| By Bob Warren
COVID's rise: Are we looking at another COVID surge? This one just in time for summer? Cases are ticking up, that’s for sure. Emily Woodruff has the details.
Sentenced: Portia Pollock’s fatal stabbing last June sent shivers through the community. On Friday, a judge in New Orleans sentenced the man who admitted to killing her and taking her car to 35 years in prison, after a Pollock family member told him, “It is my hope that you do not leave prison alive.”
Chemical released: Across the U.S., a dozen refineries released the cancer-causing chemical benzene at levels higher than federal limits. Four Louisiana refineries were in that number, Mark Schleifstein reports.
Fearless Saints prediction: If you’re a Saints fan, you’ve no doubted combed over the 2022 schedule and made your own list of Ws and Ls (hopefully, waaay more Ws…). Sports columnist Rod Walker took a deeper look at the games. His take? Well, you’ll probably like it.
Sewage saga: A New Orleans man watched as a wet patch in his yard eventually became a “big lake” beneath his house. It was sewage, bubbling up on his lawn. I know, right? Doug MacCash talked to him about his efforts to get it fixed, a saga that includes threats of a lawsuit and accusations of bullying.
Hope you enjoyed today’s Lunch Line. Thanks for taking a break with us. And of course, be sure to check out NOLA.com for more news throughout the day. BW | 
