We now have a report of a death from this arctic blast. The Louisiana Department of Health says a 65-year-old Rapides Parish man died of hypothermia. The department did not go into any further details of how the man died.

While temperatures in Rapides Parish are certainly much lower than normal, they’re not as low as those in areas further north, where a winter storm warning remains in effect. Snow is falling in Texas and Arkansas, but Louisiana is mainly dealing with rain.

SWEPCO is prepared to respond to power outages when they occur from the winter storm. Michelle Marcotte with SWEPCO says they’ve been getting the trucks and crews ready.

Cut 14 (13) “…to restore power.”

Marcotte says they also have extra personnel ready to respond.

The frigid temperatures have led to several house fires; and so far eight across the state have turned deadly. 11 people have been killed in those eight fires. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality.

Cut 9 (08)  “…my team.”

The Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal says there were no fire deaths last night, and it’s urging you to do your part in ensuring that it stays that way. That includes placing nothing within three to five feet of space heaters.

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.” 

The shirts sell for 35 dollars apiece.

Snow is falling in Arkansas and Texas, but it’s mostly rain in Louisiana. SWEPCO is prepared in case there are downed power lines from icing. Spokesperson Michelle Marcotte says more than 500 on-site contract crews are positioned in areas predicted to be affected by the storm…

Cut 15 (10) “…we need them”

Schools are closed in Caddo and Bossier parishes tomorrow and ULM is also closing its campus tomorrow because of the winter weather.

LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says south Louisiana can expect heavy rainfall tonight and tomorrow…

Cut 13 (10)  “…eastward”

And we are not looking at any real warm-up until next weekend.

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.”

Whitsell says they are selling for 35-dollars a piece on the Saints and Pelicans’ websites, with proceeds going towards the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says we could see fish kills because of the below freezing temperatures. LDWF fisheries biologist Jason Adriance…

Cut 8 (04) “…dead or dying fish”

Coastal species commonly impacted by low water temperatures are White Trout, Red Drum, Black Drum and Spotted Seatrout.

Winter storm warnings and winter storm advisories are in effect for much of north Louisiana. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin reports Texas and Arkansas will get the brunt of this storm, not Louisiana…

Cut 2 (30) “…dark paved surfaces.”

Because of the winter weather, the ULM campus will be closed tomorrow.

The city of Alexandria has opened a warming station on Bolton Avenue. It will remain open through the weekend. Cots and Ready to Eat meals are available.

Eleven people have died in eight separate fires this year and in each case, the home did not have a working smoke detector. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says if you need a smoke alarm, call you local fire department and they will come out and install them for you…

Cut 11 (10) “…so, so important.”

Adams also says if you are using a space heater, make sure it’s three to five feet away from combustible objects.

The Saints and Pelicans have been seen wearing special love for New Orleans warm-up shirts in response to the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. The shirts are available to the public for 35-dollars. Brittany Whitsell, director of charitable giving and development, says proceeds will support the victims…

Cut 4 (09) “…the Saints”

You can purchase the shirts on the teams’ websites.

Wintry precipitation is possible north of Interstate 20 today and into tomorrow, which has SWEPCO prepared in case there are downed power lines from icing. SWEPCO spokesperson Michelle Marcotte says more than 500 on-site contract crews are positioned in areas predicted to be affected by the storm…

Cut 15 (10) “…we need them”

Marcotte says forecasters have told them the Texarkana and Longview areas in Texas are expected to see significant ice accumulation.

LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says south Louisiana can expect heavy rainfall today and tomorrow…

Cut 13 (10)  “…eastward”

The city of Alexandria has opened a warming station on Bolton Avenue. It will remain open through the weekend. Cots and Ready to Eat meals are available.

You can help support those affected by the Bourbon Street tragedy by buying special Saints and Pelicans warmup shirts.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

An emotional state funeral service was held today in Washington D-C for our 39^th President Jimmy Carter. After his one-term in office Carter was involved with many organizations including Habitat for Humanity. Kathy Gardner is the CEO of the Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana…

Cut 29 (10) “…to him”

Precipitation is falling in north Louisiana, and we’ll wait to see if it becomes freezing rain, sleet or snow. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says it could snow tomorrow morning near the Arkansas state line…

Cut 12 (09) “…slip and slide.”

Four parishes in northwest Louisiana, Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne, are under a winter storm warning, and a winter weather advisory is in place for several other north Louisiana parishes.

SWEPCO is prepared to respond to power outages when they occur from the winter storm. Michelle Marcotte with SWEPCO says they’ve been getting the trucks and crews ready.

Cut 14 (13) “…to restore power.”

Marcotte says they also have extra personnel ready to respond.

So far this year, 11 people have died in eight separate fires across the state amid brutally cold temperatures. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says none of the homes involved in these deadly fires had a working smoke detector…

Cut 10 (10) “…free of charge.”

Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries warns of potential fish kills along the coast amid these freezing temperatures. Fisheries biologist Jason Adriance notes that slower temperature drops give fish a better chance to acclimate and survive.

Cut 7 (07) “…more severe impact.”

One coastal species most at risk is the Spotted Seatrout which struggles when water temperatures drop below 40-degrees for over a day, while Red Drum begins to experience issues in the mid-30s.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) warns of potential fish kills along the coast as freezing temperatures and an arctic blast sweep across the state. Fisheries biologist Jason Adriance says water temperatures haven’t dropped enough yet.

Cut 6 (08) “…that can happen.”

So far this year, 11 people have died in eight separate fires across the state. The two latest deadly fires were in Shreveport and in Rapides Parish, with elderly victims in each. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says at this time last year, they did not have a single house fire fatality…

Cut 9 (08)  “…my team.”

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says the Saints and the Pelicans both worked with the NFL and the NBA, respectively, to crank out as many shirts as possible.

Cut 5 (08) “…soon as possible.”

The legislature is expected to take up soaring homeowners and auto insurance premiums in its next regular session this year. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says one state that had a similar plight is Florida, where homeowners saw their insurance premiums skyrocket after Hurricane Ian in 2022. He says just as Louisiana homeowners are experiencing, it took time for them to start seeing results.

Cut 15 (11) “…benefit of that.”

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect for much of north Louisiana. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin reports Texas and Arkansas will get the brunt of this storm, not Louisiana…

Cut 2 (30) “…dark paved surfaces.”

Utilities are getting ready to respond to issues caused by the winter storm. SWEPCO has spent the last several days getting their trucks stocked and ready and making sure crews have proper winter attire so that they can go out and restore power. SWEPCO has more than a thousand additional personnel ready to respond should they be needed.

It’s the national day of mourning for President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100. One organization near and dear to President Carter’s heart was Habitat for Humanity. After leaving office, Carter helped the organization build a countless number of homes. Kathy Gardner, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of North Louisiana, says Carter set the example for everyone else to follow.

Cut 4 (13) “…in North Louisiana.”

You can help those affected by the tragedy in New Orleans by buying special Saints and Pelicans “love for New Orleans” warm-up shirts. Brittany Whitsell, the director of charitable giving and development for the Saints and the Pelicans, says they’re designed to show solidarity with the city.

Cut 3 (08) “…really helping everybody.”

With the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras coming up, the big talk is how to make the French Quarter safe, especially in light of what happened early New Year’s Day. New Orleans Representative Alonzo Knox says he is open to any and all suggestions.

Cut 10 (10) “…least mitigate it.”

Some have suggested turning the entire French Quarter into a pedestrian mall. Knox says the problem there is that part of the French Quarter is residential, with people living there 365 days a year.

The legislature is expected to take up soaring homeowners and auto insurance premiums in its next regular session this year. Governor Landry has expressed frustration that a package of insurance industry-backed bills has not lowered premiums. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says he understands the frustration.

Cut 13 (08) “…understand the frustration.”

Temple says this crisis has been years in the making, and a fix will not happen overnight.

On this, the national day of mourning, Habitat for Humanity chapters across the country, including here in Louisiana, are mourning the passing of one of its biggest champions, President Jimmy Carter. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

We’re now learning of stories of heroism in the deadly terror attack on Bourbon Street New Year’s Day. Jack Bech, the brother of Tiger Bech, posted on social media that Tiger pushed a girl out of harm’s way as Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed a pickup truck into a crowd at the entrance from Canal Street. Tiger Bech was one of 14 innocent people killed in the attack.