Louisiana
Louisiana's Most Dangerous Waterway, Will You Be On It July 4th?
The July 4th holiday is upon us in Louisiana. School kids have been out in cities like Lafayette, New Iberia, Opelousas, and Crowley for more than a month. That means our mindset along the bayou is less about school days and more about sun days. That’s the sun as in fun in the sun as opposed to our weekly day of rest.
Woman in Bikini on Beach
The July 4th holiday falls on a Thursday. Not the best day of the week but at least it’s not a Wednesday. And for a lot of us, the Fourth of July means getting in or on the water. We love to take the boat out to our secret fishing spot and we also love to water ski.
But then again, there is something that is quite relaxing about just going with the flow. You know, taking a float trip down a scenic Louisiana waterway. We have our tubes, our friends, and our tubes for our drinks, and what could go wrong?
Bogue Chitto Tubing Center, Facebook
Drownings Are On The Increase in Louisiana
From 2020 to 2021 Louisiana saw an increase of 60% in the number of reported drownings. Many of these fatal mishaps occurred in backyard swimming pools or more structured bathing facilities. However, there were more than a few that happened in our state’s lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
This got us to wonder, what is Louisiana’s most dangerous body of water.
Louisiana Department Of Wildlife and Fisheries
At first blush, we contemplated the Mississippi River. It’s a very busy waterway and the opportunity for a mishap is quite plentiful. Fortunately, in order to pilot a vessel on the Father of Waters you have to be trained and licensed.
Then we contemplated the Gulf of Mexico. Every year we hear of fatal mishaps that involved the coastal waters of Louisiana. But the problem with the Gulf is where do you draw the line. If a cruise boat passenger sailing from Louisiana falls off the boat near Mexico, is that still a “Louisiana Gulf of Mexico” mishap?
Louisiana’s Most Dangerous Body of Water is 112 Miles Long
We did some snooping online and discovered through the website, Only in Your State, that the most treacherous body of water in Louisiana only covers a very short distance. To the untrained eye, the surface of the water looks to be calm and peaceful but the danger is lurking beneath the whiskey-brown shade of water that is slowly flowing by.
The body of water listed by Only in Your State as the most dangerous in Louisiana is the Amite River. The river is very popular with sportsmen, especially in the lower 30 some odd miles. So there is a lot of traffic in that part of the river but that’s not why the Amite earns the title of “Most Dangerous”.
Why Is the Amite River Louisiana’s Most Dangerous Body of Water?
The answer to that is two-fold. The river is dangerous because of the limited visibility. You can’t see more than a few inches underwater, that is if you could even stand to open your eyes. So, things that go into the water are seldom seen again. There are also a lot of hidden branches, trees, and debris that can snag a person’s foot while they are swimming.
The second and probably the biggest reason the Amite River is considered to be the “most dangerous” has to do with the popularity of the river. Not only do fishermen love the Amite but those who love a good float trip flock to the Amite River as soon as it’s warm enough to get in the water.
The sheer volume of people creates more opportunities for tragedy especially when you mix in abundant sunshine, coolers of alcohol, and a laissez-less bon temps rouler attitude.
Fortunately, most people who float the Amite River do so with a group. That means people looking out for people. If you do plan on floating this river or any body of water this summer, make sure you have a friend too. Never swim alone and don’t ever dive into water that you don’t know the depth of. Be safe and have fun and remember it is not the river that’s dangerous, it’s the actions of the people on the river that cause the problems.
11 Odd Things People Say When They Find Out You’re From Louisiana
Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells
Louisiana
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.
This is a developing story. More updates will come as further information is released.
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Louisiana
Louisiana lands another $10 billion AI data center
Demand for more Midwest data centers skyrockets
What are data centers and why are they needed?
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.
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.
“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.
Louisiana
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.
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.
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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