Laissez les bons temps rouler! It’s Mardi Gras and celebrations are taking place this morning throughout the state. More and more people are visiting Louisiana every year to celebrate Fat Tuesday, according to a study from WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales explains why traffic might be at a standstill right now heading into The Big Easy…:
Cut 14 (10) “city’s population”

There’s no shortage of mudbugs for Mardi Gras. That’s according to Dr. Greg Lutz with the LSU Ag Center who says the mild winter in Louisiana has helped crawfish farmers catch up. But he says since there are plenty out there, many people are planning boils today…:
Cut 10 (09) “as well”
He says because there are so many people partying today, the price per pound of crawfish could be higher than usual for a couple of days.

How about this heart warming Fat Tuesday story? The city of Opelousas almost had to cancel their parade today due to lack of funds to pay for security. But businessman Bob Giles, who owns car dealerships in Acadiana, stepped up to help the Krewe of Frank Parade…:
CUT 7 (11) “take place”
He says he couldn’t stand by and watch a nearly 20 year old Opelousas Krewe cancel their parade due to lack of funding. It rolls at 11 this morning.

Governor John Bel Edwards has been in Washington D.C. over the past several days meeting with President Donald Trump and FEMA about flood relief and tornado disaster recovery. The governor returns today and will hold a news conference this afternoon at the New Orleans Airport to provide an update on his meetings as the state seeks an additional $2 billion dollars in flood relief from Congress.