LRN AM NEWSCALL DEC 16

Swarms of small beetles resembling ladybugs are moving into yards around the state. Halen Doughty has more…

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Three Louisiana cities rank as some of the highest in the US for losing the most jobs. Jeff Palermo reports…:

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The National Institutes of Health grants LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center with 5.3 million dollars to study why certain people benefit more or less from exercise. Emelie Gunn has more…

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Tiny beetles resembling ladybugs are swarming homes around Louisiana more than usual this year. Dr. Chris Carlton with LSU’s Entomology Department says it’s the Asian Lady Beetle and it’s not the typical ladybug we normally see, but it’s in the same family.

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Carlton there are more of these pesky beetles this year than we typically see, as many Louisiana yards are teeming with large swarms of the beetles. He says many insect species go through dramatic population fluctuations from one year to the next.

Cut 5  (11)  “next year”

Carlton says the best way to keep these ladybug look-alikes out of your home it to make sure all the doors are windows are closed and tightly sealed, the same way you’d keep any bugs out of your home. He says while they have been known to bite people, they aren’t really aggressive.

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Three Louisiana cities rank as some of the highest in the US for losing the most jobs. According to 24/7 Wall St, the Lafayette area topped the list having accounted for 9400 losses in the past year. Houma/Thibodaux ranked third highest with an area employment decline of 3.7%, and Shreveport-Bossier came in at No. 4 with a loss of 4200 jobs. LSU Economist Dr. Loren Scott…:

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Scott says the rig count in northwest Louisiana’s Haynesville Shale area has gone from about 140 to around 16, and in the Gulf of Mexico there used to be about 56 rigs online and that’s now down in the teens. He says their forecast shows the job losses in these three areas continuing into 2017, but at a slower rate…:

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Scott says it might be 2018 before these cities start seeing positive job growth, but it all depends on the price of oil. He says it’s good news that OPEC and other oil exporting countries have said they’ll reduce production by about 2% in the first half of next year…:

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LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center receives a 5.3 million dollar grant to study why some people benefit more or less from exercise. Associate executive director of clinical research and study investigator Dr. Eric Ravussin says everyone knows exercise improves health, but they hope to determine which activity is the most effective on certain people and why.

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The award is from the National Institutes of Health and Pennington is one of six clinical centers around the country that will recruit healthy, inactive adults to participate in this exercise study. Ravussin says they hope their efforts will help people reap the maximum benefits from physical activity…

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For more information on the study, visit Pennington’s website. Ravussin hopes the research will help scientists understand how proteins, lipids and other molecules change during and after exercise and to develop personalized exercise recommendations.

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U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham’s Office has begun handing out their tickets to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration and they are a hot commodity. Spokesperson Cole Avery says they had a link on the Congressman’s website for people to request tickets, but they had to take it down because requests were flooding in. He says there were about 300 ticket requests, and they only have about 185 to give away.

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Avery says they are choosing which applicants from the 5th Congressional District will get tickets through a lottery. He says they’ve already begun drawing names, so unfortunately it’s too late for more people to throw their names in the hat. But he says they are keeping a record of who all made requests.

cut 14 (09) “to waste”

Mr. Trump carried the Bayou State by a landslide over Secretary Hillary Clinton, 58 to 38-percent. Avery says even if people are not able to get tickets to the January 20th inauguration, they will still be able to attend. He says there will be public viewing areas open in the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

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After a one year absence, the Ragin Cajuns football team makes its return to the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl tomorrow night when they face Southern Miss. Kick-off is at 8 PM. UL Lafayette played in this bowl game for four consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2014 and the team is excited about its return…

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Hudspeth believes turnovers will play a big role in who wins this game…

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SWAC champion Grambling State faces the champion of the MEAC, North Carolina Central, in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Saturday. The game will air on ABC at 11 o’ clock and Grambling Coach Broderick Fobbs says it’s a great opportunity for both programs…

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Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks. Grambling’s Devante Kincade was named SWAC Offensive Player of the year has he threw 28 touchdowns and only three interceptions. N-C Central’s Q-B Malcolm Bell has over 6-thousand passing yards in his career. Fobbs says it should be a great game

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18:30 Newscast Dec 15

Doctors at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston gave an update today on wounded East Baton Rouge Deputy Nick Tullier’s condition. Michelle Southern has more…

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FBI agents raided the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Hammond Police Department. An agency spokesperson says they are carrying out court ordered actions. The investigation reportedly stems from possible mishandling of evidence by a drug task force. The FBI has indicated this is a large scale investigation and there will be more raids.

Louisiana has one of the biggest wage gaps between its richest and poorest residents, according to a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, Jan Moeller isn’t surprised because he says Louisiana has the fourth highest rate of income inequality in the country.

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Moeller says this large wage gap is a reason why Louisiana’s economy has trouble growing.

According to a report from Bankrate.com, Louisiana is the fourth worst state for drivers. Data Analyst Claes Bell says the high number of auto fatalities and longer than average commute times contributed to Louisiana’s ranking.

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New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, and California round out the bottom five states.

17:30 LRN Newscast December 15th

A new report finds Louisiana has the one of the largest wealth gaps in the nation. Louisiana Budget Project director Jan Moeller hopes the legislature addresses the large gap in wage earners. Moeller says it will take higher income individuals paying more taxes and a higher mininum wage to close the gap….
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East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputy Nick Tullier is making very good progress. That’s what doctors say at a Houston hospital where the wounded deputy continues to recover after getting shot last July during an ambush that killed three others. Doctor Katherine O’ Brien…
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And they say he can communicate nonverbally and move some parts of his body.

The House and Senate joint budget committee approved a plan today that will result in a 12-million dollar cut in state funding for public colleges. The cut to higher education was needed to address a 313-million dollar deficit. But Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne warned more cuts are coming, because another 300-million dollar shortfall could be recognized next month.

Increased beef production could mean consumers see lower prices, according to the National Cattleman’s Beef Association. Jeff Palermo has more…
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16:45 LRN Sportscast December 15th

Four-star quarterback Myles Brennan out of Mississippi says that he is no longer listening to any other schools and plans to sign with LSU next year. Brennan re-opened his recruitment after reports LSU offered a five-start quarterback in Hawaii, who is committed to Alabama. Brennan told SEC Country that he’s fully committed to LSU after talking with offensive coordinator Matt Canada last night.

Canada will be coaching at LSU on a full-time basis after Pittsburgh plays its bowl game. That’s where Canada coached this past season and he’s loooking forward to working with Coach Ed Orgeron….
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And Coach “O” has named Chalmette native Bobby April as special teams analyst. April has 25 years of NFL coaching experience.

The Saints will look to snap a three-game losing streak on Sunday when they visit Arizona. Both teams having a losing record, but the Cardinals are number one in the NFL in total yards allowed per game. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees knows the Black and Gold’s offense faces a huge challenge….
cut 20 (14) “…all year”
Brees participated in the Saints entire practice today after making only a limited appearance yesterday in order to rest a little bit. But linebacker Stephone Anthony and cornerback Delvin Breaux did not practice. Breaux suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to Tampa Bay.

The Pelicans host the Indiana Pacers tonight. Swingman Tyreke Evans is expected to make his season debut tonight for New Orleans after missing the first 26 games because of knee and calf injuries.

16:30 LRN Newscast December 15th

Doctors at a rehabilitation facility say wounded East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputy Nick Tullier has made progress during his time in Houston and is now fully conscious. Employees at the T-I-R-R Memoral Hermann also say Deputy Tullier can write his initials, strum a guitar and understand commands. But his recovery still has a long way to go. Tullier was one of six offiers shot last July.

Louisiana has one of the biggest wage gaps between its richest and poorest residents, according to a report.
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A report by Bankrate.com finds Louisiana is the fourth worst state for drivers. Spokesperson Claes Bell says the survey looked at a broad range of data to determine the ranking, like Louisiana being 49th in the nation for insurance cost…:
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He says another thing attributing to the negative ranking is Louisiana’s above average commute time which is 25 minutes.

State Police say a West Carroll Parish woman has been arrested in the shooting death of her husband. A television report says the victim was killed a day after his birthday. Senior Trooper Michael Reichardt says they responded to a call of a shooting in Epps shortly after midnight Tuesday…:
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Reichardt says Sollars has been charged with second degree murder.

15:30 LRN Newscast December 15th

Doctors at rehabilitation facility in Houston say wounded East Baton Rouge Deputy Nick Tullier’s condition is improving. Michelle Southern has more…
voicer 1 (30) “….I’m Michelle Southern”

FBI agents were seen entering and leaving the offices at the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s office and the Hammond Police Department today. An FBI spokesperson says they are conducting multiple court-authorized actions. The Baton Rouge Advocate reports there’s a federal investigation looking into possible mishandling of evidence by a drug task force.

Louisiana has the fourth largest wealth gap between rich and poor according to a report compiled by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Louisiana Budget Project director Jan Moller says this large wage gap is another reason why the state’s economy has trouble growing…
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Moller says higher taxes on the rich and a higher minimum wage can help close the gap.

A Bankrate-dot-com study finds Louisiana is the fourth worst state for driving. It’s based on the state’s high insurance costs, long commute times and high rate of fatal wrecks. But data analyst Claes Bell says there are some positives, like low repair costs and….
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14:30 LRN Newscast December 15th

Doctors in Houston say East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s deputy Nick Tullier is making progress and is now fully conscious. Tullier, who was severely injured last July in a police ambush, is also able to give nonverbal signals and can respond to commands. Physical therapist Julie Welch says Tullier spends several hours a day in therapy….
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It’s still unclear how much of a recovery Tullier will make.

We are trying to get more information on why FBI agents were combing through the offices today at the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s office and Hammond Police Department. According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, the FBI probe has to do with an investigation into possible wrongdoing involving a drug task force.

John Kennedy says his resignation as a state Treasurer will become effective on January 3rd when he’s sworn in as U.S. Senator.

A West Carroll Parish woman has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband. State Police Trooper Michael Reichardt says 44-year-old April Sollars was booked into jail and the investigation is ongoing….
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The victim Larry Carroll was fatally shot a day after his 43rd birthday.

Alexandria Police has arrested two people in the stabbing death of another person. Corpoal Wade Bourgeois says their investigation led them to 54-year-old Daniel Mikkelson and 35-year-old Natarsha Meredit, who were taken into custody after questioning…
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The victim’s name has not been released.

Mississippi four-star quarterback Myles Brennan has reaffirmed his commitment to LSU and plans to sign with the Tigers next year.

LRN PM Newscall December 15th

Doctors at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston gave an update today on wounded East Baton Rouge Deputy Nick Tullier’s condition. Michelle Southern has more…

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Louisiana has one of the biggest wage gaps between its richest and poorest residents, according to a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Emelie Gunn has more…

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Alexandria Police announce the arrest of two people in connection with a stabbing death. Cpl. Wade Bourgeois says the victim was discovered when police received a call Tuesday night.

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Authorities have yet to release the identity of the stabbing victim. Bourgeois says their investigation led them to 54-year-old Daniel Mikkelson and 35-year-old Natarsha Meredith, who were brought in for questioning.

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State Police say a West Carroll Parish woman has been arrested in the shooting death of her husband. A television report says the victim was killed a day after his birthday. Senior Trooper Michael Reichardt says they responded to a call of a shooting in Epps shortly after midnight Tuesday.

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Reichardt says 44-year-old April Sollars has been charged with second degree murder. He says she was booked into the West Carroll Parish Jail without incident, and the investigation is ongoing.

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A report by Bankrate.com finds Louisiana is the fourth worst state for drivers. Data Analyst with the company Claes Bell says the survey looked at a broad range of data to determine the ranking. He says Louisiana was ranked 49th for insurance cost, which helped to secure the low ranking.

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Bell says the high number of auto fatalities contributed to Louisiana’s high ranking. He says another negative factor was a motorist’s average commute time.

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The report found New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, and California round out the bottom five states. But Bell says Louisiana did well in terms of low repair costs and the Bayou State ranked positively in one other category.

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Doctors at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston announced today that wounded East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Tullier is fully conscious and making strides in his recovery. Dr. Sunil Kothari, says they believed Tullier would be in a vegetative state when he arrived, but they quickly learned that he was minimally conscious.

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Tullier was one of six officers who were shot in an ambush in Baton Rouge last July. Kothari says no one ever recovers completely from this kind of brain injury, and at this point Tullier’s mind and body are out of sync. Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Katherine O’Brien says they identified several cognitive capacities Tullier can demonstrate.

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O’Brien says he can also communicate with nonverbal signals and respond to commands. Physical therapist Julie Welch says Tullier has severe weakness throughout his body. But she says he spends three to four hours a day doing physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

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Tullier’s father, James, celebrated the announcement with the doctors, saying Christmas has come early.

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A report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds Louisiana has one of the biggest wage gaps between its richest and poorest residents. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project Jan Moeller says the Bayou State has the fourth highest rate of income inequality in the country. Moeller is not surprised by the finding.

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Moeller says this large wage gap is a reason why Louisiana’s economy has trouble growing.

cut 14 (11) “for everybody”

Moeller hopes the state legislature will look to address the large gap in wage earners. He says it will take higher income individuals paying more taxes and a higher minimum wage to help make a difference.

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13:30 Newscast, December 15th, 2016

A report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds Louisiana has one of the biggest wage gaps between its richest and poorest residents. Director of the Louisiana Budget Project Jan Moeller says the Bayou State has the fourth highest rate of income inequality in the country…:
Cut 13 (09) “very richest”
He hopes the legislature will look at ways to make Louisiana’s tax system a little more fair.

The Hammond Police Department and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office were raided by the FBI this morning. The reasons have not been released, but we have this statement from Craig Betbeze (Bet-Be-Zee) who is a spokesman for the FBI…:
CUT 20 (08) “at this time”
We’ll have more on this as it develops.

Doctors at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston announced today that wounded East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Tullier is fully conscious and doing well in recovery. Medical Director of the Disorders of Consciousness Program, Dr. Sunil Kothari, says they believed Tullier would be in a vegetative state when he arrived, but he was not…:
Cut 10 (11) “fully conscious”
Tullier’s father, James, celebrated the announcement with the doctors, saying Christmas has come early.

WWL-TV is reporting that New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is going to meet with President-elect Donald Trump today in New York. They say the mayor was invited under his title as vice president of the United States Conference of Mayors. The two will discuss public safety and infrastructure.

 

12:30 Newscast, December 15th, 2016

The father of the deputy that was injured in an ambush on police officers in Baton Rouge over the summer said today that Christmas has come early. The healthcare team at TIRR Memorial in Houston held a news conference to update the public on Nick Tullier’s condition. Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Katherine O’Brien says they identified several cognitive capacities Tullier can demonstrate…:
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Tullier still has paralysis to parts of his body but is able to move his head, left arms and has some movement in his legs, doctors said. They added he is doing remarkably well and exceeding expectations.

The Baton Rouge Advocate is reporting that teams of FBI agents raided the Hammond Police Department and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office today. This is a developing story.

A report by Bankrate.com finds Louisiana is the fourth worst state for drivers. Spokesperson Claes Bell says it’s due in part to the high number of auto fatalities here and a motorists’ average commute time..:
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He also says Louisiana ranks 49th in the nation for insurance cost.

Looks like LSU has locked up a quarterback. Myles Brennan, the 4 star QB out of Mississippi, reaffirmed his commitment to the Tigers hours after meeting with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Brennan threw for 3,982 yards and 48 touchdowns this season in high school.