09:30 Newscast, April 4th, 2016

This year’s tax deadline is two weeks from today. IRS spokeswoman Lea Crusberg advises people not to get in a hurry filing taxes, because careless mistakes can be made, like forgetting to sign or putting the wrong social security number on their return. She says filing taxes online can help avoid these errors:
cut 11 (04) “the math”
She says those individuals who live in one of the 30 parishes that have been declared a federal disaster area are allowed to file after April 18th and that information can be found at I-R-S-dot-gov.

A man was shot by an off-duty State Police detective after allegedly breaking into his unmarked police unit early Sunday in Ascension Parish. Authorities say a neighbor alerted the cop around 430am that his police unit was being burglarized, so he armed himself and went to confront the alleged thief. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office reports the burglar told the detective he had a gun and reached for it which is when he was shot by the cop. The incident is under investigation.

Governor John Bel Edwards has told state Democratic Party leaders to get behind Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell in the US Senate race. UL Lafayette political science professor Pearson Cross says Edwards endorsement of the politician from north Louisiana is a real boost for his campaign…:
cut 13 (08) “Foster Campbell”
Edwards says Campbell has shown he can win elections when people don’t believe a Democrat can or should win.

The record wet March has devastated the corn crop in Louisiana. LSU Ag Center corn specialist Dan Fromme says the crop that came up early on in the year has been sitting in water for a while…:
Cut 5 (07) “root system”
Fromme says there are still a few weeks left to plant corn and the hope is for dry weather.

 

08:30 Newscast, April 4th, 2016

The state House is scheduled to take up measures this week aimed at helping prisoners find work once they are released from jail. Holly Harris, Executive Director for the US Justice Action Network, says one proposal would establish three new reentry courts, which are already in place in Houma, Lake Charles and Livingston. She says these programs are essential to criminals who are trying to get their lives back on track…:
Cut 8 (08) “reentry process”
Another bill would encourage people to become mentors to offenders who are under court supervision.

A man taking part in a triathlon drowned during the event in the Calcasieu River. The Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Taurean Blake of Sulphur had just begun the swimming portion of the race when he began to struggle and went under. Attempts to rescue Blake were not successful, but Sgt. Ron Johnson later located him in the water — but it was too late and Blake died at a hospital.

The massive amounts of rainfall Louisiana has experienced in the last month has caused some problems with the corn crop. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Covington cops say one brother is in jail and the other in the hospital after a fight over a video game resulted in a stabbing. They said 28-year-old Genard Washington and 32-year-old Brandon Washington were arguing in front of the Quick Stop over the game when Genard stabbed his brother five times. The suspect turned himself in and was charged with attempted second degree murder. Brandon Washington is listed in critical, but stable condition.

 

07:30 Newscast, April 4th, 2016

Only two weeks are left until Tax Day, which means time is running out to file federal taxes. Jeff Palermo has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Two elderly women, a mother and daughter, lost their lives in a tragic crash in Tangipahoa Parish over the weekend. State Police say an investigation revealed 72-year-old Rita Adams of Hammond was turning at a stop sign and pulled in front of a truck that struck her vehicle. Adams and her mother, 97-year-old Mytris Jones, also of Hammond, were pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Governor John Bel Edwards announces he’s supporting Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell for US Senate. UL Lafayette political science professor Pearson Cross says the governor’s endorsement is a big boost for Campbell’s campaign, but it’s still anyone’s race…:

CUT 14 (09) “inside track”

Cross says Edwards endorsement does not bode well for the other prominent Democrat in the race, New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard.

Measures seeking to help former inmates reestablish themselves into society are set to be heard on the House floor this week. One bill would create a certificate of employ-ability that ex-felons could show to potential employers. Holly Harris is the Executive Director for the US Justice Action Network, which supports these measures…:
CUT 7 (12) “to prison”

06:45 Sportscast, April 4th, 2016

There are about two more weeks to go in spring football and LSU Coach
Les Miles likes the improvement from his quarterbacks. Brandon
Harris, Danny Etling and Justin McMilan each completed passes for a high
percentage in a scrimmage on Saturday, with Harris leading the trio with
246 passing yards. Miles says there’s more confidence with the group…:
Cut 16 (16) “good offense”
The spring game will be April 16th and can be seen on the SEC Network.

In college baseball, NO. 14 LSU clobbered Auburn Sunday 10-5 on the road. Auburn claimed a victory Friday, but LSU won Saturday to claim their first SEC series victory of the season and improve to 18-9 overall and 4-5 in conference play.

UL-Lafayette was lifted to a 6-1 victory over Arkansas State yesterday — as the Ragin Cajuns win the Sun Belt Conference series 2-1. A two run sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and UL-Lafayette improves to 18-10 overall and 8-4 in conference play.

Southeastern had an easy time over Nicholls to win the series following a 15-2 win Sunday. It’s the 17th straight win for The Lions who improve to 22-7, and 11-1 in the Southland.

UNO fell to Troy, 9-4 Sunday. Southern lost to Texas Southern 6-5. Louisiana Tech loses to Marshall 10-4. ULM was beat by South Alabama 12-2. Northwestern State edged McNeese 8-7 in 10 innings.

In the NBA, the Pelicans beat the Brooklyn Nets 106-87 Sunday on the road. Tim Frazier had 19 points and 13 assists, while Luke Babbitt added 21 points for New Orleans. It was the 5th loss in a row for the Nets..

 

AM Newscall, April 4th, 2016

The massive amounts of rainfall Louisiana has experienced in the last month has caused some problems with the corn crop. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

The House will hear three measures this week that seek to help ex-inmates reenter society. Halen Doughty has more…

Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

______________________________________

Only two weeks are left until Tax Day, which means time is running out to file federal taxes. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________________

This season’s corn crop is off to a soggy start after record amounts of rainfall during March. LSU Ag Center corn specialist Dan Fromme says it’s been a challenging year so far. He says we’ve seen rain in excess of 20 inches and some corn fields are still underwater.

cut 4  (09)  “as well”

Fromme says this will have a significant impact on the economy. He says the corn that came up early on in the year has been sitting in water for a while.

Cut 5  (07)  “root system”

Fromme says there are still a few weeks left to plant corn and the hope is for dry weather. He says before the corn planting season is over, they’ll have around 400 to 450-thousand acres planted.

Cut 6 (09)  “the air” 

___________________________________________________

Three proposed bills aim to help ex-prison inmates reintegrate into society are set to be heard on the House floor this week. One would create a certificate of employability that former-felons could show potential employers. Holly Harris, Executive Director for the US Justice Action Network, says people getting out of jail need opportunities to help reduce the recidivism rate.

CUT 7 (12)  “to prison”

Another proposal would establish three new “reentry courts” in the state, in addition to 9 that are already in place. The new programs would be established in Houma, Lake Charles, and Livingston. Harris says these programs are essential to criminals who are trying to get their lives back on track.

Cut 8  (08)  “reentry process”

One of the bills would encourage people to become mentors to offenders who are under court supervision. Harris says there are of other ways Louisiana can reduce its incarceration numbers down.

Cut 9 (06)  “sentencing reform”

___________________________________________________

There are only two weeks left until Tax Day, which is April 18, and time is running out to file federal taxes. IRS Spokesperson Lea Crusberg says usually April 15th is the deadline, but those who like to wait until the last minute have a couple of extra days to work with.

Cut 10 (10) “this year”

Crusberg advises people not to get in a hurry filing taxes, because careless mistakes can be made, like forgetting to sign or putting the wrong social security number on their return. She says filing taxes electronically can help avoid these errors.

cut 11 (04) “the math”

Crusberg says people who make less than $62-thousand a year are eligible for free electronic filing. She says those individuals who live in one of the 30 parishes that have been declared a federal disaster area are allowed to file after April 18th and that information can be found at I-R-S-dot-gov.

cut 12 (07) “this year”

______________________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards has told state Democratic Party leaders to get behind Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell in the US Senate race.  UL Lafayette political science professor Pearson Cross says Edwards endorsement of the populist politician from north Louisiana is a real boost for his campaign….

Cut 13 (08)  “Foster Campbell”

Edwards says Campbell has shown he can win elections when people don’t believe a Democrat can or should win. But Cross says Edwards endorsement does not guarantee a spot in the runoff, because this will be a race that will focus on national issues…

Cut 14 (09)  “inside track” 

Cross says Edwards endorsement does not bode well for the other prominent Democrat in the race, New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard, who comes from a family that’s been long supported by the Democratic Party….

Cut 15 (08) “Memorial Day”

____________________________________________________________________

There’s about two more weeks to go in spring football and LSU Coach
Les Miles likes the improvement from his quarterbacks. Brandon
Harris, Danny Etling and Justin McMilan each completed passes for a high
percentage in a scrimmage on Saturday, with Harris leading the trio with
246 passing yards. Miles says there’s more confidence with the group…

Cut 16  (16)  “good offense”
Miles liked what he saw from sophomore defensive end Arden Key, who had
six tackles and one sack. The coach freshman linebacker Devin White from
North Webster High School was also impressive…

Cut 17 (10) “in tackles”

Miles says the story of Saturday’s scrimmage was the play of the
quarterbacks…

Cut 18 (12) “today”

06:30 Newscast, April 4th, 2016

The House will hear three measures this week that seek to help ex-inmates reenter society. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

This season’s corn crop is off to a soggy start after record amounts of rainfall during March. LSU Ag Center corn specialist Dan Fromme says it’s been a challenging year so far. He says we’ve seen rain in excess of 20 inches and some corn fields are still underwater…:
cut 4 (09) “as well”

There are only two weeks left until Tax Day, which is April 18, and time is running out to file federal taxes. IRS Spokesperson Lea Crusberg says usually April 15th is the deadline, but those who like to wait until the last minute have a couple of extra days to work with…:
Cut 10 (10) “this year”
She adds those individuals who live in one of the 30 parishes that have been declared a federal disaster area qualify for an extension and you can get details at IRS.gov.

A 4-year-old from Shreveport is fighting for his life following a tragic accident Sunday afternoon. Cops say the site of the incident indicates the toddler was crossing behind and Ice Cream truck when he was struck by a vehicle traveling along the roadway. The child is in critical condition.

 

10:30 Newscast April 2,2016

Compliance could be an issue for businesses and vendors as new sales tax laws are now in effect. Jason Decuir, an attorney with Ryan’s tax service, says the many sales tax exemptions that have been temporarily removed are causing problems for those who are in charge of collecting taxes.
CUT 6 (10) “how long”

He says if vendors don’t collect the right amount of taxes, it will cause problems with the state trying to solve the budget deficit.

Seven Louisianans have died in crashes between cars and trains within the last three months. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission urging drivers to always obey alerts at railroad crossings. Spokesperson Mark Lambert says sometimes, motorists get impatient and drive around the railroad crossing arms.
Cut 13 (08) “can’t win”

 
During the month of March Shreveport received 12.8 inches, which is the highest amount since 1945 and Monroe set a record with 24.4 inches of rain. Jason Hansford with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says many bayous and rivers are still at flood stage and the recent rainfall isn’t helping, but…
cut 10 (06) “next week”

He says we likely won’t see these levels again during our lifetime.

Police are looking for a man after a search warrant led to a gruesome discovery in a Slidell home. Sgt. Daniel Seuzeneau with the Slidell Police Department says 31-year-old Joshua Roques is wanted on multiple charges, including cremating human remains, opening graves and mutilating human remains. He says they believe he maybe trying to flee the state.
CUT 5 (09) “Louisiana plates”

9:30 Newscast April 2,2016

With all the new sales tax laws going into effect today, compliance could be a problem. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 2 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says seven people have died in crashes between cars and trains within the last three months. Spokesperson Mark Lambert says when you see train tracks always think a train is coming and also don’t pull up too close to the tracks when you’re stopped.
cut 14 (07) “the tracks”

 
In March, both Monroe and Shreveport broke records for rainfall totals. Shreveport received 12.8 inches and Monroe saw 24.4 inches. Jason Hansford with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says we probably won’t see these levels again during our lifetime.
Cut 11 (09) “to go.”

He says there are many bayous and rivers still at flood stage.

Authorities are looking for a man in the New Orleans area after a search warrant led to a horrific discovery of human remains and animal bones in a Slidell home. Sgt. Daniel Seuzeneau with the Slidell Police Department says in 31-year-old Joshua Roques’ home they found ritualistic items unlike anything he’s ever seen.
CUT 3 (12) “animal bones”

8:30 Newscast April 2,2016

Slidell police are looking for a man after a search of his home found human remains and animal bones in a makeshift altar. Halen Doughty has more…

CUT 1 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Compliance could be a problem for vendors as new sales tax laws are now in effect. Attorney with Ryan’s tax service Jason Decuir says the numerous sales tax exemptions that have been temporarily removed are causing headaches for those who are collecting taxes
CUT 7 (06) “to navigate”

 

Monroe and Shreveport had historic rainfall totals during the month on March. Shreveport received 12.8 inches, which is the highest amount since 1945 and Monroe set a record with 24.4 inches of rain. Jason Hansford with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says much of this rain fell during the span of a few days.
CUT 9 (10) “day record”

Seven people died in crashes between cars and trains within the last three months in Louisiana. These tragedies have prompted the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission to caution motorists to always obey alerts at railroad crossings. Spokesperson Mark Lambert says for the entire year of 2014, there were seven train related deaths so this increase is alarming…
cut 12 (10) “as well”

7:30 Sportscast April 2,2016

Louisiana Radio Network Sports, I’m Emelie Guinn…
The 14th ranked LSU baseball team will play a doubleheader at 1:00 against Auburn. The start of the weekend series was postponed, because of rain. Sophomore pitcher Alex Lange will start game one, while Jared Poche will start game two.LSU is looking for its first SEC series win on the year.

ULM was also rained out last night and they’ll play a doubleheader against South Alabama later today. The Ragin Cajuns fell behind 7-0 and ended up losing to Arkansas State 7-6.

Louisiana Tech couldn’t hold to a one-run lead in the 7th inning and lost to Marshall seven to four. The loss drops the Bulldogs record to 3-4 in Conference USA.
Elsewhere…Texas Southern won easily over Southern 13-5. Grambling remains alone in first place in the SWAC western division as they defeated Arkansas Pine-Bluff seven to one.

 
LSU men’s basketball assistant coach David Patrick is leaving. Patrick will serve in a similar role at T-C-U as he’ll be an assistant for new head coach Jamie Dixon. Patrick was the Tigers top recruiter and helped bring Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney to LSU. Simmons is heading to the NBA after one season and Blakeney could join him. Blakeney has entered the NBA draft, but he’s not signing with an agent, so he could return to LSU.
The Saints will reportedly meet with running back Tim Hightower soon and discuss a return to the Black and Gold. The 29-year-old played in eight games for New Orleans last season and rushed for 375 yards and four touchdowns.
Former LSU running back Stevan Ridley announced on Instagram that he has signed to play with the Detroit Lions.
On twitter, UL Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth showed off a new helmet for the Cajuns that has a black colored crawfish on a red helmet. It looks really good, but it is apparently an April Fool’s joke.