6:45 LRN Sportscast

Former Saints coach Sean Payton is still looking for that elusive second trip to the Super Bowl. Payton and the Broncos came up a little short in the AFC Title game losing to New England 10-7. Payton says he will always have second thoughts on his decision not to kick a field goal and go up 10-0 in the second quarter, instead he went for it on fourth and one and they didn’t convert…

Cut 20 (06) “…good call”

The Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018 the season. Former LSU Tigers Will Campbell, Kayshon Boutte and K’Lavion Chaission are important pieces to this Patriots team. Former La Tech standout Milton Williams is going back to the Super Bowl after winning a ring last year with the Eagles.

New England will play Seattle, which outlasted the Rams 31-27. Former Saint Rasheed Shaheed had a 51-yard catch in the game.

________________________________________________

The 2026 LSU baseball team returns four starting position players from last season. Among them is sophomore outfielder Derek Curiel. This offseason, Curiel added over 20 pounds of muscle and is now at 192 pounds. Head coach Jay Johnson says the transformation will allow Curiel to elevate his game.

Cut 16 (17) “…really excited.”

Curiel will play center field this season. Chris Stanfield will start in left field and Jake Brown in right field.

The Pelicans won their second straight road game last night beating San Antonio 104-95. Saddiq Bey and Zion Williamson each had 24 points.

Sixth-ranked LSU hosts Florida tonight at 6 PM. The Gators are just 1-5 in the SEC.

9:30 LRN Newscast

The freezing rain is coming down in northwest Louisiana and the mixed precipitation has started to move into the Monroe area. Jason Hansford with the National Weather Service says an inch of ice could accumulate…

Cut 15 (16) “..those areas”

The state department of transportation has closed some roads, bridges and interstate ramps in Bossier, Caddo and Ouachita Parish. I-49 between south junction of MacArthur Drive and Rapides Station Road in Rapides Parish is also closed. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett…

Cut 9 (12) “…going to be”

 

At least 12 people have died this year in house fires and officials are concerned that number will increase over the next couple of days as people try to stay warm. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says when using a space heater, keep it away from anything that can easily catch fire…

Cut 10 (10) “…stay warm.”

Adams says do not try to use your oven to warm up your home. He says if you have a fire going in your fireplace, make sure it is out before you go to sleep.

the start of next week will be brutally cold by anyone’s standards, not just Louisiana’s – in the teens and possibly single digits in north Louisiana and in the upper teens or low 20s in south Louisiana. Mark Wilson with the LSU Ag Center says if you have shrubs and plants that were planted in the last two years, cover them now before the cold arrives.

Cut 13 (10)  “…insulation.”

8:30 LRN Newscast

Freezing rain is falling across the northern portions of Louisiana this morning and temperatures have dipped into the upper 20s in some places. Jason Hansford with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says the winter precipitation has started to cover roads and grassy surfaces….

Cut 15 (28) “…late tonight”

Natchitoches, Jonesboro, Homer, Monroe and Jena could see three quarters of an inch to an inch of ice. If get any snowfall, it will be less than inch. Once the precipitation moves out, the real cold air moves in. Temperatures in the single digits to low teens on Monday and Tuesday morning for north Louisiana.

 

As we told you in the first minute, areas of light to moderate sleet and freezing rain are moving through much of north Louisiana. The National Weather Service says road conditions are deteriorating along the I-20 corridor. Governor Jeff Landry is advising residents to stay home if the winter precipitation is falling…

Cut 20 (28) “…the roads”

The state transportation department has already closed several roads in Caddo Parish. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says travelers can find information regarding road closures by downloading the 511 mobile app or by visiting the 511 Traveler information website….

Cut 10 (10) “…the notice.”

7:30 LRN Newscast

Freezing rain is falling this morning in Shreveport and in the towns of Minden, Farmerville and Bastrop. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin on what we can expect from this ice storm as the day goes on…

Cut 19 (24) “…to fall”

The power companies spent this week getting ready for this ice storm. Nyka (NIGH-kah) Scott, the vice president of customer service for Entergy, says Entergy crews have been working to minimize power outages by cutting back branches from powerlines.

Cut 5 (10) “…they do break.”

 

The 7:30 newscast on Saturday is usually devoted to sports…so let’s give some sports headlines now. The big story happened last night as offensive tackle Jordan Seaton signed with the LSU Tigers. Seaton has started the last two seasons at Colorado and he’s the best offensive lineman in the transfer portal. Coach Lane Kiffin signed the number one quarterback, edge rusher and offensive tackle in the transfer portal. ‘

In basketball….The Pelicans outscored the Grizzlies 40 to 26 in the fourth quarter last night and New Orleans defeated Memphis 133 to 127. Saddiq Bey scored 19 of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter.

Louisiana Tech had a big second half to erase a 12-point deficit and defeated Kennesaw State 82 to 76. Scooter Williams had 28 points to lead the way.

The LSU men’s basketball game against Arkansas has been moved up to 4 PM today, because of the snow storm in Fayetteville.

6:30 LRN Newscast

The wintry mix precipitation has made its way into Louisiana as light ice pellets are falling at Shreveport Regional Airport where the temperature is 30-degrees and the real feel temperature is 17-degrees. We still have overcast skies in Monroe and it’s 30 degrees there too. 39 degrees in Alexandria.

The National Weather Service in Shreveport says the freezing line is located just south of the I-20 corridor. So, any precipitation falling north of Winnsboro and Coushatta will be freezing rain, along with some sleet.

State Officials are urging people, especially those who live in north Louisiana, to stay off the roads. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says with the storm hitting on a weekend, they hope that results in people staying home…

Cut 11 (11) “…on ice”

 

Power companies say they are prepared for what they are anticipating to be a major ice storm, which means thousands of people could be without power for multiple days. Executive secretary of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Brandon Frey, says if you encounter a downed powerline do not touch it or approach it under any circumstances…

Cut 4 (09) “….to do anything”

Many homeowners are trying to protect outdoor plants, shrubs and trees that are sensitive to below freezing temperatures. Mark Wilson with the LSU Ag Center says if you can’t bring them inside, at least move them closer to your house if they are in a container…

Cut 14 (14) “…will help”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

ESPN put out its ranking of top transfer portal classes and LSU is number one. ESPN says coach Lane Kiffin lived up to his reputation as a dealmaker by securing multiple players in the portal including quarterback Sam Leavitt, safety Ty Benefield and the top ranked edge rusher Princewill Umannielen. ESPN is also impressed with the wide receivers Kiffin has brought in. Jackson Harris, who was at Hawaii, is one of those pass catchers that is expected to help Kiffin’s big play offense. Harris says Kiffin connects with the team because he’s as dedicated as the players are…

Cut 29 (13) “…wants to win”

LSU could still land offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. Oregon and Miami are also in the picture for the former Colorado Buffalo.

Three weeks from today it’s the season opener for the LSU baseball team. Last year, the Tigers hit 103 home runs in 68 games, tied for 17th in the country. In addition to returning Jake Brown, Steven Milam and Cade Arrambide, LSU added more power to the lineup with transfers Trent Caraway, Zach Yorke, Seth Dardar and Brayden Simpson. Brown says he expects the long ball numbers to go up this year.

Cut 20 (08) “…balls this year.”

In basketball….Louisiana Tech had a huge second half this afternoon and rallied to beat Kennesaw State 82 to 76. Scooter Williams came of the bench to score a season high 28 points in 31 minutes.

ULM remained winless in the Sun Belt with a 59-43 loss to App State.

LSU’s game against Arkansas tomorrow has been moved up to 4 PM because of the winter storm that will hit Fayetteville.

4:30 LRN Newscast

A powerful winter storm will hit Louisiana this weekend. The biggest threat is the ice north Louisiana will possibly see. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim…

Cut 8 (13) “…see something”

A quarter inch or more of freezing rain and ice is expected to form on Louisiana roads between the I-20 corridor and the Arkansas border.

Governor Landry has declared a state of emergency. Landry says while Louisiana had a historic snow event last year, snow is easier to deal with than ice.

Cut 26 (13)  “…them to fail.”

The last major ice storm to hit Louisiana was February 2021 and many customers were without power for two to four days.

 

With the ice storm’s imminent arrival, utility crews are ready to restore power when the power gets knocked out. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Many homeowners are trying to protect outdoor plants, shrubs and trees that are sensitive to below freezing temperatures. Mark Wilson with the LSU Ag Center says if you can’t bring them inside, at least move them closer to your house if they are in a container…

Cut 14 (14) “…will help”

11:30 LRN Newscast

The I-20 corridor in North Louisiana will be under a winter storm warning beginning at 6:00 this evening. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says a combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow are expected.

Cut 11 (13) “…some significant problems.”

Governor Landry says once the wintry precipitation starts falling, stay off the roads.

Cut 15 (13) “…is extremely dangerous.”

The biggest concern is for significant icing and snow north of I-20. Central Louisiana expected to see some icing, while the ice might miss south Louisiana. The entire state will not be able to avoid the cold temperatures, especially Monday morning.

A national animal rights group is weighing on an attempt to legalize cockfighting in St. Landry Parish. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A former St. Mary Parish high school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of attempted enticement of a minor. Court documents say Katherine Albarado used her personal email to send sexually explicit messages and video to a sixteen-year-old student. She was arrested in May of 2022. If convicted, she faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and could face a life sentence.

10:30 LRN Newscast

With the incoming ice storm, Governor Landry has declared a state of emergency, allowing additional resources in north and central Louisiana including a waiver to bring additional gas to areas seeing shortages. The governor is urging citizens to be prepared.

Cut 14 (14) “…without electricity.”

Central Louisiana could see a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch of ice. Higher ice accumulations are expected along the I-20 corridor, where snow could fall after the freezing rain. State Climatologist Jay Grymes…

Cut 12 (12) “…of the ice”

Grymes the other issue, extremely cold temperatures as temperatures will remain below freezing in north Louisiana from Saturday to Monday.

 

Legalizing cockfighting is an issue again in St Landry Parish, where the parish council passed a resolution asking the Attorney General to review whether the state’s cockfighting ban is constitutional. Liz Murrill says cockfighting remains illegal in Louisiana. Wayne Pacelle, president of the Animal Wellness Action, says those advocating for cockfighting are not doing their parish or the state any favors…

Cut 4 (09) “….State of Louisiana”

For the second year in a row, the DASH diet, developed in part by scientists at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been recognized as the best heart-healthy diet by the 2026 US News and World Report. Doctor Catherine Champagne is a dietitian at Pennington…

Cut 7 (12) “…higher in protein”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU has signed 40 players from the transfer portal, with the first player to commit being wide receiver Jackson Harris, who had a standout season at Hawaii last year. Harris caught 49 passes for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Rainbow Warriors. Harris says he brings a variety of skills to Baton Rouge…

Cut 18 (16) “…on the field”

Three weeks from today, LSU baseball begins the defense of its national title. Tigers right fielder Jake Brown says there has been an emphasis on chemistry, which was a key part of last year’s team…

Cut 19 (12) “…the field”

Brown was a guest on Tiger Rag Radio this week.

The sixth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team scored 37 points in the third quarter on its way to an easy 98-54 win over Texas A&M. MiLaysia Fulwiley led the way with 23 points, and Grace Knox was a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor and finished with 19 points.  Also, LSU made all 20 of its free throws.

And second-ranked South Carolina went down, losing to 16th-ranked Oklahoma 94 to 82 in overtime.

The Lady Techsters won their fifth straight as La Tech defeated Missouri State 60-51. Paris Bradley had 20 points. The McNeese Cowgirls won their eighth straight, an easy win over Southeastern Louisiana 72-30.

The UL-Lafayette and ULM men’s basketball teams both lost yesterday. The Warhawks have a quick turnaround as they play App State today at 11 AM.

Louisiana Tech hosts Kennesaw State today at 1 PM. Tech is third in the country in scoring defense, while the Owls are 17th in scoring offense.