Author Archives: Kace Kieschnick

08.03.26
by

4:45 LRN Sportscast

Former LSU ace Anthony Eyanson was traded to the Orioles organization. Eyanson was part of a trade that brought All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox. Eyanson was one of three players included in the deal.

Former Tiger Josh Smith is also on the move. The Rangers infielder was traded to the Blue Jays along with pitcher Josh Stephan in exchange for left-handed pitcher Adam Macko. Smith is hitting .213 with eight RBIs and one homer in 45 games this season.

LSU football players report for Lane Kiffin’s first fall camp in Baton Rouge tomorrow. Tiger Rag editor Glenn Guilbeau says he’ll be keeping his eye on the offense as much more of the defense returns under coordinator Blake Baker. His biggest concern lies with the offensive line.

Cut 20 (17) “…Weston Davis.”

Former UL-Lafayette pitcher Spencer Arrighetti is now a Blue Jay. The Astros hurler was traded to Toronto for outfielder Daulton Varsho. The former Cajun is in his third MLB season and is posting a 4.60 ERA in 17 starts. The two teams face off tonight at 7:10.

The Saints had their first padded practice today. Rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson will need to adjust to the NFL’s physicality. He is known for his explosive playmaking after the catch and twitchy route running. He says he’s always had those skills.

Cut 18 (10) “…obtain that ability.”

The Saints drafted Tyson eighth overall out of Arizona State.

The SEC and Big Ten have announced their support for the Protect College Sports Act, and NCAA President Charlie Baker is urging the U.S. Senate to pass the bill before a month-long recess Friday. Majority Leader John Thune expressed concern it may get filibustered, and the Senate will not have time for a vote.

08.03.26
by

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU’s top-rated baseball signee Logan Schmidt chose to come to LSU. The southpaw pitcher was Perfect Game’s number 12 prospect in the MLB draft, and he was selected 59th overall. He chose not to sign with the Guardians and considered attending junior college for a season, so he could return to the draft next year. Instead, he’ll come to LSU and not be eligible to return until 2029. His enrollment gives the Tigers the number one recruiting class in the nation.

Former LSU ace Kevin Gausman was traded to the Cubs. The right-handed pitcher joins another Tigers great, Alex Bregman, in Chicago. Gausman is posting a 4.38 ERA and has struck out 127 batters in 23 starts with the Blue Jays this season.

The Saints put the pads on for the first time this training camp today. Yesterday, head coach Kellen Moore confirmed that D-tackle Bryan Bresee’s season is over after suffering a torn ACL on the first day of camp. He will undergo surgery and target a return for next season, the final year of his current contract.

Saints rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson has been a full go in his first training camp. New Orleans drafted the Arizona State receiver to create a dynamic pass-catching duo with top receiver Chris Olave. Tyson says Olave is a quiet guy, but every time he speaks, he tries to listen, because he knows it’s the truth.

Cut 17 (11) “…so that’s amazing.”

Former McNeese defensive back Levi Wyatt was killed in a car crash early Saturday morning. The 23-year-old spent two years in Lake Charles before transferring to Jackson State. He started 10 games in 2023 and led the team in pass breakups. In 2024, he was named second-team All-Southland Conference.

U.S. Men’s National Team manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed a deal to coach the Stars and Stripes through the 2030 World Cup. The 54-year-old was hired to coach the U.S. team in 2024 and has helped close the gap between U.S. soccer and the top teams in the world. The U.S. is 16th in FIFA’s world ranking after a round of 16 exit in the World Cup.

08.03.26
by

10:30 LRN Newscast

With the school year right around the corner, the National Retail Federation says for many, back-to-school shopping has already begun. Allison Zeller, the vice president of industry and consumer insights, says this year, 62-percent already got their back-to-school shopping underway, with a record-breaking 32-percent having done so all the way back in early June.

Cut 10 (13) “…back-to-school.”

Amid the news that President Trump will halt planned attacks to allow talks with Iran to continue, Senator John Kennedy told NBC’s “Meet The Press” that Trump cannot take Iran for its word under any circumstances.

Cut 15 (15) “…or Charles Manson.”

With the general election three months from today, the Secretary of State’s office is out with its inactive voter list. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Louisiana is in the final stages of a deal to bring a SpaceX rocket launching pad to Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish. The state legislature recently passed incentives to attract the aerospace industry. The project could provide thousands of jobs in the region, but it raises concerns of coastal erosion and loss of popular hunting and fishing areas.

08.03.26
by

7:30 LRN Newscast

The calendar has flipped to August, and that means it’s just about time for back-to-school shopping! Jeanne Burns reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

LSU freshman defensive lineman Deuce Geralds hosted a back-to-school drive over the weekend with the Geralds Foundation, giving away backpacks and school supplies to kids in the Baton Rouge community. The 18-year-old was born in Baton Rouge before moving to Georgia and says giving back to the community has always been an important part of his life.

The general election is three months from today, and the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office has put out its inactive voter list. That number is currently at about 447-thousand, accounting for 15-percent of all registered voters. Trey Williams with the Secretary of State’s Office says there are two main reasons voters are moved to the inactive voter list.

Cut 4 (11) “…past ten years.”

Saints head coach Kellen Moore confirmed defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will be undergoing season-ending ACL surgery. Bresee suffered the knee injury on the first day of training camp. Veteran interior defensive lineman Davon Godchaux says it was a freak accident, but he’s still determined to bring the best out of the unit.

Cut 19 (13) “…dominating this season.”

08.03.26
by

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Top LSU signee Logan Schmidt announced he will enroll at LSU. A seemingly impossible feat before the draft, Schmidt chose LSU over JUCO and the MLB after being selected 59th overall. The left-handed pitcher was Perfect Game’s 12th-ranked draft prospect and makes the Tigers’ 2026 class the best in the nation. He will not be draft eligible until 2029.

Former LSU All-American pitcher Kevin Gausman was traded to the Cubs. The right-hander is 5-and-10 with a 4.38 ERA and 127 strikeouts with Toronto this season.

Saints eighth overall pick Jordyn Tyson says he’s been excited to get involved during training camp. The Arizona State wide receiver has been limited since the draft as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Now good to go, he says he’s loved playing with second-year quarterback Tyler Shough.

Cut 16 (11) “…I’m loving it.”

Saints head coach Kellen Moore confirmed defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will be undergoing season-ending ACL surgery. Bresee suffered the knee injury on the first day of training camp in what fellow interior defensive lineman Davon Gadchaux called a freak non-contact accident. Godchaux will take the lead at the center of the defensive front in Bresee’s absence but says it will be a group effort.

Cut 20 (17) “…you’ll be okay.”

Saints wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk surprisingly retired yesterday. New Orleans traded for the 24-year-old last offseason but he never suited up for the team as he missed the season with a shoulder injury. Polk was an early second-round pick in the 2024 draft expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp.

Former Saints offensive lineman Andrus Peat also announced his retirement after 11 seasons. Peat spent nine years in New Orleans and was named to three Pro Bowls.

08.03.26
by

6:30 LRN Newscast

On avoiding another government shutdown, Senator John Kennedy expressed opposition on NBC’s “Meet The Press” to a bipartisan deal which would, in part, take away President Trump’s authority to review government grants.

Cut 14 (13) “…is hell no.”

Researchers at Tulane University might have discovered how bats are able to carry so many viral diseases without getting sick themselves. Associate Professor Hannah Frank led the study and says the largest family of bats has special genes to produce antibodies that fight off pathogens.

Cut 7 (11) “…is pretty nifty.”

Frank says understanding this immune system could help mitigate the dangers of disease transmission from bats.

With the general election three months from today, the Secretary of State’s office is out with its inactive voter list. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The recall effort against Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards garnered just over two-thousand of the over 47-thousands signatures that would have been required to force a recall election. The campaigns to recall Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill are still ongoing and would take over 500-thousand signatures.

07.31.26
by

3:30 LRN Newscast

Participants in the Louisiana Women, Infants and Children program may begin using their new EBT cards tomorrow. Leslie Lewis, the nutrition operations manager at the Louisiana Department of Health, says the new cards help modernize the whole system.

Cut 12 (08) “…a federal requirement.”

Participants will need to choose a PIN before using their new cards; they may do so by calling the number on the back of the card or by using the myWIC app.

Chris Olave spoke at training camp today after signing a four-year, 132-million-dollar extension. Olave had the best season of his career last year with 100 catches, over one-thousand yards and nine touchdowns. He says this is the most momentum there has been in New Orleans since he’s been there, and it means a lot to stay long-term.

Cut 15 (11) “…that every day.”

After 85 years, a Cameron Parish seaman will finally get a proper funeral in his home state Saturday. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (42) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Visitation is being held today from 5 to 8 p.m. and 9 to 11 tomorrow morning before the service. All veterans are invited to the visitation.

07.31.26
by

12:30 LRN Newscast

More than 85 years after he was killed in Pearl Harbor, a Cameron Parish Navy seaman is coming home, and his funeral service will be in Lake Charles Saturday. Louisiana Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley says using anthropological and mitochondrial DNA analysis, the Defense Accounting Agency and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System positively identified the remains of Joseph Conner.

Cut 3 (12) “…from family members.”

The Saints signed wide receiver Chris Olave to a four-year 132-million dollar contract extension. New Orleans traded up to draft Olave 11th-overall in 2022. He’s had three one-thousand-yard seasons, but his four concussions since entering the league were a major concern. He says this deal is fair for both sides.

Cut 13 (11) “…communicating that.”

New Orleans Representative Candace Newell’s law subjecting students who assault teachers to expulsion goes into effect tomorrow. It also allows up to a year of paid medical leave for teachers and other school personnel who are injured on the job by an unruly student. Newell says her bill gives them peace of mind.

Cut 7 (12) “…of their administration.”

A grim milestone in Louisiana’s cyclosporiasis outbreak as the state has now confirmed 100 cases of people infected with the parasite that causes explosive diarrhea. State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says that’s considerably more than the state usually sees in the first seven months of the year.

Cut 10 (11) “…we typically see.”

Of those 100 patients, six have been hospitalized.

07.31.26
by

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Saints and former first-round wide receiver Chris Olave have agreed to a four-year, 132-million-dollar contract extension. The deal will make him the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid receiver behind the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb and ahead of the Steelers’ D.K. Metcalf. Olave ranked in the top eight of the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns last season. With a quarterback and two offensive tackles on rookie contracts, Locked On Saints podcast host Ross Jackson says this is the type of deal the Saints can afford.

Cut 14 (08) “…keep him around.”

Olave and the team got the deal done after a short two-day hold-in during camp, and Olave is back as a full participant in practice today.

LSU quarterback spoke publicly for the first time as a Tiger at a team event at the LSU practice facility last night. Leavitt said he was comfortable at Arizona State but said that LSU is just different, and that’s where he wanted to be. He said there is no better place to become the best version of yourself than LSU.

Tight end Juwan Johnson is entering his seventh season with the Saints, but the veteran pass catcher was actually college teammates with second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. The pair played together at Oregon in 2019 during Johnson’s graduate season. He says they’ve built great chemistry in their time together.

Cut 16 (16) “…the biggest thing (2x).”

Johnson had his best season last year with 77 catches for 889 yards and three touchdowns.

Saints legend Drew Brees asked his former head coach Sean Payton to present him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony next Saturday. The pair, of course, helped revive the Saints and the city of New Orleans post-Katrina when they arrived in 2006. They won the team’s only Super Bowl together in 2010 and spent 15 years together. Also being inducted next weekend are former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri and running back Roger Craig.

07.31.26
by

9:30 LRN Newscast

Starting tomorrow, it will be against state law for retailers and businesses to charge you a fee when you pay with a debit card. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

It will also become illegal to intentionally release balloons outdoors in Louisiana. The new law does include some exceptions, like if the release is done by an educational institution, for scientific purposes or with biodegradable balloons. The state is also doubling penalties for abandoning boats in Louisiana waterways.

Whether with voodoo, ghosts or vampires, you can find all types of paranormal experiences at ParaCon in New Orleans this weekend. Event Producer Jennifer Talley says there are free educational workshops and paid classes, and it’s not too late for you to get in on all the fun.

Cut 6 (12) “…16-ish and up.”

Wide receiver Chris Olave and the Saints have agreed to a four-year 132-million-dollar contract extension. There have been injury concerns for Olave, who has suffered four concussions since being drafted 11th overall in 2022. After playing just eight games in 2024, he had a career year and missed only the final game of last season. Locked On Saints podcast host Ross Jackson says this is a fair deal for both sides, but the Saints will need to protect themselves.

Cut 15 (08) “…the bigger question.”