Louisiana
Bill aimed at reforming S&WB customer billing passed by Louisiana House
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The Louisiana House unanimously passed a bill Tuesday (April 16) aimed at reforming customer billing by the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans.
Paul Rainwater, who heads Gov. Jeff Landry’s Sewerage & Water Board task force, called it the first step toward restoring customer confidence and trust in the system.
Rainwater said he’s pleased with the 99-0 vote sending the bill on to the state Senate.
“We believe this is (an) important step for the residents in New Orleans, who don’t agree with their water bills and don’t trust the water bills,” Rainwater said.
House Bill No. 965 calls for the Sewerage & Water Board to give customers the option of paying a fixed monthly rate for services until an automated meter is installed and operable on their property.
That rate would be determined by averaging recent bills.
Should a customer disagree with the fixed bill result, the proposed legislation also calls for billing disputes to be settled by an arbitrator appointed in each council district.
That arbitrator would be picked by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor and the New Orleans Inspector General, and would require confirmation by the New Orleans City Council.
The customer would meet with the arbitrator at a public building in a private setting and go through the billing issue, resulting in a report.
“This gives, you know, a sense of fairness and independence, if people feel like they’re not being treated fairly by the Sewerage & Water Board,” Rainwater said.
As a last resort, the customer could appeal to the city council.
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Rainwater said he, along with fellow task force members, the utility’s executive director Ghassan Korban, and state Sen. Stephanie Hilferty (R-Metairie) — who authored the bill — met earlier Tuesday (April 16) to talk through the proposed legislation.
Rainwater said they’ll continue with weekly meetings to discuss improvements being made.
“In 12 hours of meetings, billing was discussed almost every hour,” Rainwater said. “And we had a public hearing that went for three hours, and we have 50 residents come and talk about nothing but billing.”
He said he expects the bill to pass overwhelmingly in the senate as well.
In a statement, the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans said, “We have been in constant contact with our state legislators and are committed to working with stakeholders as we participate in the legislative process and work toward meaningful change for our utility and valued customers. The Sewerage & Water Board remains focused on implementing the two largest projects our utility has rolled out in a generation: The smart metering program and the power complex, both of which will benefit New Orleans for decades to come.”
Rainwater pointed to two other bills involving the utility being considered by the legislature. One requires the reading of meters and another calls for the consolidation of cleaning and maintaining catch basins and smaller pipes by the Sewerage & Water Board, rather than the city’s Department of Public Works.
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NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana State Police issued a Silver Alert Friday for a 76-year-old New Orleans man who has been missing since Wednesday.
Elbert Welch was last seen in the 1700 block of Holiday Drive on May 6 at approximately 11 a.m. State police received the request to issue a Silver Alert at approximately 6:54 p.m. Friday on behalf of the New Orleans Police Department.
Welch is a white male with brown eyes and black and gray hair. He is 5′10″ and weighs approximately 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a khaki shirt, black pants and a blue baseball cap.
Family reports that Welch has a medical condition that may impair his judgment.
Welch is believed to be walking on foot in an unknown direction.
Anyone with information regarding Welch’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the New Orleans Police Department, 4th District, at (504) 821-2222 or dial 911. All questions should be directed to the New Orleans Police Department.
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Watch UL Diamond sports HCs talk wins and losses vs Troy, Coastal Carolina
Hear from UL softball and baseball HCs, Matt Deggs and Alyson Habetz following SBC play where Cajuns softball swept Coastal Carolina and baseball loss 2-1 to Troy.
Pressure is back on for Louisiana baseball, especially on the weekend in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (30-19, 12-12) dropped their final midweek game of the season, losing 9-6 to the University of New Orleans in extra innings. Now, the Cajuns are back on the road for SBC play, needing every win they can get to better their chances of snagging a regional spot. They travel to Appalachian State for what will likely be a chilly three-game series against the Mountaineers.
Seventh-year head coach Matt Deggs will go with junior Cody Brasch to start Game 1, a spot the right-hander is becoming accustomed to. Saturday’s are for Andrew Herrmann, the most reliable of the Cajuns’ arms through the year. App State will start junior righty Nick DiRito on Friday, followed by junior righty Gage Peterson and junior lefty Tanner Nolan to close out the series.
Here’s how to watch Ragin’ Cajuns baseball in its SBC series vs App State (28-18, 15-9), including time, TV schedule, live score and streaming information.
Watch Louisiana baseball vs App State on ESPN+
Louisiana baseball vs App State live score
What channel is Louisiana baseball vs App State on?
TV: None
Livestream: ESPN+
Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM
Louisiana vs. App State will be available live on ESPN+ streaming service for the teams’ ninth SBC series of the 2026 college baseball season. Matt Present will provide commentary from Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
What time does Louisiana baseball play App State today?
- 5 p.m. Friday, May 8
- 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9
- 12 p.m. Sunday, May 10
The Louisiana vs. App State series starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Beaver Field in Boone, N.C., followed by Game 2 at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Cajuns will close out the series at noon on Sunday.
Louisiana baseball vs App State weather update
Friday’s matchup will be played in semi-cloudy weather with sunshine throughout the day. It’ll be a high of 62 degrees and a low of 44 degrees. Winds will get up to about five to 10 mph, and there is less than a 7% chance of rain in the afternoon. Saturday’s game will be played in warmer weather with a high of 67 degrees, followed by Sunday’s high of 73 degrees.
Louisiana baseball vs App State history
Series record: Louisiana leads 14-9
In Lafayette: Series tied 6-6
In Boone: Louisiana leads 6-3
Louisiana’s last win: April 2, 2023 (6-0)
App State’s last win: April 1, 2023 (8-5)
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
Louisiana
Behind the Curtain: How Louisiana’s Parole System and Courts Shape Who Goes Free | The Lens
This week on Behind The Lens, the public gets a rare look inside one of the most powerful and least understood parts of Louisiana’s criminal justice system: the parole process.
In Louisiana, Parole Board hearings are sometimes held in public, offering families, victims, attorneys, advocates, and reporters an opportunity to witness how decisions are made about who is granted freedom and who remains incarcerated. But those hearings reveal more than individual cases. They expose the broader tensions shaping punishment, rehabilitation, public safety, and political pressure across the state.
Reporters Bernard Smith and Gus Bennett join editor Katy Reckdahl to examine how parole decisions are influenced not only by testimony inside the hearing room, but also by a growing wave of legal and political changes moving through Louisiana’s courts and legislature. From rulings connected to the Louisiana Supreme Court to election season politics and criminal justice reforms, the episode explores how policy decisions made at the highest levels can directly affect incarcerated people, victims’ families, prosecutors, and entire communities.
The discussion also breaks down how recent state actions involving sentencing, parole eligibility, election dynamics, and judicial oversight are reshaping Louisiana’s criminal justice landscape in real time. Together, the team examines the human consequences behind those decisions and what they reveal about accountability, power, and transparency inside the system.
Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music “Fading Prospects” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com)
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