11:30 Newscast, April 29th, 2016

State Police announces the arrest of a Lafayette man who was allegedly traveling 150 miles per hour while drunk before crashing his 2016 Chevrolet Corvette and killing one person. Trooper Brooks David says 31-year-old Martin Nguyen was at the wheel when his vehicle ran off the road on April 18th on LA Highway 339 and it killed 30-year-old Hoang Nguyen of Lake Charles…:
CUT 3 (05) “that crash”
Nguyen charged with vehicular homicide, speeding, reckless operation, and improper lane usage.

The state House approves a measure that would ban a common procedure used in second trimester abortions. Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson calls these “dismemberment” abortions and says every year more than a thousand unborn children are aborted through this process…:
CUT 15 (08) “ripped off”
Opponents of the measure feel restricting abortions only forces women to become desperate and turn to unsafe methods. Johnson’s bill was approved unanimously, and the measure now heads to the Senate.

A Vermilion parish teacher is facing rape charges. Lt. David Hardy with the Abbeville Police Department says James Harber has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of first-degree rape. A Lafayette TV station reports that Harber was a 7th grade teacher a J.H. Williams Middle School. Hardy says it is not clear if the victims were students, but he did know them…:
Cut 6 (11) “residence”
He says a search of Harber’s home indicates that more charges could be coming.

An employee at Cabela’s Sporting Goods store in Gonzales shot himself in the hand by mistake while showing a .22 caliber gun to a customer Thursday afternoon, according to cops. The Gonzales Police Department says all indications point to this being incident an accident. No word on why the gun was loaded.

 

10:30 LRN Newscast April 29

A poll paid for by the Cannabis Association finds that 72-percent of Louisiana voters support legalizing medical marijuana to treat those who suffer from cancer or HIV. A spokesperson for the pro-marijuana reform group, Jesse McCormick says a majority of the respondents also favor taxing the prescription drug….
cut 11 (08) “…eye opening”
The telephone poll surveyed six-hundred registered voters.

The Louisiana House has approved legislation that would prohibit a woman from having an abortion if doctors learn the fetus has a genetic abnormality. Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds says he wants to protect the life of a fetus that is found to have a genetic abnormality….
cut 14 (06) “…no meaning”
The measure heads to a Senate committee.

A Vermilion Parish teacher is behind bars for three counts of rape. Emelie Gunn has more…
voicer 1 (29) “…Emelie Gunn”

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s office announces the arrest of a 15-year-old student, who allegedly wrote a threat on a desk. The female student from Hammond High Magnet School was taken to the Florida Parish Juvenile Detention center. Investigators have not released details about the threat.

09:30 Newscast, April 29th, 2016

Governor John Bel Edwards says solving the state’s budget crisis and the impending second special session are top of mind for him right now. He says there are many policy related issues that are going to be on the back burner until we can deal with the present crisis…:
Cut 8 (09) “and do that”
He says he’s waiting to make the call for the second session when he receives proposals from a panel reviewing the budget.

A 7th grade teacher in Vermillion Parish is under arrest on rape charges for allegedly forcing minors to have sex with him. David Hardy with the Abbeville Police Department says James Harber had child pornography on his computer, and cops were able to locate the girls…:
CUT 5 (07) “Mr. Harber”
Harber has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of first-degree rape. His bond is $300,000.

The St. Tammany Parish coroner reportedly says a man lost his life when he was struck by lightning while working at a Slidell area construction site. It says 36-year-old Elvin Arturo Castro Santiago was struck Wednesday.

The majority of voters in Louisiana have no problem with letting people with certain diseases be covered under the state’s medical marijuana law. That’s according to a poll commissioned by the Louisiana Cannabis Association. They found 72 percent of people surveyed support letting medical marijuana treat additional ailments. Spokesman Jesse McCormick hopes that this poll encourages more lawmakers to vote in favor of the legalization currently moving through the capitol….:
cut 12 (08) “huge win”

Governor John Bel Edwards will participate in “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” by hosting a rally for the children on the Capitol steps with First Lady Donna Edwards.

 

08:30 Newscast, April 29th, 2016

Governor John Bel Edwards says priority number one for him right now is stabilizing the budget. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says the man and woman who died in the officer involved shooting in Carlyss were estranged husband and wife, and that the husband shot the wife before turning the gun on himself. The male, 38-year-old Cory McAdams, was allegedly trying to abduct his wife and daughter — then when cops arrived he killed 33-year-old Brandi McAdams, then himself.

An employee at Cabela’s Sporting Goods store in Gonzales shot himself in the hand by mistake while showing a .22 caliber gun to a customer Thursday afternoon, according to cops. The Gonzales Police Department says all indications point to this being incident an accident. No word on why the gun was loaded.

The House has approved two more pro-life measures. One of the bills, authored by Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds, prohibits women from getting abortions just because a child will have a genetic disorder. Edmonds says his son was born with a disorder, and if he’d taken medical advice, he wouldn’t have his grandchildren today….:
Cut 13 (10) “blessed with”
The other proposal that advanced would ban a certain procedure used in 2nd trimester abortions.

Last night in the NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints selected defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. Defensive tackle Vernon Butler of Louisiana Tech was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 30th pick.

 

07:30 Newscast, April 29th, 2016

Governor John Bel Edwards says priority number one for him right now is stabilizing the budget, because we must focus on moving Louisiana forward. He says the vision that he put forth when he was running for governor has not changed, but they have to work on filling the $600 million dollar gap for next fiscal year…:
CUT 7 (09) “to do”
Edwards says he remains very optimistic about his administration and the state as a whole.

A Vermilion parish teacher is facing rape charges. Lt. David Hardy with the Abbeville Police Department says James Harber has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of first-degree rape. He says a search of Harber’s home indicates that more charges could be coming…:
cut 4 (08) “child pornography”
Harber is accused of raping two minors. His bond is $300,000.

The Louisiana Cannabis Association commissioned a poll showing 72-percent of voters here support the expanding of diseases covered under the medical marijuana law. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

A report out of New Orleans indicates that 33-year-old Shelley Dufresne, a teacher at Destrehan High who was involved in a sex scandal with one of her students, engaged in relations with the 16-year-old more than 40 times in 2014. The report indicates the findings were revealed in a lawsuit filed by the victims parents.

 

06:45 Sportscast, April 29th, 2016

With their first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. He’s a 6’1″, 299 pound senior from Louisville. CBS Sports says, “Rankins is one of the better run defenders in this draft class and continues to grow as a pass rusher. He entered Senior Bowl week with first-round grades and he only helped himself there with a dominating week.”

Defensive tackle Vernon Butler of Louisiana Tech was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 30th pick Thursday night. Butler was named first-team All-Conference USA and logged 50 tackles and three sacks last season as a senior. Butler’s pick in the first round marked the first Conference USA player and first player from Louisiana to be selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.

In college baseball, LSU drops a heart breaker to Ole Miss in the opening game of the road SEC series. The Tigers pitching staff couldn’t hold off the Rebels in a 7-6 loss at Swayze Field. Game 2 begins today at 630.

Rounds two and three of the NFL draft take place tonight. Former LSU defensive back Jalen Mills is expected to be taken early tonight. That’s according to NFL draft analyst MIke Detillier…:
CUT 17 (16) “at DBU”
Rounds two and three begin at 7pm on ESPN and the NFL Network.

Back to college baseball, UL-Lafayette will look for their sixth straight series with at UT Arlington. Louisiana Tech gets back to league play as they travel to take on C-USA foe UTSA in a three-game series in San Antonio. Nicholls State returns to Southland action hosting a series with McNeese in Thibodaux. ULM’s series against Georgia Southern has been altered due to the threat of rain over the weekend. They’ll play a doubleheader today starting at 4pm. Tulane hosts Houston. Southeastern hosts Houston Baptist. Northwestern State hosts Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Grambling is at Prairie View.

 

06:30 Newscast, April 29th, 2016

The state House approves a measure that would ban a common procedure used in second trimester abortions. Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson calls these “dismemberment” abortions and says every year more than a thousand unborn children are aborted through this process…:
CUT 15 (08) “ripped off”
Opponents of the measure feel restricting abortions only forces women to become desperate and turn to unsafe methods. Johnson’s bill was approved unanimously, and the measure now heads to the Senate.

A bill that would outlaw sex offenders from going door to door to sell product is unanimously approved by the House, and now heads to the Senate. The bill’s author, Alexandria Representative Lance Harris, believes this proposal would protect children who are left home alone. A similar measure has already been approved in the Senate.

A poll paid for by the Louisiana Cannabis Association finds that 72-percent of Louisiana voters support legalizing medical marijuana as a treatment for more diseases. Jesse McCormick is glad to see a majority of voters support the use of medical cannabis to help relieve pain for people who suffer from different diseases, like cancer and HIV…:
Cut 10 (07) “understand”
Legislators have been conflicted on the matter.

An employee at Cabela’s Sporting Goods Store in Gonzales accidentally shot himself in the hand while showing a .22 caliber to a customer, according to police. Cops are investigating but the incident has been declared an accident.

 

LRN AM Newscall April 29th ###Corrected Version###

A Vermilion parish teacher is behind bars for three counts of rape. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards says priority number one for him right now is stabilizing the budget, because we must focus on moving Louisiana forward. Jeff Palermo has the story…:

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

According to a poll paid for by the Louisiana Cannabis Association, 72-percent of Louisiana voters are in favor of legalizing medical marijuana as a treatment for more diseases. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________________

A Vermilion parish teacher is facing rape charges. Lt. David Hardy with the Abbeville Police Department says James Harber has been charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of first-degree rape. He says a search of Harber’s home indicates that more charges could be coming.

cut 4  (08)  “child pornography”

Police have shared their evidence with the Sheriff’s Office as well as the US Attorney’s office, in the hopes that they would seek an indictment. Hardy says child pornography was found on Harber’s home computer. He says they learned of the rape charges after interviewing the victims that were in the explicit pictures on Harber’s computer.

Cut 5  (07)  “Mr. Harber”

A Lafayette TV station reports that Harber was a 7th grade teacher a J.H. Williams Middle School. Hardy says it is not clear if the victims attended the school where Harber taught, but he did know his victims.

Cut 6 (11)  “residence”

___________________________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards says priority number one for him right now is stabilizing the budget, because we must focus on moving Louisiana forward. He says the vision that he put forth when he was running for governor has not changed, but they have to work on filling the $600 million dollar gap for next fiscal year…:

CUT 7 (09)  “to do” 

Edwards says there are many policy related issues that are going to be on the back burner until we can deal with the present crisis…:

Cut 8  (09)  “and do that” 

Edwards says he remains very optimistic about his administration and the state as a whole. He says he doesn’t see any way they could avoid a second special session, but before he makes the call he’s going to wait for recommendations from a panel assigned to review the state budget…:

Cut 9 (09)  “the short term”

___________________________________________________

A poll paid for by the Louisiana Cannabis Association finds that 72-percent of Louisiana voters support legalizing medical marijuana as a treatment for more diseases. Jesse McCormick is glad to see a majority of voters support the use of medical cannabis to help relieve pain for people who suffer from different diseases, like cancer and HIV

Cut 10 (07) “understand”

McCormick says 24 other states have already legalized medical cannabis. He says a majority of respondents are also in favor of taxing the prescription drug.

cut 11 (08) “eye-opening”

The telephone survey was conducted by Louisiana polling firm JMC Analytics and Polling. They surveyed six-hundred registered voters. McCormick says he understands that plenty of people will always oppose the legalization, but he hopes that this poll encourages more lawmakers to vote in favor of the legalization.

cut 12 (08) “huge win”

Legislators have been conflicted on whether or not to expand the list of diseases for which medical cannabis can be prescribed.

______________________________________________________

The House has approved two more pro-life measures. One of the bills, authored by Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds, prohibits women from getting abortions just because a child will have a genetic disorder. Edmonds says his son was born with a disorder, and if he’d taken medical advice, he wouldn’t have his grandchildren today.

Cut 13 (10)  “blessed with”

Edmonds says life is hard, and women shouldn’t be able to abort their babies just because it would be easier.

cut 14 (06)  “no meaning”

Edmond’s bill passed 75-1. Another proposal by Bossier City Representative Mike Johnson would outlaw a procedure commonly used in second trimester abortions. Johnson calls these “dismemberment” abortions and says every year more than a thousand unborn children are aborted through this “barbaric” process.

Cut 15 (08) “ripped off”

Johnson’s bill was approved unanimously. Opponents of the measure say outlawing this procedure would force women to undergo invasive, unnecessary procedures or lose access to abortion services entirely. Both measure now head to the Senate.

________________________________________________

Tonight is rounds two and three of the NFL draft, and several former LSU Tigers are expected to be selected. NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier believes linebacker Deion Jones will go early in round two.

Cut 16  (13)  “in reverse”

Detillier also believes defensive back Jalen Mills will go in the second round, as well.

Cut 17 (18) “at DBU”

Detillier also believes four year starter Vadal Alexander will be a third round pick and could be a productive offensive guard in the NFL.

Cut 18 (21) “NFL”

18:30 LRN Newscast April 28

Governor Edwards pushed back today against a special interest group that’s airing an attack ad claiming he broke promises about keeping the voucher program. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (24)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The FBI has created a dedicated tip line to gather information about a boy who went missing from his front porch 15 years ago. People can call 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information they have about Wesley Morgan. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to Morgan’s location.

A Senate committee has approved the bill to prevent members of the LGBT community from being fired or turned down for jobs because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. New Orleans Senator Troy Carter authored the legislation. He says we need to protect people from discrimination.

Cut 13 (07)  “recourse”

The measure passed on a 4-2 vote and now heads to the Senate floor for more debate.

Two people are dead following a shootout in Calcasieu parish. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso says officers met Cody McAdams in a field, while he was attempting to kidnap his estranged wife Brandy and their 5-year-old child. Mancuso says McAdams fired several shots at the deputies before the officers returned fire, then he shot and killed Brandy before turning his gun on himself. The young girl is unharmed. Mancuso says Brandy had filed several domestic violence charges against McAdams.

17:30 Legislative Update, April 28th, 2016

A bill to prevent members of the LGBT community from being fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity has won the approval of a Senate committee. Halen Doughty has more…:
CUT 2 (28) “I’m Halen Doughty”

The Louisiana House unanimously passed a bill that would outlaw a procedure commonly used in second-trimester abortions. Supporters call the method a “dismemberment” abortion. But those who oppose say restricting abortions further is a detriment to women’s health. The measure now heads to the Senate after a lower chamber 83-0 vote.

Governor John Bel Edwards says priority number one for him right now is stabilizing the budget, because we must focus on moving Louisiana forward. He says there are many policy related issues that are going to be on the back burner until we can deal with the present crisis — the $600 million dollar budget shortfall…:
Cut 8 (09) “and do that”
He says he doesn’t see any way they could avoid a second special session.

A poll paid for by the Louisiana Cannabis Association finds that 72-percent of Louisiana voters support legislation which legalizes medical marijuana as a treatment for more diseases. Jesse McCormick is glad to see a majority of voters support the use of medical cannabis to help relieve pain for people who suffer from different diseases, like cancer and HIV…:
Cut 10 (07) “understand”
A Senate approved bill expanding diseases the medical marijuana law would cover is awaiting hearing in the lower chamber.