The anticipated opening of the Buc-ee’s in Ruston is now being pushed back to early 2027. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Another round of grants for the Louisiana Fortify Homes program is coming up, and registration for the lottery opens at eight this morning. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The recovery continues in southwest Louisiana five years following one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the Gulf Coast. Jeff Palermo has more on the impact Laura is still having on Calcasieu Parish…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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First, it was announced that construction of the Lafayette Buc-ee’s is experiencing delays. Now, word comes that the scheduled opening of the new Buc-ee’s in Ruston is being pushed back to early 2027. Mayor Ronny Walker says he’s not concerned.

Cut 4 (08) “…especially want that.”

Mayor Walker says he expects dirt to start turning this month.

Cut 5 (06) “…we’re fine with.”

So now, the big question is, which city’s Buc-ee’s will open first, Lafayette or Ruston? Walker says not that it matters, but he thinks his city is in the lead.

Cut 6 (16) “…away to work.”

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A new round of the Louisiana Fortify Homes grant program is coming up, and registration for the next lottery opens at eight this morning. There are 500 grants of up to ten-thousand dollars each, and they will be selected at random among those who have registered. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says what’s new this time around is that if you had registered for a previous lottery, there’s no need to do so again.

Cut 7 (10) “…in the drawing.”

Temple says this program is limited to those who live in the coastal zone, as well as Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake.

Cut 8 (07) “…in South Louisiana.”

Temple says fortified roofs not only protect homes and valuables in the event of damaging storms, but they also make the home cheaper to insure and easier to sell – and homeowners across the state know it.

Cut 9 (12)  “…spent their money.”

Registration for the lottery closes at five p-m Friday, September 12th, and the random drawing will take place shortly thereafter. Those who are automatically entered because of a prior registration will not have any advantage over those who newly register.

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Southwest Louisiana continues rebuilding five years after Hurricane Laura made landfall. Calcasieu Parish President Judd Bares (BEAR-es) says months after the vicious storm, the parish developed a long-term hurricane recovery plan which helped produce a more resilient and upgraded infrastructure system….

Cut 10 (11) “…the recovery.”

Bares says drainage projects and waterworks projects have seen major investments. He says the Police Jury completed a 200-million dollar project to remove debris from drainage laterals following Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

Cut 11 (09) “…Beauregard.”

Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 storm with 150 mile per hour winds on August 27, 2020 near Cameron. It caused 17-billion dollars in damage and killed 33 people statewide. Ninety-five percent of the buildings in Lake Charles sustained damage and the state received one-billion dollars for recovery from hurricanes Laura and Delta. Delta hit the same area six weeks after Laura.

Bares says there are some residents still battling with their insurance company over hurricane repairs…

Cut 12 (09) “…do it still.”

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Twenty years ago, the largest field hospital history was set up at LSU to provide care for storm weary patients who were ill or injured because of Hurricane Katrina. Doctor Matthew Giglia (JIL-lyah) was a sophomore at LSU planning to pursue a medical career and his time as a volunteer at the field hospital in the PMAC convinced him to become a doctor…

cut 13 (12)  “…into medicine.”

Doctor Giglia is now chief of surgery and a colon and rectal surgeon at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Baton Rouge. Giglia says seeing the nurses and doctors at the field hospital interact with the patients, showed him what that this is what he wanted to do in his life…

Cut 14 (11) “…physician”

Giglia says Katrina showed him that not only as a doctor you are dealing with a disease, but you’re also dealing with a human and that’s the more important side of what they do…

Cut 15 (11) “…in terrified.”

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LSU’s new look offensive line held up against a good Clemson defense on Saturday in the Fighting Tigers 17 to 10 win. Coach Brian Kelly says the addition of starting center Braelin Moore has helped that group get on the same page…

Cut 16 (10) “…as a veteran.”

LSU put extra emphasis on beating Clemson as the Tigers desperately wanted to snap their streak of five consecutive season opening losses. They had shirts printed that said 1-and-0. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier says it’s great to start the season off with a win, now they got to do it again…

Cut 17 (12)  “…being 1-and-0.”

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The Ragin Cajuns passing game was nonexistent in a 14-to-12 loss to Rice on Saturday night. New starting quarterback Walker Howard only threw for 88 yards and he was intercepted once. Coach Michael Desormeaux says he thought they would execute much better…

Cut 18 (16) “…aren’t.”

Howard also left the game late with an undisclosed injury.

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T-minus five days before the Saints get their season underway in the Superdome against the Arizona Cardinals. The game marks the head coaching debut of Kellen Moore, the NFL’s youngest head coach. Moore says it’s a moment that he and the entire team have worked towards all off-season long.

Cut 19 (12) “…ready to roll.”

During the holiday weekend, the Saints made a roster move, and Moore says it was a rather difficult one.

Cut 20 (10) “…had to make.”

(The Saints released safety and special teams standout J.T. Gray) The Saints also announced that they will break out their new gold jerseys for Sunday’s game, which will be paired with their black alternate helmets and black pants. Kickoff in the Superdome Sunday is noon.

One economist says the state of labor in Louisiana is a mixed bag. Loren Scott says while the Lafayette metro and the Houma-Thibodaux area are struggling because of a decline in offshore oil and gas activity, he expects job growth in Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and parts of the New Orleans area, because the price of natural gas is cheap.

Cut 5 (09) “…with us.”

For a fifth year in a row, Louisiana will showcase itself in the Rose Bowl Parade New Year’s Day. The theme of the 2026 parade is “The Magic in Teamwork,” and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says the state’s float, “Gulf to Gumbo,” highlights the teamwork needed to make a delicious pot of a Louisiana staple.

Cut 6 (12) “…pot of gumbo.”

With health officials saying too many mothers and families are not getting care for postpartum depression when they need it, the Louisiana Department of Health is now offering a new program called TLC Moms. Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham says it provides those women with a valuable resource.

Cut 9 (10)  “…to get help.”

Ninth-ranked LSU ended its five-game losing streak in season openers with an impressive 17-10 win over Clemson. The Tigers rallied from a touchdown deficit at halftime to beat Clemson in the highly anticipated opener. Coach Brian Kelly says their preparation helped them prevail.

Cut 12 (14) “…it’s a cliche.”

It’s Labor Day, so what is the state of labor in Louisiana? Let’s start with the bad news. Economist Loren Scott says the Lafayette metro and the Houma-Thibodaux area are struggling because of a decline in offshore oil and gas activity…

Cut 3 (11) “…active rigs.”

The good news: Scott says hiring will pick up in the Monroe area as workers are needed to build Meta’s ten-billion dollar A-I data center.

For a fifth year in a row, Louisiana will have a float in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day. The 2026 float is called “Gulf to Gumbo,” and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says it will feature a shrimp boat and fresh Louisiana seafood, and there will be a larger-than-life chef on top bringing it all together.

Cut 7 (05) “…by a pelican.”

The Louisiana Department of Health is offering a new program for new mothers dealing with postpartum depression called TLC Moms. Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham says there are several reasons why new mothers may experience postpartum depression.

Cut 10 (08) “…a new life.”

LSU wasn’t the only Louisiana team with a huge win over the weekend. Tulane dominated Northwestern in New Orleans, 23-3; and Louisiana Tech shut out Southeastern Louisiana, 24-0, in Ruston. Starting quarterback Trey Kukuk (Q-kuhk) says Tech pulled away in the second half after offensive coordinator Tony Franklin came down from the press box to call plays from the sidelines.

Cut 14 (14) “…in the second.”

Louisiana will once again be rolling a float through the streets of Pasadena in the Tournament of Roses Parade. The 2026 float is titled “Gulf to Gumbo.” In the past, Louisiana’s floats have featured local musical stars, and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says this next one will be no exception.

Cut 8 (10) “…is going by.”

The exact song John Foster will be performing hasn’t been determined yet.

Postpartum depression is a major issue among new mothers, and too many of them are not getting the care when they need it. That’s why the Louisiana Department of Health is offering a new program called TLC Moms. Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham says it provides those women with a valuable resource.

Cut 9 (10)  “…to get help.”

Labor Day is a day off for most Louisiana workers. Jeff Palermo has a look at the state of employment in the Bayou State.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

No table pounding this time – LSU finally gets the job done in Week One in the Brian Kelly era. Bolstered by a stellar defensive performance, the Bayou Bengals beat the Clemson Tigers in the “other” Death Valley Saturday night, 17-10. It’s LSU’s first 1-and-0 start since their national championship season of 2019.

It’s Labor Day and for the first time in many years there is a demand for labor in northeast Louisiana because of Meta’s 10-billion-dollar A-I data center they are building in Richland Parish. Economist Doctor Loren Scott says thousands of construction workers will be needed and the Monroe area has a chance to break employment records…

Cut 4 (10) “…crazy good”

It looks like LSU has a defense to go along with what should be a good offense. The ninth-ranked Tigers defeated fourth ranked Clemson on Saturday night 17 to 10. LSU made it a long night for Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik with constant pressure. The Tigers also shut down Clemson’s running game in the second half. Coach Brian Kelly…

Cut 13 (07) “….the test”

For a fifth year in a row, Louisiana will showcase itself in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day. The theme of the 2026 parade is “The Magic in Teamwork,” and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says the state’s float, “Gulf to Gumbo,” highlights the teamwork needed to make a delicious pot of a Louisiana staple.

Cut 6 (12) “…pot of gumbo.”

American Idol runner-up John Foster, who is from West Baton Rouge Parish will be the musical performer on the float.

According to Tangipahoa Parish Government, one-point-nine million gallons of product has been retrieved as cleanup operations continue from the massive fire and explosion from the Smitty’s Supply facility in Roseland. EPA is conducting around the clock air monitoring and there is still no indication of any imminent threat to public health.

It’s Labor Day and based on the latest information from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, one-point-nine million people are working in Louisiana that’s nearly a 21-thousand increase in nonfarm employment over the last year. Economist Doctor Loren Scott expects job growth to continue in Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and parts of the New Orleans area, because the price of natural gas is cheap….

Cut 5 (09) “…with us.”

Ninth-ranked LSU ended its five-game losing streak in season openers with an impressive 17-10 win over Clemson. The Tigers rallied from a touchdown deficit at halftime to beat Clemson. Coach Brian Kelly says their preparation helped them prevail…

Cut 12 (14) “…cleeshay.”

For the fifth year in a row, Louisiana will showcase itself in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins says he will no longer serve on the Homeland Security Committee. Higgins says Republican colleagues have chosen an alternate path for the Committee, that’s quite variant from his own conservative perspective on issues like amnesty, ICE operations and opposition to the surveillance state.

It’s Labor Day, so what is the state of labor in Louisiana? Let’s start with the bad news. Economist Loren Scott says the Lafayette metro and the Houma-Thibodaux area are struggling because of a decline in offshore oil and gas activity…

Cut 3 (11) “…active rigs.”

Now here’s the good news. Scott says hiring will pick up in the Monroe area as workers are needed to build Meta’s ten-billion dollar A-I data center in Richland Parish and the chemical industry continues to do well in south Louisiana because of the low price of natural gas.

Louisiana will once again have a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day. The state’s float will be called “Gulf to Gumbo.” The float itself will feature a shrimp boat and fresh Louisiana seafood, and Lt Governor Billy Nungesser says there will be a larger-than-life chef on top bringing it all together.

Cut 7 (05) “…by a pelican.”

And American Idol runner-up John Foster from Brusly will be the musical performer this year.

The Louisiana Department of Health has a started a new initiative that offers support, resources, and a path to mental and emotional wellness for moms, families and caregivers facing pregnancy or postpartum depression and anxiety. Licensed Professional Counselor Stephanie Boudreaux…

Cut 11 (13) “…during birth itself.”

For more information go to l-d-h-dot-la-dot-gov-back-slash-T-L-C moms.

Saturday night was a great night for LSU fans as the Tigers defeated fourth ranked Clemson 17-10. But Ragin Cajuns fans were disappointed after watching their team lose to Rice 14-12 at home. Coach Michael Desormeaux expects better from his offense…

Cut 15 (17) “….as one”