A huge announcement is going down right now in Abbeville as Governor Landry and SpaceX officials are announcing a monumental economic development project that will lead to thousands of jobs and rockets being launched off the coast of Louisiana in Vermilion Parish.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

State officials say the new spaceport will become the largest in the world. Construction is expected to start next year with the first launch planned for 2029. The company is expected to create three-thousand new direct jobs.

A Baton Rouge judge granted LSU basketball signee RJ Luis a preliminary injunction allowing him to return to college basketball after signing two NBA and G League contracts. Luis’s attorney, Elliot Abrams, told WBRZ in Baton Rouge that with N-I-L and revenue sharing allowing schools to pay athletes directly, the NCAA is now a professional sports league.

Cut 3 (12) “…cries wolf.”

The NCAA is likely to appeal.

Thumb arthritis affects between 25 and 33-percent of adults over the age of 50, mostly women. Doctor Diego Miranda at Willis Knighten Health in Bossier is performing a new treatment option to help relieve painful, qualify-of-life limiting symptoms….

Cut 15 (08) “…for this procedure”

The procedure takes about an hour and is typically performed as an outpatient surgery.

A huge announcement will take place in the next hour in Abbeville where officials have gathered to announce that Space X will build a spaceport on Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish. Parish president Chad Vallo says this is a monumental day for his parish…

Cut 29 (14) “….very good jobs”

The Pecan Island area is a haven for hunting and fishing, and outdoor enthusiasts are concerned about what the spaceport will mean for them.

A New Orleans teacher is upset with Louisiana’s law that requires public schools to publish the 10 Commandments in every classroom. Chris Dier teaches history at Benjamin Franklin High School, and he’s petitioned the U-S Supreme Court to look at Louisiana’s 10 commandments law, because he believes it violates the Establishment Clause.

Willis Knighton Health in Bossier City is the first facility in the region to offer a new treatment for thumb arthritis. It’s called the TOUCH CMC 1 Prosthesis. The joint surfaces are replaced with a dual-mobility ball-and-socket implant. Dr. Diego Miranda says it’s an outpatient procedure, and the recovery time is three weeks.

Cut 14 (09) “…from then on.”

Tonight at 7 PM it is the Celebration of Life memorial at the PMAC for legendary LSU baseball coach and athletics director Skip Bertman. Before the doors of the PMAC open to the public at 6 PM, there will be a private ceremony for family, staff and former players. Former LSU pitcher Doug Thompson…

Cut 9 (09) “…with his boys”

Governor Landry ordered flags to be flown at half-mast today in Bertman’s honor.

Governor Landry is expected to announce the construction of a SpaceX launch site in Vermilion Parish today. The area was hit hard by Hurricane Rita in 2005, and Parish President Chad Vallo says SpaceX’s arrival should lead to better protections to avoid a repeat occurrence.

Cut 6 (13) “…us as well.”

LSU’s celebration of Skip Bertman’s life will be held in the PMAC tonight at 7 p-m. The event honoring the Louisiana legend who passed away at the age of 88 earlier this month is open to the public. Doors open at 6 p-m, with general admission seating around the upper bowl available. Doug Thompson, one of Bertman’s national champion pitchers, says it is a great chance to celebrate an icon.

Cut 7 (11) “…to do it.”

While LSU football coach Lane Kiffin gains commitments from former NFL players, basketball coach Will Wade just brought a former NBA player to campus. In a case not related to the fifth-year eligibility lawsuits across the country, a Baton Rouge judge granted LSU signee RJ Luis a preliminary injunction to return to college basketball after declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft and signing two professional contracts. Luis never played in a pro game due to injury, and his attorneys argue NIL has blurred the distinction between amateur and professional leagues and compensation.

The LHSAA has seen a 10-percent increase in multi-sport officials from last year, with 926 of its approximately four-thousand officials calling more than one sport. Director of Officials Lee Sanders says they are also working to recruit and train the next generation of multi-sport officials, and a lot of skills needed to officiate one sport can work for another.

Cut 11 (09) “…sport to another.”

A celebration of life ceremony for the legendary Skip Bertman will be held in the PMAC tonight. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

Republican state Senator Blake Miguez has picked up the endorsement of the Louisiana Republican party in the race for Louisiana’s 6^th Congressional district.  The November 3^rd election is what’s known as a jungle primary, which means all candidates, regardless of party, will be on the same ballot.

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Big announcement expected from Governor Landry this morning regarding plans for SpaceX to build a spaceport in coastal Vermillion Parsish.  The Pecan Island area is a haven for hunting and fishing, and outdoor enthusiasts are concerned about what the spaceport will mean for them. But Parish President Chad Vallo says he’s confident the net for Vermilion Parish will be overwhelmingly positive, just as a similar project in Brownsville, Texas, has been.

Cut 5 (07) “…community as well.”

Willis Knighton Health in Bossier City is the first facility in the region to offer a new treatment for thumb arthritis. It’s called the TOUCH CMC 1 Prosthesis, and it’s being performed by hand and wrist surgery specialist Dr. Diego Miranda, who says while traditional treatments require complete removal of the trapezium (tra-PEE-zee-um) bone, this new procedure keeps it intact.

Cut 13 (05)  “…the joint surfaces.”

Governor Landry will be in Abbeville this morning, where he’s expected to announce that SpaceX will be building a spaceport in Vermilion Parish. Here’s Andrew Greenstein.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Poice in Eunice have identified the two victims who were killed in Saturday morning’s shooting as 22 year old Davion Fugett and 34 year old Rico Morgan, both of Eunice. The two were killed when five people were shot early Saturday at Chip’s Daiquiris there. So far, no arrests have been made but police say they have identified a person of interest.

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LSU’s celebration of Louisiana legend Skip Bertman’s life will be held in the PMAC tonight at 7.  Doors are set to open at six and the event is open to the public. The ceremony will also be broadcast on ESPN-plus and the SEC Network. Doug Thompson, one of Bertman’s national champion pitchers, says LSU fans are known for showing up for their teams, and he hopes that the PMAC is bursting at the seams with Tiger fans honoring Bertman.

Cut 8 (08) “…we’re so unique.”

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association is seeing more multi-sport officials. Director of Officials Lee Sanders says there are about four-thousand officials, and 926 of them work multiple sports, which is a 10-percent increase from last year and a 22-percent increase from 2024.

Cut 10 (07) “…and member schools.”

LSU’s celebration of Skip Bertman’s life will be held in the PMAC tonight at 7 p-m. The event honoring the Louisiana legend who passed away at the age of 88 earlier this month is open to the public. Doors open at 6 p-m, with general admission seating around the upper bowl available. Doug Thompson, one of Bertman’s national champion pitchers, says it is a great opportunity to celebrate an icon.

Cut 7 (11) “…to do it.”

Governor Jeff Landry will be in Abbeville this morning, where he’s expected to announce that SpaceX will be building a spaceport in coastal Vermilion Parish. Parish President Chad Vallo this is a monumental day for his parish.

Cut 4 (14) “…very good jobs.”

The news conference is scheduled to start this morning at 11.

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The Louisiana High School Athletic Association is pleased to see the number of officials who are working multiple sports is growing. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U-s Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the illegal shooting and killing of a bald eagle.  It happened in Vermillion Parish in early December of last year.  A reward of up to 20-thousand dollars is being offered to anyone with information that leads to a conviction in this case.

Governor Landry will be in Abbeville this morning, where he’s expected to announce that SpaceX will be building a spaceport in Vermilion Parish. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

A celebration of life ceremony for legendary LSU baseball coach and athletic director Skip Bertman will be held in the PMAC tonight. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

____________________________________________

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association is pleased to see the number of officials who are working multiple sports is growing. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

___________________________________________________

Governor Landry will be in Abbeville this morning, where he’s expected to announce that SpaceX will be building a spaceport in coastal Vermilion Parish. Parish President Chad Vallo this is a monumental day for his parish.

Cut 4 (14) “…very good jobs.”

The Pecan Island area is a haven for hunting and fishing, and outdoor enthusiasts are concerned about what the spaceport will mean for them. But Vallo says he’s confident that the net for Vermilion Parish will be overwhelmingly positive, just as a similar project in Brownsville, Texas, has been.

Cut 5 (07) “…community as well.”

Vermilion Parish was hit hard by Hurricane Rita in 2005, and Vallo says SpaceX’s arrival should lead to better protections to avoid a repeat occurrence.

Cut 6 (13) “…us as well.”

The news conference is scheduled to start at 11 a-m. No word on whether SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will be in attendance.

__________________________________________

LSU’s celebration of Skip Bertman’s life will be held in the PMAC tonight at 7 p-m. The event honoring the Louisiana legend who passed away at the age of 88 earlier this month is open to the public. Doors open at 6 p-m, with general admission seating around the upper bowl available. Doug Thompson, one of Bertman’s national champion pitchers, says it is a great opportunity to celebrate an icon.

Cut 7 (11) “…to do it.”

The ceremony will also be broadcast on ESPN-plus and the SEC Network. Thompson says LSU fans are known for showing up for their teams, and he hopes that the PMAC is bursting at the seams with Tiger fans honoring Bertman.

Cut 8 (08) “…we’re so unique.”

A private ceremony will be held with former players, staff and family members. Thompson says grieving Bertman’s passing has been hard, but it is important to come together to celebrate him because the relationships he formed and lives he touched were what he was most proud of.

Cut 9 (09)  “…with his boys.”

Governor Jeff Landry ordered flags around the state to be flown at half-mast in Bertman’s honor.

__________________________________________

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association is seeing more multi-sport officials. Director of Officials Lee Sanders says there are about four-thousand officials, and 926 of them work multiple sports, which is a 10-percent increase from last year and a 22-percent increase from 2024.

Cut 10 (07) “…and member schools.”

Each multi-sport official will receive a commemorative flipping coin as a token of appreciation. This year’s design celebrates Louisiana’s unique cultural heritage.

Sanders says they are also working to recruit and train the next generation of multi-sport officials, and a lot of skills needed to officiate a particular sport can work for another sport as well.

Cut 11 (09) “…sport to another.”

Sanders says officials who work multiple sports have to dedicate the time, but it’s worth it.

Cut 12 (12) “…that you love.”

The start of the fall sports season is right around the corner. Sanders says they’ve increased the volleyball officials by four percent, there’s a two-percent increase in football refs, and they’re always looking to add more.

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Willis Knighton Health in Bossier City is the first facility in the region to offer a new treatment for thumb arthritis. It’s called the TOUCH CMC 1 Prosthesis, and it’s being performed by hand and wrist surgery specialist Dr. Diego Miranda. He says whereas traditional treatments require complete removal of the trapezium (tra-PEE-zee-um) bone, this new procedure keeps it intact.

Cut 13 (05)  “…the joint surfaces.”

The joint surfaces are replaced with a dual-mobility ball-and-socket implant. Dr. Miranda says like the traditional procedure, this is an outpatient procedure, and the recovery time is three weeks.

Cut 14 (09) “…from then on.”

Miranda says he started offering this new procedure earlier this summer, and the demand for it among patients suffering from thumb arthritis is growing.

Cut 15 (08) “…for this procedure.”

____________________________________________

The Saints will close out the preseason against the Cowboys on Friday. New Orleans will carry three kickers on the roster after signing two-time All-Pro Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson. Head coach Kellen Moore says the veteran will join the competition between Charlie Smyth and Tannar Hudson.

Cut 16 (09) “…go from there.”

New Orleans traded former LSU linebacker Deion Jones to the 49ers for running back Zamir White. Jones just signed with the Saints earlier this month, but New Orleans needs depth in the running back room as injuries pile up. Alvin Kamara will be sidelined for a month, Devin Neal reinjured his hamstring and Ty Chandler could be facing a severe knee injury. Moore says White is an experienced back who fits into the scheme well.

Cut 17 (11) “…it’ll be good.”

LSU earned a commitment from former Saints undrafted free agent Zxavian Harris as he returns to college football for a fifth season. Moore’s brother, Kirby, is the head coach at Washington State, and he says the slew of lawsuits giving players new eligibility puts coaches in a bind.

Cut 18 (17) “…developed here shortly.”

Governor Landry will be in Abbeville tomorrow morning, where he’s expected to announce that SpaceX will be building a spaceport in coastal Vermilion Parish. Parish President Chad Vallo this is a monumental day for his parish.

Cut 4 (14) “…very good jobs.”

It’s the new NFL-to-college pipeline, and LSU is poised to be the first beneficiary. After being waived by the Browns, tight end Dae’Quan Wright is set to return to college football, committing to LSU. This is due to a ruling by a Baton Rouge judge granting him a fifth season of eligibility. LSU Coach Lane Kiffin says this is unprecedented.

Cut 9 (11)  “…unique circumstance.”

Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the Smitty’s Supply explosion in Roseland and contamination concerns remain. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

For the second time in the span of four days, an earthquake rocks north Louisiana. The latest one was a magnitude 2.6 that struck this morning near Pleasant Hill. It comes on the heels of a magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck Coushatta Friday. No reports of any damage from either quake.

Amazon Web Services holds an open house tomorrow at the Shreveport Convention Center to discuss the three data centers it’s building in the Shreveport-Bossier area. The data centers are expected to create more than 700 permanent jobs, and AWS Vice President of Economic Development Roger Wehner says Amazon will focus on hiring workers from the local community.

Cut 15 (08) “…workforce development.”

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin is defending his decision to sign former NFL tight end Dae’Quan Wright. The undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss was released by the Browns after not playing a single down in either of the team’s first two preseason games. Kiffin says he and his staff will continue to do whatever it takes to make LSU better.

Cut 11 (10) “…no matter what.”

This past weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the Smitty’s Supply plant explosion in Roseland. The blast released stored motor oils, lubricants and fuel additives into the local environment and the Tangipahoa River. Pat Mashburn lives 35 miles south of the explosion site and told Talk 107-3 in Baton Rouge that wildlife still has not come back…

Cut 3 (08) “…not one.”

A new mRNA vaccine to reduce the risk of melanoma returning is showing great promise when combined with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. Dr. Katherine Chang, an assistant professor of ear, nose and throat surgery at LSU Health Shreveport, says this vaccine could be a game-changer, especially in states like Louisiana.

Cut 12 (10) “…a death sentence.”

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin defended the program’s decision today to recruit NFL players that have been granted a fifth year of college eligibility. The NCAA approved a new five-year eligibility model this summer that opened the door for hundreds of athletes who just finished their eligibility to file lawsuits to get the fifth year many of their teammates and future athletes will now receive. Kiffin says his obligation is to LSU and its fans and to go recruit the best available players.

Cut 10 (13) “…against them.”

This past Saturday was the one year anniversary of the Smitty’s Supply plant explosion in Roseland. It’s been estimated 12 million gallons of oily liquid and industrial chemical waste were released into the local drainage systems and Tangipahoa River. Local resident Pat Mashburn tells Talk 107-3 in Baton Rouge that he’s disappointed in the lack of updates from local leaders…

Cut 4 (09) “…Roseland.”

A Drive Sober, Get Pulled Over campaign is underway across the state as law enforcement will step up its enforcement through the Labor Day weekend for impaired drivers. LDWF Law Enforcement Division Superintendent Colonel Stephen Clark says not only will patrols on roadways be beefed up, so will patrols on Louisiana’s waterways.

Cut 8 (15) “…fatality boat accidents.”

University Medical Center New Orleans opened phase one of its expanded cancer center today. Dr. Amelia Jernigan with UMC New Orleans says the additional space will allow cancer patients to be seen quickly and will help support the needs of oncology patients regionally.

Cut 16 (14) “…systemic therapy.”