A teenage girl is dead in a crash in Lafayette, and police say a 14-year-old boy was behind the wheel. The victim is identified as 17-year-old Terry Mitchell of Lafayette. Two others were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Police Sergeant Matthew Benoit (BEN-wah) says the driver tried to escape but didn’t get very far.

Cut 5 (7) “…taken into custody.”

Benoit says the vehicle was stolen, although it’s unclear whether the 14-year-old boy was the actual thief.

For the second time in as many weeks, a raccoon knocked out power in Terrebonne Parish. Six-thousand customers went in the dark Sunday after a raccoon ended up in the Eddison power substation in Houma. Parish President Jason Bergeron (BAA-zher-on) says he drove to the substation to check things out for himself.

Cut 10 (06) “…community, you know.”

Bergeron says unfortunately, there’s little if anything that can be done about animals getting into the substation.

If you’re a hunter, the Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday is back again this Friday through Sunday.

Cut 2 (29)  “…I’m Sean Richardson.” 

An 18-year-old Grayson man is arrested for allegedly strangling a spotted fawn. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says Taryn Varnell was captured on video taking the deer and choking it to death. Varnell faces up to ten years in prison and fines of more than 25-thousand dollars if convicted.

Could Alvin Kamara be on his way out of New Orleans? The Saints’ star running back has listed his Belle Chasse home for 2.75-million dollars. This, as Kamara and the Saints remain deadlocked on a new deal.

A teenage girl is dead in a crash in Lafayette. Police Sergeant Matthew Benoit says there were six juveniles and an adult in a stolen vehicle being driven by a 14-year-old boy.

Cut 4 (10) “…its final rest.”

The girl who died is identified as 17-year-old Terry Mitchell of Lafayette. The 14-year-old boy tried running off but was caught and is now in juvenile detention facing four charges.

A former city councilman in Minden, in Webster Parish, and his daughter are shot dead, and the suspect is a ten-year-old boy. 82-year-old Joe Cornelius and his 31-year-old daughter, Keisha Miles, were found dead inside their home. Minden Police Chief Jared McIver says there were two juveniles inside the home at the time.

Cut 7 (10) “…committed this crime.”

Chief McIver says the investigation ruled out any notion that this was an accidental shooting. He says the boy confessed and is in custody.

If you’re a hunter, the Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday is back again this Friday through Sunday.  Department of Revenue Spokesperson Bryon Henderson says consumer purchases of a wide range of hunting supplies are exempt from state and local sales tax…

Cut 6 (04) “…hunting season.”

Purchases not eligible are hunting dogs, animal fee, off-road vehicles, and vessels such as airboats.

Knock on wood – but so far, it’s been a very quiet hurricane season here in Louisiana. LSU Climatologist Barry Keim says, though, we’re not out of the woods just yet. He says we’re currently in LaNina conditions, and that’s expected to build in the latter part of hurricane season.

Cut 14 (14) “…the hurricane season.”

There are currently three disturbances in the Atlantic, two of them with a 40-percent chance of developing in the next seven days.

Labor Day has come and gone; and as such, the 2024 presidential enters the home stretch. In some states, ballots will be mailed out as early as this month. Louisiana Pollster John Couvillon with JMC Analytics says what he’s focused on is the number of early voters

Cut 6 (12) “…point or two.”

While Vice President Kamala Harris has a slight lead nationally, polls in the swing states are too close to call.

For the first time in several years, the state is looking at a budget deficit in several years. The projected shortfall is 340-million dollars. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says the committee will hold several hearings over the next few months to discuss the shortfall.

Cut 11 (12) “…will be affected.”

A special session on tax reform could be looming.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly meets with reporters today for the first time since fist pounding post game press conference following the loss to USC. 

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Could Alvin Kamara be on his way out of New Orleans? The Saints’ star running back has listed his Belle Chasse home for 2.75-million dollars. This, as Kamara and the Saints remain deadlocked on a new deal. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that an exit is imminent; Kamara says he has other properties in the city.

A Louisiana pollster says many of the national polls show Vice President Kamala Harris with a two point lead over former president Donald Trump as the presidential election season begins to ramp up. Mel Bridges has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

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A Webster Parish man and his daughter are shot to death, and the suspect is only ten years old. We get the story from Andrew Greenstein.

Cut 2 (37) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.” 

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LSU football coach Brian Kelly meets with reporters today for the first time since fist pounding post game press conference following the loss to USC. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Now that Labor Day is behind us, the 2024 presidential race will begin to ramp up. Louisiana Pollster John Couvillon with JMC Analytics says Republican Donald Trump lead in the polls before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and now the former president is trying to catch up…

Cut 4 (10) “…stabilized.”

It will take 270 electoral votes to win the presidential election. Couvillon says Vice President Kamala Harris has a small lead in the national polls, but the race comes down to seven swing states so the national polls should hold steady…

Cut 5 (07) “…points.”

Preliminary voting will start in some states as early as this month, so Couvillon says neither campaign has a whole lot of time to either maintain their lead or gain points back. However, what Couvillon says he’s most interested in are the number of early voters

Cut 6 (12) “…point or two.”

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A former city councilman in Minden, in Webster Parish, and his daughter are shot dead, and the suspect is a ten-year-old boy. 82-year-old Joe Cornelius and his 31-year-old daughter, Keisha Miles, were found dead inside their home. Minden Police Chief Jared McIver says there were two juveniles inside the home at the time.

Cut 7 (10) “…committed this crime.”

The only thing we know about the child is that he’s related to the two victims. Chief McIver says the investigation ruled out any notion that this was an accidental shooting.

Cut 8 (13) “…anything like that.”

McIver says it’s unclear what led to the shooting, only to say that the boy admitted to the crime.

Cut 9 (12)  “…as to why.”

Cornelius had previously been appointed mayor of Minden in 2013 following the death of Mayor Bill Robertson. The child is in custody.

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Louisiana government is looking at its first budget deficit in several years. The deficit for next fiscal year is the result of a temporary state sales tax of .45-percent expiring as well as a two-percent tax on business utilities. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says much needed reforms are needed to address this upcoming shortfall

Cut 10 (11) “…budget expenditures.”

Currently, Louisiana is facing a projected revenue shortfall of 340-million dollars for next fiscal year. McFarland says that does not include the 248-million dollars in education initiatives that pays for teacher stipends and student tutoring, approved by the legislature in the spring. McFarland says House Appropriations will hold several hearings over the next few months to discuss the shortfall…

Cut 11 (12) “…will be affected.”

McFarland says the responsible thing for the legislature to do is finally address tax policies that are antiquated. He says the timing is perfect, because there is an issue and legislative leaders are committed to taking a holistic approach…

Cut 12 (10) “…advantageous.”

The regular legislative session begins April 14th, but a special session on tax reform before that is possible.

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Knock on wood – but so far, it’s been a very quiet hurricane season here in Louisiana. LSU Climatologist Barry Keim says here were are now in September, and the season has not lived up to its billing.

Cut 13 (14) “…a happy guy.” 

Keim says we’re not out of the woods just yet. He says we’re currently in La Nina conditions, and that’s expected to build in the latter part of hurricane season.

Cut  14 (14) “…the hurricane season.”

Right now, there are three disturbances in the Atlantic, stretching from the Texas Gulf Coast to the coast of Africa, and they have little to no chance of developing.

Cut 15 (12) “…a watch on.”

Keim says when all is said and done, he expects this to be a season with above-normal activity.

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The LSU football team returns to the practice field today after a tough loss to USC on Sunday night. The Tigers were up by four points in the fourth quarter but ended up losing 27-20. The defeat left Coach Brian Kelly mad…

Cut  16 (16)   “…crazy.”

LSU was penalized ten times. Two of the penalties were 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties, on Kyren Lacy and Major Burns that helped USC score touchdowns. Kelly says mistakes like that can’t happen…

Cut 17 (17) “…getting the message.”

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ULM is preparing to host UAB this Saturday after defeating Jackson State 30-14 last Thursday. Running back Ahmad Hardy’s 103 yard, one touchdown rushing performance was a big key. Hardy is a freshman from Mississippi and Coach Bryant Vincent is really encouraged about his performance…

Cut 18 (17)  “…his growth.”

Kick off this Saturday against the Blazers is at 6 PM.

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Just five days to go before the Saints open their season against the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome. Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen says forget about last season, this will be a new Carolina Panthers team his squad will be facing.

Cut 19 (19) “…ready to play”

One of the big storylines this offseason has been who will be the number-one backup quarterback to Derek Carr – Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler. Coach Allen says at least for the first game, that decision might not happen until gametime.

Cut 20 (16) “…try to develop.”

Kickoff for Sunday’s Saints-Panthers game at the Superdome is noon Central time.

Same story, different year — For the fifth consecutive season, LSU loses its season opener as the 13th ranked Tigers fell to USC 27-20. The Tigers led by four in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t hold on. Coach Brian Kelly is not happy.

cut 17 (16) “…put ’em away.”

The Tigers will look to get into the win column Saturday against Nicholls in Baton Rouge.

The Ragin Cajuns scored on their first four drives on Saturday night as they went on to beat Grambling 40-10. Ben Woolridge threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns. Coach Michael Desormeaux says it was a good start to the season…

Cut 20 (15) “…to improve on”

U-L Lafayette is at Kennesaw State this Saturday. Grambling has its home opener against Tuskegee.

Louisiana Tech won its season opener, but it wasn’t pretty as the Bulldogs defeated Nicholls 25-17 on a rainy night in Ruston. Tech turned it over five times, but the Bulldogs held the Colonels to 200 yards of offense. Bulldogs coach Sonny Cumbie says it was a great defensive effort.

Cut 19 (17) “…Conference USA play.”

Louisiana Tech does not play this Saturday.

McNeese won their first game on the field since November of 2022 as the Pokes beat Southern, 21-7. Southern led 7-0 in the fourth quarter, but a blocked field goal attempt early in the frame turned the tide. Southern Coach Terrence Graves says it’s a tough way to lose.

Cut 15 (15) “…to improve on.”

The Pokes face Texas A-and-M in College Station Saturday, while Southern hosts Savannah State.

Another disappointing start to the season for the LSU Tigers as they lost to USC last night, 27-20. It was LSU’s fifth straight opening game loss. Coach Brian Kelly is upset with his offense for not scoring more touchdowns when they got into the red zone…

cut 29 (11) “…not good enough”

LSU will look to regroup when they host Nicholls Saturday night.

The early childhood care industry faces significant challenges. That’s the takeaway of a new survey by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. Director of Policy and Research Mattilyn Batson says providers’ wages are very low; and as such, retaining them has been problematic.

Cut 11 (07) “…wages somewhere else.”

In addition, most early childhood care providers say they’re experiencing rising costs for routine expenses, such as food, cleaning supplies and insurance.

Visit Lake Charles launches the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority, a new division to boost the region’s profile as a premier destination for sporting events. 

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A 16-year-old is dead and five others are hospitalized following a house explosion in Ragley in Beauregard Parish. It happened just before ten Saturday morning. A toddler was also in the home at the time; the child is being cared for by relatives. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

Today may be Labor Day; but for LSU fans, it might as well be Groundhog Day. For the fifth year in a row, the Tigers lost their season opener, falling to USC last night 27-20. Following the game Coach Brian Kelly said he’s angry with his team after not scoring enough touchdowns and committing ten penalties…

cut 30 (06) “…same things”

LSU will try to regroup Saturday at home against Nicholls.

UL-Lafayette’s massive years-long fundraising campaign is approaching its goal. The campaign kicked off in 2021 and has raised 450-million dollars out of its 500-million-dollar goal. Rebecca Doucet (DOO-say), the associate vice president of development for UL-Lafayette, says this is a comprehensive campaign.

Cut 12 (10) “…Art Museum, KRVS.”

The university got some very notable donations, including seven-million dollars from the Moncus Family Foundation.

The Alexandria Farmers Market is celebrating ten years with events throughout this month.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Mel Bridges.” 

Visit Lake Charles launches the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority, a new division to boost the region’s profile as a premier destination for sporting events.  LCRSA Director Eric Zartler says Lake Charles proved Olympic officials wrong after hosting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Trials for Boxing…

Cut 5 (11) “…fuel to the fire.”

Same story, different year — For the fifth consecutive season, LSU loses its season opener as the 13th ranked Tigers fell to USC 27-20. The Tigers led by four in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t hold on. Coach Brian Kelly is not happy.

cut 17 (16) “…put ’em away.”

The Tigers will look to get into the win column Saturday against Nicholls in Baton Rouge.

Visit Lake Charles launches the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority.  LCRSA Director Eric Zartler says it seeks to position Lake Charles as a competitive player in the sports tourism industry.

Cut 4 (05) “…sport title here.”

LCRSA is focused on hosting and promoting a wide range of sports activities, from youth tournaments to professional competitions, to attract more top-tier events to the area.

The Alexandria Farmers Market is celebrating its ten year anniversary with celebrations through September. Executive Director of Farm & Food at Louisiana Central Bahia (Bah-hee-ah) Nightengale says the market has programs for vendors to make sure they’re able to set up a booth every week.

Cut 7 (11) “…local businesses.”

The farmer’s market is held every Tuesday from 3 to 6 pm.

The early childhood care industry faces significant challenges. That’s the takeaway of a new survey by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. Director of Policy and Research Mattilyn Batson says not only is the cost of doing business high, but the wages of the providers are very low.

Cut 10 (10) “…cents an hour.”

In addition, most early childhood care providers say they’re experiencing rising costs for routine expenses, such as food, cleaning supplies and insurance.

Mother Nature could be putting a damper on the holiday weekend in South Louisiana. Chanele Stigger is a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles.
Cut 9 (09) “…skies and showers.”
The flip side of the coin is, when rain is not falling, it will actually be quite pleasant to be outside, with highs in the mid-80s to the low 90s.

The Labor Day weekend Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is in full swing. Law enforcement will be out in full force through Monday cracking down on drunk drivers. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says there’s always something you can do to keep yourself safe if you ever encounter a drunk driver.
Cut 8 (09) “…their seat belt.”
In 2022, 490 people across the country were killed in crashes over the Labor Day weekend; almost 40-percent of those involved a drunk driver.

A new report from the Public Affairs Research Council shows around 60% of Louisiana high school seniors are applying for college financial aid this year, a 10% drop from last year. Louisiana still ranks second nationally for FAFSA completions, but Steven Procopio with PAR says he’s worried that rank could slip.
Cut 4 (11) “…overall nation.”
PAR expects completed FAFSA applications in Louisiana are to decline even further after BESE repealed a policy that made students apply for federal student aid to graduate.

While LSU plays Sunday and UL-Lafayette plays tomorrow, other Louisiana teams got their seasons underway last night. Tulane blanked Southeastern Louisiana, 52-0, in New Orleans. ULM kicked off the Bryant Vincent era by beating Jackson State, 30-14, snapping a ten-game losing streak. And despite big plays early on, Northwestern State lost to Tulsa, 62-28.

A new report from the Public Affairs Research Council shows around 60% of Louisiana high school seniors are applying for college financial aid this year, a 10% drop from last year. Steven Procopio with PAR…
Cut 3 (11) “…a lot of it.”
The report goes on to say around 92% of parish public school districts saw fewer seniors completing FAFSA by June 28 compared to last year.

Law enforcement is out in full force cracking down on drunk driving this Labor Day weekend. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is a federally-funded program that allows departments to use the money as they wish to combat drunk driving.
Cut 7 (12) “…the road longer.”
Other departments could use the money for additional patrols or other needs.

Just two days away from the Vegas Kickoff Classic between LSU and USC. Joseph Bocanegra with Stub Hub says even though the game is sold out, you can still get into Allegiant Stadium for less than 200 dollars.
Cut 12 (09) “…they’re able.”
Bocanegra urges fans to buy tickets from reputable sellers with a fan protect guarantee, to avoid social media sources, and never to pay cash. He says the LSU/USC game is Stub Hub’s best selling game of the season followed by Saturday night’s Notre Dame and Texas A&M in College Station.