Remembrances continue to pour in for legendary LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman, who passed away Friday morning at the age of 88. Andrew Greenstein reports.

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Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges president Richard Nelson has a plan to expand opportunities for students seeking an associate’s degree to meet Louisiana’s growing workforce needs. Jeanne Burns has the story…

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Entergy Vice President of Business Operations Laura Beauchamp says Meta’s Richland Parish investment will be felt across the Bayou state. Kace Kieschnick has more.

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Skip Bertman is being remembered as a man who was much more than a championship baseball coach. The former LSU head baseball coach and athletic director passed away early Friday morning at the age of 88. Ryan Theriot, who won a College World Series title while playing for Bertman in 2000, says the hard work that Bertman did in building the LSU baseball program basically from nothing rubbed off on the entire Baton Rouge community.

Cut 4 (09) “…baseball for us.”

Theriot says Bertman’s influence on him went far beyond the baseball field, including his eight-year Major League career that included two World Series titles.

Cut 5 (11) “…that you’re running.”

Dan Canevari, who served on Bertman’s coaching staff at LSU, says Bertman was an incredible influence on so many people, whether they were baseball players or not.

Cut 6 (08) “…I’ve ever known.”

Before joining Bertman’s staff, Canevari played for Bertman at the University of Miami when Bertman was the pitching coach. Canevari says Bertman was much more than a coach; he was a mentor.

Cut 7 (10) “…a better worker.”

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Louisiana Community and Technical and College System President Richard Nelson has laid out a plan designed to meet Louisiana’s growing workforce needs. Nelson says one of the initiatives is to provide more transparency to prospective students on the types of jobs they can get with an associate’s degree by visiting their website…

Cut 8 (11) “…an hour.”

There are about 125-thousand students attending their 12 schools. Nelson has identified several ways they can boost enrollment and that’s by providing students with strong advising, childcare, transportation and ways to reduce student debt…

Cut 9 (11)  “…close all these gaps.”

In the last academic year, LCTC awarded nearly 53-thousand credentials to 41-thousand completers with nearly 20-thousand graduates entering high-demand occupations. Nelson, who has been on the job for the less than a year, says one of his priorities is to align programs with Louisiana’s workforce needs…

Cut 10 (12) “…they need.”

The average student who attends one of Louisiana’s 12 community and technical colleges is 26. They hope to lower that age, which would result in more adults in their 20s joining the workforce and receiving a good pay check.

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Entergy Vice President of Business Operations Laura Beauchamp says Meta’s Richland Parish data center will help fund improvements to the Entergy power grid across the state. She says the investment is already being felt locally.

Cut 11 (13) “…in Monroe.”

ULM’s construction management enrollment has increased 37-percent.

To power the data center, Entergy is building 10 new power plants funded by Meta. Six will be near the Richland Parish facility while four will be built in St. Charles and Pointe Coupee Parishes. Beauchamp says the project could actually save customers billions of dollars over the next 20 years.

Cut 12 (12) “…because of Meta.”

Beauchamp says Louisiana construction job opportunities are nearing their peak with massive projects across the state. She says nearly all of Entergy’s work is done by Louisiana contractors, and they’ve asked Meta to make that a priority as well.

Cut 13 (13)  “…local families.”

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Ten years after median barriers trapped flood waters on I-12, stranding drivers for hours, DOTD will soon begin work to retrofit those barriers. Brooke Goodrich with DOTD says the 6.4-million-dollar project will involve modifying sections of the existing concrete barrier system.

Cut 14 (12) “…a federal roadway.”

Goodrich says work will begin late next month at the Amite River, which serves as the line between East Baton Rouge Parish and Livingston Parish, and it will extend throughout Livingston Parish.

Cut 15 (10) “…sections of those.”

Goodrich says with I-12 carrying about 90-thousand vehicles per day, work will not be done during daytime hours.

Cut 16 (13) “…of the day.”

The project is funded in part by a 21-million-dollar settlement for the faulty design. Work is expected to be completed by late 2027.

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LSU defensive coordinator says he chose to join Lane Kiffin’s LSU coaching staff to win a national championship. True freshmen defensive linemen Lamar Brown, Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson will look to help achieve that goal. Baker says he hasn’t been around a more talented trio of freshmen.

Cut 17 (18) “…on the field.”

The Tigers could see two new starting safeties in Baker’s secondary. Boise State transfer Ty Benefield will take over for AJ Haulcy and redshirt freshman Jhase Thomas is challenging Tamarcus Cooley for his starting spot. Baker says the group was a concern heading into camp, but they have grown a lot.

Cut 18 (19) “..two weeks ago.”

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The Saints lost their preseason opener to Jacksonville on Saturday 24-20, but 27-year-old Zach Wilson made a case that he should be the backup quarterback to Tyler Shough. The former number two pick, who is entering his sixth season and has played in 38 games, threw for 145 yards and a touchdown…

Cut 19 (13) “…happens, happens.”

Meanwhile, Shough’s primary backup, Spencer Rattler, threw for only 42 yards, was sacked twice and lost a fumble.

Preseason games are for the undrafted rookies to make an impression, and that’s what defensive end Michael Heldman did. The former Central Michigan standout had six tackles, three tackles for a loss, and two sacks. Heldman says he was excited for Saturday’s game after struggling in a joint practice on Thursday against the Jaguars…

Cut 20 (17) “…super cool.”

The Saints leave for California today. They will have a joint practice with the Cowboys in Oxnard tomorrow and another joint practice with the Rams on Thursday. New Orleans will finish the week playing the Rams in a preseason game on Saturday.

Legendary LSU baseball coach and Athletic Director Skip Bertman died at the age of 88 early this morning. Kace Kieschnick reports.

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The Attorney General’s office launched a new website with resources for athletes, agents, schools and families on the state’s new N-I-L and athlete agent laws. Andrew Greenstein reports.

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LSU legend Skip Bertman passed away early this morning at the age of 88. Bertman led LSU Baseball to five College World Series titles and 11 trips to Omaha and hired four national championship-winning coaches as Athletic Director. Former LSU pitcher Ben McDonald says Bertman transformed LSU into the greatest baseball program in the country.

Cut 3 (10) “…game of baseball.”

McDonald says Bertman was years ahead of his peers in every facet of the game. He was a master tactician, marketer and motivator. McDonald, who played for Bertman from 1986 to 1989, says he didn’t appreciate his greatness as an 18-year-old, but he does now.

Cut 4 (13) “…he was best at.”

Bertman’s reign as LSU baseball coach began in 1986 and lasted 18 seasons. He holds the highest winning percentage in SEC history and was a six-time national coach of the year. Tiger Rag Editor and author of Bertman’s biography Glenn Guilbeau says it’s been 25 years since Bertman coached a game, but he is still revered by college baseball fans.

Cut 5 (08) “…in Louisiana.”

Guilbeau says Bertman had the Midas touch as Athletic Director from 2001 to 2008, revolutionizing LSU athletics fundraising and ticket sales. As a coach, he cared deeply about his players. Guilbeau says ex-LSU outfielder Rich Cordani confirmed just that.

Cut 6 (10) “…were his sons.”

Bertman produced 41 players who reached Major League Baseball. One of them was Todd Walker, who ended up in the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Walker remembers he was a little intimidated by Bertman when he showed up on campus as a freshman after LSU won the 1991 national championship and never knew his relationship with Skip would grow immensely…

Cut 7 (15) “..just incredible”

Walker says Bertman was the ultimate motivator and fondly remembers his pre-game talks in front of the whole team…

Cut 8 (11) “..play like champions.”

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This could be the hottest weekend of the summer. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says an area of high pressure in the Gulf of Mexico will drive up temperatures and humidity levels.

Cut 9 (08)  “…the next week.”

And when you add those high temperatures and those humidity levels, Keim says those are going to yield some outrageous heat indexes which are going to linger for days with no relief in sight.

Cut 10 (09) “…110 and 115.” 

As for the tropics, we’re now approaching the peak of hurricane season, although the current El Nino weather pattern will point to a below-average season. Keim says forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are keeping an eye on a pair of disturbances in the Atlantic, but neither one is expected to impact us here.

Cut 11 (11) “…at this moment.”

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Louisiana’s new N-I-L and athlete agents website is live. It provides information for athletes, families, schools and agents on the state’s new NIL and athlete agents laws. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Act 895 requires agents to register with the state.

Cut 12 (12) “…integrity and character.” 

Agents in existing representation agreements were required to register by August 1.

The portal is the most significant regulation included in Act 895. Murrill says the new law extended existing athlete agent oversight to N-I-L agents and gave student-athletes the power to sue agents for damages, attorney fees and other compensation.

Cut 13 (08) …interests at heart.”

Murrill says lawmakers collaborated with the LHSAA and its member schools to help protect high school athletes. She says once students are adults, they can represent themselves.

Cut 14 (11) “…for everybody.”

Visit A-G-Liz-Murrill-dot-com-slash-page-slash-athlete-agents.

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The Louisiana Public Service Commission heard from several citizens this week concerned their energy bills will go up as a result of Meta’s 50-billion dollar AI data center in Richland Parish. Governor Jeff Landry was a guest on WRKF’s Talk Louisiana and says Meta is paying for its own power use, and their investment will improve the electric grid’s resiliency…

Cut 15 (11) “…what it is.”

Landry says the data center being built in Richland Parish is part of the biggest construction boom the state has ever seen, and he says these jobs are here to stay…

Cut 16 (12) “…coming to Louisiana”