State government is looking at its first budget deficit in several years. The deficit for the next fiscal year is the result of a temporary state sales tax of .45 percent expiring as well as a two-percent tax on business utilities.  House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says much needed reforms are needed to address this upcoming shortfall

Cut 10 (11) “…budget expenditures.”

Currently, Louisiana is facing a projected revenue shortfall of 340-million dollars for next fiscal year. McFarland says that does not include the 248-million dollars in education initiatives that pays for teacher stipends and student tutoring, approved by the legislature in the spring.

Earlier this summer Republican Donald Trump had the lead in most national polling before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, but now JMC Analytics Pollster John Couvillon says the former president is trying to catch up….

Cut 4 (10)_ “…stabilized”

A Webster Parish man and his daughter are shot to death, and the suspect is only ten years old. We get the story from Andrew Greenstein.

Cut 2 (37) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.” 

Brusly Police in West Baton Rouge Parish say a four-year-old child found a gun in the console of his father’s pickup truck and fatally shot himself. Hudson Tassin died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday morning. His father is Blake Tassin, a Brusly city council member who is seeking re-election. The local district attorney will determine if charges are warranted.

A Louisiana pollster says many of the national polls show Vice President Kamala Harris with a two point lead over former president Donald Trump as the presidential election season begins to ramp up. Mel Bridges has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

_______________________________________________

A Webster Parish man and his daughter are shot to death, and the suspect is only ten years old. We get the story from Andrew Greenstein.

Cut 2 (37) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.” 

____________________________________________

LSU football coach Brian Kelly meets with reporters today for the first time since fist pounding post game press conference following the loss to USC. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

_____________________________________________

Now that Labor Day is behind us, the 2024 presidential race will begin to ramp up. Louisiana Pollster John Couvillon with JMC Analytics says Republican Donald Trump lead in the polls before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and now the former president is trying to catch up…

Cut 4 (10) “…stabilized.”

It will take 270 electoral votes to win the presidential election. Couvillon says Vice President Kamala Harris has a small lead in the national polls, but the race comes down to seven swing states so the national polls should hold steady…

Cut 5 (07) “…points.”

Preliminary voting will start in some states as early as this month, so Couvillon says neither campaign has a whole lot of time to either maintain their lead or gain points back. However, what Couvillon says he’s most interested in are the number of early voters

Cut 6 (12) “…point or two.”

__________________________________________________

A former city councilman in Minden, in Webster Parish, and his daughter are shot dead, and the suspect is a ten-year-old boy. 82-year-old Joe Cornelius and his 31-year-old daughter, Keisha Miles, were found dead inside their home. Minden Police Chief Jared McIver says there were two juveniles inside the home at the time.

Cut 7 (10) “…committed this crime.”

The only thing we know about the child is that he’s related to the two victims. Chief McIver says the investigation ruled out any notion that this was an accidental shooting.

Cut 8 (13) “…anything like that.”

McIver says it’s unclear what led to the shooting, only to say that the boy admitted to the crime.

Cut 9 (12)  “…as to why.”

Cornelius had previously been appointed mayor of Minden in 2013 following the death of Mayor Bill Robertson. The child is in custody.

_____________________________________________________

Louisiana government is looking at its first budget deficit in several years. The deficit for next fiscal year is the result of a temporary state sales tax of .45-percent expiring as well as a two-percent tax on business utilities. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says much needed reforms are needed to address this upcoming shortfall

Cut 10 (11) “…budget expenditures.”

Currently, Louisiana is facing a projected revenue shortfall of 340-million dollars for next fiscal year. McFarland says that does not include the 248-million dollars in education initiatives that pays for teacher stipends and student tutoring, approved by the legislature in the spring. McFarland says House Appropriations will hold several hearings over the next few months to discuss the shortfall…

Cut 11 (12) “…will be affected.”

McFarland says the responsible thing for the legislature to do is finally address tax policies that are antiquated. He says the timing is perfect, because there is an issue and legislative leaders are committed to taking a holistic approach…

Cut 12 (10) “…advantageous.”

The regular legislative session begins April 14th, but a special session on tax reform before that is possible.

_____________________________________________________

Knock on wood – but so far, it’s been a very quiet hurricane season here in Louisiana. LSU Climatologist Barry Keim says here were are now in September, and the season has not lived up to its billing.

Cut 13 (14) “…a happy guy.” 

Keim says we’re not out of the woods just yet. He says we’re currently in La Nina conditions, and that’s expected to build in the latter part of hurricane season.

Cut  14 (14) “…the hurricane season.”

Right now, there are three disturbances in the Atlantic, stretching from the Texas Gulf Coast to the coast of Africa, and they have little to no chance of developing.

Cut 15 (12) “…a watch on.”

Keim says when all is said and done, he expects this to be a season with above-normal activity.

____________________________________________________

The LSU football team returns to the practice field today after a tough loss to USC on Sunday night. The Tigers were up by four points in the fourth quarter but ended up losing 27-20. The defeat left Coach Brian Kelly mad…

Cut  16 (16)   “…crazy.”

LSU was penalized ten times. Two of the penalties were 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties, on Kyren Lacy and Major Burns that helped USC score touchdowns. Kelly says mistakes like that can’t happen…

Cut 17 (17) “…getting the message.”

________________________________________________________

ULM is preparing to host UAB this Saturday after defeating Jackson State 30-14 last Thursday. Running back Ahmad Hardy’s 103 yard, one touchdown rushing performance was a big key. Hardy is a freshman from Mississippi and Coach Bryant Vincent is really encouraged about his performance…

Cut 18 (17)  “…his growth.”

Kick off this Saturday against the Blazers is at 6 PM.

___________________________________________________________

Just five days to go before the Saints open their season against the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome. Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen says forget about last season, this will be a new Carolina Panthers team his squad will be facing.

Cut 19 (19) “…ready to play”

One of the big storylines this offseason has been who will be the number-one backup quarterback to Derek Carr – Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler. Coach Allen says at least for the first game, that decision might not happen until gametime.

Cut 20 (16) “…try to develop.”

Kickoff for Sunday’s Saints-Panthers game at the Superdome is noon Central time.

Same story, different year — For the fifth consecutive season, LSU loses its season opener as the 13th ranked Tigers fell to USC 27-20. The Tigers led by four in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t hold on. Coach Brian Kelly is not happy.

cut 17 (16) “…put ’em away.”

The Tigers will look to get into the win column Saturday against Nicholls in Baton Rouge.

The Ragin Cajuns scored on their first four drives on Saturday night as they went on to beat Grambling 40-10. Ben Woolridge threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns. Coach Michael Desormeaux says it was a good start to the season…

Cut 20 (15) “…to improve on”

U-L Lafayette is at Kennesaw State this Saturday. Grambling has its home opener against Tuskegee.

Louisiana Tech won its season opener, but it wasn’t pretty as the Bulldogs defeated Nicholls 25-17 on a rainy night in Ruston. Tech turned it over five times, but the Bulldogs held the Colonels to 200 yards of offense. Bulldogs coach Sonny Cumbie says it was a great defensive effort.

Cut 19 (17) “…Conference USA play.”

Louisiana Tech does not play this Saturday.

McNeese won their first game on the field since November of 2022 as the Pokes beat Southern, 21-7. Southern led 7-0 in the fourth quarter, but a blocked field goal attempt early in the frame turned the tide. Southern Coach Terrence Graves says it’s a tough way to lose.

Cut 15 (15) “…to improve on.”

The Pokes face Texas A-and-M in College Station Saturday, while Southern hosts Savannah State.

Another disappointing start to the season for the LSU Tigers as they lost to USC last night, 27-20. It was LSU’s fifth straight opening game loss. Coach Brian Kelly is upset with his offense for not scoring more touchdowns when they got into the red zone…

cut 29 (11) “…not good enough”

LSU will look to regroup when they host Nicholls Saturday night.

The early childhood care industry faces significant challenges. That’s the takeaway of a new survey by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. Director of Policy and Research Mattilyn Batson says providers’ wages are very low; and as such, retaining them has been problematic.

Cut 11 (07) “…wages somewhere else.”

In addition, most early childhood care providers say they’re experiencing rising costs for routine expenses, such as food, cleaning supplies and insurance.

Visit Lake Charles launches the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority, a new division to boost the region’s profile as a premier destination for sporting events. 

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A 16-year-old is dead and five others are hospitalized following a house explosion in Ragley in Beauregard Parish. It happened just before ten Saturday morning. A toddler was also in the home at the time; the child is being cared for by relatives. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

Today may be Labor Day; but for LSU fans, it might as well be Groundhog Day. For the fifth year in a row, the Tigers lost their season opener, falling to USC last night 27-20. Following the game Coach Brian Kelly said he’s angry with his team after not scoring enough touchdowns and committing ten penalties…

cut 30 (06) “…same things”

LSU will try to regroup Saturday at home against Nicholls.

UL-Lafayette’s massive years-long fundraising campaign is approaching its goal. The campaign kicked off in 2021 and has raised 450-million dollars out of its 500-million-dollar goal. Rebecca Doucet (DOO-say), the associate vice president of development for UL-Lafayette, says this is a comprehensive campaign.

Cut 12 (10) “…Art Museum, KRVS.”

The university got some very notable donations, including seven-million dollars from the Moncus Family Foundation.

The Alexandria Farmers Market is celebrating ten years with events throughout this month.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Mel Bridges.” 

Visit Lake Charles launches the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority, a new division to boost the region’s profile as a premier destination for sporting events.  LCRSA Director Eric Zartler says Lake Charles proved Olympic officials wrong after hosting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Trials for Boxing…

Cut 5 (11) “…fuel to the fire.”

Same story, different year — For the fifth consecutive season, LSU loses its season opener as the 13th ranked Tigers fell to USC 27-20. The Tigers led by four in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t hold on. Coach Brian Kelly is not happy.

cut 17 (16) “…put ’em away.”

The Tigers will look to get into the win column Saturday against Nicholls in Baton Rouge.

Visit Lake Charles launches the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority.  LCRSA Director Eric Zartler says it seeks to position Lake Charles as a competitive player in the sports tourism industry.

Cut 4 (05) “…sport title here.”

LCRSA is focused on hosting and promoting a wide range of sports activities, from youth tournaments to professional competitions, to attract more top-tier events to the area.

The Alexandria Farmers Market is celebrating its ten year anniversary with celebrations through September. Executive Director of Farm & Food at Louisiana Central Bahia (Bah-hee-ah) Nightengale says the market has programs for vendors to make sure they’re able to set up a booth every week.

Cut 7 (11) “…local businesses.”

The farmer’s market is held every Tuesday from 3 to 6 pm.

The early childhood care industry faces significant challenges. That’s the takeaway of a new survey by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. Director of Policy and Research Mattilyn Batson says not only is the cost of doing business high, but the wages of the providers are very low.

Cut 10 (10) “…cents an hour.”

In addition, most early childhood care providers say they’re experiencing rising costs for routine expenses, such as food, cleaning supplies and insurance.

Another disappointing start to the season for the LSU Tigers as they lost their fifth straight season opener last night 27 to 20 to USC. There were concerns about the Tigers defense going into the game, but Coach Brian Kelly is more upset with his offense for not scoring more touchdowns when they got into the red zone…

cut 29 (11) “…not good enough”

LSU will look to regroup when they host Nicholls this Saturday night.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s largest fundraising campaign has reached 450-million dollars in contributions. The campaign’s goal is 500-million dollars and they hope to reach that number next year. Associate vice president of development for U-L Lafayette Rebecca Doucet, says one of their largest donations is seven-million dollars…

cut 13 (12) “…and construction projects”

The Alexandria Farmers Market is celebrating ten years with events through September. Mel Bridges has the details.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

Visit Lake Charles has launched the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority (LCRSA), to attract more sporting events.  LCRSA Director Eric Zartler says it’s been a long time coming…

Cut 3 (06) “…out of the country.”

LCRSA is focused on hosting and promoting a wide range of sporting events, from youth tournaments to professional competitions.

It’s Labor Day, but for LSU fans it’s Ground Hog’s Day as the Tigers football team lost their fifth straight season opener last night falling to USC 27-20. Following the game Coach Brian Kelly said he’s angry with his team after not scoring enough touchdowns and committing ten penalties…

cut 30 (06) “…same things”

Visit Lake Charles has launched the Lake Charles Regional Sports Authority (LCRSA), to boost the region’s profile as a premier destination for sporting events.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The early childhood care industry faces significant challenges. That’s the takeaway of a new survey of some 300 childcare providers in the state by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. Director of Policy and Research Mattilyn Batson says the cost of doing business is a big hurdle.

Cut 9 (14)  “…margins of profit.”

Batson says additional federal, and state financial assistance would help.

The Alexandria Farmers Market is celebrating ten years with special events every Tuesday this month at the farmers market location on Jackson Street in Alexandria…

cut 8 (8) “….every Tuesday”

That’s the executive director of Farm and Food at Louisiana Central Bahia (Bah-hee-ah) Nightengale says the Market now serves as many as one-thousand visitors a week.

For the fifth consecutive season, LSU has lost its season opener as the 13th ranked Tigers fell to USC 27-20. The Tigers led by four in the fourth quarter, but the Trojans scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes. Coach Brian Kelly is not happy..

cut 17 (20) “…the game is over”

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children surveyed over 300 childcare providers around the state and the main findings found that cost of business remains high and staffing remains a concern….

Cut 11 (07) “….wages somewhere else”

That’s the Director of Policy and Research at the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children Mattilyn Batson.

The Alexandria Farmers Market is celebrating its ten-year anniversary with celebrations through September. Executive Director of Farm & Food at Louisiana Central Bahia (Bah-hee-ah) Nightengale says the market is proud to have built a reputation of quality and consistency

Cut 6 (11) “…agriculture.”

Nightengale estimates the market, which sets up at First United Methodist Church in Alexandria every Tuesday afternoon sees around one thousand visitors a week from 25 parishes.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette says the school’s largest fundraising campaign, which began in 2021, has reached 450-million dollars and is hoping to reach 500million collars when the campaign concludes next year. Associate Vice President of development for U-L Lafayette, Rebecca Doucet, says the university appreciates all donationsl…

Cut 14 (07) “…makes a difference”

More than 29-thousand donors have contributed to the campaign to date.