Louisiana
At Urban League debate, mayoral candidates discuss improving city services, other priorities
Nearly three weeks out from the start of early voting, nine candidates for New Orleans mayor made their pitch at a debate Tuesday night at Xavier University hosted by the Urban League of Louisiana.
City Council Vice President Helena Moreno has maintained a double-digit lead in polling over State Sen. Royce Duplessis and Councilmember Oliver Thomas, who are both seeking enough votes to force the October race into a November runoff.
Duplessis in his opening remarks said he wants to make New Orleans an easier and more affordable place to live and argued that people are leaving New Orleans because of the “dysfunction out of City Hall,” echoing a television ad his campaign began airing over the weekend blaming Moreno for much of the city’s problems.
Moreno said she looked forward to working with whoever is elected to the City Council to help them achieve priorities in their districts, arguing that that’s what “good mayors” do.
Thomas said he’d work to improve basic city services, like 911 call response times and street repairs, and bring back twice-a-week trash pickup.
Candidates were also asked how they respond if President Donald Trump deploys National Guard troops to New Orleans, as Trump has suggested doing. The deployment would come even though violent crime in the city is down.
Duplessis called Trump’s threats “political theater” and said he’d welcome federal support, but not in the form of National Guard troops.
The cities Trump has suggested deploying the National Guard to — New Orleans, Baltimore and Chicago — are “Black cities with Black leaderships,” Duplessis said. The president has also sent troops into Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
Moreno said National Guard troops should not be used for law enforcement and would be a “detriment” to the New Orleans Police Department.
Thomas said the dollars spent on deploying National Guard troops to other places could have instead been used on early childhood education.
Candidates were asked how they would improve the city’s Department of Safety and Permits to ensure better access to city resources for small and minority-owned businesses.
Moreno said she’d bring in outside experts to revamp safety and permits, pointing to similar efforts in Jefferson Parish. “You need better technology, you need training of employees,” she said.
Duplessis said he’d cross train city workers and standardize procurement processes across departments. “I want to empower the staff at City Hall to know what the right and left hand is doing,” he said.
Thomas said City Hall needs to be as aggressive at helping people get permits as it is at shutting people down for not having a permit. He said he’d allow City Hall to issue “provisional permits” to businesses in good standing. He also said he’d also open a standalone economic development office in New Orleans East.
The event was the final installment in a series of debates organized by the Urban League of Louisiana and nearly two dozen community groups aimed at “uplifting the voices and priorities of Black and Brown New Orleanians” ahead of the October primary. It began after 7 p.m. and as of press time was ongoing.
Of the 264,000 voters who were registered in New Orleans as of March, 54% identified as Black, 36.5% as White and 9.5% another race.
Unlike other high-profile forums, which have used fundraising and polling to limit participation to the three major candidates, the Urban League extended invitations to every candidate that remains in the race. In attendance were Renada Collins, Ricky Twiggs, Russell Butler, Eileen Carter, Joe Bikulege, Jr., and Frank Janusa.
“If you have raised your hand, and you said that ‘I am wanting to lead us, I think I’m deserving to lead us,’ then we’re going to give you a platform and we’re going to let the voters decide,” Charles Phipps, a senior director at the Urban League, told WBOK Tuesday.
Carter, a former social media manager for Cantrell who went on to lead a failed effort to recall her from office, thanked the Urban League for including all the candidates. Carter has said she’d fund an office to coordinate education initiatives and create city-wide business internship program, among other plans.
“I’m here today to let you know we have more than three options. We’re going to cut the gatekeeping in the city of New Orleans,” Carter said.
Early voting begins on Sept. 27. Election day is Oct. 11.
BATON ROUGE (KNOE) – Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming is accusing Governor Jeff Landry of interfering with the state Senate race, which Fleming is a part of.
Fleming took to social media to accuse Landry of working “behind the scenes” to get Congresswoman Julia Letlow elected to the Senate.
According to Fleming, Dr. Ralph Abraham offered him the position of Deputy Director of the CDC shortly before announcing he was stepping down. Fleming said he politely declined.
A week later, news broke that Abraham is now leading Letlow’s Senate campaign.
“We know that Jeff has been heavily lobbying the Trump campaign team for the endorsement, he is pressuring the Republican Party of Louisiana and the Republican Executive Committees to support and endorse Letlow as well,” Fleming wrote on Facebook. “And, he is personally calling his donors to raise big money to save the Letlow campaign.
Landry formally endorsed Letlow for the U.S. Senate on March 4. Letlow also has the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
“We need a warrior who stands with the President to Make America Great. And there’s no greater warrior than a Louisiana mom,” Landry wrote on Facebook.
Fleming continued his commentary, asking when Landry will stop interfering with the state’s Senate race.
“Who is best to decide who represents you in Washington? Jeff Landry, or YOU?” Fleming asked.
Also in the heated race is incumbent Bill Cassidy, M.D.
Party primary elections in Louisiana are set for May 16, 2026.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
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.
Louisiana
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.
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.
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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