Johnny Ahysen
Reporter
Baton Rouge, La.
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You may remember Johnny from his 17 years on the radio at WFMF 102.5 FM here in Baton Rouge (1979 thru 1996). He was "Johnny A." He also did a short morning stint with Randy Rice on Eagle 98.1 prior to Walton & Johnson as well as some fill-in work on New Orleans radio.
Along with his work on the regular television broadcast, Johnny produces his own show for WAFB+. It's called Ahysen Nation and it airs every Tuesday at 10 a.m. The digital exclusive content is a place for Johnny to talk to different people in the community. From the governor to a school teacher, you never know who will become the newest member of the Ahysen Nation!
His hobbies include Flying (private pilot); Square Dance instructor/dancer; Public & Motivational Speaking; Volunteer Teaching with Junior Achievement; Salt-water fishing; Traveling; Convertibles.
Contact Johnny at jahysen@wafb.com.
Education
Updated: Sep. 8, 2022 at 10:33 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
The Pecue Lane project will be completed but not until mid-2023. When completed, the new exit will relieve congestion at two other interstate bottlenecks.
Updated: Mar. 24, 2022 at 5:12 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Authorities have reopened I-10 East near the Port Allen/Plaquemine exit after an earlier deadly crash forced them to close the roadway for five hours on Thursday.
Updated: Nov. 16, 2021 at 7:11 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
The I-10 drive from Baton Rouge to Kenner is over an hour and a half.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2020 at 8:00 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Those who grew up in south Louisiana know all about the swamp creature called the Rougarou... after all, if you were bad as a kid, mama would say the Rougarou would come to get you.
Updated: Sep. 1, 2020 at 4:28 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
A portion of I-10 was shut down early Tuesday morning due to an overturned tractor-trailer.
Updated: Mar. 23, 2020 at 7:54 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
The scene was near the Bluff Road overpass.
Updated: Mar. 3, 2020 at 10:01 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
The second Plaquemine Ferry boat will be out of service for approximately four weeks, beginning Monday.
Updated: Feb. 11, 2020 at 6:39 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Traffic was a nightmare once again Tuesday morning.
Updated: Jan. 31, 2020 at 7:40 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Traffic near the downtown Baton Rouge and Port Allen areas will be a mess early Friday morning.
Updated: Jan. 30, 2020 at 11:57 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Sources say the driver was not seriously injured.
Updated: Dec. 18, 2019 at 10:02 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Residents of Louisiana’s river parishes are getting ready to celebrate a century’s old tradition on Christmas Eve on the levees of Lutcher and Gramercy.
Updated: Nov. 22, 2019 at 5:17 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
The veteran responsible for erecting the monument says he still gets goosebumps thinking about his fallen brothers in arms.
Updated: Oct. 30, 2019 at 6:03 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
A crash closed I-10 between Highland Road and Bluff Road.
Updated: Sep. 4, 2019 at 8:55 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
To define true south Louisiana hospitality is merely to say the names Leroy and Wanda Gros.
Updated: Aug. 16, 2019 at 6:20 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Chef John Folse donated one of two buildings he owns in Donaldsonville in the hopes it can be restored into a grocery store and museum.
Updated: May. 3, 2019 at 10:15 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Seven retired professionals have a love for model trains that brought them together. They have a tradition they call “Training Day.”
Updated: Apr. 17, 2019 at 8:50 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
A movie that is now in the Library of Congress National Film Registry was shot, in part, in Louisiana, but for one small community, that wasn’t always a good thing.
Updated: Feb. 13, 2019 at 8:08 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
We’ve all heard the best way to stay healthy as we age is to eat right, get enough sleep, and exercise more. Well, one particular group in Baton Rouge is proving the experts right, especially with regard to the exercise part of that equation.
Updated: Jan. 30, 2019 at 7:35 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Perry Levet from Garyville, Louisiana was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013. It was a very serious case. His illness was a childhood disease, curable in most children, but deadly for adults.
Updated: Jan. 24, 2019 at 12:37 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Michael Spencer, a veteran who served in the Gulf War in Afghanistan and Iraq, was nominated by the Grumpy Old Men Car Club in Prairieville to receive the Hand It On gift.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2019 at 4:16 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Sometimes the most valuable life lessons come from our children. Such is the case with this week’s Hand It On.
Updated: Jan. 9, 2019 at 10:25 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
To three special ladies, it’s just a little something they enjoy doing every week, but to the residents of Ascension Oaks Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Gonzales, it means more than these ladies will ever know.
Updated: Jan. 2, 2019 at 11:21 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
As we begin 2019, we thought we’d take a look back at the compassion you showed in 2018 with some of your Hand It On nominations in what we call Hand It On – Year In Review.
Updated: Dec. 12, 2018 at 11:39 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Evelina Victor-Palmer is no ordinary volunteer. Unlike many of us who merely talk about what we think our education system needs, she's actually doing something about it.
Updated: Dec. 5, 2018 at 7:12 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
There’s just over one week left for the annual Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program to collect Christmas gifts for kids. And as of Wednesday, Dec. 5, there are still about 900 angels that need adopting!
Updated: Nov. 28, 2018 at 7:56 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
It’s a side of law enforcement many of us don’t get to see that often, but just because we don’t see it, it’s this side of law enforcement that’s always, always there. It’s the giving spirit always willing to lend a helping hand side of law enforcement that’s always there.
Updated: Nov. 15, 2018 at 8:49 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
We met Holly Reynolds about two years ago when WAFB’s Donna Britt did a story on her and all the work she’s done helping stray animals in our area. Reynolds is the founder of the Capital Area Animal Welfare Society, or CAAWS.
Updated: Oct. 24, 2018 at 7:42 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
The Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana Chapter 1 is a support through service organization. Through their monthly meetings and chapter activities, members support each other, their children in the military, wounded veterans in need, and veterans in the area as they promote patriotism.
Updated: Oct. 10, 2018 at 7:45 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Christmas trees and decorations are already on display at many stores. It seems like that happens earlier and earlier each year. One thing that can never happen too early is the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Christmas Crusade, which started this week.
Updated: Sep. 26, 2018 at 8:18 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
This year, Lois Stuckey reached out to a non-profit organization called 1031 Consortium for some suggestions on how to improve Halloween in her neighborhood.
Updated: Sep. 6, 2018 at 7:03 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
We always like it when we can highlight random acts of kindness in our community and it was the kindness of a total stranger that led to this Hand It On.
Updated: Aug. 2, 2018 at 2:56 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
It's a story that went viral. It's a story that was picked up and broadcast by three major news networks.
Updated: Jul. 26, 2018 at 6:23 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
A 7-year-old's birthday party is filled with balloons, cake, and lots of presents ... right? Not in the case of Adaire Hargroder. Nope! She wanted to be the one to GIVE the presents at her own party, not receive them.
Updated: Jul. 18, 2018 at 7:40 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
WAFB begins its 21st year in a row supporting St. Vincent de Paul's Uniforms for Kids drive this week. The CEO and president of St. Vincent de Paul, Michael Acaldo, explains why this drive is so important, not only for parents, but for a child's self esteem.
Updated: Jul. 11, 2018 at 8:09 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Mary White is a professional nurse and has been for all of her adult life. Most of her work has been in nursing homes caring for the elderly.
Updated: Jun. 28, 2018 at 8:55 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Earlier this week, we introduced you to a group of Baton Rouge Food Bank volunteers called the "Wednesday Warriors" and let's just say they managed to catch the attention of a lot of folks, including our Hand It On team.
Updated: Jun. 20, 2018 at 7:14 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
There are two particular ladies who are making things happen in Baton Rouge, specifically in the Gardere area. And specifically with young girls.
Updated: Jun. 14, 2018 at 11:12 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
He's only been in Baton Rouge for two months and he's already been a blessing for at least one person. Travis Catron just moved here from Memphis and was establishing his new banking account at Region's Bank.
Updated: May. 24, 2018 at 6:23 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
I've had the privilege of visiting many schools – elementary, middle, and high. And I must say, I do not remember a time when I observed a principal respected and love as much as Mr. Lamont Cole at the Community School for Apprenticeship Learning, or C-SAL Middle for short.
Updated: May. 3, 2018 at 9:35 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
It is often said some of the greatest moments in life come out of some of the darkest moments. That is certainly the case with a precious soul named Diania Laubacher.
Updated: Apr. 26, 2018 at 5:29 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
This week's Hand It On goes to a group of moms dedicated to making sure hungry kids have food to eat, even on weekends.
Updated: Apr. 12, 2018 at 9:13 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
It's not uncommon for teachers to recognize students for their good work, but when students recognize teachers, that can really be special.
Updated: Apr. 5, 2018 at 9:21 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
She lost everything in a house fire. She rebuilt. Then, not one, but two floods knocked her down again. Yet, through all of life's challenges, an elderly Point Coupee Parish woman maintains focus on giving to others.
Updated: Mar. 29, 2018 at 9:09 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Jill Rigby Garner had a huge dream in the late 90s. She dreamed of an organization that would teach basic, good manners to children.
Updated: Mar. 23, 2018 at 8:40 AM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
Birdhouses recently began showing up all over Greensburg in St. Helena Parish. First, there were only one or two. Then, there were three. And eventually, numerous birdhouses lined the walking track at the Greensburg public park.
Updated: Mar. 8, 2018 at 9:41 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
A woman read a newspaper article where someone told the story of how a softball team befriended a man down on his luck at a Chick-fil-A recently and she was so moved by the story that she nominated the entire team for WAFB's Hand It On.
Updated: Mar. 1, 2018 at 9:02 AM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Tanya Roccaforte with Perry's Posse said the group cannot save the world, but they can make a difference. And making a difference they are.
Updated: Nov. 15, 2017 at 8:34 PM CST
|By Johnny Ahysen
Every year for the last 30 or so, Holiday Helpers has served a hot Thanksgiving meal to about 1,000 people in the Raising Cane's River Center, but as many of the original Holiday Helpers have moved on or become too old or ill to help, this annual event is in jeopardy for the first time.
Updated: Oct. 18, 2017 at 9:37 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
I have never lost a child, nor have I been close to anyone who has. I'd like to think I am sensitive to loss of that kind; empathetic, sympathetic. It's said a person cannot possibly know how another feels about a particular situation, especially a tragic one, unless she or he has experienced that same thing. So with regard to losing a child, I find myself asking, "Am I really compassionate enough?"
Updated: Oct. 4, 2017 at 9:29 PM CDT
|By Johnny Ahysen
This week's Hand It On recipient makes Halloween special for one Baton Rouge neighborhood.
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