10:30 LRN Newscast January 12

Jennings Senator Blade Morrish is proposing to change TOPS award amounts. Under his plan, students who earn the basic award by achieving a 2.5 GPA and a20 ACT would receive just a four-thousand dollar annual stipend, while TOPS Honor students would get their tuition paid for, plus a stipend between 15-hundred and 25-hundred dollars. Morrish says he wants to challenge students to improve their performance…
cut 9 (08) “….old model”
Morrish could seek this change in TOPS in the upcoming session.

The Louisiana teacher arrested this week at the Vermilion Parish School Board meeting after she questioned her superintendent’s pay raise might file a lawsuit. Deyshia Hargrave spoke yesterday at a rally…
cut 11 (05) “…shocking disrespect”
Hargrave hopes her experience will empower people to use their voice when they see something that’s not right.

Monroe-based Centurylink has told its employees they will not receive a merit raise this year. A company spokesperson says Centurylink remains confident they are on the right path towards growth, but they also have to watch costs and adjust their operations to meet the needs of their business. Centurylink employs 52-thousand workers worldwide, 27-hundred in Louisiana.

A series of social media posts has experts reminding teens not to eat Tide Pods. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

09:30 LRN Newscast January 12

Governor John Bel Edwards has called an 11:30 press conference where he’ll announce a 600-million dollar funding plan to widen I-10 from the Mississippi River bridge to the I-10–I-12 split in Baton Rouge. The governor’s office says if they receive the funding, they’ll also be able to complete construction projects in New Orleans and Bossier City.

A state lawmaker is proposing to change the amounts that TOPS students receive. Kelley Ray has the story…
Voicer 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

Hundreds showed up at a rally yesterday to support teacher Deyshia Hargrave who was forcefully removed from a school board meeting after questioning the superintendent’s pay raise. The treatment of Hargrave, who was handcuffed has angered many. She told her supporters that she was just sticking to her principles…
Cut 10 (11) “that myself.”
Hargrave hopes her story will encourage others to speak out when they don’t agree with something.

The Louisiana Property Assistance Agency will resume its monthly state surplus property auctions in Baton Rouge tomorrow. The auction will feature a wide variety of items once used by state agencies. Division of Administration spokesperson Jacques Berry says there’s something for everyone…
Cut 4 (11) “boats, trailers.”
More information can be found on the Division of Administration’s website.

08:30 LRN Newscast January 12

Jennings Senator Blade Morrish has put forth a proposal that would make substantial changes to TOPS. Morrish is proposing that TOPS recipients who qualify for the scholarship with a 2.5 GPA and a 20 on their ACT would receive a four-thousand dollar annual stipend, while 4.0 students would have tuition paid for, plus a stipend…
cut 8 (11) “….2500 dollars”
The proposal would need legislative approval and if passed, would not impact current students.

Hundreds showed up in downtown Abbeville to support Deyshia Hargrave. Her arrest at a school board meeting has angered many. Hargrave hopes her story will encourge others to stand up for what they think is right…
cut 12 (06) “…those meetings”
Hargrave is considering legal action .

In 2017, poison control centers dealt with more than 10,000 reports of children eating detergent pods. Louisiana Poison Control President-Elect Mark Ryan…
cut 13 (11) “…bright and colorful”
Ryan says a new social media challenge has led to an increasing number of teenagers ingesting the colorful pods. He says under no circumstance should they go into your mouth.

State surplus property will be auctioned off on Saturday in Baton Rouge. Division of adminstration spokesperson Jacques Berry says you can bid on motor vehicles, construction equipment, appliances and home furniture once used by state agencies…
cut 5 (10) “…repurpose them”
For more information go to the division of administration’s website.

07:30 LRN Newscast January 12

A state lawmaker is proposing to change TOPS scholarship amounts. Students who meet the minimum eligibility would receive a four-thousand-dollar annual stipend. Jennings Senator Blade Morrish says four-thousand-dollars may seem low, but it’s still the most lucrative college tuition program in the U-S…
Cut 7 (09) “state universities.”
Morrish says TOPS honors students would have their tuition paid for, plus they would get a stipend ranging from 15-hundred to 25-hundred dollars. The proposal would need legislative approval.

Governor John Bel Edwards will announce a funding plan today to pay for a major I-10 reconstruction project in Baton Rouge. The governor’s office says if the funding is received, a new interchange on I-10 in Kenner can also be built, plus a new access from I-20 directly into Barksdale Air Force Base.

Vermilion Parish teachers held a rally for Deyshia Hargrave, to protest her treatment at a recent schoolboard meeting. Matt Doyle has more…
Voicer 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

Teenagers are putting detergent pods in their mouths as part of a new online challenge on social media. Louisiana Poison Control President-Elect Mark Ryan says no one should be eating these pods….
cut 15 (10) “…breathing tube”
Tide has released a statement says their laundry pods should not be played with, even if meant as a joke.

06:45 LRN Sportscast January 12

Head coach Ed Orgeron came out strongly in support of his new offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger. Ensminger has been an assistant at LSU since 2010, he’s a former quarterback, and also served as interim offensive coordinator for eight games in 2016. Orgeron says there’s a lot of reasons Tigers fan should be excited about Ensminger’s promotion…
Cut 16 (14) “and cheered”
Veteran receivers coach Jerry Sullivan has been named senior offensive assistant and passing game coordinator.

In college basketball last night, Louisiana Tech dropped to 1-4 in Conference USA Play as Middle Tennessee went on a 13-3 run to finish last night’s game. The Blue Raiders, who are undefeated in league play, won 72-57.

The Saints have the advantage at quarterback in Sunday’s N-F-C playoff game with the Vikings. Drew Brees is a future Hall of famer, who threw for 376 yards and two touchdowns last week, while Minnesota’s Case Keenum is making his first postseason start. Keenum is on his fourth team and was considered a journeymen until this season. Brees says he can relate…
Cut 18 (18) “his team”
Brees will need to be sharp on Sunday. Minnesota has the NFL’s top ranked defense. Kick off is at 3:40.

Perfect Game ranks LSU baseball 12th in their preseason poll. Florida, Arkansas and Kentucky are SEC teams ranked in the top 10.

The Pelicans host Portland tonight. Head Coach Alvin Gentry believes Anthony Davis will play, after missing Wednesday’s loss to Memphis with an ankle injury.

06:30 LRN Newscast January 12

The Louisiana teacher arrested this week at the Vermilion Parish School Board meeting after she questioned her superintendent’s pay raise might file a lawsuit. Deyshia Hargrave spoke yesterday at a rally that was called to support her….
cut 11 (05) “…shocking disrespect”
Hargrave hopes her experience will empower people to use their voice when they see something that’s just not right.

Jennings Senator Blade Morrish is proposing to change TOPS award amounts. Under his plan, students who earn the basic award by achieving a 2.5 GPA and a20 ACT would receive just a four-thousand dollar annual stipend, while TOPS Honor students would get their tuition paid for, plus a stipend between 15-hundred and 25-hundred dollars. Morrish says he wants to challenge students to improve their performance…
cut 9 (08) “….old model”
Morrish could seek this change in TOPS in the upcoming session.

A portion of north Louisiana is under a winter weather advisory as light to moderate rainfall has been slowly transitioning to a freezing rain or snow or sleet mix as temperatures are dropping below subfreezing. Roadways could be slick. The state transportation department has closed a portion of I-49 in Caddo Parish.

A new social media challenge has teens eating laundry pods. Louisiana Poison Control President-Elect Mark Ryan says this is obviously dangerous and there’s no benefit…
cut 14 (12) “…off of”
Ryan says digesting a detergent pod could land you in the hospital.

AM Newscall January 12

A state lawmaker is proposing to change the amounts that TOPS students receive. Kelley Ray has the story…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

______________________________________

Vermilion Parish teachers held a rally for Deyshia Hargrave, to protest her treatment at a recent schoolboard meeting. Matt Doyle has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

______________________________________________

A series of social media posts has experts reminding teens not to eat Tide Pods. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

___________________________________________________

The Louisiana Property Assistance Agency will resume its monthly state surplus property auctions in Baton Rouge this weekend.  The auction will feature a wide variety of items once used by state agencies.  Division of Administration spokesperson Jacques Berry says there’s something for everyone…

Cut 4  (11) “boats, trailers.” 

Berry says the state holds an auction every second Saturday of the month on Brickyard Lane near the Mississippi River Bridge. He says you might be surprised at the quality of goods you will find…

Cut 5  (10)  “repurpose them.”

Berry says the proceeds from the auction, go back to the state to take care of a large portion of their transportation needs…

Cut 6 (09)  “like that.”

The auction will start Saturday at 8am.

_________________________________________________

A state lawmaker is proposing to change TOPS scholarship amounts. Students who  meet the minimum eligibility would receive a four-thousand-dollar payment for the year, but students who achieve a very high ACT and GPA get a full scholarship, plus a stipend.  Jennings Senator Blade Morrish says four-thousand-dollars may seem low, but it’s still the most lucrative college tuition program in the U-S…

Cut 7 (09)  “state universities.”

Morrish says a new structured plan would still benefit students with lower GPAs, but encourage very smart students to continue their education in Louisiana.  His proposal would create a new “Honors Plus” program that would give out the best incentives to students…

Cut 8 (11) “2500 dollars.”

Morrish is leading a task force that’s been examining the taxpayer funded program, which has become more difficult for the state to afford because of a variety of factors including higher tuition.  He says his plan would save the state 20-million-dollars annually and modernize how the scholarship money should be doled out…

Cut 9 (08)  “old model.”

___________________________________________________

Vermilion Parish teachers held a rally in support of Deyshia Hargrave in the wake of an incident where Hargrave was forcefully removed from a school board meeting after questioning the superintendent’s pay raise. The altercation has gained national coverage, Hargrave says she was just sticking to her principles…

Cut 10 (11) “that myself.”

Video from the incident shows Marshal Reggie Hilts dragging Hargrave out of the room. Reports say Hilts has previously been sued for excessive force. Hargrave says the removal infringed on her civil rights…

Cut 11 (05) “shocking disrespect.”

The next regular meeting of the Vermillion Parish School Board will be February 22nd, and Hargrave says she wants to keep up the momentum…

Cut 12 (06) “those meetings.”

________________________________________________

In 2017, poison control centers dealt with more than 10,000 reports of children eating detergent pods. A Social media challenge is now seeing an increasing number of teenagers ingesting the colorful cases. Louisiana Poison Control President-Elect Mark Ryan says historically, it’s been limited to small children…

Cut 13 (11)  “bright and colorful.”

The increase is the result of a series of social media posts that show teens holding the pods in their mouth, cooking with them, and some even claiming they’re getting high off of them. Ryan says…

Cut 14 (12) “off of.”

Ryan says the pods aren’t dangerously poisonous, but could trigger a reaction that will put you in the hospital…

Cut 15 (10) “breathing tube.”

He says if one of your children or friends ingests a pod, call the national poison help hotline.

_______________________________________

Head coach Ed Orgeron came out strongly in support of his new offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger. Ensminger has been an assistant at LSU since 2010, he’s a former quarterback, and also served as interim offensive coordinator for eight games in 2016. Orgeron says there’s a lot of reasons Tigers fan should be excited about the hire…

Cut 16 (14)  “and cheered”

Ensminger had previous runs with Louisiana Tech, A&M, and Clemson as offensive coordinator in the late 80s and 90s. Orgeron says his run as LSU interim coordinator in 2016 sold him on the idea…

Cut 17 (15) “in the redzone”

Ensminger was Baton Rouge raised, and has coached at Central High and West Monroe High School.

_____________________________________

The Saints have the advantage at quarterback in Sunday’s N-F-C playoff game with the Vikings. Drew Brees is a future Hall of famer, who threw for 376 yards and two touchdowns last season, while Minnesota’s Case Keenum is making his first postseason start. Keenum is on his fourth team and was considered a journeymen until this season. Brees says he can relate to Keenum…

Cut 18 (18) “his team”

The Vikings defense led the NFL in yards per game and scoring defense. Safety Harrison Smith is one of the leaders, with a career-high five interceptions. Brees says Smith is a very smart player…

Cut 19 (20)   “pass game”

Brees says every play will be very important in this game…

Cut 20 (20) “for us”

18:30 LRN Newscast January 11

The Louisiana Association of Educators holds a rally this afternoon to show their support for Rene Rost middle school teacher Deyshia Hargrave.  President Debbie Meaux says the LAE understands the board president keeps order during a board meeting, but feels nothing occurred to demand the treatment Hargrave received from the Abbeville City Marshal Reginald “Reggie” Hilts after she was escorted out of the meeting…

Cut 8 (05) “it got.”

Video shows Hargrave was pinned to the floor and handcuffed.  No charges are expected.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a six mile stretch of Interstate-10 in East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes.  DOTD will be expanding the four lane interstate to six lanes over the next two years.  The 72-million-dollar expansion comes from some repurposed earmarked funds from projects that either never happened or from leftover funds.  DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says the majority of the money is due to the farsightedness of the Edwards Administration…

Cut 11 (08) “this administration.”

WalMart announces a minimum wage increase to 11 dollars but also announces the closings of 63 Sams Clubs in 10 states.  One of those stores is in Louisiana.  The Sam’s Club near Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge is closed and has displaced about 175 workers.

Steve Ensminger held his first press conference as LSU’s offensive coordinator. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle”

17:30 LRN Newscast January 11

Many gathered in Abbeville today to show their support of middle school teacher Deyshia Hargrave after she was arrested for speaking out about a raise for the superintendent of Vermillion Parish Schools.  In a video shown on NBC’s Today show this morning, it is clearly seen that Hargrave is being shut up by board President Anthony Fontana.  Louisiana Association of Educators President Debbie Meaux says Fontana’s actions were completely out of line…

Cut 7 (11)  “our citizens.”

A bear was killed that was a part of the Louisiana Black Bear Management and Research project. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck says 28-year-old Ronald Kimble of Pointe Coupee Parish was frequently observed by agents passing through the area with a .270 rifle…

Cut 4  (09) “that bear.” 

If Kimble is found guilty, he faces a fine of 1000 dollars and up to 120 days in jail…

A major road construction project on I-10 that will take two years to complete will affect travelers between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. 95-thousand drivers pass over a six and a half mile section between Baton Rouge and Prairieville that will be expanded to six lanes.  DOTD’s Shawn Wilson says they want the flow of traffic continue through the construction zone as smoothly as possible…

Cut 10 (08) “one lane.”

Steve Ensminger is the LSU new offensive coordinator.  He replaces Matt Canada who left LSU on Tuesday.  Ensminger says he’s not worried about what social media and other others have to say about his appointment…

Cut 14 (13) “I’ll do it”

LRN Sportscast 16:45 January 11

Steve Ensminger said today he embraces the opportunity to be LSU’s offensive coordinator and that he’ll make the state proud. The 59-year-old choked up a few times when talking about his new job after serving as the Tigers tight ends coach since 2010. And Ensminger also was defiant when it comes to the criticism that he’s not the right man for the job….
cut 14 (13) “…..I’ll do it”
So what will LSU’s offense look like with Ensminger calling plays. The former Tiger quarterback says he wants to run a fast paced, spread offense…
cut 13 (12) “…four wideouts”
And LSU has also named long-time NFL assistant Jerry Sullivan as senior offensive assistant and passing game coordinator.

One of the individual match-ups to watch when the Saints face the Vikings on Sunday is New Orleans wide receiver Michael Thomas versus Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Coach Sean Payton says they have to respect respect Rhodes talent…
cut 18 (14) “….behind it”
Thomas had five catches for 45 yards in the week one matchup against Minnesota.