by Thomas Mattera

Things started off bad and only got worse for the LSU Tigers baseball team Tuesday versus the University of North Carolina. The No.1 Seed Tar Heels (58-11) struck early in Omaha, Nebraska, and never let up. 

In the wee hours of the morning on Monday, June 17, a local comic book imitator turned to the dark side and abused his super strength. An unknown suspect was caught on camera entering a business in the 800-block of South Peters Street, near Rio Mar, wearing a plastic mask that appears to be part of a Hulk costume. 

A New Orleans cop was fired for dipping below NOPD's moral standards after he bounced a check, and got caught eight years later. Jeremy Wilcox, who worked with the department's Second District, wrote a bad check for more than $2,000 in St. Charles Parish and took his license plate off his truck, the department announced Tuesday.

I started my own week-long version of the Eat Local Challenge to see if – contrary to popular belief – it could be more than just a game for privileged people with too much time on their hands, in which the “prize” is a smug sense of self-satisfaction. Yes, I arguably have too much time on my hands. In the end though, if I felt any satisfaction with myself it was because I spent less than usual on groceries and felt healthier from eating so many vegetables, which is not such a bad thing. 

by Joe Shriner

The 9th Ward is no stranger to world-renowned music legends. so perhaps it won’t come as much of a surprise when one of the most famous musicians and producers in pop history drops by. For New Orleans’ Youth Orchestra of the Lower 9th Ward, however, it’s an opportunity for the organization to meet and honor one of their biggest supporters.

With skateboarding among his hobbies and a past gun arrest, Lil Wayne is no stranger to rebellion. But he's never truly shamed the nation until now. A video released shows Weezy stepping on an American flag during a recent video shoot in his native Hollygrove.

District “B” Councilmember LaToya Cantrell launched the modestly titled initative “Tell Cantrell” today. As one would expect, the program seeks to foster dialogue between government and the community, specifically in the Gert Town neighborhood.

Motown monarch Diana Ross is joining the long list of celebrities that will perform for the Saenger’s grand reopening this Fall. Ross will perform Wednesday, October 30, at 8pm.  

A gas pipeline exploded Tuesday morning in Washington Parish, marking the third blast in a week. According to state emergency officials, the 30 in. natural gas pipeline near the town of Enon ruptured. The fire was extinguished by about 8 a.m., according to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

Today, continue the Eat Local Challenge at the Crescent City Farmers Market, see a free film screening from DJ Souls Sister, and enjoy the Rolling Through Food Truck Fest in Broadmoor. Happy Birthday to No Limit rapper and NOLA native Vyshonn King Miller, aka Silkk the Shocker, born on June 18, 1975. Now, more to do this Tuesday. 

Police arrested a man Monday who is allegedly responsible for looting lawn equipment in Lakeview. According to officer Garry Flot, police spotted Kevin Alvis, 50, driving a car in New Orleans East that matched a stolen vehicle in a crime from June 9 on Louis XIV St.

Bike Easy is always on the search for better ways to ride, and their updated incident map offers cyclists a crime map that NOPD does not yet provide. Recently extended to the Greater New Orleans Area, and equipped with user friendly search features, the map updates traffic incidents and bike thefts on a daily to weekly basis. 

Recently, State Sen. Elbert Guillory became the latest Louisiana pol to pull the party switch, making the Democratic state senator a Republican one. Now, weeks after that switch was announced, Guillory released a video on "Why I'm a Republican." 

A mysterious murder shook the Lower Garden District late last week. On Monday, police released a sketch of a suspect in the case. About 1 a.m. Friday, police responded to a call in the 2000 block of Pyrtania St. They found a 33-year-old man dead from a shot to the head, and the house ransacked.

New Orleans is staying vigilant with an active hurricane season predicted by the NOAA, but the latest Tropical Depression to brew near the Gulf of Mexico does not appear to pose a threat. Tropical Depression 2 is currently forming off of the coast of Belize, and an advisory was issued this morning at 11am EDT, 10am CST. 

UPDATED 5:15 PM

Atlanta sports talk radio hosts were suspended Monday after mocking Saints hero Steve Gleason and ALS. According to a post on TigerDroppings, hosts of 790 The Zone's Mayhem in the AM reportedly staged a call-in segment where a man pretended to be Gleason talking through his computerized voice. One of the hosts tried to apologize, but it wasn't enough.