11:30 Newscast, September 1st 2015

The latest Republican presidential polls in Iowa show Governor Bobby Jindal rounding up very little support. A Monmouth (mon-muth) University survey shows Jindal receiving one-percent of Iowa Republican caucus goers support, while a Bloomberg/Des Moines Register poll shows him with two-percent. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says this has got to be discouraging for Jindal’s campaign…:
CUT 3 (09) “his optimism”
Pinsonat adds Jindal does have a few months left to generate some excitement around his campaign and move up in the polls.

There’s reportedly been a shooting in Grambling and cops are investigating what’s said to be an incident between a male and female. No injuries have been reported, but apparently the Grambling Police Department, State Police and the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office are using a helicopter in search of the male suspect. Louisiana Tech was put on notice as the man was reportedly headed toward Ruston…but campus is not on lockdown. We’ll have more on this situation as it develops.

In the case of Planned Parenthood’s federal lawsuit against Governor Bobby Jindal over his decision to cut their Medicaid payments at clinics in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the US Justice Department is siding with the organization. Court documents show the DOJ has not seen “sufficient reasons” to keep Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast from receiving funding. A federal judge is set to hear the case tomorrow.

It’s Voter Registration Week which is designed to get residents to make sure they’re ready to hit the polls for fall elections…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

 

11:40 Sportscast September 1

LSU Coach Les Miles says Brandon Harris will be the starting quarterback when the Tigers open the season on Saturday against McNeese State…..
cut 30 (10) “…foregone conclusion”
Miles also says he’s okay after spending part of yesterday at the hospital. The coach says it was because he drank too much coffee in a short period of time.

Junior defensive tackle Christian LaCouture says their attention is on the Cowboys…
cut 18 (14) “…we’ll be okay”
McNeese lost to Nebraska 31-24 in last year’s season opener. They have two victories over FBS schools in recent history. They beat South Florida 53-21 in 2013 and knocked off Middle Tennessee 27-21 in 2012.

The Saints have reportedly traded return specialist Jalen Saunders to the New England Patriots for a conditional draft pick. New Orleans doesn’t need Saunders as it looks like seventh rounder Marcus Murphy will be returning kicks this year.

It looks like the Sun Belt Conference is adding Coastal Carolina to the league. ESPN reports the Chanticleers will begin playing football in the league in 2017.

Former Florida Quarterback Jeff Driskel is set to make his first start for Louisiana Tech on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Southern University. Last season, Tech was upset by Northwestern State in the season opener. Driskel says the team hasn’t forgotten and they’ll be ready for the Jaguars
Cut 16 (17) “this week”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 6 PM.

10:30 Newscast,.

Voter registration week is underway and Secretary of State Tom Schedler is urging residents with a valid Louisiana driver’s license to make sure they are all set to hit the polls for the upcoming fall elections. He says if you think you’re already registered, check to see that your information is up to date…:
CUT 4 (08) “than ever now”
You can register online at geauxvote.com (geaux spelled the Cajun way), in person or through the mail. Schedler says they’ve typically seen turnouts in previous elections around 50-55% and they’d like to see that number higher.

State Police is working to identify a cyclist who was killed when another vehicle ran into the back of her bike last night in Tangipahoa Parish. Investigators say the bicycle had no lamps or rear facing reflectors and the unidentified cyclist was wearing dark clothing when a car hit her from behind. The cyclist died on scene. She is described as a white female possibly in her 20s with long brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on this incident s urged to contact authorities.

LSU releases its plans to try to load Mike VI into his trailer for home games. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

And speaking of Tiger football, LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva announces the band OneRepublic will perform during the halftime show of the Florida game in Death Valley on October 17th. He also says in the coming days, another world-renowned act will be announced to perform at another SEC home game. The Super Bowl styled performances will be held in conjunction with the Golden Band from Tigerland.

 

09:30 Newscast September 1, 2015

In an effort to get more residents registered to vote, Secretary of State Tom Schedler announces this week as Voter Registration Week. He says turnout in the state’s previous elections has been around 50 to 55 percent. Schedler wants to raise that number to what’s often seen in presidential elections…

cut 6 (04) “voter registration”

You can register to vote online through geauxvote.com, in person, or through the mail.

LSU plans to bring Mike the Tiger into Tiger Stadium for home games this season. Mike VI has been to 32 out of 52 home games that have taken place since he arrived at LSU in 2007. Spokesperson for the School of Veterinary Medicine Ginger Guttner says LSU has tried various things to get Mike to go…

cut 14 (10) “with him”

She says they’re going to try to get him into his trailer for the first three home games.

LSU football coach Les Miles names Brandon Harris as the starting quarterback for Saturday’s season opener against McNeese State. Harris has been taking a majority of snaps with the first team over last year’s starter Anthony Jennings. But Miles says Jennings could see some meaningful snaps against the Cowboys. Kick-off Saturday is set for 6:30.

The last Blockbuster store in Louisiana is closing its doors. Jeff Palermo has more…

cut 2 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

08:30 Newscast September 1, 2015

It’s Voter Registration Week and it’s designed to get residents to register so they can participate in the upcoming elections. Don Molino has the story…

cut 1 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

An investigation is underway after Shreveport Police discovered a body inside a burned truck early this morning. They say the body was discovered in the driver’s seat of the vehicle along I-49. Fire crews were able to extinguish the blaze and are investigating the fire as suspicious. Authorities say the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office is working to identify the remains.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office has arrested Zachary Bench of Vinton in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Jody Barlow of Stark. Sheriff Tony Mancuso says believes the motive of the murder was robbery. He says the investigation found Barlow’s truck, utility vehicle, and trailer were missing along with guns, an iPad, and other personal items…

cut 8 (09) “kill him”

Bench is charged with second degree murder, armed robbery and obstruction of justice.

The days of renting movies comes to an end as Louisiana’s last Blockbuster store, located in Opelousas, is closing. Owner Billy Mobley says the internet is one of the main culprits, along with social media and satellite TV, for ending video rentals. He says they’ll be selling all remaining movies for very low prices until everything goes…

cut 12 (09) “for it”

He expects the store will close for good in mid-October.

07:30 Newscast September 1, 2015

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office has made an arrest in connection with the murder of 33-year-old Jody Barlow of Stark. Sheriff Tony Mancuso says Zachary Bench has been booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with second degree murder, armed robbery and obstruction of justice.

cut 7 (11) “of Vinton”

Mancuso believes the motive of the murder was robbery.

This week is Voter Registration Week. Secretary of State Tom Schedler urges residents with a valid Louisiana driver’s license to register to vote in person or online. Schedler says people who want to vote in the gubernatorial primary need to register soon…

cut 5 (08) “Wed., Sept. 23″

He also encourages those who are already registered voters to make sure their information is up-to-date.

LSU plans to bring Mike the Tiger into Tiger Stadium for home games this season. Spokesperson for the School of Veterinary Medicine Ginger Guttner says they’re going to try to get Mike VI into his trailer for the first three home games. She says although everyone wants to see Mike on the field, it’s an honor and a privilege to have a live tiger on campus…

cut 15 (10) “his care”

Guttner says if he doesn’t load after the first three games, they will reassess the situation.

It’s the end of an era as the last Blockbuster store in Louisiana is closing. Owner Billy Mobley says many loyal customers in Opelousas are heartbroken over the news. He expects the store will close for good in mid-October…

cut 11 (12) “this year”

Mobley says once the store closes, he’s moving on to the hair salon business.

06:45 Sportscast September 1, 2015

LSU football coach Les Miles names Brandon Harris as the starting quarterback for Saturday’s season opener against McNeese State. Harris has been taking a majority of snaps with the first team over last year’s starter Anthony Jennings. But Miles says Jennings could also see some meaningful snaps against the Cowboys…

cut 30 (15) “any event”

Kick-off Saturday is set for 6:30.

Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz announces that junior defensive tackle Aaron Brown has been suspended for the first two games of the season due to academic reasons. Brown reportedly has struggled academically. He was among six players suspended for the final two games of last season. Brown will miss Saturday’s game against Southern and the Bulldogs’ Conference USA opener at Western Kentucky on September 10th.

It’s reported that the Sun Belt Conference will announce today that Coastal Carolina will be added to the league. The addition of the Chanticleers will give the league 12 members. 12 is the magic number for a conference to be able to hold a conference championship game. Coastal Carolina reportedly edged out Eastern Kentucky to get the invite to join the Sun Belt.

LSU releases its plan to bring Mike the Tiger into Tiger Stadium for home games. MikeVI has been to 32 out of 52 home games that have taken place since he arrived at LSU in 2007. Spokesperson for the School of Veterinary Medicine Ginger Guttner says they aren’t sure what keeps him from attending games, but they keep careful records of which games he goes to and what the weather was like. Guttner says LSU has tried various things to get Mike to go…

cut 14 (10) “with him”

Guttner says if he doesn’t load after the first three games, they will reassess the situation.

06:30 Newscast September 1, 2015

Voter Registration Week is underway, urging residents with a valid Louisiana driver’s license to register in person or online. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says this week is important because of the upcoming fall elections in Louisiana. He encourages those who are already registered voters to make sure their information is up-to-date…

cut 4 (08) “easier than ever now”

There are a number of ways a person can register: online through geauxvote-dot-com, in person or through the mail.

The old days of renting movies are over as the last Blockbuster store in Louisiana is closing. Owner Billy Mobley says his Opelousas location doesn’t do enough business to justify keeping their doors open. He says before the digital age, business was booming.

cut 10 (10) “closing them”

Mobley says the internet is one of the main culprits, along with social media and satellite TV, for ending video rentals.

LSU releases its plan to bring Mike the Tiger into Tiger Stadium for home games. Spokesperson for the School of Veterinary Medicine Ginger Guttner says although Mike VI didn’t attend any games in the 2014 season, they’re going to try to get him into his trailer for the first three home games.

cut 13 (11) “going to go”

Mike VI has been to 32 out of 52 home games that have taken place since he arrived at LSU in 2007.

AM Newscall September 1 **Corrects number designation on Mike the Tiger”

It’s Voter Registration Week and its designed to get  residents to register, so they can participate in the upcoming elections. Don Molino has the story

CUT 1 (30) “I’m Don Molino”

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The last Blockbuster store in Louisiana is closing its doors. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

LSU releases its plans to try to load Mike VI into his trailer for home games. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 3 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

Voter Registration Week  is underway, urging residents with a valid Louisiana driver’s license to register in person or online. Secretary of State Tom Schedler says this week is important because of the upcoming fall elections in Louisiana. He encourages those who are already registered voters to make sure their information is up-to-date…

cut 4  (08)  “easier than ever now”

There are a number of ways a person can register: online through geauxvote.com, in person or through the mail. Schedler says that those who want to vote in the gubernatorial primary should register soon…

Cut 5  (08)  “Wed., Sept. 23”

Schedler says turnout in the state’s previous elections has been around the 50 to 55 percentage mark. He wants to raise that number to the percentage often seen in presidential elections…

Cut 6 (04)  “voter registration”

______________________________________

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office has made an arrest in connection with the murder of a Stark man. Sheriff Tony Mancuso says 33-year-old Jody Barlow was found dead in a wooded area from gunshot wounds. Mancuso says Zachary Bench has been booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with second degree murder, armed robbery and obstruction of justice.

CUT 7 (11)  “of Vinton”

Mancuso believes the motive of the murder was robbery. He says the investigation found Barlow’s truck, utility vehicle and trailer were missing along with guns, an iPad and other personal items.

Cut 8  (09)  “kill him” 

Mancuso says they discovered Barlow’s truck and other items in the woods completely burned. He says Bench and Barlow did not know each other well.

Cut 9 (06) “can gather”

______________________________________

The old days of renting movies is over as the last Blockbuster store in Louisiana is closing. Owner Billy Mobley says his Opelousas location doesn’t do enough business to justify keeping their doors open. He says before the digital age, business was booming.

Cut 10 (10) “closing them”

Mobley says the internet is one of the main culprits, along with social media and satellite TV, for ending video rentals. He says many loyal customers are heartbroken over the Blockbuster going out of business and he expects the store will close for good in mid-October.

cut 11 (12) “this year”

Mobley says once the store closes, he’s moving on to the hair salon business. He says they’ll be selling all remaining movies for very low prices until everything goes.

 Cut 12 (09) “for it”

______________________________________

LSU releases its plan to bring Mike the Tiger into Tiger Stadium for home games. Spokesperson for the School of Veterinary Medicine Ginger Guttner says although Mike VI didn’t attend any games in the 2014 season, they’re going to try to get him into his trailer for the first three home games.

Cut 13 (11)  “going to go”

Mike VI has been to 32 out of 52 home games that have taken place since he arrived at LSU in 2007. She says they aren’t sure what keeps him from attending games, but they keep careful records of which games he goes to and what the weather was like. Guttner says LSU has tried various things to get Mike to go.

Cut 14 (10) “with him”

Guttner says if he doesn’t load after the first three games, they will reassess the situation. She says although everyone wants to see Mike on the field, it’s an honor and a privilege to have a live tiger on campus.

Cut 15  (10)  “his care”

___________________________________________

Former Florida Quarterback Jeff Driskel is set to make his first start for Louisiana Tech on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Southern University. Last season, Tech was upset by Northwestern State in the season opener. Driskel says the team hasn’t forgotten and they’ll be ready for the Jaguars

Cut 16  (17)  “this week”

Driskel has been on the Louisiana Tech campus for several months after a four-year run at Florida, where he didn’t live up to expectations. Driskel says he’s now looking forward to leading the Bulldogs offense…

Cut 17 (18) “here to play” 

______________________________________

A brief medical scare involving LSU coach Les Miles will not keep the Tigers from focusing in on their season opening opponent McNeese State. After going to the hospital during the day, because he was under the weather, Miles was back with the team at practice that afternoon. Junior defensive tackle Christian LaCouture (Lock-uh-chur) says their attention is on the Cowboys

Cut 18 (14) “we’ll be okay”

Senior right tackle Vadal Alexander says he’s been telling some of the young guys what to expect when they play their first game in Tiger Stadium…

Cut 19 (17) “always done”

LRN Newscast 17:30 August 31

According to BankRate.com, absurdly high insurance premiums is one reason Louisiana is the worst state for drivers. The website’s research and statistics analyst Chris Kahn says the reason premiums are so high could be due to a couple of different things…
cut 28 (12) “really high”
Bankrate ranked all 50 states according to the amount of fatal crashes, car thefts, commute times, gas prices, and insurance premiums.

LSU Coach Les Miles was taken to the hospital today, because he wasn’t feeling very well. But Miles was back at the team’s operations building later in the afternoon. The coach joked with reporters that he O-D’ed on coffee. The 14th ranked Tigers are getting ready to host McNeese State in the season opener on Saturday.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office says a 2-year-old girl was killed and her mother injured in a house fire in Monroe. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says little Kataleya Williams and her mother were inside the home when the fire broke out Sunday afternoon…
cut 9 (09) “in the fire”
Browning says they believe the fire was caused by a pot left unattended on the stove.

Three people have been arrested in Ascension Parish after allegedly striking moving vehicles with full one-gallon water jugs. Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Bobby Webre says no one was seriously injured, but vehicles were damaged. Webre says the suspects would throw the water jugs from a moving vehicle, which made the situation even more dangerous…
cut 4 (09) “the impact”
The three people arrested ranged from age 17 to 19-years old.