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Louisiana’s bookstores are vital community hubs

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Louisiana’s bookstores are vital community hubs


Louisiana got some positive media coverage in The New York Times this month, scoring a nice publicity coup in part because of the lively bookstore scene in New Orleans. The Times article, written by Crescent City native Maurice Carlos Ruffin, was a timely reminder that in a region known for great food and music, bookstores are an important part of Louisiana’s civic life, too.

Ruffin, a novelist and professor of creative writing at LSU, wrote the June 5 Times story, “Read Your Way Through New Orleans.” He suggested books that help explain the local culture and pointed travelers to a few literary landmarks, including neighborhood bookstores. Among the New Orleans stores getting a shout-out were Baldwin & Co. near Jackson Square, along with Community Book Center and the recently renovated Octavia Books.

Ruffin’s story pointed to a reality worth keeping in mind as another summer reading season unfolds. Our local bookstores, whether they be in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport or other communities around the state, are more than venues to buy books. They’re places where people from all walks of life can gather. In a divided world, these sources of connection are needed more than ever.

That thought’s been very much with me these days as I join many others in mourning the recent death of longtime Baton Rouge bookseller Danny Plaisance. Plaisance, who died June 4, ran Cottonwood Books for many years until ill health forced him to close it in 2022.

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Cottonwood’s mix of new and old books was a perfect classroom for me after I took my first newspaper job in Baton Rouge in 1986, becoming a store regular. The eclectic selection nudged me to explore cheap editions of the classics when I stopped by to catch up on just-published titles. Plaisance’s store was a draw for out-of-towners, too. Actor Tom Hanks combed the shelves a few years ago when he was in Louisiana to film a movie. It’s easy to see why Hanks, a history buff, would have been charmed. With its wealth of vintage volumes, Cottonwood smelled of must and dust, old paper and glue, a scent that seemed like inhaling the past.

While dealers in old books can be known as a crotchety bunch, there was nothing gruff about Danny. We were more likely to discuss family than reading when I saw him at his counter, underscoring Danny’s idea that books are a part of, not apart from, the rest of life.

Peering through Cottonwood’s vacant storefront some weeks ago, I was wistful when I spotted the empty shelves, but the quiet aisles seemed like the deeper absence. People, more than books, make a bookstore a community — a truth made clear when I joined other mourners at Danny’s bereavement service.

The family had printed prayer cards with a picture of Danny at his bookstore counter. I took one home, and I’m using it for a bookmark.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

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Goon Squad victim arrested by Louisiana Police, held without bond on multiple charges

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Goon Squad victim arrested by Louisiana Police, held without bond on multiple charges


TALLULAH, La. (WLBT) – One of the two Goon Squad victims who later won a civil suit against Rankin County and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department was arrested by the Louisiana State Police Wednesday night.

According to officials, Eddie Terrell Parker is currently being held in the Madison Parish Jail without bond on at least two pages of charges.

These charges include multiple narcotics violations, possession with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon.

No other information has been released at this time.

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This is a developing story. More updates will come as further information is released.

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Louisiana lands another $10 billion AI data center

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Louisiana lands another  billion AI data center


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  • Hut 8 is building a new $10 billion artificial intelligence data center in Louisiana’s West Feliciana Parish.
  • The project is expected to employ more than 1,000 construction workers at its peak.
  • AI company Anthropic has signed a long-term deal to use the new facility.
  • This is the second major data center project announced in Louisiana, following Meta’s investment in Richland Parish.

Louisiana has finalized details on another $10 billion data center, this one from Hut 8 in West Feliciana Parish.,

Hut 8, which develops and operates an integrated portfolio of power, digital infrastructure and compute assets, said more than 1,000 construction workers will be on site of its River Bend artificial intelligence (AI) data center campus at its peak.

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Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company whose flagship chatbot is Claude, has signed a long-term deal to use the facility, Hut 8 and the state announced Dec. 17.

“It’s a transformational and generational project for our parish and region,” West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard said in an interview with USA Today Network. “The possibilities really are endless.”

The official announcement and details come after months of preparation from the parish government and its partnership with the state for the data center on which construction has been underway for months.

It’s the second $10 billion plus data center announced in Louisiana during the past two years. Meta’s massive data center project is under way in northeastern Louisiana’s Richland Parish. Meta originally announced a $10 billion investment but has since increased that scope to at least $25 billion.

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“Hut 8’s investment in River Bend builds on our track record of attracting global-scale projects in the industries of the future,” Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement. “As the campus grows, it will further cement Louisiana’s position as a national leader in energy and innovation, creating thousands of jobs and reaffirming our ability to compete and win on the global stage.”

Construction is scheduled to be complete in the second quarter of 2027.

“River Bend demonstrates that Louisiana’s economic strategy is taking our state from plans to progress,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said in a statement. “This project will generate high-wage jobs and create pathways for Louisianans to build long-term careers in the industries of the future. It’s a clear example of how aligning policy, partnership and people translates into lasting opportunity.”

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

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Louisiana man arrested for allegedly planning attack in New Orleans – UPI.com

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Louisiana man arrested for allegedly planning attack in New Orleans – UPI.com


Dec. 16 (UPI) — A suspect identified as Micah James Legnon has been arrested by agents from the FBI’s New Iberia office for allegedly planning an attack on federal agents.

Legnon, 29, was a member of the Turtle Island Liberation Front and had communicated with four members who were charged with allegedly planning a series of New Year’s Eve terrorist attacks in the Greater Los Angeles area on Monday, WDSU reported.

He is a resident of New Iberia and was arrested on Friday while driving to New Orleans after FBI agents saw him loading a military-style rifle and body armor into his vehicle and telling others in a Signal chat group that he was traveling to New Orleans.

New Iberia is located about 120 miles west of New Orleans, and Legnon allegedly shared a video that showed multiple firearms, gas canisters and body armor before leaving on Friday.

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In that post, Legnon said he was “On my way to NOLA now, be there in about two hours,” but the FBI arrested him while driving east on U.S. Highway 90, according to WWL-TV.

In a Dec. 4 post, Legnon shared a Facebook post showing Customs and Border Protection agents arresting someone and said he wanted to “recreate Waco, Texas,” on the federal officers while referencing the 1993 federal siege on the Branch Davidians compound there.

He is a former Marine who was trained in combat and a self-professed satanist who used the alias “Black Witch” in group chats with four suspects accused of targeting locations throughout California.

Federal prosecutors filed a federal complaint against Legnon and asked the magistrate judge to seal it and related records due to an ongoing investigation.

They asked that it be unsealed on Tuesday, which is a day after the four suspects accused of planning the California terror attacks were charged with related crimes.

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The FBI said Legnon had been communicating with the four suspects in California before the arrests were made and charges filed in the respective cases.

The Turtle Island Liberation Front is a far-left, anti-government, anti-capitalist and pro-Palestinian group, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.



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