Tag Archives: Louisiana

GOP Louisiana House Reps Revive “Don’t Say Gay” Bill

The Louisiana Illuminator reports: Conservatives in the Louisiana House of Representatives turned to a seldom used procedure Tuesday to bring a controversial education proposal back from the dead. The so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation from Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, failed to advance from the House Education Committee a week ago. Three Republicans joined Democrats in opposition in a 4-7 vote. …

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Christian School Pastor Busted Again For Child Cruelty

The Lafayette Daily Advertiser reports: A Louisiana pastor and headmaster of a Christian school who is also a member of the sate Republican Party governing board has been arrested for a second time on juvenile cruelty charges. John Raymond, 60, pastor of New Horizon Church in Slidell and founder of Lakeside Christian Academy, is an elected member of the Louisiana …

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Louisiana Advances Bill Classifying Abortion As Murder

The Lafayette Daily Advertiser reports: A Louisiana legislative committee on Wednesday advanced a bill to make abortion a crime of homicide in which the mother or those assisting her in terminating the pregnancy can be charged. The measure cleared the House Appropriations Committee on a 7-2 vote despite at least one of the representatives voting in favor acknowledging the bill …

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Louisiana “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Dies In Committee

The Louisiana Advertiser reports: Louisiana’s version of legislation to bar classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity, described as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents, was killed in the House Education Committee Tuesday. A similar bill in Florida has sparked a high-stakes, viral feud between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a supporter of the legislation in his state, and …

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Christian School Pastor Arrested For Child Cruelty

New Orleans’ ABC News affiliate reports: The headmaster of Lakeside Christian School in Slidell has been arrested on three counts of child cruelty for allegedly taping shut the mouth of three of his students. Pastor John Raymond, 60, is accused of bringing three students, who were said to be talking too much in class, to his office on March 18. …

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Tornado Strikes New Orleans, Extensive Damage

CNN reports: Search and rescue teams were combing through debris and damaged neighborhoods in the New Orleans area overnight after a tornado slammed the region Tuesday. A tornado touched down in the Lower Ninth Ward and New Orleans East communities just before 8 p.m., New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell said in a statement. One person was killed in the hard-hit …

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Louisiana State Rep Introduces Sweeping “Don’t Say Gay” Bill: “My Pastor Told Me That We Need To Do This”

Baton Rouge’s ABC News affiliate reports: The bill, submitted by Representative Dodie Horton, would “prohibit discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” in K-8 classes and keep instructors from discussing their own sexual orientation or gender identity with students in grades K-12. “I wasn’t aware of the need [for this legislation] until I looked at some things on Twitter and …

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NOLA Health Official Quits Mardi Gras After Threats

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: New Orleans health director Dr. Jennifer Avegno decided not to ride as queen of Krewe du Vieux next month after unspecified threats that caused her to be concerned for her personal safety and the safety of krewe members, she wrote in a letter to the krewe. On Monday, Krewe du Vieux reported that Avegno, head …

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Anti-Vax Pastor Loses Lockdown Suit Against Louisiana

The Associated Press reports: A Louisiana pastor’s lawsuit over Gov. John Bel Edwards’ past COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings was rejected for a second time Wednesday by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson in Baton Rouge said the lawsuit by Tony Spell seeking an order blocking the restrictions is moot because the restrictions expired long ago. And Jackson …

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KY Man ID’d In Racist “Zoombombing” Of Public School

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: A Kentucky man is under federal investigation after he allegedly barged into a Jefferson Parish public school’s virtual classroom lesson, hurled violent and racist insults at fifth graders, and posted an online video of the intrusion last year. Fifth-grade students of Laureate Academy Charter School in Harvey were taking a virtual lesson via Zoom on …

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Anti-Vax Leader Claims He Will “Arrest” Louisiana Gov

The Daily Beast reports: Christopher Key, the leader of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine group “Vaccine Police,” said Wednesday he’s going to take the law into his own hands, pledging to conduct a citizen’s arrest of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. “I am the vaccine police,” Key said on Clay Clark’s daily show. “We have shut down pharmacists. We have shut down …

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Louisiana AG Sues To Block School Vax Mandates

The Baton Rouge Advocate reports: Attorney General Jeff Landry and a Republican state lawmaker filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to block Gov. John Bel Edwards from adding the COVID-19 vaccines to the list of shots students are required to receive to attend schools and universities. The lawsuit argues that the rule making statutes that gave the Democratic governor the power …

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Most Of New Orleans Is Still Without Power [VIDEO]

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: The power was still out for more than 600,000 Entergy customers in Louisiana on Saturday, as the utility’s top executives said it continued to make slow progress fixing the worst ever storm damage to hit the state’s electricity infrastructure. The damage to Entergy’s transmission infrastructure — to poles, sub-stations, distribution lines, and even the large …

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NOLA’s Levees Held, But Power May Be Out For Weeks

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: The massive storm, which arrived on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, sent rescuers scrambling to retrieve people from attics as flood waters poured into places like Lafitte, LaPlace and Braithwaite. The winds, matching the highest speeds ever recorded in Louisiana, tore roofs off homes, toppled transmission towers and left historic buildings in ruin. But …

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Overtopped Levee Sends LA Residents Into Attics

USA Today reports: Mayor Tim Kerner said much of the Town of Jean Lafitte, a community of 2,000 people just outside Jefferson Parish levee protection system, was underwater. Kerner told WGNO the levees were overtopped by rapidly rising water. Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng told the station that “people are in attics in Lower Lafitte.” “Total devastation, catastrophic” Kerner said. …

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Ida Leaves All Of New Orleans Without Power [VIDEO]

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: A slow-moving Hurricane Ida has left all of Orleans Parish customers without power due to “catastrophic transmission damage,” according to Entergy New Orleans. The intense storm had caused all eight transmission lines into the New Orleans area to go down, spokesman Brandon Scardigli said in an emailed statement. That created a load imbalance that knocked …

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Ida Makes Louisiana Landfall With 150 MPH Winds

ABC News reports: Hurricane Ida has made landfall in Louisiana as one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever strike the U.S. with 150 mph winds. Ida, which became a Category 1 hurricane Friday afternoon, has strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds. Storm surge could reach 15 feet along parts of the Louisiana/Mississippi coastline and 6 …

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Hurricane Ida Nears Category 5, Winds At 150 MPH

The Weather Channel reports: Hurricane Ida has strengthened into a Category 4 as it heads toward landfall on the northern Gulf Coast today, where it will bring life-threatening storm surge, dangerous rainfall flooding and potentially catastrophic winds. Ida had winds of 150 mph as of 6 a.m. CDT on Sunday, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane. Maximum sustained winds …

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New Orleans Mayor: It’s Now Too Late To Evacuate

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Mayor LaToya Cantrell today said that with little time left before Hurricane Ida reaches Louisiana, residents should get ready to hunker down and ride out the storm. She told a news conference there wasn’t enough time to establish the highway contraflow procedures necessary to move all residents out of the city before the storm’s expected …

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Evacuations For NOLA, Ida Expected To Strike At Cat 4

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Hurricane Ida has formed and is expected to make landfall Sunday in Louisiana near Category 4 strength, forecasters with National Hurricane Center said Friday. Hurricane watches have been issued for Louisiana, including metro New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. The latest track has Ida coming ashore Sunday, bringing life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds and heavy …

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