Fortified roofs were the main focus of last week’s annual Louisiana Department of Insurance conference. In the past the state had grant programs, in which homeowners entered a lottery to be selected for a discounted fortified roof. Those are none of those right now.  But Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says thanks to lawmakers in this past legislative session, homeowners can receive a higher tax deduction if they pay for fortified roof…

Cut 5 (07) “…now ten-thousand dollars.”

Firefighters hope to have wildlife burning in the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness Area in Natchitoches Parish contained by the end of the week. Kisatchie National Forest spokesperson Jim Caldwell says the they’ve seen their share of wildfires there, but this one’s a difficult battle because of the terrain…

Cut 14 (11) “…fire in.”

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A strong effort is ongoing to get the “Little Cajun Saint,” Charlene Richard canonized as a Saint. Colleen Crain has the story…

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of one of its own yesterday.   CPSO says 22 year old Deputy Drakel Carter was arrested after a physical altercation involving the deputy on Saturday.  Carter is charged with malfeasance in office and simple battery.  He’s been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by State Police.

Fortified roofs were the main focus at the annual Louisiana Department of Insurance conference. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The five deep-water ports of the Lower Mississippi River have partnered up to develop a unified marketing strategy. Chairman of the Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission, Joe Toomy, says this collaboration will allow each port to emphasize their own strength…

Cut 7 (08) “…the world.”

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Firefighters hope to have wildlife burning in the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness Area in Natchitoches Parish contained by the end of the week. A lighting strike on August 3rd sparked the fire that has burned 15 hundred acres. Kisatchie National Forest spokesperson Jim Caldwell says they are using various methods to extinguish the blaze, and they can use some help from Mother Nature…

Cut 13 (07)  “…a lot.”

The Vatican is considering The Little Cajun Saint for sainthood as it’s believed she has performed miracles. Charlene Richard from Acadia Parish died in 1959 from leukemia at the age of 12 years old. President of the Charlene Richard Foundation, Nanette Reiners, says Richard knew she would die at a young age, but every day she offered her suffering for other people…

Cut 10 (07) “…everybody else”

Medicaid reportedly paid nearly ten-million dollars to healthcare organizations for over a thousand deceased beneficiaries between February 2019 and March of this year according to a report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office. State auditor Chris Magee says their recommendation to the Louisiana Department of Health is to use third-party data sources in their effort to make sure beneficiaries of Medicaid have not passed away…

Cut 7 (07) “…data basis.”

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon was in Baton Rouge this morning to kickoff her returning education to states tour. Secretary McMahon visited Jefferson Terrace Academy and participated in a roundtable conversation on Louisiana’s literacy progress. McMahon says she’s impressed with Louisiana’s improvement on the Nation’s Report Card…

Cut 12 (12) “…making it work.”

Secretary McMahon will also visit Arkansas and Tennessee this week.

Fortified roofs were the focus of last week’s annual Louisiana Department of Insurance conference. Commissioner Tim Temple says fortified roofs have proven to lower homeowner’s insurance premiums by as much as 50-percent.

Cut 4 (10) “…in Louisiana.”

Louisiana issued just 313 fortification certificates prior to 2023, but thanks to the state providing funding for the Fortify Homes Program, 54-hundred properties have been certified as of last February.

Ponchatoula-based Elmer Chocolate has been sold to Florida based Hoffman Family Companies. Elmer is known for Gold brick eggs and heavenly hash eggs, popular Easter candies. Geoff Hoffman with HFC says their goal is to grow Elmer

Cut 30 (12) “…avenues of growth”

Joe Sloan enters his second year as the offensive coordinator for LSU. Sloan is going to have much more talent to work with this year at the wide receiver position.  Last year, the Tigers weren’t much of a vertical threat in the pass game, but with the help of fifth-year senior Chris Hilton, Sloan says the Tigers can add another element to its offense.

CUT 19 (19): “good football” (OL)

The Associated Press released its preseason top 25 for the 2025 college football season. Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will start the season as the number 9 team in the country. Other Louisiana schools that received votes for the top 25 were the Tulane Green Wave with 23 votes and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with one vote.

The New Orleans Saints lost its first preseason game against the Chargers on Sunday by a score of 27 to 13. The highlight of the game for the Saints was rookie quarterback Tyler Shough’s 54-yard touchdown pass to Mason Tipton. Tipton is in his second season out of Yale and Moore likes what he sees from the wide out.

CUT 17 (10): “with us.”

Shough ended his first NFL preseason game by completing 15 of his 22 passes for 165 yards with one passing touchdown and an interception. Shough’s interception was a costly one, where Chargers defensive back Eric Rogers took it 43 yards for a touchdown. Shough says he would make the same throw 9 times out of ten and gave credit to Rogers.

CUT 21 (11): “finish more.”

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office found Medicaid paid nearly ten-million dollars to healthcare organizations for 1,072 deceased beneficiaries between February 2019 and March of this year. State auditor Chris Magee says they’ve recommended to the Louisiana Department of Health to use third-party data sources to identify and remove coverage for beneficiaries who have died

Cut 8 (05) “…with our recommendation”

LSU running back JT Lindsey is suspended from the team until his accessory to murder charge is resolved. Lindsey is accused of harboring two murder suspects in his apartment style dorm. Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne says a Baton Rouge TV station reports U.S. Marshals found multiple guns in his dorm room…

Cut 9 (12)  “…that facility”

McNeese is helping incoming freshmen adjust to college life. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon kicked off her returning education to the states tour this morning at Jefferson Terrace Academy in Baton Rouge. She says she’s impressed with Louisiana’s recent improvement on the Nation’s Report Card, and she believes each state should decide what’s best for itself when it comes to improving student achievement in the classroom.

Cut 13 (11)  “…to do.”

Secretary McMahon will also visit Arkansas and Tennessee this week.

An accidental shooting in Ville Platte sent a 10-year-old boy to the hospital Sunday. Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office says two 10-year-old boys were playing a game Sunday afternoon when one of them picked up a loaded weapon that was supposed to be locked up. Authorities say the boys were unaware the gun was loaded and one of them shot the other sending him to the hospital. No word on his condition. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon was in Baton Rouge this morning to kickoff her returning education to states tour. Secretary McMahon visited Jefferson Terrace Academy and participated in a roundtable conversation on Louisiana’s literacy progress. McMahon says she’s impressed with Louisiana’s improvement on the Nation’s Report Card…

Cut 12 (12) “…making it work.”

Secretary McMahon will also visit Arkansas and Tennessee this week.

The preseason AP Top 25 poll was released today and the LSU Tigers are ranked in the top 10. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

McNeese State is helping their incoming Freshman adjust to their first year of college life with their First Year Experience program. The program is funded for five years with a 2.2-million-dollar grant from the Department of Education and Director of the First Year Experience Jacqueline Clark says a portion of that money goes towards hiring student mentors.

Cut 5 (09) “…the students”

Medicaid reportedly paid nearly ten-million dollars to healthcare organizations for over a thousand deceased beneficiaries between February 2019 and March of this year according to a report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office. State auditor Chris Magee says their recommendation to the Louisiana Department of Health is to use third-party data sources in their effort to make sure beneficiaries of Medicaid have not passed away…

Cut 7 (07) “…data basis.”

LSU running back JT Lindsey is suspended from the team until there is resolution of his accessory to murder charge involving 2 teens accused of murder staying in his apartment earlier this year. His attorney says the Alexandria High School football star didn’t know the teens were wanted. Lindsey’s suspension leaves LSU with three scholarship running backs but Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne says a former high school football quarterback from Lafayette Christian could be used as a ball carrier out of the backfield this season…

Cut 11 (12) “…to fill in as well.”

In Natchitoches Parish, a wildfire burning in the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness Area named the Backbone fire has been burning for about a week and has burned through about 1200 acres. Yesterday, crews were able to perform a burn out operation and hope to continue through Tuesday, weather permitting. The fire was reportedly caused by a lightening strike and this morning was 15 miles south of Natchitoches.

Classes at McNeese begin August 25^th and Freshman students move in on August 21^st. They’ll benefit from a new First-Year Experience program to help them adjust to college life. Director Jacqueline Clark says the traditional two-day Cowboy Camp orientation is a big part of the First-Year Experience.

Cut 4 (12) “…set of friends.”

The First-Year Experience program is funded for five years with a 2.2-million-dollar grant from the Department of Education.

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office releases a report that finds Medicaid paid nearly ten-million dollars to healthcare organizations for 1,072 beneficiaries who were deceased. The report covers February 2019 to March of this year and the review was conducted to further the goals of the Governor’s Fiscal Responsibility Program. State auditor Chris Magee on how they found out these beneficiaries were dead…

Cut 6 (11) “…death master file”

A procession honoring fallen Baton Rouge Police Captain Caleb Eisworth  rolled through Baton Rouge Sunday. Eisworth was surrounded by died Sunday morning after spending seven weeks in the hospital with multiple injuries sustained in June when Gad Black allegedly intentionally rammed his pickup truck into Eisworth’s motorcycle. Eisworth served 23 years in law enforcement and received BRPD’s highest honor, The Medal of Valor. District Attorney Hiller Moore says he plans to seek the death penalty against Gad Black.

McNeese is helping incoming freshmen adjust to college life. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

LSU running back JT Lindsey is accused of harboring two murder suspects in his apartment style dorm and has been suspended from the team until the issue is resolved. Lindsey’s attorney says the former star running back at Alexandria Senior High was unaware the two teenagers were wanted for murder.  Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne says it’s likely he will not play this season…

Cut 10 (09) “…serious allegation.”

Elmer Chocolate, the 170-year-old Louisiana family-owned chocolate company based in Ponchatoula has sold to a Florida-based family equity firm.

Cut 30 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

A Baton Rouge motorcycle officer is dead from injuries he sustained in June when a pickup truck slammed into his motorcycle in what authorities believe was an intentional act. Sergeant Caleb Eisworth served on the force for 23 year and is survived by his wife and daughter. Prosecutors might seek the death penalty for Gad Black, the man accused of killing the officer.

LSU running back JT Lindsey is suspended from the team until his accessory to murder charge is resolved. Lindsey is accused of harboring two murder suspects in his apartment style dorm. Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne says a Baton Rouge TV station reports U.S. Marshals found multiple guns in his dorm room…

Cut 9 (12) “…that facility”

Lindsey’s attorney says the former star running back at Alexandria Senior High was unaware the two teenagers staying at his dorm were wanted for murder.

Freshman year in college can be very daunting –and McNeese is helping freshmen make the adjustment with its new First-Year Experience program. Director Jacqueline Clark says the program offers support to more than one-thousand new students…

Cut 3 (13) “…in college.”

The First-Year Experience program is funded for five years with a 2.2-million-dollar grant from the Department of Education.

After a ten-day delay, inshore shrimp season begins today.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Tropical Storm Erin has formed way out in the Atlantic. It’s not an immediate threat to the Gulf of America, but it could be our first hurricane of season.

The Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office says two ten-year-old boys from the Ville Platte area were involved in an accidental shooting. Deputies say one of the children picked up a weapon that was supposed to be locked up and shot the other. We are waiting on an update of the injured child.

Pontchatoula’s Elmer Chocolate has been sold to Florida based, Hoffman Family of Companies.  But it’s not going anywhere.  Elmer CEO, Robert Nelson says the family wants to grow the company and keep it in Ponchatoula. A long-time fan of gold brick toppings on his ice cream, Geoff Hoffman says when he toured the facility, he knew Elmer was a company they wanted to partner with.

Cut 11 (13) “…best in class.”

Tonight’s your chance to see ESPN’s “Above the Tide:20 Years After Katrina”.  The documentary looks back at the first game in the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. It premieres tonight at six.  It’s directed by Julian Gooden who says Steve Gleason’s famous blocked punt signifies the rebirth of the Crescent City.

Cut 9 (08)  “…representation of that.”