Investigations

Shredded paper exits a paper shredder

Louisiana sheriff’s dept. has destroyed records of alleged officer misconduct for years

BY: - January 12, 2023

NEW ORLEANS – The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has been unlawfully destroying its deputies’ disciplinary records for at least 10 years, according to records provided by state officials responsible for overseeing the retention of records by state, parish and local agencies. The finding comes at a time when the Sheriff’s Office is facing multiple lawsuits […]

A sticker the windshield of James Kittling's pickup truck indicates it passed inspection before a Rapides Parish deputy pulled him over Nov. 6, 2022, for suspected illegal window tint and muffler modifications.

Rapides traffic stop shooting shines light on window tint enforcement

BY: - January 3, 2023

ALEXANDRIA – James Kittling remembers Nov. 6 starting like many other Sundays during football season. He was going to watch the Saints game with his brother, Derrick. “I was gonna smother some pork chops,” James Kittling said, “make some rice and gravy, string beans, probably put some corn on the side. Before he left, I […]

Leonard Brown and Denver Smith

Gov. Edwards issues state apology for fatal 1972 shootings at Southern University

BY: - November 16, 2022

By Drew Hawkins and Claire Sullivan Gov. John Bel Edwards apologized Wednesday on behalf of the state to former Southern University protest leaders and the families of two Southern students who were killed by an unidentified sheriff’s deputy 50 years ago. “To the extent that the state of Louisiana can try to make this right, […]

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell

Mastercard gave New Orleans $100K for ‘truly needy.’ City couldn’t get people to take cash.

BY: - November 8, 2022

NEW ORLEANS – In November of last year,  Mayor LaToya Cantrell gathered finance executives and community leaders on a basketball court inside a city recreation center to announce a new initiative that, she said, was aimed at addressing the city’s racial wealth gap. The mayor’s vision centered on the Crescent City Card, a quasi-municipal ID […]

The Louisiana State Capitol

Two applicants for Capitol police chief have made headlines

BY: - October 27, 2022

State lawmakers will choose the first ever Capitol police chief in the coming weeks, and the law enforcement professionals who have put their names up for consideration include two who were involved in notable incidents related to their jobs. T.J. Gaughf, director of training for the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Rodney Hyatt, a state […]

AT&T, Verizon internet service slower – but not cheaper – in New Orleans’ poor, Black neighborhoods

BY: and - October 20, 2022

A couple of years into the pandemic, Shirley Neville had finally had enough of her crappy internet service. “It was just a headache,” said Neville, who lives in a middle-class neighborhood in New Orleans whose residents are almost all Black or Latino. “When I was getting ready to use my tablet for a meeting, it […]

Sinking homes, damaged roads: How a New Orleans community struggles against subsidence

BY: - October 12, 2022

This story was reported through a partnership that includes the Louisiana Illuminator, Floodlight, The Lens, WWNO-FM and The Guardian.  NEW ORLEANS – In the early 1990s, James Wright lost his family home in the 9th Ward neighborhood when a new school was built on his block. “They basically took our houses because they gave us […]

A view from the corridor of a prison with an incarcerated person inside cell doorway.

Costs of incarceration rise as inflation squeezes inmates, families

BY: - October 11, 2022

Across the nation, prison commissaries are raising prices on items that many consider basic necessities — from deodorant to fresh fruit — not provided by the state department of corrections. The markups come as decades-high inflation is also squeezing inmates’ families, making it harder for them to help.  It’s a burden that families shouldn’t have […]

LSU cheerleaders perform during the second half of a game against Auburn University at Tiger Stadium

Which officials have early access to LSU season tickets, parking passes?

BY: - October 6, 2022

Among the perks provided to select Louisiana officials – elected and appointed – is early access to buy season tickets ahead of the general public for LSU sports. For premium seats at Tiger Stadium, they are allowed to bypass a waitlist. On top of that, the majority of these officials are given early access to […]

Members of the LSU Golden Girls perform prior to the game against the Utah State Aggies at Tiger Stadium

Former Louisiana elected officials tap their old campaign funds to buy sports tickets 

BY: - October 5, 2022

Editor’s note: This story is the second in a two-part series that looks into the spending of campaign money on sports tickets. You can read the first installment here. You’ll find a chart below this story that online sports ticket spending by former elected officials. In Louisiana, stepping down from public office doesn’t necessarily mean leaving behind all […]

Joe Burrow of the LSU Tigers looks to throw a pass against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at the Superdome on Jan. 13, 2020 in New Orleans.

Louisiana officials use campaign cash to buy LSU, Saints tickets

BY: - October 4, 2022

Editor’s note: This story is the first in a two-part series that looks into the spending of campaign money on sports tickets. You can find the second story here.  If you’re looking for tickets to an LSU or Saints game this year, you might want to ask an elected official for help.  Forty-nine Louisiana politicians spent […]

Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and former WWE wrestler Ted “Teddy” DiBiase

Former pro wrestler: Gov. Phil Bryant cut nonprofit funding for supporting his opponent

BY: - September 27, 2022

JACKSON, Mississippi – A former professional wrestler and defendant in the Mississippi welfare scandal is alleging that he personally witnessed Republican Gov. Phil Bryant instruct an appointee to cut welfare funding to a nonprofit because its director supported Democrat Jim Hood in the 2019 governor’s race. The allegation that Bryant leveraged his control of welfare spending […]