07:30 Newscast, August 5th, 2016

The state’s annual sales tax holiday is underway and continues tomorrow. Instead of a five-percent sales tax, customers will pay 3-percent on most purchases. It’s not the full state sales exemption this year due to budget issues, and the NFIB of Louisiana isn’t happy about it.
CUT 7 (07) “their advantage”
That’s Louisiana NFIB Director Dawn Starns.

With school underway, the Department of Health is reminding parents the importance of getting your child vaccinated. Dr. Frank Welch says despite contrary reports, vaccines are safe and help keep others safe…:
Cut 6 (07) “in school”
Welch says parents can get their children vaccinated at their pediatrician’s office or family doctor or at a parish health unit.

Chefs from around the country will compete in New Orleans tomorrow for the title of King of American Seafood. Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Karen Profita, says the 13th annual Great American Seafood Cook-off will take place at the Morial Convention Center at 11:30. She says eleven chefs will work up their best seafood dish…:
Cut 13 (09) “to that”
Chef Blake Phillips from Restaurant Sage in Monroe will represent Louisiana this year.

Could LSU be bowing out of hosting Bayou Country Superfest for good? The athletic department announced late Thursday that BCS will not be held in Death Valley for 2016 and 2017, due to renovations that need to be made during the off-season. BCS Producer Quint Davis says they are exploring alternative locations to hold the festival. Some are speculating that this is a sign BCS will never return to Tiger Stadium.

 

06:45 Sportscast, August 5th, 2016

LSU is ranked sixth in the preseason coaches poll. That’s the Tigers highest preseason ranking since 2012. Linebacker Corey Thompson was a freshman that year. The fifth year senior says he wants to leave LSU with a championship…:
Cut 20 (16) “this year”
The team will again hold morning practice with mostly veterans and starters today, then freshman will practice this afternoon.

Could LSU be bowing out of hosting Bayou Country Superfest? The athletic department announced late Thursday that BCS will not be held in Death Valley for 2016 and 2017, due to renovations and updates to concession stands that need to be made during the off-season. BCS Producer Quint Davis says they are exploring alternative locations to hold the festival.

The Saints have brought in several veteran players in the hopes of improving a defense that’s been one of the worst in the NFL the last two seasons. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley signed a one-year contract for three million dollars in the off-season and he’s expected to help defend the run and eat up space in the middle of the field. Coach Sean Payton expects Fairley to have a big role on this team…:
Cut 16 (15) “noticeably”
Practice continues in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia this morning.

In the MLB, Former UL-Lafayette standout Jonathan Lucroy got his first homer with Texas, as the Rangers defeated former SLU pitcher Wade Miley and the Orioles 5-3 Thursday.

Former LSU standout Alex Bregman was 1 for 4 for the Astros as Houston falls to the Blue Jays 4-1.

 

 

06:30 Newscast, August 5th, 2016

Public school students will learn more about money and finances in school this year, thanks to a bill by Minden Representative Gene Reynolds…:
Cut 10 (07) “high school”
He says the law does not establish a class just for financial literacy, but allows teachers to incorporate it into their lessons.

So with students already starting to go back, the Louisiana Department of Health has some reminders for parents. Dr. Frank Welch says your child should be vaccinated at two important times in their life…:
CUT 5 (07) “needs shots”

LSU announced last night that Tiger Stadium will not be hosting Bayou Country Superfest for 2016 and 2017, due to renovations and updates to concession stands that need to be made during the off-season. BCS Producer Quint Davis says they are exploring alternative locations to hold the festival.

The National Weather Service confirms an EF-0 tornado touched down in the New Orleans area through Treme Thursday afternoon. The storm damaged at least six buildings in all, according to officials. According to the NWS the tornado had winds of 80 miles per hour.

The National Federation of Independent Business isn’t pleased that for this year’s sales tax holiday the sales tax isn’t completely waved. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (25) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

 

 

LRN AM Newscall Aug 5

The National Federation of Independent Business isn’t pleased that for this year’s sales tax holiday the sales tax isn’t completely waved. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (25) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Because of a new law, Louisiana students will learn more about financial literacy this year. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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The 13th annual Great American Seafood Cook-off gets underway tomorrow in New Orleans as chefs compete for the title of King of American Seafood. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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The new school year is getting underway, as some kids are already back in the classroom and others will be soon. Dr. Frank Welch with the state Department of Health reminds parents to make sure their kids are up to date on their vaccinations because there is an immunization law in Louisiana.

cut 4  (10)  “school rush”

Welch says parents can get their children vaccinated at their pediatrician’s office or family doctor or at a parish health unit. He says there are two important times during a child’s life where their shots need to be up to date.

Cut 5  (07)  “needs shots”

Welch says vaccinating children protects them and others from getting dangerous and potentially life threatening diseases, like measles, flu, mumps, whooping cough and pneumonia. He says despite contrary reports, vaccines are safe and help keep others safe.

Cut 6 (07) “in school”

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Today and tomorrow it’s the state’s annual sales tax holiday. Instead of a five-percent sales tax, customers will pay 3-percent on most purchases. In years past, the state sales tax was completely exempted, but the legislature changed it, because of budget difficulties. The NFIB Director for Louisiana, Dawn Starns, says small business retailers would prefer a full tax holiday, instead of a partial one…

CUT 7 (07)  “their advantage”

Starns says even though it’s not the ideal sales tax break, consumers will still see a little saving while shopping today and Saturday. She says many stores are offering additional end of summer sales to entice customers.

Cut 8  (10)  “the fall”

Starns says they understand legislators had to alter this year’s sales tax break, but hope to get the holiday back once the budget crisis is over. She says people are always looking for a chance to save a little money, so she still expects shoppers will be out this weekend.

Cut 9 (09)  “community partners”

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Public school students will learn more about money and finances in school this year, thanks to a bill by Minden Representative Gene Reynolds. He says students used to be required to learn financial literacy in school, but teachers have gotten away from it in the past few years. He says this new law seeks to change that.

Cut 10 (07) “high school”

Reynolds says the law does not establish a class just for financial literacy but allows teachers to incorporate it into their lessons. He says most text books have at least a small part that deals with money.

cut 11 (08) “and objectives”

Reynolds says managing money is a crucial skill that kids need to have when they graduate and this will prepare them for the real world. He says school shouldn’t just be about passing a test.

cut 12 (09) “test score”

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Chefs from around the country will compete in New Orleans tomorrow for the title of King of American Seafood. Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Karen Profita, says the 13th annual Great American Seafood Cook-off will take place in front of a live audience at the Ernest Morial Convention Center at 11:30. She says eleven chefs will work up their best seafood dish…

Cut 13 (09) “to that”

Profita says the chefs will have one hour each to prepare their dish. She says at the end of their hour, they will bring their dish up to the judges for review and tasting.

cut 14 (07)  “come in”

Chef Blake Phillips from Restaurant Sage in Monroe will represent Louisiana this year. Profita says he is really passionate about bringing classic Louisiana flavors and putting a new twist on it.

Cut 15 (07) “of chef”

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The Saints have brought in several veteran players in the hopes of improving a defense that’s been one of the worst in the NFL the last two seasons. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley signed a one-year contract for three million dollars in the offseason and he’s expected to help defend the run and eat up space in the middle of the field. Coach Sean Payton expects Fairley to have a big role on this team…

Cut 16  (15)  “noticeably”

Linebacker Nate Stupar is another veteran addition to the Saints defense. Stupar, who played the last two seasons in Atlanta, says creating turnovers have been a big emphsis in training camp

Cut 17 (15)  “to victory”

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LSU’s defense will use fall camp to learn a new defense that’s being installed by first-year defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. Last year, the Tigers were guilty of several blown coverages that allowed to big plays from their opponents. But Sophomore cornerback Kevn Toliver doesn’t think that will happen again this year and he likes the aggressive style of Aranda’s defense…

Cut 18 (09) “play man-to-man”

LSU sophomore defensive back Donte Jackson from Riverdale High School says the success of this year’s defense is up to the players and making big plays at critical times…

Cut 19 (16) “change a lot”

LSU is ranked sixth in the preseason coaches poll. That’s the Tigers highest preseason ranking since 2012. Linebacker Corey Thompson was a freshman that year. The fifth year senior says he wants to leave LSU with a championship….

Cut 20 (16) “this year”

18:30 LRN Newscast Aug 4

More public school students scored “mastery” on the English and Math sections of the LEAP test last year, according to the state Department of Education. But Superintendent John White says unfortunately some white and higher income students are doing significantly better than others.
CUT 10 (11) “our state”
White is also concerned that too few students are fully prepared for college.

Governor John Bel Edwards announced today the state plans to invest over $20-million to address the congestion near the Washington Street exit on I-10 in Baton Rouge.

Cut 13 (11) “….the contestion”
The governor says this is only area in the country where the interstate goes down to one lane.

Authorities are trying to identify the remains of a woman who was murdered near Bogalusa. Washington Parish Sheriff’s office Chief Deputy Mike Haley says 41-year-old Joey Mixon has been charged with 2nd degree murder for the woman’s death. Haley says they know Mixon knew the victim and got into an argument with her, but there’s still a lot of unanswered questions.
cut 5 (07) “…the crime”
Officials believe the victim is from St. Tammany Parish.

The hurricane forecast team at Colorado State University continues to predict a near average Atlantic hurricane season. Researcher Dr. Phil Klotzbach says they’re expecting to see 10 named storms and four more hurricanes. But he says given how quiet the last three years have been, this season will seem a lot more active.

Cut 6 (10) “the storms”

17:30 LRN Newscast Aug 4

According to the state department of education, Louisiana students showed improvement on their LEAP test scores. Superintendent of Education John White says even though overall student performance improved, the achievement gap between African-American students and white students at the Mastery level is at 26-percent.

Cut 11 (08) “their peers”

The forecast team at Colorado state University is predicting a near normal hurricane season this year. Researcher Dr. Phi Klotzbach says an El Nino the last couple of years kept hurricane activity down. He says we don’t have an El Nino, which will lead to more tropical storms.

CUT 8 (10) “season”

The Department of Transportation announces that a new on-ramp will be built in place of the Washington Street exit on Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge. Governor John Bel Edwards says alleviating congestion on I-10 is important for shipping commerce across the country.

cut 12 (09) “the country”

Edwards says the project will be funded through state dollars because a federal grant freed up more money in the construction budget.

Authorities are working to determine the identity of a woman who was murdered and burned beyond recognition near Bogalusa. Washington Parish Sheriff Chief Deputy Mike Haley says they received a call early Wednesday morning about a murder at the residence of 41-year-old Joey Mixon.

CUT 3 (10)  “her body”

16:45 LRN Sportscast Aug 4th

The first full day of camp is taking place on the practice fields at LSU. Veterans went through drills this morning and freshmen and a few older players have their own practice this afternoon. Coach Les Miles…
cut 19 (15) “…need reps”
The Coaches poll came out today and LSU is ranked sixth. Alabama is ranked number one, followed by Clemson, Oklahoma, Florida State and then Ohio State.

At Saints training camp, receiver Brandin Cooks did not practice today. Coach Sean Payton did not give a reason why Cooks was not in attendance. Cornerback Keenan Lewis, who just came off the physically unable to perform list, also did not practice. But Payton says they are taking it slow with the veteran, who had several injuries last season.

Former Saints offensive guard Jahri Evans will reportedly visit with the Seahawks tomorrow and is considered a good fit for Seattle’s offensive line. Evans who played for 10 years in New Orleans, was released by the Saints last February after refusing to take a pay cut. Evans has also visited with Buffalo.

ULM football coach Matt Viator says he’s pleased with the first day of fall camp. He says miskates were made as they install a new offense and defense, but it wasn’t as sloppy as a lot of first days are.

The NBA and the city of New Orleans are reportedly close to reaching a deal that will result in the Big Easy hosting the All-Star game on February 19th. A formal announcement could come as soon as next week, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate. The league has been looking for a site for the All-Star Game since moving the contest from Charlotte, because of a bill approved that limits antidiscrimination protections for LGBT individuals.

16:30 LRN Newscast Aug 4

The state Department of Education announces Louisiana students showed improvement on the 2016 LEAP tests. Superintendent of Education John White says this year students improved in English and math with 38-percent achieving mastery compared to 33 percent in 2015.

CUT 9 (07) “expectations”

White says unfortunately the results also show that many groups of students in our state are significantly behind their peers.

A new Washington Street exit will be built on I-10 in Baton Rouge, according to the Department of Transportation. Congressman Cedric Richmond says this is about more than resolving transportation problems. He says it’s about improving quality of life for the people of Baton Rouge.

cut 14 (10)  “sitting in traffic”

The forecast team at Colorado State University is still predicting a near normal hurricane season. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Medicaid will now cover mosquito repellant for pregnant women in an effort to fight against the Zika virus. The program allows doctors to prescribe mosquito repellant for women who are on Medicaid, and the pregnancy approved repellants are covered. The Department of Health urges women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant to always use mosquito repellant, because Zika can cause a baby to be born with serious birth defects.

15:30 LRN Newscast August 4th

State education officials announce a higher percentage of public school students scored at the “mastery” level in English and Math. The results are based on the LEAP tests that were taken last Spring. Superintendent John White says this is good news but unfortunately some white and higher income students are doing significantly better than others…
CUT 10 (11) “our state”
White is also concerned that too few students are fully prepared for college.

Authorities are working to ID the remains of a woman who was burned. Chief Deputy Mike Haley, with the Washington Parish Sheriff’s office, says 41-year-old Joey Mixon has been charged with murder in the woman’s brutal death. Haley says they know Mixon knew the victim and got into an argument with her, but there’s still a lot of unanswewred question…
cut 5 (07) “…the crime”
Officials believe the victim is from St. Tammany Parish.

Louisiana is seeing a huge spike in the number of international visitors. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says 36% more people from other countries visited The Bayou State over the prior year. He wants to continue to see this rise and credits the efforts of Louisianians putting their best foot forward…:
CUT 16 (09) “our state”
Nungesser says this is the third consecutive year of double digit growth in international visitors.

Governor John Bel Edwards announced today the state plans on investing more than 20-million dollars to address the congestion that takes place every day at the Washington Street exit on I-10 in Baton Rouge. Edwards on how that money will be spent…
cut 13 (11) “….the contestion”
The governor says it’s the only area in the country where the interstate goes down to one lane.

14:30 LRN Newscast August 4th

The state department of education says there was a five-percent increase in the number of students who achieved “mastery” scores on standardized tests that were taken this past spring. But education superintendent John White says there’s still a wide gap between the percentage of black and white students who are achieving the Mastery level…
cut 11 (08) “…their peers”
White says the test scores also show more work needs to be done to get students ready for college.

The Colorado State Hurricane Forecast team predicts we’ll see 10 named storms and four hurricanes for the remainder of the hurricane season. Doctor Phil Klotzbach says there is a 29-percent chance of a major hurricane making landfall on the Gulf Coast…
cut 7 (10) “…average season”
Klotzbach says expect tropical storm activity to pick up in the next couple of weeks.

Governor John Bel Edwards and the Department of Transportation announce plans to address the congestion problem on Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge. Michelle Southern has more…
voicer 2 (28) “…I’m Michelle SoutherN”

The body of a pilot and a helicopter that crashed in the Atchafalaya Basin were found this morning by search crews. The identity of the pilot has not been released, but t is believed he was the only person on board,. The wreckage was found in Iberia Parish and the chopper is owned by Texas-based Gulf Coast Helicopters Incorporated.