Saints coach Sean Payton says quarterback Drew Brees will not play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. He says Luke McCown will get the start and Garrett Grayson will be the back-up. Payton said there was some progress made by Number 9 throughout the week, but his shoulder is still not where it needs to be. This is the first time Brees has missed a game in a Saints uniform due to an injury.

Ohio Republican Congressman John Boehner has announced he will step down as Speaker of the House and resign his US House seat at the end of October. It’s reported that the announcement came after intense pressure from conservative Republicans for him to take a harder line on their causes. Minden Representative John Fleming feels Boehner made the appropriate decision…:
CUT 9 (11) “fresh ideas”
He says there’s been a ground swell among the GOP base that Boehner’s leadership in the House has not been effective.

A significant piece of central Louisiana’s history will be removed with the demolition of the O-K Allen Bridge on Saturday. The new Curtis-Coleman Memorial Bridge is currently being built right next to the old one and will be closed to traffic during the destruction. D-O-T-D Spokesperson Rodney Mallett…:
CUT 6 (09) “to this”
Mallett says the O-K Allen Bridge, which has connected Alexandria to Pineville, has been in place for almost 80 year but its usefulness has come and gone.

Visit Syracuse says LSU fans won’t have to worry that they will run out of beer tomorrow when The Tigers take on The Orange. Spokeswoman Nikita Jankowski says they love their beer just like we do…:
CUT 14 (09) “one here”
She says bars plan to open early so fans have plenty of time to celebrate before the noon, eastern kickoff.