An early morning house fire in Slidell kills four, including two children. Slidell fire Chief Chris Kaufmann says it’s been a difficult and emotional morning for everyone involved.
Cut 5 (13) “…accidental fire.”
The victims have been identified as 33-year old Phoenix Lousteau, her husband 40-year-old Stephen Lousteau, and their daughters, Mackenzie age 10, and Payton age five.
The state reports 2,304 COVID patients in Louisiana hospitals and 144 of those patients are on ventilators. 13-thousand new cases were also added to the statewide total that eclipsed a million this week. The department of health also reports that 52 new fatalities, 44 of the confirmed deaths are the most reported in one day since September.
Big changes weather-wise are coming to Louisiana. Shreveport National Weather Service Meteorologist Michael Berry says residents in the northern part of the state can expect freezing conditions tonight and areas near the I-20/I-49 corridor should miss out on winter precipitation, but areas to the south and southwest of Alexandria could see a dicey mix.
Congressman Garrett Graves announced that the federal government has committed more than $2.5 billion to help reinforce Louisiana’s hurricane and flood protection systems. Graves highlighted $128 million designated for the Comite Diversion project, which has been underway since the 1980s, he says this is a major, but long-delayed victory.