1:30 LRN Newscast

A political rift is heating up between Governor Landry and New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno. It started when Moreno and other city officials pushed back against a new law that combined the city’s civil and criminal district courts. Landry noted that Orleans Parish was the only one with two separate district courts.

Cut 10 (13) “…rest of the state.” 

Moreno responded by saying the focus should always be to strive for every city and every parish to reach their fullest potential.

The increased tax revenue from the under-construction Meta data center in Richland Parish is leading to teachers there receiving a bonus this year of up to – listen to this number – FIFTY-THOUSAND DOLLARS! Holly Ridge Elementary School teacher Sarah Morris says she’s shocked by the enormity of the bonus.

Cut 3 (07) “…of this sort.”

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputies rescued four people from a car that crashed into a canal off of I-10 early Monday morning. Sheriff Mike Tregre says the deputies were nearby for another crash and were directed to the partially submerged vehicle.

Cut 6 (10) “..out of the vehicle.”

Tragedy in Ponchatoula as a three-year-old boy died in a hot car late last week. Police Chief Bry (“bree”) Layrisson says police responded after the vehicle owner found Jahcari James locked inside.

Cut 12 (10) “…just fell asleep.” 

Chief Layrisson says this is merely a tragic accident; and while the investigation is ongoing, he does not expect any criminal charges to be filed.

12:30 LRN Newscast

The search for the remains of a 15-year-old Baton Rouge boy continues at the Baton Rouge North Landfill. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says finding Je’Derrius Minnieweather’s remains is crucial for two reasons.

Cut 12 (06) “…in this matter.”

Baton Rouge Police say 51-year-old Maurice Parms beat Minnieweather to death and dumped his body in a trash can that was picked up during garbage collection.

In the latest back and forth between state leaders and the city of New Orleans, Governor Jeff Landry says the Crescent City is no longer a key to the success of Louisiana. Landry says New Orleans is not the economic driver it once was…

Cut 9 (09)  “…fate of New Orleans.”

Landry made that statement to reporters following a press conference where Meta announced it is committing more than 50-billion dollars to its Richland Parish Data Center project. Landry says Meta’s investment brings the total invested in Louisiana by businesses to 150-billion dollars since he took office in 2024.

 

The Meta data center in Richland Parish is paying off quite handsomely for schoolteachers there – literally. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

An East Baton Rouge Parish judge has ordered Pastor Tony Spell he must stay at least 50 yards away from the home of his neighbor. The church leader in Central is accused of attacking his 20-year-old neighbor. Spell is facing a charge of second-degree battery. Spell claims the neighbor threatened to rape and kill his family members.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter is considering taking LSU football players Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper to court for failing to pay their contract buyouts. The duo signed revenue-sharing contracts with Ole Miss before transferring to LSU this offseason, and now the Rebels are seeking the nearly one million dollars it would take for the pair to buy out the contracts. If the former Rebels are sued, LSU would likely foot the bill.

Only nine of LSU’s class of 22 incoming prep signees were taken in the MLB draft, and two top position players are already expected to choose Baton Rouge over the pros. On3.com’s Glen West says this class is one Tiger fans may look back on as a program-changer.

Cut 18 (20) “…they’re that talented.”

Eight Tigers were listed in ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 transfers in college football. Quarterback Sam Leavitt led the LSU contingent at number two overall, followed by offensive tackle Jordan Seaton at three and edge Princewill Umanmielen at five. Wide receivers Jayce Brown, Winnie Watkins and Tre Wilson also made the list, along with safety Ty Benefield and edge rusher Jordan Ross.

UL Lafayette was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt West in this year’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Louisiana Tech was picked fourth and ULM came last in the seven-team division.

Cajuns wideout Shelton Sampson Jr. and D-B Brent Gordon Jr. joined Bulldogs linebacker Kolbe Fields, Warhawks linebacker Noah Flemmings and ULM offensive lineman AJ Vinson on the preseason All-Sun Belt first team.

Southeastern Louisiana linebacker Jake Dalmado was one of 30 players named to the Buck Buchanan Award watchlist. The accolade is given out annually to the best defensive player in the FCS. Dalmado was a two-time All-Southland selection at Nicholls before transferring to the Lions this offseason. He was also a Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American.

11:30 LRN Newscast

The FBI is leading the investigation into yesterday’s fatal shooting of a federal officer in Alexandria. Authorities say gunfire erupted when a deputy U-S Marshal attempted to serve an arrest warrant on a fugitive. The identity of the deceased officer has not been released, the suspect sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

A new study shows that the benefits of bariatric surgery go beyond just massive weight loss. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

 

The search for the remains of a 15-year-old Baton Rouge boy is underway at the Baton Rouge North Landfill after authorities say Je’Derrius Minnieweather was beaten to death and dumped in a trash can.   The FBI is helping with the search. Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp says investigators have narrowed the search area to about one acre, but there are massive amounts of debris to sift through.

Cut 11 (11) “…at a time.”

51-year-old Maurice Parms is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of the teen.

Seventy-two-year-old David Mercer of Folsom is facing charges out of Bossier Parish for allegedly molesting children while he was working as a youth minister at Cypress Baptist Church of Benton between 1989 and 1995. Seargeant Matthew Bertrand of the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, says four victims have come forward, but it’s possible there are more…

Cut  15 (08) “…about it”

10:30 LRN Newscast

A St. Tammany Parish youth pastor is behind bars in connection with a decades-old crime. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

Attorney General Liz Murrill and her legal team are seeking indictment-related records from Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and Special Prosecutor Laurie White. They’re seeking documents, text messages and emails in an effort to learn what led to the 16-count indictment against Murrill, which is currently on hold.

The search for the remains of a 15-year-old Baton Rouge boy continues at the Baton Rouge North Landfill. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says finding Je’Derrius Minnieweather’s remains is crucial for two reasons.

Cut 12 (06) “…in this matter.”

Baton Rouge Police say 51-year-old Maurice Parms beat Minnieweather to death and dumped his body in a trash can that was picked up during garbage collection. 

A new study from LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center shows that bariatric surgery is effective in not only weight loss, but also in improving obesity-related health conditions. Dr. Philip Schauer (“shower”), who led the study, says chronic obesity is a disease that begins early in life; and sometimes, surgery may be the one and only viable option in ensuring a patient’s long-term health.

Cut 8 (10) “…would be surgery.”

9:30 LRN Newscast

A difficult search is underway for the remains of a teenager who authorities believe ended up in a landfill. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A Deputy U.S. Marshal was killed in a law enforcement operation in Alexandria yesterday. The deputy was working with the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office to arrest a wanted fugitive when the shooting took place. After a three-hour standoff, the suspect was taken into custody. The FBI, RPSO and state police are all investigating the incident.

Meta announced a 50 billion dollar expansion to its Richland Parish data center. An estimated 75-hundred construction workers are needed to build the project, and Meta is willing to train many of them for free. Meta President Dina Powell McCormick says anyone interested in getting trained for electrical, plumbing and fiber optics should look into Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy.

Cut 5 (11) “…data center site.”

A St. Tammany Parish pastor was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing several children decades ago while serving at a church in Benton. 72-year-old David Mercer was taken into custody Friday afternoon at a property owned by First Baptist Church of Folsom, where he was working as a youth pastor. Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Matthew Bertrand is baffled Mercer is still a youth pastor.

Cut 14 (10) “…a little concerning.”

8:30 AM LRN Newscast

A new study shows that the benefits of bariatric surgery go beyond just massive weight loss. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Louisiana ranks among the 10 worst states to live in for 2026.  That’s according to a new CNBC report that gave our state a quality of life score of just 89 out of 290 points.  The report cites reproductive rights, inclusiveness, and crime as some of Louisiana’s biggest challenges.
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The search for the remains of a 15-year-old Baton Rouge boy is underway at the Baton Rouge North Landfill after authorities say Je’Derrius Minnieweather was beaten to death and dumped in a trash can.   The FBI is helping with the search. Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp says investigators have narrowed the search area to about one acre, but there are massive amounts of debris to sift through.

Cut 11 (11) “…at a time.”

Meta is expanding its Richland Parish A-I data center, becoming one of the largest data centers in the world. An estimated 75-hundred construction workers are needed to build the project and once the facility is constructed, it’s expected to employ one-thousand people. Governor Jeff Landry says this is the kind of job creation he talked about when he ran for office.

Cut 6 (12) “…those opportunities elsewhere.”

7:30 AM LRN Newscast

A St. Tammany Parish youth pastor is in jail on a decades old crime. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

The search for the remains of 15-year-old Je’Derrius Minnieweather is underway at the Baton Rouge North Landfill. Police here say 51-year-old Maurice Parms beat Minnieweather to death and dumped his body in a trash can that was picked up during garbage collection.  Minniweather’s grandmother, Jawanna Brooks…

Cut 10 (07) “…his mom don’t.”

————————

Meta’s Richland Parish A-I data center is expanding to become one the largest data centers in the world.  It’ll take about 75-hundred construction workers to build the project and Meta says it’s willing to train many of them for free.  Meta President Dina Powell McCormick says anyone interested in getting trained for electrical, plumbing and fiber optics should look into Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy.

Cut 5 (11) “…data center site.”

A new study from LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center shows that bariatric surgery is not only safe and effective in helping morbidly obese people lose weight, but it also helps improve obesity-related health conditions. Dr. Philip Schauer (“shower”), who led the study, says of the patients evaluated after bariatric surgery, not only lost an average of 30 percent body weight, but…

Cut 7 (13) “…60-percent improvement.”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Jay Johnson and LSU brought in some big-time high school signees who chose to enroll at LSU over signing with an MLB team. Aledo, Texas, left-hander Lucas Nawrocki was Perfect Game’s number-50 high school prospect and pulled his name from the draft the night before it began. Glen West with On3-dot-com says he can have an immediate impact.

Cut 16 (16) “…from the start.”

Nawrocki will also hit. According to Max Preps, he had a 513 batting average in his senior season.

Another intriguing arm is 6-foot-3 right-hander Kolby Stringer, who chose LSU over Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Stringer is from West Marion High School in Mississippi and had the second most strikeouts in the nation, with 118 Ks.

 

Troy is picked to win the Sun Belt Western Division according to the conference preseason poll. The Ragin Cajuns finished second, followed by Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech is picked to finish fourth, than Southern Miss, South Alabama and ULM is picked to finish last.

ULM O-lineman AJ Vinson made the preseason All-Sun Belt First team. Ragin Cajuns receiver Shelton Sampson also made the first-team. Cajuns D-B Brent Gordon is on the preseason All-Sun Belt First team defense. Also on the team, ULM linebacker Noah Flemmings and Louisiana Tech linebacker Kolbe Fields.

Southeastern Louisiana linebacker Jake Dalmado and punt returner Dkhai Joseph are on the Stats Perform FCS preseason All-American Team. Dalmado is a transfer from Nicholls, where he was a two-time All-Southland Conference performer for the Colonels and had 142 tackles and 12 and a half sacks over the past two seasons.

6:30 AM LRN Newscast

A difficult search is underway for the remains of a teenager who authorities believe ended up in a landfill. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A deputy U.S. Marshal was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant on a fugitive in Alexandria yesterday afternoon. According to officials, the suspect is in custody.  We’re told the FBI is leading the investigation into the deputy’s death. The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation into the shooting itself.

——————————–

Meta has announced it’s expanding its Richland Parish A-I data center to five gigawatts, becoming one of the largest data centers in the world. Work on the 32-hundred-acre site is underway; and the president of Meta, Dina Powell McCormick, says they anticipate the project will be completed in 2036.

Cut 4 (12) “…to move fast.”

A St. Tammany Parish youth pastor is arrested for allegedly sexually abusing several children decades ago. 72-year-old David Mercer was wanted on a warrant issued out of Bossier Parish. Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Matthew Bertrand says Mercer was wanted for crimes committed between 1989 and 1995, while he had served as youth pastor at Cypress Baptist Church in Benton.

Cut 13 (08)  “…molestation of juveniles.”