| By Drew Broach | Deputy metro editor BY THE BOOK: There wasn't much that Joshua Hawley couldn't do once he set his mind to it. The 13-year Marine Corps veteran was an Eagle Scout, a paramedic, a boat mechanic, an airplane mechanic, the family IT guy, an electrician, a husband and a devoted father to his three boys, ages 3, 4 and 7. He also was a by-the-book pilot, and a local representative of the Federal Aviation Association’s Safety Team, making his death in a helicopter crash on Interstate 10 all the more disturbing. BY THE NUMBERS: The prevalence of the coronavirus' omicron variant in the New Orleans region (81) far outpaces other areas of Louisiana (11). And once again, Louisiana is one of the country's pandemic leaders, with omicron making up 4.3% of all cases in the state compared to a national average of 2.9%. Against that worrisome backdrop, state Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block Gov. John Bel Edwards from adding the COVID-19 vaccines to the list of shots that students must receive to attend schools and universities. BY THE BED: "Feeling under the weather," New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was limited in Tuesday's game planning session with his staff and missed Wednesday's team practice altogether. Players shrugged off his absence, with quarterback Taysom Hill saying, "The show must go on." Thanks for starting your day with us. Check the latest news throughout the day on NOLA.com. D.B. | 