The state Department of Transportation announces there will be lane closures on I-20 in the Shreveport-Bossier City area for the next two and a half years because that highway will be getting new pavement starting September 18th. Teiko Foxx has more.

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The first televised debate in the 2023 governor’s race is tonight. Brooke Thorington on what to expect.

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Despite the recent rain, the statewide burn ban remains in effect. Brooke Thorington has more

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The state Department of Transportation announces a 117 million dollar construction project will begin on I-20 in Bossier and Caddo Parishes on September 18th. DOTD Spokesperson Erin Buchanan says workers will spend the next two and a half years replacing the original pavement from the 1960s.

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The work will result in lane closures. The interstate will be reduced to one lane from Hamilton Road to Industrial Drive in both directions. Buchanan says a real-time traffic system will alert motorists to changing traffic conditions.

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Motorists are urged to use I-220 as an alternate route. The work will be performed at night to minimize traffic. Buchanan says reconstruction work will also be underway from Pines Road to Market Street on the west end.

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This section of the interstate services 70 to 100 thousand vehicles daily. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2025.

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Five of the seven major candidates will participate in the first televised debate for the 2023 governor’s race tonight. Republican Jeff Landry refuses to participate because he says the organizer, the Urban League is biased toward Democrats. UNO Political Science professor Dr. Ed Chervenak says it’s unfortunate because voters are interested in what Landry has to say.

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Republican Representative Richard Nelson was not invited to participate due to low polling numbers.

With fellow Republicans and Independent Hunter Lundy polling in the single digits, Chervenak says they’ll need to capture viewers’ attention and set themselves apart.

Present or not, Chervenak believes the candidates will go after Landry.

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And even though two of the seven viable candidates will be missing,  Chervenak thinks voters will still tune in to get a better idea of what the participating candidates’ plans are for Louisiana.

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The debate at, WWL-TV’s studio in New Orlean will be televised statewide tonight at 7 pm. KATC, WBRZ, and KTBS are also sponsoring tonight’s debate.

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Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says they are once again taking applications from insurance companies who are interested in receiving grant dollars if they write more homeowners insurance policies. Donelon says they allocated 42-million dollars to eight insurers following the first round of applications and it resulted in thousands of homeowners finding coverage through a private insurer…

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Donelon says many of the new policies were written in southeast Louisiana…

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Donelon says the total amount of grant funds during this second application period is 13 million dollars. He says the goal is to reduce the number of homes that have coverage through the state-run insurer of last resort Citizens, which by state law has to offer policies with more expensive premiums…

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The statewide burn ban remains in effect, even though parts of the state have received rain, but officials say it’s not enough to reduce the increased risk of fire due to the prolonged drought. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue…

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Despite recent rains near some of the ongoing wildfires, Rodrigue says those blazes remain active.

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office, however, says residents can resume outdoor cooking, but Rodrigue encourages those who do grill out to have safety measures in place before they light up.

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At Tiger Stadium tailgaters have been asked not to grill out for LSU’s home opener against Grambling on Saturday.

The state’s burn ban will be reconsidered on a weekly basis.

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The regular season opener is fast approaching for the Saints, who will face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. New starting quarterback Derek Carr believes the Black and Gold will have a great season

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Carr expects Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel to bring a physical style of play to the Superdome on Sunday…

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Carr on the importance of winning the first game…

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LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith will make his season debut on Saturday night when the Tigers host Grambling. Smith was suspended for the season opener for getting paid for autographs before NIL took effect. Coach Brian Kelly says it will be Smith’s first game since last September…

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Louisiana Tech will host north Louisiana rival Northwestern State on Saturday. Bulldogs Coach Sonny Cumbie says the stakes get raised when you play another team from Louisiana…

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The Bulldogs are 1-1 after losing to SMU last week, Northwestern State dropped its season opener to U-L Lafayette.

Singer Jimmy Buffett died Friday from a rare skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. Teiko Foxx spoke with an LSU Oncologist expert about the aggressive disease.

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The first televised debate of the 2023 governor’s race is tomorrow night, but the front-runner will not be there. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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Margaritaville Singer Jimmy Buffett died as a result of merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer, diagnosed in less than three thousand people in the U-S every year. LSU School of Medicine Oncologist Dr. Brian Boulmay says the disease develops on areas of the body that are regularly exposed to natural or artificial sources of light.

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MCC tumors show up on the forearm, neck, face, and lower legs. It quickly spreads to the lymph nodes first and then to the liver, bones, lungs, and brain. Boulmay suggests contacting your physician if you see a mole, freckle, or bump that is changing in size, shape, or color.

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Men are twice as likely to develop this cancer than women. About 90 percent of the people who have it are White, and about 80 percent are 70 and older. Boulmay says early detection is key but you can protect yourself.

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The survival rate of MCC is 51 percent when the cancer is confined to one spot on the body.

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Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy was asked his thoughts on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health after the Kentucky lawmaker appeared to freeze in front of the public on at least two occasions. Cassidy, who’s also a physician says he’s satisfied with the U.S. Capitol attending physician’s report.

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The physician’s report says McConnell has not suffered a stroke or a seizure disorder.

Concerns about the 81-year-old’s health have generated calls for his resignation and reignited the debate on term limits for members of Congress. Cassidy is satisfied with the physician’s report and McConnell’s role in the Senate.

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Fellow Kentucky lawmaker Rand Paul criticized the Capitol attending physician’s report. Paul believes McConnell had a seizure. Cassidy says he’s going to go with the report of the healthcare provider who actually examined McConnell.

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The first televised debate of the 2023 governor’s race is tomorrow. Five of the candidates will discuss the issues facing Louisiana at 7 PM at WWL-TV’s studio in New Orleans. But the front-runner, Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, will not be there. Landry says one of the organizers the Urban League has a bias towards Democrats

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The Urban League says they do not have any bias towards a particular candidate. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson will also not participate tomorrow, because his polling numbers are not high enough.

Landry says one of his criteria to attend a debate is that all seven major candidates appear on stage…

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Early voting for the October 14th election begins Saturday, September 30th. Landry has an estimated eight million dollars in cash on hand. The Attorney General says it’s a sign that voters believe he’s the right guy for the job…

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Campaign finance reports from all candidates are due September 14th.