Louisiana News Archives

An editorial in Saturday's Washington Post , called "Solitary Disgrace," calls for an end to the widespread use of long-term lockdown in America's prisons and jails.

In the early fall of 1987, the young Jackson Parish businessman Randy Ewing and I sat down for hamburgers at the old Maxwell's restaurant in Ruston.

Washington Times has an editorial denouncing Sen. Mary Landrieu for voting to bring the health-care bill to the Senate earlier this month, saying she "sold her vote" and "bragged" about it afterward.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre has been cleared of ethics charges stemming from his sale of devices designed to keep drunken drivers off the road.

Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon says homeowners whose properties are contaminated with defective Chinese drywall and who have been covered for more than three years by their homeowners insurer have the right to continue their coverage while vacating and remediating their home.

Salary costs have jumped in Louisiana's education department, even as the number of full-time employees dropped, and the number of people drawing six-figure paychecks has more than doubled in the two years since Paul Pastorek took charge of the agency.

The superintendent of the Recovery School District misused his state-owned vehicle, driving it on personal trips that included dozens of visits to family in Illinois and along the Gulf Coast, according to an audit released Monday.

Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, the first African American elected to Congress from Louisiana since Reconstruction, was sentenced on Nov.

Gov. Bobby Jindal attended President Barack Obama's first state dinner at the White House, to honor the Indian prime minister.

Louisiana lost 1,900 nonfarm jobs in October and 44,000 over the last year, with big hits in manufacturing and in the trade, transportation, and utilities sector, the state Workforce Commission reported.

Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo and a Monroe police officer sustained minor injuries early Monday night when another driver failed to yield at the intersection of Louisiana 15 and Louisiana 33 in Richland Parish.

What thousands of homeowners nationwide have believed about Chinese drywall was validated Monday, when the Consumer Product Safety Commission said there is a link between the imported material and problems with corrosion in homes that have it.

Republicans are attacking Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu for voting to move forward with a landmark health-care reform bill.

A train-car collision that left a church pastor and his wife dead as they headed to church Sunday morning, remained under investigation on Monday.

Buzz Right Back ---- E - M ail a F riend ---- P rint P age Judge Joan Benge has lost her request to the Louisiana Supreme Court for a rehearing and as a result she is removed from the 24th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson.

Matthew White, a landscape photographer who lives and works in the New Orleans area, has been selected to exhibit three photographs in the 6th Annual Grand Isle Juried Exhibition.

Rep. Charles Boustany, back from a recent trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, believes the United States should send more troops to train Afghan soldiers and police to secure the troubled nation.

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu cast a pivotal vote Saturday to advance the Senate health bill for debate but remained uncommitted on the legislation.

An Iberia Parish elementary school has been recognized for closing the achievement gap between white and minority students, the state Department of Education announced Friday.

Motorists hitting Louisiana's major highways this Thanksgiving week should encounter few road closures because of construction.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu , one of three lawmakers being wooed by Senate Democratic leaders to back health-care legislation, won the inclusion of an extra $100 million in federal aid for low-income people in her state.

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine announced that the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has recognized Louisiana's Medicaid program as a national best practice for its efforts to simplify and streamline the state's Medicaid eligibility processes, according to a news release from DHH.

A black school teacher who claimed white police officers abused and assaulted her agreed Friday to a plea deal convicting her of resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.

After negotiating critical last-minute commitments, Senate Democratic leaders Friday stood on the verge of achieving the necessary 60 votes to begin consideration of the most expansive health care legislation to go before the Senate in nearly half a century.

A Louisiana businessman was charged Friday with engaging in a Ponzi scheme to defraud about 160 investors - mostly elderly people - out of roughly $19.5 million and using some of the money to pay for cars, cruises, sports tickets and a house.

United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced today that EVELYN J. HOLDEN, age 52; KOVERIA D. WILLIAMS, age 44; and ANN M. WARR, age 58, all residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were charged in Bills of Information arising out of Operation "Illegal Motion." All three were arraigned today before U.S. District Court Judge James Brady and pled ...

BLACK BAYOU - The water is high and there are no fishing reports. CANEY LAKE - Things are starting to look up this week.

David Caldwell, right, deputy director of the criminal division of the Louisiana attorney general's office, talks during a news conference announcing the arrest of William J. Chaucer Jr.. in connection with Ponzi scheme allegations.

The Louisiana Department of Education is defending itself in association with a criticism by Treasurer John Kennedy who made a ruckus over contracts with the Louisiana Department of Education.

As Acadiana institutions go, few have as big an impact on local life as University Medical Center in Lafayette.

It's almost certain that Louisiana will lose a congressional seat when voting districts are redrawn in 2011 following next year's census, a state lawmaker told business leaders Tuesday.

Blueprint Louisiana appeared before the Louisiana Postsecondary Education Review Commission offering recommendations for sustainable improvement of the state's higher education enterprise, according to a news release from group.

The 13 riverboat casinos, Harraha TMs Entertainment Inc.a TMs downtown New Orleans casino and the three race track casinos won $193.3 million from players in October.

I never did think I would long for the days of Mike Foster, but I now miss "Big Daddy." Of course government watchdog C.B. Forgotston gave Foster this nickname and it perfectly fit Foster's plantation patrician style of leadership.

The Louisiana Supreme Court has appointed a neighboring justice of the peace to fill the vacancy of Keith Bardwell who resigned on Nov.

The state Department of Health and Hospitals says two men died last week from swine flu complications, bringing the total number of swine flu-related deaths in Louisiana to 35.

Columns, funnies & more in your inbox! Townhall Daily Alert Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news.

On his frequent fundraising trips out of state, Gov. Bobby Jindal enjoys telling small groups of very wealthy people about how the new ethics laws he signed are now ranked best in the nation.

BATON ROUGE - The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is asking federal inspectors to conduct a preliminary damage assessment for areas recently flooded in north Louisiana.

With hurricane season ending, film and TV production in south Louisiana is picking up, and New Orleans is on track to break last year's filming record.

Summer Grove Baptist Church is host to the 162nd Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Nov.

Members of a large scale illegal alien transportation operation based in Sulphur, La., were sentenced in federal court yesterday, United States Attorney Donald W. Washington announced.

Family members of sniper John Allen Muhammad said Wednesday that they will take his remains to the family's hometown of Baton Rouge for a funeral.

Louisiana's use of technology in schools and the overall system has brought recognition in a national survey but Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek says the best thing is that it keeps students involved in learning.

Here is a "just released" press release from US Senator Mary Landrieu concerning the very controversial FDA "oyster" issue: United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has agreed to halt a proposed plan to ban Gulf Coast oysters that are not subject to post-harvest processing.

NEW ORLEANS - Two northwest Louisiana veterans now hold France's highest award. French officials took part in Veterans Day celebrations Wednesday at the National World War II Museum by awarding the Legion of Honor to five Louisiana veterans - including one each from Shreveport and Natchitoches - and presenting a replica of the Liberty Bell to the ...

Southeast Louisiana is under a state of emergency as Hurricane Ida heads for the Gulf Coast.

Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on 11 counts of corruption.

A Louisiana federal judge sued a House impeachment task force Friday, contending the panel is making the case for his ouster by using testimony he gave under a promise of immunity.

BATON ROUGE - Lake Peigneur area residents have won a round in their battle to stop expansion of a natural gas storage facility in a salt dome under the waterway.

The North Louisiana Jewish Federation has started a local film festival, which they are hoping will become an annual event.

Louisiana highway department is cracking down on motorists who fail to pay tolls on a Lafourche Parish bridge.

Louisiana's politicians are pushing the Food and Drug Administration to do an about-face on its plan to ban raw oysters from the Gulf Coast during the warm months.

More Louisiana residents are eligible to get the swine flu vaccine. Health officials announced Wednesday that people between the ages of 24 and 65 with chronic medical conditions can now get doses of the vaccine.

Conica Farlough, an LPN with Ochsner Medical Center, prepares to administer the H1N1 vaccine.

The 2009 H1N1 vaccine is now available by appointment in Louisiana for all groups recommended to receive the vaccine through more than 350 health care providers statewide, including parish health units, according to a news release from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals For the first time, people aged 25 through 64 years who have ...

French officials will present what is being called the Normandy Liberty Bell to the National World War II Museum and give the Legion of Honor award to five Louisiana veterans during Veterans Day celebrations.

A boy runs past a bus buried in the mud caused by a landslide in Ilopango, eastern El Salvador.

The House of Representatives approved a landmark health care reform bill late Saturday night by a close vote of 220 to 215 .

A weakened Ida moved through the Gulf of Mexico early Monday, forecast to skirt the mouth of the Mississippi River before making landfall somewhere on the Mississippi or Alabama on Tuesday.

A death warrant filed in Livingston Parish sets Gerald Bordelon's execution date for Jan.

Tropical Storm Ida nicked the toe of the boot of Louisiana as it moved toward landfall Monday near the Alabama-Florida border.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Sunday to prepare for Hurricane Ida in the Gulf.

Wave knocks 70 year old man into the Mississippi River as he tries to rescue two men whose boat had broken down during Ida Monday, November 9, 2009 Authorities feared a 70-year-old man drowned when he tried to help two fishermen stranded in the Mississippi River as Tropical Storm Ida churned in the Gulf, flooding low-lying areas outside levee ...

Gov. Bobby Jindal's state of emergency declaration during Tropical storm Ida also puts into effect Louisiana's price gouging law, said Attorney General James D. "Buddy" Caldwell.

Gusty winds, high tides and heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Ida could affect southeast Louisiana's citrus and sugar cane crops.

Schools closed, residents of low-lying areas sought shelter and Florida's governor declared a state of emergency Monday as a rare late-season tropical storm churned toward the Gulf Coast.

RECOVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT schools and the central office will be closed. Operations and security personnel will report the the district's Welcome School at 2239 Poydras Ave.

The following is a press release from officials in Lafourche Parish in preparation of Hurricane Ida.

The accolades for former Louisiana Governor Dave Treen have been pouring in, and rightly so.

This image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Ida taken at 12:02 a.m. EST Sunday Nov.

Although it's not likely to be a threat to Louisiana, state officials are watching the storm that was Hurricane Ida for possible strengthening when it moves into the Gulf of Mexico.

's Twenty-Third Congressional District as a sign that Health Care Reform and the current trend of Pres.

The Senate on Thursday killed Sen. David Vitter's bid to require the 2010 census to ask all respondents about their citizenship .

Logansport's Public Works Superintendent Rex Clark was scrambling Friday to ensure backup plans for the town's water supply won't be compromised by the rising Sabine River.

The Louisiana Supreme Court has ordered the removal of a Jefferson Parish judge accused of letting her relationships with a fellow judge and a plaintiff's attorney dictate her decision in a case.

Pixel Magic, which provides digital visual effects for motion pictures and television, will open a studio in Lafayette.

Kleinpeter Farms Dairy has expanded its ice cream sales into north Louisiana, which will be followed in about a year by sales there of the dairy's milk.

The US Senate killed Sen. David Vitter's attempt to require the 2010 Census to insert an amendment denying all funding in a Commerce funding bill unless it included a question regarding the status of US citizenship.

While Concordia, Tensas and four other parishes were declared disaster areas earlier this week due to spring and early summer flooding, an announcement of an emergency declaration for drought is expected soon.

Over the past decade, Louisiana has made considerable progress in K-12 public education, particularly in efforts to narrow the achievement gap between races and classes.

BATON ROUGE - State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek says he hopes to take some of the mystery out of the state's possible participation in the federal "Race to the Top' program at a three-hour conference tomorrow starting at 1 p.m. Pastorek says he expects superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, business people and others ...

This is part 2 of our recent Blues Road Trip from Memphis to New Orleans down Highway 61.

Newspapers report on health issues at the state level, including Louisiana's struggles with a Medicaid shortfall and the Texas governor's criticism of congressional health care reform efforts.

The Louisiana Association for the Blind today announced it has supplied the more than 10,000 square feet of SKILCRAFT /3M Safety Walk Slip Resistant Material for the USS New York , an amphibious transport dock ship built and delivered by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding -- Gulf Coast's Avondale shipyard.

Residents might associate the nutria with things that make south Louisiana unique, but the swamp rat is really is a world-class pest.

The agency that manages Louisiana's vehicles doesn't ensure the state only buys cars it needs and doesn't properly monitor the ones the state does own, according to an audit released Monday.

The Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce got what it wanted and more out of its first membership drive in eight years.

The scheduled Nov. 4 meeting of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana, Central Louisiana chapter, has been canceled.

The New York Times reports on unlikely Medicaid fraud suspects including a Manhattan painter and mime with properties in the Hamptons, a freelance artist whose two Manhattan apartments are valued at more than $1 million each and a dentist in the Bronx, all "were among 11 people indicted recently on charges that they fraudulently obtained Medicaid ...

In the wake of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 , which was enacted by Congress on May 20, 2009 and expands the federal False Claims Act, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced on October 29, 2009, a new fraud initiative against agencies who deliver in-home direct care to Medicaid beneficiaries.

Fifteen minutes before he was shot down, U.S. Sen. Huey Long turns toward Louisiana state House Speaker Allen Ellender of Montegut at the speaker's rostrum in the statehouse Sept.

Authorities have boosted the reward from $35,000 to $85,000 for information about whoever dumped the bodies of eight women in rural Jefferson Davis Parish since 2005.

Instead of worrying about whether it has too many state universities, Louisiana needs to concentrate on making the ones it has the best they can be, says an out-of-state expert who is serving on a state review panel.