07:30 Newscast, January 30th, 2017

A Louisiana Department of Education study group finds a significant increase in the number of students completing the application for federal financial assistance. Educational Technology Consultant Stephanie Marcum attributes this jump to cuts in funding to the TOPS scholarship program…:
Cut 10 (08) “by TOPS”
The rate of kids completing the FASFA form increased by 24-percent from last year.

State Police say nearly two million dollars worth of drugs are off the streets of Central Louisiana as the result of the arrest of an Alexandria man. Trooper Scott Moreau says earlier this month detectives began investigating 37-year-old Derrick Felton for distribution of methamphetamine and he was taken into custody during a traffic stop.:
Cut 13 (10) “more cash”
Moreau says they also seized over 100-thousand dollars worth of cocaine and 67-thousand dollars in cash.

Two University of Oklahoma Students have been arrested for breaking into Tiger Stadium. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 3 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Department of Transportation announced construction will begin this summer in West Monroe to widen a 3.2 mile stretch of Arkansas Road between LA 143 and Caldwell Road. DOTD Spokesperson Marshall Hill says this is a long time coming…:
cut 4 (08) “not great”
Hill says four round-a-bouts will also be added at major intersections.

 

6:45 Sportscast, January 30th, 2017

In the final game of an up and down long homestand, the New Orleans Pelicans fell last night 107-94 to the Wizards. It was hardly the same look for the Pels than the Friday night 119-103 victory over the Spurs. But the Wizards are one of the hottest teams in the NBA and they have won eight of the past nine games against the Pelicans. Starting tomorrow night against Toronto, the Pelicans return on the road to play three games.

Sunday in the Pro-Bowl, the AFC held on to defeat the NFC 20-13 in a wild game where Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 10 of 19 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown. All in all, the NFL All-Star game lacked spectacular play on either side; but the AFC put together just enough drives to get the win.

There’s been an arrest in the latest break-in at Tiger Stadium. LSU Police say two University of Oklahoma students were spotted inside the stadium Sunday around noon. 20-year-old Samuel Holland and 19-year-old Lucas Meacham are charged with unauthorized entry of a place of business and resisting an officer by flight.

Spring practice is underway for the LSU baseball team, who goes into this season with some of the best talent in the country. The Tigers pitching staff has two veteran starters along with a senior closer. LSU also has plenty of experience in the field and Coach Paul Mainieri is pleased about that…:
Cut 16 (20) “in this league”
Opening day for the Tigers is February 17th against Air Force.

In college hoops, the LSU men’s basketball team suffered its 7th straight Saturday after falling to Texas Tech 77-64.

ULM continues its homestand today with a visit from Little Rock at 7. The Warhawks enter the tilt with a 6-15 mark, coming off of a loss against Arkansas State on Saturday, while Little Rock enters 12-9, coming off an 88-82 loss to the Ragin Cajuns on Saturday.

UL-Lafayette takes on Arkansas State tonight. Mississippi Valley State is at Grambling.

 

06:30 Newscast, January 30th, 2017

A study group for the state Department of Education finds a significant jump in the number of students completing the federal financial assistance application. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Two University of Oklahoma Students have been arrested for breaking into Tiger Stadium. LSU officials say 20-year-old Samuel Holland and 19-year-old Lucas Miller were spotted inside Death Valley at around noon Sunday. Based on the police report, officers told the unwelcome guests to get down, however they decided to run away, but were caught by LSU police officers after getting through a security gate. They were booked into the East Baton Rouge prison.

Now is your chance to ride in a self-driving automated shuttle, as a demonstration takes place in New Orleans today. Neil Hemenover with Transdev North America says the vehicle was created by EasyMile and is already in use in Europe. He says the technology is available for a self-driving shuttle to follow a set route….:
CUT 7 (09) “the speed”‘
Hemenover says about 4-thousand people a day use a self-driving shuttle in France and the Netherlands.

The body of a woman found under an I-12 bridge in Livingston Parish has been identified as 30-year-old Jennifer Annette Blount of Denham Springs. Walker police said they haven’t determined the cause of her death but are investigating it as a homicide.

 

LRN AM Newscall January 30th

Could we one day see a self-driving bus pick up and drop off passengers in New Orleans? Don Molino has more…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Don Molino”

______________________________________

A study group for the state Department of Education finds a significant jump in the number of students completing the federal financial assistance application. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

Two University of Oklahoma Students have been arrested for breaking into Tiger Stadium. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

The Department of Transportation announced construction will begin this summer in West Monroe to widen a 3.2 mile stretch of Arkansas Road between LA 143 and Caldwell Road. DOTD Spokesperson Marshall Hill says the road will be turned into four lanes and a center turn lane will be added to help alleviate traffic.

cut 4  (08) “not great”

Hill says four round-a-bouts will also be added at major intersections. He says the project should take three years to complete.

Cut 5  (11)  “the roadway”

Hill says the project will cost $32.9 million dollars. He says they are excited construction will begin soon because this project has been delayed since 1981.

Cut 6 (11) “to fruition”

______________________________________

Now is your chance to ride in a self-driving automated shuttle, as a demonstration takes place in New Orleans today. Neil Hemenover with Transdev North America says the vehicle was created by EasyMile and is already in use in Europe. He says the technology is available for a self-driving shuttle to follow a set route.

CUT 7 (09)  “the speed”

Hemenover says about 4-thousand people a day use a self-driving shuttle in France and the Netherlands. He says these vehicles can also be seen in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Cut 8 (11) “public streets”

Hemeover says Transdev thinks New Orleans is a great place for this technology with the amount of visitors coming into the city. He says the public will get to go for a ride at 1 p.m. on Monday at the Convention Center.

Cut 9 (09)  “to stand”

________________________________________

A Louisiana Department of Education study group finds a significant increase in the number of students completing the application for federal financial assistance. The rate of kids completing the FASFA form increased by 24-percent from last year. Educational Technology Consultant Stephanie Marcum attributes this jump to cuts in funding to the TOPS scholarship program.

Cut 10 (08) “by TOPS”

Marcum says in the past, Louisiana students have been bad about filling out the application and leaving that grant money on the table. She says a lack of education about what FASFA is, contributed to such low numbers of students actually completing the form.

cut 11 (11) “financial aid”

Marcum says the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance is now open for students to fill out in October, rather than in January. She says the hope is this increase becomes more than just a one year thing…

cut 12 (09) “our state”

_______________________________________

State Police say nearly two million dollars worth of drugs are off the streets of Central Louisiana as the result of the arrest of an Alexandria man. Trooper Scott Moreau says earlier this month detectives began investigating 37-year-old Derrick Felton for distribution of methamphetamine and he was taken into custody during a traffic stop

Cut 13 (10) “more cash”

Moreau says the street value of the drugs seized is approximately one-point-seven million dollars

cut 14 (11) “of heroin”

Moreau says they also seized over 100-thousand dollars worth of cocaine and 67-thousand dollars in cash. Felton was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center. He says the drugs were not only found in his vehicle, but also at multiple residences in Alexandria, so more arrests are likely

Cut 15 (04) “the beginning”

_____________________________________________

Spring practice is underway for the LSU baseball team, who goes into this season with some of the best talent in the country. The Tigers pitching staff has two veteran starters along with a senior closer. LSU also has plenty of experience in the field and Coach Paul Mainieri is pleased about that…

Cut 16 (20) “in this league”

In the infield, Cole Freeman and Kramer Robertson return as LSU’s starting second baseman and shortstop. Freshman Josh Smith is expected to start at third and Mainieri plans to play Jake Slaugther at first base, which is a new position for the former Ouachita Christian standout

Cut 17 (23)   “so forth”

Opening day for the Tigers is February 17th against Air Force. Mainieri says it’s an open competition for a starter in left field between Beau Jordan and Brennan Breaux. Mainieri says Breaux looks like a different player this year…

Cut 18 (23) “for the job”

10:30 Newscast January 28,2017

Governor John Bel Edwards has called a special session so lawmakers can make cuts to address the state’s 304 million dollar budget shortfall. Edwards says he won’t ask legislators to increases taxes during the 11-day special session but will recommend using 119-million dollars from the Rainy Day Fund.
Cut 4 (09) “of Louisiana.”

The session will start of February 13th.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announces the 2017 line up and Harry Connick Jr, Tom Petty and David Matthews are just a few of the artist who will perform. Jazzfest producer Quint Davis says not only is the Jazzfest wildly popular for it’s amazing musical lineup and arts and crafts, there’s no place else you can get a gourmet meal in a field:
cut 14 (09) “trout baquet”

 

Louisiana is the third most dangerous state for online dating, according to a report by High-Speed-Internet.com. Michelle Southern has more…
Cut 2 (23) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Sections of Interstate 10 in Lafayette will be closed to traffic for a few hours on Sunday as crews will pull power lines across the road, according to the state Department of Transportation. The east and westbound lanes will be closed from Exit 103 and exit 104. Workers are scheduled to start moving the power lines between 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

9:30 Newscast January 28,2017

Governor John Bel Edwards announces plans for a special session to begin on February 13th to fix a 304-million dollar budget deficit. Jeff Palermo has the story…
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

A State Police Trooper was hit by a passing car during a traffic stop in St. Helena Parish. According to police, the trooper was walking around the stopped vehicle when 75-year-old Johnnie Lee of Covington struck the trooper. The trooper was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. Lee is charged with careless operation.

 

A report released by High-Speed-Internet.com finds Louisiana is the third most dangerous state for online dating. Website researcher, Kaz Weida, says one factor that makes the Bayou State so dangerous is the extremely high rate of crime.
CUT 7 (08) “a crime”

Weida says they are also concerned about Louisiana’s weak policies when it comes to sex education in public schools…

The lineup has been released for the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dog and Maroon 5 are just a few of the performers. Jazzfest producer Quint Davis says it takes place the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May. Much of Jazz Fest was rained out last year which is extremely rare, and Davis had only this to say about a crowd turnout in 2017…:
Cut 13 (06) “really lot of people“

8:30 Newscast January 28,2017

Governor John Bel Edwards says he will call a special session so lawmakers can make what he calls painful cuts to try to tackle a 304-million dollar budget shortfall. Edwards says the session will begin February 13th and will last 11 days.
Cut 3 (12) “so much”

Edwards says he’ll present a budget slashing plan to the legislature by February sixth.
A High-Speed-Internet.com report finds Louisiana ranks thirds in the most dangerous states for online dating. Website Researcher, Kaz Weida, says the Bayou State ranks so high because if the high rate of people with STDs.
Cut 6 (10) “sex with”

 
The Mandeville Police Department says a one-month-old is in critical condition and the 18-year-old father has been arrested after allegations he shook this baby violently. Chief Gerald Sticker says they began asking questions when they got a call from the hospital reporting the baby’s condition.
Cut 9 (09) “the infant’s brain”

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has announced the 2017 lineup and it features Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, Maroon 5, Snoop Dog, Dave Matthews and Harry Connick Jr. — just to name a few. Jazzfest producer Quint Davis says this event as a little something for everyone.
cut 12 (09) “who’s an artist”

It all happens at the New Orleans Fairgrounds the last weekend in April and first weekend in May.

LRN Sportscast January 28th

An up and down week for the Pelicans ended on a positive note as New Orleans defeated one of the best teams in the league last night. The Pels outscored the Spurs 34-19 in the 4th quarter to beat San Antonio 119-103. All-star Anthony Davis had 16 points, but Jrue (Drew) Holiday had 23 points and Terrence Jones had another big game as he scored 21 points off the bench. New Orleans completes a long homestand by hosting Washington on Sunday.

In college basketball today…LSU will look to snap a six-game losing streak at Texas Tech at 1 PM.

Louisiana Tech’s Jacobi Boykins is suspended for tonight’s game against Middle Tennessee. He was involved in a fight that occurred in the second half of Thursday night’s loss to UAB. The Bulldogs are in a three-way for second place, while the Blue Raiders are 8-0 in league play. Tip-off is at 5 PM.

At the LHSAA Convention, member principals decided not to combine Classes B and C with Class one-A. The proposal was an attempt to reduce the number of championship games in football, basketball, baseball and softball.

Today it’s the Senior Bowl, Former LSU Tiger Dewayne Thomas is a late addition. He replaces Tre’Davious White, who will not play because of a sprained ankle.

Spring practice is underway for college baseball teams, the LSU Tigers are expected to get to the College World Series as they return their two top starting pitchers and most of their position players. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says they can’t take a trip to Omaha for granted…
cut 19 (13) “…to that”
Opening day is February 19th versus Air Force.

18:30 LRN Newscast January 27th

A special session will in fact take place next month so lawmakers can get together and decide how to close a $304 million dollar budget shortfall. Governor John Bel Edwards says he will not ask legislators to raise taxes, but he will recommend using 119-million dollars in money from the state’s rainy day fund in an effort to soften the cuts…:
cut 4 (09) “of Louisiana”
Edwards says he’ll present a budget slashing plan to the legislature by February sixth.

Louisiana is ranked as the third worst state in the country for online dating. Researcher for High-speed-internet Kaz Weida says part of the reason for the state’s high ranking, is Louisiana’s high crime rate….
cut 7 (08) “…a crime”
Washington D-C and Alaska were ranked ahead of Louisiana.

An Ascension Parish woman will spend five years in prison after pleading guility to driving while intoxicated with her 15-month old child on her lap. At the time of the arrest, deputies said Katherine Summerfield had a blood-alcohol level more than four times the legal limit to drive. Prosecutors say she was so drunk, authorities took her to the hospital.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announces the 2017 lineup and it includes Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, Maroon 5, Snoop Dog, Dave Matthews and Harry Connick Jr. — just to name a few. Jazzfest producer Quint Davis says once again the event has something for everyone…:
cut 12 (09) “who’s an artist”
It all happens at the New Orleans Fairgrounds the last weekend in April and first weekend in May.

17:30 LRN Newscast January 27th

Governor Edwards will issue a call for an 11-day special session that will begin February 13th. The governor says there’s a 304-million dollar midyear deficit and legislative approval is required to make cuts throughout the budget…
cut 5 (09) “…will be considered”
Edwards says he will not propose higher taxes, but recommends using 119-million dollars from the rainy day fund.

A report released by High-Speed-Internet.com finds Louisiana is the third most dangerous state for online dating. Researcher Kaz Weida says the Bayou State gets a high ranking because of a high rate of adults with STDs…:
Cut 6 (10) “sex with”
Weida says another factor is the state’s high crime rate.

Mandeville Police have arrested an 18-year-old father for allegedly causing internal bleeding on the brain of his one-month old baby. Chief Gerald Sticker says the infant’s grandmother discovered the toddler’s condition and rushed the small child to the hospital…
cut 11 (08) “…difficulty breathing”
Stephen Michael Dufrense has been charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile. Authorities say he violently shook the infant.

Musical acts Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Snoop Dogg were announced as performers today for the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest. Producer Quint Davis expects the two weekend musical festival will be a hit once again, provided the rain stays away…
cut 13 (06) “..people”
Stevie Wonder didn’t take the stage last year because of rain.