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Gay asylum seeker held in ICE detention for 6 years on false claims, filing says
A single mother and asylum seeker from El Salvador has been stuck in an immigration detention center for the past six years despite being granted asylum twice, according to court documents. The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana has filed a writ that calls for a federal court in Lafayette to justify why Jessica Patricia […]
Judge rules Louisiana must remove youth from Angola
A federal judge Friday ordered Louisiana prison officials to stop housing youth offenders in the former death row of Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and to relocate them within one week. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick of the Middle District of Louisiana found that conditions at Angola constitute cruel and unusual punishment and violate the […]
Louisiana’s fortified roof grant program on track to exceed contractor, evaluator goals
The state has begun certifying local contractors and evaluators for the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP) that will provide grants to homeowners to help retrofit their roofs to withstand hurricane-force winds. As of Thursday, the Louisiana Department of Insurance has approved 13 of 21 evaluator applications and 35 of 57 contractor applications. With those approval […]
Restaurant recovery cash in Louisiana misses businesses most in need
News of a homicide in New Orleans doesn’t always raise eyebrows. It’s not uncommon for residents to tune out frequent reports of crime, but one incident on July 28 caught the eye of restaurant owner Conrad Chura. Chura, owner of two Wakin’ Bakin’ breakfast bistros in the city, recognized the name of one of the […]
Marathon’s St. John refinery has recent history of accidents and chemical leaks, records show
The Marathon Petroleum refinery in Garyville, where a large chemical fire forced evacuations last week, has had more than a dozen emergency incidents within the past five years, state records indicate. While several were minor, two of the events injured workers and most began with leaks from pipelines or storage tanks. A review of Louisiana […]
German company wins bid on Gulf of Mexico’s first offshore wind energy lease
A German energy company won rights Tuesday to the first ever offshore wind lease in the Gulf of Mexico, bidding $5.6 million for 102,480 acres in federal waters off the coast of southwest Louisiana. The winning bidder, RWE, is a Germany-based holding company engaged in electricity generation and storage systems. It has experience with a […]
A company promised 100 high-paying jobs in Jefferson Parish. Now it’s just 13 at half the pay
A company that said it would bring more than 100 six-figure-salaried jobs to a Jefferson Parish community if officials allow it to build a chemical plant there has filed plans to create only 13 jobs at half the promised pay. It also wants residents to shoulder a $47 million tax exemption in return for those […]
Fire at Marathon refinery in St. John Parish burns for seven hours
A fire that erupted at the Marathon Petroleum refinery in Garyville early Friday burned for roughly seven hours before it was extinguished after 2 p.m., allowing nearby residents to return home after a mandatory evacuation order was put in place within 2 miles of the facility. St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard said […]
Offshore orphaned well proposal has small drilling companies crying foul
A proposed regulation that attempts to prevent orphaned oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico has prompted complaints from small drilling companies that say the rule unfairly hamstrings their ability to compete with major corporations, while environmental advocates say it’s a necessary reform to protect coastal waters. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management […]
LDEQ agrees to tiny settlement from Dow Chemical for a decade of violations
Just days before a large explosion and release of pollutants at the Dow Chemical plant in Plaquemine last month, a state agency let the company forgo paying hundreds of thousands in fines for a decade of alleged permit violations. The violations, which all preceded the July 14 explosion at Dow’s Glycol 2 unit, are detailed […]
Louisiana sees strong jobs growth ahead of new workforce secretary’s arrival
Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed a new labor secretary Friday and touted strong jobs growth for the state’s economy. Robert Wooley will take over the Workforce Commission from Ave Dejoie Cates, who will resign effective Aug. 31. The commission released data Friday showing Louisiana’s unemployment rate fell in July to 3.4%, the lowest rate ever […]
PSC proposal would unplug Louisiana utilities from components made by foreign adversaries
It’s either a rushed but genuine attempt to solve a legitimate issue or part of a larger political strategy to oppose Louisiana’s transition to renewable energy. That’s how some people saw one of the agenda items at the Louisiana Public Service Commission meeting Wednesday. The proposed directive, authored by Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, R-Metairie, would immediately […]