Orleans Parish public schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. is set to step down next summer.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Candidates for Orleans sheriff face off in forum
Gusman defends his record and says controversial Phase III building is necessary for the city’s jail. Other candidates call for alternatives.
Posted inCoronavirus
As schools open, New Orleans district reports 116 COVID-19 cases and 638 people quarantining
One New Orleans campus had to close its middle school due to a COVID-related staffing shortage. St. Tammany Parish schools reports 54 student cases, 26 staff cases.
Posted inBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens episode 138: ‘It’s something we don’t have a specific copy of’
Live outdoor music in question as city delays action on zoning, noise. A rise in COVID cases in prisons leads to reopening of quarantine facility. And many New Orleans high school students will have to be vaccinated to play sports or join clubs.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Louisiana prosecutors begin reporting data on witness arrests
After The Lens reported that prosecutors had failed to report how often they used controversial witness warrants, two years after a law requiring the reports took effect, most DA’s offices have submitted the information.
Posted inSchools
Anti-retaliation policy aims to protect school staff, parents and students
Advocates say the policy also aims to ensure access to school staff and students.
Posted inCriminal Justice
City Council passes ordinance effectively removing all penalties for simple marijuana possession under city law, pardons roughly 10,000 past cases
Police can still cite people under state marijuana laws, but DA Jason Williams has said he will refuse minor drug cases.
Posted inCoronavirus
Most New Orleans public high schools to require vaccines for extracurricular activities
Students with ‘exceptional circumstances’ can opt out but will be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing.
Posted inCoronavirus
COVID cases on the rise in state prisons as local sheriffs begin transfers to Angola quarantine facility
Camp J, a former disciplinary facility at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, has been used to quarantine prisoners from across the state, a move that has generated criticism from civil rights groups.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Cantrell administration lays out plans for $70M in federal coronavirus aid
The Cantrell administration said it would ask the City Council in September to increase the 2021 budget by $70 million.