Infrastructure will anchor Ascension Parish’s growth strategy in 2026 as development accelerates across the region. Ascension Chamber President Donnie Miller said leaders must act early to support investment, workforce demand, and quality of life. The Chamber plans to convene partners around four priorities: infrastructure, small business, quality of life, and workforce development. Highway 30 improvements, West Bank planning, utilities, housing, and healthcare will shape long term readiness. Small businesses remain central, with most Chamber members employing fewer than 30 people. Retail growth continues, while parks, amenities, and education strengthen Ascension’s appeal to families and young professionals.

The United Cajun Navy prepared ahead of the winter storm by placing supplies in Oklahoma and North Carolina. When the storm hit, Oxford, Mississippi, took major damage. The town froze over, lost power, and students struggled to stay warm and connected. Rolling Fork, already recovering from a past tornado, also faced new problems. Leaders in Northeast Louisiana reached out for help as outages grew.The group now has 15 chapters across the country. These chapters help gather information and move volunteers quickly. They are even forming a new Yellowstone chapter to support search and rescue efforts in the mountain region.The United Cajun Navy also trains its special operations teams in search and rescue, swift water rescue and CPR. They rely on a full warehouse staff in Baton Rouge to keep supplies ready year-round.North Carolina continues to struggle because many families are still displaced after Hurricane Helene. Ice and steep roads made it hard for volunteers to reach them, but they used any vehicle they could to deliver propane and warm gear.For now, the priority is restoring power so communities can recover. Until that happens, the United Cajun Navy will keep responding wherever help is needed.

Moon Griffon spoke with listeners on Talk 107.3 about community events and key political issues across Louisiana. He reflected on Guarantee’s 100th anniversary celebration in Baton Rouge and praised the strong turnout and welcoming atmosphere. Griffon also highlighted the Day of Giving at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, noting how efficiently volunteers worked to help families in need.

Americans for Free Markets is pushing back against government overreach that disrupts everyday banking. In a interview, AFFM president David Ibsen explained how outdated Bank Secrecy Act thresholds flag ordinary transactions and leave consumers in the dark. He argued inflation has turned routine payrolls and purchases into “suspicious” activity, while banks remain legally unable to explain delays. AFFM supports reform that updates dollar limits, restores transparency, and ends politicized debanking. The group also advocates federal solutions to avoid state-by-state chaos and promotes light-touch regulation for artificial intelligence, ensuring innovation, free speech, competition, and consumer protection remain central to America’s future.

East Baton Rouge Parish avoided major impacts from this week’s freeze thanks to favorable timing and proactive emergency planning. Officials said rain ended 12–13 hours before temperatures dropped below freezing, reducing the risk of icy roads. Still, DOT crews treated critical bridges and infrastructure as a precaution. Emergency managers monitored regional weather trends, protected airport operations, and coordinated with utilities and river industries. Outreach teams worked with shelters to ensure beds were available for the homeless, while warming centers opened to the public. Officials warn that fire danger remains the biggest ongoing cold-weather risk as freezing nights continue.

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development officials say winter weather significantly impacted roads north of Alexandria, while South Louisiana avoided the worst conditions. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett reported about 18 road closures, mainly in North Louisiana, with icy bridges and elevated interstates posing the biggest risks. Parts of I-20 remain open but treacherous, with only one lane available in some areas. Elevated sections of I-49 and I-220 near Shreveport and Bossier City saw closures as expected. DOTD crews worked around the clock, deploying de-icing agents, salt, and additional resources to keep critical routes open and clear fallen trees as conditions improve.

Louisiana leaders are pushing second chance hiring to help solve the state’s workforce shortage. Each month, 900 to 1,200 people leave prison and return to their communities. Business and policy leaders say this group represents a strong and willing labor pool. Recent tours of Angola prison highlighted job training programs that teach inmates useful skills before release. Lawmakers also discussed re-entry courts, which guide participants and hold them accountable as they prepare for work. Supporters believe steady jobs lower repeat crime, improve public safety, and give employers the workers they urgently need across Louisiana.

Louisiana is already seeing encouraging signs from a series of major insurance reforms passed over the last two years, according to State Rep. Gabe Firment, who joined Mornings with Brian Haldane to outline progress and preview what comes next. Firment said lawmakers spent 2024 drilling into the cost drivers behind Louisiana’s high auto insurance rates, ultimately passing a balanced package of 10 bills—five focused on consumer protections and five centered on legal reform.

A major winter storm is moving toward Louisiana, and state meteorologist Jay Grimes says the northern parishes will take the hardest hit. Areas north of a Natchez-Alexandria-Lufkin line could see half an inch to more than an inch of ice. That amount of ice can cripple roads, power systems, and rural communities. Grimes said temperatures in those areas may stay below freezing for more than 60 hours. A layer of snow could also fall on top of the ice, keeping it from melting and making conditions last even longer.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is gearing up for a potential freeze as Governor Jeff Landry declares a state of emergency ahead of this weekend’s winter storm. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett says crews began staging salt and brine days ago, focusing on bridges and high-traffic corridors across the state. District teams now have the ability to produce and store their own brine, allowing faster response. New pilot technology on select northern bridges alerts crews when temperatures reach freezing, helping them apply treatment at the right moment. DOTD will prioritize areas expecting the most ice to keep Louisiana’s major routes open.