It looks like Louisiana is going to escape any significant impacts from what will soon be Hurricane Isaias. The National Hurricane Center’s official forecast track continues to shift farther to the east, pinning landfall near the Alabama-Florida state line. National Weather Service Meteorologist Phil Grigsby says the steering currents are pushing the storm away from Louisiana.

Cut 9 (11)  “…the east.”

A teacher and coach in Ponchatoula is arrested for allegedly having sexual contact with a student. According to jail records, 30-year-old Trey Sparks is charged with one count of prohibited sexual contact between an educator and a student. He’s also charged with possessing child sexual abuse material, depicting victims under 13 years old. Sparks teaches at DC Reeves Elementary School and coaches at Ponchatoula Junior High School. We do not know which of those schools, if either one, the victim attends.

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety is expected to make a significant change, certifying roofs as fortified for only 15 years. That means after 15 years, those with fortified roofs would stand to lose their insurance premium discounts. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says that does not mean that fortified roofs older than 15 years are ineffective.

Cut 4 (12) “…discount going on.”

The owner and an employee of a Ville Platte tobacco shop are arrested in connection with the death of a 17-year-old boy who purchased herbal supplement pills from there. State Police Sergeant Peggy Bourque says 34-year-old Musa Saleh Salem, who owns Tobacco Tavern, and 29-year-old Ghaleb Mohammed Mousa are charged with Distribution of a Schedule One Controlled Dangerous Substance.

Cut 8 (08) “…Evangeline Parish jail.”

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026 by early tomorrow. That will break the record for the latest date for the first Atlantic hurricane in a given year by a whopping 27 days. For now, Isaias is a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles an hour. It’s still located in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, but it’s expected to start making its way east this afternoon before taking a northward turn tomorrow morning. National Weather Service Meteorologist Phil Grigsby says Louisiana will escape any major impacts, seeing less than an inch of rain from the storm that’s expected to make landfall east of Mobile, Alabama, either late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

Cut 11 (14) “…rain even.”

Isaias is expected to become a strong Category two storm before weakening to a Category one storm before landfall.

Those with fortified roofs may see their homeowners insurance discounts disappear several years from now. That’s because the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety is expected to change the way it designates roofs, certifying them as fortified for only 15 years. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says without the fortified certification, insurance companies would no longer offer premium discounts for fortified roofs.

Cut 3 (07) “…discount drops off.”

State Police detectives have arrested the owner and an employee of a Ville Platte tobacco shop as part of an investigation into the death of a 17-year-old boy in Turkey Creek. Sergeant Peggy Bourque says they’re not releasing the exact name of the drug that Tobacco Tavern allegedly sold to Taylon Hebert or the over-the-counter herbal supplemental pills seized during a search warrant.

Cut 7 (07) “..this time.”

Based on its current projected path, Louisiana could see minimal effects from Tropical Storm Isaias. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Should you ever feel the urge to go out TP’ing homes, make sure you know which home you’re targeting. Police in Addis arrest a man for allegedly firing a shot at two teens who were TP’ing his house. Police say the teens thought the house belonged to a friend of theirs. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Josiah Arrington is charged with aggravated assault with a firearm.

State Police detectives arrest the owner and an employee of a Ville Platte tobacco shop as part of an investigation into the death of a 17-year-old boy in Turkey Creek. Sergeant Peggy Bourque says the day before Taylon Hebert’s death, he purchased over the counter herbal supplement pills from Tobacco Tavern, which were suspected to contain a Schedule One Controlled Dangerous Substance.

Cut 6 (10) “…same location.”

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety is expected to make a significant change – only certifying fortified roofs as such for 15 years. That means after 15 years, those fortified roofs would no longer qualify for property insurance premium discounts.  Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says despite the likely change, getting a fortified roof is still a great investment.

Cut 5 (12) “…an insurance discount.”

It looks like Louisiana will not be in the path of what is expected to become Hurricane Isaias. The current forecast track has it making landfall east of Mobile, Alabama, Friday evening. That doesn’t mean Louisiana is completely in the clear. National Weather Service Meteorologist Phil Grigsby says a storm surge watch and tropical storm watch has been issued for Plaquemines, St. Bernard and Orleans parishes, and the southeastern corner of St. Tammany Parish.

Cut 10 (10) “…into Friday night.” 

DCFS revamps foster caregiver training and certification by launching HomeReady. Secretary Rebecca Harris says the biggest change is that everything is now done entirely online.

Cut 23 (11) “…in one spot.” 

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety is expected to make a significant change, certifying roofs as fortified for only 15 years. That means after 15 years, those with fortified roofs would stand to lose their insurance premium discounts. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says that does not mean that fortified roofs older than 15 years are ineffective.

Cut 4 (12) “…discount going on.”

Louisiana is expected to add 55-thousand jobs over the next two years. Dr. Loren Scott puts together this economic forecast annually, and he’s projecting more jobs than usual because of the boom in data centers in north and central Louisiana.

Cut 13 (11)  “…just about Alexandria.”

Isaias does not look like a problem for Louisiana as the National Hurricane Center’s official forecast track continues to shift father to the east. The latest update has the storm now making landfall Friday night or Saturday morning near the Alabama-Florida state line. National Weather Service Meteorologist Phil Grigsby says conditions in the gulf are pushing the storm away from Louisiana…

Cut 9 (11) “…the east”

But Isaias is expected to develop into a hurricane, possibly a strong Category two storm before weaking to a Category one storm before landfall.

An economic forecast projects Louisiana to add 55-thousand jobs over the next two years. Lake Charles is expected to have the highest percentage growth over the next two years, adding about six-thousand jobs. Dr. Loren Scott, who put this forecast together, says the big number in Lake Charles is almost exclusively due to three new LNG export facilities – two in Cameron Parish and another just south of Sulphur.

Cut 14 (05) “…of projects underway.”

The Department of Children and Family Services is revamping foster caregiver training and certification by launching HomeReady. Secretary Rebecca Harris says with more than seven-thousand children in foster care, the state needed a better way for prospective foster parents to get certified.

Cut 10 (09) “…and help children.”

Homeready gives prospective caregivers a single, user-friendly system ti complete applications, access required training, upload documents and track their progress. The online platform officially launched today on DCFS’s website.

Those with fortified roofs may see their homeowner’s insurance discounts disappear several years from now. That’s because the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety is expected to change the way it designates roofs, certifying them as fortified for only 15 years. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says without the fortified certification, insurance companies would no longer offer premium discounts for fortified roofs.

Cut 3 (07) “…discount drops off.”

Temple says exposure to the severe weather that Louisiana is prone to, will degrade a roof.

A tropical storm watch has been issued for a portion of the southeastern Louisiana coast. Isaias is expected to develop into a Category Two hurricane. But the track of the storm continues to shift east, as the potential landfall is expected near the Alabama-Florida state line Friday night or early Saturday morning, which means the impacts to Louisiana could be minimal.

The Department of Children and Family Services launches a new way for prospective foster parents to get certified. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Louisiana is expected to add 55-thousand jobs over the next two years according to the economic forecast released by economist Doctor Loren Scott. Lake Charles and Monroe are two of the fastest metro growing areas, while New Orleans is one of the slowest.  Scott says a continued decline in convention post-COVID is having an impact on the city’s economy.

Cut 15 (08) “…there’s about 60.”

State Treasurer John Fleming is urging school funding to be focused on classrooms and teacher salaries. Fleming says a recently-released Legislative Auditor’s report uncovered significant discrepancies between certain budget and expenditure reports.

Cut 4 (12) “…other budget items.”

Fleming says based on his office’s own K-Through-!2 School Transparncey Project, several school systems combined have spent one-million dollars on meals and entertainment.

We now have our ninth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season; and tomorrow, it’s expected to become the first hurricane of the year. Tropical Storm Isaias is in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles an hour, and it has started making its eastward trek before taking a turn north. On its current track, it’s expected to make landfall east of Mobile, Alabama, Friday night, completely missing Louisiana. That doesn’t mean Louisiana is completely out of the woods – the far eastern tip of Plaquemines Parish is still in the cone of uncertainty, and the forecasted track could still shift between now and Friday.

State Treasurer John Fleming is urging school funding to be focused on classrooms and teacher salaries.  Fleming says the K-through-12 Transparency Project showed some questionable expenditures.

Cut 5 (13) “…and Uber Eats.”

An economic forecast projects Louisiana to add 55-thousand jobs over the next two years. Lake Charles is expected to have the highest percentage growth over the next two years, adding about six-thousand jobs. Dr. Loren Scott, who put this forecast together, says the big number in Lake Charles is almost exclusively due to three new LNG export facilities – two in Cameron Parish and another just south of Sulphur.

Cut 14 (05) “…of projects underway.”

The Department of Children and Family Services is revamping foster caregiver training and certification by rolling out HomeReady, which officially launched today. Secretary Rebecca Harris says by moving everything online, it simplifies the process and creates much less paperwork.

Cut 12 (12) “…a temporary home.”

Families can use either a computer or a mobile device to complete their forms, upload their documents and track their progress.

A newly released economic forecast projects the state will add 55-thousand jobs over the next couple of years. Kace Kieschnick has the story.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

A New Orleans man convicted of multiple violent offenses has been apprehended by the U.S. Marshals in Lake Charles.  38 year old Brandon Justin Lee Williams, was found guilty on Sept. 23, 2026, for second degree rape, domestic abuse battery involving child endangerment, and several others, but failed to appear in court for the jury’s verdict. He was located in Lake Charles yesterday and will be transported back to St. Tammany to be sentenced.

—————————-

Tropical Storm Isaias (ee-sah-EE-ahs) has formed this morning in the Gulf. An official forecast track from the National Hurricane Center shows a Category One Hurricane making landfall near Mobile, Alabama late Friday or early Saturday. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says there is a risk for dangerous wind and storm surge impacts for the northern Gulf Coast.

Cut 9 (06)  “…that storm approaches.”

The Department of Children and Family Services’ new HomeReady is modernizing the certification process for prospective foster parents in Louisiana . Secretary Rebecca Harris says the biggest change with this new program is that everything is now done online.

Cut 11 (11) “…in one spot.”

There are more than 7000 children in foster care in Louisiana.