Louisiana

‘Gutted’: Line Crews Rebuild Systems in Wake of Louisiana Tornadoes

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

‘Gutted’: Line Crews Rebuild Systems in Wake of Louisiana Tornadoes

Crews start to clear the debris from the scene of a tornado that took down DEMCO power poles and lines in Louisiana. (Photo Courtesy: DEMCO)

As electric cooperatives celebrate Lineworker Appreciation Day in April, devastating tornadoes in Louisiana served as a hazardous reminder as to why they deserve recognition.

Just about every cooperative along the Gulf Coast was touched by thunderstorms and strong winds on April 10. The heaviest damage occurred in Louisiana, where tornadoes spiraled through the territories of DEMCO and Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative, causing outages for more than 40,000 members of the two co-ops at peak.

Severe weather also was responsible for a large, fallen tree that crashed onto to a truck driven by a DEMCO employee on an assessment assignment. Fortunately, the driver was treated for minor injuries.

But the incident and the mass of broken poles and downed wires untangled by hundreds of lineworkers reinforced the skill level needed to deal with storm damage and destruction.

“It is amazing to see how crews rebuilt massive electric infrastructure, such as new transmission and distribution poles, lines, and transformers, to reinstate service in a matter of four days,” said Anne Hawes, manager of member and public relations at Greenwell Springs-based DEMCO.

One of more than 200 lineworkers on the scene starts to restore power for DEMCO members. (Photo Courtesy: DEMCO)

The combination of 110-mph winds and rains knocked out power to about 26,000 DEMCO members when the storms passed northwest of Baton Rouge.

An EF1 tornado that struck St. Francisville obliterated DEMCO’s infrastructure along a 20-mile swath. Hawes said. “It ravaged everything in its path as it passed through the town and gutted it,” she said.

More than 200 lineworkers and contractors, including mutual aid crews from Louisiana and Arkansas, worked through mounds of debris and challenging terrain to restore full power to members by April 15.

Thirty-three lineworkers with Arkansas Electric Cooperatives and Petit Jean Electric Cooperative in Clinton helped DEMCO, bringing additional off-road equipment with them. South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association in Houma also dispatched mutual assistance lineworkers.

To the east of DEMCO, Washington-St. Tammany crews did a stellar job in swiftly restoring service in the aftermath of an EF2 tornado that blasted the Slidell area on April 10 with 120-mph winds. The tornado, the width of three football fields, stayed on the ground for almost 10 miles, according to the National Weather Service.

Crews from Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative responded to damage from an EF2 tornado that ripped through the area around Slidell, Louisiana. (Photo Courtesy: Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative)

About 15,000 Washington-St. Tammany members were without power at peak, but crews were able to restore power in less than 40 hours—a minor miracle in the view of Coylean Schloegel, manager of marketing and economic development at the Franklinton-based co-op.

The first priority was restoration of power at a hospital, and Washington-St. Tammany was able to backfeed the hospital to ensure service was uninterrupted.

“Our lineworkers and our contractors were incredible. After seeing the pictures of the damage that was out there, it’s amazing that people had lights so quickly. That speaks volumes about the co-op and these lineworkers. They’re definitely our heroes,” she said.

Steven Johnson is a contributing writer for NRECA.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

Published

3 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing

6-8-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing

3-6-7-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 3 drawing

0-8-3-2-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Louisiana

Brother of Louisiana mayor accused of raping 16-year-old has a hauntingly similar criminal past

Published

15 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Brother of Louisiana mayor accused of raping 16-year-old has a hauntingly similar criminal past

The brother of Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts — accused of raping her son’s teenage friend — is facing child sex crimes of his own.

Brandon Lee Roberts, 39, was accused of raping a teen girl and assaulting a young woman over the course of several years, KALB reported.

Brandon Lee Roberts, 39, is accused of raping a teen girl and assaulting a young woman over the course of several years. Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office

The alleged sexual abuse began when one of the victims was as young as 13, according to Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford.

He was arrested in October.

Booking photo of Misty Clanton Roberts. — Brandon’s sister, Misty, the ex-mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, allegedly raped her son’s teenage friend. AP

That comes years after his big sister – ex-mayor of DeRidder, 43-year-old Misty Roberts – allegedly got hot and heavy with her son’s 16-year-old friend at a drunken party at their home.

Roberts was allegedly caught in the tryst by her own kids.

She was arrested months later, and is currently on trial for rape charges.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 2, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing

3-9-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 2 drawing

4-1-1-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing

0-5-2-9-5

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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