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The Mississippi River seems to be giving Louisiana a free coastal project

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The Mississippi River seems to be giving Louisiana a free coastal project


NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Along a stretch of the Plaquemines Parish east bank, the Mississippi River is providing what coastal activists see as a no-cost coastal project.

In recent years, the river has plowed through its bank and transformed a tiny channel into the equivalent of one of the ten largest rivers in the U.S.

Neptune Pass is taking an estimated 16 percent of the Mississippi River flow during high water periods, according to Corps hydrologists.

In the process, groups active in the fight to restore Louisiana’s coast argue the river is providing a practically no-cost diversion.

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“It is a restored ecosystem happening for free before our eyes,” said James Karst, Director of Communications and Marketing for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

Neptune Pass, they say, is depositing sediment and creating new sections of delta in both Bay Denesse and Quarantine Bay.

Not everyone is thrilled at the prospect of nature taking its new course.

Shipping interests complain the pass has already affected navigation, causing the slower-moving river downstream to build sandbars.

The Corps, which initially had planned to close the channel entirely, now envisions a dual purpose for Neptune Pass.

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A draft environmental assessment envisions a two-part approach to protecting the integrity of the main river channel: a stone sill at the water bottom with a 100-foot-wide notch to reduce the outflow from the river; and 20 V-shaped mounds to further reduce the velocity of the water moving into Quarantine Bay.

The Sediment Retention Enhancement Devices, or “SREDS” as the Corps calls them, would be built of earthen material, geotextile fabric, and stone riprap.

“We allowed an opening to allow river flow and sediments to leave the river and deposit in the bay, in the receiving area,” said David Ramirez, a Corps hydrologist.

Critics of river diversions have questioned whether the new land forming in the bays was merely land that had been displaced as the river widened the channel over the years.

While computer modeling suggests that displacement has accounted for about 70 percent of the new delta, Ramirez says the remaining 30 percent has been built from sediment deposited by the river.

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“The more wetlands we have between where we live and the Gulf of Mexico, the more natural hurricane protection that we have,” Karst said.

Commercial fishing interests have complained large amounts of fresh water pouring through not only Neptune Pass, but other cuts on the east bank, have dramatically altered salinity levels and devastated oyster harvests.

“There’s some innovative ideas in the report, but at the same time, there’s a lot of scientific questions that still remain,” said Alex Kolker, a coastal scientist with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.

Kolker wants more detail about how the proposal would affect the river’s flow, whether SREDS would simply sink over time, and how long the flow would be sufficient to build land.

Under the Corps plan, Neptune Pass would take six percent of the river flow.

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“Right now, we don’t have enough science to fully evaluate whether or not this is gonna work,” Kolker said.

The Corps is taking public comments on the proposal through the end of the month.

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Louisiana

Federal judge reinforces order for heat protection for Louisiana inmates at prison farm

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Federal judge reinforces order for heat protection for Louisiana inmates at prison farm


NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered officials at the Louisiana State Penitentiary to increase shade and take other steps to protect prisoners doing agricultural labor from dangerous heat.

U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson’s order reinforced a similar one he issued in July. This one cites photographs showing inmates in the fields of a former slave plantation with a single pop-up tent for around 20 men, little protection from the sun and nowhere to sit. The photos were provided by Voice of the Experienced, the advocacy group that sued over conditions for inmates working the “farm line” at the immense prison farm in Angola.

“Taken at face value, Plaintiffs’ allegations in this matter have portrayed the State of Louisiana in a harsh and unflattering light. Defendants contribute to this depiction with their apparent obstinance towards proposing meaningful changes to conditions on the Farm Line,” Jackson, based in Baton Rouge, wrote.

A spokesperson for the state corrections department said officials would not comment until they had time to fully review Jackson’s order.

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Jackson’s latest order said there were 50 instances of inmates reporting illnesses from July 2 to Aug. 5, with seven requiring emergency medical treatment. He ordered more tents be provided and that they be erected close to where prisoners are working. He also ordered that some form of seating be made available and that workers be given 15-minute breaks every 45 minutes when heat alerts are in effect.

State corrections officials appealed Jackson’s original July 2 order in the case. A panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals pared some of the original ruling but kept some key requirements intact while the appeal continues. As he did on July 2, Jackson declined to halt farm line work during heat alerts.

The litigation over farm line conditions comes amid growing nationwide attention on lucrative prison labor systems with roots in the era of slavery. A two-year Associated Press investigation linked the supply chains of some of the world’s largest and best-known companies – from Walmart to Burger King – to Angola and other prison farms, where incarcerated workers are paid pennies an hour or nothing at all. Several companies, including Cargill, have since said they have cut ties or are in the process of doing so, with prison farms or companies that use incarcerated labor.





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Louisiana has 2027's No. 1 overall recruit in updated rankings

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Louisiana has 2027's No. 1 overall recruit in updated rankings


247Sports dropped its first top 100 recruits for the 2027 class on Wednesday and the top spot belongs to a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, product.

Quarterback Elijah Haven, out of the Dunham School, sits No. 1 overall. He’s yet to receive an LSU offer, but that will come in due time. Haven visited LSU with his father earlier this year and already has a relationship with LSU QBs coach Joe Sloan.

2027 is a ways away and Haven is just a rising sophomore, but the timeline could work out. LSU is set to sign the No. 1 overall player and quarterback this cycle with Bryce Underwood committed. Haven would arrive in Baton Rouge just as Underwood was finishing up his career.

At least that’s what LSU fans will hope for.

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According to On3, ESPN, and Rivals, the top player in the 2026 class is also from Louisiana in defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. If Stewart and Haven remain on their current trajectory, Louisiana has a chance to produce the nation’s top player in back-to-back years.

Haven already holds six offers, with a notable one from LSU rival Ole Miss. With a recruit of Haven’s caliber, everyone in the country will want to get involved.

It will be tough, but LSU has good luck with Louisiana’s top players, and the Tigers now have a reputation for producing Heisman quarterbacks.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.





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Obituary for Wilfred Bonnet at Kinchen Funeral Home, Inc.

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Obituary for Wilfred  Bonnet at Kinchen Funeral Home, Inc.


Wilfred Bonnet February 8, 1931 – August 4, 2024 Lafayette Wilfred Bonnet, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, neighbor, and friend passed away peacefully at home on August 4, 2024. Affectionately known as Bey, he was born on February 8, 1931 in Carencro, Louisiana to Albert Bonnet, Sr. and Mary Louise



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