Texas
Texas officially requests first 50 Guard members from Louisiana

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has officially requested Louisiana send 50 members of its state National Guard to assist with security on its border with Mexico. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has already agreed to provide the support, an expenditure of state resources that needs legislative approval.
Louisiana’s deployment to Texas will include “50 personnel in platoon sized elements, including leadership and certain equipment,” according to a statement from Landry’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).
“Texas seeks help with security points, roving patrols and engineer operations along its 1,250 miles of border,” the statement said.
Abbott has clashed with the federal government over his approach to securing a portion of the border at Eagle Pass. The Texas National Guard has strung razor wire on buoys along the banks of the Rio Grande, making it difficult for migrants to cross without sustaining serious injury.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that federal authorities can take down the razor wire, although Abbott has kept Border Patrol authorities from accessing a park along the riverside to remove it.
Deployment plans for Louisiana Guard members were being finalized as Abbott’s request was forwarded to Landry, GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux said in a news release.
“Texas has historically stood with Louisiana during any of our major emergencies,” Thibodeaux said. “Governor Landry has made it clear that we will stand by Texas and offer support as they attempt to secure the Southern Border.”
Earlier this month, Landry committed to sending 150 Louisiana National Guard members to Texas. Brig. Gen. Michael Greer said groups of 50 will be sent to the border on 30-day rotations.
The full deployment will cost Louisiana $3 million, an allocation that legislators are being asked to approve in a budget bill filed for the current special session on crime policy.
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and Twitter.
Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.

Texas
Florida vs. Texas Tech: Can the Red Raiders upset the No. 1 seed Gators for Final Four berth?

In the first of two Elite Eight games on Saturday, the swarming offense of Texas Tech will lock horns with the relentless scoring prowess and swagger of Florida. It also will be a clash of two of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country, Grant McCasland and Todd Golden.
How to watch No. 1 Florida vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
- What: West Regional, Elite Eight
- Venue: Chase Center — San Francisco
- Time: 6:09 p.m. ET, Saturday
- TV: TBS, truTV
- Streaming: March Madness Live
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
Don’t celebrate too early; you never know what can happen. Texas Tech trailed Arkansas by six with 1:10 remaining, but pushed the game to OT and sent the Razorbacks home scratching their heads. Tech beat Arkansas by attacking the offensive glass. Over their last five games, the Red Raiders have averaged 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, including 22 against Arkansas. To beat the Gators, they will need to continue that effort and make 3s.
Both teams can score in bunches and seem to play better when the game is on the line. You won’t see any panic from either squad, as both had to overcome deficits to punch their tickets to the Elite Eight.
Both offenses are among the top five in the country, but Florida has three guards capable of putting up 20 points with ease. How Tech defends them in the pick-and-roll will be crucial.
Tech’s best offense is letting Darrion Williams and/or Elijah Hawkins operate in the pick-and-roll with Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Both teams have future NBA players who could be drafted in the next couple of years, so expect them to show up big. But keep an eye on Texas Tech freshman Christian Anderson. He’s coming off a career-high 22 points and will need to make shots if Chance McMillian (upper-body) is still out.
Florida vs. Texas Tech odds
Streaming and Betting/Odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Texas
South Texas flooding: At least 3 dead, more than 200 rescued after severe storms

MCALLEN, Texas – At least three people have died and hundreds have been rescued following severe storms that moved across the southern part of Texas on Thursday and Friday.
What we know:
According to a report by the Associated Press, officials said the City of Harlingen received more than 21 inches of rain this week, with the heaviest rainfall on Thursday, causing authorities to rescue more than 200 residents. 200 additional people were still waiting to be rescued.
In Alamo, the police and fire department responded to more than 100 water rescues, including people stranded in their vehicles and trapped in their homes, Fire Department Chief R.C. Flores said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Officials estimated a couple hundred homes in Alamo were flooded by the heavy rainfall.
Weslaco Mayor Adrian Gonzalez said his city was inundated with about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain, prompting 30 to 40 water rescues of stranded motorists and residents trapped in their homes by rising floodwaters.
What they’re saying:
“This of course has been a historic and challenging event for the city. But Harlingen is strong. We have faced adversity before and we will get through this together,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said at a Friday afternoon news conference.
“I assure the public that we are assessing the situation on the hour, every hour. We’re constantly going out, not just in our city,” Flores said. “Just because the storm is over, it doesn’t mean that the emergencies and the disaster is over. We are going to continue to work as long as we need to.”
“It’s a historic rainstorm and it’s affecting all the Valley, not just Weslaco. It’s just so much water in a short period of time,” Gonzalez told reporters at a news conference.
By the numbers:
In neighboring Cameron County, officials asked Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a disaster for the county after more than 17 inches of rain caused significant flooding.
“The rainfall amounts we received have been record-setting, and not in a good way. All county resources are being utilized right now, and we are assisting in all ways possible,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the county’s top elected official, said in a Facebook post.
Valley International Airport in Harlingen was closed on Friday and all flights were canceled due to area flooding.
“We are working tirelessly to reopen and focused on ensuring safety,” airport officials said in a statement.
Flood warning still in effect
A flood warning was still in effect for portions of South Texas, including Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties, through early Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
“There’s a break from the rain this morning, which will allow flood waters to gradually recede, but we’ll still need to keep an eye on the development of isolated showers and thunderstorms once again this afternoon,” the National Weather Service said on social media. “Any additional rainfall will be quick to cause flooding issues given the heavy rainfall that has already fallen.”
Power Outages
More than 3,400 in several counties in South Texas remained without power on Friday afternoon, according to AEP Texas.
School canceled
More than 20 South Texas school districts and college campuses canceled classes on Friday due to the severe weather and flooding.
PHOTOS/VIDEOS OF SOUTH TEXAS FLOODING
Dig deeper:
Here are some photos and video of the flooding and as well as the damage left behind:
South Texas flooding: Cars drive through floodwaters
Cars were seen driving through floodwaters in South Texas on Thursday, March 27, as the National Weather Service (NWS) said that severe thunderstorms were affecting the region. (Jorge Alberto Galicia via Storyful)
The Source: Information provided by The Associated Press
Texas
Parts of South Texas get 16+ inches of rainfall

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