LRN Sportscast 11:40 October 22nd

The Saints 19-game home winning streak with Sean Payton on the sidelines will be tested this Sunday when the red hot Green Bay Packers come to town. Green Bay has won four in a row after a 1-and-2 start. Saints Safety Kenny Vaccaro says it’s the type of challenge the Saints need…
cut 19 (06) “….bounce back”
Green Bay beat Carolina 38-17 last Sunday. In that game, Aaron Rogers was 19 of 22 for 255 yards and three touchdowns.

Last night in Lafayette…the Ragin Cajuns rushed for 419 yards in a 55-40 victory over Arkansas State. Elijah McGuire rushed for 265 yards and had four rushing touchdowns, whille Alonzo Harris had 107 yards on the ground and four rushing TDS. That’s three wins in a row for the Cajuns, who are now 3-and-0 in the Sun Belt and will not play again until November 1st against South Alabama.

The 24th ranked LSU Tigers go into Saturday night’s game against Ole Miss, looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Rebels. Ole Miss upset the Bayou Bengals in Oxford last season, beating the Tigers 27-24. LSU fell behind 17-0 in that game. If LSU falls behind again early, they could have trouble getting back into the game with the Tigers deficiencies in the passing game.

Louisiana Tech faces Southern Miss on Saturday. The two schools are trying to make this a rivalry game as it’s about a four-hour drive between the two schools. They are calling the matchup the Rivalry in Dixie game. The Bulldogs won last year’s meeting, beating the Golden Eagles 36-to-13.

The LSU men’s basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the SEC this season. Sophomore Jordan Mickey is a first team All-SEC selection. Kentucky is the preseason favorite, ahead of Florida, Arkansas and then LSU.

11:30 Newscast October 22, 2014

Governor Bobby Jindal announces JP Morgan Chase has donated $1 million into the fund that helps technical colleges fund programs focused on training skilled workers. Jindal says this money will allow the community and technical colleges to expand courses specifically designed to meet the workforce training needs in Louisiana…:
CUT 6 (07) “raise a family”
He says the money will be used to pay for classes such as welding, pipe-fitting, petroleum technology and electrical work.

The Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s office says one man is dead and another hurt after an accident Tuesday evening at the Drax Biomass plant which is about 12 miles north of Bastrop. They say two sub-contractors were doing tests when something happened — they aren’t sure what. One of the workers died at St. Francis in Monroe and the other is being treated for minor injuries.

Gas prices continue to drop nearly a dime a week and the statewide average today in Louisiana is $2.95 according to the American Automobile Association. Last year at this time the price was around $3.15. Analysts predict we could get down to $2.50 as we get further into the autumn season.

Cold and flu season is upon us and people are looking for ways to avoid coming down with a seasonal bug. The Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone over six-months of age to get a flu vaccine. Dr. Fred Lopez, with the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, says there is a reason for that recommendation…:
CUT 3 (10) “in this country”
He says you can also avoid getting the flu by washing your hands with soap and water and using hand sanitizers.

10:30 Newscast October 22, 2014

Gas prices are nicer than they have been in years. Scott Carwile reports…:
CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

A 21-year veteran of the Shreveport Police Department pleaded guilty Tuesday to contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile after being accused of buying his 15-year-old son two beers at a bar last month. Sgt. Sgt. Jason Brook testified he didn’t think it was illegal to buy your child alcohol as long as they remained together. He is on paid administrative leave from Shreveport PD and faces up to six months in jail.

The job outlook in Louisiana continues to be a bright one. The Louisiana Workforce Commission released figures this week showing non-farm employment grew by 33,100 jobs over the year ending September 30th — a new record with employment now exceeding 1.98 million…:
CUT 7 (12) “huge for us”
That’s LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink.

A presidential campaign could be on the horizon for Governor Bobby Jindal but he said there is still plenty of work for him to do in Louisiana his next 14 months. November 4th election candidates have been asked to grade Jindal on his performance but the Governor says it’s too early to call that yet…:
CUT 13 (08) “more progress”
Jindal defends his record, based on the record number of people who are working in the state today.

09:30 Newscast October 22, 2014

Is Rob Maness hurting fellow Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy’s campaign in the US-Senate race against Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu? Michelle Southern reports…

cut 3 (31) “reporting”

JP Morgan Chase is donating $1 million to assist with training efforts that match community and technical college students with available jobs. The donation will help the Louisiana Community and Technical College System secure funding through the newly created WISE fund. The $1 million gift will be matched with $4 million in state funds.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says statewide employment now exceeds 1.98 million, which is a new record. Construction leads the way in job growth, followed by leisure and hospitality then business and professional services. Executive Director Curt Eysink says as construction projects continue to pop up in Louisiana, we’re going to see more and more professional jobs…

cut 9 (09) “in Louisiana”

He says we have more jobs than ever, a bigger labor force than ever, and more people working than every before.

Louisianians are seeing big savings at the gas pump. The average price for a gallon of regular gas has fallen to $2.95 a gallon. Gasbuddy-dot-com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHann says, over the last 12 months, the price of fuel has made a drastic turnaround…

cut 6 (13) “a year ago”

He says these are the lowest gas prices we’ve seen in over three years.

08:30 Newscast October 22, 2014

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says we’re getting closer and closer to the 2 million mark when it comes to the number of people who have jobs here. Jeff Palermo reports.

cut 2 (29) “reporting”

Louisiana State Police say a Monroe man is dead after a single vehicle accident in Ouachita Parish. Authorities say 32-year-old Jason Jones’ car overturned after running off the road into a ditch. Jones was reportedly not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead on arrival to a local hospital.

Governor Bobby Jindal has a little over a year left in office and, even though a presidential campaign could be on the horizon, he says he still has plenty of work to do in Louisiana. Jindal has made it no secret that he is considering a Presidential run in 2016. The governor says he’s not interested in running for his old job as a US Representative…

cut 15 (10) ” elected position”

Jindal has said he won’t make an announcement on a Presidential run until after the November elections.

A new poll by Real Clear Politics shows Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu leading the US Senate race with 38 percent of the vote followed by Republicans Congressman Bill Cassidy with 36 percent and Rob Maness with 9 percent. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says undecided voters this late in the campaign are ones who are likely conservative but are influenced by Landrieu’s longtime incumbency…

cut 12 (09) “her party affiliation”

Election day is November fourth, early voting is currently underway.

07:30 Newscast October 22, 2014

With 14 months left in office, Governor Bobby Jindal says he still has plenty of work to do in Louisiana. So far Republican Senate and Congressional candidates have given good but not great marks when asked to judge Jindal’s performance. But Jindal defends his record, based on the record number of people who are working in the state today…

cut 14 (11) “taken office”

Speaking of jobs, Louisiana is getting closer and closer to the 2 million mark when it comes to the number of people employed here. Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Curt Eysink says construction is seeing the most growth with 11,000 jobs over the year ending September 30th. He says the boom they’ve been saying is coming has already begun..

cut 8 (13) “by the time it’s done”

Eysink says non-farm employment grew by 33,100 jobs over the past year.

Is Rob Maness taking votes from fellow Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy’s campaign in the US-Senate race against Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu? LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says while that may be true, Cassidy will need support from those ultra-conservative voters by addressing policies that are most important to them…

cut 11 (13) “concerned about”

A new poll out by Real Clear Politics shows Landrieu ahead with 38 percent, Cassidy with 36 percent and Maness with 9%.

As the holiday travel season nears, Louisianians are seeing big savings at the gas pump. The average price for a gallon of regular gas is $2.95 a gallon. Gasbuddy-dot-com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHann says the price drop at the pump may not be over, yet…

cut 5 (05) “next few weeks”

He says the lower prices can be attributed to Middle East countries dropping the price of crude oil.

*CORRECTION* 06:30 Newscast October 22, 2014

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says we’re getting closer and closer to the 2 million mark when it comes to the number of people who have jobs here. LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink says employment now exceeds 1.98 million, which is a new record…

cut 7 (12) “huge for us”

He says construction is seeing the most growth with 11,000 new jobs.

Governor Bobby Jindal has 14 months left in office and he says he still has plenty of work to do in Louisiana, even though a presidential campaign could be on the horizon. During recent debates, candidates have been asked what grade they would give the governor, Jindal says it’s too early to give himself a grade…

cut 13 (08) “more progress”

So far republican candidates in the US Senate and the sixth district congressional races have given good but not great marks when asked to judge Jindal on a scale of 1 to 10.
Is Rob Maness hurting fellow Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy’s campaign in the US-Senate race against Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu? There’s a new poll out by Real Clear Politics which found Landrieu ahead with 38 percent, Cassidy with 36 percent and Maness with 9%. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan…:

cut 10 (13) “outright”

Early voting is underway, election day is November 4th.

Louisianians are seeing big savings at the gas pump as we approach the holiday travel season. The average price for a gallon of regular gas is $2.95 a gallon.

06:45 Sportscast October 22, 2014

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette remain undefeated in the Sun Belt as they put down Arkansas State 55-40 last night at Cajun Field. Running backs Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire combined for 372 yards and 8 rushing touchdowns to lead the way for the Ragin’ Cajuns. UL-Lafayette is 4-3 overall and 3-0 in the conference.

Some of the top teams in the Southland Conference will square off against each other this weekend. The first place Southeastern Louisiana Lions, who are undefeated in league play, visit Stephen F Austin, who is 2-and-1 against the rest of the conference. Southeastern Louisiana Coach Ron Roberts is impressed with Lumberjacks quarterback Zach Conque…

cut 16 (20) “does best”

Central Arkansas is right behind S-L-U in the Southland Standings.

The New Orleans Saints players get back to work today, trying to erase the memory of Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to Detroit. New Orleans’ defense played one of its best games of the season against the Lions, until the final five minutes. Safety Kenny Vaccaro says the confidence is still high among the defense…

cut 18 (13) “type deal”

While the Saints are scuffling at two-and-four, New Orleans next opponent is playing as well as anyone in the NFL. Green Bay has won four in a row after 1-and-2 start. The Saints host the Packers Sunday night.

Coach Les Miles is asking LSU fans to bring food to the game this Saturday against Ole Miss, so they will stay for all four quarters and be loud. Tiger Stadium has been less than half full for some second halves this season.

A first inning home run by Hunter Pence helped the San Francisco Giants take game one of the World Series over the Kansas City Royals 7-1. Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner gave up just three hits in seven innings to pick up the win. Game two is tonight in Kansas City.

AM-Newscall October 22, 2014

Louisianians are seeing big savings at the gas pump as we approach the holiday travel season.   Scott Carwile reports…

CUT 1 (30) “reporting”

______________________________________

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says we’re getting closer and closer to the 2 million mark when it comes to the number of people who have jobs here. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (29) “reporting”

______________________________________

Is Rob Maness hurting fellow Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy’s campaign in the US-Senate race against Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu? Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 3 (31) “reporting”

______________________________________

Louisianians are seeing big savings at the gas pump as we approach the holiday travel season.  The average price for a gallon of regular gas has fallen to under three dollars a gallon in the Bayou State.  Gasbuddy-dot-com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHann says these are the lowest gas prices we’ve seen in over three years…

Cut 4  (09)  “a month ago”

Louisiana’s average price for regular gas is $2.95 a gallon.  DeHaan says the lower prices can be attributed to Middle East countries dropping the price of crude oil.  He says oil is trading some $20 lower per barrel compared to their summer time highs.  DeHaan says the price drop at the pump may not be over, yet…

Cut 5  (05)  “next few weeks”

DeHaan says some stations in the state are charging less than $2.60 per gallon.  He says we could see prices below $2.50 at some stations in the next week.  He says, over the last 12 months, the price of fuel has made a drastic turnaround…

Cut 6 (13)  “a year ago”

______________________________________

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says we’re getting closer and closer to the 2 million mark when it comes to the number of people who have jobs here. LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink says non-farm employment grew by 33,100 jobs over the year ending September 30th — a new record with employment now exceeding 1.98 million…:

CUT 7 (12)  “huge for us”

Eysink says we have more jobs than we’ve ever had, a bigger labor force than we’ve ever had and more people working than every before. He says construction is seeing the most growth with 11,000 jobs over the year ending September 30th. Eysink says the boom they’ve been saying is coming has already begun..:

Cut 8 (13)   “by the time it’s done”

Leisure and hospitality was second adding 9500 jobs. Eysink says another area of our economy that is seeing a lot of growth, adding 9200, is business and professional services. He says as all these construction projects continue to pop up in Louisiana, we’re going to see more and more professional jobs…:

Cut 9 (09)  “in Louisiana” 

______________________________________

Is Rob Maness hurting fellow Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy’s campaign in the US-Senate race against Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu? There’s a new poll out by Real Clear Politics which found Landrieu ahead with 38 percent, Cassidy with 36 percent and Maness with 9%. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan…:

Cut 10 (13)  “outright”

Hogan says that while it may be true that Maness is taking votes away from Cassidy, the Congressman will need support from those ultra-conservative voters by addressing the policies that are most important to them…:

cut 11 (13)  “concerned about”

Hogan says when it comes to the undecided voters so late in the campaign, they are the ones who are likely conservative but are influenced by Landrieu’s longtime incumbency…:

cut 12 (09)  “her party affiliation”

______________________________________

Governor Bobby Jindal has 14 months left in office and he says he still has plenty of work to do in Louisiana, even though a presidential campaign could be on the horizon. During recent debates, candidates have been asked what grade they would give the governor, Jindal says it’s too early to give himself a grade

Cut 13 (08)  “more progress”

So far republican candidates in the US Senate and the sixth district congressional races have given good but not great marks when asked to judge Jindal on a scale of 1 to 10. Jindal defends his record, based on the record number of people who are working in the state today

Cut 14 (11)  “taken office”

Jindal has made it no secret that he is considering a potential Presidential run in 2016. The governor says he’s not interested in running for his old job as a US Representative

Cut 15  (10)  ” elected position”

________________________________________________

Some of the top teams in the Southland Conference will square off against each other this weekend. The first place Lions, who are undefeated in league play, visit Stephen F Austin, who is 2-and-1 against the rest of the conference. Southeastern Louisiana Coach Ron Roberts is impressed with Lumberjacks quarterback Zach Conque

Cut 16  (20)   “does best”

Central Arkansas is right behind S-L-U in the Southland Standings. Northwestern State visits C-A-U this Saturday and Demons Coach Jay Thomas says the Bears have a well rounded offense

Cut 17  (10)   “very well”

_______________________________________________________

The New Orleans Saints players get back to work today, trying to erase the memory of Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to Detroit. New Orleans’ defense played one of its best games of the season against the Lions, until the final five minutes. Safety Kenny Vaccaro says the confidence is still high among the defense…

Cut 18 (13) “type deal”

While the Saints are scuffling at two-and-four, New Orleans next opponent is playing as well as anyone in the NFL. Green Bay has won four in a row after 1-and-2 start. Vaccaro says it’s the type of challenge the Saints need

Cut 19 (6)   “bounce back”

 

17:30 Newscast October 21, 2014

The Louisiana Workforce Commission says we’re getting closer and closer to the 2 million mark when it comes to the number of people who have jobs here. LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink says non-farm employment grew by 33,100 jobs over the year ending September 30th — a new record with employment now exceeding 1.98 million…:
CUT 7 (12) “huge for us”
Construction added the most jobs with 11,000 over the year.

Today was the first day of early voting for the November 4th election and we tracked down some folks in line. These voters say the big ballot item which has them out early voting is the US Senate race:
CUT 10 (14) “get done”
Early voting hours are 8:30am-6pm.

The number of Louisiana Public Schools earning a state performance grade of an A has gone up from 187 to 241 this year, according to the Department of Education. Eric Gill reports…:
CUT 1 (28) “reporting”

State Police say they are investigating a morning crash which claimed the life of a Monroe man. They say 32-year-old Jason Jones was traveling north on LA 143 when he ran off the road and lost control of his vehicle which flipped and landed in a ditch. Investigating troopers say Jones was not restrained and lost his life as a result of the injuries in the crash.