1:30 PM Newscast

Forecasters say an artic blast will invade the Bayou State around Sunday into Tuesday. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

A basketball game turned deadly Thursday night after a shooting in the parking lot at Bogalusa High School. Acting Bogalusa Police Chief Percy Knight says after multiple gunshots the suspects fled the scene. As for a motive, investigators do not believe the shooting was random.

Cut 7 (05) “…this point.” 

Triple A Spokesperson Don Redman says Batteries that are 3 years old or older are at risk of failing in extreme temperatures so have them checked by your mechanic or auto parts store so you’re not stranded by a dead battery. Signs of a weak battery include slow or sluggish starting and dim interior lights or headlights. Redman says a dead battery isn’t the only thing that could leave you stranded.

Cut 10 (09) “…spare tire” 

Redman says don’t get caught with a flat spare. Check it out before the weather turns cold.

A statewide search is underway for this year’s Longest Married Couple in Louisiana award. Louisiana Family Forum President Gene Mills says in addition to being featured in the Hall of Fame the top ten nominees also receive prizes.

Cut 15 (12) “…of Louisiana.”

12:30 PM Newscast Jan 12

Soon it’s not going to feel like Louisiana weather. The National Weather Service urges Louisianans to prepare for the coldest weather the state has seen in years by Sunday. Shreveport Meteorologist Carly Kovacik says snow, sleet, and freezing rain cannot be ruled out for areas north of the I-20 corridor by Monday. By Tuesday morning, she says not much change in peak temperatures are expected…

Cut 4 (13) “..low temperatures.”

 

Pipes and pets are on our minds as frigid weather heads toward the Bayou State but we should also be preparing our autos for the freezing temperatures. Triple A Spokesperson Don Redman says make sure you’re not stranded with a dead car battery…

Cut 9 (12) “…weak battery.” 

Redman says your mechanic and some auto parts stores can check your battery’s health for you.

We’ve already learned that the 2024 crawfish season is going to be one of the worst ever. LSU Crawfish Specialist Mark Shirley says Any chance to increase the number of crawfish in the Atchafalaya Basin, depends on snowmelt from the north flowing down the Mississippi River and…

Cut 8 (10) “…the Basin.” 

4:30 PM Newscast Jan 11

The debate over moving to closed-party primary elections versus the current open process in Louisiana continues and JMC Analytics and Polling estimates a change would cost the state an extra $90 million annually. But Brent Littlefield, longtime political advisor to Governor Jeff Landry, says such numbers are speculative and exaggerated…

Cut 7 (11) “…in the sky.” 

LSU Ag Center crawfish specialist Mark Shirley is predicting this could be the worst season ever. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says they’ll have a better idea in three weeks on how bad the season might be…

Cut 11 (10) “…quit fishing.”

Strain remains optimistic there will be a good supply of crawfish once Easter rolls around.

The News is out, Nick Saban is retiring. It’s not the first time he’s left college football, He left LSU to coach the Miami Dolphins before returning to college coaching at Alabama. Marcus Randall, LSU’s starting quarterback in Saban’s final season in Baton Rouge. says if Saban had stayed at LSU, the Tigers would have had a dynasty…

Cut 4 (08) “..a winner.”

Parts of Northwest Louisiana may have noticed the earth move this morning. An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 2.8 centered near Hall Summit in Red River Parish struck just before 9:00 this morning. While not a very large one. Some area residents took to social media to say their house shook.

The Miss America Pageant airs Sunday evening and Louisiana will be represented by Northwestern State Dance major, Makenzie Scroggs. Before being crowned Miss Louisiana, Scroggs was crowned Miss Natchitoches city of Lights. At 15, Scroggs began a social impact initiative, Being True to Being You and she hopes to the raise the confidence of young women and girls.

3:30 PM Newscast Jan 11

Get ready to bundle up and protect those pipes. Louisiana gets a real taste of winter at the start of next week. LRN meteorologist Bill Jacquemin has the latest…

Cut 1 (29)  “…I’m Bill Jacquemin”

The debate over moving to closed-party primary elections versus the current open process in Louisiana is being met with opposition. But Brent Littlefield, longtime political advisor to Governor Jeff Landry, says there’s a campaign underway to confuse lawmakers and the public about the issue.

Cut 6 (08) “…this idea.” 

Nick Saban is heading into retirement. His record while at LSU was 48-16, with two SEC championships and a national title in 2003. Saban’s move to Alabama in 2007 after a short NFL stint gave him six more national titles and nine conference titles. Former LSU Quarterback under Saban, Marcus Randall, says there will never be another Saban…

Cut 5 (07) “ …unheard of.” 

The Miss America Pageant airs Sunday evening and Louisiana will be represented by Northwestern State Dance major, Makenzie Scroggs. Before being crowned Miss Louisiana, Scroggs was crowned Miss Natchitoches city of Lights. At 15, Scroggs began a social impact initiative, Being True to Being You and she hopes to the raise the confidence of young women and girls.

2:30 PM Newscast Jan 11

While some say the idea being discussed of changing to a closed-party primary is too expensive and not fair, Governor Landry’s administration says otherwise. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

Parts of Northwest Louisiana may have noticed the earth move this morning. An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 2.8 centered near Hall Summit in Red River Parish struck just before 9:00 this morning. While not a very large one. Some area residents took to social media to says their house shook.

The extreme drought of 2023 was devastating for many Louisiana farmers and crawfish consumers are about to see the consequences. LSU Ag Center crawfish specialist Mark Shirley is predicting this could be the worst season ever. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says expect to pay more crawfish this season…

Cut 10 (10) “…of crawfish” 

Nick Saban is heading into retirement after winning seven national championships, six of them at Alabama and one at LSU in 2003. Former LSU quarterback Marcus Randall played for Saban and there’s a reason why he’s considered the greatest college football coach of all time.

Cut 3 (11) “…he’s been.”

4:30 PM Newscast Jan 10

In next week’s redistricting special session, legislators will have the opportunity to debate a move to closed party primaries supported by Governor Jeff Landry. Louisiana’s open primary system has been around since the 1970s. In 2008 and 2010 Louisiana party-run primaries for just federal races, but Senator Bill Cassidy says it caused confusion and independent voters were upset they could not vote in a closed primary…

Cut 7 (04) “…too expensive” 

A 33-year-old Hot Springs Arkansas man was sentenced to 18 months in jail Tuesday after in July of 2022, he claimed he was planning to possibly perform a mass shooting at Natchez High School. Kenneth Allen Moody made the claims to the Vidalia Police Department while he was living in Vidalia. He said he had been planning the attack for months and but wanted to turn himself in. Police along with the FBI investigated and tracked Moody through his cell phone.

Amazon announces plans to build a distribution facility in Monroe. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 2 (33)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

LSU Ag Center Crawfish Specialist Mark Shirley warns crawfish connoisseurs that 2024 will be one of the worst mudbug seasons on record as far as prices and supply are concerned. He says it’s so dire farmers are averaging one to two mudbugs a trap.

Cut 3 (13) “…(x2) just not there.”

3:30 PM Newscast Jan 10

A new poll finds the cost of insurance is the biggest issue facing Louisiana residents. There was talk of a special session on insurance reform before the regular session starts in March, but Senate President Cameron Henry says because of the complexity of insurance laws, it would be better to wait until the regular session..

Cut 12 (05)  “…bit more”  

 

Republican U-S Senator Bill Cassidy is not a fan of Governor Jeff Landry’s proposal to move Louisiana from an open primary election system to closed party primaries. A Louisiana pollster says such a dramatic change to how elections are held will cost the state an additional 90-million dollars a year. Cassidy says the state has bigger priorities to fund…

Cut 6 (11) “…coastal restoration.” 

 

A 56 thousand square foot Amazon distribution facility is coming to Monroe. The Facility will be located at the intersection of Luffey Drive and I-20 North Frontage Road and construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis says this will be a win for local small businesses.

Cut 11 (11) “…as community.”

Career opportunities and job hiring will be offered closer to the facility’s launch date.

 

LSU Ag Center Crawfish Specialist Mark Shirley warns crawfish connoisseurs that 2024 will be one of the worst mudbug seasons on record as last year’s drought hampered farmers ability to flood in the fall. Next week’s freeze won’t help. The other unknown Shirley says is wild crawfish in the Atchafalaya Basin. He says the water levels are very low at only two to three feet, and unless we get a lot of rain in the Mississippi watershed…

Cut 5 (09) “ …at all.” 

2:30 PM Newscast Jan 10

Governor Landry supports closed party primaries but has yet to provide any additional comments on why. Supporters say it leads to better candidates in the general election and it would end the December run-off that occurs for Congressional races. But Senator Bill Cassidy says how Louisiana elects its officials is not broken, so why fix it.

Cut 8 (10) “…or police” 

The cost of insurance is the biggest issue for Louisianans says a recent poll and there’s been talk of calling a special session to address it. The regular session runs from March 11th through until June 3rd. Senate President Cameron Henry says new Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple has a lot of ideas on how to improve the insurance market in Louisiana and it would be better to discuss those ideas during a three-month long session

Cut 13 (07) “..a difference” 

Crawfish fans might want to start a savings account and prep for a much smaller platter this year. Brooke Thorington explains.

Cut 1 (29)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Amazon, the leading global online retailer, is opening a 56 thousand square foot distribution facility in Monroe. Mayor Friday Ellis says the announcement will hopefully result in more economic development for the region.

Cut 10 (08) “…northeast Louisiana.” 

Information on career opportunities and job hiring will be offered closer to the facility’s launch date.

4:30 PM Newscast Dec 09

Among Governor Landry’s first actions in office was overturning the highly debated appeals process for high school seniors who fail the LEAP exam, making Louisiana the only state in the country that does not have an appeals process. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says the debate highlighted two issues… one that the process was for students who were not fluent in English, and two that this particular process was implemented at the end of Edward’s term.

Cut 11 (12) “…the future.”

A Breaux Bridge High School baseball player committed to LSU E is facing months of rehabilitation and uncertainty after a shooting left him paralyzed and unable to breathe on his own. 18-year-old Kole Hebert was a victim of a shooting on January 6th severing his cervical spinal cord. He also suffered a skull fracture. Bullet fragments were not able to be retrieved.  Hebert is currently in Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center in Baton Rouge and the next days and weeks are critical as all injuries may not yet be apparent. Hebert faces many months of recovery and rehabilitation. A Go Fund Me account has received funds and support.

A poll of 650 likely voters indicates Louisianans’ top issues are insurance, education, healthcare, crime, Taxes and spending, inflation, and social issues like abortion. And Pollster John Couvillon says During the regular session, Governor Jeff Landry and the new legislature will have to solve the issues that are important to residents.

Cut 8 (13) “…right now.” 

A Neville High School student was laid to rest today.  16-year-old Tarver Braddock of Monroe died in a fire that occurred in the early morning hours of Friday January Fifth at a deer camp in Jefferson County, Mississippi where Braddock, a student athlete at Neville High School in Monroe was staying with 5 other teens. Authorities are investigating the cause of the overnight fire and say five teens were able to escape through a window. Braddock was pronounced dead at the scene. His community and coach are asking for prayers for his family.

3:30 PM Newscast Dec 09

Neville High School is morning the death of one of their own as 16-year-old student athlete, Tarver Braddock is laid to rest. Braddock died in a fire that occurred in the early morning hours of Friday January Fifth at a deer camp in Jefferson County, Mississippi where Braddock, was staying with 5 other teens. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the overnight fire and say five teens were able to escape through a window. Braddock died at the scene. His community and his coach are asking for prayers for his parents, his family and his friends.

Governor Jeff Landry has overturned the appeals process for high school seniors who fail the LEAP exam. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says if the governor hadn’t issued the executive order, he believes incoming BESE members would have overturned it

Cut 10 (12) “…requirements.” 

 

One of Jeff Landry’s first acts as governor is calling lawmakers to the state capitol for a redistricting session. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (30)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

 

A JMC Analytics poll reveals 26 percent of Louisianans believe the cost of homeowner and car insurance is the biggest issue in the Bayou State. Legislation addressing the state’s high insurance premiums will be discussed in the regular session that begins in the spring and Pollster John Couvillon says residents will be paying attention to what lawmakers are going to do.

Cut 6 (07) “…insurance commissioner.”