Louisiana is preparing for an unusual winter weather event next week, bringing conditions the state rarely faces. Residents of Lafayette and Acadiana could experience freezing rain, sleet, icy roads, and possibly even snow.  National Weather Service Meteorologist Nick Slaughter says temperatures are expected to drop sharply, with highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s.

Cut 6 (05) “…Tuesday and Wednesday.”

Congressman Clay Higgins and other Republicans used a Congressional hearing to blast the former head of Social Security for agreeing to a telework agreement with SSA union employees. Higgins says it’s resulted in extremely long wait times when calling the Social Security helpline

Cut 12 (12) “…Social Security.”

Higgins called the helpline during the hearing and was on hold for an hour and a half without speaking with an employee.

The state is one step closer to building a statewide broadband network after securing final approval for federal funding. Veneeth Iyengar, the executive director of Connect L-A, says the state awarded contracts to many companies, several of which based in Louisiana, to build the broadband infrastructure in a robust way.

Cut 4 (13) “…and north Louisiana.”

Iyengar says the state should be connected by the end of summer.

A backup quarterback at LSU is hospitalized following a car crash near the campus. LSU Police say 17-year-old Colin Hurley crashed into a tree near the south gates shortly before three this morning. While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, investigators do not believe Hurley was impaired. Hurley was found unresponsive, and emergency personnel removed him from the car and took him to a hospital. Hurley is third on LSU’s depth chart, behind starter Garrett Nussmeier and Mississippi State transfer Michael Van Buren.