Latest Louisiana Headlines
All the headlines from our Louisiana Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Statewide Burn Ban Lifted in Louisiana
Nov 23 2016 // A statewide outdoor burn ban that was ordered in Louisiana on Nov. 5 has been lifted. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said in a news release that the ban was lifted at 4 p.m. on Nov. 21. Outdoor burning remains subject...
Louisiana Commissioner: No Agency Fees on Individual Health Insurance Policies
Nov 21 2016 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon recently issued a directive reminding insurance agents that charging fees for individual health insurance policies is not allowed. Now, the commissioner is reaching out to...
Louisiana Ag Department: Wildfire Risk High in State
Nov 7 2016 // Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is warning Louisiana residents that the state’s wildfire risk remains higher than normal because of dry conditions. The state agriculture department says 19 parishes have enacted...
Louisiana Man Sentenced for Stealing Sister’s Insurance Settlement
Nov 7 2016 // A Lafayette, La., man has been sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for stealing nearly $1.5 million from an insurance settlement his sister received while she was incapacitated. News outlets report U.S. Attorney...
Worker Safety Improves in Louisiana; State Ranked No. 2 Nationally in 2015
Nov 4 2016 // The rate of work-related injuries and illnesses among Louisiana’s private sector employers improved in 2015 to the best level in 14 years, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported. That’s according to a...
Flood Debris Removal Costs Top $13M in Louisiana’s Livingston Parish
Nov 4 2016 // Livingston Parish officials say the removal of August flood debris has topped the $13 million mark, with the final pickup set to begin. Mark Harrell, the parish’s emergency preparedness director, says the...
Lower Cotton, Sweet Potato Yields Attributed to Louisiana Rains
Nov 1 2016 // Louisiana’s cotton and sweet potato harvests have been negatively affected by the flooding rains in August, state agricultural specialists say. Based on reports, Dan Fromme, LSU AgCenter cotton specialist, said in a...
Louisiana High Court: Law Can Shield Priests from Reporting Abuse Evidence
Oct 31 2016 // Louisiana law does not require a priest to notify authorities after hearing evidence of child abuse from a child making a religious confession, the state Supreme Court said on Oct. 28. The ruling came in an ongoing 2009...
Louisiana’s Pointe Coupee Parish Designated Agricultural Disaster Area
Oct 27 2016 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Pointe Coupee Parish as a primary natural disaster area due to damages and losses caused by severe storms and flooding that occurred in August. Farmers and ranchers in...
Couple Wanted in Louisiana Flood Contractor Fraud Scheme
Oct 26 2016 // Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, sheriff’s deputies say a man and a woman with numerous aliases are wanted in a flood contractor scheme that has taken more than $35,000 from two victims already in the Ponchatoula and...
Unemployment Claims on Rise in Louisiana
Oct 25 2016 // First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Oct. 15 increased from the previous week’s total. The state labor department figures show the initial claims rose to 2,674 from the...
PPG in Louisiana Fined $92K over Safety Violations
Oct 24 2016 // Federal regulators have fined PPG Industries in Westlake, La. $92,642 for nine “serious” safety violations. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the violations include failing to monitor...
Louisiana Governor’s Latest Federal Flood Request Aid Upped to $4B
Oct 24 2016 // Gov. John Bel Edwards bumped up his request to more than $4 billion for federal flood disaster aid to repair south Louisiana’s flood destruction, according to a letter to the White House released Friday. The...
Declarations
Oct 24 2016 // Cyber Disaster Management “You need to think of [cybersecurity] like disaster management – similar to your plan for an event like Hurricane Katrina – where everybody is on the same page.” — Cari...
LUBA Indemnity Insurance Assigned A- Financial Strength Rating by A.M. Best
Oct 21 2016 // A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and a long-term issuer credit rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” to LUBA Indemnity Insurance Co. LUBA Indemnity a wholly owned subsidiary...
FEMA Extends Deadline for Louisiana Flood Aid Applications to Nov. 14
Oct 17 2016 // People seeking disaster aid to help them recover from Louisiana’s catastrophic August flooding have an extra month to apply for assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced this week that the...
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Extends Post-Flooding Emergency Rule
Oct 14 2016 // Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has extended a previously issued emergency rule related to the historic flooding in multiple Louisiana counties in August. Emergency Rule 30 extends through Feb. 9, 2017, a...
Louisiana Chemical Manufacturer Fined $92.6K for Serious Safety Violations
Oct 14 2016 // Federal safety officials have cited a Louisiana chemical manufacturer for nine serious and two other violations, and issued fines of more than $92,000. The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health...
Citing Safety, Louisiana Transportation Agency Plans More Roundabouts
Oct 13 2016 // Louisiana’s transportation department has kicked off an ad campaign touting the safety benefits of the roundabout, those traffic circles that are cropping up more and more in the state. The three-week safety campaign...
Deadline to Apply for Disaster Loans after Louisiana Flooding: Oct. 14
Oct 13 2016 // Time is running out for business owners, homeowners and renters with damage from the August floods to apply for federal disaster loans. The Louisiana Department of Economic Development says the deadline to seek the...
