Articles by Janet McConnaughey

Louisiana Oil Spill Near Where Young Whooping Cranes Released

The Coast Guard says nearly 1,300 gallons of oil spilled from an oil production facility into southwest Louisiana wetlands near the areas where young endangered whooping cranes are released into the wild None of Louisiana’s cranes is currently near the …

Company Co-Owner Pleads Guilty in Louisiana’s Camp Minden Explosion Case

One of the owners of a company that abandoned thousands of tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant in Louisiana has admitted lying in order to be awarded federal contracts to “demilitarize” the smokeless powder, known as M6. Explo Systems co-owner …

Louisiana Sheriff Rejected Applicant Because of HIV, Lawsuit Says

A Louisiana man says a sheriff’s office withdrew a job offer after finding out he has HIV, according to a federal lawsuit filed Oct. 24. “It’s the equivalent of not hiring somebody because they had cancer or diabetes. It’s not …

$7M in BP Oil Spill Fines to Create 300 Conservation Jobs

About $7 million in BP oil spill penalties will create 300 conservation jobs in Gulf of Mexico states. Jeff DeQuattro of The Nature Conservancy said that employment will ramp up over three years: 10 people working in each state next …

New Orleans Council Planning to Study Drainage After Massive Flooding

As New Orleans dried out from torrential rains that flooded areas for the second time in two weeks, the City Council called a special meeting to review the drainage system and warning processes. Council President Jason Williams said he plans …

Details Emerge on What Went Wrong in Tour Bus, Train Accident in Mississippi

The Texas tour bus hit by a freight train in a deadly crash in Mississippi wasn’t supposed to have taken the road where it got stuck at a rail crossing earlier this week, a federal official said Thursday. National Transportation …

New Orleans Mayor: 940 Homes Damaged by Half-Mile Wide Tornado

Dwight Powell lost his Lexus to the massive tornado that injured 33 people and destroyed or seriously damaged 940 properties on a half-mile wide rampage through two miles of east New Orleans. He had just parked it inside his garage …

Guilty Plea in Post-Katrina Shooting Cover Up Opens Way for Civil Suits Against Police

A former police sergeant has admitted that he helped cover up the fatal police shootings of two people in the chaotic days following Hurricane Katrina, ending a criminal case that roiled the New Orleans Police Department after the 2005 storm. …

Drought in Southeast States Wreaking Havoc on Crops, Increasing Fire Risk

Six months into a deepening drought, the weather is killing crops, threatening cattle and sinking lakes to their lowest levels in years across much of the South. The very worst conditions – what forecasters call “exceptional drought” – are in …

Group Seeks to Make New Orleans House into Hurricane Katrina Memorial

A house that was flooded by Hurricane Katrina could become a memorial to the catastrophic storm that nearly wiped New Orleans off the map 11 years ago. The city planning commission will consider a request by the group Levees.org for …