LRN AM Newscall April 26

If Governor John Bel Edwards budget proposal is approved by lawmakers, there could be an 11-percent cut in retail food inspectors. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Prices are going up at the pump, as the statewide average for a gallon of gas is up to $1.92. Halen Doughty has more.

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

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 Iberville Parish investigators head to Texas to find out more about the woman found dead under interstate 10 by Whiskey Bay. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (22) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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There is the chance of a reduction in retail food inspectors if lawmakers approve of the governor’s proposed budget for next fiscal year. This would result in an 11-percent reduction in inspectors. Department of Health and Hospital spokesperson Bob Johannessen says this means they will not be able to inspect as many grocery stores and restaurants as they should.

cut 4  (09)  “the state”

 Johannessen says a reduction in food inspectors will result in more than 20-thousand fewer inspections after July 1st. He says this could impact people’s health and hurt tourism in Louisiana because we’re known for our great food.

Cut 5  (09)  “get sick”

 Johannessen says they’re working now to let lawmakers know the risks associated with cutting 16 sanitarians.. He says food retailers welcome the inspections.

Cut 6 (09)  “in general”

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Prices at the pump continue to rise. Gregg Laskowski with GasBuddy-dot-com says the national average for a gallon of gas is up three-cents since last week, and Louisiana is seeing similar price increases, as the statewide average is nearing two-dollars for a gallon of regular gasoline.

CUT 7 (10)  “nationwide” 

Laskowski says consumer demand is up 4% compared to this time last year. He says that and other factors are driving up gas prices.

Cut 8  (09)  “going up”  2x

Laskowski says even with the slight uptick in gas prices, Louisiana’s statewide average is 36 cents lower than it was at the same time last year. But he says prices will keep rising for at least another month…

Cut 9 (05)  “or June”

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Investigators from Iberville Parish are in Humble, Texas today to find out more information about the woman who was found dead under I-10 near Whiskey Bay. Sheriff Brett Stassi says the body of 28-year-old Elizabeth Ferrell of Humble was discovered by a fisherman over the weekend….

Cut 10 (06) “from Texas”

Stassi says an autopsy found the cause of death to be asphyxiation by strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. He says they’ve talked to some of Ferrell’s friends from Humble but she doesn’t have much family.

cut 11 (10) “to Texas”

 Stassi hopes they’ll get some new information to tell them which direction to go. He says at this time they have very few leads…

cut 12 (09) “quick recovery”

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The full House rejects a bill that attempted to put an end to the public-private school playoff split in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. The lower chamber voted 51-34 against the legislation authored by River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot. Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley says the legislature shouldn’t get involved in the LHSAA.

Cut 13 (11)  “the LHSAA”

Breaux Bridge Representative Mike Huval says the principals of the schools in the LHSAA is meeting on June 8 to discuss the split, and lawmakers should give them the chance to make things right.

Cut 14 (05)  “passing laws” 

But Talbot says the split is discriminatory, which means the legislature has a right to step in.

Cut 15 (05) “that hunt”

18:30 Newscast April 25,2016

FBI documents obtained by the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication reveal that during the mid-60s former-Governor John McKeithen made payments to the KKK to suppress racial violence. Jeff Palermo has more…
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Authories say foul play is suspected in the death of a 16-year-old girl from Kenner whose body was found in a ditch in St. Rose. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff office says Jorian White was reported missing from her home on Friday evening. They’re asking for anyone with information to come forward.

 

A Monroe woman is being evaluated at the Ouachita Parish Correctional Center after kidnapping a newborn from St. Francis Hospital. Monroe Police Detective Chris Bates says 24-year-old Anquinisha Cummings entered the hospital room with a mother and her baby and after visiting for a few hours, the mother went to the bathroom and came back to an empty room.
CUT 3 (08) “both gone”

Bates says Cummings is believed to have mental problems.

Louisiana might be the first state to have digital driver’s licenses. The House Transportation Committee passed legislation today that would allow drivers to pull up their licenses on a smart phone app. Deputy Commissioner with the Office of Motor Vehicles Stacy White says this would let people access their information if they don’t have their actual license with them.
cut 12 (10) “utilize it”

16:45 LRN Sportscast April 25

The LSU baseball team avoided a sweep to Mississippi State by beating the Bulldogs 11 to 8. Jake Fraley was one of the Tigers’ hitting stars, as he collected three hits, including an RBI triple. Fraley says it was a big win for the Tigers…
cut 19 (09) “….it into Tulane”
Tomorrow’s game against Tulane, begins a four-game road trip for the Tigers, who are ranked 11th in the latest D1 poll. The Green Wave, who swept UCF over the weekend, is ranked 22nd.

Elsewhere in college baseball, Louisiana Tech took two of three from Old Dominion. The Bulldogs host McNeese State tomorrow. The Cowboys are coming off a seven to six win over Southeastern Louisiana. But the Lions are still in first place in the Southland with a 15-3 league record. S-L-U is not in action again until Friday when they host Houston Baptist.

The Saints made a couple of roster moves today. They’ve released safety Vinnie Sunseri and defensive end Tavaris Barnes. Sunseri spent all of 2015 on injured reserve after he was drafted out of Alabama in 2014. Barnes appeared in a dozen games last year and registered just five tackles. With the release of Sunseri. That means only one player is still left from the 2014 draft class and that’s wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

Louisiana Tech football recruit, David Beasley, has been charged with first-degree battery and aggravated robbery following a weekend shooting in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Bulldog athletic officials have not commented on the incident.

Nicholls State will hold a press conference tomorrow to introduce their new men’s basketball coach. His name is Richie Riley, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Clemson. Riley also coached at UAB, Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina.

16:30 Newscast April 25,2016

There is far less controversy this year when it comes to standardized testing compared to last year when public school students took Common Core exams. President of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents Hollis Milton says teachers are more prepared now since testing is later in the school year.
CUT 9 (10) “the kids”

Milton believes there will be a much smaller number of students who opt out of the test.

FBI records found Former-governor John McKeithen paid the KKK in the 1960s to stop violent racial outbreaks. Executive Secretary to McKeithen, Gus Weill, says he knew nothing about the payments at that time but was told by a man that McKeithen arranged to pay 10-thousand dollars to both black and white supremacist groups to stop violence in Bogalusa.
CUT 6 (08) “blood shed”

 

A bill was approved by a House committee to allow drivers to access their license through a smart phone app.
CUT 2 (30) “I’m Michelle Southern”

Louisiana’s budget shortfall has fallen to 600 million dollars from 750 million dollars. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says these savings come from Governor John Bel Edwards Medicaid expansion and the estimated people expected to use the service next fiscal year. The governor is proposing cuts to many state agencies to help close the gap and is planning a special session in June to raise additional revenue.

15:30 LRN Newscast April 25

FBI records indicate the late John McKeithen supplied the KKK with money when he was governor in an attempt to suppress racial violence in the mid-1960s. Gus Weill served as McKeithen’s Executive Secretary at this time…
cut 8 (11) “….came from”
Weill was unaware of the payments at the time, but first learned of them a few weeks back, when an individual told him about 5-thousand dollars that went to a KKK group and an african-american group in Bogalusa.

Detectives are investigating the deaths of two females who were found along the I-10 corrider this weekend. A woman from Texas was found under I-10 near the Whiskey Bay exit in Iberville Parish. The coroner says she was strangled to death. And in St. Charles Parish, a missing Kenner teenager’s body was dumped on a road in St. Rose.

The House Transportation Committee approves a bill that would allow you to store your driver’s license on an app that can be downloaded on your smart phone. Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle supports the legislation…
cut 13 (08) “…to the phone”
The state Office of Motor vehicles says this license on your phone could be shown to law enforcement in cases when a person doesn’t have their license.

A Monroe woman has been arrested after leaving St. Francis Hospital with a baby that was NOT hers. Monroe Police Chief Detective Chris Bates says 24-year-old Anquinisha Cummings took a three-day old child from a mother she met that day….
cut 5 (10) “….no bond”
Bates says they believe Cummings is suffering from a mental illness.

14:30 LRN Newscast April 25

Former governor John McKeithen gave money to the KKK in an effort to calm racial tensions in the mid-1960s. That’s according to FBI records that the LSU Manship School of Mass Communications has uncovered. Gus Weill, was the executive secterary for the late governor and he’s not surprised to hear McKeithan used money as a way to quell racial strife…
cut 7 (12) “….and Mississippi”
Weill says the money came from a state commission that was established to control civil rights issues.

The state’s budget shortfall for next fiscal year is down from 750-million to 600-million dollars. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says expanding Medicaid reduces the deficit, but he says it won’t decrease the level of cuts, because the savings were already factored into the governor’s proposed budget.

About 300-thousand public school students are taking standardized tests this week, but there’s not the uproar we saw with last year’s Common Core exams. West Feliciana Superintendent Hollis Milton, also serves as the president of the Louisiana Association of Superintendents, and he says efforts to change the content on these tests has led to a calmer environement….
cut 11 (11) “…will be better”

A Monroe woman has been arrested for stealing a baby from St. Francis Hospital…
cut 4 (10) “…not true”
That’s Monroe Police Detective Chris Bates, who says 24-year-old Anquinisha Cummings was charged with aggravated kidnapping. Bates says Cummings took the baby from a mother that she happened to meet that day.

LRN PM Newscall April 25

FBI documents obtained by the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication reveal that during the mid-60s former-Governor John McKeithen made payments to the KKK to suppress racial violence. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (30)  “I’m Jeff Palermo”

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A bill was approved by the House Transportation Committee today that would allow drivers to access their license through a smart phone app. Michelle Southern has more…

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

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A 24-year-old Monroe woman is being evaluated at the Ouachita Parish Correctional Center after she kidnapped a newborn from St. Francis Hospital. Monroe Police Detective Chris Bates says Anquinisha Cummings entered a hospital room occupied by a woman and her 3-day-old infant, claiming that a mutual friend had sent her. Bates says after visiting for a couple of hours, the mother of the child went to the bathroom and came back to an empty room.

CUT 3 (08)  “both gone”

Bates says Cummings was at the hospital complaining about pregnancy issues, but doctors confirmed that Cummings was not pregnant. He says Cummings, who is believed to have mental problems, took the kidnapped infant home.

CUT 4 (10)  “not true”

Bates says Cummings’ mother called the authorities and returned the child to the hospital immediately. He says Cummings later turned herself in to police.

CUT 5 (10)  “no bond”

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Former-Governor John McKeithen made payments to the KKK in the 1960s to stop racial violent outbreaks. That’s based on FBI records obtained by the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. Gus Weill, Executive Secretary to the former-governor, knew nothing about the payments at the time, but says he was recently told by a man that McKeithen arranged a payment of 10-thousand dollars to leaders of both black and white supremacist groups to stop a violent outbreak in Bogalusa.

CUT 6 (08) “blood shed”

Weill says McKeithen went out of his way to end racial violence, like one occasion when he sent the National Guard, armed with unloaded guns, to protect civil rights demonstrators. He says he’s not surprised to hear McKeithen used money as a way to quell the racial strife.

CUT 7 (12) “and Mississippi”

Weill says the money for the payments probably came from a fund containing privately raised dollars that was established by the previous administration to control civil rights issues.

CUT 8 (11) “came from”

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Standardized testing is this week and there is far less controversy this year, compared to last year when public school students took Common Core exams. Hollis Milton, president of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, says educators are more prepared, since testing is later in the school year…:

CUT 9 (10) “the kids”

Milton anticipates there will be a much smaller number of students who opt of the test, once known as Common Core. This year the tests are called LEAP 2016 and Milton says there’s less controversy, because the state has taken steps towards revising academic standards..:

cut 10 (08) “Louisiana standards”

A panel of educators is assigned to review the standards and come up with recommended changes as a result of a 2015 law which would establish Louisiana’s own benchmarks in reading, writing and math. Milton says those are still being reviewed and should show up on assessments next year..:

Cut 11 (11) “will be better”

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Louisiana could be the first state to allow digital driver’s licenses. The House Transportation Committee passed a bill today that would allow drivers to access their license through an app on their phone. Stacy White, Deputy Commissioner with the Office of Motor Vehicles, says this would allow people to access their information if they did not have their license with them.

cut 12 (10) “utilize it”

Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle says she supports this bill because more and more things are becoming available on smart devices.

Cut 13 (08)  “to the phone”

According to state officials, motorists would pay up to $5 to download the app, which is the same as when they renew their license. White says this app will not replace having a license in every situation.

cut 14 (09)  “buying alcohol”

The measure now moves to the House floor.

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13:30 Newscast, April 25th, 2016

The House Transportation Committee passed a bill today that would allow people to access their drivers license from an app on their phone. OMV Deputy Commissioner Stacy White says this would allow people to have their license information on them even if they left the actual card at home. She says it wouldn’t be mandatory…:
CUT 12 (10) “utilize it”
She says you would still have to have your license on your person if the establishment that you’re visiting still requires it such as a casino.

The man who was driving the vehicle which caused a triple fatality crash in Terrebonne Parish has been identified, and State Police suspect alcohol and speed were factors. On April 20th, troopers say 31-year-old Rafael Fandino of Metairie was driving a Civic when he crossed the center line and hit two vehicles coming the other direction including an 18 wheeler. Fandino and two other occupants of the Civic, all unrestrained, were killed in the crash.

FBI documents obtained by the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication reveal that during the mid-60s former-Governor John McKeithen made payments to the KKK to suppress racial violence. Jeff Palermo has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne told senators Monday that Louisiana’s projected budget shortfall for next fiscal year is down to $600 million dollars. That’s down from the previous estimate of $750 million. Dardenne says the savings is coming from the computed number of people who are expected to qualify for Medicaid under Governor John Bel Edwards planned expansion which begins July 1st.

 

12:30 Newscast, April 25th, 2016

Former-Governor John McKeithen made payments to the KKK in the 1960s to stop racial violent outbreaks. That’s based on FBI records obtained by the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. Gus Weill, Executive Secretary to the former-governor, knew nothing about the payments at the time, but says he was recently told by a man that McKeithen arranged a payment of 10-thousand dollars to leaders of both black and white supremacist groups to stop a violent outbreak in Bogalusa…:
CUT 6 (08) “blood shed”
He says this information doesn’t surprise him as McKeithen often went out of his way to end racial violence.

A nurse from Thibodaux is under arrest for allegedly forging prescriptions in the name of the doctor she worked for. They say a pharmacy in Houma let the doctor know about suspicious prescriptions being written and filled at their location with the doctor’s signature. The nurse, 49-year-old Vickie Ezell of Houma, was arrested for unlawfully prescribing, distributing or dispensing.

The body found in Whiskey Bay over the weekend has been identified as Elizabeth Ferrell of Humble, Texas. Her death is being investigated as a homicide by the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Public school students are taking standardized tests this week and without all of the fanfare and opt outs as Common Core tests received in the past — even though the assessments are similar. That’s according to Hollis Milton, president of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents. He feels people are becoming more educated on what the standards are all about…:
CUT 10 (08) “Louisiana standards”
The test this year is called LEAP 2016. Milton also feels things are quieter because the testing is taking place later in the year giving teachers more time to prepare kids.

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The LSU Tigers got a much needed win yesterday as they defeated Mississippi State 11 to 8 to avoid a sweep by the Bulldogs at Alex Box Stadium. Coach Paul Mainieri got some good work out of his bullpen, including Russell Reynolds, who earned his first win of the season after throwing 2.2 innings…..
cut 18 (11) “…key innings”
LSU is in a three-way tie for second place in the SEC West. The Tigers are at 20th ranked Tulane on Tuesday. The Green Wave swept UCF in Orlando this weekend.

In the Sun Belt, UL Lafayette is now 12-6 in the league after taking two of three from Texas State. ULM is now 6-12 after getting swept by Arkansas State.

Southeastern Louisiana is still in first place in the Southland, despite losing to McNeese seven to six yesterday.

A bill dealing with the LHSAA playoff split will be heard on the House floor today. LHSAA member principals voted to expand the postseason split in January, but a special meeting will take place in June to vote on a metro-rural division plan, which would also combine 4A with 5A and B with C. But River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says he’s still moving forward with his bill, even though it appears the LHSAA is taking a positive step to rectify the situation…
cut 6 (10) “…fair shake”
Talbot says he doesn’t believe schools should be divided based on whether they are a public or a private school.

In basketball, Nicholls State has called for a press conference tomorrow at 11:30 to announce Richie Riley as the new men’s basketball coach. Riley has been assistant at Clemson the last two seasons.