LSU will name Ed Orgeron as the new head coach in a press conference at noon today. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says we heard yesterday that LSU’s search had been whittled down to two candidates.

Cut 23 (13) “…bidding war”

Orgeron took over as interim when Les Miles was fired in September, and the Tigers were 5-2 with Coach O at the helm.

Early voting for the December 10 runoff is underway, and U.S. Senate candidates, Republican John Kennedy and Democrat Foster Campbell, will not debate before the runoff. UL Lafayette Political science professor Pearson Cross says Kennedy could only lose in a face to face debate and the polls show he’s running comfortably ahead.

Cut 24 (10) “fault him”

It’s Small Business Saturday, and the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey found 63-percent of shoppers are willing to spend a little more on an item if it comes from a locally owned business. Spokesperson for the National Federation of Independent Businesses in Louisiana, Todd Pack says this is really exciting news for small business owners.

Cut 5 (09) “big Saturday”

But Executive Director of the Louisiana Retailers Association, Dawn Johnson, says it’s a different kind of holiday shopping season in the Bayou State, because of the flooding that took place earlier this year.

Cut 6 (10) “people there”

Johnson says they are cautiously optimistic that this will be a good holiday shopping season for Louisiana retailers.