The state Department of Transportation announces there will be lane closures on I-20 in the Shreveport-Bossier City area for the next two and a half years because that highway will be getting new pavement starting September 18th. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 1 (30)  “….I’m  Teiko Foxx”

_______________________________________________

The first televised debate in the 2023 governor’s race is tonight. Brooke Thorington on what to expect.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

______________________________________________

Despite the recent rain, the statewide burn ban remains in effect. Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 3 (33) …I’m Brooke Thorington”

_____________________________________________

The state Department of Transportation announces a 117 million dollar construction project will begin on I-20 in Bossier and Caddo Parishes on September 18th. DOTD Spokesperson Erin Buchanan says workers will spend the next two and a half years replacing the original pavement from the 1960s.

Cut 4 (08) “… the top.”

The work will result in lane closures. The interstate will be reduced to one lane from Hamilton Road to Industrial Drive in both directions. Buchanan says a real-time traffic system will alert motorists to changing traffic conditions.

Cut 5 (08) “…alternate routes.”

Motorists are urged to use I-220 as an alternate route. The work will be performed at night to minimize traffic. Buchanan says reconstruction work will also be underway from Pines Road to Market Street on the west end.

Cut 6 (11) “…as well.”

This section of the interstate services 70 to 100 thousand vehicles daily. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2025.

________________________________________________

Five of the seven major candidates will participate in the first televised debate for the 2023 governor’s race tonight. Republican Jeff Landry refuses to participate because he says the organizer, the Urban League is biased toward Democrats. UNO Political Science professor Dr. Ed Chervenak says it’s unfortunate because voters are interested in what Landry has to say.

Cut 7 (10) “…front-runner.”

Republican Representative Richard Nelson was not invited to participate due to low polling numbers.

With fellow Republicans and Independent Hunter Lundy polling in the single digits, Chervenak says they’ll need to capture viewers’ attention and set themselves apart.

Present or not, Chervenak believes the candidates will go after Landry.

Cut 8 (11) “…Republicans.”

And even though two of the seven viable candidates will be missing,  Chervenak thinks voters will still tune in to get a better idea of what the participating candidates’ plans are for Louisiana.

Cut 9 (11)  “…direction.”

The debate at, WWL-TV’s studio in New Orlean will be televised statewide tonight at 7 pm. KATC, WBRZ, and KTBS are also sponsoring tonight’s debate.

_________________________________________________

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says they are once again taking applications from insurance companies who are interested in receiving grant dollars if they write more homeowners insurance policies. Donelon says they allocated 42-million dollars to eight insurers following the first round of applications and it resulted in thousands of homeowners finding coverage through a private insurer…

Cut 10 (04) “…since April.”

Donelon says many of the new policies were written in southeast Louisiana…

Cut 11 (14) “…22-hundred”

Donelon says the total amount of grant funds during this second application period is 13 million dollars. He says the goal is to reduce the number of homes that have coverage through the state-run insurer of last resort Citizens, which by state law has to offer policies with more expensive premiums…

Cut 12 (09) “…Citizens insurance.”

______________________________________________

The statewide burn ban remains in effect, even though parts of the state have received rain, but officials say it’s not enough to reduce the increased risk of fire due to the prolonged drought. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue…

Cut 13 (11) “…fire service (x2).”

Despite recent rains near some of the ongoing wildfires, Rodrigue says those blazes remain active.

Cut 14 (08) “…those scenes.”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office, however, says residents can resume outdoor cooking, but Rodrigue encourages those who do grill out to have safety measures in place before they light up.

Cut 15 (09) “…cooking there.”

At Tiger Stadium tailgaters have been asked not to grill out for LSU’s home opener against Grambling on Saturday.

The state’s burn ban will be reconsidered on a weekly basis.

____________________________________________________________

The regular season opener is fast approaching for the Saints, who will face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. New starting quarterback Derek Carr believes the Black and Gold will have a great season

Cut 16 (16) “…this week.”

Carr expects Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel to bring a physical style of play to the Superdome on Sunday…

Cut 17 (14) “…he’s coaching that.”

Carr on the importance of winning the first game…

Cut 18 (12) “…even better.”

_____________________________________________________________

LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith will make his season debut on Saturday night when the Tigers host Grambling. Smith was suspended for the season opener for getting paid for autographs before NIL took effect. Coach Brian Kelly says it will be Smith’s first game since last September…

Cut 19 (19) “…impact the game.”

__________________________________________________________________

Louisiana Tech will host north Louisiana rival Northwestern State on Saturday. Bulldogs Coach Sonny Cumbie says the stakes get raised when you play another team from Louisiana…

Cut 20 (20) “…football team.”

The Bulldogs are 1-1 after losing to SMU last week, Northwestern State dropped its season opener to U-L Lafayette.

Singer Jimmy Buffett died Friday from a rare skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. Teiko Foxx spoke with an LSU Oncologist expert about the aggressive disease.

Cut 1 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

______________________________________

The first televised debate of the 2023 governor’s race is tomorrow night, but the front-runner will not be there. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (28)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

______________________________________

Margaritaville Singer Jimmy Buffett died as a result of merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer, diagnosed in less than three thousand people in the U-S every year. LSU School of Medicine Oncologist Dr. Brian Boulmay says the disease develops on areas of the body that are regularly exposed to natural or artificial sources of light.

Cut 3 (12) “…any kind.”

MCC tumors show up on the forearm, neck, face, and lower legs. It quickly spreads to the lymph nodes first and then to the liver, bones, lungs, and brain. Boulmay suggests contacting your physician if you see a mole, freckle, or bump that is changing in size, shape, or color.

Cut 4 (11) “…be biopsied.”

Men are twice as likely to develop this cancer than women. About 90 percent of the people who have it are White, and about 80 percent are 70 and older. Boulmay says early detection is key but you can protect yourself.

Cut 5 (11) “ … for cancer.” 

The survival rate of MCC is 51 percent when the cancer is confined to one spot on the body.

______________________________________

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy was asked his thoughts on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health after the Kentucky lawmaker appeared to freeze in front of the public on at least two occasions. Cassidy, who’s also a physician says he’s satisfied with the U.S. Capitol attending physician’s report.

Cut 6 (08) “…caucus.”

The physician’s report says McConnell has not suffered a stroke or a seizure disorder.

Concerns about the 81-year-old’s health have generated calls for his resignation and reignited the debate on term limits for members of Congress. Cassidy is satisfied with the physician’s report and McConnell’s role in the Senate.

Cut 7 (11) “…minority leader.” 

Fellow Kentucky lawmaker Rand Paul criticized the Capitol attending physician’s report. Paul believes McConnell had a seizure. Cassidy says he’s going to go with the report of the healthcare provider who actually examined McConnell.

Cut 8 (11) “…most significant.”

______________________________________

The first televised debate of the 2023 governor’s race is tomorrow. Five of the candidates will discuss the issues facing Louisiana at 7 PM at WWL-TV’s studio in New Orleans. But the front-runner, Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, will not be there. Landry says one of the organizers the Urban League has a bias towards Democrats

Cut 9 (09) “…anti-Donald Trump.” 

The Urban League says they do not have any bias towards a particular candidate. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson will also not participate tomorrow, because his polling numbers are not high enough.

Landry says one of his criteria to attend a debate is that all seven major candidates appear on stage…

Cut 10 (05) “…a whole”

Early voting for the October 14th election begins Saturday, September 30th. Landry has an estimated eight million dollars in cash on hand. The Attorney General says it’s a sign that voters believe he’s the right guy for the job…

Cut 11 (08) “…our message”

Campaign finance reports from all candidates are due September 14th.

Three more people have arrested in connection with last Friday night’s fatal shooting during the Brusly-Port Allen football game in West Baton Rouge Parish. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (31)  “….I’m Jeff Palermo”

_______________________________________________

In an update, Beauregard Parish authorities say the Tiger Island Fire continues to burn but the situation is looking better. Teiko Foxx has the story…

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx”

_______________________________________________

Louisiana has received a 73-million dollar federal grant to build electronic vehicle charging stations and the state  is looking for businesses that want to operate and maintain the stations. Brooke Thorington has more…

Cut 3 (32) …I’m Brooke Thorington”

_____________________________________________

West Baton Rouge Parish authorities announce three more people have been arrested for their role in a fatal shooting at a high school football game that left 15-year-old Ja’Kobe Queen dead. West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Mike Cazes…

Cut 4 (07) “… his life.”

The suspect, 18-year-old Jarrettin Ranaud Jackson II, was arrested Monday in Baton Rouge. Jackson is charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, carrying a firearm on school property, and possession of a machine gun.

28-year-old Brasia Davis of Port Allen was also injured at the 52^nd Sugar Cane Classic, an annual match-up between Port Allen and Brusly high schools.

18-year-old Jailyn Smith and two other juveniles were also arrested in connection with the shooting. They face obstruction of justice, manslaughter, and disturbing the peace charges.

18^th Judicial District Attorney Tony Clayton says it’s a tragedy that’s impacted several lives.

Cut 5 (15) “… peripheral folks.”

Even with a large presence of law enforcement on-site, Cazes says Queen’s life ended Friday.

Cut 6 (10) “…behind you”

The school district plans to use scanners and limit entrances for future football games.

________________________________________________

Despite some rain over Labor Day weekend, the Tiger Island wildfire, the state’s largest in history, is still active. We spoke with Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford who says progress continues but they’re not out of the woods yet.

Cut 7 (11) “…well-contained.”

The fire has burned over 31 thousand acres. Herford says crews are working to reinforce dozer lines around the town of Merryville to withstand any possible advancing fire. He says there are still a few active spots but the fire remains within the current footprint.

Cut 8 (10) “…this fire.”

The Southern Area Red Incident Team continues to mop up operations along LA 110 between Singer and Merryville.  Herford says more than 330 people are working to assist with the Tiger Island fire. He says this is an unprecedented situation and the statewide burn ban is still active.

Cut 9 (12)  “…dangerous situation.”

Authorities believe the Tiger Island fire is arson-related. The Louisiana Forestry Association is offering up to two thousand dollars to anyone with information leading to an arrest and conviction. If you have information, call LDAF, Beauregard Parish Sheriff, or local law enforcement.

_________________________________________________

State Transportation is looking for partners to build and maintain electric vehicle charging stations. DOTD Chief Maintenance Engineer Kevin Reed says 80 percent of the costs of the charging stations are funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the potential businesses will fund the remaining 20 percent.

Cut 10 (11) “…sites up.”

Louisiana is receiving $73 million from the IIJA. Reed says he expects to see more charging stations as a result of the grant program in Louisiana around this time next year.

Reed says an example of a business that would be interested in being part of the private-public partnership would be a truck stop or a gas station that has the infrastructure and wants to add EV charging stations.

Cut 11 (12) “…these grants”

Cost estimates for the charging stations per site range from $750,000 to a million. Reed says it takes a lot of utility upgrades in some cases for the extremely robust charging stations. Unlike plugging your car into a socket in your garage and charging your vehicle for 12 hours…

Cut 12 (05) “…twenty-minutes”

Currently in Louisiana, Reed says there’s not a large presence of EV charging stations, but the purpose of the grant is to build a national network of them to encourage more individuals to purchase alternative fuel vehicles.

For more information for those businesses who are interested in applying for the grants visit DOTD.la.gov

______________________________________________

West Monroe Football Coach Todd Garvin has been placed on administrative leave until further notice. KNOE TV Sports Director Aaron Dietrich says Principal Dan Lane made the decision after a player was hospitalized due to heat illness as he was apparently worked too hard during Monday’s practice…

Cut 13 (07) “…all the details.”

Dietrich says four players have been sent to the hospital suffering from heat exhaustion since Garvin took over in May…

Cut 14 (11) “…after practice”

The Ouachita Citizen reports the player that went the hospital on Monday was doing extra work because he missed practice the week before because of COVID.

Garvin is trying to bring West Monroe back to its glory years. Dietrich says the Rebels have won eight state championships, but none since 2011…

Cut 15 (11) “… play out”

Offensive coordinator Kevin Davis will serve as acting head coach. West Monroe beat Sterlington last Friday and will head to East Ascension this Friday.

____________________________________________________________

After getting beat 45-24 on Sunday night in Orlando, Coach Brian Kelly says they are re-assessing everything that includes the use of linebacker Harold Perkins. Perkins was an all-American as an outside linebacker last year, but he’s playing middle linebacker this season and only had five sacks on Sunday. Coach Brian Kelly says they want to do what’s best for Perkins and the team….

Cut 16 (22) “…and LSU”

There was a lot of talk in the preseason about Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson solving LSU’s punt return woes from a season ago. But Anderson muffed a punt in the first half against Florida State. Kelly says the former Edna Karr star will continue to return punts…

Cut 17 (19) “…squirt out”

LSU’s secondary had trouble keeping up with Florida State’s talented receivers. Kelly says his defensive backs could have played

Cut 18 (18) “…be there”

_____________________________________________________________

ULM is looking to go 2-0 on the season this Saturday when they host Lamar out of the Southland Conference. The Warhawks rallied to beat Army 17-13 last Saturday in Malone Stadium. Coach Terry Bowden liked the fight he saw from his team

Cut 19 (14) “…our way”

ULM forced five turnovers in the victory. Last year the Warhawks were last in the Sun Belt in giving up 34 points a game. But Bowden knows his defense is better this year…

Cut 20 (14) “…off the track”