The insurance environment in Louisiana is ripe for fraud, especially when it comes to staged accidents says the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, Renee Amar. 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.”

Louisiana ranks 31^st in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index — up from 37^th. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) expects the state’s ranking to improve in 2026, as the franchise tax will be repealed. He says modernizing a state’s tax structure helps position it for growth.

Cut 8 (10) “…period of time.”

He says Louisiana could move up even more if it restricted its sales taxes.

Nearly four years ago, a longtime Louisiana politician predicted that LSU would be on the hook for massive buyout for its football coach. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

The coldest weather of the season so far is coming next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a cold front will drop Monday’s lows to the upper 30s for North Louisiana and lower 40s for South Louisiana and on Tuesday the entire state will see temperatures in the 30s.

Cut 15 (07) “…considerably.”

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

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

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is reminding us that he predicted the expensive buyout of Brian Kelly’s contract in 2021. He says LSU should never have given the former head coach 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.

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

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The coldest weather of the season so far is coming next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says the highs will only be in the 50s Monday with lows in the lower 40s for South Louisiana and upper 30s for North Louisiana and then on Tuesday even colder…

Cut 14 (13) “…the upper 30s.”

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.”

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.”

Connie Estes the Woman charged in the hit and run that killed 6-year-old Jeremiah Ramirez in his Slidell driveway in August has pleaded not guilty. Estes appeared in court today. She was arrested 2 weeks after the accident after another suspect’s attorney delivered evidence clearing him and allegedly implicating Estes to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. That evidence included neighborhood security footage.

Estes is charged with hit-and-run resulting in death and obstruction of justice.

A 46-year-old Slidell preschool teacher helped Police catch a suspected shoplifter. Police Chief Daniel Seuzenau says Lesli Smith saw a suspect fleeing in a getaway car and offered Sergeant Jeff Kahrs a ride. He coached her during the chase while telling patrol units where the suspects were headed. Mother of three, Smith says she was glad to help her town’s police department that works so hard to keep their community safe…

Cut 11 (12) “…went shopping.”

Sources say LSU will remove the interim tag from Verge Ausberry and the New Iberia native will be the permanent athletics director at LSU. Jeanne Burns has more

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

The LSU Board of Supervisors named Wade Rousse as LSU’s new system president. One of the other three finalists for the job, Alabama provost James Dalton has been named chancellor of the flagship campus also overseeing the AgCenter, two health science centers and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Rousse says he first approached Dalton about being the executive vice president of LSU after Dalton interviewed for the president’s job on Friday…

Cut 5 (12) “…would it be.”

For the first time since 2012, LSU will have a Chancellor who is not the System President. The LSU Board of Supervisors appointed Wad Rousse as president and one of the other three finalists, Alabama provost James Dalton has been named chancellor of the flagship campus. Dalton will also oversee the AgCenter, two health science centers and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Rousse says there is a lot that needs to be done, especially with UNO returning to the LSU System.

Cut 4 (10) “…in my mind.”

The Slidell Police Department’s Citizen Award goes to preschool teacher Lesli Smith for helping officers catch a suspected shoplifter. Police Chief Daniel Seuzenau says Smith saw the suspect fleeing and offered a ride to Sergeant Jeff Kahrs who accepted and coached her during the police chase while telling other patrol units where the suspects were headed. The suspects were eventually caught.

Cut 10 (11) “…Ms Lesli.”

Last week, the former Tigers linebacker and longtime athletics administrator Verge Ausberry was named the interim A-D and LSU’s new leadership wants him to have the job going forward. Ausberry says he has already hit the ground running. About hiring a new football coach, he told Tiger Rag Radio that they will let the process work itself out, meaning it is not necessary to have a coach in place before the December early signing period for high school recruits or the January transfer portal window. He says until a new coach is in place, interim Frank Wilson has full control over the program.

Cut 7 (09) “…chips lay.”

A 46-year-old preschool teacher has received the Slidell Police Department’s Citizen Award for helping officers catch a suspected shoplifter. Police Chief Daniel Seuzenau says Lesli Smith offered a ride to Sergeant Jeff Kahrs after the suspect fled a department store in a getaway car…

Cut 9 (13)  “…police department.”

For the first time since 2012 when the positions of LSU System President and LSU’s main campus Chancellor were combined, LSU’s flagship will have a chancellor who is not the system president, and it was newly appointed System President Wade Rousse idea…

Cut 3 (10) “…the search.”

Alabama provost James Dalton who was one of the finalists for the president’s job has been named chancellor. He will also oversee the AgCenter, two health science centers, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

New Iberia native Verge Ausberry will be formally named the permanent athletics director at LSU. And though he hasn’t established a timeline for hiring a new head football coach, Ausberry says the next head coach at LSU must fit in with what they do, be a leader, and manage NIL, recruiting, and practices.

Cut 8 (09) “…buy in.”

The Saints picked up two 2026 draft picks by trading Wide Receiver Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks and a 2027 draft pick from the Chargers for Trevor Penning. WWL Sports Talk host, Mike Detillier, says giving up these two players is just the beginning…

Cut 16 (10) “…those draft choices.”

He says Penning, who was a first-round pick, was one of the biggest letdowns in franchise history.

There’s a lot of uncertainty at LSU right now as the university lacks a permanent athletics director, permanent head football coach, and permanent president. A new president is expected to be named tomorrow. Former LSU linebacker Darry Beckwith expressed concern but still believes the head football coaching job at LSU is one of the best in the country…

Cut 14 (10) “…to have.”

Two young girls were hospitalized after being thrown from a Ferris wheel at the Harvest Festival on False River Saturday and a third child had to be rescued from a bucket that suddenly tipped causing two of the girls to fall out. Injuries caused one of the girls to have to be airlifted to a hospital. The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating, and it appears the bucket was caught on some wires that caused it to get stuck and tilt over. Authorities carried out inspections and allowed all other rides at the festival to reopen.

Louisiana was a hit at the JRNY (“Journey”) America Awards, taking home three awards. New Orleans won for Best Food City and Best New Tourism initiative for the new Amtrak Mardi Gras service. Louisiana won for State of the Year. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says we have some of the best outdoor recreation opportunities in the country, if not the world.

Cut 6 (12) “…in the world.”

Flights between Alexandria and Houston are resuming after being discontinued in 2022. United is restarting the service between Alexandria International and Bush Intercontinental. Airport Executive Director Ralph Hennessy says they’ve worked to restore service to Houston since the day it was discontinued. The airport got its big break with SkyWest Airlines.

Cut 8 (07) “…United Airlines flag.”

When service resumes in May, there will be two daily non-stop flights.