Latest news with #CoastalDay
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocates for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion to speak during Coastal Day at the Capitol
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Supporters of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD) are gathering at the Louisiana State Capitol on Monday, May 12. During Coastal Day at the Capitol, advocates will come together for a news conference at 3 p.m. to ask state leaders to proceed with the restoration project. Among the speakers who are scheduled to attend are Anne Milling, founder of Women of the Storm, Troy Dubois, Louisiana Ducks Unlimited State Chairman, Reverend Ernest Dison, Sr., senior pastor of New Orleans's St. Paul Church of God in Christ and Simone Maloz, campaign director of Restore the Mississippi River Delta. 'Speakers will underscore the urgent need to proceed and the irreversible harm that could result from stopping this multibillion-dollar investment in the state's future,' according to advocates with Restore the Mississippi River Delta. Louisiana First News will livestream the news conference in the video player above. A massive coastal restoration project is in peril amid claims Louisiana concealed a critical report 1 dead, another injured in Baton Rouge crash, police say Morris, the alligator in 'Happy Gilmore,' dies at over 80 years old A popular Chicago eatery is offering a Pope Leo-inspired sandwich. What's on it? Advocates for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion to speak during Coastal Day at the Capitol LSU football announces home-and-home series with SMU Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Shooting suspect pleads not guilty in killing of Baton Rouge man
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) – An 18-year-old accused of shooting and killing a man in Baton Rouge has pleaded not guilty. Jeremiah Howze, 18, pleaded not guilty to three charges, including second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and handling a firearm/machine gun. Howze will remain in custody until Thursday, May 15, when the court will decide whether his bond should be revoked. Howze was indicted by a jury earlier this month. The victim, Kyle Earthly Jr., was shot and killed on Old Hammond Highway in December 2024 while giving Howze a ride. Family of murder victim Kyle Earthly Jr. speaks out ahead of suspect's hearing Advocates for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion to speak during Coastal Day at the Capitol LSU football announces home-and-home series with SMU USDA halts live animal imports through US-Mexico border Did Siri snoop on you? How much of the $95M settlement you could receive Audit: $98.5M in Louisiana opioid settlement funds distributed to parishes, sheriffs Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Audit: $98.5M in Louisiana opioid settlement funds distributed to parishes, sheriffs
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Auditors released a report showing the amount Louisiana parishes and sheriff's offices have received and spent from opioid settlement funds to combat the overdose epidemic. Louisiana's health department reported a total of 1,083 opioid-involved deaths in 2023. Parishes with the highest number of opioid deaths between 2019 and 2023 were identified as Jefferson, St. Tammany, Lafayette, Livingston, and Orleans. US overdose deaths far outpace other countries: Report According to the report, Louisiana is involved in 15 settlements resulting in $600 million in funds meant to be distributed between 2022 through 2038 to fight the overdose epidemic. The Louisiana Opiod Abatement Taskforce (LaOATF) has distributed $98.5 million to parishes and sheriffs as of October 2024 for treatment and prevention. Auditors' survey identified that 20 parishes and 24 sheriffs have spent $8.6 million as of September 2024. 'Some parishes and sheriffs have not yet spent any of their funds,' according to auditors. The report states no entity has been tasked with enforcing the terms of the settlement agreements, including payment amounts and approved uses, for Louisiana. Auditors said Louisiana's Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) doesn't give the task force the authority to ensure parishes and sheriffs comply with the MOU. The MOU requires parishes to submit an annual expenditure report to LaOATF. Thirty-six of the 53 expenditure reports due were reportedly given to the task force as of December 2024. Annual reports are due 15 months after a parish gets settlement funds. While sheriffs are not required to give an annual report, 11 sheriffs who responded to the survey said they plan to publicly report expenditures. Auditors recommended that LaOATF should ensure parishes submit reports in a timely manner, amend the MOU to require sheriffs to submit annual reports like parishes, and include results from spending in its annual report. LaOATF agreed with all auditors' recommendations. The first annual report from the task force is set to be completed by the end of May of this year. The table below shows the amount of opioid settlement funds distributed to parishes and sheriffs in the Baton Rouge area from 2023 to 2024 as of October 2024. Parish Parish funds Sheriff funds Ascension $1,836,423 $459,106 Assumption $299,328 $74,832 East Baton Rouge $7,434,682 $1,858,670 East Feliciana $210,340 $52,585 Iberville $566,298 $141,575 Livingston $4,020,714 $1,005,179 Pointe Coupee $315,508 $78,877 St. Helena $161,799 $40,451 West Baton Rouge $428,769 $107,191 West Feliciana $177,980 $44,494 Walgreens settles allegations around opioid prescriptions for $300M: DOJ Advocates for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion to speak during Coastal Day at the Capitol LSU football announces home-and-home series with SMU USDA halts live animal imports through US-Mexico border Did Siri snoop on you? How much of the $95M settlement you could receive Audit: $98.5M in Louisiana opioid settlement funds distributed to parishes, sheriffs Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
