LANE KIFFIN REVIEWS LSU’S RECORD PORTAL CLASS 1C
N O L A.C O M
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T h u r s d ay, F e b r u a ry 5, 2026
Higher utility bills likely
Delta Utilities says soaring gas prices to blame for La. hikes BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer
The blast of winter weather that brought ice and freezing temperatures to Louisiana will likely cause prolonged spikes in utility bills, a result of the state’s dominant gas and electric supplier facing soaring prices in recent weeks for natural gas. The state’s largest gas supplier, Delta Utilities, warned that bills will rise in the coming months after prices on the spot market — where the company goes to supplement its existing contracts during times of high usage — soared to all-time highs in late January. Meanwhile, consumer advocates
say Entergy electric bills are likely to follow suit. Entergy relies heavily on natural gas to fuel its power plants, getting nearly two-thirds of its energy that way. The company passes on all fuel costs to customers, making it likely residents will pay for the higher gas prices. Natural gas prices have steadily ticked upward in recent months, but their latest surge came at the same time Louisiana customers were using more gas to stay warm while bitter winter weather blasted through the region. And the state’s dominant utilities have been under the spotlight for customer complaints about high prices, outages and the controversial sale
last summer of Entergy’s gas business to Delta. Utilities here have long bet big on natural gas as a cheap and abundant resource, with a sprawling network of pipelines making it easy to spin up power plants around the state. But periodic price shocks and storms over the past few years have ignited debates over how the state should best manage its power supply. Cyclical rising costs have prompted some advocates to question whether the state is overreliant on natural gas. “This is a problem we’ve been trying to highlight for both regulators
ä See BILLS, page 7A
$2.00X
Natural gas prices spike
Prices of natural gas at Louisiana's Henry Hub have soared in recent days amid a blast of cold weather that has tightened supplies and sent demand soaring. 12
Rolling 7-day price, in millions 10 8 6 4 2 0
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration via FRED
HORSING AROUND
2026 Staff graphic
NOPD popularity rises amid drop in crime Polled residents report feeling safer
BY MARCO CARTOLANO and JONI HESS Staff writers
The New Orleans Police Department’s popularity among residents continues to rise as violent crime remains dramatically lower than its 2022 peak, according to a survey commissioned by the New Orleans Crime Coalition. A majority of the roughly 800 adults interviewed for the survey said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the NOPD — 55% — up eight points from a June 2025 survey and a significant increase from 2023, when the department’s approval rating bottomed out at 31%. That survey was taken less than a year after the city’s murder rate led the nation in 2022. The numbers rival those gathered before the pandemic when the satisfaction rating averaged 56% from 2016 to 2020. “We’re encouraged by recent survey results showing New Orleanians reporting they feel safer and more satisfied with policing in their neighborhoods,” NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in a statement. “ Tr u s t i s b u i l t t h r o u g h
ABOVE: New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick holds Patch the mini horse as Katheryne Rosamond and Oliver Rosamond, 2, pet Patch during the 16th Annual Horses, Hops & Cops Fundraiser benefitting the NOPD mounted unit at the NOPD horse stables on Wednesday. RIGHT: Virginia Baker-Marchiori, Nicholas Marchiori, 8, and Olly Burnette pose with one of the Budweiser Clydesdales during Wednesday’s event. STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER
ä See NOPD, page 7A
The Hall of Fame case for legendary Saint Drew Brees When I asked Luke Kuechly about Drew Brees’ Pro Football Hall of Fame credentials, he didn’t mince words. “He’s a noä More brainer,” said Kuechly, the great on Brees in Sports. Carolina Panthers linebacker, who PAGE 1C battled Brees twice annually during his stellar career. “If Drew Brees doesn’t get in on first ballot, we should be asking, ‘What are we
WEATHER HIGH 54 LOW 40 PAGE 8B
Jeff Duncan doing here?’” Brees, who is one of 15 finalists for the Hall’s Class of 2026, deserves to be the first Saint to earn his gold jacket on the first ballot. As the representative for New
Orleans on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee, it’s my duty to make the presentation for Brees to the rest of the group. I didn’t need 5 minutes to make the case for his Hall of Fame candidacy. Brees’ resume speaks for itself. It stands out, even when compared to the game’s legends. His career was one of the most significant in NFL history. When Brees arrived in 2006, the Saints were a moribund
franchise. He took a team that had gone 3-13 the year before and led it to a division title and its first NFC Championship Game appearance, authoring one of the greatest turnarounds the league has ever seen. And he did it only months removed from a career-threatening shoulder injury. He finished second in the voting for the league’s Most Valuable
ä See BREES, page 7A
Business ......................6A Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
Drew Brees led the Saints to victory in the Super Bowl in 2010. STAFF FILE PHOTO
13TH yEAR, NO. 177