He saw it coming. In 2021, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell predicted that LSU would be responsible for paying a hefty buyout to Brian Kelly before he even stepped onto the field. Nearly four years later, Campbell says I told you so.

Cut 10 (09) “…the get-go.”

Campbell says LSU should have never given Kelly a 10-year contract without it being incentive-based.

Louisiana’s ranking in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index improved from 37th to 31st, with further improvement expected because of the tax reforms approved last year. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) says those reforms include a new flat individual income tax rate of three percent and a corporate income tax rate of 5.5-percent.

Cut 7 (08) “…seeing positive gains.”

The trucking industry in Louisiana says the legal climate is its biggest concern in 2025. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

It may not feel like it today but it’s time to get that winter coat out.  The coldest temperatures of the season are moving into Louisiana at the start of next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a cold front is coming late this weekend, bringing frigid Canadian air.

Cut 13 (11)  “…in the 50s.”

The trucking industry in Louisiana says the legal climate is its biggest concern in 2025. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Louisiana ranks 31st in the Tax Foundation’s Tax Competitiveness Index, but that’s up six spots from the year before. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Nearly four years ago, a longtime Louisiana politician predicted that LSU would be on the hook for another massive buyout for its football coach. As Andre Champagne reports, his prediction was spot-on.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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The trucking industry in Louisiana says insurance and lawsuit abuse are its biggest concerns in 2025. Renee Amar, the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, says the cost of insurance is driving truckers out of the state.

Cut 4 (11) “…affordable truck insurance.”

Amar says the insurance environment in Louisiana is ripe for fraud, especially when it comes to staged accidents. She says truckers have to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets and are forced to wait years before their cases can be prosecuted.

Cut 5 (10) “…premiums for you.”

Amar says while she’s happy that the bill that stopped payments to those more than 50-percent at fault for accidents became law in this year’s session, she’s upset that the medical transparency bill didn’t.

Cut 6 (13) “…20-thousand-dollar bill.”

Amar says the Louisiana trucking industry will try again in next year’s regular session to get that bill passed and onto Governor Landry’s desk.

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Louisiana’s ranking in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index improved from 37th to 31st, with further improvement expected as a result of the tax reforms improved last year. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) says those reforms include a new flat individual income tax rate of three-percent and a corporate income tax rate of 5.5-percent.

Cut 7 (08) “…seeing positive gains.”

Bhatt expects Louisiana’s ranking to improve in 2026, as the state’s franchise tax will be repealed. He says modernizing a state’s tax structure helps position it for growth.

Cut 8 (10) “…period of time.”

Bhatt says Louisiana could move up in their rankings even more if it restricted its sales taxes.

Cut 9 (13)  “…improvement in that.”

Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Alaska and Florida ranked in the top five. Maryland, Connecticut, California, New Jersey and New York ranked in the bottom five.

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In 2021, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell predicted that LSU would be responsible for paying a hefty buyout to Brian Kelly before he even stepped onto the field. Nearly four years later, Campbell says I told you so.

Cut 10 (09) “…the get-go.”

Campbell says LSU should have never given Kelly a 10-year contract without it being incentive-based.

Cut 11 (12) “…to pay him.”

Campbell says the LSU Board of Supervisors did not handle Kelly’s contract well and says it needs to avoid the same mistake with this next coach search.

Cut 12 (10) “…never happens again.”

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This weekend, you will want to try on your winter jacket; and if it doesn’t fit or if you don’t have one, you’ll want to head to your local department store to buy one. That’s because we’re going to be in for the coldest temperatures of the season at the outset of next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a cold front is coming down into the state late this weekend, blanketing the state with frigid Canadian air.

Cut 13 (11)  “…in the 50s.”

And if you think that’s cold, Tuesday morning will be even colder. Keim says temperatures in some parts of the state will drop below freezing.

Cut 14 (13) “…the upper 30s.”

Keim says if you can survive those two days, temperatures will start their climb back up to normal afterwards,

Cut 15 (10) “…of next week.”

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LSU football travels to Tuscaloosa to face fourth-ranked Alabama tomorrow. The offense and defense have been going up against each other in inside run drills, which requires more physicality from the linemen. Interim Head Coach Frank Wilson says he’s pleased with his team’s tenacity in practice this week.

Cut 16 (14) “…rewarding for us.”

LSU’s defense will continue to be tested when the Tigers face junior quarterback and Heisman candidate Ty Simpson. Simpson has thrown for 20 touchdowns and only one interception so far this year. Wilson says Simpson possesses an elite skillset.

Cut 17 (19) “…to gain yardage.”

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The Saints’ offense will be without a big weapon moving forward after New Orleans sent Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterback Tyler Shough says Shaheed’s departure will create more opportunities for other receivers.

Cut 18 (18)  “…to have success.”

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UL-Lafayette got back into the win column after defeating South Alabama, 31-22, in Mobile last week. Even though it hasn’t been the ideal season, head coach Michael Desormeaux (DEZ-er-moe) was happy for his group and wants his team to continue to play with the same determination this week.

Cut 19 (15) “…do it again.”

The Cajuns will host Texas State tomorrow, which will be the last Sun Belt matchup between the two teams as the Bobcats are moving to the Pac-12 after this season. Desormeaux says his team is focused on winning out to become bowl eligible.

Cut 20 (08) “…at all costs.”

After much confusion, LSU has said in no uncertain terms that Verge Ausberry is the school’s full-fledged athletic director – not interim, not acting. The confusion came when incoming President Wade Rousse spoke to WWL radio yesterday.

Cut 24 (03) “…the acting A-D.”

Well, someone might want to tell Dr. Rousse that in that context, “acting” and “interim” mean the exact same thing. In any event, interim head football coach Frank Wilson – yes, he IS the interim coach – says Ausberry deserves an opportunity to lead the LSU athletics department.

Cut 4 (04) “…he has earned.”

A 15-year-old boy is killed early this morning in a drive-by shooting in Ruston. Ruston Police Lieutenant Kayla Loyd says the boy’s grandmother called paramedics to the home during the overnight hours, not realizing that he had been shot.

Cut 9 (08)  “…actually been shot.”

According to a new poll, 65-percent of Louisiana voters want the state to boost spending for early childhood education. Libbie Sonnier, the CEO of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, says with families being priced out, that puts a greater burden on federally supported programs like Head Start. Sonnier says the two programs in the state which are funded by Head Start have enough money to operate this month. However:

Cut 7 (07) “…Head Start-affiliated.”

UpONE Insights surveyed 500 Louisiana voters September 8th through the 13th, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4-percent.

Cut 25 (play 2.3 seconds, fade and use as bed)

I hope you didn’t Stop Believin’ that Journey would hit the road again, but that’s exactly what they’re doing. They can’t wait to welcome you with Open Arms in New Orleans and Bossier City next March and in Lafayette next June. Their music is not for Only The Young, so take in the show Any Way You Want It – they won’t Be Alright Without You.

One day after LSU president Wade Rousse said Verge Ausberry was the acting Athletics Director, an LSU spokesperson tells the Louisiana Radio Network that Ausberry is THE PERMANENT director of athletics at LSU. Interim head coach Frank Wilson says Ausberry is the right man for the job.

CUT 21 (20): “right now.”

Last night, the LSU men’s basketball team defeated Tarleton State in its season opener by a score of 96-60. The Tigers shot a program-best 71.7% from the field after hitting 33 of their 46 shots. Senior guard Max Mackinnon led scoring for LSU with 19 points.

Once Frank Wilson was named LSU’s interim head coach, he set out to keep the entire team together. LSU’s coaching staff brought a bass drum into the team room, beating it to mirror a heartbeat. Senior linebacker West Weeks says the drum helps set the tone for the day.

Cut 18 (16)  “…for the day.”

The Tigers kick off at Bryant Denny Stadium on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Southeastern football faces its first-ranked opponent on Saturday as the No. 14 Lions take on No. 18 Lamar in Beaumont. Head coach Frank Scelfo attributes the team’s success to its leadership.

CUT 22 (17): “leave here.”

A multi-vehicle crash in DeSoto Parish cost a 50-year-old Natchitoches man his life early this morning. State police say dense fog was a factor. After a tractor trailer and a pick-up truck crashed on I-49, a series of other crashes followed and Lawrence Irchirl driving a Ford F-350 collided with an 18-wheeler stopped in the roadway. Irchirl was properly restrained but succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the crash

A new poll shows support for increasing state spending on early childhood education Libbie Sonnier, the CEO of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, says early childhood education is becoming out of reach for many families in Louisiana and federal support is not enough to make it affordable for many Louisiana families.

Cut 8 (10) “…in doing so.”

She says nearly half the Republicans and almost 85-percent of the Democrats surveyed wanted more state support for early childhood education.

A major cold front will arrive in Louisiana this weekend, LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says we are looking at our first significant freeze Monday morning and Monday afternoon will be the coldest day in Louisiana in several months…

Cut 13 (09)  “…public service commission.”

Wind chills during this time will be in the 20s for north Louisiana.

One day after LSU president Wade Rousse said Verge Ausberry was the acting Athletics Director, an LSU spokesperson tells the Louisiana Radio Network that Ausberry is THE director of athletics at LSU. It was reported on Tuesday night that Ausberry was the permanent A-D. Even interim head football coach Frank Wilson discussed Ausberry’s promotion yesterday morning as a positive step for the university.

Cut 3 (09) “…athletic program.”

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is heartbroken over the firing of LSU A-D Scott Woodward. But she is happy for Ausberry.

Cut 5 (05) “…this is his school.”

A 15-year-old boy is killed early this morning in a drive-by shooting in Ruston and Police Lieutenant Kayla Loyd says they have no description of any shooters or any vehicles that may have been involved.

Cut 11 (03) “…were on foot.”

The teen was rushed to a hospital after his grandmother called for help but he did not survive his injuries. Detectives are working to determine whether this was a targeted shooting or if it was random.

A new poll shows widespread support for lawmakers to increase spending in early childhood education, with 65-percent of respondents saying they favor it. Libbie Sonnier, the CEO of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, says early childhood education is exceeding many families’ budgets.

Cut 6 (07) “…over their head.”

She says responses were consistent across political lines, with nearly half of Republicans and almost 85-percent of Democrats saying the state needs to do more to support early childhood education.

LSU clears up Verge Ausberry’s status as the school’s athletic director. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Jeff  Palermo”

A major cold front is coming, but LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says we’ll see some mild temperatures until late Saturday night.

Cut 12 (13) “…cold front passes.”

A 15-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting at his home in Ruston. Police Lieutenant Kayla Loyd says the investigation is in the early stages, and detectives are working to determine whether it was a targeted shooting or if it was random.

Cut 10 (09) “…out anything specific.”

No one has been arrested, and Loyd says they have no description of any shooters or any vehicle that may have been involved.

A multi-vehicle crash in DeSoto Parish cost a 50-year-old Natchitoches man is life early this morning. State police say dense fog was a factor. After a tractor trailer and a pick-up truck crashed on I-49, a series of other crashes followed and Lawrence Irchirl driving a Ford F-350 collided with an 18-wheeler stopped in the roadway. Irchirl was properly restrained but succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the crash.

A new survey shows widespread support for increased state spending in early childhood education programs. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

One day after LSU president Wade Rousse said Verge Ausberry was the acting Athletics Director, an LSU spokesperson tells the Louisiana Radio Network that Ausberry is THE director of athletics at LSU and on LSU’s website Ausberry’s bio says he is the director of athletics. The New Iberia native has worked in the LSU athletics department for 24 years and is a longtime senior administrator. He’s been involved in four previous head football coaches’ searches and is leading the search for Brian Kelly’s replacement. Interim head football coach Frank Wilson says Ausberry deserves an opportunity to lead the LSU athletics department

Cut 4 (04) “…has earned.”

LSU clears up Verge Ausberry’s status as the school’s athletic director. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Jeff  Palermo”

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A new survey shows widespread support for increased state spending in early childhood education programs. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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One day after LSU president Wade Rousse said Verge Ausberry was the acting Athletics Director, an LSU spokesperson tells the Louisiana Radio Network that Ausberry is THE director of athletics at LSU. It was reported on Tuesday night that Ausberry was the permanent A-D. Even interim head football coach Frank Wilson discussed Ausberry’s promotion yesterday morning as a positive step for the university.

Cut 3 (09) “…athletic program.”

Confusion came about yesterday when Rousse called Ausberry the acting A-D, a similar title to interim athletics director.

On the LSU website, Ausberry’s bio says he is the director of athletics. Ausberry has worked at the LSU athletics department for 24 years and the New Iberia native is a longtime senior administrator at his alma mater. He’s been involved in four previous head football coaches’ searches and is leading the search for Brian Kelly’s replacement.

Wilson says Ausberry deserves an opportunity to lead the LSU athletics department.

Cut 4 (04) “…has earned.”

LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is heartbroken over the firing of LSU A-D Scott Woodward. But she is happy for Ausberry.

Cut 5 (05) “…this is his school.”

___________________________________________________

A new poll shows widespread support for lawmakers to increase spending in early childhood education, with 65-percent of respondents saying they favor it. Libbie Sonnier, the CEO of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, says early childhood education is becoming out of reach for many families in Louisiana.

Cut 6 (07) “…over their head.”

Sonnier says with the cost of early childhood education taking a huge chunk out of family finances, that puts greater importance on programs like federally supported programs like Head Start. Sonnier says there are two programs in the state which are funded by Head Start – Clover and Primetime – and they have enough money to operate this month.

Cut 7 (07) “…Head Start-affiliated.”

Sonnier says federal support alone is not enough to make early childhood education affordable for many Louisiana families.

Cut 8 (10) “…in doing so.”

Sonnier points out that responses were fairly consistent across political lines, with nearly half of Republicans and almost 85-percent of Democrats saying the state needs to do more to support early childhood education. UpONE Insights surveyed 500 Louisiana voters between September 8th through the 13th, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4-percent.

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A 15-year-old boy is killed early this morning in a drive-by shooting in Ruston. Ruston Police Lieutenant Kayla Loyd says the boy’s grandmother called paramedics to the home during the overnight hours, not realizing that he had been shot.

Cut 9 (08)  “…actually been shot.”

The teen was rushed to a hospital but did not survive his injuries. Loyd says the investigation is in the very early stages, and detectives are working to determine whether this was a targeted shooting or if this was random.

Cut 10 (09) “…out anything specific.”

No one has been arrested, and Loyd says not only do they not have a description of the shooters or the vehicle, assuming a vehicle was even involved in the first place.

Cut 11 (03) “…were on foot.”

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A major cold front is coming for Louisiana, but LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says we’ll see some mild temperatures until it arrives on late Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Cut 12 (13) “…cold front passes.”

Jacquemin says we are looking at our first significant freeze Monday morning and Monday will be the coldest day in Louisiana in several months.

Cut 13 (09)  “…public service commission.”

Wind chills during this time will be in the 20s for north Louisiana.

LSU has clarified Verge Ausberry’s title. He is the athletics director according to his bio on lsu-sports-dot-net. This comes one day after new president Wade Rousse said Ausberry was the acting athletics director and his job title would be evaluated after a head football coach is hired. LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is heartbroken over the firing of LSU AD Scott Woodward. But she is happy for Ausberry…

Cut 5 (05) “…this is his school.”

This is the week that the Louisiana Department of Treasury publishes the names of people with unclaimed property it received in the past year in newspapers throughout the state. This year, that number is 92,348. Treasurer John Fleming says the state will go to great lengths to get that money to their rightful owners. But sometimes, that’s easier said than done.

Cut 15 (10) “…why this happens.”

A major cold front will arrive in Louisiana this weekend, LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says we are looking at our first significant freeze Monday morning and Monday afternoon will be the coldest day in Louisiana in several months…

Cut 13 (09) “…in the South

Expect mild temperatures until the front arrives as the weather will be good for high school football games tonight and tomorrow.

A 15-year-old boy is killed in a drive-by shooting in Ruston. Ruston Police Lieutenant Kayla Loyd says the boy’s grandmother called paramedics to the home, not realizing that he had been shot.

Cut 9 (08)  “…actually been shot.”

She says the investigation is in the very early stages, and detectives are working to determine whether this was a targeted shooting or if this was random.