With Julia Letlow seeking bigger and better things, the race is on to replace her in the House of Representatives. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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A large ice storm could produce power outages and close numerous roads across the northern half of the state this weekend. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (37) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Lane Kiffin added the 13th top-150 player to LSU’s transfer portal class yesterday. Andre Champagne has more.

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Congressman Troy Carter is among the sponsors of a bipartisan bill that would require all middle school and high school student IDs and websites to include mental health and suicide prevention information. The New Orleans Democrat says the information could be a life-saver for kids at the ages who need those services the most.

Cut 4 (12) “…drugs or alcohol.”

Carter says among the contact information that would be required under the bipartisan legislation would be for the 988 suicide prevention hotline.

Cut 5 (08) “…is totally anonymous.”

Carter says unlike adults or people they know, kids contemplating suicide will call the 988 suicide prevention hotline.

Cut 6 (10) “…result of this.”

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Now that Julia Letlow will be vacating her District 5 seat to challenge Bill Cassidy for his U.S. Senate seat, the race is on for her successor. Greg Hilburn, a Louisiana politics reporter for the USA Today Network, says this will be a wide open race – at least in one of the primaries.

Cut 7 (10) “…that’s Garret Graves.”

Garret Graves formerly represented the Sixth District until he was effectively drawn out of that district, leading him to drop his re-election bid. Hilburn says while he does not expect Graves to run, there are several people who you will likely see on the ballot on the Republican side.

Cut 8 (13) “…in the Senate.”

The Fifth District is decidedly Republican, as are the three other Republican-leaning districts in the state. Hilburn says with qualifying less than three weeks away, the candidates will have to resort to creative ways to raise any significant amounts of money.

Cut 9 (08)  “…can for sure.”

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North Louisiana could be hit with a significant ice storm this weekend. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says rain will reach the state’s northwestern parishes on Friday, and that rain will eventually turn to freezing rain and spread across the northern half of the state.

Cut 10 (08) “…ice or more.”

Grymes says ice accumulations could top a half inch for the northern third of Louisiana, and some places could see an inch of ice.

Cut 11 (12) “…widespread power outages”

Grymes says if there are road closures, they could extend into Monday as it will be extremely cold.

Cut 12 (09) “…in a row.”

Grymes says there is the potential for ice accumulations along parts of the I-10/I-12 corridor by Saturday night into Sunday. Governor Landry will hold a 2 p-m press conference to discuss the state’s preparedness for the storm.

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If this approaching ice storm does what forecasters expect it will do, road closures are likely across the northern half of the state. Rodney Mallett with DOTD says they will do what they can to keep roads open.

Cut 13 (15)  “…priority routes open.”

Temperatures are also expected to fall below freezing for multiple days in north Louisiana, so any road closures could be lengthy. Mallett says they do have a chemical called Pavix that can help with iced over bridges, elevated highways and roads.

Cut 14 (10) “…easier to do.”

Mallett says the state also has more than ten million pounds of salt.

Cut 15 (09) “…we’re able to.”

Mallett says they can’t spread the salt on the roads too soon, because it will wash away when it starts raining on Friday.

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Lane Kiffin’s top-rated 2026 transfer portal class got even stronger after receiving a commitment from the top edge rusher in the portal, Princewill Umanmielen (ooh-MAHN-me-ellen) of Ole Miss. Umanmielen had 45 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, as well as nine sacks for the Rebels last season. Zack Nagy, the managing editor of LSUTigersOnSI.com, says Umanmielen is an impact player.

Cut 16 (14) “…a big one.”

Umanmielen entered the transfer portal on January 15th but had previously re-signed to stay with the Rebels for the 2026 season on January 5th. Nagy says LSU will likely pay Umanmielen’s buyout…

Cut 17 (18)  “…agreement with Umanmielen.”

Garland Gillen of Fox 8 New Orleans reports that LSU paid a total of 1.5 million dollars for Umanmielen, which includes a 500-thousand-dollar buyout that goes to Ole Miss.

Kiffin may not be done yet. The Tigers are fighting to land Colorado sophomore Jordan Seaton, who is rated as the number-one offensive tackle in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports. Nagy says LSU and Oregon are in an intense recruiting battle for Seaton.

Cut 18 (22)  “…open up the checkbook.”

We continue to keep an eye on the winter storm that’s bearing down on much of the state late this week and this weekend. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says by the end of the week, the roads will be unbearable for many.

Cut 3 (13) “…of southern Louisiana.”

With much of the state in the crosshairs of Mother Nature’s wrath, GOHSEP is urging you to start preparing now. Mike Steele with GOHSEP says now is the time to start putting together your emergency kit.

Cut 6 (10) “…significant power loss.”

Steele says when at the grocery store, stock up on foods that require neither refrigeration nor preparation, and have enough per person for at least 72 hours without power.

New Orleans officials announce the arrest of a 35-year-old man who allegedly set eight vehicles on fire in the Bywater neighborhood early Monday morning. Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Michael Harrison says surveillance cameras caught Kyle Tomeson on an arson spree.

Cut 9 (09)  “…from the area.”

Tomeson has been booked on four counts of aggravated arson and nine counts of simple arson.

Investigators in Rapides Parish are calling it a tragic accident. Tommy Carnline with the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to a shooting south of Lecompte early Monday morning and found two people inside a vehicle, one of whom had been shot.

Cut 12 (06) “…in the head.”

Carnline says investigators determined that there was no foul play involved. The sheriff’s office has not released the victim’s identity.

Ole Miss star junior transfer edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen (OOH-Mahn-me-ellen) has signed with LSU according to multiple sources. Umanmielen is the No. 1 edge rusher and No. 5 overall player in the transfer portal according to 2-4-7 sports. Umanmielen becomes the 40th addition to the Tigers’ 2026 transfer portal class. Lane Kiffin has now landed 13 top-150 players in the portal.

Kiffin has also been able to retain some of the best players off the 2025 team, like tight end Trey’Dez Green, running backs Caden Durham and Harlem Berry, and linebacker Whit Weeks. At the Baton Rouge Business Report’s Power Breakfast on Tuesday, Kiffin says bringing Weeks back for his senior season was a top priority, and Whit wanted to leave LSU on a high note.

Cut 19 (23) “…when I came here.”

The New Orleans Saints announced they will keep season ticket prices the same for the 2026 season today. The team has sold out every home game for the past 20 seasons. New Orleans is scheduled to host nine regular season games at the Caesars Superdome next season, pending NFL scheduling announcements regarding the International Game Series.

Due to a potential winter storm, Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team is rescheduling their game against Kennesaw State to Friday night at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs were originally scheduled to host the Owls on Saturday.

The Pelicans are back in New Orleans tonight as they host the Pistons at 7 p.m. Detroit has the best record in the Eastern Conference. Forward Zion Williamson is questionable with an illness and forward Herb Jones is questionable with a right ankle sprain. Detroit guards Cade Cunningham and Caris LeVert are both questionable with an illness.

UL-Lafayette men’s basketball looks to steal another game on the road tomorrow night as the Cajuns take on Appalachian State at 5:30 p.m.

Forecasters believe the northern half of the state will be hit by a winter storm this weekend. The forecast calls for rain to turn to freezing rain Friday night or Saturday morning and significant accumulations of ice are likely across the I-20 corridor.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland and Security Emergency Preparedness is calling on Louisiana residents to get prepared now for the possibility of road closures and power outages…

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal shooting involving a passenger in a moving vehicle on US-71 South that apparently shot themself in the head. Spokesperson Tommy Carnline says the passenger was handling a firearm when they accidentally discharged it….

Cut 13 (09) “….toward the ground”

The identity of the victim has not been released. Investigators determined no foul play was involved.

New Orleans Police has arrested a suspected arsonist who lit up eight vehicles in the Bywater neighborhood early Monday morning. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno says they treated this case very seriously…

Cut 10 (09) “…of New Orleans”

Kyle Tomeson faces multiple counts of aggravated arson and simple arson. Fox 8 TV say Tomeson was apprehended while working his job as a bartender in the French Quarter.

A major winter storm is expected to hit the northern half of Louisiana this weekend. LSU health climatologist Barry Keim says freezing rain and sleet and possibly a little bit of snow is expected…

Cut 5 (08) “….should clear out”

Freezing rain also a possibility in southwest Louisiana and It will be very cold across the state on Sunday and Monday.

New Orleans officials announced the arrest today of a 35-year-old man accused setting fire to eight vehicles in the Bywater community early Monday morning. Kyle Tomeson has been booked on four counts of aggravated arson and nine counts of simple arson. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno feels bad for the victims, but she is thankful for one thing…

Cut 11 (07) “…situation”

LSU has added one of the top pass rushers in the SEC to its roster and it’s someone coach Lane Kiffin knows well.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Sad story out of northwest Louisiana as a sheriff’s deputy lost his life when he was hit by a train this morning. The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office says Deputy Tim Jordan, a four-year veteran, was hit by a train while working a traffic assignment. Investigators believe Deputy Jordan may have misjudged the proximity of his vehicle in relation to the train track.

The northern half of the state is under a winter storm watch. Wintery precipitation is possible from Friday to Sunday. The National Weather Service says there is a high probability of significant accumulations of freezing rain and or sleet. Power outages are possible. Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness spokesperson Mike Steele says generator safety will be important…

Cut 8 (11) “…properly”

The winter weather will not spread across the entire state. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says southeast Louisiana will likely not see any wintery precipitation…

Cut 4 (11) “…cold rain”

The entire Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case of Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law, along with a nearly identical case out of Texas. Andrew Greenstein reports.

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Investigators in Rapides Parish are calling it a tragic accident. Tommy Carnline with the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to a shooting south of Lecompte early Monday morning and found two people inside a vehicle, one of whom had been shot.

Cut 12 (06) “…in the head.”

Authorities have not released the identity of the person who was fatally shot.

Much of the state will be pounded by crippling storms this weekend, so now is the time to start preparing. Mike Steele with GOHSEP says if you haven’t been to the grocery store lately, today would be a really good day to do, and stock up on foods that require neither refrigeration nor preparation.

Cut 7 (05) “…rule of thumb.”

GOHSEP has all this information and more on its emergency preparedness website, get a game plan-dot-org.

New Orleans officials announce the arrest of a 35-year-old man who allegedly set eight vehicles on fire in the Bywater neighborhood early Monday morning. Deputy Mayor of Public safety Michael Harrison says surveillance cameras caught Kyle Tomeson on an arson spree…

Cut 9 (09)  “…from the area.”

Tomeson has been booked on four counts of aggravated arson and nine counts of simple arson.

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin explains why he’s had success attracting players in the transfer portal. Andre Champagne has the story.

Cut 23 (31) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

Could cockfighting be returning to St. Landry Parish? That’s what the parish council will be discussing at its meeting this evening. Conducting cockfighting has been a felony in Louisiana since 2008. Councilman Timmy LeJeune says cockfighting could provide a new source of revenue; the Humane Society of Louisiana is obviously very much against it.

We continue to keep an eye on the winter storm that’s bearing down on much of the state late this week and this weekend. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says by the end of the week, the roads will be unbearable for many.

Cut 3 (13) “…of southern Louisiana.”

With much of the state in the crosshairs of Mother Nature’s wrath, GOHSEP is urging you to start preparing now. Mike Steele with GOHSEP says now is the time to start putting together your emergency kit.

Cut 6 (10) “…significant power loss.”

Steele says when at the grocery store, stock up on foods that require neither refrigeration nor preparation, and have enough per person for at least 72 hours without power.

Louisiana could see a heated U.S. Senate race now that Republican Julia Letlow has tossed her hat into the ring. Jeff Palermo has the story.

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With Letlow vacating her Fifth District House seat, people are already lining up to take her place. This morning, State Senator Rick Edmonds announced that he will be running for the seat. Other people considering a run include State Senator Stewart Cathey and State Representatives Michael Echols and Dixon McMakin.