Johnny Ahysen
Traffic Reporter
Baton Rouge, La.
Johnny Ahysen has been behind a microphone—and sometimes in front of a camera—since the age of 15, building a lifelong career in broadcasting that spans both radio and television. Known for his spontaneous, off-the-cuff style, Johnny brings an unpredictable energy to the airwaves that keeps audiences entertained and, at times, keeps his bosses on their toes.
After getting his start in radio, Johnny expanded into television, where he continues to connect with viewers every weekday morning from 4:30 to 10 on WAFB TV Channel 9. His approach is simple: keep it real, keep it lively, and never let things get boring.
Outside the studio, Johnny’s sense of adventure doesn’t slow down. He holds a private pilot’s license and a commercial driver’s license, spending weekends behind the wheel of motorcoaches for Dixieland Tours. When he’s not working, you’ll likely find him outdoors—especially on the water, where he has a deep love for saltwater fishing.
A graduate of LSU with a background in marketing, Johnny combines experience, personality, and a passion for people into everything he does. Raised Catholic but now a United Methodist, Johnny is quite active at Jefferson United Methodist Church, where he currently serves on the Administrative Council as Finance Chair.
Whether he’s on the air, on the road, or traveling abroad, one thing is certain: with Johnny, you never quite know what’s coming next—and that’s exactly how he likes it.
Daniel Barousse transforms broken skateboards into custom furniture from a small workshop in his parents’ backyard, but his unconventional journey to woodworking began with a 1,000-mile bike ride.
Forty US airports will see reduced flights beginning Friday.
Portions of several major interstates and two major bridges over the Mississippi River remained closed due to icy conditions Friday.
For more than 20 years, the Up Stage Theater Company has been touching the Baton Rouge community with meaningful and important stories.
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.
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.
The I-10 drive from Baton Rouge to Kenner is over an hour and a half.
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.
A portion of I-10 was shut down early Tuesday morning due to an overturned tractor-trailer.
The second Plaquemine Ferry boat will be out of service for approximately four weeks, beginning Monday.
Traffic was a nightmare once again Tuesday morning.
Traffic near the downtown Baton Rouge and Port Allen areas will be a mess early Friday morning.
Sources say the driver was not seriously injured.
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.
The veteran responsible for erecting the monument says he still gets goosebumps thinking about his fallen brothers in arms.
A crash closed I-10 between Highland Road and Bluff Road.
To define true south Louisiana hospitality is merely to say the names Leroy and Wanda Gros.
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.
Seven retired professionals have a love for model trains that brought them together. They have a tradition they call “Training Day.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sometimes the most valuable life lessons come from our children. Such is the case with this week’s Hand It On.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It's a story that went viral. It's a story that was picked up and broadcast by three major news networks.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are two particular ladies who are making things happen in Baton Rouge, specifically in the Gardere area. And specifically with young girls.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It's not uncommon for teachers to recognize students for their good work, but when students recognize teachers, that can really be special.
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.
Jill Rigby Garner had a huge dream in the late 90s. She dreamed of an organization that would teach basic, good manners to children.
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.
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.
