KATC.com

Tagged News

• Election after huge storm? La has the know-how

  November 1, 2012 4:03 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Election officials from states hit by Hurricane Sandy had a phone conference with Louisiana's top elections official about preparing for elections after a devastating hurricane. Secretary of State Tom Schedler tells The Advertiser that he spoke Friday with officials from New York, Vermont, New Jersey, Maryland,... more »

• Joe Dennis has called a meeting of the LHA Board

  October 20, 2010 10:55 AM

  Ousted housing authority board member Joe Dennis is calling a meeting of the Housing Authority Board today. Joe Dennis wants the board to meet in the agency's office. KATC is told, the accountant who conducted the controversial audit that sparked the upheaval is supposed to be there. more »

• Livingston Parish prisoner who escaped has been caught

  October 19, 2010 3:02 PM

  LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) - A prisoner who fled the Livingston Parish Courthouse Tuesday after being sentenced to five years on drug charges has been captured, the sheriff's office said. Deputies captured Dennis Ray Caruso Jr., 23, about two hours after he fled the courthouse, said Perry Rushing, chief of... more »

• Gulf moratorium is over but drilling has to wait

  October 13, 2010 10:13 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A day after the end of the federal moratorium on deepwater drilling, the Gulf oil industry was a mix of furious activity and tortured waiting around. Companies that are helping the industry meet new regulations are scrambling to keep up with increased business while oil-rig workers... more »

• Another Chunk of the Gulf of Mexico has Been Opened to Fishing

  October 1, 2010 1:51 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Another chunk of the Gulf of Mexico has been opened to fishing after seafood tests and surveys found no oil contamination threat. The 5,628-square-mile area is just west of the Mississippi River delta and about 75 miles south of the BP well that spewed millions of... more »

• President Jimmy Carter has Been Hospitalized in Cleveland

  September 28, 2010 1:00 PM

  CLEVELAND (AP) - An airport spokeswoman says former President Jimmy Carter has been hospitalized in Cleveland. Carter was a passenger on a commercial flight to Cleveland on Tuesday morning and became ill. Jackie Mayo, a spokeswoman at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, says Carter was taken off the plane by rescue... more »

• Alcohol, Not Politics, Has Stopped Ozzy From Playing In Israel Until Now

  September 27, 2010 11:47 AM

  JERUSALEM (AP) - Ozzy Osbourne said Monday that alcohol, not politics, has stopped him from playing in Israel until now. Osbourne is in Israel this week as part of this year's international Ozzfest tour, along with Soulfly and Korn. Tuesday's performance will be his first ever in the Holy Land.... more »

• 2nd Acadiana Victim Has Died Following Plane Crash in Las Vegas

  September 21, 2010 7:19 PM

  A second Acadiana victim has died following a plane crash in Las Vegas earlier this month. According to family members, Susan Touchet has passed away. Her husband Doug, the pilot of the plane, was also killed in that crash. The couple lived in Erath with their family. Two other passengers,... more »

• LA Lawmakers Disputing New Report That Moratorium Has Not Increased Unemployment

  September 16, 2010 12:59 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Louisiana lawmakers are disputing a new report from the Obama administration that says deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico has not increased unemployment in the region. The report was released at a Senate hearing today. It says the moratorium imposed after the BP oil spill... more »

• Karl Has Become a Hurricane

  September 16, 2010 11:47 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Karl has become a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico after dumping heavy rains on the Yucatan Peninsula as a tropical storm. A hurricane warning was issued Thursday for Mexico's coast from Palma Sola to Cabo Rojo. Also, a tropical storm warning has been issued for the... more »

• Nucor Corp. Has Chosen a LA Site for a $2 Billion Pig Iron Plant

  September 15, 2010 12:26 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A state lawmaker says Louisiana officials will announce Wednesday that steelmaker Nucor Corp. has chosen a Louisiana site for a $2 billion pig iron plant. Rep. Alton Aubert of Vacherie says he was informed of the decision Wednesday by the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal. The... more »

• Hurricane Julia Has Formed Becoming the 5th Hurricane of the Season

  September 14, 2010 1:06 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Julia has formed far out over the Atlantic, becoming the fifth hurricane of the season. Julia has maximum sustained winds Tuesday near 75 mph (120 kph) with some additional strengthening expected during the next day or so. The hurricane is located about 330 miles (535 kilometers)... more »

• Igor Has Regained Tropical Storm Strength

  September 10, 2010 11:12 AM

  Igor has regained tropical storm strength as it moves across the open Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm could become a hurricane by Sunday. Igor remains far from land and was about 465 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands.The storm's maximum sustained... more »

• Lafayette Council Has Voted To Ban Go-Cups and Cruising

  September 8, 2010 5:33 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - The Lafayette City-Parish Council has voted to ban go-cups and cruising from two areas of the city. Any open containers of alcohol would be barred from the Surrey Street corridor and downtown Lafayette, where police say nightlife has led to traffic and safety problems. The cruising... more »

• Tropical Storm Igor has formed

  September 8, 2010 11:19 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Igor has formed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa near the Cape Verde Islands and has top sustained winds of near 40 mph (65 kph). Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Wednesday that Igor was moving toward the... more »

• Farmerville High School Lineman has Died at Practice

  September 6, 2010 12:56 PM

  FARMERVILLE, La. (AP) - Union Parish Schools Superintendent Steve Dozier says a Farmerville high school lineman has died after a light football practice. He tells The News-Star that 15-year-old sophomore Kebrion Morgan had watched film with the team and was about to start conditioning Sunday, but collapsed after telling a... more »

• Vessel Has Latched on to Blowout Preventer

  September 3, 2010 12:08 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A vessel has latched onto a key piece of evidence in the oil spill investigation so crews can raise the 300-ton device to the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. BP says the Helix Q4000 latched onto the blowout preventer a mile beneath the sea on... more »

• UPDATE-Man Who Took Discovery Channel Employees Hostage is Dead

  September 1, 2010 5:20 PM

  UPDATE-SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - Law enforcement official: Discovery Channel gunman shot by police is dead. ----------------------------------------- SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - Police say they have shot an armed man who took three people hostage in the Discovery Channel network's headquarters in suburban Washington. All of the hostages are... more »

• 7th Tropical Storm of the Season has Formed

  September 1, 2010 5:11 PM

  Forecasters say the seventh tropical storm of the season has formed far out in the Atlantic on the heels of Hurricane Earl that's steaming toward the Eastern Seaboard. Gaston is the fourth tropical storm to form in the last 11 days for a season that has suddenly become busy. So... more »

• Interstate 10 in Southeast Texas has Reopened

  September 1, 2010 1:02 PM

  HAMSHIRE, Texas (AP) - Interstate 10 in southeast Texas has reopened after crews finished cleaning up a hazardous material spill from a tanker involved in a wreck four days ago. Department of Public Safety Trooper Stephanie Davis told The Associated Press that I-10 near Hamshire reopened Wednesday morning. I-10 had... more »

• Tropical Storm Fiona Has Formed in the Atlantic Ocean

  August 30, 2010 5:07 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Fiona has formed in the Atlantic Ocean behind Hurricane Earl, which is battering the northeastern Caribbean. Fiona formed east of the Leeward Islands on Monday afternoon and forecasters say a tropical storm wate tmay be required later in the day.... more »

• Hurricane Earl has Become a Major Hurricane

  August 30, 2010 12:18 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Earl has become a major hurricane in the Caribbean, reaching Category 3 status with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph (195 kph). Also, a new hurricane warning has been issued Monday for the Puerto Rican islands of Culebra and Vieques. Earl has been lashing the northeastern... more »

• 72-Year-Old NOLA Man has Claimed the $990,648 LA Lotto Jackpot

  August 25, 2010 5:33 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A 72-year-old New Orleans man has claimed the $990,648 Louisiana Lotto jackpot from Saturday's drawing. Louisiana Lottery officials said Wednesday that Donald Meilleur (mill-YARE) had the sole, winning ticket for the prize. On Monday, he received $693,453 after state and federal taxes were withheld. The... more »

• Hurricane Frank has formed in the Pacific

  August 25, 2010 1:02 PM

  MIAMI - Hurricane Frank has formed in the Pacific off Mexico's coast while a new tropical depression formed in the Atlantic. Frank has maximum sustained winds Wednesday near 75 mph (120 kph). The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Frank could get stronger as it moves away from Mexico's... more »

• Oil & Gas Blowout in Assumption Parish has Stopped on its own

  August 24, 2010 12:15 PM

  PAINCOURTVILLE, La. (AP) - State police say an oil and gas blowout in Assumption Parish has stopped on its own. Trooper Bryan Zeringue (zuh-RANG') tells The Advocate that are preparing to cap the well from the surface while the flow is stopped. Zeringue said the exploratory well northwest of Paincourtville... more »

• BP Has Removed Logos From About 200 Vehicles

  August 19, 2010 5:35 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - The BP office covering southwest Colorado has removed company logos from about 200 vehicles after employees complained of harassment. Spokesman Curtis Thomas told the Durango Herald that employees have been reporting routine abuse from the public, at traffic lights, gas stations and the grocery store. Thomas... more »

• Hurricane Rita Evacuee Has Been Deemed Competent To Stand Trial

  August 18, 2010 1:43 PM

  A 56-year-old Hurricane Rita evacuee has been deemed competent to stand trial on a second-degree murder charge in the 2005 stabbing death of her sister in Lafayette. Suzanne Shirley Buckins, an evacuee from Lake Charles, has been incarcerated since her arrest for the November 2005 killing of her sister,... more »

• Michael Douglas has tumor, expects full recovery

  August 16, 2010 9:53 PM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Douglas has a tumor in his throat and will undergo radiation and chemotherapy. The Academy Award-winning actor's treatment is scheduled to last eight weeks. The 65-year-old Douglas says he expects to make a full recovery. He told People magazine in a statement Monday he's "very... more »

• Jazz Scene Photographer Herman Leonard has Died at 87

  August 16, 2010 5:19 PM

  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jazz scene photographer Herman Leonard, famous for his smoky, backlighted black-and-white photos of such greats as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra, has died. He was 87. Leonard, who moved to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina flooded his New... more »

• Juvenile has Pleaded Guilty to a Misdemeanor Marijuana Possession

  August 13, 2010 5:03 PM

  CHALMETTE, La. (AP) - Rap artist Juvenile has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge stemming from his February arrest in St. Bernard Parish. The parish sheriff's office said Friday that Juvenile, whose real name is Terius Gray, entered the plea Thursday before District Judge Manny Fernandez. The judge... more »

• Test Are Under Way to Determine Well has Been Plugged

  August 12, 2010 6:01 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Tests are under way to determine whether BP's broken well in the Gulf of Mexico has already been plugged for good. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the Obama administration's point man on the spill, says the tests should be finished and analyzed by early Friday.... more »

• A Plane Carrying 9 People has Crashed

  August 10, 2010 11:35 AM

  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A plane carrying nine people - including former Sen. Ted Stevens and former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe - crashed in southwest Alaska, killing five people on board, authorities said Tuesday. It was unclear whether Stevens or O'Keefe were among the dead. Reports from officials in Alaska... more »

• Senate Has Confirmed Elena Kagan

  August 5, 2010 3:52 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has confirmed Elena Kagan as the 112th justice and fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The vote was 63-37 for President Barack Obama's nominee to succeed retired Justice John Paul Stevens. Five Republicans joined all but one Democrat and the Senate's two independents... more »

• BP Has Started to Pump Cement Down the Throat of the Well

  August 5, 2010 10:53 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP says it has started to pump cement down the throat of the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well in hopes of sealing it for good. The company said Thursday it started to shove cement down the well at 9:15 Central time from pipes attached to ships... more »

• France Has Declared War On Al-Qaida

  July 27, 2010 3:22 PM

  PARIS (AP) - France has declared war on al-Qaida, and matched its fighting words with a first attack on a base camp of the terror network's North African branch, after the terror network killed a French humanitarian worker it took hostage in April. The declaration and attack marked a shift... more »

• San Diego's city council has banned "floatopia" parties

  July 26, 2010 9:33 PM

  SAN DIEGO (AP) - San Diego's City Council has banned so-called "floatopia" parties where people booze it up on inner tubes offshore. The council voted 8-0 Monday to close the loophole on a beach alcohol ban that was approved by voters in November 2008. Several speakers told the council that... more »

• In Preparation For Bonnie Youngsville Has Set Up Sand Bag Sites

  July 23, 2010 11:23 AM

  City Councilman A. J. Bernard (Youngsville's Emergency Coordinator) met with Mayor Wilson Viator and Youngsville city staff this morning to review the status and predictions surrounding Tropical Storm Bonnie. All indications are that this storm might turn out to be a significant rain event for the City of Youngsville. Just... more »

• Oil Has Killed 2,599 Birds, 483 Sea Turtles and 62 Mammals

  July 22, 2010 5:58 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The number of dead birds collected on the Gulf Coast has more than doubled in the past month as oil from BP's broken deepwater well continues to wash up on islands and beaches rich in bird colonies. So far, officials say 2,599 dead birds had been... more »

• Paul's Jewelry Has Pledged to Donate $100,000 to Acadiana Outreach

  July 22, 2010 11:52 AM

  Lafayette, LA - July 22, 2010. The Acadiana Outreach Center is excited to announce that Paul's Jewelry has pledged to donate $100,000 over the next 10 years to Palates and Pate', the Acadiana Outreach Center's largest annual fundraiser. The 2010 Palates & Pate' event is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17th... more »

• BP has temporarily corked a relief tunnel

  July 21, 2010 4:49 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP has temporarily corked a relief tunnel deep beneath the sea floor as tropical rainstorms move toward the Gulf of Mexico. The tunnel will be used to blast mud and cement into BP's leaky well, hopefully sealing it off for good. But the threat of a... more »

• LA Has Lostl Over $200,000 By Purchasing Nonrefundable Airline Tickets

  July 21, 2010 2:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A state inspector general's report says the state has lost well over $200,000 over the past four years by purchasing nonrefundable airline tickets that never were used. Louisiana State University had the most unused tickets among state agencies with more than $33,000 worth. Wednesday's report... more »

• Hearing Into the Deepwater Horizon Disaster Has Resumed

  July 19, 2010 12:52 PM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - A federal hearing into the Deepwater Horizon disaster has resumed in New Orleans with complaints coming from attorneys for two rig workers who are possible targets of the investigation. Attorneys for the two rig workers said Monday that their clients weren't named as "parties in interest,"... more »

• Former Independence Police Chief Has Escaped Prison Time

  July 16, 2010 4:43 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The former Independence Police chief has escaped prison time for his role in arranging for unqualified voters to cast ballots in a February 2008 election. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said Friday that 60-year-old Anthony P. Maurer, instead, was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to... more »

• BP Says It Has Started To Slowly Dial Down The Gush Of Oil

  July 15, 2010 3:25 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP says it has started to slowly dial down the gush of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The step will take several hours and if it works, BP believes no oil will be leaking into the water for the first time since the crisis began... more »

• BP Has Started Testing Cap

  July 14, 2010 6:43 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP has started testing a cap designed to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in almost three months. Kent Wells, a senior vice president in the company, said at a Wednesday evening news briefing that the valve on... more »

• Giant Oil Skimmer Has Collected 6.3 Million Gallons Of Oily Water

  July 13, 2010 5:07 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A giant Taiwanese oil skimmer has collected 6.3 million gallons of oily water from the Gulf of Mexico as tests continue to prove its worth in the cleanup effort. Bob Grantham, a spokesman for TMT Offshore Group, which owns the "A Whale" vessel, said Tuesday the... more »

• Owner Of The New York Yankees Has Died

  July 13, 2010 11:14 AM

  NEW YORK (AP) - George Steinbrenner, who rebuilt the New York Yankees into a sports empire with a mix of bluster and big bucks that polarized fans all across America, died Tuesday. He had just celebrated his 80th birthday July 4. Steinbrenner had a heart attack, was taken to St.... more »

• Haitians Applying To Legally Stay In U.S Deadline Has Been Extended

  July 12, 2010 12:05 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - The deadline for Haitians to apply to legally stay and work in the U.S has been extended until January. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday that the government extended the July 20 deadline. The extension was given in response to community advocates who said... more »

• Vitter Has Picked Up A Challenger

  July 9, 2010 11:43 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - U.S. Sen. David Vitter has picked up a little-known Republican challenger who will force the incumbent senator into an August party primary election. Nick Accardo, a Republican doctor from Franklin, signed up for the race Friday. His entry means Vitter will have to win the... more »

• Crochet Road Has Been Reopened

  July 6, 2010 7:10 PM

  Crochet has been reinspected for high water and found to be passable. Therefore, the road has been reopened to traffic as of 5:50 p.m. more »

• Oil Has Reached Texas

  July 5, 2010 5:35 PM

  GALVESTON, Texas (AP) - A Texas official said Monday that tar balls from the Gulf oil spill have been found on state beaches, becoming the first known evidence that gushing crude from the Deepwater Horizon well has now reached all the Gulf states. Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said two crews... more »

• Cleanup For The Spill Has Been Landlocked For More Than A Week

  July 5, 2010 4:27 PM

  PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (AP) - Across a wide stretch of the Gulf of Mexico, the cleanup of the region's worst-ever oil spill has been essentially landlocked for more than a week, leaving skimmers stuck close to shore. Last week, the faraway Hurricane Alex idled the skimming fleet off Alabama, Florida... more »

• US Embassy Denies Reports it has 11th Spy Fugitive

  July 2, 2010 8:19 AM

  NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus has flatly denied local media reports that a fugitive spy suspect is in U.S. custody at the embassy compound. Christopher Metsos, an alleged paymaster for a Russian spy ring in the U.S., vanished on the Mediterranean island Wednesday... more »

• Update: 18-year-old's body has been found in Lake Palourde

  June 23, 2010 5:52 PM

  MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says an 18-year-old's body has been found, three days after she and a 39-year-old man drowned in Lake Palourde (puh-LOORD'), near Morgan City. Department spokesman Adam Einck says Theresa Hidalgo's body was found Wednesday near the west shore... more »

• Louisiana Has 143 Oil Exposure Related Cases

  June 21, 2010 8:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The latest figures from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals show 143 cases of oil spill related cases. Monday's report said that 108 of those cases involved workers on oil rigs or workers involved in the oil spill clean-up efforts, while 35 were reported... 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 has contracted with Kevin Costner

  June 17, 2010 4:30 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Actor Kevin Costner said Thursday that having BP use his company's device to help with the Gulf oil spill cleanup is "not a Hollywood ending for me." He told a Senate committee on small business that he's been working for more than a decade in hopes of... more »

• Slow-Moving Tropical Storm Named Blas Has Formed

  June 17, 2010 1:54 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - A slow-moving tropical storm named Blas has formed off Mexico's southwestern coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm formed out of a tropical depression Thursday in the Pacific about 265 miles (425 kilometers) south-southwest of Manzanillo. It was moving northeast around 2 mph (4... more »

• Dead sperm whale has been found in Gulf

  June 17, 2010 11:17 AM

  A dead sperm whale has been found floating 77 miles south of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. According to a news release, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is conducting tests to determine the circumstance around the whale's death. It wasn't known if exposure to... more »

• BP Has Apologized to American People

  June 16, 2010 2:57 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg has apologized to the American people for his company's devastating Gulf oil spill. Svanberg also expressed appreciation to Americans for their patience as the company works to end the spill. He made the remarks Wednesday following a meeting with President Barack Obama at... more »

• Tropical depression has formed in the Pacific

  June 16, 2010 11:56 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - A tropical depression has formed in the Pacific off Mexico's southeastern coast and a tropical storm warning was issued for the area. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the tropical storm warning is for the coast of Mexico from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua. A... more »

• 2nd tank believed from BP's rig explosion washed ashore

  June 14, 2010 1:57 PM

  MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A second storage tank believed to be from BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion has washed ashore in the Florida Panhandle. The Walton County Sheriff's Office said Monday that BP was taking the tank to New Orleans where the April rig explosion is being investigated.... more »

• BP has increased its efforts to contain the oil

  June 14, 2010 1:26 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard says BP has increased its efforts to contain the oil gushing from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico. Rear Adm. James Watson, who is the federal on-scene coordinator, said in a statement Monday that the government will continue to hold BP... more »

• An Attempt To Limit Liability Of Float-Builders Has Been Scrapped

  June 8, 2010 2:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - An attempt to limit the liability of Mardi Gras float-builders for damage, injuries or death during parades has been scuttled. The bill by New Orleans Rep. Jeff Arnold had passed the Louisiana House. But a Senate committee voted 2-1 against the measure Tuesday. Opponents argued... more »

• Rue McClanahan Has Died

  June 3, 2010 11:55 AM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Rue McClanahan, the Emmy-winning actress who brought the sexually liberated Southern belle Blanche Devereaux to life on the hit TV series "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 76. Her manager Barbara Lawrence said McClanahan died Thursday at 1 a.m. of a stroke. She had undergone... more »

• Nation's Most Contaminated Nuclear Site Has Number of Weaknesses

  June 2, 2010 8:58 PM

  RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) - An Energy Department review has concluded that a program for protecting workers from a toxic metal at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site has a number of weaknesses and could have been implemented more quickly. However, the review released Wednesday also found the beryllium program is... more »

• Oil Spill Has Already Cost The Government $87 Million

  May 27, 2010 4:45 PM

  By The Associated Press Federal officials say cleaning up the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has already cost the government $87 million, making it the third-most expensive cleanup effort in the nation's history. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry has distributed that money to state and federal... more »

• Gulf Oil Spill Has Surpassed The Exxon Valdez As The Worst In U.S. History

  May 27, 2010 11:14 AM

  COVINGTON, La. (AP) - The Gulf oil spill has surpassed the Exxon Valdez as the worst in U.S. history, according to new estimates released Thursday, but the Coast Guard and BP said an untested procedure to stop it seemed to be working. A team of scientists trying to figure out... more »

• Alleged Serial Killer Jeffery Lee Guillory Indicted

  May 26, 2010 4:46 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Alleged serial killer Jeffery Lee Guillory has been indicted in the 2002 strangulation of a 46-year-old Baton Rouge woman. Police arrested Guillory in December in the slayings of three women in Baton Rouge between 1999 and 2002. An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury on Wednesday... more »

• Owner of Chimpanzee that Mauled Friend Has Died

  May 25, 2010 1:12 PM

  NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut woman whose chimpanzee mauled and blinded her friend last year has died, her attorney said Tuesday. Sandy Herold died Monday night of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, lawyer Robert Golger said. Herold's 200-pound chimpanzee, Travis, who went berserk in February 2009 after Herold asked... more »

• BP Spraying Dispersant: Deadline to Stop has Passed

  May 24, 2010 5:20 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - BP PLC is continuing to spray a toxic chemical dispersant to break up the Gulf oil spill, even though a deadline to stop use of the chemical has passed. The Environmental Protection Agency directed BP last week to find an alternative to a dispersant, called Corexit 9500,... more »

• Court-Police Drama "Law & Order" Has Been Axed

  May 14, 2010 1:20 PM

  NEW YORK (AP) - The venerable court-police drama "Law & Order" has been axed. NBC announced Friday that the show would end its historic 20-year run on May 24. The show starred an ensemble cast of S. Epatha Merkerson, Jeremy Sisto, Anthony Anderson, Linus Roache, Alana De La Garza and... more »

• Oily Debris Has Washed Up On Raccoon Island

  May 13, 2010 5:13 PM

  RACCOON ISLAND, La. (AP) - Louisiana officials say oily debris has washed up on Raccoon Island. The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries describes the island as one of the coast's most important waterbird nesting areas. It's just west of Whiskey Island, where authorities said Wednesday that oil had been... more »

• Landrieu has Appointed an Interim Police Chief for New Orleans

  May 3, 2010 5:37 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has appointed an interim police chief. Assistant Superintendent Marlon Defillo is the interim Superintendent of Police until a new police superintendent can take over. Landrieu said Monday that two people remain under consideration for the top post. He hopes to have... more »

• Tracy Porter Has Street Named For Him

  April 20, 2010 11:52 AM

  PORT ALLEN, La. (AP) - The hometown of Saints cornerback Tracy Porter now has a street named for the football hero. With little fanfare, the city of Port Allen on Monday took down the sign with the street's old name - Village Street - and put up the bright blue... more »

• Ban On Red Light Cameras Failed

  April 12, 2010 4:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A ban on the cameras that take photos of speeders and drivers who run red lights failed to win support Monday in a House committee that stalled the proposal for a second year. Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-New Orleans, said the cameras in Baton Rouge, Lafayette,... more »

• Earthquake Has Shaken Northern Chile

  March 26, 2010 12:49 PM

  SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - A strong earthquake has shaken northern Chile. There are no immediate reports of victims or damage from the quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.2. Friday morning's temblor hit at 11:52 a.m. local time (10:52 p.m. EDT; 1452 GMT) Its epicenter... more »