LRN PM Newscall August 9, 2017

NOAA predicts there could be as many as 19 named storms this hurricane season. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The State Department of Education announced today that students in public schools increased average ACT scores for the 4th year in a row. Michelle Southern reports…:

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

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Baton Rouge authorities are searching for the gunman who fatally shot a Tennessee truck driver, while he was changing a tire on his 18-wheeler yesterday morning. Sgt. Don Coppola says this is another tragic incident that claimed the life of 49-year-old Keith Odom.

Cut 3 (10) “robbed him”

Detectives believe Odom was making a delivery at a Florida Boulevard warehouse. He was shot in the parking lot of the Longbow shopping center. Coppola says after being robbed, Odom’s encounter with the suspect turned deadly.

Cut 4  (09) “by the robber”

Coppola says Odom was transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. He says detectives are still trying to identify a suspect in this case, and they’re seeking the public’s help.

Cut 5  (12)  “a call”

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NOAA has increased its projected total of named storms for this hurricane season. In May, government forecasters predicted 11 to 17 named storms, now they believe we’ll see anywhere from 14 to 19 named storms. NOAA lead hurricane season forecaster Gerry Bell….

Cut 6 (09) “extremely active”

He says this could be the most active season since 2010. That year there were 19 named storms, 12 hurricanes and five major hurricanes. But only Tropical Storm Bonnie as a remnant low made landfall in Louisiana. Bell says they anticipate an extremely active season, because wind patterns are conducive for storm development and sea surface temperatures are well above normal…

Cut 7 (06)  “will persist”

There’s been six named storms this season. Bell says the chance of an El Nino weather pattern forming has dropped significantly, which is another factor why they raised the storm total..

Cut 8 (06) “wind shear”

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The State Department of Education announced today that students in public schools increased average ACT scores for the 4th year in a row, from 19.1 in 2013 to 19.6 today. Superintendent of Education John White said there is also a substantial rise in the number of students achieving college acceptable scores….:

Cut 9 (10)  “college benchmark”

The average score last year was 19.5, so it’s only up slightly for 2017. Leading the state in ACT scores this year is the St. Tammany Parish School District with an average of 22. White says the number of students who qualify for TOPS also grew at every level of the award this year…:

Cut 10 (10) “than did in 2012”

There were also gains among African Americans who scored an average of 17.5 this year. The overall national average was 20.8 in 2016. White says even though Louisiana remains below the nation, the steady gains are significant…:

Cut 11 (09) “expectations high”

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Kids are heading back to school, which means school buses are getting back on the road. Kip Diggs with State Farm reminds drivers to be extra cautious when a bus is stopped for loading and unloading. He says it is never safe to pass a stopped school bus.

Cut 12 (09) “hit a child”

Louisiana law requires vehicles to stop 30 feet away when children are getting on or off the bus. Diggs says motorists should always drive with caution and slow down when the encounter a school bus on the road. He says if there’s a bus on the road, school children are guaranteed to be nearby.

Cut 13 (09) “kill a child”

Diggs says buses usually move a little slower than regular traffic. Reduced speed zones are also in effect near schools and buses. He says drivers should consider that and leave a little earlier because if you get stopped behind a bus, all you can do it wait.

Cut 14 (12) “in your day”

13:30 Newscast, August 9th, 2017

NOAA has increased its projected total of named storms for this hurricane season. In May, government forecasters predicted 11 to 17 named storms, now they believe we’ll see anywhere from 14 to 19 named storms. NOAA lead hurricane season forecaster Gerry Bell says the chance of an El Nino forming has dropped significantly, which is another reason the total rose:
Cut 8 (06) “wind shear”
He says sea surface temperatures are also well above normal.

A Lafayette Parish grand jury has indicted a man with murder in connection with the death of Jacqueline “Daisy Lynn” Landry. 22-year-old Malik Davis is accused of second degree murder. Family members and friends still can not find Daisy Lynn since she was last seen in May. Little else is known about this case, including Davis’ involvement and what may have happened that lead to the murder charge and indictment.

Baton Rouge Police say a truck driver from Tennessee was robbed then killed while changing a tire in a parking lot Tuesday morning. Sgt. Don Coppola says 49-year-old Keith Odom, of Jonesborough, was shot after he turned over his possessions to the robber…:
Cut 4 (09) “by the robber”
He later died at a local hospital. No suspect in the killing has been identified.

Many schools got back in session today, which means the school buses are back on the road. Kip Diggs with State Farm says buses usually move a little slower than regular traffic, not to mention their regular travel in school zones. He says drivers should consider that and leave a little earlier because if you get stopped behind a bus, all you can do it wait…:
Cut 14 (12) “in your day”
He says it is never safe to pass a stopped school bus.

 

12:30 Newscast, August 9th, 2017

NOAA predicts there could be as many as 19 named storms this hurricane season…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The State Department of Education announced today that students in public schools increased average ACT scores from 19.1 in 2013 to 19.6 today. Superintendent of Education John White says more kids are also getting college acceptable scores..:
CUT 9 (10) “college benchmark”

Kids are heading back to school, which means school buses are getting back on the road. Kip Diggs with State Farm reminds drivers to be extra cautious when a bus is stopped for loading and unloading. He says it is never safe to pass a stopped school bus…:
Cut 12 (09) “hit a child”
Louisiana law requires vehicles to stop 30 feet away when children are getting on or off the bus.

A federal judge has blocked a current state law saying foreign born applicants can’t obtain a marriage license without a birth certificate. A Lafayette man who was born in an Indonesian refugee camp and doesn’t have a birth certificate filed a suit, because he’s unable to marry his fiancee.

 

11:30 Newscast, August 9th, 2017

NOAA has increased its projected total of named storms for this hurricane season. In May, government forecasters predicted 11 to 17 named storms, now they believe we’ll see anywhere from 14 to 19 named storms. NOAA lead hurricane season forecaster Gerry Bell:
Cut 6 (09) “extremely active”
He says this could be the most active season since 2010.

Baton Rouge authorities are searching for the gunman who fatally shot a Tennessee truck driver, while he was changing a tire on his 18-wheeler Tuesday morning. Sgt. Don Coppola says this tragic incident claimed the life of the 49-year-old man…:
Cut 3 (10) “robbed him”
They believe Odom turned over his possessions then was shot and killed. A suspect has not yet been identified in the case.

The State Department of Education announced today that students in public schools increased average ACT scores for the 4th year in a row, from 19.1 in 2013 to 19.6 today. Superintendent of Education John White said there is also substantial rise in the number of students achieving college acceptable scores. He says since 2012, 3900 more students scored a 21 or higher in 2017.

LSP in Troop C, which covers southeast Louisiana, is worried about the uptick in preventable traffic fatalities in the area….:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

10:30 LRN Newscast august 9

West Baton Rouge Sheriff Mike Cazes is certain the two bodies pulled out of the Intracoastal Canal on Monday are connected to a kidnapping case in Lafayette. It’s believed the men jumped into the waterway while fleeing the police…
cut 12 (10) “….out that water”
South Louisiana authorities are still looking for Lafayette businessman Lawwrence Michael Handely, who is wanted in the kidnapping of the woman. Detectives believe the two men who drowned were involved in the crime.

It’s the first day of school in Livingston Parish and kids are receiving free breakfast and lunch for the school year, because of last year’s devastating floods. Livingston Superintendent Rick Wentzel says the USDA is funding the free meals…
cut 5 (11) “…our parents’

The controversy over how the pumps operated in New Orleans during the weekend flooding event is not over. Michelle Southern reports..:
Voicer 3 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

State Police Troop C, which covers the bayou parishes, is concerned about the recent increase in preventable traffic fatalities. Troop Commander Captain Frank Besson (Bay-sawn) says not wearing seat belts and impaired driving are the biggest factors…:
Cut 7 (10) “the crashes”

09:30 Newscast, August 9th, 2017

Livingston Parish students and teachers are looking forward to a year of normalcy as they begin classes today days ahead of the one year anniversary of the historic flood. School superintendent Rick Wentzel says after dealing with the devastation of homes, schools and businesses, the community is ready to get back into a routine…:
Cut 6 (10) “safe environment”
This year all students in the parish will receive free breakfast and lunch.

Two suspects in a Lafayette kidnapping apparently drowned in the Intracoastal Canal after evading deputies in a chase. West Baton Rouge Sheriff Mike Cazes, who says deputies made a shocking discovery when they searched a van the two men abandoned near LA 1 when they gave chase…:
Cut 11 (10) “manhunt started”
The men were later found drowned in the canal.

State Police in the Troop C area, which covers parishes in the Deep South of Louisiana is concerned about the recent increases in preventable traffic fatalities in the area. Troop Commander Captain Frank Besson (Bay-sawn) says they have investigated 31 fatality crashes, resulting in 37 deaths, so far this year, up 35-percent in 2016. He says DWI arrests are up this year…:
Cut 8 (10) “as well”
Besson says it’s easy to make good driving decisions, like wearing your seat belt and never driving under the influence.

NOAA will issue an outlook update at this hour going into the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. There have been six named storms over the first nine weeks of this season. Initially, NOAA predicted an above-normal season with 11 to 17 named storms, of which five to nine could become hurricanes, including two to four major hurricanes.

 

08:30 Newscast, August 9th, 2017

Students and teachers in Livingston Parish are heading back to school today and hoping for some normalcy this year. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Baton Rouge Police say a truck driver from Tennessee was robbed then killed while changing a tire in a parking lot Tuesday morning. They believe 49-year-old Keith Odom, of Jonesborough, was shot after he turned over his possessions to the robber. He later died at a local hospital. No suspect in the killing has been identified.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced changes in the management of the Sewerage and Water Board, due to unreliable information given to the public in the wake of Saturday’s storm that flooded homes and businesses. The board’s Superintendent, Joe Becker, told the city council Tuesday that all of the pump stations were working at maximum capacity. But City Councilman Jason Williams called that a fabrication and asked Becker to clarify…:
Cut 14 (10) “(angry crowd jeering)”
Landrieu said he will ask for Becker to resign.

State Police Troop C covering Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, and parts of St. James and St. Charles parishes says they have investigated 31 fatality crashes, resulting in 37 deaths so far this year. Captain Frank Besson (Bay-sawn) says they are cracking down on drunk drivers by upping check points and…:
Cut 9 (09) “get blood”

 

07:30 Newscast, August 9th, 2017

Two suspects in a Lafayette kidnapping apparently drowned in the Intracoastal Canal after evading deputies in a chase. That’s according to West Baton Rouge Sheriff Mike Cazes (Caze), who says Iberville Parish deputies called for assistance in a pursuit down I-10…:
Cut 10 (08) “his problem”
He said the chase ended in a manhunt, then the two bodies were later found in the canal. Lafayette Police believe these two individuals were connected to an aggravated kidnapping.

Livingston Parish students and teachers are looking forward to a normal school year as they head back to school today. School superintendent Rick Wentzel says crews worked extensively on 8 campuses damaged in the flood last year. Three of those are complete, but five in the Denham Springs area will not be fully rebuilt for some time…:
Cut 4 (11) “next summer”
This year all students in the parish will receive free breakfast and lunch.

LSP in Troop C, which covers southeast Louisiana, is worried about the uptick in preventable traffic fatalities in the area. Emelie Gunn has more.:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

There were no jackpot winner’s in last nights Mega Millions drawing which now goes to a whopping $382 million dollars. The top prize for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing is $307 million. This is the first time ever that, U.S. lottery players will have a choice of games offering jackpots topping $300 million.

06:45 Sportscast, August 9th, 2017

LSU Senior Quarterback Danny Etling likes the progress the Tigers are making during preseason camp. The Bayou Bengals are in training camp mode for the rest of this week and next and then school starts on Monday August 21st. Etling says the goal is to get better every day..:
Cut 16 (19) “game plans”
The Tigers kickoff against BYU in Houston’s NRG Stadium on September 2nd.

The LSU Baseball team released its 2018 schedule, and fans were excited to see the opening weekend series’ to begin the season first against Notre Dame, then Texas — both at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers have a total of 37 home games, including SEC series against Missouri, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama.

In other LSU baseball news, junior outfielder Brennan Breaux is leaving the program and will transfer to UL-Lafayette, LSU coach Paul Mainieri told Tiger Rag on Tuesday.

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis held his two-day camp for kids ages 7-15 at UNO Monday and Tuesday. The four-time All-Star told reporters he was asked some weird questions by the kids, even joked about one asking if he was going to Boston. He said it was hard to ignore the trade rumors this summer that have speculated about his potential departure from New Orleans, but added if he doesn’t hear anything from Dell Demps or his agent, he ignores it.

LSU head basketball coach Will Wade added transfer Randy Onwuasor “On-woo-AH-sor“. The 6’3 guard averaged 23.6 points per game for Southern Utah last season.

17 year old Lafayette native Armand Mondo Duplantis finished 9th in the pole vault final at the world championships in London Tuesday. Sunday he became the youngest male athlete to earn a spot in the final at worlds, but saw his season end when he missed three times yesterday.

06:30 Newscast, August 9th, 2017

Livingston Parish students and teachers are looking forward to a year of normalcy as they begin classes today just ahead of the one year anniversary of the 2016 flood. Livingston Superintendent Rick Wentzel says this year all students in the parish will receive free breakfast and lunch through the USDA…:
Cut 5 (11) “parents”

State Police in the Troop C area, which covers parishes in the Deep South of Louisiana, is concerned about the recent increases in preventable traffic fatalities in the area. Troop Commander Captain Frank Besson (Bay-sawn) says not wearing seat belts and impaired driving are the biggest factors…:
Cut 7 (10) “the crashes”
He says they have investigated 31 fatality crashes, resulting in 37 deaths, so far this year.

The controversy over how the pumps operated in the city of New Orleans during the weekend flooding event is not over. The city council called a meeting just before Sewerage & Water Board Executive Director Cedric Grant announced his retirement. The board’s Superintendent, Joe Becker, said that the system is not designed to handle that much rain in a short period…:
Cut 13 (11) “four and five hundred more pumps”
But the board admitted to not being totally honest about pump capacity during the event. Mayor Mitch Landrieu said he is going to recommend the termination of Becker.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch through this evening for East Carroll, Madison, Morehouse, Richland and West Carroll parishes. Forecasters say thunderstorms in northeast Louisiana could produce rainfall amounts of one to two inches in a short period that could lead to flash flooding.