Early voting in the New Orleans mayoral election begins today. Andrew Greenstein reports it could be a runaway.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The family of a Southern University student who died as the result of an alleged hazing ritual earlier this year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Omega Psi Phi.  Investigators have said 20 year old Caleb Wilson died after being repeatedly punched in the chest. His family claims fraternity members lied about what happened, and that delayed medical treatment.
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An Amite man pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges in the death of a 35-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter. Prosecutors say Daniel Callihan stabbed to death Callie Brunett 50-times in Loranger in June of 2024 and took her girls to Hinds County, Mississippi. That’s where four-year-old Erin Brunett was found dead. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux says Callihan will serve two life sentences with no possibility of parole…

Cut 6 (06) “…important to us.”

Today is National Seat Check Saturday, and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is has nine free child safety seat inspection stations around the state from nine to noon. Bridget Gardner, the state director for the Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force, says the vast majority of parents fail to properly install child safety seats.

Cut 9 (10)  “…don’t get it right.”

You can find those locations at Louisiana Radio Network. com

The state is moving closer to its goal of having 60-percent of adults hold an educational credential beyond a high school diploma. Dr. Tristan Denley is the deputy commissioner for Academic Affairs and Innovation at the Board of Regents and says Louisiana has a variety of programs and initiatives working to make it happen by 20-30. Denly says it starts with improving overall student success and expanding education and training for adults.

Cut 9 (09)  “…higher education.”

Louisiana is in the midst of another industrial construction boom, and that could lead to a population boom. Leaders for a Better Louisiana says six megaprojects are driving construction activity and will bring in more people. CEO Adam Knapp…

Cut 14 (09) “…those six sites.”

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The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is in serious financial pinch.  U-L’s Interim President revealed a 25 million dollar structural deficit yesterday, requiring substantial cuts to balance.  According to a report by The Current in Lafayette Interim President Jaimie Hebert says after weeks of work university officials have agreed to reduce spending by 10% across most divisions, identifying as much as 15-million dollars in budget savings in what he calls Phase 1 of the plan to fix the deficit.

National Hunting and Fishing Day is tomorrow, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is holding a celebration at four locations across the state… Baton Rouge, Woodworth, Haughton, and Monroe.  LDWF spokesman Trey Iles says there will be shooting ranges and young anglers attending the Baton Rouge event can enter a free fishing contest.

Cut 11 (07) “…keep there.”

For more information on National Hunting and Fishing Day Activities, go to LDWF’s Facebook page.

Louisiana is in the midst of another industrial construction boom — and Andrew Greenstein reports that could lead to a population boom.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A man in Lake Charles was sentenced yesterday to three consecutive life terms for raping children in the 1990s.  61-year-old Choy Van Leo was arrested last may after twenty years on the run. Calcasieu authorities say Van Leo either raped or molested seven children, between the ages of 4 and 12 years old, from 1992 until 2000.

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The City of Shreveport is teaming up with rapper 50 Cent to revitalize the downtown area. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, is looking to establish a new entertainment district in downtown Shreveport that would be financed with a two-percent sales tax collected inside the specific zone being revitalized. Mayor Tom Arceneaux says everyone will benefit in the end.

Cut 5 (10) “…into the fund”

Louisiana has set a goal of having 60 percent of its residents credentialed beyond a high school diploma.  And The Board of Regents says, since last year, that number is up a full percentage point to 52.5 percent. Dr Christian Denley is the deputy commissioner for Academic Affairs and Innovation and says those with higher credentials will make significantly higher salaries than those without.

Cut 8 (11) “…their communities.”

Louisiana is in the midst of another industrial construction boom, and that could lead to a growth in population.  Leaders for a Better Louisiana says six megaprojects are driving construction activity. CEO Adam Knapp says between now and 2030, there will consistently be about ten-thousand people working on projects that include the Meta Data Center in Richland Parish and the Hyundai steel plant in Ascension Parish.

Cut 13 (10)  “…these six sites.”

The state is moving closer to its goal of having an educational attainment rate of 60-percent. The Board of Regents says it’s currently 52.5 percent, more than a full percentage point higher than last year. The education attainment rate is the proportion of people between the ages of 25 and 64 that have a credential beyond a high school diploma. Dr. Tristan Denley…

Cut 7 (10) “…want to get.”

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Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is hosting National Hunting and Fishing Day across the state tomorrow.  Andre Champagne has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

An investigation is underway after a suspect died while in the custody of the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office yesterday.  Louisiana State Police say they got the request to investigate the incident just before noon yesterday. We’re told APSO responded to a disturbance at a home in Kinder where the suspect was taken into custody. We’re told the suspect later showed signs of medical distress, and was taken to the hospital, where they died.

Louisiana continues to make progress towards its goal of having six out of every 10 working adults having a credential beyond a high school diploma. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is in serious financial pinch.  U-L’s Interim President revealed a 25 million dollar structural deficit yesterday.  According to a report by The Current in Lafayette Interim President Jaimie Hebert says university officials have agreed to reduce spending by 10% across most divisions, identifying as much as 15-million dollars in budget savings so far.

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The City of Shreveport is teaming up with rapper 50 Cent to revitalize the downtown area. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, is looking to establish a new entertainment district in Shreveport that would be financed with a two-percent sales tax collected inside the specific zone being revitalized. Mayor Tom Arceneaux says even businesses outside the zone will benefit, even though they won’t be eligible for funding.

Cut 4 (10) “…penny for it.”

National Hunting and Fishing Day is tomorrow, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is holding a celebration at four locations where attendees can try their skills at the shooting ranges, fishing ponds and boating activities. LDWF spokesman Trey Iles…

Cut 10 (10) “…they make.”

This Wednesday marks the 20^th anniversary of Hurricane Rita. That storm, which came on the heels of Hurricane Katrina, hit category five intensity before making landfall in Johnson’s Bayou near the Texas border as a category three hurricane. J.C. Falcon was an air personality on KTDY-FM in Lafayette at the time, says one thing that made him realize how bad of a storm Rita was, was what he saw eight miles in from Vermilion Bay.

Cut 11 (11) “…storm surge was.”

Construction of a 17-point-five billion dollar liquefied natural gas facility in Calcasieu Parish is already underway.  The project by Australian-based Woodside Energy calls for the construction of three LNG trains with the first set for completion in 2029. Chief Operating Officer Daniel Kalms says they already have nine-hundred people working at the site and the construction workforce will grow to 44-hundred.

Cut 8 (07) “…130 businesses.”

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Shreveport is getting a new pickleball park; but as Andrew Greenstein reports, this won’t be just any pickleball park.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Tragedy in Webster Parish over the weekend as a fishing accident left two people dead near a boat launch on Dorcheat Bayou. Sheriff’s officials there say evidence at the scene indicated that one person fell from a chair into the water, the other went in to try and save the other, though they don’t know who went in first. The victims are identified as 54 year old Annie Ruth Buggs and 41 year old Deandrea Perez Ford.

Australian based Woodside Energy will be a major employer for southwest Louisiana for decades to come. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Shreveport Police are still looking for suspects in a weekend shooting that left two people dead and six others injured during a mass shooting early Saturday morning.  It happened during a block party in the Allendale neighborhood in what authorities believe was a targeted attack.  Investigators believe multiple shooters were involved.

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Wednesday will mark the 20th anniversary of another devastating hurricane – Hurricane Rita. The storm reached the maximum intensity of Category Five before weakening to Category Three when it made landfall in Johnson’s Bayou, near the Texas border, on September 24th, 2005. J.C. Falcon was an air personality on KTDY-FM in Lafayette at the time – he says two of his brothers had major water damage in their homes.

Cut 10 (11) “…in his home.”

Falcon says while many people, including his brothers, were determined to stay in the area because that’s their home, others ended up moving out permanently.

A new pickleball park is coming to southeastern Caddo Parish. Stacey Brown, the executive director of Visit Shreveport-Bossier, says the sport is pretty popular and even before construction has begun, organizations are already making travel plans to Shreveport to hold pickleball tournaments.

Cut 5 (10) “…ready to come.”

Wednesday marks another 20th anniversary of a hurricane that devastated Louisiana. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A fishing accident left two people dead near a boat launch on Dorcheat Bayou in Webster Parish over the weekend.  Webster Parish Sheriff’s officials say evidence at the scene indicated that 54 year old Annie Ruth Buggs and 41 year old Deandrea Perez Ford both drowned yesterday morning.  Authorities believe that one fell from a chair into the water, the other went in to try and save the other.

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Australian-based Woodside Energy says it wants to be an outstanding community partner as it builds a 17-point-five billion dollar liquefied natural gas facility in Calcasieu Parish near Sulphur. Chief Operating Officer Daniel Kalms says Louisiana L-N-G will be a huge contributor to U-S L-N-G exports, which will strengthen global energy security and generate billions of dollars in local and national revenues…

Cut 7 (09) “…community.”

A new pickleball park is coming in southeastern Caddo Parish. Stacey Brown, the executive director of Visit Shreveport-Bossier, says pickleball is very popular in the area, and the new park is designed to attract pickleball tournaments.

Cut 4 (10) “…had the courts.”

Out state’s looking at a dry weekend as abnormally dry conditions have developed across south Louisiana and along the Arkansas border. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says nearly half of the state is on the verge of drought conditions which will likely worsen as we move into fall as La Nina conditions are expected to develop…

Cut 5 (10) “…and spring”

Two people are dead, multiple others injured, after a shooting in Shreveport overnight.  Shreveport Police say it happened in a vacant lot on Poland Street around where a crowd of people was gathered around one this morning.  We’re told multiple victims were hit by gunfire, with two victims dying at the scene. Others were taken by ambulance and private vehicles to Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport. So far, there’s no word on suspects.

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A jury in Calcasieu Parish has found 43-year-old Christer Cater guilty in the 2023 murder of 72 year old Sheila Orgega. Prosecutors say Cater killed Ortega while he was intoxicated. An LSU forensic expert testified Ortega’s injuries included bone fractures to her spine, neck and face. DA Stephen Dwight says Cater was renting a room from Ortega at the time.

Cut 11 (12) “…estate dry.”

The Saints hit the road for the first time this season as New Orleans takes on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Lumen Field is one of the hardest places to play in the NFL, but defensive end Cam Jordan says that outside distractions are the least of the team’s worries this weekend.

Cut 14 (12) “…a win.”

Drought conditions are starting to develop across Louisiana as the state is in store for another dry weekend. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The longtime face of New Orleans Mardi Gras is calling it a career. Arthur Hardy, the longtime publisher of the Mardi Gras Guide magazine, says after a half century, the 2026 edition will be his last and he and he has lots of post-retirement plans.

Cut 7 (08) “…in Oslo, Norway.”

Hardy launched the Mardi Gras Guide with his wife in 1977 as a way to make it easy for people to keep up with parade schedules.

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LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is good to go tonight as the Tigers host Southeastern.  Nussmeier has been dealing with a torso injury and has had to adjust to playing in a different way than usual. Now that Nussmeier is feeling more like himself, Coach Brian Kelly says that the offense will benefit greatly.

Cut 13 (13)  “…and comfortably..”

Tulane looks to stay undefeated as the Green Wave takes on Ole Miss in Oxford tonight at 6:30. UL-Lafayette will continue its road trip for the second straight week as the Cajuns face Eastern Michigan at 2:30.  Grambling State who’s coming off a 37-31 win over Kentucky State last week, will host East Texas A&M tonight at 6.  And ULM is in El Paso where they’ll take on a very talented UTEP team tonight at 8. The Warhawks are looking to get back on track after suffering a blowout loss to Alabama.