New Orleans Daily Local Brief: Guard extended, Mardi Gras stabbing search, Francis tributes, lunar eclipse

Local headlines to start your Tuesday

New Orleans is balancing big-picture safety planning with street-level investigations and a citywide moment of remembrance. Meanwhile, an early-morning lunar eclipse is set to put a spotlight on the sky, with fog and low clouds possibly complicating views in spots.

National Guard mission extended in New Orleans

State officials announced the Louisiana National Guard will keep a smaller contingent in the city for another six months, continuing a visible security role alongside local and state law enforcement. The extended mission follows a larger surge that began in late December and was tied to major events including New Year’s celebrations and Carnival. City leaders said the added presence helped during Mardi Gras, and the extension is expected to carry into the spring festival calendar.

NOPD asks for help identifying suspects in Bourbon Street stabbing

Police released images of four people they want to identify in connection with an aggravated battery on Bourbon Street that investigators say happened late on Mardi Gras night, Feb. 17, in the 400 block. Police say a group attacked the victim, who was beaten, stomped and stabbed. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the NOPD’s Eighth District, or submit tips anonymously through local tip lines.

Dr. Norman C. Francis honored as Xavier leader lies in state

Community members continued paying respects to Dr. Norman C. Francis, the longtime Xavier University of Louisiana president and a major civic figure, ahead of services scheduled for Tuesday. Organizers outlined public viewing and a program at Xavier’s Convocation Center, followed by a Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. Francis led Xavier for decades, expanded the university’s profile nationally, and was widely credited with shaping generations of students in New Orleans and beyond.

Skywatch: total lunar eclipse timing for March 3

If skies cooperate, the eclipse is scheduled to unfold overnight into early morning, with the deepest phase near daybreak. Key Central Time milestones include:

• 2:44 a.m.: penumbral phase begins
• 3:50 a.m.: partial eclipse begins
• 5:04 a.m.: totality begins
• 6:03 a.m.: totality ends
• 8:23 a.m.: eclipse ends

Sources

• https://www.fox8live.com/2026/03/02/landry-extends-national-guard-mission-new-orleans-six-more-months/
• https://apnews.com/article/196e6543ad8c8ebe957f319b5c3ba3d8
• https://www.fox8live.com/2026/03/02/four-sought-bourbon-street-stabbing-mardi-gras/
• https://www.wdsu.com/article/new-orleans-norman-c-francis-xavier-university-lying-state/70573690
• https://www.wdsu.com/article/total-lunar-eclipse-march-weather-louisiana/70501550