Louisiana
Settlement offers nearly $9M to Louisiana nursing home residents kept in warehouse during hurricane
NEW ORLEANS — Some of the elderly residents of seven Louisiana nursing homes who were sent in 2021 to ride out Hurricane Ida in a crowded, ill-equipped warehouse are being offered shares of a nearly $9 million settlement after they sued.
Retired state judge William “Rusty” Knight told The Times-Picayune of New Orleans that all the 427 former residents who filed legal claims are being sent letters outlining the proposed settlement. Knight said amounts differ based on patients’ individual circumstances.
People who don’t contest the amount offered can expect to receive money within a few weeks. A hearing for those who want to fight the settlement will be held in January.
“It’s been a longer road getting here than we wanted it to be,” Knight said. “Nobody’s getting what they should. quite frankly, because there’s not enough money.”
Bob Dean Jr., 70, owned seven nursing homes in New Orleans and southeast Louisiana. As Ida approached, Dean moved hundreds of residents into a building in the town of Independence, roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans.
Authorities said conditions at the warehouse deteriorated rapidly after the powerful storm hit on Aug. 29, 2021. They found ill and elderly bedridden people on mattresses on the wet floor, some crying for help, some lying in their own waste. Civil suits against Dean’s corporation said the ceiling leaked and toilets overflowed at the sweltering warehouse, and there was too little food and water.
Within days after the storm hit, the state reported the deaths of seven of the evacuees, five of them classified as storm-related.
By the time Dean was arrested on state charges in June 2022, he had lost state licenses and federal funding for his nursing homes. Dean pleaded no contest to 15 criminal counts in July and was sentenced to three years of probation, paying $258,000 in restitution and more than $1 million as a penalty.
Last month, Dean agreed to pay $8.2 million to the federal government to settle allegations that he misused assets and income from four nursing homes whose loans were insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Prosecutors say he funneled nursing home money to his personal bank accounts, using the money to buy antiques, guns and cars.
But Dean also faced civil lawsuits or legal claims from 427 of the 843 patients who were taken to Independence, or their surviving relatives. Many of the plaintiffs and their lawyers have suggested Dean was hiding other assets.
“There’s no true justice after what my clients endured,” attorney Matthew Hemmer, who represents hundreds of nursing home victims, told WVUE-TV.
Knight said he knows of 165 of Dean’s former residents who have died since the evacuation, and he said he expects to learn more people have died as responses to the settlement offer are returned.
Flash flood warning issued for northwest Louisiana
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flash Flood Warning just after noon on June 15 for northwest Louisiana.
Courtesy of Bob Thames
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Shreveport issued a Flash Flood Warning just after noon Monday, June 15, for northwest Louisiana.
According to the NWS, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain and flash flooding for much of the region. The warning was initially issued until 3 p.m. but was extended until 3:45 p.m.
NWS said this flash flooding could impact small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
Shreveport Police Department is reporting that since the rain began this morning, officers have responded to 53 calls for stranded or disabled vehicles and are investigating 24 traffic crashes.
“We are asking motorists to use extreme caution if you must travel,” Shreveport Police Department Public Information Officer Cpl. Chris Bordelon said. “Never attempt to drive through flooded roadways or high water. It only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep a vehicle off the roadway.”
Central parts of Shreveport are being heavily impacted. Shreveport business owner Bob Thames said, “I drove from my office downtown to Marilynn’s Place to check on the building. I had to take several detours. Streets that I’ve never seen flooded before were flooded.”
He continued, “The rapids flowing through Betty Virginia were unlike anything I’ve seen in my time in Shreveport. Bayou Pierre was higher than I’ve ever seen it. I was on the sidewalk warning people not to drive through Fern and Greenway Place.”
Thames stated he witnessed multiple cars get damaged this afternoon.
The Shreveport Police Department is reminding drivers that if you don’t have to be on the roads, stay home until conditions improve.
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
Louisiana
What’s the connection between Zemurray Lodge and New Orleans? Curious Louisiana investigates.
Zemurray Lodge and Gardens, a historic property built on 20th century banana wealth, is situated north of Lake Pontchartrain. One reader wants to know its connection with the city of New Orleans.
Sam Zemurray, the money behind the home, is a name well-known in Latin American political history.
“He was considered one of the richest and most powerful people in the United States, a man shrouded with international mystery who overthrew governments, orchestrated coups and had government agreements amended to meet his business needs,” the ANU Museum of the Jewish People website states.
A portrait of Sam Zemurray by artist Maddie Stratton of Where Y’Art, as commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for its “300 for 300” celebration of New Orleans’ tricentennial. (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Zemurray, a Russian Jewish immigrant, helped popularize banana consumption across the United States while also exploiting workers and causing far-reaching political instability in Latin America. He got his start selling bananas in Mobile before coming to New Orleans in 1905, where he began expanding companies and consolidating a hold on the fruit market.
He was first the founder of the Cuyamel Fruit Company in New Orleans, then served as president of the United Fruit Company — one of the biggest companies in the world at the time, and one that has a massively influential and controversial history. Today, the company is known as Chiquita Brands International.
One part of his legacy on the city, where he spent large portions of his life, is his mansion at No. 2 Audubon Place, which was donated to Tulane University after his death in 1961.
The home at No. 2 Audubon Place is seen in a photo taken around 1910, just two years after its completion and more than a half century before its red brick exterior was painted a light ivory, as it is today. Built for lumberman William T. Jay, it was for much of the 20th century home to United Fruit President Samuel Zemurray.
Zemurray Lodge and Gardens, near Hammond, was bought by Zemurray in 1928. In his account of banana company history, “Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World,” Peter Chapman characterized the home as a place where Zemurray could relax.
“In Louisiana he could walk out through the antebellum columns of his home and stroll around his lake that mirrored the cast-bronze statues at its edge,” Chapman wrote. “Zemurray had a hunting lodge in the pine woods and shot quail.”
The estate’s nomination for the National Register of Historic Places described the history of the place as one of the earliest settled areas in Tangipahoa Parish.
Scenes of Zemurray Gardens in Loranger Wednesday, Mar. 17, 2004.Mar. 5, 2004. Yellow swallowtail butterfly on a Gulf Pride azalea flower. (Staff archive photo by Chuck Cook) ORG XMIT: NOLA2017060710580350
Planter and lawyer Alfred Hennen built the house in 1829, and the property was inherited by his daughter and son-in-law, who sold it to the Lake Superior Piling Company of Chicago in 1918. Company President Charles Houlton, alongside his brother, added interior decoration and colonnades, among other improvements.
When it came into the Zemurray family’s possession, Zemurray’s wife, Sarah, had rows of azaleas and camellias planted along the forest trails. She expanded the gardens and created a two-acre lake, called Mirror Lake. Sarah Zemurray also installed replicas of classical statues.
Under the guidance of New Orleans architect Moise Goldstein, the house’s exterior was covered with stucco, Doric columns were added, and two cottages and stables were installed.
Zemurray Lodge near Loranger in 1930s. (Times-Picayune archive photo)
Interior designer George Gallup decorated in the Arts and Craft style — one that focuses on natural materials. The then-popular decorating style turned away from industrialization to emphasize nature-inspired motifs and quality craftsmanship. Inside the lodge, wainscoting, painted foliage and medieval-esque beamed ceilings showcased the trend.
“As far as the State Historic Preservation Office is aware, these interiors represent the most complete and elaborate example of Arts and Crafts interior design to be found in an eight parish area known collectively as the Florida Parishes,” read the National Register of Historic Places nomination form. “ … There is no other example of Arts and Crafts interior design known to the State Historic Preservation Office in the Florida Parishes which is even comparable to Zemurray Lodge.”
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 14, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 14 drawing
5-3-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 14 drawing
0-1-5-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from June 14 drawing
6-2-0-2-8
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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