…I’m Becca Dill”

Summertime is here and many kids are enjoying time away from the classroom, but experts say its an important time to keep kids engaged in learning. So what are the best ways to do that? The State Department of Education’s Rebecca Kockler says parents need to make learning exciting during the summer break.
Cut 7 (08) “…help them do that”

6:45 LRN Sportscast June 8th

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri is confident pitcher Zack Hess and outfielders and Zach Watson and Antoine Duplantis will return to the Tigers program, after they were drafted in the lower rounds. Mainieri is bullish on the 2019 season, because the Major League Baseball draft could not have gone better for the Tigers….
cut 19 (20) “…on our program”
Mainieri says the incoming recruiting class is also largely intact as he only expects a couple of his signees to decide on a professional career, instead of coming to college.

Super Regionals begin today. In Nashville, Mississippi State will face Vanderbilt at seven PM tonight.

Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry has agreed to a two-year contract that keeps him in New Orleans through the 2020-2021 season. The Pels are coming off an appearance in the Western Conference semifinals. Locked on Pelicans Podcast Publisher Jake Madison says Gentry piloted the team through a rollercoaster season, starting with a first half that included a radically different roster.
Cut 16 (14) “Houston Rockets”
And the Pelicans went 20-8 in their final 28 games of the regular season, despite the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins.

Conference USA announced a new multi-year deal with ESPN which will triple ESPN’s inventory of Conference USA events from the previous deal. ESPN-plus will televise five Bulldog games this fall including the season opener at South Alabama.

6:30 LRN Newscast June 8th

Researchers say the Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” off the Louisiana coast is expected to be larger than Connecticut by the end of July. The dead zone is an area with little oxygen, which drives away aquatic life. LSU Professor Dr. Eugene Turner says the size fluctuates, but has trended up over the years.
Cut 13 (10) “temperature”

With it being summertime, some parents struggle in keeping children engaged in learning. Assistant state Superintendent of Education Rebecca Kockler says it’s important that your child keep reading during the summer. She suggests find books in subjects that interest your child and much of that reading material is as close as the palm of your hand…
cut 9 (09) “….to keep practicing”

The state health department announces plans to keep more people with serious mental illnesses out of nursing homes. Executive counsel for the Department of Health, Stephen Russo, says the state is enhancing its screening and evaluations for all individuals with serious mental illness who are currently living in a nursing facility and will find an approprirate home or a community-based setting, for individuals in warranted cases. Russo says this will also help with the state’s budget situation…
cut 11 (06) “…nursing hom setting”

The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has lifted a feeding ban in place in East Carroll, Madison and Tensas Parishes, because sampling tests did not detect chronic wasting disease among white-tailed deer. Extensive testing was conducted after a buck tested positive for C-W-D in Mississippi near the Louisiana border.

LRN AM Newscall June 8

Only 53 percent of black men at Nicholls come back to school after their freshman year, so the University is starting a new mentorship program, CROWN, to tackle the issue. Becca Dill has the story.

Cut 1 (30)  I’m Becca Dill“

_____________________________________________________

The US Department of Justice has teamed up with several state agencies to help ensure people with serious mental illnesses have the opportunity to live in a community setting.  Matt Doyle has the details.

Cut 2 (30) ”  I’m Matt Doyle” 

_______________________________________________.

The summertime is here and while kids may be enjoying time away from the classroom, but as Kevin Barnhart explains, the experts say it’s an important time to make sure they stay engaged in learning.

Cut 3 (24) “Im Kevin Barnhart”

______________________________________________

Nicholls State is launching a new program, called CROWN, aimed at helping young black men stay at college, and finish their degree. After reviewing information from last year, the university discovered that only 53 percent of African American men returned after their freshman year. CROWN administrator Dr. Sean Chadwell says young black men are often the first members of their family to go to college.

Cut 4  (09) “…think of it as theirs” 

The program pairs freshmen with upper classmen who will mentor and guide the students through their early years, introducing them to the campus, and helping them to feel welcome. Chadwell says there was a lot of enthusiasm from older students to participate in the program.

Cut 5  (12)  “…like other students”

Chadwell says there’s another benefit to the program: it really doesn’t cost the university, its all-volunteer.

Education research indicates that students who have a family history of educational attainment have a higher rate of college graduation than first generation college attendees, and Chadwell says even if a student was a high performer in high school, they can still struggle in college if their a first generation college student.

Cut 6 (10) “…with their peers.”

The program was modeled after similar efforts at UAB and Purdue that have found success.

__________________________________________________

The summertime is here and while kids may be enjoying time away from the classroom, the experts say it’s an important time to make sure they stay engaged in learning.  So what are the best ways to do that?  The State Department of Education’s Rebecca Kockler says it is important for adults to keep learning exciting for kids during the summer break.

Cut 7 (08)  “…help them do that”

It’s not enough to just help children find the resources they need.  Kockler says adults should join the conversation.

Cut 8 (12)  “…about what they are learning”

So where do you find math and reading learning tools for children?  Kockler says the answer may be as close as being in the palm of your hand.

Cut 9 (09)  “…to keep practicing”
___________________________________________________

The US Department of Justice has teamed up with several state agencies to help ensure people with serious mental illnesses have the opportunity to live in a community setting.  The agreement follows a review by the DOJ in December of 2016 that claimed the state was unnecessarily relying on nursing homes to serve people with serious mental illnesses.  So what does the timeline for the transition look like?  Executive Counsel for the Department of Health, Stephen Russo, explains.

Cut 10 (12)   “…for them is.”

With the current situation with the state’s budget, Russo does see a potential benefit in the transition.

Cut 11 (06) “…a nursing home setting.”

The Department of Health has begun it’s assessments of the more than 2,500 mentally ill people currently residing in nursing homes. Russo says that the skilled professionals are working on the case.

Cut 12 (12) “…subject matter experts.”

Russo says that the option to stay in a nursing home setting will be available.

_________________________________________

Researchers say the Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” off the Louisiana coast is expected to be larger than Connecticut by the end of July. The dead zone is an area with little oxygen, which drives away aquatic life. LSU Professor Dr. Eugene Turner says the size fluctuates, but has trended up over the years.

Cut 13 (10)  “temperature” 

Planting season fertilizers, and other chemicals are dumped every year into waterways that feed into the Mississippi River, eventually making their way down into the delta. Turner says it’s been going on for hundreds of years.

Cut 14 (11) “watershed”

While the dead zone isn’t dangerous to humans, and even still might have some fishing in it, Turner says there’s still some real damage going on at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

Cut 15 (08) “like kroker.”

___________________

Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry will be back with New Orleans through 2021 after signing a two year contract extension after having one of his best years as a head coach, and one of the best years in New Orleans basketball history. Locked on Pelicans Publisher Jake Madison says Gentry’s piloted the team through a rollercoaster season, starting with a first half that included a radically different roster.

Cut 16 (14) “Houston Rockets”

Then the season flipped when Center Demarcus Cousins went down, and Gentry was able to throw together a completely new system in just a matter of weeks that carried New Orleans deep into the playoffs, and led to a sweep of the Trailblazers.

Cut 17 (16)  “Franchise”

Gentry will have a chance this offseason to build on a promising year, and his early free agency moves should give us a good idea of just what kind of team he wants to take forward. Madison says we’ll be attracting a very specific kind of player.

Cut 18 (20)  “Draw here” 

_____________________

Legislative Report June 7th

A statewide poll from JMC Analytics shows despite a 42 percent national approval rating for President Donald Trump, Louisianans are still on board, as 56 percent of those surveyed approve of his administration. Pollster John Couvillion says “never Trump Republicans” never caught on in the Bayou State.

Cut 12 (09)   “amoungst Republicans”

The poll also indicates the president has strong support amongst white Democrats and independents.

But Couvillion says there’s two cities that just never bought in.

Cut 13 (08) “New Orleans” 

Results were also released for an early peak at the Secretary of State’s race, where Representative Leger, who’s made headlines in the most recent special session is polling in single digits, alongside Representative Stokes, who could be heard shouting at Representative Seabuagh during his dramatic last second filibuster Monday night.

____________________________________

In a letter sent to Governor Edwards, US Senator John Kennedy expressed his concern over what he called an “inexcusable waste of taxpayer funds at the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.”  Kevin Barnhart has more…

Cut 1 (31)  I’m Kevin Barnhart“

Governor Edwards used his veto pen to take out 40 projects contained in the state’s three-point-six billion dollar construction spending plan. Most of the projects are in parishes represented by Republicans, who have voted against his tax plans. This comes just a day after Edwards vetoed a gas station bill that would have benefitted GOP House Chairman Lance Harris’ personal businesses.

4:45 LRN Sportscast June 7th

The Pelicans announce they’ve reached an agreement on a contract extension with Head Coach Alvin Gentry. The new deal will keep Gentry under contract through the 2020-21 season. General Manager Dell Demps says Gentry did a tremendous job last season. He says when the team faced adversity his coaching staff continually discovered ways to place the team in situations where they could be successful.

Former LSU basketball star Glen Davis was set to be arraigned today after he was indicted on a felony assault charge for a fight that occurred outside a West Hollywood nightclub last April. Davis could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty. The victim reportedly suffered multiple broken bones and was on a ventilator for the day.

Four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell from Houston has committed to Coach Kevin Sumlin and the Arizona Wildcats. LSU is one of several schools who offered a scholarship to the nation’s number three pro-style quarterback for the Class of 2019. .

The Saints wrapped up their third week of O-T-As today and Coach Sean Payton was asked about former LSU wide receiver and Breaux Bridge native Travin Dural, who spent last season on the team’s practice squad. Payton says Dural is in better shape this season…
cut 30 (19) “…I’m encouraged”

Conference USA announced a new multi-year deal with ESPN which will triple ESPN’s inventory of Conference USA events from the perious deal. ESPN-plus will televise five Bulldog games this fall including the season opener at South Alabama and the home opener against Southern. Both games will kick-off at 6 PM.

430PM LRN Newscast June 7

A statewide poll from JMC Analytics shows an indecisive early start to the Secretary of State’s race. The special election will be held in fall as a result of a sexual harassment scandal that toppled the former Secretary Tom Schedler. It looks like most folks have no clue who many of the possible candidates are at this point, and Couvillion says that likely means it’ll take a big name to break the race open.

Cut 14 (11)  “ballot race”

A Shreveport woman is facing felony charges after her three dogs were found dead in her car.  Bossier City Police Spokesperson Mark Natale says that 47 year old Nancy Western was at Willis Knighton Medical Center, when she left her two Labrador retrievers and cocker spaniel in the vehicle

Cut 6 (12)  “…longer than that”

Two Louisiana men have been cited for alleged Louisiana Black Bear violations in St. Mary Parish on November 12th, 2017. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck saysThe bear was found in an open field six miles off Highway 83 near Glencoe, and Einck says the Department had no idea the bear was shot and killed…

Cut 4 (10) “black bear.”

It’s National Seersucker Day. Created in Louisiana during the early 1900’s, the seersucker suit has withstood the test of time to be a signature look in the south and an iconic apparel around the country.  It has since become a congressional tradition on the first Thursday of June to wear the suit, and now, Laurie Haspel with the company behind the look has expanded the celebration to a national holiday.

Cut 9 (08)  “…Thursday in June”

So what is the best way to celebrate National Seersucker Day? Haspel says it’s all about enjoying an afternoon beverage.

330PM LRN Newscast June 7

A statewide poll shows continued, strong support for President Donald Trump in Louisiana, and a wide open Secretary of State’s race. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo” 

Governor Edwards used his veto pen to take out 40 projects contained in the state’s three-point-six billion dollar construction spending plan. Most of the projects are in parishes represented by Republicans, who have voted against his tax plans. This comes just a day after Edwards vetoed a gas station bill that would have benefitted GOP House Chairman Lance Harris’ personal businesses.

Two Louisiana men have been cited for alleged Louisiana Black Bear violations in St. Mary Parish on November 12th, 2017. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck says they received a tip of the violation last April and obtained a search warrant…

Cut 3 (12)   “open field.” 

A Shreveport woman is facing felony charges after her three dogs were found dead in her car.  Bossier City Police Spokesperson Mark Natale says that 47 year old Nancy Western was at Willis Knighton Medical Center, when she left her two Labrador retrievers and cocker spaniel in the vehicle. Animal Control assisted law enforcement with the situation and conducted a temperature test on the windows, and even after the vehicle had been opened, was still over 100 degrees.  Natale says it’s important that animals are never left to chance in vehicles in the hot Louisiana weather.

cut 8 (08) “…any length of time.”