9:30 AM Newscast

After a ten-day delay, inshore shrimp season opens today. Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper says the later start to the season is actually a very good thing.

Cut 4 (11) “…bit bigger size.”

How much shrimp grows is dependent on water conditions, including temperature, salinity and oxygen content. The delayed start to shrimp season also means the shrimp population will remain stable.

170-year-old Elmer’s chocolate has been bought by Florida based, Hoffman Family of Companies. Geoff Hoffman with HFC says they’re not looking to change Elmer Chocolate, in fact they want to grow the company and keep it in Ponchatoula for another couple of centuries…

Cut 12 (12) “…excited about it.”

——————————-
With this month marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary premiering tonight on ESPN takes a look back at the Saints’ first game back in the Superdome. “Above The Tide: 20 Years After Katrina” isdirected by Julian Gooden, who says the film highlights what saints accomplished that night…and no one in New Orleans, whether they were inside the Superdome or not, will ever forget where they were when it happened.

Cut 8 (07) “…they could take.”

The Saints dropped their preseason opener to the Chargers 27 to 13 in Los Angeles yesterday. Spencer Rattler started at quarterback and in his five offensive drives, failed to put up any points. Tyler Shough led the Saints to a field goal at the end of the half, but threw a pick six in the third quarter, only to bounce back and throw a touchdown pass on the next drive.  The black and gold will practice this week in Irvine, California and will return home later in the week to host Jacksonville on Sunday.

8:30 AM Newscast

Hundreds of first responders made a procession through the capitol city yesterday, paying tribute to a decorated police officer who died yesterday morning from injuries he suffered when a pick-up truck  hit his motorcycle June 16th in what authorities believe was an intentional attack.  Sergeant Caleb Eisworth served on the Baton Rouge Police force for 23. Authorities say the charge against the man responsible for the crash will be upgraded to first-degree murder.

Tonight’s your chance to see ESPN’s “Above the Tide:20 Years After Katrina”.  The documentary premiers tonight at six.  It’s directed by Julian Gooden who Steve Gleason’s blocked punt that gave the Saints an early six to nothing lead, really maked the rebirth of the Crescent City.

Cut 9 (08)  “…representation of that.”

————-
It’s a family-owned Louisiana business that’s been based in Pontchatoula for 170 years.  Now Elmer has been sold to a Florida-based family equity firm. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

After a ten-day delay, inshore shrimp season opens today in Louisiana. Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper says the 10-day delay in shrimp season yields a very significant difference in the size of the shrimp.

Cut 6 (10) “…25 a pound.”

7:30 AM Newscast

Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be at Jefferson Terrace Academy this morning…as part of a nationwide tour.  She’ll be visiting classrooms and attending a roundtable discussion.  McMahon’s touring the country as the president looks to dismantle the Department of Education at the federal level.

Cut 14 (15) “…future they deserve.”

Pontchatoula’s Elmer Chocolate has been sold to Florida based, Hoffman Family of Companies.   But it’s not going anywhere.  Elmer CEO, Robert Nelson says the family wants to grow the company and keep it in Ponchatoula for another 170 years. A long-time fan of gold brick toppings on his ice cream,  Geoff Hoffman says when he toured the facility he knew Elmer was a company they wanted to partner with.

Cut 11 (13) “…best in class.”

————————–

August marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina…and premiering tonight on ESPN, a look back at the Saints’ return to the dome that told the world New Orleans would survive.  Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein”

Inshore shrimp season opens today in Louisiana after a ten-day delay.  Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper says the later start means bigger shrimp and bigger shrimp mean more money.

Cut 5 (11) “…us to survive.”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Outside of one long touchdown pass, it wasn’t a great performance by the Saints offense as they fell to the Chargers 27-13 in the preseason opener. Tyler Shough threw a pick six, but also threw a touchdown as the rookie threw for 165 yards.

Second-year pro Spencer Rattler started the game, but failed to produce any points in five drives. Rattler was seven for 11 for 53 yards with zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and he lost a fumble. Rattler is not pleased with his performance…

Cut 16 (16) “…throughout the game.”

The Saints also only rushed for 61 yards and allowed the Chargers to rush for 148 yards. New Orleans also lost the turnover battle three to one.

New Orleans next preseason game is Sunday at home against the Jaguars.

LSU freshman running back JT Lindsey has been suspended from the team following his arrest on Friday for allegedly allowing two murder suspects stay at his LSU dorm. The two teenage suspect have been arrested and Lindsey has been charged with two felony counts of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier participated in a scrimmage on Saturday, despite dealing with patella tendinitis.

And offensive coordinator Joe Sloan says they are seeing good competition for playing time at the offensive guard positions…

Cut 20 (15) “…is nice”

6:30 AM Newscast

After a ten-day delay, inshore shrimp season begins today. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Hundreds of first responders made a procession through the capitol city yesterday, paying tribute to a decorated police officer who died yesterday morning from injuries suffered when a pickup truck hit his motorcycle in what authorities believe was an intentional attack back in June.  Sergeant Caleb Eisworth served on the Baton Rouge Police force for 23.  Authorities say the charge against the man responsible for the crash will be upgraded to first-degree murder.

———————-

With this month marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary premiering tonight on ESPN takes a look back at the Saints’ first game back in the Superdome. “Above The Tide: 20 Years After Katrina” premiers at six local time tonight on ESPN. It’s directed by Julian Gooden, who says the film features interviews with all the important people who were with the Saints on that magical night in September of 2006.

Cut 7 (12) “…in the film.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be in Baton Rouge this morning as part of her nationwide tour. McMahon said she’s looking to highlight what happens when local communities lead.

Cut 13 (08)  “…our local leaders.”

LRN AM Newscall August 11

After a ten-day delay, inshore shrimp season begins today. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

With this month marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a documentary premiering tonight on ESPN takes a look back at the Saints’ return to the Superdome. It was a game that told the world that New Orleans was back. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein”

____________________________________________

Elmer Chocolate, the 170-year-old Louisiana family-owned chocolate company based in Ponchatoula has sold to a Florida-based family equity firm. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

____________________________________________

After a ten-day delay, inshore shrimp season opens today. Louisiana Shrimp Association President Acy Cooper says the later start to the season is actually a very good thing.

Cut 4 (11) “…bit bigger size.”

Cooper says bigger shrimp fetches more money – and given how imports undercut local shrimpers, that’s very important.

Cut 5 (11) “…us to survive.”

Cooper says the 10-day delay in shrimp season yields a very significant difference in the size of the shrimp.

Cut 6 (10) “…25 a pound.”

How much shrimp grows is dependent on water conditions, including temperature, salinity and oxygen content. The delayed start to shrimp season also means the shrimp population will remain stable.

________________________________________________________

With this month marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary premiering tonight on ESPN takes a look back at the Saints’ first game back in the Superdome. “Above The Tide: 20 Years After Katrina” premiers at six local time tonight on ESPN. It’s directed by Julian Gooden, who says the film features interviews with all the important people who were with the Saints on that magical night in September of 2006.

Cut 7 (12) “…in the film.”

The moment that Gooden was referring to, of course, was Steve Gleason’s blocked punt that gave the Saints an early six to nothing lead, en route to a 23-3 win over Atlanta and a 3-and-0 start to the season that would ultimately culminate with a berth in the NFC Championship Game. Gooden says no one in New Orleans, whether they were inside the Superdome or not, will ever forget where they were when that happened.

Cut 8 (07) “…they could take.”

Gooden says that touchdown, which is immortalized with a statue outside the Superdome, really was the rebirth of the city.

Cut 9 (08)  “…representation of that.”

________________________________________________________

Gold brick eggs and heavenly hash eggs from Elmer chocolate are a tradition in Louisiana Easter baskets. Now the 170-year-old Ponchatoula candy company has new owners. Elmer recently sold to Florida based, Hoffman Family of Companies. Geoff Hoffman with HFC says they’re not looking to change Elmer Chocolate and the Nelson Family will continue to run it…

Cut 10 (12) “…avenues of growth.”

Having been a long-time fan of gold brick toppings on his ice cream, Hoffman says he was excited to partner with Elmer and when he toured the facility he knew it was a company they wanted to partner with.

Cut 11 (13) “…best in class.”

Hoffman says it will be business as usual, and he wants to introduce Elmer Chocolates to new areas of the country. Elmer CEO, Robert Nelson says the family wants to grow the company and keep it in Ponchatoula for another 170 years…

Cut 12 (12) “…excited about it.”

_______________________________________________________

Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be in Baton Rouge this morning as part of her nationwide tour. This morning, Secretary McMahon will be at Jefferson Trace Academy, visiting classrooms and attending a roundtable discussion on Louisiana’s literacy progress. In a video announcing her nationwide tour, McMahon said she will highlight what happens when local communities lead.

Cut 13 (08)  “…our local leaders.”

McMahon’s tour comes as President Trump seeks to dismantle the Department of Education at the federal level.

Cut 14 (15) “…future they deserve.”

________________________________________________________

The Saints dropped their preseason opener to the Chargers 27 to 13 in Los Angeles yesterday. Spencer Rattler started at quarterback and in his five offensive drives, failed to put up any points. Tyler Shough led the Saints to a field goal at the end of the half, but threw a pick six in the third quarter, only to bounce back and throw a touchdown pass on the next drive. Coach Kellen Moore on Shough’s performance…

Cut 15 (12) “…really, really good.”

Shough threw for 165 yards and a touchdown and an interception. Rattler was just seven for 11 for 53 yards with zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and he lost a fumble. Rattler is not pleased with his performance…

Cut 16 (16) “…throughout the game.”

The highlight of the game for the Saints was Shough’s 54-yard touchdown pass to Mason Tipton. Tipton is in his second season out of Yale and Moore likes what he sees from the wide out…

Cut 17 (10)  “…with us.”

The Saints will practice this week in Irvine, California and will return home later in the week to host Jacksonville on Sunday.

______________________________________________

Joe Sloan enters his second year as the offensive coordinator for LSU. Sloan is known for his ability to develop the quarterback position, most notably with 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. As Garrett Nussmeier transitions into his second year starting, Sloan says his quarterback’s improvements are coming from SEC experience.

Cut 18 (19) “…his growth.”

One of LSU’s strongest groups on the team is its deep and talented wide receiver room. The Tigers weren’t much of a vertical threat last season in the pass game, but with the help of fifth-year senior Chris Hilton, Sloan says the Tigers are able to add another element to its offense.

Cut 19 (19) “…good football.”

With fall camp through its first week of work, LSU is still trying to find its starting five on the offensive line. The Tigers are looking to replace the production of four key departures in the offensive line room. Sloan says the competition and position battle bring the best out of each player.

Cut 20 (15) “…is nice.”

11:30 AM Newscast

With the peak of hurricane season now just weeks away, the Louisiana Department of Insurance has launched an updated mobile app. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says the new and improved LDI Connect app has some new features, including enhanced weather reporting.

Cut 9 (11)  “…that impact you.”

Louisiana made national news yesterday as ABC News reported the state has agreed to pay $9 million to a man who was partially paralyzed after a trooper shot him in the back during a 2018 traffic stop in Baton Rouge and then falsely reported it as a Taser discharge. According to the report, terms of the settlement, which were not made public, were provided by an anonymous source, with knowledge of the case.  The federal lawsuit was filed by Clifton “Scotty” Dilley, whose injuries confined him to a wheelchair when he was 19.

———————–
LSU football coach Brian Kelly joked yesterday that Garrett Nussmeier will not need his leg amputated after a rumor swirled on Wednesday that he suffered a serious injury. Kelly says it’s just tendonitis in knee that got a little cranky on Wednesday…

Cut 13 (06)  “…calm it down.”

A two-year-old boy is safe after being left in a hot car in Shreveport for up to 30 minutes. Someone saw the little boy in distress inside the car outside a Dollar Tree store and flagged down an officer about 100 yards away. Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon says despite the fact that it was well before noon, the temperature was already soaring.

Cut 6 (07) “…about 93 degrees.”

The boy’s mother was arrested and is facing a single count of child desertion.

10:30 AM Newscast

Freshman running back JT Landry was booked into the East Baton Rouge prison yesterday on two counts of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.  The football player turned himself yesterday evening after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.  He’s accused of letting two friends from his hometown of Alexandria stay in his dorm, knowing they were wanted for murder. The suspects, 17-year-old Shemell Jacobs and 18-year-old Keldrick Jordan, were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service earlier this week.

Tragedy was averted in Shreveport yesterday when a two year old boy was spotted screaming in a hot car alone.  That person flagged down a police officer who managed to get the child out of the vehicle in 93 degree weather. Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon says the temperature inside the vehicle was even hotter, even with the window rolled down.

Cut 7 (09) “…removed the child.”

The boy’s mother has been charged with child desertion.

————————-

Noncustodial parents who lost their driver’s license because of delinquent child support payments have an easier chance to get their license reinstated. Jeff Palermo has details on the program.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The Louisiana Department of Insurance has updated its mobile app.  Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says the LDI Connect  APP initially launched last year, and they took note of what worked and what didn’t, and they worked to improve it for this year..

Cut 11 (08) “…making it better.”

9:30 AM Newscast

August is Child Support Awareness Month and the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services is bringing back its “On the Road Again” program. Assistant Secretary of Family Support, Sammy Guillory, says it’s an opportunity for noncustodial parents who lost their driver’s license because they haven’t been paying their child support to get their license back.

Cut 3 (10) “…meet em.”

We are just weeks away from the peak of hurricane and the Louisiana Department of Insurance has launched a new and improved mobile app. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says the LDI Connect app has enhanced weather reporting and some useful  videos to help you navigate through the sometimes complicated world of insurance.

Cut 10 (12) “…file a claim.”

———————————

A little boy is rescued from a hot car, and his mother is facing charges. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

LSU football coach Brian Kelly spoke yesterday about the rumors swirling on Wednesday that quarterback Garret Nussmier had suffered a serious injury. Kelly says the QB has patella tendinitis as a result of a surgery in 2023 and it was just acting up on Wednesday.

Cut 13 (06)  “…calm it down.”

8:30 AM Newscast

LSU football coach Brian Kelly joked yesterday that Garrett Nussmeier will not need his leg amputated after a rumor swirled on Wednesday that he suffered a serious injury. Kelly says it’s just tendonitis in knee that got a little cranky on Wednesday…

Cut 13 (06)  “…calm it down.”

Freshman running back JT Landry was booked into the East Baton Rouge prison yesterday on two counts of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.  Landry’s turned himself yesterday evening after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.  He’s accused of letting two friends from his hometown of Alexandria stay in his dorm, knowing they were wanted for murder. The suspects, 17-year-old Shemell Jacobs and 18-year-old Keldrick Jordan, were arrested on campus by the U.S. Marshals Service earlier this week.

———————————

A two-year-old boy is safe after being left in a hot car in Shreveport for up to 30 minutes. Someone saw the little boy in distress inside the car outside a Dollar Tree store and flagged down an officer about 100 yards away. Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon says despite the fact that it was well before noon, the temperature was already soaring.

Cut 6 (07) “…about 93 degrees.”

The boy’s mother was arrested and is facing a single count of child desertion.

With the peak of hurricane season now just weeks away, the Louisiana Department of Insurance has launched an updated mobile app. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says the new and improved LDI Connect app has some new features, including enhanced weather reporting.

Cut 9 (11)  “…that impact you.”

The new and improved LDI Connect app is live on the Apple App Store and on the Google Play Store now.