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.

Cut 7 (07) “…to the ground.”

Ellis says parts of Monroe look like a war zone, estimating debris clean up alone could cost 15-million dollars.

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin Lane Kiffin spoke to the media yesterday for the first time since being hired as LSU’s head football coach.  Since then, Kiffin has brought in quarterbacks Sam Leavitt of Arizona State, Husan (HOO-sahn) Longstreet of USC and Landen Clark of Elon to play for the Tigers.

Cut 11 (13) “…about their competitiveness.”

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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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The operators of Minden Seafood and Dorcheat Seafood and Grill will pay a former employee 34-thousand dollars in back pay and emotional damages to settle a lawsuit filed by the EEOC.   According to the suit, the young woman was repeatedly sexually harassed and propositioned, but managers she reported the behavior to never did anything so she felt forced to resign. And, the sister restaurant refused to hire her.

Lane Kiffin spoke yesterday at his first news conference in two months. Andre Champagne reports.

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President Donald Trump has endorsed Louisiana state Sen. Blake Miguez, who recently dropped a U.S. Senate bid to run for the U.S. House of Representatives instead. The president called Miquez a MAGA warrior, saying he has his quote “complete and total support.”
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Now that it’s thawing out, nrtheast Louisiana is beginning the road to recovery from last week’s ice storm.  In Monroe, Mayor Friday Ellis says the destruction rivals that caused by Hurricane Laura in 2020, saying the city looks like a war zone.

Cut 8 (09) “…like hurricane cleanup.”

Ellis says the damage is so widespread, debris removal alone will cost about 15-million dollars.

There’s good news for some Delta Utilities customers who are struggling to pay their natural gas.  The company has launched a program called DU Cares, to help with that.  Sarah McLaughlin Porteous (PORT-ee-uhs) with Delta says there are eligibility requirements, and customers facing unexpected financial hardship need to fill out an application either online or in person.

Cut 5 (04) “…12-month period.”

Delta Utilities has committed up to 200-thousand dollars to fund the program.

After last week’s ice storm, the daunting task of recovery is underway in northeast Louisiana.   Andrew Greenstein reports.

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Certain Delta Utilities customers struggling to pay their natural gas bills can now get some assistance. Sarah McLaughlin Porteous (PORT-ee-uhs) with Delta Utilities says the company has committed up to 200-thousand dollars to fund its new DU Cares initiative.

Cut 4 (07) “…program for us.”

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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.

Cut 10 (15) “…knew it was LSU.”

He’s a Super Bowl champ, two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a five-time All-Pro selection, and in the Saints Ring of Honor. Now Drew Brees is about to be a Hall of Famer. The NFL announces the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 tonight, 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.

Cut 13 (05)  “…Drew Brees’ name.”

NFL Honors will air on NBC at tonight at eight.

Good news for those affected by the Louisiana ice storms.  Not only will residents in eight north Louisiana parishes receive an additional 20 percent on their SNAP benefits this month, but there’s also assistance available for small businesses that lost revenue because of the storm.  Governor Jeff Landry says small business disaster loans are available to businesses in 19 north and central Louisiana parishes.

Cut 6 (08) “…on their feet.”

St. Tammany Parish has secured nearly four-million dollars in federal funding for what will be the largest single flood reduction initiative in Louisiana history.  We’re told most of the money will fund the St. Tammany Coastal Storm and Flood Risk Management Project. The rest would go towards the Lake Pontchartrain Storm Surge Reduction Project. Michael Vinsanau with St. Tammany Parish

Cut 11 (11) “…of Southeast Louisiana.”

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Almost four months after two girls were killed in a house fire in Shreveport, two people are arrested, with two more to follow. Jeff Palermo reports one of the suspects is the girls’ grandmother.

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New Orleans police are still searching for a suspect in the shooting in the parking lot of an Algiers apartment complex Monday that left a seven-year-old and an adult injured. Both victims were taken to the hospital and treated. Police since released few details about a potential suspect, but no arrests have been made.

A new poll finds that Congresswoman Julia Letlow is the preferred choice of Republican primary voters. The survey by pollster Greg Rigamer finds Letlow receiving 27-percent of the vote to incumbent Bill Cassidy’s 21-percent. Business lobbyist Alton Ashy paid for the poll.

Cut 7 (08) “…getting re-elected.”

But Cassidy’s campaign has its own poll conducted by Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies. It shows Cassidy getting 32-percent of the Republican primary vote to Letlow’s 21-percent. Cassidy says the race is about who has delivered for Louisiana.

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The largest flood reduction project in Louisiana history moves forward after St. Tammany Parish secures almost four-million dollars in federal funding. Andrew Greenstein reports.

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Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein has announced that SNAP recipients in eight parishes in north Louisiana will receive an additional 20-percent of their January benefits to help them make ends meet after the ice storm

Cut 5 (07) “…by February 11th.”

A survey on the Republican Senate primary poll shows Congresswoman Julia Letlow is favored among GOP voters. Andre Champagne reports.

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Families in north Louisiana that rely on SNAP will see additional benefits because of the ice storm. Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein (green-steen)…

Cut 4 (12) “…their SNAP benefits.”

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St. Tammany Parish will move forward with the largest single flood reduction initiative in state history. This, after it secures nearly four-million dollars in federal funding for a pair of projects. Michael Vinsanau with St. Tammany Parish says most of the money will go towards the St. Tammany Coastal Storm and Flood Risk Management Project.

Cut 10 (12) “…the entire parish.”

In October, two young sisters were killed in a house fire in Shreveport – and now, two people, including their grandmother, have been arrested. Shreveport Fire Chief Clarence Reese Jr. on the charges 50-year-old Rita Montgomery faces.

Cut 13 (12)  “…and criminal conspiracy.”

Eight-year-old Aaliyah Robinson and five-year-old Danielle Spearman were killed in that fire.

If one member of the Louisiana House of Representatives has his way, private passenger vehicle safety inspection stickers will soon be a thing of the past. Stonewall Republican Larry Bagley plans to file a bill in this year’s session that would do away with them. Bagley disagrees with the notion that safety inspection stickers indicate to police that vehicles are safe, saying officers have scores of modern technology tools at their disposal.

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Bagley’s bill would not apply to commercial vehicles.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the Louisiana Family Forum is once again in search of the state’s longest married couple. L-F-F president Gene Mills …

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For more information call the Louisiana Family Forum.

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The LaSalle Parish School District is the first in Louisiana to eliminate homework assignments. Andre Champagne has the story.

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A driver crashed into a marked police unit along Interstate 10 westbound near the Gonzales Burnside exit last night. According to LaDOTD, the crash happened shortly before 8:30 p.m. and blocked all of the westbound lanes.  State Police said that the officer was not in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

North Louisiana will try to get back to normal after the ice storm this week. As of this morning, there were still more than seven-thousand households without power, close to five thousand of those in Ouachita Parish.  LSU Health Shreveport Psychiatry professor Doctor Smink Sangsura says, cold weather, the loss of power and being cooped up in the house can lead to stress, anxiety, or depression.

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Vehicle safety inspection stickers could soon be a thing of the past if one member of the Louisiana House of Representatives has his way.  Stonewall Republican Larry Bagley is planning on filing a bill in this year’s session that would do away with them.

Cut 4 (09) “…no particular reason.”

Bagley’s bill would not apply to commercial vehicles.
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The Louisiana Family Forum is once again seeking nominations for the state’s longest living married couple. Jeff Palermo has the details..

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The LaSalle Parish District is the first district in the state to eliminate homework assignments. Superintendent Jonathan Garrett says getting rid of homework will allow both teachers and students to be more effective throughout the school day and enhance classroom performance.

Cut 8 (14) “…that we currently have.”

If one Louisiana lawmaker has his way, inspection stickers will soon be a thing of the past. Here’s Andrew Greenstein.

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Three arrests have officially been made after a shooting at a Mardi Gras parade Saturday in Clinton left five people injured, including a six year old.  East Feliciana Parish Sheriff Jeffrey Travis says two of those arrested are facing multiple charges, including attempted second degree murder.

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LaSalle Parish Schools is the first district in the state to eliminate homework assignments. Superintendent Jonathan Garrett says homework has a limited benefit on academic success and believes that no homework gives students a strong reason to come to school excited each day.

Cut 7 (14) “…on our end.”

North Louisiana is trying to get back to normal after the ice storm. The loss of power, the cold weather, and being cooped up in the house can lead to stress, anxiety, or depression. LSU Health Shreveport Psychiatry professor Doctor Smink Sangsura says they winter blues have you down, try to get outside as the temperatures will warm up today…

Cut 14 (11) “…be still.”

The CEO of Entergy addressed his company’s power restoration efforts from this week’s massive ice storm. Phillip May Jr. says crews have been working non-stop for 16 hours a day and have made tremendous progress. But he says the damage was a lot more extensive than anticipated; and due to the icy conditions, the damage seems to be never-ending.

Cut 16 (14) “…to our system.”

In all, the latest numbers show there are more than 25thousand households without power. 15,000  in Ouachita Parish. Earlier this morning, there were more than 12 hundred without power in New Orleans due to high winds.

A Jefferson Parish sheriff’s deputy was killed Friday in a motorcycle crash while escorting a funeral procession on Airline Highway, according to police in New Orleans.  Officials say 41 year old Deputy Christopher Paul Ohlmeyer of River Ridge was stopped in the roadway as part of the procession when he was hit from behind. Ohlmeyer was a 14-year veteran of the department and survived by his wife and two children.
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The state has set new records for both total nonfarm employment and total private employment. Seasonally-adjusted nonfarm employment is a little more two-million jobs and private sector employment is nearly 1.7-million jobs. Osmar Padilla with Louisiana Works says over the last year, private education and health services added 15-thousand jobs.

Cut 7 (09) “…machinists.”

Over the last month, trade, transportation and utilities, along with construction saw the largest job gains.

The Rockin’ 1000 concert is tonight in New Orleans, with half the 1000 musicians performing coming from 47 other states and 30 countries.  Kelly Schulz with New Orleans and Company says while this may be the first time in New Orleans for some of the musicians and their guests; by putting its best foot forward, it won’t be the last.

Cut 5 (09) “…Rockin’1000 is over.”