1:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Jeff Landry has called on the U.S. Senate, specifically Senator Bill Cassidy, to support Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Cassidy says he hasn’t decided how he will vote yet.

Cut 9 (07)  “…State of Louisiana.”

Kennedy has his first confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. He’ll go before the Senate Health, Education. Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday and Cassidy chairs that committee.

Louisiana’s streak of job growth continues. Emily DiPalma with the Louisiana Workforce Commission says the state gained 25-hundred non-farm jobs last month. Compared to December of 2023, the total number of jobs increased by more than 20-thousand.

Cut 12 (06) “…series of data.”

Health services, private education and construction are three industries that continue to add jobs.

An abundance of trees in Louisiana’s forests is creating an opening for the biofuel industry to thrive. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Louisiana’s Sugar cane crops did not freeze last week despite single digit temperatures as far south as New Iberia. LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Doctor Kenneth Gravois says the snow insulated the cane from the cold and the cane varieties that exist today can withstand the cold better…

Cut 5 (09) “…conditions”

12:30 LRN Newscast

Farmers say despite the single-digit temperatures that gripped the state last week, sugarcane appears to have held up quite well. LSU AgCenter sugarcane expert Kenneth Gravois says, though, that the full extent of damage will remain unclear for weeks.

Cut 4 (09) “…crop starts emerging.”

Gravois says the timing of the freeze helped avoid disaster.

The Louisiana Forestry Association is encouraging industry to utilize the overabundance of trees in the state’s forests. Executive Director Buck Vandersteen says with trees growing at a much faster rate than those being harvested, that creates an opening for the biofuel industry to thrive.

Cut 6 (15) “…or outside Louisiana.”

Five people from Houston are arrested for allegedly using drones to smuggle contraband, including drugs and cell phones, into the federal prison in Pollock. Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain says Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also involved.

Cut 10 (09) “…that’s here illegally.”

That person is 35-year-old Laura Martinez, and ICE has a detainer on her. The sheriff’s office and the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement seized about 12-thousand dollars. McCain says they’re working on ways to combat the use of drones in smuggling contraband into federal prisons.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The top high school quarterback in the country in the Class of 2027 has an NIL deal with the Matt Bowers Auto Group. Elijah Haven led Dunham High School to the state championship game last season as a sophomore. Matt Bowers says he’s known Elijah and his family for a long time…

Cut 13 (13)  “…you root for.”

Bowers is an Ole Miss graduate and says this is not an attempt to sway him to the Rebels when his prep career is over.

The Saints reportedly interviewed Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore yesterday. General Manager Mickey Loomis flew to Philadelphia to meet with Moore who is preparing for Super Bowl 59.

In college hoops…McNeese and Southern both won last night to stay undefeated in conference play. Tomorrow, the LSU Tigers host top ranked Auburn.

The second ranked LSU baseball team has several pitchers who will be competing to be weekend starters. Chase Shores has the potential to be a Friday night starter. The Midland, Texas, native is back after missing all of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023 and Coach Jay Johnson likes that he’s back…

Cut 20 (15) “…is at”

LSU first baseman Jared Jones has the potential to lead the Southeastern Conference in home runs this season. Jones hit 28 homers last year, but he came back his junior season to become more of a complete hitter…

Cut 17 (14)  “…highlighted.”

11:30 LRN Newscast

An alleged shoplifter shot by an off-duty Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputy has died. Sheriff Mark Wood says the deputy was working off-duty detail at Academy Sports and Outdoors on Friday night in Alexandria when he attempted to stop an alleged shoplifter

Cut 7 (16) “…his injuries .”

Authorities have not released the identity of the man who died and the  deputy is on paid leave.

Farmers say sugarcane held up well in last week’s winter storm, despite record-breaking single-digit temperatures. LSU AgCenter sugarcane expert Kenneth Gravois says the snow acted as insulation for the cane…

Cut 3 (12) “…underground buds”

Gravois says farmers are also planting cane varieties that are better at standing up to the cold.

Nationally, egg prices surged nearly 38-percent in the past year.  Sean Richardson explains why…

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne took to social media to complain about the scoring from judges and the concern gymnasts are not being awarded with perfect 10s which is what fans want to see. Dunne might have a point, there have only been two perfect tens awarded, compared to 19 at this same time last year in collegiate gymnastics.

10:30 LRN Newscast

The spread of bird flu has caused egg prices to rise again. Nationally, egg prices surged nearly 38-percent in the past year, with the average price of a dozen eggs reaching $3.65 compared to $2.14 a year ago, according to USDA data. LSU AgCenter agent Will Strickland says the holidays also added to the price jump.

Cut 4 (10) “…egg inventory.”

Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood says an alleged shoplifter shot by an off-duty deputy working security detail at Academy Sports and Outdoors in Alexandria last Friday has died…

Cut 8 (13) “….do that”

The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation for the Central Louisiana Critical Incident Response Team.

Five people from Houston were arrested for allegedly using drones to get drugs and cell phones to inmates at the federal penitentiary in Pollock. Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain says drones have become more popular to smuggle contraband into federal prison and they’re working on ways to combat it…

Cut 12 (08) “….federal prison here”

Junior right-handed pitcher Gavin Guidry from Barbe High School in Lake Charles will wear the coveted number eight jersey for the second-ranked LSU baseball team this season. Guidry says he’ll wear the number with pride and use this leadership position to help the Tigers win…

Cut 18 (15)   “…what that looks like.”

College baseball opening day is February 14th.

9:30 LRN Newscast

Have you noticed the price of eggs lately? According to the USDA, egg prices have increased 39-percent over the past year to $3.65 for a dozen eggs. LSU Ag Center agent Will Strickland says the bird flu has whipped out egg-laying birds in California and the Midwest…

Cut 5 (10) “….pricing even here”

Strickland noted egg prices likely won’t drop soon due to the slow process of replenishing flocks.

Five people from Houston have been arrested for allegedly using drones to drop off drugs and cell phones to inmates at the federal prison in Pollock. Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain says this type of activity has been going on for awhile….

Cut 11 (12) “….to two years”

McCain says they’re working on ways to combat the use of drones in smuggling contraband into federal prisons.

A breakthrough N-I-L deal in Louisiana – and he’s a high school sophomore! Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Google says it will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in Google Maps once it is updated in the U-S Geographic Names System. President Donald Trump has ordered the name change and the U-S Board of Geographic Names is working to update the name.

8:30 LRN Newscast

Nationally, egg prices surged nearly 38-percent in the past year.  Sean Richardson has more

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

LSU AgCenter sugar cane specialist Kenneth Gravois says last week’s snowfall acted as insulation and protected sugarcane from single digit temperatures. But Ponchatoula strawberry farmer Racheal Harris told WGNO-TV says she lost about 500 cases of strawberries to the historic winter weather.

Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood says an alleged shoplifter shot by an off-duty deputy working security detail at Academy Sports and Outdoors in Alexandria last Friday has died…

Cut 8 (13) “….do that”

The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation for the Central Louisiana Critical Incident Response Team.

The nation’s number one high school football prospect in the Class of 2027, Elijah Haven from Dunham High School in Baton Rouge, has inked an NIL deal with the Matt Bowers Auto Group which owns multiple car dealerships in the Gulf South. Matt Bowers is an Ole Miss alumnus, but says this N-I-L deal is not a way to convince him to sign with the Rebels in two years.

Cut 15 (12) “…their friends.”

Bowers says he’s known Elijah and his family for a long time. He calls the sophomore a great kid and someone he wants promoting his dealerships.

7:30 LRN Newscast

An alleged shoplifter shot by an off-duty Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputy has died. Sheriff Mark Wood says the deputy was working off-duty detail at Academy Sports and Outdoors on Friday night in Alexandria when he attempted to stop an alleged shoplifter

Cut 7 (16) “…his injuries .”

The man who died in Friday night’s shooting has been identified by the person’s mother as 22-year-old Isiah Treadway of Alexandria.

A law professor is not teaching at LSU this semester, and his attorney claims he was removed from the classroom because of political comments he made during class. Ken Levy’s attorney Jill Craft says Levy revealed to his students that he was a Democrat and referred to President Trump in colorful terms while talking to his students about political changes to the constitution because of the makeup of the US Supreme Court. LSU has not commented on the situation.

Five people from Houston are arrested for allegedly using drones to smuggle contraband, including drugs and cell phones, into the federal prison in Pollock. Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain says Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also involved.

Cut 10 (09) “…that’s here illegally.”

That person is 35-year-old Laura Martinez, and ICE has a detainer on her.

High School football star Elijah Haven from Dunham High School in Baton Rouge has signed an NIL deal and he’s only a sophomore. Haven is considered the best prospect in the nation for the Class of 2027 and Matt Bowers of the Matt Bowers Auto Group felt Haven would be a good pitch man for his business…

Cut 14 (10) “…come see”

Bowers is an Ole Miss alum and says this is not an attempt to influence Haven to sign with the Rebels in two years.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints brass reportedly flew to Philadelphia yesterday to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for the head coaching job in New Orleans. Moore is 35 years old and in his six seasons as an offensive coordinator, his teams finished top ten in scoring four times.

 

The Pelicans were outscored by ten in the fourth quarter and lost to the Raptors 113 to 104 in Toronto last night. That’s three straight losses for New Orleans.

 

ULM finally cracked the win column in Sun Belt Play as the Warhawks upset South Alabama 77 to 66. Coltie Young had 27 points to end ULM’s ten game losing streak.

 

McNeese improved to 10-and-0 in the Southland with an exciting 74 to 73 win at Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi. Nicholls was also a winner on the road beating UT Rio Grande Valley 82 to 75. Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State both lost.

 

The nation’s number one high school football prospect in the Class of 2027, Elijah Haven from Dunham High School in Baton Rouge, has inked an NIL deal with the Matt Bowers Auto Group which owns multiple car dealerships in the Gulf South. Matt Bowers is an Ole Miss alumnus, but says this N-I-L deal is not a way to convince him to sign with the Rebels in two years.

Cut 15 (12) “…their friends.”

Bowers says he’s known Elijah and his family for a long time. He calls the sophomore a great kid and someone he wants representing his company.

 

Junior right-handed pitcher Gavin Guidry will wear the coveted number eight jersey for the second ranked LSU baseball team. It goes to the upper classman who exemplifies LSU baseball. Guidry says he’ll wear the number with pride and use this leadership position as an opportunity to lead by example…

Cut 18 (15)   “…what that looks like.”

Guidry has been used primarily out of the bullpen and has six career saves, and will be given the opportunity to pitch multiple innings at a time this season.

6:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Landry is urging US Senator Bill Cassidy to vote for the confirmation of Robert F Kennedy as Secretary for the U-S Department of Health and Human Services. In a letter sent to Cassidy and South Dakota Senator John Thune, Landry says America’s health continues to decline, and the country needs a leader who will shake up the status quo.

Five people are arrested for allegedly using drones to smuggle contraband into a federal prison in Pollock. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

 

Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood says there was a violent struggle between an off-duty sheriff’s deputy and an alleged shoplifter at an Academy Sports and Outdoors in Alexandria, before the deputy discharged his weapon killing the suspect. There are some claiming the officer, who was working security detail should not have shot the man, but Wood says the individual was fighting with his deputy…

Cut 9 (13) “…gets you killed”

The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating Friday night’s incident.

The top high school quarterback in the country in the Class of 2027 has an NIL deal with Matt Bowers Auto Group. Elijah Haven led Dunham High School to the state championship last season as a sophomore. Matt Bowers says he’s known Elijah and his family for a long time…

Cut 13 (13)  “…you root for.”

Bowers is an Ole Miss graduate and says this is not an attempt to sway him to the Rebels when his prep career is over.