With northeast Louisiana thawing out from the ice storm, the daunting recovery task is getting underway in earnest. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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Lane Kiffin speaks! Andre Champagne was at Kiffin’s first press conference since his introductory news conference that was held two months ago.
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Legendary Saints quarterback Drew Brees is expected to be announced tonight as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Jeff Palermo has more.
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Certain Delta Utilities customers who are struggling to pay their natural gas bills can now get some much-needed assistance. Sarah McLaughlin Porteous (PORT-ee-uhs) with Delta Utilities says the company has just launched an initiative called DU Cares.
There are eligibility requirements, including income relative to household size, and customers facing unexpected financial hardship need to fill out an application either online or in person. Porteous says the assistance is meant to be limited in nature. (People can get up to 250 dollars one time in a 12-month period.)
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Porteous says the response so far has been very encouraging.
Cut 6 (09) “…than 300 applications.”
Delta Utilities has committed up to 200-thousand dollars to fund the program. Once all the money is allocated, the program will be temporarily paused until additional funding is available.
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Northeast Louisiana is thawing out from last week’s ice storm. Now, the daunting task of recovery is getting underway. In Monroe, Mayor Friday Ellis says the destruction rivals that caused by Hurricane Laura in 2020.
Mayor Ellis says when you drive around Monroe, the city looks like a war zone.
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The damage is not just limited to what you can see outside. With many losing power for days on end, they were left with refrigerators full of spoiled food. Ellis says that’s been keeping the local food bank very busy.
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Ellis says the damage is so widespread, it will cost about 15-million dollars just in debris removal.
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Lane Kiffin spoke to the media yesterday for the first time since being hired as LSU’s head football coach. One of the first things Kiffin did in Baton Rouge was to sign the two best high school players in the state, Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson. Kiffin says even though he gets a lot of credit for keeping Brown and Anderson in the boot, the program recruits itself.
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Kiffin brought in quarterbacks Sam Leavitt of Arizona State, Husan (HOO-sahn) Longstreet of USC and Landen Clark of Elon to play for the Tigers. Kiffin says he’s most proud of the staff’s ability to build one of the best quarterback rooms in the country through the portal.
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Kiffin gave an update on Leavitt’s foot injury, saying he will be able to throw in spring practice but will miss team drills.
Over the past couple of weeks, Kiffin and his staff traveled across the country to get a head start on recruiting the Class of 2027. Kiffin says his trips in Louisiana have stood out.
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Drew Brees is a Super Bowl champion, a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a five-time All-Pro selection, and he’s in the Saints Ring of Honor. Later today, you will likely be able to call him a Hall of Famer. Tonight, the NFL announces the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, and Brees is expected to be “in that number.” Luke Johnson covers the Saints for the Advocate and says it would be shocking if Brees is not a first ballot hall of famer.
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Brees played in the NFL for 20 seasons and threw for 80-thousand yards and 571 touchdowns. Only Tom Brady threw for more yards and touchdowns. Brees holds the record for highest career completion percentage. Johnson says while the numbers are impressive, the impact Brees had on the Saints franchise is immeasurable.
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be introduced during tonight’s NFL Honors program. Also tonight, we will find out if Saints linebacker Demario Davis will be awarded the NFL Man of the Year Award. Johnson says quarterback Tyler Shough is also up for Offensive Rookie of the Year, which is impressive when you considered he only started half the season.
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NFL Honors will air on NBC at 8 p.m. Central Time.
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Big game in women’s college basketball tonight as fifth-ranked LSU visits fourth-ranked Texas. It’s a rematch of the game played in the PMAC on January 11th, won by LSU 70 to 65. The Longhorns have one of the best defenses in the country, allowing only 55 points per game. Cory Diaz covers LSU women’s hoops for the USA Today Network. Diaz says handling Texas’ pressure will be a key for LSU tonight…
Diaz also expects Texas coach Vic Schaefer to instruct his team to get the ball to six-foot-six center Kyla Oldacare.
Tip off is at 8 PM.