The Saints dropped their preseason finale 30 to 27 to the Tennessee Titans yesterday It was one final chance for Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler to claim the second-string quarterback spot behind starter Derek Carr. Rattler had the better day as he threw for 105 yards and a touchdown and led the offense to scores on all four of his possessions. Coach Dennis Allen….
Cut 16 (16) “…quarterback room.”
Rattler acknowledges that the decision is out of his hands…
Cut 17 (09) “…my best foot forward.”
The Saints will have to get their roster down to 53 by 3 PM Tuesday.

One of the state’s top cornerbacks has committed to LSU. Ruston High School’s Aidan Anding becomes the third cornerback in LSU’s 2025 recruting class. He’s a three-star prospect, but has only played one season of football. Anding is a three-sport star at Ruston and was instrumental in the Bearcats winning their first state championship since 1990 last season.

No surprise here…but ULM head football coach Bryant Vincent has named Oklahoma transfer General Booty as the Warhawks starting quarterback when they host Jackson State in the regular season opener. This will be Booty’s first extensive playing time since he was the signal caller for Tyler Junior College in 2021.

Tough loss for McNeese to begin the season as they were one of a handful of teams to play in Week Zero. The Cowboys nearly ralled back from a 26-7 halftime deficit to beat 21st ranked Tarleton State, but came up short and lost 26-23.

Former LSU baseball star Dylan Crews is expected to make his Major League Baseball Debut tonight for the Washington Nationals as they take on the Yankees.

A human skull found at a wildlife refuge in St. Tammany Parish in 2017 has finally been identified. Mel Bridges has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

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LSU Tigers fans are heading to Las Vegas to support their Tigers in the season opener against the USC Trojans this Sunday. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (27) “…I’m Sean Richardson.” 

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The Louisiana Department of Corrections Secretary Jimmy Leblanc is stepping down after holding that job for nearly 17 years. Colleen Crain has more…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain.” 

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A human skull found in the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in St. Tammany Parish seven years ago has finally been identified. Parish Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape says his office worked with a genetic genealogy company to identify a living niece in California who confirmed the skull as Gary Maggio of Slidell…

Cut 4 (11) “…unfortunately.”

Maggio had never been reported missing. Officials learned Maggio was an outdoorsman, so him being in the wildlife refuge isn’t immediately suspicious. However, Tape says Maggio was being treated for severe mental health issues and didn’t tell anyone he was going camping. Tape says they can’t rule out foul play or suicide…

Cut 5 (12) “…at this point.”

Maggio’s niece, who lives in California, told officials her uncle hadn’t been heard from since 2016, and Maggio’s skull was recovered in 2017. Maggio is believed to have been 67 when he died. Tape says they’re glad to finally identify the skull and to bring Maggio’s family some answers after seven years.

Cut 6 (09) “…heartbreaking.”

Anyone who knew Maggio or has information about his last days is asked to contact the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office.

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LSU fans will head to Las Vegas later this week for the Tigers season opener against the USC Trojans this Sunday. The game, set to take place at Allegiant Stadium, has generated considerable excitement as it marks the start of the college football season. Owner of Mr. Fun’s Travel Jason Ramezan says this trip rivals any he has been a part of including the 2016 trip to Lambeau Field and the Rose Bowl in 2021…

Cut 7 (08) “…bucket list.”

Ramezan says LSU is expected to have a strong presence in the city, with fans eager to witness the Tigers’ debut under the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Cut 8 (07) “…represented in Vegas.”

Ramezan says LSU fans are not just attending the game, they’re bringing their unique energy and traditions to the city, transforming Las Vegas into a temporary home for the Tiger faithful.

Cut 9 (06)  “…Las Vegas this weekend.”

Ramezan estimates there will be 30,000 LSU fans in Las Vegas for the game.

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The man who has run the state’s prison system for the last 16 years is resigning. Louisiana Department of Corrections Secretary Jimmy Leblanc says health reasons are forcing him to step down. Former state lawmaker and House Criminal Chairman Joe Marino says Leblanc did an excellent job despite limited resources…

Cut 10 (10) “…long time.”

Leblanc served for three governors, Republican Bobby Jindal, Democrat John Bel Edwards and now Republican Jeff Landry. Marino says his expertise will be difficult to replace…

Cut 11 (08) “…experience.”

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore says Leblanc worked hard to reduce the state’s recidivism rate…

Cut 12 (10) “…stop that.”

Landry says Leblanc’s dedication has been unmatched. Moore says the key to Leblanc’s success was that he was level headed…

Cut 13 (05)  “…made it easy.”

Landry says appointing a new secretary to this position will be a top priority.

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Many are mourning in Acadia Parish as 27-year-old Rayne Police Detective Javonta Flugence was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon. Flugence’s fiancee, Amber Davy, and their two-year-old child, Caroline, were also killed. State Police Trooper Peggy Bourque says the wreck occurred on Louisiana Highway 13 near Bluefish Road…

Cut 14 (12)  “…the scene.”

Bourque says it appears none of the occupants were restrained…

Cut 15 (08)  “…do that.”

Flugence started as a detective for the Rayne Police Department in 2019. He was considered a pivotal person in Rayne’s fight against drug activity.

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The Saints dropped their preseason finale 30 to 27 to the Tennessee Titans. It was one final chance for Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler to claim the second-string quarterback spot behind starter Derek Carr. Rattler had the better day as he threw for 105 yards and a touchdown and led the offense to scores on all four of his possessions. Coach Dennis Allen….

Cut 16 (16) “…quarterback room.” 

Rattler acknowledges that the decision is out of his hands…

Cut 17 (09) “…my best foot forward.”

The star of the second half of was Jacob Kibodi. The rookie running back who grew up in Baton Rouge and attended U-L Lafayette scored two roushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Cut 18 (08)  “…good showing.”

Allen says the defense as a whole did not not have a good day, but backup linebacker Anfrernee Orji of Rockwall, Texas had a nice game as he led the team with nine total tackles. Orji on his chances of making the team..

Cut 19 (08) “…hope for the best.”

The deadline for NFL teams to reduce their rosts to 53 is 3 PM on Tuesday.

A tragic story out of Montegut (Montague), as state police are investigating a school bus crash that led to the death of 7-year-old Jeremiah Falgout (Fal-goo). Trooper Tiah Larvadain says the bus was traveling south on LA Highway 665, and, after activating the flashing warning lights, stopped to drop off several children, including Falgout.
Cut 12 (11) “…critical injuries.”
Falgout later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, State Police say the driver was not impaired.

Officials have arrested 34-year-old Jason Chiasson Jr. of Holden in connection with a boating accident that caused two deaths and several injuries. LDWF Sgt. Randy Lanoux says Chiasson Jr. was driving a Sea Fox up the Tickfaw River just after midnight on July 28 when he collided with a pontoon boat…
Cut 6 (11) “…(x2) was killed.”
Chiasson Jr. was booked into the Livingston Parish jail on multiple counts, including vehicular manslaughter, first-degree vehicular negligent injury, and DWI.

Vice President Kamala Harris is polling slightly ahead of former President Donald Trump in the polls after the Democratic National Convention. Mel Bridges has more.
Cut 1 (32) …I’m Mel Bridges.”

The Democratic National Convention has wrapped up with national polls showing Vice President Kamala Harris slightly ahead of former President Donald Trump. LSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Hogan says the D-N-C went smoothly and reflects well on Democrats…
Cut 3 (12) “…two parties.”
Democrats were lagging in the polls before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, but have since caught up.

Louisiana’s Department of Children and Family Services has opened the application process for Phase 3 of SUN Bucks. This program provides a one-time benefit of $120 dollars to low income families with children to help pay for meals during the summer time when schools are closed. DCFS Economic Stability Director Tim Jenkins says they have received over two thousand applications so far…
Cut 7 (06) “…September 20th.”
And you can apply at louisiana-dot-summer-e-b-t-app-dot-com.

The tropics continue to be quiet as we head into the final full weekend of August, but Accuweather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter says they are predicting a very busy September with anywhere between six to ten named storms…
cut 12 (11) “…September 10th”
Porter says less wind shear and less dry air is starting next week which will create conducive conditions for the development in the Atlantic Ocean.

LSU football will have two players wearing number 7 and 18 this year. Since 2008, a top playmaker for the Tigers wears number seven and this year offensive tackle Will Campbell will once again wear a number seven patch and linebacker Harold Perkins will change his jersey number to seven. 2-4-7 sports LSU reporter Glen West says Perkins has a strong camp…
cut 14 (10) “….tackles for loss”
Running back Josh Williams and linebacker Greg Penn will each wear 18, which goes to the player who represents LSU in a significant way on and off the field.

A seven-year-old boy in Terrebonne Parish is dead after he was struck by a school bus that just dropped him off after a day at school. It happened on L-A Highway 6-65 in Montegut. Seven-year-old Jeremiah Falgout died from his injuries at a local hospital. Louisiana State Police is investigating but they’ve ruled out impairment of the bus driver as a factor.

Governor Landry was in north Louisiana this week and in speeches in front of the Bossier and Monroe Chamber of Commerce he said tax reform is the key to generational change. Tax reform has been a buzz word at the state capitol for decades. La-politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Landry is not the first governor to propose a major change to the state’s tax code that would include the elimination of certain tax breaks…
Cut 6 (06) “…very issue.”
A special session on tax reform could happen in 2025.

Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker is meeting with federal and state transportation officials today to discuss the changes needed at the I-20 Tarbutton Interchange to accommodate the construction of a Buc-ees…
cut 15 (12) “…Grambling”
Walker is optimistic construction on the travel center will begin later this year and the state’s first Buc-ees will open its doors in late 2025.

Nearly 550-million dollars in renovations have been completed on the Superdome just in time for the Saints to host the Titans on Sunday in the final preseason game of the year. Superdome spokesperson Mike Hoss says the renovations were done to improve the fan experience…
cut 9 (09) “…concourse”

Governor Jeff Landry said this week for Louisiana to experience a generational change it has to make major changes to its tax code. Jeremy Alford of La-politics-dot-com says the Landry administration would like to lower income taxes and offset the revenue lost by eliminating several different tax breaks…
cut 5 (10) “…that direction”
A tax reform special session could take place early next year.

After a quiet August, AccuWeather is predicting 6 to 10 named storms during what it calls “Supercharged September.” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter says we didn’t see many named storms in August due to the Saharan Air Layer and wind shear…
Cut 10 (10) “…persistent problem.”

State Police has released the name of the child that died from injuries after getting hit by a bus yesterday in Terrebonne Parish. L-S-P says the bus just dropped off seven-year-old Jeremiah Falgout of Montegut and hit the child as it started moving southbound on Louisiana Highway 6-65. Impairment is not suspected on the part of the bus driver.

State and federal transportation officials meet in Baton Rouge today to discuss proposed changes to the I-20 Tarbutton exit interchange and service road to accommodate the construction of a Buc-ee’s.
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Governor Landry was in north Louisiana this week and in speeches in front of the Bossier and Monroe Chamber of Commerce he said tax reform is the key to generational change. Tax reform has been a buzz word at the state capitol for decades. La-politics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says Landry is not the first governor to propose a major change to the state’s tax code that would include the elimination of certain tax breaks…
Cut 6 (06) “…very issue.”

Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker is in Baton Rouge today to meet with federal and state transportation officials to talk about the needed changes for the I-20 Tarbutton interchange to accommodate the construction of a Buc-ee’s. Walker says a couple of hurdles still need to be cleared before construction can begin….
cut 14 (12) “…other places”
Planning is also underway for the construction of a Bucees in Lafayette off of I-10.

AccuWeather is predicting a Supercharged September when it comes to tropical storms. AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter says less wind shear and less dry air will create conducive conditions for development in the Atlantic Ocean beginning next week and he says the Gulf’s record-high water temperatures create the perfect environment….
cut 11 (10) “….other concerns”
Porter says we could see between six to ten named storms in September.

The Department of Children and Family Services is now accepting applications from low-income families who have not already qualified for the Sun Bucks program, which provides eligible families with a one-time payment of 120-dollars. The 120-dollars is to help cover meals for children when not in school for the summer. DCFS’s Tim Jenkins says the child will have 122 days to use the funds…
cut 8 (07) “….the account”
You can apply at louisiana-dot-summer-e-b-t-app-dot-com.