The Lens wins four first place awards from Press Club of New Orleans
The Lens took home top honors in the education reporting, continuing environmental reporting and government/political reporting categories.
Licensing a troubled juvenile jail
A year ago, when Jackson Parish opened its new, unlicensed juvenile jail, kids complained of extended stints of solitary confinement, along with extensive abuse and violations. A DCFS inspection supported those claims, but the agency gave the jail a license anyway.
Behind The Lens episode 251: ‘Quite traumatizing’
Nick Chrastil on the use of mace and pepper spray now allowed in juvenile detention facilities. Terry L. Jones on community air monitoring and Delaney Dryfoos on campaigns to call attention to Venture Global's air quality violations.
Pregnant and hemorrhaging, without a key solution within reach
Lawmakers passed a law designed to limit reproductive rights in Louisiana. But it may also limit patients’ chances of surviving common life events like miscarriages and births.
Unlikely alliance forms to boost community air monitoring in Louisiana
A bulk storage facility plans to join with activists from the Louisiana Environmental Action Network to monitor air quality in St. Rose, a ‘Cancer Alley’ community.
Mississippi River mayors agree to unify ports from Louisiana up to Minnesota
The cooperative agreement is the first between the inland ports in the heart of the Corn Belt and the coastal ports of Louisiana, which together export 60% of the nation’s agricultural products.
Behind the Lens episode 250: ‘Insurance Crisis’
Delaney Dryfoos on the continuing homeowners insurance crisis for Louisianans, and one politicians proposal to fix it. Marta Jewson reflects on covering school closures.
Humorous, Yet Dead Serious
Prankster activists target Venture Global LNG, to bring attention to the lives affected – and lost – around liquified natural gas plants.
Louisiana sanctions use of pepper spray and mace on detained juveniles
In July, a new state law put all Louisiana pretrial juvenile detention centers under the umbrella of the state Office of Juvenile Justice. Soon after, the agency filed an ‘emergency order’ approving the use of ‘chemical agents’ in those facilities.
