A state lawmaker is worried about the future of LSU Health Shreveport, after the LSU Board of Supervisors approves major organizational changes that include giving the Baton Rouge campus direct oversight of operations at its research institutions. Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressly says he’s received assurances LSU Health New Orleans will not get more attention than LSU Health Shreveport.

Cut 15 (09) “…science and research..”

Saying that it paid fewer losses this past year than forecast, State Farm is lowering its auto insurance premiums by an average of almost six-percent statewide. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says there’s a direct correlation between the amount of claims that insurance companies pay out and the rates they charge drivers.

Cut 5 (08) “…charge going forward.”

One more cold morning and then mild temperatures through Christmas. Jeff Palermo has the details…

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Yesterday’s win by the Saints was quarterback Tyler Shough’s first win in the Superdome. He says that made the win that much more important.

Cut 6 (13) “…lot of fun.”

The Saints’ win over the Panthers was also their second win in a row.

While State Farm will be increasing property insurance premiums, it will also be lowering auto insurance rates. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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One more cold morning and then mild temperatures through Christmas. Jeff Palermo has the details…

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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While State Farm will be boosting premiums on property insurance policies by an average of almost ten-percent statewide, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says it will be lowering auto insurance premiums by almost six-percent on average.

Cut 3 (06) “…smaller than that.”

Temple says State Farm requested the decrease because it paid fewer losses in the last year than it had expected to pay out.

Cut 4 (06) “…what they forecast.”

Temple says there’s a direct correlation between the amount of claims that insurance companies pay out and the rates it charges drivers, and that’s one of the reasons the legislature passed laws cracking down on things like lawsuit abuse and hand-held cell phone use while driving.

Cut 5 (08) “…charge going forward.”

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Tyler Shough was one of the heroes for the Saints yesterday, earning his first comeback victory of his NFL career in leading the team to a 20-17 win over the Panthers. It was the Saints’ fourth win of the season, Shough’s third win as a starting quarterback and the team’s second win in a row. It was also Shough’s first win in the Superdome, which he says made it that much more important.

Cut 6 (13) “…lot of fun.”

The key play came with 12 seconds left and the Saints out of timeouts, when Shough ran it down the middle for four yards and slid. Panthers safety Lathan Ransom hit Shough as he was sliding, drawing a 15-yard penalty – putting Smyth in perfect position to kick a 47-yard field goal to win the game. Shough says he and his teammates were ready to sprint to the line for him to spike the ball and stop the clock.

Cut 7 (14) “…to clock it.”

The game winning drive started at the Saints’ nine yard line with 57 seconds left, and the Saints had only one timeout to work with in order to get into Smyth’s range. Shough says the entire offensive unit was locked in.

Cut 8 (13) “…really, really well.”

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It was cold this morning, with temperatures below freezing and afternoon highs barely hitting 50 degrees. If you hate the cold, good news — Shane Pendleton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Shreveport, says we’ll see a warm-up beginning tomorrow afternoon.

Cut 9 (09)  “…each afternoon.”

Pendleton says one more cold night can be expected into tomorrow morning, then milder temperatures the rest of the week.

Cut 10 (11) “…Thursday afternoon.”

Looking ahead to next week, Pendleton says we can expect unseasonably warm and dry conditions for Christmas week.

Cut 11 (11) “…holidays.”

High temperatures next week will range from the upper 60s to the 70s.

Cut 23 (02) “…and save money.”

But if you bundle home and auto with State Farm in Louisiana, you’ll probably break even next year, compared to last year, if you’re lucky. That’s because State Farm is increasing its property insurance premiums in the state by an average of almost ten-percent. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says State Farm requested the rate increase because unlike the smaller companies, which rely on reinsurance, it used a different model that involves in-house hurricane forecasting, and that led to a projection of higher losses due to hurricanes.

Cut 6 (10) “…much broader exposure.”

At the same time, Temple says State Farm will be lowering auto insurance premiums by almost six-percent on average.

Cut 3 (06) “…smaller than that.”

Temple says State Farm lowered auto premiums because it paid out less money in claims than forecast.

It was cold this morning, with temperatures below freezing and afternoon highs barely hitting 50 degrees. If you hate the cold, there is good news. Shane Pendleton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Shreveport, says we’ll see a warm-up beginning tomorrow afternoon.

Cut 9 (09)  “…each afternoon.”

Looking ahead to next week, Pendleton says we can expect unseasonably warm and dry conditions for Christmas week.

The state legislature will have more money at its disposal than originally anticipated. The Revenue Estimating Conference increased its tax and fee collection projections for the rest of this fiscal year and next fiscal year. Melinda Deslatte (duh-LOT), the research director of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says that effectively closes the budget gap.

Cut 7 (09) “…to do it.”

Two home insurance companies will be lowering their rates, while one of the major ones is increasing its. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says SureChoice and Elevate’s premiums will decrease by seven and a half percent on average, since they base their rates in large part on reinsurance costs.

Cut 5 (09) “…onto the consumer.”

State Farm, on the other hand, will be increasing its premiums by an average of almost ten-percent based on a projection of higher future losses due to hurricanes.

The Louisiana Wildlife Federation releases the second edition of its “First Time Fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin” activity booklet. LWF Executive Director Rebecca Triche (“trish”) says it brings plenty of opportunities.

Cut 12 (15) “…the Atchafalaya.”

The legislature has more money at its disposal than it originally had anticipated. Jeanne Burns reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

And if you can just pick the right five numbers and the Powerball number, you too can have a lot more money at your disposal than you had anticipated. Since no one won Powerball Saturday night, the jackpot for tonight’s drawing is an estimated 1.1-billion dollars. Good luck – you’re going to need it.

Which direction will your homeowners’ insurance premium go when it’s up for renewal? It depends on which company you have. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says SureChoice and Elevate’s premiums will decrease by seven and a half percent on average, since they base their rates in large part on reinsurance costs.

Cut 5 (09) “…onto the consumer.”

State Farm, on the other hand, will be increasing its premiums by an average of almost ten-percent based on a projection of higher future losses due to hurricanes.

The state legislature will have more money at its disposal. That’s because the Revenue Estimating Conference increased its tax and fee collection projections. PAR Research Director Melinda Deslatte (duh-LOT) says that effectively closes the budget gap.

Cut 7 (09) “…to do it.”

The Louisiana Wildlife Federation has released the second edition of its “First Time Fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin” activity booklet. LWF Director Rebecca Triche (“trish”) says the booklet is geared toward young children who are interested in fishing.

Cut 10 (07) “…watching the line.”

The activity booklet is free, and it can be downloaded on the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s website.

Make it two in a row for the Saints! The Saints scored ten points late in the fourth quarter and beat the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome, 20-17. On the game-tying drive, Tyler Shough led the team down the field 78 yards in seven plays, capped with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave. Head Coach Kellen Moore said Shough showed a lot of poise in that drive.

Cut 16 (12) “…that it was.”

Charlie Smyth’s 47-yard field goal with two seconds left won it.

While one insurance company will be decreasing its homeowners insurance rates, another is getting ready to hike them. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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The legislature has more money at its disposal than it originally had anticipated. Jeanne Burns reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

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Of the eight Prep Classic championship games, the Division Two select title game will live on in Louisiana high school football folklore forever. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (46) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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While one insurance company is lowering its homeowners insurance premiums, another is raising them. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple has approved a rate decrease of seven and a half percent on average for both SureChoice Underwriters and Elevate. Temple says this is testament that the insurance reforms passed by the legislature are working.

Cut 4 (11) “…results of that.”

Temple says smaller companies like SureChoice and Elevate base their rates in large part on reinsurance costs.

Cut 5 (09) “…onto the consumer.”

Bigger companies like State Farm, however, rely much less on reinsurance to set their rates. State Farm uses a different model that involves things like in-house hurricane forecasting; and with that company projecting higher future losses due to hurricanes, it requested an increase of nearly ten-percent, which Temple approved.

Cut 6 (10) “…much broader exposure.”

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The state legislature will have more money at its disposal than originally anticipated. The Revenue Estimating Conference increased its tax and fee collection projections for the rest of this fiscal year and next fiscal year. Melinda Deslatte (duh-LOT), the research director of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says that effectively closes the budget gap.

Cut 7 (09) “…to do it.”

Deslatte says while they’re fairly minor adjustments, the dollar amounts are big numbers for the state.

Cut 8 (09) “…about 217-million.”

Deslatte says the increase in the tax collection projection is spearheaded by income taxes, despite the fact that the legislature lowered the income tax rates for all earners.

Cut 9 (08)  “…what they forecasted.”

Deslatte says while the income tax rate may have gone down, overall collections may have increased based on things like total earnings and how many people are employed. The amount of money that the governor and the legislature have to spend is limited by the amount set forth by the Revenue Estimating Conference.

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The Louisiana Wildlife Federation has released the second edition of its “First Time Fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin” activity booklet. Rebecca Triche (“trish”), the executive director of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, says the booklet is geared toward young children who are interested in fishing.

Cut 10 (07) “…watching the line.”

The first edition of the “First Time Fishing” booklet was published in 2014 by Anna Wilson. Triche says the new edition includes several updates.

Cut 11 (15) “…heritage area.”

Triche says the new edition release brings plenty of opportunities for both the youth and the Louisiana Wildlife Federation.

Cut 12 (15) “…the Atchafalaya.”

The activity booklet is free, and it can be downloaded on the Louisiana Wildlife Federation website.

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Six new champions were crowned, and two teams successfully defended their titles at the LHSAA Prep Classic at the Superdome this past week. In the nightcap of Saturday’s action, Edna Karr won its second straight championship by beating St. Augustine, 49-14. The win also runs the Cougars’ winning streak to 27 games. After the game, Karr head coach Brice Brown said what his team has accomplished the past two years is nothing short of incredible.

Cut 13 (16)  “…to their character.”

In the first game Saturday, Ouachita Parish won its first state title since 1989 by beating Ruston, 21-20. Ruston lost in the Prep Classic for the second year in a row . After the game, Ouachita Parish head coach Benjy Lewis said that, after suffering through four straight losses in the regular season, including a 21-14 loss to Ruston, he never lost faith in his team, and the players never lost faith in each other, while everyone else wrote them off.

Cut 14 (15) “…I’ve been around.”

However, the game that went viral was Friday’s nightcap. Archbishop Shaw appeared to have the game won when St. Charles Catholic’s potential game-tying extra point with 35 seconds left sailed wide left. But on the ensuing possession, a Shaw player threw his helmet in celebration after a first down kneel-down, thinking the game was over. The resulting penalty allowed St. Charles to save a timeout, get the ball back – and kick a 44-yard field goal to win the game and the championship. After the game, kicker Tyler Milioto described his emotions before and after being given a second chance.

Cut 15 (13) “…what happened after.”

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Make it two in a row for the Saints! The Saints came back from down 10 late in the 3rd quarter and beat the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome, 20-17. It’s the Saints’ fourth win in a rebuilding 2025 campaign. Down by a touchdown with 4:37 left in regulation and the Saints backed up at their own 22 yard line, Tyler Shough led the team down the field and capped the seven-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave. Head Coach Kellen Moore said after the game that Shough showed a lot of poise in that game-tying drive.

Cut 16 (12) “…that it was.”

The stop Moore alluded to was the ensuing drive, in which the Saints only allowed the Panthers to take 1:32 off the clock. The Saints got the ball back on their own nine yard line with one timeout left and drove down the field to get into position for newly acquired Irish kicker Charlie Smyth to kick a game winning field goal.

The key play came with 12 seconds left and the Saints out of timeouts, when Shough ran it down the middle for four yards and slid. Panthers safety Lathan Ransom hit Shough as he was sliding, drawing a 15-yard penalty – putting Smyth in perfect position to kick a 47-yard field goal to win the game. Smyth said after the game he could not have imagined being in that position just a few short weeks ago.

Cut 17 (17)  “…a dream scenario.”

The Saints will try to make it three in a row next Sunday against the Jets in the Superdome. Kickoff is at noon.

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Sterlington won its second consecutive state championship on Friday as the Panthers rallied back from a 12-7 deficit to beat Jena. Sterlington Coach Lee Doty says coming from behind was nothing new for his team…

Cut 18 (17)  “…no doubt.”

Iowa won its first state championship as the Yellow Jackets won a thrilling game over North DeSoto 50-43 to complete an undefeated season. Iowa coach and lifelong southwest Louisiana resident, Tommy Johns, can’t say enough about the community support his team received throughout the year…

Cut 19 (11) “…this journey.”

Between now and New Year’s Day, police throughout the state will be working overtime looking for drunk drivers. It’s all part of the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says if you plan on having a good time at your holiday gatherings, by all means do so – but have a plan to get home safely.

Cut 5 (06) “…a designated driver.”

It’s going to be a frigid start to the work week next week. A cold front is going to come barreling into the state this weekend, and that’s going to plunge Monday morning temperatures into the 20s in the northern parishes and close to freezing in the southern parishes. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says while those of you in the north should cover your pipes if you haven’t already, those of you in the south should be okay for the time being.

Cut 8 (07) “…long, long duration.”

Temperatures should warm back up by the middle of next week.

Nearly five years after losing her husband to COVID-19 complications, Congresswoman Julia Letlow is getting ready to tie the knot. Letlow announced on social media her engagement to Baton Rouge lawyer Kevin Ainsworth. No wedding date has been set.

State champions are being crowned in high school football at the Superdome. The first game today was a back and forth affair in Division Two non-select, with Iowa outlasting North DeSoto, 50-43. Iowa joins Dunham, Riverside Academy and Haynesville as state champions for 2025. Making it to the Superdome has now become the standard for Haynesville over the years. Head Coach David Franklin says his players never backed down from the high expectations.

Cut 11 (10) “…lot of pressure.”

Franklin says this state championship was a special one for him, after losing both of his parents earlier this year.

Get ready for some more frigid weather conditions. This weekend will start off mild throughout the state, with tomorrow starting out in the 50s. But then a cold front will come barreling through the state. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says by Sunday night, temperatures will drop like a rock.

Cut 7 (09) “…the coastal parishes.”

Drive sober, or get pulled over. The three-week enhanced drunk driving enforcement operation got underway today and runs through New Year’s Day. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says the holiday season has traditionally been deadly on Louisiana roadways due to drinking and driving, and last year was no different.

Cut 4 (13) “…alcohol-related crash.”

Of the eight championship games in the Prep Classic, perhaps the biggest one is the early one tomorrow between district rivals Ruston and Ouachita Parish. Ouachita Parish dropped four of its five district games in the regular season, but head coach Benjy Lewis says his players thrive off of adversity.

Cut 13 (10)  “…better for it.”

Despite losing a talented senior class, Ruston was able to still win its district and get back to the Dome. Head coach Jerrod Baugh says this year’s senior class may go down as the best in school history.

Cut 15 (15) “…expect that.”

Ruston and Ouachita Parish are looking to join Haynesville, Riverside Academy, Dunham and Iowa as state champions.

Between now and New Year’s Day, there will be extra police on the roadways looking for drunk drivers, as the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is now underway. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says there’s traditionally an increase in drinking and driving during the holiday season.

Cut 3 (07) “…and New Year’s.”

If you have nothing better to do this weekend, you’ll want to prepare for some brutally cold weather getting set to come through the state. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says the weekend will start off mild, but the winds of change will blow into the state tomorrow night.

Cut 6 (11) “…50s all day.”

Temperatures Sunday night will plunge into the 20s in the northern parishes and close to freezing in the coastal parishes.

History was made in the Superdome today as Iowa won its first ever state championship. In a back-and-forth Division Two non-select title game, the Yellow Jackets beat North DeSoto, 50-43.

Iowa joins Dunham, Riverside Academy and Haynesville as state champions in Louisiana high school football for 2025. The Golden Tornado captured their 18th football state title yesterday — and it was a very special one for their coach. Andre Champagne has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

Between now and New Year’s Day, police throughout the state will be working overtime looking for drunk drivers. It’s all part of the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says if you plan on having a good time at your holiday gatherings, by all means do so – but have a plan to get home safely.

Cut 5 (06) “…a designated driver.”

It’s going to be a frigid start to the work week next week. A cold front is going to come barreling into the state this weekend, and that’s going to plunge Monday morning temperatures into the 20s in the northern parishes and close to freezing in the southern parishes. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says while those of you in the north should cover your pipes if you haven’t already, those of you in the south should be okay for the time being.

Cut 8 (07) “…long, long duration.”

Temperatures should warm back up by the middle of next week.

It’s day two of the 2025 LHSAA Prep Classic in the Superdome. In the first game of today’s tripleheader, North DeSoto and Iowa are locked in a tight battle in the fourth quarter of their Division Two non-select title game. Coming up later, Sterlington and Jena face off in Division Three non-select, and St. Charles Catholic takes on Archbishop Shaw in Division Two select in the nightcap.

Yesterday, Dunham, Riverside Academy and Haynesville won state titles. It was a special championship for Haynesville Head Coach David Franklin, who lost both of his parents this year. Franklin says this year’s team will always be special to him.

Cut 9 (11)  “…they put forth.”

The Golden Tornado won their 18th football state championship by beating Mangham, 39-37. They have the second-most football state titles in Louisiana, just behind John Curtis.