Author

Greg LaRose

Greg LaRose

Greg LaRose has covered news for more than 30 years in Louisiana. Before coming to the Louisiana Illuminator, he was the chief investigative reporter for WDSU-TV in New Orleans. He previously led the government and politics team for The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com, and was editor in chief at New Orleans CityBusiness. Greg's other career stops include Tiger Rag, South Baton Rouge Journal, the Covington News Banner, Louisiana Radio Network and multiple radio stations.

COMMENTARY
Hunter Biden departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on July 26, 2023, in Wilmington, Delaware.

Let’s see that same Hunter Biden fervor applied to everyone who shouldn’t have gun access

By: - September 14, 2023

There’s no question Hunter Biden is a troubled person. His problems were well documented before his indictment Thursday on a federal firearms charge. The president’s 53-year-old son has admitted to having a crack cocaine problem that he didn’t disclose when he purchased a handgun in October 2018, according to a federal indictment. The charge comes […]

a young child cowers, their face covered with their arms

More than a third of calls to Louisiana’s child abuse hotline fail to connect

By: - September 11, 2023

More than a third of callers to Louisiana’s hotline to report child abuse, even professionals who are required to report indications of abuse, either reached a busy line or hung up before someone could answer. For the calls that were answered, an average of nearly seven minutes passed before someone picked up the phone.    The […]

COMMENTARY

Jeff Landry supporters likely unfazed by alleged ethics violations over plane flights

By: - September 8, 2023

Someone please wake me up when we’re no longer in a place where accusations of ethical wrongdoing by elected officials can be so easily weaponized as high-caliber campaign fodder. It was really only a matter of time before what has infected the national political discourse spread down to the state level.   The Louisiana Board of […]

Louisiana governor candidates John Schroder, Sharon Hewitt, Stephen Waguespack, Hunter Lundy and Shawn Wilson take part in a debate at WWL-TV in New Orleans.

Candidates for Louisiana governor take few risks in first TV debate, minus Landry

By: - September 7, 2023

NEW ORLEANS – The five candidates for Louisiana governor took part Thursday night in the first televised debate ahead of the Oct. 14 primary, minus the current frontrunner whose absence didn’t go unnoticed by his competitors. Attorney General Jeff Landry said he chose to bypass the debate, hosted by WWL-TV, because he considers one of […]

A large plume of smoke from the Tiger Island fire rises from forestland near Merryville in Beauregard Parish on Aug. 23, 2023.

Tiger Island fire 71% contained, sheriff says

By: - September 7, 2023

Lightning strikes Wednesday sparked new fires in a section of Beauregard Parish where a major conflagration has destroyed more than 30,000 acres of forested property, but Sheriff Mark Herford said the larger Tiger Island fire was at “71% containment” as of Thursday morning. Monitoring for hotspots continues but there has been no growth in the […]

An image of a wildfire in Beauregard Parish from drone video shows burning trees

Louisiana, like other Southern states, relies on outside airborne help to fight wildfires

By: - September 7, 2023

Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain said last week he will ask the legislature for money to buy more firefighting equipment, including a tanker airplane that can drop water on blazes from above. Such an asset would make Louisiana unique among its Southern neighbors and comparably sized states, which rely entirely on outside help for their airborne […]

COMMENTARY
laborer relief work

Conditions that create jobs, not costly incentives, need to be prioritized in Louisiana

By: - September 4, 2023

All too often, a business that’s been lured to Louisiana with generous tax breaks and other taxpayer-supported enticements fails to live up to the hype that preceded their arrival. The form that typically takes is an employer that fails to deliver promised jobs but readily accepts exemptions to their property taxes that benefit their bottom […]

A large plume of smoke from the Tiger Island fire rises from forestland near Merryville in Beauregard Parish on Aug. 23, 2023.

Louisiana’s largest wildfire blamed on arson

By: - September 2, 2023

Investigators believe the Tiger Island fire in Beauregard Parish, the largest in Louisiana this summer, is the result of arson, state officials said Saturday. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Enforcement Division and Beauregard Sheriff’s Office detectives are looking for a suspect responsible for starting the Aug. 22 fire that emergency crews continue to […]

COMMENTARY
A young adult with a questioning expression is surrounded by text reading Liberal? Conservative? Moderate? with an outline of the state of Louisiana in the background

Questions abound as the Louisiana governor’s race heads into the homestretch

By: - September 1, 2023

Labor Day is traditionally the point where statewide election campaigns move into high gear with roughly six weeks to convince voters before they make their decision. For the 2023 Louisiana governor’s race, voters might also need a road map to follow the candidates who’ve either been nebulous about their platforms or aren’t making a big […]

Louisiana Agriculture Secretary Mike Strain views smoldering trees from a portion of the Tiger Island fire in Beauregard Parish

Louisiana ag commissioner warns of continued wildfire risk: ‘It is literally a tinderbox.’

By: - August 31, 2023

The Louisiana official who leads the state’s wildfire fighting efforts says he will ask the legislature for more resources next year, including additional personnel and a tanker plane that can drop water on blazes. His pending request comes as emergency crews attempt to contain major fires in southwest Louisiana under persisting drought conditions. In the […]

A floodlight from a bulldozer illuminates a firebreak being created to contain a wildfire in Beauregard Parish.

Rain does little to lessen Louisiana wildfire risk

By: - August 29, 2023

Intense downpours brought relief from high temperatures Monday to some parts of Louisiana, but officials say it did little to reduce the threat of wildfires that have now claimed more than 60,000 acres across the state. With more extreme heat and minimal rain in the forecast, crews combatting the blazes anticipate the risk to persist, […]

Steve Scalise speaks to reporters with congressional colleagues behind him.

Steve Scalise announces he’s undergoing treatment for cancer

By: - August 29, 2023

U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced on social media Tuesday morning that he is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. He told followers on the platform formerly known as Twitter that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma after undergoing tests. “After a few days of not feeling like myself this past week, I had some […]