Latest Louisiana Headlines
All the headlines from our Louisiana Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Partisan Politics Influenced Katrina Response, Says Former FEMA Chief
Jan 23 2007 // Political storm clouds gathered again over the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina as former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown said party politics played a role in decisions on...
La. Insurance Regulators, Already Weakened, Face Extinction
Jan 23 2007 // Of all the obscure parts of state government, the Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission is among the most ignored and misunderstood. And the panel may now be in its death throes. The commissioners ostensibly have power to...
Blanco Administration Admits Error in La. Insurance Rebate Letters
Jan 22 2007 // The Blanco administration mailed 1.8 million letters to Louisiana homeowners with incorrect information about credits for post-Katrina surcharges on their property insurance policies, a Blanco aide said. Taxpayers reported...
La.’s Citizens Gets OK to Raise Rates
Jan 19 2007 // Louisiana’s state-run insurer won approval for big rate increases on Jan. 17, meaning double- and triple-digit hikes in insurance costs for homeowners and businesses along the coast. The increases for Citizens...
La. Resident Pleads Guilty to Hurricane-Related Federal Fraud Charge
Jan 18 2007 // A Louisiana resident pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana on a charge of fraud related to hurricane disaster relief programs, U.S. Attorney David R. Dugas of the Middle District of...
La. Police Officer Resigns After Fraud Accusation
Jan 15 2007 // A Shreveport, La., police officer resigned after he was accused of changing a police report to claim that his wife had insurance when another car hit hers. Cpl. Ronald Small and Tracey Small were booked Jan. 12 at Caddo...
La. Recovery Panel to Study Storm Catastrophe Fund
Jan 15 2007 // The state’s top hurricane recovery panel will study whether Louisiana should consider creating a catastrophe fund that would provide financial backup for insurers because of hurricane risks. The key area for review...
La. Senator: Make FEMA Turn Over Trailer Info to Law Enforcement
Jan 10 2007 // The government should make FEMA turn over records of residents of its trailers and trailer parks to New Orleans police and other agencies investigating crime in the area, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said. The proposal is part...
Report: Louisiana Roads are in Dangerous Shape
Jan 9 2007 // Louisiana’s roads and bridges remain in poor condition and the state gets failing grades for road safety and highway construction, a national transportation research agency says in a report. Almost half of the...
11th Annual La. Health Care Conference set for Jan. 23 in Baton Rouge
Jan 9 2007 // The Eleventh Annual Health Care Conference, sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Insurance, will bring together national experts, state legislators and state and federal regulators to discuss a variety of health care...
Travelers Scales Back Decision on Renewing Commercial Polices in N.O.
Jan 8 2007 // St. Paul Travelers is scaling back plans to stop renewing most of its commercial policies in the New Orleans area this year, a decision that is “very good news” for businesses here after the 2005 hurricanes,...
La. judge: Insurers liable for water
Jan 8 2007 // Even though a homeowner’s insurance policy said floods were not covered, leaving that statement out of the application left the company liable for damages to a house destroyed by Hurricane Rita’s winds and...
Fraud Roundup
Jan 8 2007 // Arsonists ‘light up’ in pool of gasoline Musa Shteiwi and his son Essa had a clear criminal vision for their Steak Thyme Subs eatery. According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, they wanted to torch the...
La. judge: Insurers liable for water
Jan 7 2007 // Even though a homeowner’s insurance policy said floods were not covered, leaving that statement out of the application left the company liable for damages to a house destroyed by Hurricane Rita’s winds and...
10 La. judge says water may be covered
Jan 7 2007 // Ruling against La. Citizens could affect more insurers 10 Survey says party hosts are underinsured Trusted Choice reports 28.5 million need more coverage 12 Miss. AG’s Katrina lawsuit moved Judge rules state court...
Fraud Roundup
Jan 7 2007 // Arsonists ‘light up’ in pool of gasoline Musa Shteiwi and his son Essa had a clear criminal vision for their Steak Thyme Subs eatery. According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, they wanted to torch the...
Study: La. Slipping Very Slowly Into the Gulf of Mexico
Jan 3 2007 // A new report by scientists studying Louisiana’s sinking coast says the land is not just sinking, it’s sliding ever so slowly into the Gulf of Mexico. The new findings may add a kink to plans being drawn up to...
La. Reports Stable Unemployment Rate; Strong Nonfarm Job Growth
Jan 2 2007 // Louisiana gained 1,400 nonfarm jobs in November 2006 and 59,900 jobs over the year, according to the Louisiana Department of Labor. The November 2006 nonfarm job gains were repeated in every Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Deadline is Jan. 2 to Apply for Aid for Oct. Storm Damage in La.
Jan 2 2007 // Louisiana residents whose homes or businesses sustained damage in the Oct. 16, 2006, storm have until Jan. 2, 2006, to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. Two major storms dumped more than 20 inches...
La.’s DEQ Works to Dispose Flooded Cars; State to Share Cost
Jan 2 2007 // The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is trying to partner with local governments to dispose of more than 10,000 flooded vehicles collected after the 2005 hurricane season. Still, the project will not be...
