Entergy New Orleans Inc. is asking the New Orleans City Council to approve a $23 million reduction in electric rates and the fuel adjustment charge, which if approved, will save customers with typical electric use about $6.40 a month. Any approved changes would go into effect in April 2009. 

Entergy spokesman Morgan Stewart says the utility filed the rate case on Thursday (July 31) but does not know when the City Council, which regulates Entergy New Orleans, will take up the matter.

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Inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola this month are donating 200 wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and canes they refurbished to people in Guatemala through Wheels for the World. 

The prisoners also are donating a container of handmade toys they constructed through the inmate organization, The Toy Shop, which provides toys for children whose families cannot afford them. 

A large truck will arrive at the prison on Aug. 11 to pick up the medical devices and toys. They should arrive in Guatemala in December.

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That man in the white cap there is Gene Steratore, a head NFL referee who, along with most of his crew and some college officials, briefed the media today on some of the rule changes taking place today in the NFL. Though the presentation itself felt like I was back in college, it was actually kind of interesting to hear the new rule changes and how they may affect the game. Here are some highlights: Read the rest of this entry »

And that day is today.

Sounds like the ticket agents who have to explain the new policy to the pax are thrilled.

 Never thought I’d see the day when a scoop of Rocky Road was the price of a barrel of oil…

So NBA.com asked a bunch of Chinese NBA fans to give their favorite players some nicknames. Some funny ones include “German Racecar” (Dirk Nowitzki) and “Africa’s Big Mountain” (Dikiembe Mutombo). Well, not funny as much as they are direct.

Notably absent though is Hornets point guard Chris Paul. Either the Chinese think he was undeserving (which is confusing considering fringe players Cuttino Mobley, Damon Stoudomire and Zydrunus Ilgauskus go on the list) or they haven’t heard of him (which could explain it, since it was done before the 2007 season).

Thanks to the good folks at Deadspin for finding a Chinese name translator. Chris Paul, here’s your Chinese name: Bai Shi hao. Kind of catchy, actually.

The New Orleans Photo Alliance (NOPA) opens a new show Saturday night. Just outside the loop of Warehouse District White Linen Night traffic, the group’s gallery (1111 St. Mary St., 909-9172) hosts a reception (6 p.m.-9 p.m.) for “Elemental/Environmental: Space.” The above image is “Wet Beach” by Dennis Staffne. A preview of the show is on the NOPA Web site. The group blog is a good source for info on local photography shows and events. The gallery is regularly open on Friday and Saturday afternoons and by appointment. 

Trying to get to know athletes a little bit before interviewing them, I always spend considerable time looking up as many old articles as possible. Sometimes, you get as much information as you’d like (leading to questions about Jonathan Vilma’s fluency in Creole) and other times, well, you’re left wondering why there’s not published account as to why Randall Gay’s nickname is “Blue.”

 ”You won’t find it,” he said. “I’ve been asked that question a million times. It was a nickname I got basically at birth and it stuck. That’s what I go by. Randall, that’s basically a media thing.”

Blue (as he will henceforth be known in this space) said that he’s not sure how he got the nickname, or even who gave it to him, but did offer a couple of the stories.

“One was that I was so black I was blue,” he said. “Then I saw a picture and I’m like that can’t be true ‘cuase I wasn’t that dark. And then another one was I had a blue birthmark but it must’ve disappeared cause I’ve never seen it. I don’t know where it came from at all.”

No matter the origin, we can definitely add this to the Saints nickname list. Another mystery is the note in the Saints media guide that he lettered in weightlifting in high school. Really? Like power lifting?

“I made it to state but it wasn’t because I was real strong,” he said. “I made it by default, they didn’t have that many people in my weight class.”

How much did he lift?

“It wasn’t much at all,” he admitted. “The weakest people go first and when I got to state I was the first person every time. I was always that first lift and then the next lift was always a 100 lbs heavier than what I had to do.”

That’ seems about right. After all, I can’t imagine Blue, all 5-feet, 11-inches and 190-lbs of him, doing this.

A day after meeting with Les Miles at the Rotary Club in Baton Rouge, Snoop Dogg was on his tour bus when it was pulled over for expired tags. Attorney Chris Lewis says that the bus’ tags were not expired. But that’s not the point of the story, the point is that Lewis represents two men on the bus that were found to have marijuana in their possession. The two were arrested while Snoop presumably slept in the back. That’s right, he was sleeping. Had nothing to do with pot whatsoever. Nope. None.

Steve Smith, who is no stranger to in-team confrontations, apparently took issue with another teammate this morning. From the Associated Press:

Carolina Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas has been carted off the field with an ice pack above his left eye after a fight with teammate Steve Smith.

The melee came while most starters were on the sidelines during a special teams drill Friday at training camp. Linebacker Jon Beason eventually pulled Smith off Lucas.

Smith was then kicked out of practice (supposedly) and spent the next few moments talking to the kicker (the kicker!) John Casey. No details on what prompted the incident. I’m sure Saints fans would love to have those details to, you know, help Smith and Lucas work out their differences.