| By Bob Warren
Return of the masks: The masks are coming back in the city of New Orleans. The number of COVID cases is soaring again and Tuesday morning Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration said it was bringing back the indoor mask mandate. The mandate comes as the city tries to get case numbers down ahead of Carnival. Here's the latest. Meanwhile, inside the region’s schools you’ll find lots of empty desks and classrooms as rising case numbers keep more students and staffers at home.
Stepping down: Jefferson Parish's newest school board member only spent a few days on the board, but his impact will be felt for some time. Rafael Rafidi, who the board appointed to an open seat last week only to ask days later to step down after discovering his social media posts, said Monday he'll resign. (Columnist Will Sutton offers up this take.)
New day, and not a second line: A planned tribute for actor Betty White has been moved to a new date – and has a new name. Originally billed as a second line, the event sparked criticism because it was planned for Monday, which is Martin Luther King day. Also, some thought a second line for an out-of-town celebrity was “cultural appropriation,” an organizer said. It’s now scheduled for Sunday. Betty White's agent told our Doug MacCash he thinks she'd have been fine with the changes.
Extras! Extras! Wanna be in a movie? Disney is working on a reboot of its 2003 movie “The Haunted Mansion.” The movie will be filmed in New Orleans – and “hundreds” of extras are needed.
Hope you enjoyed the Lunch Line. Thanks for taking a break with us today. BW | 
