KATC.com

Tagged News

• Crash in St. Mary Parish Claims Two Lives

  March 20, 2013 9:05 AM

  ST. MARY PARISH- Last night, Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop I investigated a single vehicle crash on LA Highway 182 at Sun Road which claimed the lives of two men. According to investigating Troopers, at 11:44 p.m., 25-year-old Bryan Mitchell of Houma, was driving a 1994 GMC SUV... more »

• Citizens settlement OK'd over Katrina, Rita claims

  January 31, 2013 3:36 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. on Wednesday finalized a $20 million settlement related to claims handled after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, wrapping up one of two remaining storm-related settlements that have weighed on the company. Orleans Parish Civil District Judge Kern Reese approved the settlement, closing... more »

• Accident claims the life of man, 62

  December 7, 2012 7:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans police are investigating a single vehicle accident that claimed the life of a 62-year-old man. The accident happened shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday on the Broad Street ramp at Earhart Boulevard. Police say the unidentified driver of a Ford F-150 pickup was travelling southbound... more »

• East Feliciana crash claims 7th victim

  June 11, 2012 9:21 AM

  CLINTON, La. (AP) - A two-vehicle accident in East Feliciana Parish on May 30 has claimed its seventh victim. Trooper Evan Harrell says 13-year-old Rogerick Johnson Jr. died Sunday at the Children's Hospital in New Orleans. Johnson is one of seven people to die after a Greensburg man accused of... more »

• New Gulf oil spill claims process getting underway

  June 5, 2012 6:23 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Thousands of victims of BP's 2010 Gulf oil spill will participate in a new process for economic-loss and medical claims associated with the accident. The Deepwater Horizon Claims Center, run by court-appointed administrator Patrick Juneau, will open 18 intake centers across the Gulf Coast next week... more »

• Census error: Monroe claims undercount of 2,000

  June 4, 2012 11:08 AM

  MONROE, La. (AP) - The city of Monroe has accounted for about 2,000 more residents living in Monroe than the U.S. Census Bureau had counted in 2010. That's according to figures released exclusively to The News-Star . City officials will be sending their revised figures, along with a letter from... more »

• Man claims justifiable homicide in May 2010 death

  May 21, 2012 9:31 AM

  OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) - A staff sergeant with the U.S. Air Force plans to claim justifiable homicide when he stands trial next month for manslaughter in the May 2010 shooting death of his wife's ex-husband. Police say Jason and Twaila Rolls had been married for only a few hours when... more »

• Romero Sticks to Claims Against DA, Despite AG's Findings of "No Wrongdoing"

  April 18, 2012 10:38 PM

  The conflict between Iberia Parish President Errol "Romo" Romero and the District Attorney's Office continues, even after the Attorney General found no wrong-doing by the DA's office. Romero made two allegations against the DA's office. The first is that the DA is fraudulently paying for its employee's health insurance... more »

• Sorrento may pay damage claims

  April 5, 2012 11:11 AM

  SORRENTO, La. (AP) - The Sorrento Town Council has voted 3-0 to pay claims by residents whose homes were flooded and soiled by backups from the town's troubled sewer system. The Advocate reports the vote Tuesday night gave Mayor Pro Tem Randy Anny authority to issue nearly $30,000 in checks... more »

• Teacher fired after claims 3rd-graders had sex

  March 22, 2012 10:46 AM

  TALLULAH, La. (AP) - Officials say a Tallulah Elementary School teacher has been fired after she was in the classroom while two third-graders allegedly had oral sex under a table. Madison Parish School Superintendent Lisa Wilmore tells The News-Star last week's incident was investigated by the school's principal. Wilmore concurred... more »

• Rehberg claims START treaty guts Malmstrom nukes

  March 22, 2012 6:13 AM

  HELENA, Mont. (AP) - U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg is claiming in mail to constituents that the Obama administration's New START treaty intends to strip Malmstrom Air Force Base of its entire contingent of nuclear missiles. Rehberg is locked in a big U.S. Senate battle with incumbent Democrat Jon Tester. The... more »

• Indicted former cop claims technicality

  March 7, 2012 10:46 AM

  MONROE, La. (AP) - Raul Johnson, the former Monroe Police corporal currently under federal indictment for selling stolen items on eBay, is arguing that the evidence being used against him was gained unlawfully. The News-Star Johnson filed a motion asking the judge to suppress evidence in his case because it... more »

• Pedestrian- train accident claims woman's life

  March 5, 2012 6:34 AM

  SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office investigated a train accident that claimed a woman's life Sunday evening. Officials say the accident happened about 6:30 p.m. on a Union Pacific railroad track that crosses Bert Kouns Industrial Loop and runs behind subdivisions on the west side of Youree... more »

• FedEx Earns, Drop in Claims Push Stocks Higher

  December 15, 2011 11:49 AM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Strong earnings from FedEx and a sharp drop in claims for unemployment benefits pushed stocks slightly higher in early trading Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 55 points, or 0.5 percent, to 11,879 at 11 a.m. Eastern time. The Dow lost 360 points over the... more »

• Unemployment Benefit Claims Lower

  November 17, 2011 12:57 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The government is offering some fresh economic numbers today. The Labor Department says first time claims for unemployment benefits fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000 last week. That's the lowest level since April. The less volatile four-week average dropped below 400,000 for the first time... more »

• BP, Anadarko settle Gulf disaster claims

  October 17, 2011 6:47 AM

  LONDON (AP) - Anadarko Petroleum Co. has agreed to pay $4 billion to BP PLC as part of a settlement related to last year's Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP said Monday that Anadarko's payment will form part of the British company's $20 billion trust fund, which has paid out... more »

• Multi-Chem Claims Center Busy on First Day

  June 16, 2011 12:02 AM

  Many people are already out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars as a result of the Multi-Chem explosion on Tuesday. Now those people are turning to the company for help. KATC was at the Multi-Chem claims center Wednesday afternoon as the reimbursement process began. Whether it's the little things... more »

• BP claims czar returns to Gulf amid complaints

  January 10, 2011 9:47 PM

  MOSS POINT, Miss. (AP) - The administrator of BP's $20 billion oil spill claims fund on Monday promised fairness and speed in compensating victims, but angry fishermen and business owners are complaining that they're still not getting what they deserve. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg met Monday with oil spill victims in... more »

• Bridge blockade claims thrown out

  December 28, 2010 9:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge has thrown out the remaining claims in a lawsuit that said police violated people's constitutional rights by firing warning shots to stop them from crossing a bridge to escape flooding from Hurricane Katrina. Having dismissed about 90 percent of the claims in September,... more »

• Lawyers to Staff Oil Spill Claims Offices

  December 28, 2010 10:43 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The group administering BP's compensation fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill has hired several law firms and a claims administration company to help people applying for shares of the $20 billion fund. The Gulf Coast Claims Facility announced Tuesday that the lawyers will be... more »

• BP Claims Fund to Offer Additional Payment

  December 11, 2010 10:49 PM

  OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - The administrator of the $20 billion BP PLC fund doling out money to Gulf oil spill victims says the program will be offering claimants an additional payment. The Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which took over the process from BP this summer, would not provide further... more »

• Acadiana Residents Frustrated with Unemployment Claim Process

  November 18, 2010 7:18 PM

  Waiting for unemployment money can be stressful ... not knowing when the checks will start coming in after you've been let go from your job. Most of the time the state says you'll get paid within the week. But we've been getting emails from viewers who say it's been two... more »

• Unemployment Claims Drop Sharply to 434K

  October 28, 2010 8:36 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the second drop in a row and a hopeful sign the job market could be improving. The Labor Department says initial claims for jobless benefits dropped by 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 434,000 in the week that ended Oct.... more »

• Lawsuit claims $200M owed to 'rainy day' fund

  October 4, 2010 9:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A lawsuit filed Monday challenges the way state lawmakers balanced last year's budget with $200 million from Louisiana's "rainy day" fund and seeks a repayment that could damage this year's budget. Former state Rep. Ron Gomez of Lafayette is one of two plaintiffs on the... more »

• Salvage Executive Claims BP Interfered With Critical Efforts to Stop Oil

  October 4, 2010 4:20 PM

  METAIRIE, La. (AP) - An executive at a salvage firm says BP interfered with critical efforts to lower an undersea robot to try to close the device that failed to stop the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Doug Martin, president of Smit Salvage Americas, says the oil giant was... more »

• Geographic Proximity no Longer Plays a Role in Oil Spill Claims

  October 4, 2010 12:09 PM

  OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - The administrator of the fund doling out money to Gulf of Mexico oil spill victims says geographic proximity to oil-impacted areas will no longer play a role in whether people and businesses are compensated. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is overseeing the Gulf Coast Claims Facility,... more »

• Chiropractor Sentenced To Three Years For Fraudulent Claims

  September 30, 2010 9:48 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. - A licensed chiropractor and former owner of Scott Oaks Chiropractic Clinic located in Scott, La., was sentenced today to three years in prison, for submitting fraudulent claims to health insurers for services that were never performed, United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced. Richard Montalbano, 64, of... more »

• Wages Earned By Spill Cleanup Will Not Be Subtracted From Claims

  September 21, 2010 4:48 PM

  The administrator of the fund for victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster says he will waive a requirement that wages earned by spill cleanup workers be subtracted from their claims of lost revenue. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who is doling out the $20 billion fund that BP set... more »

• Kentucky Man Claims Caffeine Insanity in Wife's Death

  September 20, 2010 11:15 AM

  NEWPORT, Ky. - A Kentucky man accused of strangling his wife is poised to claim excessive caffeine from sodas, energy drinks and diet pills left him so mentally unstable he couldn't have knowingly killed his wife, his lawyer has notified a court. Woody Will Smith, 33, is scheduled for trial... more »

• Administrator of the $20 Billion "Skeptical" of Claims Not Close to Disaster

  September 14, 2010 5:55 PM

  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill said Tuesday he is "skeptical" of claims that are not in close proximity to the BP disaster but is becoming more flexible on the issue. Ken Feinberg told members of the... more »

• BP Receiving Strong Criticism About Claims Process

  September 13, 2010 12:42 PM

  HOUMA, La. (AP) - The administrator of the $20 billion victims compensation fund that BP set up after the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill is considering making a significant concession following strong criticism from residents about the claims process. The issue involves the current requirement that wages people have... more »

• Britney Spears denies bodyguard harassment claims

  September 9, 2010 10:15 PM

  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Britney Spears denied a bodyguard's accusations that she sexually harassed him and abused her children, saying Thursday in a statement on her website that authorities looked into his claims but found no reason to act. The statement said the pop singer and her attorney expect Fernando... more »

• Geographical Location Will Play a Key Role in Oil Spill Claims

  August 20, 2010 11:44 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Details released Friday about how claims will be paid from BP PLC's $20 billion fund show that how close geographically a person or business is to the Gulf oil spill will play a key role. The claims process is shifting from BP to the Gulf Coast Claims... more »

• Feinberg Promises Quick Response on Spill Claims

  August 18, 2010 11:12 PM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - The man taking over the Gulf oil spill claims process from BP promised spill victims fast service, with short term emergency payments coming in two days for individuals and seven days for businesses if their applications are properly documented. Ken Feinberg told crowds in Louisiana on... more »

• Tonight on KATC-Gulf Coast Claims Facility Takes Over From BP

  August 18, 2010 12:31 PM

  WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and Ken Feinberg, Administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, will host public meetings in Houma and Kenner, Louisiana, on Wednesday, August 18. Mr. Feinberg will detail the claims process that will be in place when the Gulf Coast Claims Facility... more »

• BP Readies for Transfer to Gulf Coast Claims Facility as Claim Payouts Top $368 Million

  August 17, 2010 1:59 PM

  BP Readies for Transfer to Gulf Coast Claims Facility as Claim Payouts Top $368 Million HOUSTON - BP's claims team, which has paid $368 million to individuals and businesses, is in the final stages of preparing to transfer responsibility for individual and business claims related to the oil spill... more »

• Men Arrested, Accused of Fake BP Fishing Claims

  August 4, 2010 9:23 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - State agents have arrested two Iberia Parish men accused of trying to scam BP of nearly $10,000 in fraudulent commercial fishing trip tickets. Wildlife & Fisheries agents say 36-year-old An Ly and 31-year-old Samith Huynh allegedly falsified trip tickets for January through April, claiming Huynh... more »

• Oil Spill Claims Would Be "Crazy" To Bypass Fund And Take Their Chances In Court

  July 19, 2010 1:23 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The administrator of a $20 billion Gulf oil spill compensation fund says fishermen and others with lost income claims would be "crazy" to bypass the fund and take their chances in court. Ken Feinberg said at speech Monday that that he will be much more generous than... more »

• Oil Claims Will Soon Begin Receiving Six-Month Emergency Checks

  July 12, 2010 1:43 PM

  PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - The head of the $20 billion oil spill compensation fund says individuals filing claims will soon begin receiving six-month emergency checks instead of monthly payments. Appearing in Pensacola Beach on Monday, fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg said the company will start paying individuals in six-month payments... more »

• Spill Claims: Tough Issues To Deal With

  June 30, 2010 11:08 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of a program set up to compensate Gulf oil spill victims, tells Congress that some of the claims he'll be asked to decide will involve tough calls. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican, told Feinberg he was worried about hotels and restaurants on... more »

• Man Charged With Bogus FEMA Claims Pleads Guilty

  June 28, 2010 8:15 PM

  ATLANTA (AP) - A Georgia man pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he bilked the government out of more than $30,000 by claiming he suffered through three devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes, a tornado in Indiana and flooding in New Hampshire - all while living in Atlanta. Prosecutors charged Desima James,... more »

• Head of Spill Claims Back to Gulf

  June 22, 2010 12:46 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The man in charge of a $20 billion fund to compensate people whose livelihoods have been ruined by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill headed back to the coast Tuesday to talk with officials about the claims process. Kenneth Feinberg, tapped by the White House to... more »

• BP has paid less than 12 percent of claims

  June 18, 2010 1:42 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The House Judiciary Committee says data it has collected shows that BP has paid less than 12 percent of claims submitted by people and businesses arising from the Gulf oil spill. The committee said in a statement Friday that only $71 million out of an estimated $600... more »

• BP Agreed To Expedite Payment Claims To Businesses Disrupted By Oil

  June 10, 2010 11:56 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration says BP has agreed to expedite the payment of claims to businesses and individuals whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Tracy Wareing (WEHR'-ing), who is with the National Incident Command office, told reporters in Washington that the understanding... more »

• More Than $48 Million in Claims Paid

  June 6, 2010 2:40 PM

  PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - An official for BP PLC says the oil giant has paid 18,000 claims along the Gulf Coast totaling more than $48 million. Darryl Willis is the BP vice president overseeing the claims process. He said Sunday in Florida's Escambia County that the company has received 37,000... more »

• Unemployment Claims in Louisiana Rose 11.2 Percent

  June 4, 2010 12:07 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - First-time unemployment claims in Louisiana rose 11.2 percent last week. The Louisiana Workforce Commission blames the jump on a typical seasonal pattern involving educational services, health care and social assistance. The agency says there were 5,166 initial claims for benefits for the week ending May... more »

• Erin Brockovich Will Travel To LA Coast Next Week To Investigate Claims

  June 3, 2010 6:14 PM

  GULF COAST - Erin Brockovich will travel to the Louisiana coast next week to investigate claims by workers hired by BP that oil spill clean-up efforts have made them seriously ill. Brockovich will also meet with residents, property owners and local businesses that have been economically impacted by the Gulf... more »

• Ex-Claims Adjuster Sentenced

  June 3, 2010 7:27 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A federal judge has sentenced a former claims adjuster to 46 months in prison for stealing nearly $300,000 from a worker's compensation group in Lafayette. The U.S. Attorney's Office charged 36-year-old Edward Paul Verdin, of Franklin, with mail fraud and money laundering in December 2009. He... more »

• BP Needs More Proof To Support Claims That Oil Plumes Are Underwater In Gulf

  June 1, 2010 1:19 PM

  NEW ORLEANS, (AP) - A spokesman for BP PLC says the company needs more proof to support claims by scientists that huge plumes of oil are suspended underwater in the Gulf of Mexico. CEO Tony Hayward said Sunday there was "no evidence" of the plumes and that all the oil... more »

• BP CEO Refutes Claims Made by Scientists

  May 30, 2010 6:35 PM

  VENICE, La. (AP) - BP PLC CEO Tony Hayward is refuting claims by scientists that there are large undersea plumes from the Gulf oil spill. Hayward said Sunday the oil is on the water's surface, and that BP's sampling showed "no evidence" of oil in the water column. Scientists from... more »

• Fallout From Oil Spill Claims First Casualty at the Interior Department

  May 17, 2010 4:30 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The fallout from the Gulf oil spill has claimed its first casualty at the Interior Department. Chris Oynes, who oversees offshore drilling programs at the Minerals Management Service, will retire at the end of the month, according to an e-mail sent by an agency official to staff... more »

• Fire Claims Life Of Mother And Son

  April 20, 2010 5:35 PM

  Press Release-Louisiana State Fire Marshal H. "Butch" Browning sadly announced, that an early morning fire claimed the life of a mother and her son. The Grosse Tete Volunteer Fire Department was summoned at 03:29 hrs to respond to a residential home on fire located at 77075 Gardner Lane in Grosse... more »

• Two Vehicle Crash Claims Life Of Broussard Man

  April 15, 2010 11:50 AM

  COTEAU - Yesterday afternoon, Louisiana State Police Troop I investigated a two vehicle crash that claimed the life of a Broussard man. The crash occurred on LA 88 at US 90 in Iberia Parish. According to investigating troopers, on April 14, 2010, at about 1:39 p.m., a 2002 Chevrolet... more »

• Initial jobless claims jump in Louisiana

  November 30, 2009 1:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Initial claims for unemployment payments in Louisiana jumped 17.5 percent during the week ending Nov. 21. That's according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which counted 5,432 first-time claims for the week. There were 4,623 initial filers the previous week. State labor officials say the increase... more »