Louisiana Congressman Republican Mike Johnson will officially make his bid as U-S House Speaker before his party today. Teiko Foxx has more…

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There are reports of several fatalities after low visibility in southeast Louisiana this morning caused a massive traffic pile-up on I-55 in both directions. Brooke Thorington has more.

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U.S. Representative Mike Johnson from Benton will make his case before House Republicans today to be the next Speaker of the House. Eight other Republicans are also seeking the post. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says Johnson’s chances are as good as the other candidates

cut 3 (13) “the caucus.”

Johnson’s announcement comes after Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan of Ohio failed short of the 217 votes needed as House Speaker.

He serves as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. Hogan says having GOP leadership in the chamber should help Johnson’s chances.

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Johnson is also a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

The House has been without a speaker since early October as Republicans can’t get on the same page to elect a replacement for Kevin McCarthy. Hogan says Johnson has been one of the more conservative members of Congress and that may help him out in his quest to be the next speaker.

Cut 5 (07) “ ..Republican caucus.”  

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A second person has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Northwestern State football player Ronnie Caldwell. Natchitoches police spokesperson John Greely says a former teammate of Caldwell’s, 22-year-old Maurice Campbell of Memphis, has been booked on multiple charges

Cut 6 (09) “…dangerous substance”

Campbell was a defensive tackle for Northwestern State and appeared in four games this season. He’s no longer on the team.

Caldwell’s roommate has also been charged for having a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance.

No one has been charged with murder, but Greely says Campbell interfered with the investigation

Cut 7 (07) “…obstruct justice.” 

Greely says Natchitoches Police continue to vigorously investigate the homicide of Caldwell…

Cut 8 (08) “… currently have.”

Caldwell was laid to rest on Saturday in Austin, Texas. He was 21-years-old but his family says Caldwell had a life well lived.

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Two people are reportedly dead after a massive pile-up on Interstate 55 in Saint John the Baptist Parish. Reports say hundreds of vehicles are involved. The interstate in both directions is closed and first responders from multiple agencies are on-site. State Police Sergeant Kate Stegall says fog and smoke from nearby marsh fires led to very low visibility

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For a listing of road closures and rerouting instructions visit LA511-dot.org or follow LSP on social media.

Stegall says they are expecting the interstate will be closed for awhile.

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National Weather Service Tyler Stanfield says they were getting reports of visibility as low as one-eighth a mile when the chain reaction crash occurred. Stanfield says the fog and smoke from nearby wildfires made it extremely difficult to see…

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Stanfield says there are handful of marsh fires south of Lake Pontchartrain…

Cut 12 (07) “..driving conditions”  

Stanfield says winds were also low which allowed the Superfog to sock in. He says stronger winds are expected for tomorrow morning’s commute…

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Data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the Bayou State continues to set records for low unemployment. Teiko Foxx has more…

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The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is asking parents of children aged 5 and under for their input in the 2023 Parent Poll. Colleen Crain has the story…

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Two women are in the run-off for the Secretary of State’s race. Jeanne Burns looks at the candidates…

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The number of people looking for work, but unable to find a job reached an all-time low in September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 68-thousand people were considered unemployed. The state’s unemployment rate held steady at three-point-three percent, tying a record low. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Economist Gary Wagner says hiring has escalated over the last year…

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Wagner says the state has added nearly 280 thousand jobs since the worst of the pandemic. He says the state’s employment growth level is still recovering from the pandemic.

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Wagner says there have been 30 consecutive months of job growth. He says those jobs were mostly in education, health services, construction…

Cut 6 (09) “…gains there.”

The number of unemployed people in Louisiana is under 68 thousand. Jobs can be found on the LWC’s HIRE website.

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The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children’s 2023 Parent Poll is open. Institute Director Dr. Libbie Sonnier says the poll is a way to check on how families with children 5 years and under are doing. They’ve partnered with the Louisiana Department of Education to gather important data.

Cut 7 (10) “…the state.”

Childcare is a concern for all families with young children. Sonnier says, the poll is completed anonymously and explores a variety of family issues…

Cut 8 (09) “…and more.” 

The poll is open until November 1^st and Sonnier says they want to hear from all Louisiana parents of children aged 5 and under…

Cut 9 (09)  “…in Louisiana.”

The poll can be found at PolicyInstituteLA.org.

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The runoff for Secretary of State is a contest between two women, Republican Nancy Landry and Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup. Landry currently serves as First Assistant Secretary of State and knows how to organize and run a statewide election…

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One of the big priorities for the next Secretary of State is new voting machines. The ones that are currently used on election day date back to 2006 and Landry says the new machines need to produce a paper back up

Cut 11 (08) “…are accurate” 

Collins-Greenup is a Baton Rouge attorney and accountant. She previously worked as the clerk of court in East Feliciana Parish. The Democrat says her first priority will also be new voting machines and she will also work on increasing voter participation…

Cut 12 (08) ” most elections” 

Businesses also must register with the Secretary of State’s Office. Collins-Greenup says she wants to put procedures in place to prevent business identity theft by fraudsters…

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LSU’s first-ever matchup against Army in Tiger Stadium was a one-sided affair as the Bayou Bengals blanked the Black Knights 62-0. Army’s starting quarterback and one of its top receivers did not play because of injuries, but Coach Brian Kelly still sees his defense making progress…

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Quarterback Jayden Daniels only played a half, but still put up big numbers as he threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He will be needed to have a big performance against Alabama on November 4th in Tuscaloosa and Kelly is glad Daniels is on his team…

Cut 15 (18) “…elite level”

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The Ragin Cajuns found themselves down 20-0 to Georgia State in the 2nd quarter on homecoming night, they battled back but lost 20-17. They had a chance to win on the final play, but Zeon Chriss but threw an interception in the final play. Coach Michael Desormeaux wishes he had that first half back…

Cut 16 (20) “…late there”

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