Former Governor John Bel Edwards and his wife were among those evacuated after that explosion at Smitty’s Supplies is Roseland yesterday.   A family associate reported the governor and his wife are safe and monitoring the situation.  All residents within a mile of the plant were ordered to relocate yesterday just after one.  Smitty’s is a lubricant manufacturing facility with more than 400 employees.  Officials have said there were no injuries reported.  The cause of the blast is still under investigation.

It’s been a week since the Department of Insurance announced that 20 auto insurance companies, including many big-name companies, have filed for rate decreases. Whether that’s spurred by tort reform legislation, a decrease in crashes, or both, Governor Landry says to take advantage, you need to do your part.

Cut 3 (05) “…giving rate decreases.”

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Former LSU basketball player, four-time NBA champion and hall of famer Shaquille O’Neal will invest in the proposed new arena on the LSU campus.  O’Neal vouched for Oak View Group, the developer that is the sole finalist for the project. Oak View’s CEO stepped down last month after he was indicted on bid-rigging allegations connected to a project in Austin.
So far a final deal with LSU to develop the project has not yet been finalized.  O’Neal did not say how much he was planning to invest in the new facility.

The Saints wrap up their preseason at noon today against the Broncos in the Superdome. The biggest storyline is still the battle to become the starting quarterback. At this point, it’s down to second-year man Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough. Mike Hoss, the Saints’ play-by-play announcer on WWL radio, says at this point, the race is neck-and-neck.

Cut 6 (14) “…a pick-six.”

Tangipahoa Parish officials are trying to figure out what caused the explosion at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland that forced mandatory evacuations within a one-mile radius.  It happened yesterday just before one and the evacuation order went out shortly afterword.  Smitty’s is a lubricant manufacturing facility.  Thankfully, no one was injured in the blast.

Tragedy in Livingston Parish as a teenage boy is killed while riding his bike in his subdivision. It happened around seven Thursday evening.  Sheriff Jason Ard says the driver who hit the boy was very drunk.

Cut 9 (09)  “…in his system.”

31 year old Juan Alfredo Chavarria Lezama is facing several charges including Vehicular Homicide and 1^st Offense DWI.  He was booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center.

_______________________

The Saints wrap up their preseason today at noon against the Broncos. Here’s Andre Champagne.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

Louisiana farmers are producing a big corn crop this year, but with so much corn, the price is down. LSU Ag Center’s Shelly Pate Kerns.

Cut 14 (12) “…shakeout differently.”

Tragedy in Livingston Parish as a 15-year-old boy is killed while riding his bike in his subdivision. Sheriff Jason Ard says 31-year-old Juan Chavarria had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. Sheriff Ard says the Nicaraguan national fled the scene, but deputies caught him and arrested him.

Cut 10 (13) “…DWI first offense.”

Louisiana farmers are producing a big corn crop this year, but producers are not getting a great price for that corn. LSU Ag Center assistant professor Shelly Pate Kerns says bushels of corn have fallen below four dollars, because of an abundant supply of corn on the global markets…

Cut 14 (12) “…shakeout differently.”

The Saints wrap up their preseason Saturday at noon against the Broncos. Andre Champagne has a preview.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

The SEC is moving to a nine-game league schedule in football in 2026. Not only will SEC teams play nine conference games starting next year, the league is also requiring each team to play a non-conference game against a school from another Power Four conference or Notre Dame each season.

The Saints wrap up their preseason Saturday against the Broncos in the Superdome. The starting quarterback job is, down to second-year Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough. Mike Hoss, the Saints’ play-by-play announcer on WWL radio, says the race is still close.

Cut 6 (14) “…a pick-six.”

For the first time in program history, a Nicholls State home football game will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN2. N It will be head coach Tommy Rybacki’s first game as the Colonel’s head coach after Tim Rebowe retired at the end of last season. Athletic director Jonathan Terell says Rybacki was an ideal replacement.

CUT 21 (13): “be successful.”

Nicholls and Incarnate Word kick off Saturday at noon.

LSU Men’s Basketball has announced its 2025 Non-Conference Schedule. The schedule features 13 non-conference games. LSU will tip off its season at home against Tarleton State on Wednesday, November 5^th. The Tigers will make their return to the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida, where they will take on Drake on November 28^th. LSU will face either Georgia Tech or DePaul on November 29^th in the second game of the classic. LSU will travel to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to take on Boston College for the annual SEC and ACC challenge.

The Southern Jaguars begin their season on Saturday in Atlanta, as they face the NC Central Eagles. The Jaguars will be challenged with facing one of the top FCS quarterbacks in Davius Richard. Head coach Terrance Graves says he is taking advantage of all the film he can to stop the dynamic quarterback.

Cut 30 (13): “seen on film”

Southern and NC Central kick off at 6:30 p.m.

There’s a lot more corn in Louisiana this year as farmers are producing much more than last year. Shelly Pate Kerns with the LSU Ag Center says the crop received plenty of rain, so yields are expected to surpass last year’s 183 bushels per acre and input costs were also down…

Cut 13 (10)  “…constant rainfall.”

But Kerns says because of an abundant supply of corn on the global market, prices have fallen.

The Saints wrap up preseason play Saturday in the Dome. Saints’ play-by-play announcer on WWL radio Mike Hoss says the Saints have been busy with trades and there are still many decisions to be made by the time the roster needs to be pared down to 53 by 3:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Cut 8 (11) “…has been injured.”

With the State Department of Insurance announcing that 20 auto insurance companies filing rate decreases, the governor is now urging you to do your part in saving money. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Delays in the construction of the Bucee’s planned for Lafayette have pushed the target date for opening two years later than originally projected. Construction has not yet begun as weather issues have hampered work needed to prepare the site. The new target is 2028 and when the Lafayette Bucee’s opens, it will have 120 gas pumps, 700 parking spaces, and 74,000 feet of retail space.

A teenage boy is killed while riding his bike in his subdivision in Livingston Parish Thursday evening around 7. Sheriff Jason Ard says the driver who hit the boy was very drunk.

Cut 9 (09)  “…in his system.”

Ard says 31-year-old Juan Chavarria from Nicaragua fled the scene but was later caught and arrested.

A week ago, the Department of Insurance announced that 20 auto insurance companies, including many big-name companies, filed for rate decreases. Whether that’s spurred by tort reform legislation, a decrease in crashes, or both, Governor Landry says to take advantage, you need to do your part.

Cut 3 (05) “…giving rate decreases.”

Saturday’s game against the Broncos in the Superdome will complete the preseason for the Saints. We still don’t know who the starting quarterback will be — Spencer Rattler or rookie Tyler Shough. And that’s not the only unsettled competition. Mike Hoss, the Saints’ play-by-play announcer on WWL radio says there’s a battle brewing for backup running back behind Alvin Kamara, who will not play Saturday.

Cut 7 (10) “…situation look like?”

Hoss says the Saints’ roster needs to be pared down to 53 by 3:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Louisiana farmers are producing a big corn crop this year, but producers are not getting a great price for that corn. Shelly Pate Kerns with the LSU Ag Center says the harvest will continue through August because acreage is up significantly…

Cut 12 (14) “…corn.”

Tragedy in Livingston Parish as a teenage boy is killed while riding his bike in his subdivision around 7 PM Thursday. Sheriff Jason Ard says the driver who hit the boy was very drunk and fled the scene but deputies later caught and arrested, 31-year-old Juan Chavarria .

Cut 10 (13) “…DWI first offense.”

In Berwick, a police chase ended when a teenage boy crashed the car he was driving near Berwick Elementary Thursday causing a lockdown of the school. Turns out, police say, the car was stolen from Abbeville and inside they found a handgun, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. The 15-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated flight in a vehicle, hit and run, drug possession, illegal possession of stolen things, and criminal damage to property.

The Saints wrap up their preseason Saturday at noon against the Broncos. Andre Champagne has a preview.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

Last week, the Department of Insurance announced that 20 auto insurance companies filed for rate decreases and Governor Landry is encouraging people to call their insurers. He gave an example of when the husband of a state representative decided to shop his auto insurance premium.

Cut 4 (12) “…down another thousand.”

The state department of insurance says auto insurers have filed over 20 rate decreases in Louisiana. The statewide average decrease is two-percent for drivers. Governor Jeff Landry says this is a good time to shop around for the best auto insurance rates. Landry says you might as well shop for the best homeowners insurance premiums too…

Cut 5 (13) “…I can do”

Hurricane Erin is moving away from the east coast of the United States but the National Hurricane Center is keeping an eye on three more disturbances. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says we’ll likely get through August unscathed, but we’re not out of the woods entirely.

Cut 12 (13) “…us a visit.”

The 20^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall is next Friday.

The SEC is moving to a nine-game league schedule in football in 2026. Not only will SEC teams play nine conference games starting next year, the league is also requiring each team to play a non-conference game against a school from another Power Four conference or Notre Dame each season. LSU Executive Deputy Director of Athletics Verge Ausberry says the SEC’s TV partners will appreciate having more compelling matchups

Cut 15 (05) “…ESPN and ABC.”

The Saints wrap up their preseason Saturday against the Broncos in the Superdome. New Orleans has yet to name a starter at Q-B. It’s between second-year man Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough. The radio Voice of the Saints, Mike Hoss, says the race is neck-and-neck.

Cut 6 (14) “…a pick-six.”

With the State Department of Insurance announcing that 20 auto insurance companies have filed rate decreases, the governor is now urging you to do your part in saving money.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Buc-ee’s was expected to open its first location in Louisiana next year in Lafayette. But according to the company’s website, the Lafayette store will not open until 2028. No exact reason given for the delay, but Triton Construction said last month that construction was paused temporarily because of design delays and poor weather.

A close call for a 15-year-old Lake Charles girl, as she escapes a would-be kidnapper at a bus stop. Lake Charles Police Lieutenant Brenda Treadway says it happened at around 6:30 yesterday morning.

Cut 7 (12) “…drive by her.”

Treadway says around the third or fourth time he passed by her, 35-year-old Dustin Frederick stopped, got out, approached her, grabbed her and told her that she needed a ride. She says the girl was able to escape and authorities later arrested Frederick and charged him with one count of attempted kidnapping. His bond has been set at one million dollars.