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Investigations

Have Louisiana’s lethal injection drugs expired? Records unavailable

A death house gurney of the type Louisiana uses to execute prisoners at Angola.

The manufacturer now forbids use of Nembutal in state executions, leading defense attorneys to question when Louisiana's stash was produced. The drug has a maximum shelf life of two to three years.

By Della Hasselle    April 30, 2013    

911 operators answer hundreds of calls every day related to police officers’ moonlighting

911logo_Color

About 250 times a day, a New Orleans police officer calls the 911 center to check in for a "paid detail" assignment — a private security job paying up to $39 an hour. Meanwhile, some people calling 911 wait so long for an answer, they hang up before reaching anyone.

By Tom Gogola    April 25, 2013    3 comments

Military academy’s background check didn’t turn up employee’s prior theft charge

SimsFelonyTheft

The background check for New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy only went back seven years and wasn't as comprehensive as a similar service available from the state. Darrell Sims was once charged with stealing from a Terrebone school; now NOPD is investigating him for theft from the military academy.

By Rebecca Catalanello and Heather Miller    April 23, 2013    1 comment

New research indicates Mississippi River diversions could harm marshland

River diversions larger than Davis Pond, above, are the centerpiece of the state's Master Plan for the coast, but new research questions whether the river's water will do harm before its sediments can do good.

The rallying cry for coastal restoration has been, “Put the river back into the marsh.” But a new study shows that fertilizer found in the river could weaken the marsh plants and soil. More troubling is another study that concludes we don’t really know whether these diversions are building land.

By Bob Marshall    April 10, 2013    11 comments

Forces collide as nature takes a stab at saving a coastal marsh — for free

Environmentalist John Lopez measures the depth of water flowing through the crevasse he calls Mardi Grass Pass.

When the swollen Mississippi broke through to feed a marsh during Carnival 2011, it seemed to some like an alternative to the multi-million-dollar man-made diversion planned nearby. But conflicting views over whether to let 'Mardi Gras Pass' run wild are a perfect example of how complex coastal restoration issues can be.

By Bob Marshall    March 8, 2013    2 comments

New research: Louisiana coast faces highest rate of sea-level rise worldwide

caption

New technology has revealed that southeast Louisiana is sinking faster than previously known. Combined with rising seas due to global warming, a leading scientist says waters will rise "at least four feet." With more communities closer to open water, even minor hurricanes could cause catastrophic damage.

By Bob Marshall    February 21, 2013    10 comments

Funding crisis looms for $14 billion hurricane protection system

The Lake Borgne Surge Barrier is like a superhighway built across water.

The agency responsible for maintaining the multibillion-dollar flood protection system can't afford the $34 million annual bill, and possible solutions are blocked by state and congressional politics. “We’ll soon be facing a $600 million question," says John Barry, vice president of the South Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East.

By Bob Marshall    February 14, 2013    1 comment

Company with family, political ties does big business with OPSO

OPSO office supplies

Metro Business Supplies has done $1.7 million in business with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office since Hurricane Katrina. The man who landed the job, Richard Schlaudecker, is married to the daughter of Chief Deputy Gerald Ursin.

By Tom Gogola    February 6, 2013    14 comments

Bad news for Jindal: Florida, Texas rely heavily on property and biz taxes

State tax revenues are a balancing act drawn from a variety of sources. graphic: Tax Credit, some rights reserved

Gov. Bobby Jindal has pointed to Florida and Texas as models for his plan to cut income taxes and rely more on sales taxes. But those states rely heavily on two taxes he dislikes: business and property taxes. Would Louisiana rely on a "one-and-a-half-legged stool"?

By Tyler Bridges    January 29, 2013    2 comments

Despite PSC vote, phone rates to remain high at Orleans jail, state prisons

The feds and plaintiffs' attorneys seek to bring the Orleans prison complex into compliance with the U.S. Constitution. File photo

Officials inked new phone contracts for the state prisons and Orleans jail before rules cutting phone commissions went into effect, so families will continue to pay high fees to speak with inmates. Sheriff Gusman stands to collect $1.5 million in phone call commissions this year.

By Tom Gogola    January 9, 2013    
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