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‘We can’t make it through a sunny day.’ Jefferson Parish asks for answers on power outages

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‘We can’t make it through a sunny day.’ Jefferson Parish asks for answers on power outages


The Jefferson Parish Council will hear from representatives from Entergy and the Louisiana Public Service Commission next week regarding a slew of major power outages that have afflicted the parish this year.

At-large Councilman Scott Walker announced on social media Tuesday that an Entergy representative will appear at the next council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 7. Also in attendance will be Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, who represents portions of the West Bank including Westwego.

Walker also reached out to Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, who represents most of the parish, but is awaiting response. Skrmetta did not respond to requests for comment from The Times-Picayune on Wednesday.

“The council doesn’t regulate Entergy Louisiana, but we intend to get some answers,” Walker wrote in a post.

While New Orleans City Council has the power to regulate the electric utility within city limits, Jefferson Parish cannot impose regulations on Entergy Louisiana. That responsibility lies with the state’s Public Service Commission.

In the hours before Walker’s announcement Tuesday, Entergy’s outage map reported more than 14,000 Metairie residents without power for nearly an hour, which the company said was caused by an equipment issue at the substation.



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More than 14,000 Entergy customers are without power in Metairie

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It was the third day in a row of widespread outages in the parish, as the West Bank saw 2,300 outages the day before and the east bank experienced 6,300 outages Sunday.

Walker tallied 14 outages in the parish so far this year that each affected anywhere between 795 to over 30,000 residents. He attributed the outages to weather-related events or “random” causes.

Five of those outages took place in July.

“Right now we can’t make it through a sunny day,” Walker said in an interview, calling Tuesday’s outages the “tipping point” for him to call the hearing.

Entergy spokesman Brandon Scardigli said in a statement Wednesday that crews were working to identify the cause of recent outages, install new equipment and upgrade existing systems. He added that projects under the company’s new grid-hardening plan would start in the parish “imminently.”

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Gripes with the electric utility company aren’t unique or new — Entergy Louisiana ranked last among large utilities in the South in a recent customer satisfaction survey conducted by J.D. Power, and Kenner’s City Council has hosted multiple discussions with Entergy representatives regarding problems.

The New Orleans City Council held its own hearing with Entergy New Orleans on Tuesday to discuss spikes in outages there, as the city has seen 1,600 outages so far this year.

“Entergy owes the people of Louisiana much more answers than what they’ve given about these challenges, especially with the amount of increasing they’ve been asking the commission to apply to customer bills,” said Lewis, the commission’s newest member who’s vowed to be aggressive with utilities.

Lewis said he’s been “very frustrated and upset” by the lack of information he’s gotten as to where, why and how long outages have occurred. Walker theorized the parish’s energy infrastructure is outdated and needs major upgrades to better withstand inclement weather.

“We keep replacing wooden poles with wooden poles, which seems like an exercise in futility,” Walker said.

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Jefferson Parish customers pay about $13 per month in storm restoration fees to repair the grid from previous disasters.

Terry Almon, president of the Bonnabel Civic Association — one of the neighborhoods hit by Tuesday’s outages — said frustrated residents want better communication from Entergy on why the power goes out, especially when it’s not weather- or accident-related.

“They need to be upfront no matter what, whether it’s good news or bad news,” Almon said. “Any time a public entity is transparent, it serves them well.”





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

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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.

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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 Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 2, 2026

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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.

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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

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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:

  1. 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).
  2. Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
  3. Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
  4. Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

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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.

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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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National Guard deployment in New Orleans extended for six months

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National Guard deployment in New Orleans extended for six months


NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana National Guard announced Monday that 120 troops will remain deployed in New Orleans through August.

The six-month extension comes after 350 Guard members deployed to New Orleans in late December, in the run-up to New Year’s and other high-profile events like the Sugar Bowl. The troops, which had mainly clustered in the city’s historic French Quarter, had been scheduled to depart in the aftermath of Mardi Gras.

New Orleans is one of several Democrat-run cities, such as Washington and Memphis, Tennessee, where the federal government deployed armed troops under the administration of President Donald Trump. Hundreds of federal agents also converged on Louisiana in December as part of a separate immigration crackdown in and around New Orleans.

During his State of the Union address last week, Trump touted the deployment in New Orleans as a “big success.” In January, Trump credited the troops with reducing the city’s violent crime within a week of their deployment. City police data shows violent crime rates have significantly declined over the past three years in parallel with national trends.

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According to a press statement from the Louisiana National Guard, the remaining guard members will serve as a “visible presence to deter criminal activity in New Orleans.”

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat who initially opposed the deployment, said that the troops would benefit the city in the coming weeks. She pointed out that National Guard troops had assisted the city during last year’s Mardi Gras in the aftermath of a vehicle-ramming attack in the French Quarter that killed 14 people on New Year’s Day.

“I continue to support the partnership with the LA National Guard to assist in our major events and there are several coming up in the next few weeks,” Moreno said in a statement.

While Moreno did not address which events she referred to, visitors flock to New Orleans in the spring for events like the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and staunch Trump ally, requested the deployment of the National Guard last September, citing rising violent crime rates in New Orleans despite the data showing crime was down.

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“This continued deployment will help us combat violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana,” Landry wrote on the social platform X on Monday, noting Louisiana had also sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., last year.

Kate Kelly, a spokesperson for Landry, said the federal government would cover the cost of the extended deployment. She did not respond to a question about whether Guard members would be deployed outside New Orleans.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, said in a statement the troops had already worked closely with other city, state and federal agencies to improve public safety during a stretch of high-profile events in the city, including the flood of visitors over Mardi Gras and the city’s carnival season.

“We remain committed to those partnerships as we continue supporting efforts to keep the City of New Orleans safe for residents and visitors,” Friloux said.



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