Reconnecting the dying swamp to fresh river water is vital for the health of the swamp’s cypress-tupelo forest, which minimizes storm surge damage for communities in St. John the Baptist, St. James, Ascension and Livingston Parishes.
Category: Top Story
Posted inIn the N.O.
Saving St. Louis No. 2 Cemetery from cars and longtime neglect
Though an SUV caused a recent injury to the historic burial ground, a preservationist found that the biggest risks to public safety in the cemetery came from some of its most magnificent structures: tombs built for now-dissolved society groups. Now, a five-generation master plasterer is determined to repair them.
Posted inEnvironment
The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty: validating the struggles of fenceline communities in Louisiana
Though the Biden Administration backtracked its support of a cap on plastic production only a week before UN negotiations begin in South Korea, Louisiana advocates see the tide turning on plastics in a way that could turn future plastic-production facilities in Louisiana into even riskier investments.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice to end contract with troubled Jackson Parish jail
Invoices show that Jackson charged OJJ nearly $2 million dollars over the past year to house juveniles in the jail, despite grave allegations of abuse and mistreatment.
Posted inSchools
Compare 2024 school performance scores for New Orleans charters
Though its score climbed a little, the NOLA Public Schools district received the same grade, a C, from the state of Louisiana for the third year in a row. The state’s A-F letter grades are particularly high-stakes for 12 charters, who could face closure at the end of the school year.
Posted inCriminal Justice
To prevent suicide, New Orleans daughter urges states to let people ban themselves from buying guns
Donna’s Law, which allows people to ban themselves from gun ownership, has proven one of the few areas of gun policy where Republicans and Democrats can agree. But it has made little headway in Louisiana, home of the bill’s namesake.
Posted inSchools
School Board seizes $20 million cash settlement, future funding, amid financial crisis
The Orleans Parish School Board settles a years-long lawsuit against the city, to provide financially strained schools with help that includes a swift, $20 million cash infusion and $70 million for education over 10 years.
Posted inEnvironment
As Mississippi River towns experience whiplash between drought and flood, mayors look to new insurance model
At least two New Orleans agencies tested parametric insurance policies during Hurricane Francine – with mixed results.
Posted inEnvironment
‘Cajun Coral’ could reshape former oil and gas platforms along the Gulf Coast
A decommissioned oil rig site off Grand Isle offers a new shallow-water template for the Louisiana Rigs-to-Reef programs. Where rigs once stood, the 3D-printed concrete could create bustling coastal reefs.
Posted inSchools
‘Catastrophic’: Superintendent resigns amid district’s $36 million gaffe
School leaders worried that the budget gap may grow further, as officials tally final numbers.