Louisiana
Parents want school superintendent removed for holding classes in severe weather • Louisiana Illuminator
LAKE CHARLES – The school superintendent for Calcasieu Parish is facing calls for his resignation after he chose not to cancel classes April 10, when three tornados hit the area.
Shannon Lafargue defended his decision in a video statement, saying he kept schools open based on the information available to him and prioritized safety.
However, many community members are angry the superintendent did not cancel school, saying he put students, teachers and staff at risk. Bus drivers are particularly upset, as they were forced to drive through dangerous conditions, including flooded streets and winds of more than 25 mph. Bus routes were further impacted six days later when more than 30 drivers decided not to report to work in protest.
Emails the Illuminator obtained show Lafargue was aware the National Weather Service modified its risk forecast for severe storms April 10 to level 4 out of 5 as early as the morning of April 9. The worst of the weather struck between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m.
The National Weather Service confirmed three separate tornadoes touched down in the Lake Charles area on the morning of April 10. They included an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 115 mph near McNeese State University, and two EF-1 twisters in Cameron Parish.
At the April 16 Calcasieu Parish School Board meeting, District 11 representative Phylis Ayo asked for a formal investigation of how the school superintendent handled the April 10 weather event to determine where the breakdown in communication occurred.
“Something went down, and we don’t know what it is. A formal investigation needs to happen sooner rather than later,” Ayo said.
A unanimous board vote was needed to add an item to the meeting’s agenda for the proposed investigation. District 8 Representative Eric Tarver said he would not support the motion, drawing boos from the standing-room-only audience. Board members Billy Breaux, Glenda Gay and Dean Roberts also voted against the agenda change.
At a special board meeting April 30, Lafargue recommended school board members approve a delayed school start protocol for future weather events. Bus drivers also got the opportunity to air their grievances, with many saying Lafargue owed them an apology.
Bus driver Sharon Welcome said school district officials have previously failed to prioritize the safety of bus drivers, students and teachers during severe weather.
“It’s not the first time. It’s not the fourth or the fifth time that something like this has happened. Enough is enough,” Welcome said. “I’m not going to jeopardize myself for your negligence.”
“The buck stops with you, bus drivers,” Kathy Landry, district representative for the Louisiana School Bus Operators Association, told drivers in the audience. “As your rep, anytime you don’t feel it’s safe to drive that bus, you don’t have to, and the federal government will back us on that one.”
Corey Arvie said he had seven students on board when the severe weather struck April 10. The conditions left them stuck in the middle of the road, less than 2 miles away from the tornado that struck Ryan Street. Arvie said his bus was facing toward the wind, and he worried about tree limbs crashing through his windshield.
“Today marks 20 days that I’ve dealt with trauma, crying out of nowhere, trying to earn the trust of parents again to be their bus driver,” Arvie said. “It’s hard getting up every morning knowing that these parents are trusting us with their kids’ lives, and any wrong turn, any little mistake can cost a life. It’s hard for us to keep going right now.”
Arvie said bus drivers should be represented on the school board and among school district leadership.
“I really do feel like … there should be a bus driver, either on the crisis team, in an office, because no one knows what we go through on a day-to-day basis.”
Teri Johnson, a Southwest Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees representative, asked Lafargue to apologize to those in the audience.
“I haven’t earned your trust. I’m going to do something about it tonight,” Lafargue responded. “It may be too late, but at least from this point forward, no matter what happens to me, our district is going to be better … You voiced your opinion. I said in that video, that didn’t resonate with you, that this will never happen again. You are the most valuable people … I take full responsibility, and everything that goes with that is an apology.”
The school board approved a delayed start policy that would go into effect when severe weather threatens, allowing school to begin as late as 10 a.m.
According to District 10 School Board member Tony O’Banion, the board has received evaluation forms that would decide Lafargue’s future with the system. He told the Illuminator the board will go into executive session during its May 14 meeting to discuss the evaluations and will decide whether Lafargue’s contract will be renewed by June 30.
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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