You’re listening to Red River Radio News.
Good morning, I’m Jeff Ferrell.
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A new investigation finds an Entergy Louisiana executive wrote motions that some Public Service Commissioners filed as their own, regarding major business developments. The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins has more:
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“In August 2025, Commissioner Foster Campbell filed a motion in support of infrastructure to power Meta’s data center in Richland Parish. Documents show the original author was Larry Hand, vice president of regulatory affairs at Entergy. Hand emailed the document to Campbell, who then filed it into the record, word for word, as his own motion. Commissioner Davante Lewis says the utility companies the PSC is supposed to be regulating shouldn’t be ghostwriting entire motions filed into the record. “That should come from ourselves. That should not come from a utility to tell me how I should say or talk about my vote.” Hand, Campbell — and Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, who also filed motions written by Entergy’s Hand — did not respond to questions. Advocates say the issue fits into larger concerns over transparency around projects like the Meta data center — which were negotiated under NDAs, including one signed by Gov. Landry.”
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Home insurance costs are soaring in Texas. and new research suggests those premiums are playing an increasingly important role in housing affordability. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies reports:
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“When homeowners insurance is factored into the cost of homeownership, nearly two-thirds of Texas households can no longer afford the median-priced home in their county, according to a new report from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. Steve Sherman is the associate director of research at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research Center for Housing and Neighborhoods. “It went statewide from being about three percent of household income in 2009 to about 4.6 percent in 2024, so about a 50 percent increase in the amount of the household budget that it takes up in about 15 years.” Sherman said rising home insurance cost are more pronounced in Texas rural areas – particularly in tornado alley. And the trend is - home insurance premiums will get more expensive. “If your insurance bill was bad this year, brace for it being even worse next year.” Sherman said a growing number of homeowners are going without home insurance, which leaves them vulnerable if there is a major natural disaster.
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Tributes are pouring in after the death of Legendary LSU Baseball coach Skip Bertman. AP Correspondent Mike Hempen reports:
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“Stanley “Skip” Bertman, who turned LSU’s baseball program into a national powerhouse has died. An LSU spokesman says Bertman died Friday morning at a Baton Rouge hospital. He was 88. LSU had never won a national title when Bertman took over the program in 1983. He won five College World Series championships from 1991 to 2000. Bertman’s NCAA winning percentage of .754 is the highest of all time. He was honored as the nation’s top coach six times. In 2013, after he had retired, the award was named in his honor. I’m Mike Hempen.”
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Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton announced his support for legislation to give states more authority to prosecute Medicaid fraud. Attorney General Tim Griffin offered his support during a Friday news conference:
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“And we're just saying to the Senate, "Hey y'all, can you pass this? Why wouldn't you? It's a good uh it's good policy and it's going to help expand our efforts."
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The National Weather Service in Shreveport is calling for:
Even hotter conditions to start off this week, than last… with a high near 103 and a heat index of 109 today. Tomorrow: the “feels like temperature” stays at 109, while the high drops a single degree to 102. the heat advisory expected to stick around until at least Wednesday, with a near 101, and the same on Thursday.
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There are indications that we may break this triple digit heat and introduce small rain chances for at least portions of the Four State Region by late week and into the upcoming weekend. Until then, high wildfire danger will continue.
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Red River Radio Newscast: Monday August 17 2026
