Louisiana

Louisiana residents told to ‘get out now’ in face of sweeping wildfire

Published

1 year ago

August 26, 2023

Louisiana residents told to ‘get out now’ in face of sweeping wildfire

A rare uncontrollable wildfire in Louisiana has forced nearly 1,000 residents to evacuate the town of Merryville in Beauregard parish, near the state’s border with Texas.

“Get out now!” the Beauregard parish sheriff’s office wrote on social media.

The Tiger Island fire started on Thursday in the nearby town of Pitkin and spread quickly. Efforts to extinguish the flames began with the deployment of air water tankers, but local firefighters have not been allowed in the fire area because of the dangerous conditions, said officials.

The fire remains uncontrolled and “fire containment has decreased from 85 per cent to 50 per cent today due to constant shifting wind conditions and the dry conditions of the vegetation”, the sheriff’s office said on Friday morning.

***MANDATORY EVACUATION***
Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office has ordered a mandatory evacuation for the Bancroft community area due to wild fires. This notice affects all residents. It is of utmost importance to get out now and evacuate south on 389 towards DeQuincy. pic.twitter.com/DvFIm4PsP2
— Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office (@ParishSheriff) August 25, 2023

It is the largest wildfire seen in the state in recent years.

At least one house was destroyed. Hundreds were left without power in the town of Singer, and residents there were asked to conserve water.

Buses were standing by at the town hall ready to transport residents. First Methodist church in DeRidder was established as a shelter for evacuees.

It has not yet been said exactly how the fire started, but the Louisiana governor, John Bel Edwards, urged residents to adhere to the statewide burn ban, which was put in place earlier in August in light of the exceptionally hot and dry conditions. Mr Edwards said: “Any fire started by folks not adhering to the burn ban could quickly escalate, and even a small fire takes up firefighting resources that are needed to help fight large wildfires like the one in Beauregard parish. Do your part. Do not burn anything.”

The unusual wildfire event is another consequence of the record-breaking US heatwave fuelled by the global climate crisis. Louisiana and the surrounding region have been suffering from an extreme drought. Residents are usually bracing for tropical storms and hurricanes at this time of year.

At a press conference later on Friday, Mr Edwards said: “Nobody alive in Louisiana has ever seen these conditions. It has never been this hot and this dry for this long.”

It also comes after a devastating wildfire on the island of Maui which razed most of the historic town of Lahaina and caused a death toll that stands at 115 but is expected to rise substantially. Wildfires have also raged across Canada, causing towns to be evacuated and spreading cloying smoke across North America.

As of Monday, Louisiana has seen over 357 wildfires that have destroyed thousands of acres of land and property, said the governor’s office. The Tiger Island fire has burned through over 16,000 acres alone.

The state fire marshal, Daniel Wallis, said: “Our heroes are hitting their limits so we are thankful to our neighbouring states and federal partners for stepping up quickly with the resources our team is identifying and locating to keep up these valiant protection efforts. We are Louisiana firefighter proud.”

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Louisiana, residents were also told to evacuate from within two miles of Marathon Petroleum Garyville Refinery in St John the Baptist parish after a fire broke out at a storage tank in the huge oil plant. The facility sits in the heart of a heavily polluted region of the state known locally as “Cancer Alley”.

The fire started at approximately 7am and parish officials and Marathon said the fire is contained within the refinery’s property, said local TV station 4WWL.

After the fire was said to be contained, Bloomberg reported that Marathon was in the process of shutting down the refinery, which is the third largest in the US. Later on Friday afternoon the evacuation order was lifted, as a spokesperson for Marathon confirmed to local news that the burning material was a liquid hydrocarbon mixture named naphtha.

Naphtha is listed by the federal government as a hazardous chemical with an exposure limit of 400 micrograms a cubic meter over an 8-hour period.

The Marathon spokesman said the company had not detected any off-site impacts associated with chemical burn.

On Tuesday, a landmark lawsuit was filed by residents of Cancer Alley, calling for an end to new heavy industry, including fossil fuels, petrochemical plants and related infrastructure in St James Parish. Cancer Alley, a 136km strip along the Mississippi river, has more than 200 industrial plants.

Human Rights Watch has been investigating the threats to human rights associated with the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry in Cancer Alley, which local residents call an “environmental and public health emergency”. – Guardian

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Louisiana

Obituary for Liz Marie Cole at Kinchen Funeral Home, Inc.

Published

5 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Obituary for Liz Marie Cole at Kinchen Funeral Home, Inc.

Liz Marie Cole February 3, 1969 – November 25, 2024 Scott Liz Cole passed away on November 25, 2024. She was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, on February 3, 1969, to Donald Cole and Jenelle Broussard Cole of Scott, Louisiana. Liz is survived by her mother, Jenelle Cole Michael Cluse her

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Louisiana

Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings (11/27/2024)

Published

12 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings (11/27/2024)

Here is a look at the Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings heading into the quarterfinal round of the LHSAA football playoffs:

Playoff Seed: No. 1 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 8 St. Thomas More (8-3)

The Cougars defeated No. 17 Huntington, 56-6. LSU receiver commit TaRon Francis had six catches for 175 yards and two scores, according to Andrew Valenti of The New Orleans Advocate. Junior quarterback John Johnson passed for 324 yards. Daejawn Smith and Oliver Mitchell each caught a TD pass. The Cougars’ defense and special teams each tacked on a TD.

Power Rating: No. 2 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 10 C.E Byrd (9-3)

The Trojans defeated No. 18 Evangel Christian, 49-6. LSU running back commit J.T. Lindsey rushed for 220 yards and four TDs, according to John Marcase of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. The Trojans held Evangel to negative rushing yards and intercepted quarterback Peyton Houston three times.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 24 Chalmette (9-3)

The Tigers defeated No. 16 Covington, 44-13. UL Ragin’ Cajuns commit Cam Riley had multiple interceptions, according to Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen. Jaylon Nichols (15 carries, 109 yards) scored three touchdowns. Sophomore QB Parker Robinson was 14 for 14 passing.

Playoff seed: No. 3 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 6 Southside (9-2)

The Bearcats defeated No. 14 Zachary, 42-21. Jordan Hayes ran for two touchdowns – one from 70 yards – and caught a TD pass from Tulane QB commit Joshua Brantley, who also ran for a score, according to T. Scott Boatright of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Brantley threw a TD pass to Darius James. It was the third straight year the teams met in the postseason with Ruston winning all three.

Playoff seed: No. 4 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 5 Archbishop Rummel (9-2)

The Bears defeated No. 13 East Jefferson, 42-0. Rylan Parker ran for 105 yards and two TDs, according to Terry Robinson of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Jayden Miles added a rushing score. Baylor Graves threw a 66-yard TD pass to Amari Clayton as Catholic scored all of its points in the first half.

Playoff seed: No. 2 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 10 Destrehan (9-3)

The Vikings defeated No. 18 Westgate, 42-16. QB Ben Taylor ran for a score and passed for two, and DJ Allen ran for two TDs, according to Roy Lang of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. LSU commit Kenny Darby caught eight passes for 135 yards and a TD. Senior receiver Jarvis Davis left the game with an injury.

Playoff seed: No. 4 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 21 West Monroe (7-5)

The Wildcats defeated No. 13 West Ouachita, 45-20. Nicholls State QB commit Jackson Firmin ran for a score, and sophomore Marvin Joseph ran for another, according to William Weathers of Geaux Preps. The Central defense forced three turnovers. Joseph finished with 117 yards on 13 carries. Linebacker KD Mays returned a fumble for a TD.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division II select) Up next: Against No. 8 John F. Kennedy (7-4)

The Eagles defeated No. 16 Loranger, 49-14. Michigan commit Jasper Parker ran for 109 yards on 12 carries with four TDs, according to Darrell Williams of The New Orleans Advocate. Mason Wilson threw a 54-yard TD pass to Jacob Washington (also a Michigan pledge). Shaw’s opponent this week, John F. Kennedy, only lost one game on the field (to St. Paul’s).

Playoff seed: No. 8 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 1 Edna Karr (10-0)

The Cougars defeated No. 9 St. Augustine, 28-27. Senior defensive back Gavin Duplechin blocked an extra point to seal the win, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate. Quarterback Cole Bergeron completed 8 of 14 passes for 104 yards and two TDs to John Avery Barton (four catches for 72 yards). Gabe Mocek and Carter Melancon combined to carry 39 times for 214 yards. Mocek ran for two scores.

Playoff seed: No. 6 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 19 John Curtis Christian (6-5)

The Rebels defeated No. 11 Jesuit, 31-23. Junior QB Alex Munoz completed 14 of 15 passes for 169 yards with a TD to tight end Jack Purser. Munoz is 84 of 120 on the year with 1,272 yards and 13 TDs with no interceptions. Doug E Viltz rushed for 82 yards on 24 carries with two TDs. Nick Celestine caught three passes for 36 yards, according to Kevin Foote of The Acadiana Advocate. Munoz, Viltz and Cason Evans have combined for over 2,000 yards rushing.

Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 4 Catholic-BR (10-0)

The Raiders defeated No. 12 McDonogh 35, 50-25. Norman Taylor ran for 177 yards on 17 carries with four TDs, according to Chris Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate. The Raiders will face Catholic-BR in the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons. QB Generald Buggage was 7 of 9 passing for 132 yards with a rushing touchdown.

Playoff seed: No. 19 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 6 Teurlings Catholic (10-1)

The Patriots defeated No. 3 Acadiana, 28-27. QB Reggie Johnson threw the game-winning TD pass to freshman Jarvis Stevenson, according to Nick Fontenot of The Acadiana Advocate. The Patriots totaled 363 yards rushing and averaged 13 yards per carry, according to Chris Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate. Johnson ran for 169 yards on 10 carries with two scores. Jacobi Boudreaux added 138 yards on eight carries.

Playoff seed: No. 3 (Division I select) Up next: Season complete

The Rams lost to No. 19 John Curtis, 28-27. Jonah Gauthier ran for 164 yards on 27 carries with three TDs. Tayden Collins added 103 yards on 12 carries. Caden DiBetta ran for a score. Gauthier and Collins combined to score 24 rushing TDs on the year.

Playoff seed: No. 6 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 3 Ruston (9-2)

The Sharks defeated No. 22 Walker, 47-0. The Sharks notched 18 first downs to Walker’s six. Ramon Singleton ran for 136 yards and two TDs on 15 carries. Justin Williams added 84 yards on 16 carries with two scores. Singleton added two catches for 31 yards and a score. QB Parker Dies threw for a TD and ran for another. Dies, Singleton and QB Cruz Holden combined to complete 4 of 5 passes for 82 yards and a score.

Playoff seed: No. 10 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 2 Airline (11-0)

The Wildcats defeated No. 7 Northwood-Shreveport, 63-21. Malachi Dabney scored five TDs, according to Lori Lyons of The Shreveport Bossier Journal. Jabari Mack and Greg Wilfred each caught a TD pass, and LSU receiver commit Phillip Wright ran for a score. The Wildcats have won seven straight games with QB Jackson Fields back in the lineup. Destrehan will be making back-to-back trips to the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Playoff seed: No. 14 (Division II nonselect) Up next: At No. 6 Plaquemine (11-1)

The Tigers defeated No. 3 Jennings, 30-19. Senior tailback D’Shaun Ford ran for 265 yards and two TDs. The Tigers’ losses were to Teurlings Catholic, Alexandria and Zachary. Opelousas led the undefeated Trojans by two scores early.

Playoff seed: No. 18 (Division II nonselect) Up next: At No. 7 North DeSoto (9-3)

The Bulldogs defeated No. 2 Lutfcher, 49-41. Diesel Solari completed 13 of 21 passes for 206 yards and three TDs. Braylon Calais ran for 113 yards on 15 carries with two TDs. Solari added 96 yards rushing and two TDs on 15 carries. Ellis Stewart totaled 104 yards and a TD on six touches. Brent Gordon and Jermaine Davis combined to catch five passes for 102 yards and two TDs.

Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division III select) Up next: at No. 4 Jewel Sumner (10-1)

The Panthers defeated No. 12 Amite, 39-14. QB Dillon Compton threw three first-half TD passes for Cain Milligan, according to Fast Break ENT. Compton was 10 of 15 passing for 195 yards and four TDs, according to LaMar Gafford of Cenla Preps. He also ran for a score. Zion Lee rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. Jateren Gaines added 92 yards on 12 carries with two TDs.

Playoff seed: No. 10 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 2 Alexandria (11-0)

The Yellow Jackets defeated No. 7 St. Paul’s, 37-15. Desmond Simmons ran for 167 yards on 30 carries with a TD, according to Joseph Halm of The New Orleans Advocate. QB Harrison Ayres completed 5 of 6 passes for 82 yards and added 30 yards rushing and two scores on eight carries.

Playoff seed: No. 21 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 4 Central-BR (10-1)

The Rebels pulled off their second upset by defeating No. 5 Mandeville, 20-9. Ranaldrick Myles and Kedrian McNeal combined for 209 yards rushing on 28 carries with two TDs, according to Dave Woodall of The New Orleans Advocate. QB Ryder Dejean completed 3 of 6 passes for 37 yards.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division III select) Up next: Against No. 9 Lafayette Christian (6-6)

The Tigers defeated No. 16 Parkview Baptist, 42-0. Sophomore QB Elijah Haven accounted for 406 yards and four TDs, according to Patrick Wright of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Trevor Haman caught seven passes for 128 yards and two TDs.

Playoff seed: No. 7 (Division II nonselect) Up next: Against No. 18 Cecilia (9-3)

The Griffins defeated No. 10 Belle Chasse, 38-14. Cole Cory continued to shine since his return from injury, catching two TD passes and returning a kick 56 yards, according to Lee Hiller of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. Luke Delafield was 15 of 20 passing for 205 yards. Kenny Thomas ran for 107 yards on 23 carries with two TDs. Cory finished with seven receptions for 114 yards.

Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division II select) Up next: Against No. 13 Istrouma (9-3)

The Chargers defeated No. 12 St. Charles Catholic, 34-20. Tylan Johnson was 10 of 13 passing for 125 yards and two TDs, according to Charles Salzer of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Alfred McKnight ran for 180 yards and two TDs. Madison Prep, which led 21-0 at halftime, takes on Istrouma in a matchup of north Baton Rouge schools whose campuses are separated by 2.1 miles.

Playoff seed: No. 2 (Division II nonselect) Up next: Season complete

The Bulldogs lost to No. 18 Cecilia, 49-41. Trenton Chaney ran for 194 yards and three TDs on 24 carries, according to Reed Darcey of The Baton Rouge Advocate. QB Zach Jenkins rushed for 118 yards on 25 carries with three TDs. He passed for 75 yards and didn’t throw an interception this season.

Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division IV select) Up next: Against No. 8 St. Edmund (10-1)

The Eagles defeated No. 16 Westminster Christian-Opelousas, 47-17. QB Jonathan Dartez ran for 199 yards and had a hand in six TDs. The senior has rushed for 2,119 yards and 34 TDs on 239 carries with 1,360 yards passing (19 TDs, two INT).

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Louisiana

Heart of Louisiana: Saving boats

Published

20 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

LOCKPORT, La. (WVUE) – A museum in downtown Lockport was bustling with activity 12 years ago, with people teaching and learning the art of boat-building.

Historic boats were on display in the front, and new boats were being built in the workshop out back, as generations of Cajun families passed down their traditions and knowledge. But then, three years ago, it all was put on hold when Hurricane Ida severely damaged the museum.

Now, efforts are underway to relocate and relaunch the boat museum and workshop at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, as Dave McNamara shows in the Heart of Louisiana.

For more, visit the Heart of Louisiana archive here.

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