John Barry keeps sending me emails. Oil & Gas Industry wants to settle with Louisiana!

Always watching, never wavering.

Dear Editilla,

Two important pieces of news:

First, last week Louisiana’s Attorney General Buddy Caldwell made public something I've hinted at in my talks: there are on-going conversations about a statewide settlement. On the Jim Engster radio show last week (listen here), Caldwell announced that because of the SLFPAE lawsuit, major oil companies have come to him seeking a statewide settlement. 

We've always hoped that the lawsuit would spark a statewide deal. Conversely, we’ve recognized that if the legislature kills the lawsuit, there's no reason for the oil companies to compromise. There is a solution if the state would simply seal it. The governor has turned his back on that possibility. As citizens, lets make sure the legislature does not.

Which brings us to the latest news from Baton Rouge:

You almost did it! 

Thanks to your engagement, we were today on the verge of crushing SB 531—a huge victory—in Senate Judiciary Committee A, when its sponsor,  Senator Bret Allain (R-Franklin), asked that it be deferred. He knew he didn't have the votes—had there been a roll-call vote, we’d have beaten SB 531 by a vote at least of 5-2 and possibly 6-1.

Rather than accept defeat, Sen. Allain did something highly unusual. He gutted an entirely different (and as yet unknown) bill currently scheduled to be heard on Thursday, May 1, by the Senate Natural Resources Committee—and substitute in its place what he couldn’t get passed by Judiciary-A.  It's even possible that our old friend Senator Robert Adley will use one of his bills as a vehicle for this Trojan horse.

At of this writing, we do not know which bill to target—we’ll let you know as soon as we do—nor do we know what the language of the bill will be. That's hardly my idea of sunshine in the legislature.

All we know is that it will be called up in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources on Thursday, May 1.

Please contact the members of this committee. Tell them, “Let the courts decide.” Let the roughly one million people within the jurisdiction of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority keep their rights to go to court. 
 

Name	ADDRESS	EMAIL	PHONE
Senator Gerald Long (Chairman)	P.O. Box 151 Winnfield, LA 71483	longg@legis.la.gov	(318) 628-5799
Senator Rick Ward, III (Vice-Chairman)	3741 Highway 1 Port Allen, LA 70767	wardr@legis.la.gov	(225) 246-8838
Senator R.L. "Bret" Allain, II	600 Main Street Suite 1 Franklin, LA 70538	allainb@legis.la.gov	(337) 828-9107
Senator "Jody" Amedee	2109 S. Burnside Ave. Suite A Gonzales, LA 70737	amedeej@legis.la.gov	(225) 644-1526
Senator Norbèrt N. "Norby" Chabert	P.O. Box 2417 Houma, LA 70361	chabertn@legis.la.gov	(985) 858-2927
Senator Jean-Paul J. Morrell	6305 Elysian Fields Ave. Suite 404 New Orleans, LA 70122	morrelljp@legis.la.gov	(504) 284-4794
Senator Dan "Blade" Morrish	119 W. Nezpique Street Jennings, LA 70546	morrishd@legis.la.gov	(337) 824-3979
Senator Page Cortez (Interim Member)	101 W. Farrell Road Bldg. 5, Suite 100 Lafayette, LA 70508	cortezp@legis.la.gov	(337) 993-7430

You’ve defeated this bill once. Let's beat it again. As I’ve said before, history doesn't just happen. 

People make history. 

Let's make some history. Let's take back control of our state. Let's demonstrate that no one is above the law—not even the oil industry in Louisiana.

Thanks,
John Barry
Restore Louisiana Now

Still Parading: Second-line shooting survivor returns to the route ~Nancy Parker, WVUE

Inmate advocates want Gusman held in contempt over fire safety shortfalls at OPP ~Jim Mustian, New Orleans Advocate

Mayor Mitchmo seeks special riverfront tax district to pay for decrees and pensions ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens

French Quarter bar cited for having crime cameras, flood lights ~Paul Murphy, WWLTV

Fair Grounds pledges upgrades for license renewal ~Ted Lewis

West Bank levee authority to get new director ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate

May is American Wetlands Month!

~Hat Tweet fo'da fine pic @EDF_Louisiana

Morganza levee project inches forward in Congress ~Amy Wold

Agrico Sales announces expansion in New Orleans ~AP, via The Modesto Bee

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2014/04/30/3316626/agrico-sales-announces-expansion.html#storylink=cpy

An Operational Check-List for Flying UAVs in Humanitarian Settings ~Patrick Meier, iRevolution

Terminally ill man, on last visit to Jazz Fest, throws a wake for himself in New Orleans ~Mark Waller

Tornadoes tear through South, add to US death toll ~WWLTV

Advertising in Louisiana’s U.S. Senate race: A look at the (very big) numbers ~Stephanie Grace

Mayor Mitchmo Landrieu nominates new slate of water board members ~Andrew Vanacore, New Orleans Advocate

Energy company with fracking plans eyes 60,000 acres in St. Tammany Parish as St. Tammany residents, officials resist fracking ~Faimon A. Roberts III, B.R. Advocate

St. Bernard Project Receives $3 Million for Disaster Recovery Lab ~Philanthropy News Digest

Bill to protect Louisiana’s Coastal Fund moves to House floor

Oyster reefs can outpace sea-level rise ~Nature.com
450lb gator trapped on Pass Christian beach ~WLOX

Community gardening utilizes students' studies, teaches community ~WDSU

Tonight, Nick Spitzer's American Routes live at the Civic Theatre ~NOLA DEFENDER

Restore Louisiana Now: Stop SB 531!
Dear Editilla,

SB 531 is in Louisiana Senate Judiciary Committee A and will be brought up for a vote on Tuesday, April 29, at 9 AM. If approved, it will be a first step in stopping not only the New Orleans Flood Authority lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies, but also granting the industry virtual immunity from prosecution in Louisiana -- for violations of state and federal law! 

PLEASE CALL THESE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TODAY!  

If we stop SB 531 in Judiciary A, it will signal a victory for our entire cause and change the political landscape in Louisiana. We can't do it without your help.

Name	Address	EMAIL	PHONE
Senator Ben Nevers (Chairman)	724 Avenue F Bogalusa, LA 70427	neversb@legis.la.gov	(985) 732-6863
Senator Dan Claitor (Vice-Chairman)	7520 Perkins Road Suite 160 Baton Rouge, LA 70808	claitord@legis.la.gov	(225) 765-0206
Senator Conrad Appel	721 Papworth Avenue Suite 102A Metairie, LA 70005	appelc@legis.la.gov	(866) 946-3133
Senator Jack Donahue	3030 East Causeway Approach Mandeville, LA 70448	donahuej@legis.la.gov	(985) 727-7949
Senator Daniel "Danny" Martiny	131 Airline Highway Suite 201 Metairie, LA 70001	martinyd@legis.la.gov	(504) 834-7676
Senator Edwin R. Murray	1540 N. Broad St. New Orleans, LA 70119	murraye@legis.la.gov	(504) 945-0042
Senator Rick Ward, III	3741 Highway 1 Port Allen, LA 70767	wardr@legis.la.gov	(225) 246-8838

Thanks for all that you do. Only together can we stop this bill and ensure that the lawsuit goes forward.

John Barry,
Restore Louisiana Now 

CABL opposes anti-levee board legislation ~The Advocate

Tornadoes kill 16 in Arkansas, 1 in Oklahoma

Slight risk of severe weather through Tuesday for southeastern Louisiana ~Mark Schleifstein

Trial to begin for family of inmate suing Sheriff Gusman ~Meg Gatto, WVUE

Diocese accepting bids on 9th Ward senior complex ~N.O. City Business

Good Eggs! 
~Good Eggitilla!~ Looking forward to my 1st delivery!

Pastured Eggs from Heath Hill Farm
Oyster Mushrooms from Screaming Oaks Mushroom Farm
Ground Pork from Hollywood Livestock
Red Spring Onions from Perilloux's Produce
White Spring Onions from Perilloux's Produce
Seasonal Produce Bundle from Simone's Market *

‘Ladies in red’ back in Capitol to fight for independent levee boards ~Jeff Adwlson, New Orleans Advocate

Signs of healing left at New Orleans St. Roch cemetery ~WDSU

Brian Blade Finds A 'Landmark' In His Shreveport Roots ~NPR

Tipitina’s “Instruments A-Comin’” benefit Monday keeps the music playing for children in N.O. ~Jessica Taylor, Uptown Messenger

JazzFest Food: The Classics ~NOLA DEFENDER

Why are Louisiana’s universities suddenly out of money? ~Robert Mann

CBD window washers pulled to safety after cable snaps ~New Orleans Advocate

Decisions just weeks away on re-opening Bayou St. John’s sea gate to the lake ~Sam Tabachnik, The Lens

Crawfish Pie ~Saveur

“Get ready for the First Annual Shamarr Fest at Shamrock 2014″

City Hall warns Jazz Fest vendors, parking lots to get permits

Venues across N.O. cash in on Jazz Fest with 'after shows' ~WVUE

Guest commentary: Levee board reforms could be washed away ~New Orleans Advocate

Jefferson Chamber condemns efforts to put governor in control of levee boards~Ben Meyers

New Coastal Index Measures Population Shifts, Economic Opportunity In Changes To Land And Water ~WWNO

Viewpoint: What's a coastline worth? ~Mary Rickard, Holy Cross resident, NolaVie

N.O. Public Library faces $3 million deficit, no money for operations ~WWLTV 

The “Louisiana Miracle” or another Jindal lie? ~Forgotston.com

Oil and Gas lobbyist Senator Robert Adley makes changes to levee board bill, expects opposition ~Mark Ballard, The Advocate

Government Report Slams Senator Adley’s SB 79 ~Levees.org

Bill to derail parish 'big oil' lawsuits stalls ~Kevin McGill, AP via SF Gate

The Sunshine Squad ~Website will expose the deceptions that Governor Jindal and other allies of the oil and gas industry have been spreading in the Capitol and in the news media. It will do so on a real time basis, so that journalists, legislators, stakeholders and the people of Louisiana can spot these deceptions as they occur, then check them against the truth. For the rest of this session, every time someone in the legislature makes a misleading statement about the set of bills concerning the flood protection authority, an email will go to interested parties, and that false statement, as well as the truth, will appear in on the website for all to see.

Stephanie Grace: Bills aim to short-circuit judicial system

West Bank levee authority considering eight applicants for director ~Andrea Shaw

State ethics staff says Cedric Grant can’t take water board job ~Andrew Vanacore

The Economic Impact of Coastal Restoration and Hurricane Protection ~Timmothy Ryan, Restore Louisiana Now

Support HB 490: Legislation to protect Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund

The Listening Post Answers: Your Questions About Coastal Erosion ~Kate Richardson, WWNO
'Times-Pic' cries Alligator Tears in war of words with the 'Advocate ~BR Business Report

Festival International de Louisiane!

New Orleans Saints 2014 Schedule 

Thoughts on the Saints 2014 schedule ~Andrew Juge, Saints Nation

Honoré Rallying Troops, Planning Press Conference ~Jeremy Alford, LaPolitics

Mission accomplished: Landrieu administration promises one thing on blight, delivers another ~Charles Maldonado, Lens  ~Live chat: How well has the Landrieu administration dealt with blight in New Orleans?

Harahan sewer line blocking work on Pump to the River ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate

City Park board votes to change park hours; may open gate between garden and amusement park ~Della Hasselle, Midcity Messenger

Virginia: vandals dig up grandmother's grave on Easter Sunday ~WVUE

World's Largest Crawfish Boil to benefit 2nd Harvest Food Bank!

Guardians of the Groove: Ellis Marsalis on his start in music ~WWLTV 

WWOZ Piano Night!

As Louisiana’s coast disappears, so does landowners’ money~Peter Moskowitz, Aljazeera
~Editilla Crowtellas~ I did predict this: No Land = No Stand!

For all the breast-beating about diversions, decision to build them has yet to be made ~Bob Marshall, The Lens

Oil and gas industry looking to kill lawsuits from Jefferson, Plaquemines over wetlands ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens

Our Views: Don’t gut storm reforms ~New Orleans Advocate

Report: Saints pick up option on Cam Jordan ~WDSU

A Broken Window Never Closes ~The Angry Who Dat

Valero Energy Corp.'s Meraux refinery had problem with its benzene unit, and residents report strong odors ~Mark Schleifstein

Telltale Rainbow Sheens Show Thousands Of Spills Across The Gulf ~Bob Marshall, WWNO

Lawmakers eye several marijuana sentencing reforms this week ~WWLTV

Musicians get serious during entertainment conference ~The Advocate

Cyclist injured in deadly crash making strides ~WVUE 

Goat's Milk Chèvre, The Big Squeezy Juicery & Earth Day! ~Good Eggs

Mississippi River will carry enough sand needed to build new Louisiana wetlands for at least 600 years, new study says ~Mark Schleifstein

MAGINNIS: Green Army Absent from Capitol Battle ~LaPolitics

Global Green Models How To Reduce Pumping In New Orleans ~Eve Abrams

Bill to lessen crime of marijuana possession backed by liberals, libertarians ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens

Federovitch: New Orleans Saints most intriguing NFC South team

New Orleans ranks high for bicyclist deaths, report says ~Naomi Martin

Levees.Org Third Annual Levee Disaster Bike Tour

Long-term health effects unclear in wake of 2010 Gulf oil disaster

New Orleans Police Monitor Tackles Police-Community Relations ~Mallory Falk, WWNO

Flood work to close Prytania Street

N.O ladies arm-wrestle their way to glory ~Dan Lawton

Remembering ~Disenfranchised Citizen

Southeast Louisiana coastal restoration, hurricane protection are new , booming 'water management' economic sector, Data Center says ~Mark Schleifstein

Political Horizons: Honoré wants public involved on environment ~Mark Ballard, The Advocate~“Look, the reason we have so many lawsuits in this state is because we don’t have enough laws. When you break someone’s stuff … you should be held responsible. But they can say, ‘No, no, I don’t have to pay for it because it’s permitted under state law.’”

Legislation stripping levee districts of autonomy raise questions about flood protection taxes, emergency response ~Andrea Shaw

New Orleans Earth Day Festival & Green Business Expo!

Developer sentenced for filling in Bay St. Louis wetlands ~WVUE

Do as you're told ~Michael Gorman
~Oil and gas companies are used to getting their way in our great state. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll sit down and take it. Lord knows if you make much of a fuss, you will find yourself the target of smears by the industry and its fawning lapdogs in state government. The governor and his sympathetic legislators are on the verge of changing one state law after another just to put a stop to this lawsuit.

Stephanie Grace: Bill eliminates levee boards' independence ~New Orleans Advocate

Children's Hospital holds news conference to address public concerns over fatal "mistakes made" ~John Simmerman

Chain stores, rising rents may make Magazine Street the victim of its success ~The Lens

Gulf Oil Disaster’s Impacts to Wildlife and Habitat Still Unaddressed Four Years Later

~Four years after the Gulf oil disaster began, killing 11 men and spewing 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, leading national and local conservation organizations working on Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast restoration released the following statement:
“Four years after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, Gulf recovery remains elusive. We must hope for a measure of justice for communities, wildlife and habitats. However, the urgent need for restoration is still unfulfilled."

“Reports from the field and laboratory continue to raise the alarm. New scientific studies show how the oil disaster’s impacts are permeating the food chain – from small microorganisms like zooplankton to large mammals like sperm whales and dolphins. Louisiana wetlands suffocated by BP’s oil have eroded more quickly than those the oil spared. Areas that once provided valuable mangrove habitat for thousands of nesting birds and other animals have shrunk or disappeared. Islands that were thriving rookeries for birds and wildlife are now gray and lifeless. The stark truth of visible damage in areas like Barataria Bay, Louisiana, speaks for itself. This week, BP declared active clean up complete in Louisiana, but volumes of BP oil continue to surface, from miles of oiled coastline to a monster-sized 40,000-pound tar mat.

“While BP denies clear science, the facts present the truth: the Gulf is still hurting, and BP’s to blame. Four years after the largest oil spill in U.S. history, the oil giant has yet to pay a penny of its Clean Water Act fines for polluting the Gulf.

Four years after the Gulf oil disaster began, killing 11 men and spewing 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, leading national and local conservation organizations working on Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast restoration – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following statement:
“Four years after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, Gulf recovery remains elusive. We must hope for a measure of justice for communities, wildlife and habitats. However, the urgent need for restoration is still unfulfilled.
- See more at: http://www.mississippiriverdelta.org/blog/2014/04/17/gulf-oil-disasters-impacts-to-wildlife-and-habitat-still-unaddressed-four-years-later/#sthash.Aciosrxp.dpuf

Four years after the Gulf oil disaster began, killing 11 men and spewing 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, leading national and local conservation organizations working on Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast restoration – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following statement:
“Four years after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, Gulf recovery remains elusive. We must hope for a measure of justice for communities, wildlife and habitats. However, the urgent need for restoration is still unfulfilled.
- See more at: http://www.mississippiriverdelta.org/blog/2014/04/17/gulf-oil-disasters-impacts-to-wildlife-and-habitat-still-unaddressed-four-years-later/#sthash.Aciosrxp.dpuf

Four years after the Gulf oil disaster began, killing 11 men and spewing 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, leading national and local conservation organizations working on Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast restoration – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following statement:
“Four years after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, Gulf recovery remains elusive. We must hope for a measure of justice for communities, wildlife and habitats. However, the urgent need for restoration is still unfulfilled.
- See more at: http://www.mississippiriverdelta.org/blog/2014/04/17/gulf-oil-disasters-impacts-to-wildlife-and-habitat-still-unaddressed-four-years-later/#sthash.Aciosrxp.dpuf

The Green Minute: Myths Of Recycling, Part One ~Chrystal White, WWNO

Outnumber Hunger concert helps local food banks

Folk rocker Todd Snider adjusts to degenerative arthritis ~Alex Rawls

Restoring Louisiana's Coast Will Require Restoring Its Democracy -- Governor Jindal Is Trying to Undermine Both~Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

BP oil spill cleanup will continue, Coast Guard tells state coastal authority ~Mark Schleifstein

James Gill: Fair Grounds not what it used to be

City, sheriff's office reach settlement on Death Jail consent decree

Could the Bible become the new "State Book" of Louisiana? ~WVUE

Decades-old Lakeshore Drive weekend motorist ban lifted ~WWLTV

Neil DeGrasse Tyson at Tulane ~NOLA-dishu

Today in New Orleans ~NOLA DEFENDER

Rep the Who Dat Nation at Earth Day!

~Check out the Silent Auction tent for all the Saints memorabilia the festival has to offer! Bid on a signed Drew Brees football, a signed Willie Roaf photo, or a signed Morten Andersen photo. Show your Saints pride and support the Louisiana Bucket Brigade at the same time!

Dozens pack tense meeting on fracking in Mandeville ~WWLTV

Live blog: Senate committee considers bill giving governor more control over levee board ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens

Southeast Authority bill rewritten, gives more power to Jindal ~Marsha Shuler, The Advocate

Judge to hold hearing on who should pay for prison changes

Why New Orleans Should Invest in a CBD Transit Hub ~Ride New Orleans

RTA wants to build transit hub in downtown New Orleans ~WVUE

‘Dine & dash’ — for a ferry that is — after visiting these Algiers Point bars and eateries ~Ian McNulty, New Orleans Advocate

Hogs for the Cause raises over $1 million pediatric brain cancer ~WWLTV

BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill main focus of coastal board meeting Wednesday: Live coverage ~Mark Schleifstein

Study finds high rates of depression, anxiety among Gulf oil spill cleanup workers ~Jennifer Larino

BP finds a friend in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — but look who gets screwed ~Tom Young, The Lens

Barataria Bay, 4 Years After The Deepwater Horizon Disaster ~Eileen Flemming, WWNO

Senate OKs bill to sidetrack levee lawsuits ~Marsha Schuler, The Advocate

Letter: Sen. Mary Landrieu should let coastal erosion lawsuit go ahead

New Facebook group seeks to oust James Gray from New Orleans city council

BP ends 'active cleanup' of Louisiana's coast, nearly four years after 2010 spill ~Manuel Torres

Stephanie Grace: Bills aim to short-circuit judicial system

Letter: Anti-lawsuit politician/columnist from Alabama confused on coastal case ~John Barry

Jeanie Riess on the lack of bus stop infrastructure at the Canal Street transfer hub ~Gambit

Public Demo Aims to Improve CBD Transit Hub ~NOLA DEFENDER

Owen Courreges: Freret bus line sacrificed to prop up new Loyola Avenue streetcar numbers ~Uptown Messenger

Who Will Pay To Restore Land Damaged By Oil and Gas? You or Oil and Gas? ~LEAN

“Pancake” Could be on Saints’ Menu in Draft’s Early Rounds ~HarahanWhoDat, Saints Tailgate

Landrieu looking for three tax increases to pay for consent decrees, pensions ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens 

State employee or Jindal campaign worker? ~C.B.Forgotston

Local teens team up to organize peace rally against violence ~WWLTV

Mid-City residents & businesses raising money to install crime cameras ~WVUE

TUCP Direction Presents: A lecture by Neil deGrasse Tyson

N.O., BR make list of nation's top 20 allergenic cities ~New Orleans Advocate

Study: Maritime Jobs Pump $11.3 Billion Annually Into Louisiana Economy ~gCaptain

USDA lending $8.5M to 2 Louisiana businesses ~WDSU

Vermilionville event focuses on protecting our rivers ~Bill Decker, The Advertiser

Louisiana Earth Day in Baton Rouge

New Orleans Earth Day Festival & Green Business Expo

Broken system produces 11-day season for recreational anglers ~Coastal Conservation Association

Dear Editilla, help Louisiana stop Senate Bill 553!

The vote Monday on the Senate floor will set the tone for the rest of the session! It's absolutely critical that we stop Senator Adley's bill SB 553.

SB 553 will halt the SLFPAE lawsuit if passed through process and not ruled unconstitutional in court.

We need your strong grass roots effort between now and Monday evening!

Please pick up the phone and call these four State Senators and ask the staffer to leave a message.

Sen Dale Erdey (225) 686-2881 
Sen David Heitmeir (504) 361-6356
Sen A.J. Crowe (985) 643-3600
Sen Conrad Appel (504) 838-5550

Tell the staffer this: I would like to leave a message for the Senator urging him to vote against SB 553 because it will dismantle the good government that citizens voted for after the levees broke.

It is critical that you make your phone call by 3 PM Monday April 14.

Want to do more? Please send a letter to your state senator urging him or her to vote against SB 553.

http://go.levees.org/SB-553

SB 553–filed by a northern senator–would restrict the ability of the new Flood Authority to hire qualified attorneys without the Governor's approval. Most importantly, it would undermine the Flood Authority's existing lawsuit already filed against Big Oil.

Thank you for your support of Levees.org.

With your help, we're winning.

Sandy Rosenthal
Founder, Levees.org

9th Ward Festival! Today, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, 4219 Urquhart St.

Atlanta firefighter killed in New Orleans bike wreck ~Alexis Stevens, ajc.com

Fest season floods market with illegal short-term rentals ~Scott Satchfield, WVUE

Survey: New Orleanians like cops better ~John Simerman, New Orleans Advocate

Home & Garden Events calender for today 

We Won't Bow Down, Mardi Gras Indian Doc Explores Untold Stories Over 8 Years ~M.D. Dupuy, NOLA DEFENDER 

*

Letter: Residents’ opposition to Holy Cross plans falls on deaf ears ~New Orleans Advocate

BP oil spill choked off important pelican nesting sites on Louisiana coast ~Bob Marshall, The Lens

City Council delays voting on Holy Cross proposal, Perez architects' petition contains forgeries ~New Orleans Advocate

Reward offered for information on bald eagle’s killing ~Advocate

Jackson Square artist permitting process criticized this French Quarter Festival

Four years after BP disaster, erosion quickens along Gulf shore

Mississippi River Is Ranked Third Most Endangered In The Country

Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival!!!

Shorter red snapper season ahead for Gulf Coast

City Council planned vote on Holy Cross development rescheduled ~WDSU
~Editilla Ho'tellas~ Notice how ReviveLower9, a paid PR group posing as a neighborhood org, has shifted framing their Butt Eye Condo Towers as Blight Fighting! Hahaha in'fucking'corrigible!

Holy Cross residents claim developer's petition has fake names, addresses ~WVUE

“PayLoo” and the Saints: A Model for Success ~Harahan WhoDat, Saints Tailgate

Conditions at Fair Grounds irk legislators; bill advances ~Michelle Millhollon, NO Advocate

Vance 'Pants' McAllister, R-Neaux Alibi, episode opens door to all kinds of political possibilities—but this could happen only in Louisiana ~Louisiana Voice

Landslide survivor: 'I was not letting that baby go' ~AP via WWLTV

On this day in 1864, the French Marquis de Lafayette arrived in Louisiana, setting the stage for French Quarter Fest ~NOLA Defender

9th Ward Festival, Saturday!

The 38 Essential New Orleans Restaurants ~Gwendolyn Knapp, Eater

Report: 'Oil is not gone; impacts to wildlife ongoing’ ~Amy Wold, The Advocate
~Dying dolphins, bluefin tuna embryos with heart defects and hundreds of dead sea turtles washing ashore are proof the BP oil spill is still hurting and killing wildlife four years after the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Wildlife Federation claims in a new report.
The report, “Four Years into the Gulf Oil Disaster: Still Waiting for Restoration,” includes a compilation of research so far about impacts of the oil disaster on 14 species around the Gulf of Mexico.

Prospect of oil/fracking well worries St. Tammany officials ~Faimon A. Roberts III
~The type of well Helis proposes would use hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, as a means of extracting the oil from the ground. In fracking, chemicals, water and sand are pumped into the ground to create fissures in the rock through which the oil or gas can be extracted. The process has been controversial as residents in some states have complained about effects on drinking water and other environmental impacts.
In this case, the well would puncture not just the top of the aquifer from which St. Tammany pulls its drinking water, but also the bottom, a fact that bothers Parish Councilman Jake Groby, in whose district the proposed drilling site lies.

Levee board lawyers offer to reduce fee to oil, gas defendants to settle lawsuit ~David Hammer, WWLTV

"The only conclusion by a trial judge in the state of Louisiana in the last 10 years, that I am aware of, that a lawsuit was frivolous was in LOGA's suit challenging the contract. It is nonsense for Senator Adley to use that line over and over that there's something illegal or untoward about those contracts." ~Gladstone Jones, lead attorney for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East

Concerns raised as company considers drilling site in St. Tammany ~Ashley Rodrigue, WWLTV

Newcomb Blvd. fence to come down after commission vote ~Robert Morris, Uptown Messenger

Minister Chance said Republican Vince "Tongue" McAllister’s District Office manager leaked the video

Legislators stall negotiations stall on issue of giving them to relatives ~WDSU

The 38 Essential New Orleans Restaurants ~Gwendolyn Knapp, Eater

Crescent City Homebrewer's Flea Market and Pig Roast ~Beer Buddha

French Quarter Feast ~NOLA DEFENDER

Residents settle for $48 million in one Texas Brine Sinkhole lawsuit ~David J. Mitchell, The Advocate

Battle Brewing In Holy Cross Over Proposed Riverfront Highrise Condos ~Karen Gadois, The Lens via WWNO

~“When it became clear to them that they were not going to be getting community support , they needed to create something that would allow them to manufacture the illusion of community support,” Lower 9 resident Sarah DeBacher said.
The illusion of community support included a website created by the developer called “Revive Lower 9”. At first glance, it seems to be a general interest site dedicated to the revival of the neighborhood.  But it’s actually part of the developer’s PR campaign devised to generate support for the condos.
Oddly, a news article promoting the project appeared in a student newspaper in Massachussetts and was later retracted because of a conflict of interest. It turns out, the author of the article works for the PR company [Velocity Agency] that Angela O’Byrne, president of Perez APC, hired to run the PR campaign. Petitions in support of the project included properties with falsified information.

~Special thanks to Lower 9 Vision Coalition for this fine poster!

Holy Cross "residents" say PR campaign is ginning up support for riverfront development ~Karen Gadbois, The Lens

****This comes up before the City Council on Thursday.
Please urge council members to VOTE NO, AGAINST RIVERFRONT CONDO TOWERS  IN HOLY CROSS!

		President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson City Hall, Room 2W50 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1070 Fax: (504) 658-1077 jbclarkson@nola.gov				Vice President Stacy Head City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 shead@nola.gov
		District "A" Susan G. Guidry City Hall, Room 2W80 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1010 Fax: (504) 658-1016 sgguidry@nola.gov				District "B" LaToya Cantrell City Hall, Room 2W10 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025 lcantrell@nola.gov
		District "C" Kristin Gisleson Palmer City Hall, Room 2W70 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037 kgpalmer@nola.gov				District "D" Cynthia Hedge-Morrell City Hall, Room 2W20 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048 chmorrell@nola.gov
		District "E" James Austin Gray II City Hall, Room 2W60 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058 jagray@nola.gov

Sen. Mary Landrieu treading oil and water in debate over levee board lawsuit ~Melinda Deslatte, AP via Shreveport Times

Damning Photos Reveal Wetlands Loss Due To Oil and Gas Pipelines ~Jonathan Henderson, Gulf Restoration Network

Oil, gas lawsuit asking industry to fix pipeline damage to Louisiana coast as promised: John Barry~There's a lot of misinformation that has been spread about the lawsuit the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East filed against 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies to make them restore the part of the coast they damaged. Here's the truth: Far from being radical, the lawsuit represents the most conservative values in America. It asks the industry to do what parents are supposed to teach their kids: Keep your word, obey the law and take responsibility for your actions.
The industry has done none of those things.

Oil and gas interests have no better friend in Baton Rouge than the combative Sen. Adley ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens

Court ruling may lead to higher taxes for salt caverns ~David J. Mitchell, The Advocate

Steep Flood Insurance Rate Hikes has Roots in Corps’ Levee Mistakes ~Levees.org

New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic hosts series of hearing-loss prevention events to keep the city listening ~Jessica Taylor, Uptown Messenger

Groups Working To Connect 9th Ward Split By Industrial Canal ~Eileen Flemming, WWNO

Celebrate Earth Day 2014 at Louis Armstrong Park on Sat, April 19th, 10 am to 7:30 pm!

If Legislature forbids levee lawsuits, Louisiana taxpayers will pay the price of coastal repairs: Mark Davis

Live blog: Committee sends new nominee to governor for east bank levee board ~Bob Marshall, The Lens

South Atlantic Council Overturns Gulf Council’s Mackerel Fishing Dates ~Gulf Seafood Institute

Entrepreneurship is Not a Resilience Strategy ~Nathan C. Martin, Next City

New Orleans to be home to nation’s first all-charter school district ~Aljazeera

Six months of talks on WTC building have produced no agreement ~Jaquetta White, New Orleans Advocate

Newcomb Blvd: wealthy residents continue fight for street closure ~Robert Morris, Uptown Messenger

New Charges in Film Tax Credit Case Involving Esplanade Ave. Mansion ~Steven Babcock, NOLA DEFENDER

Terrebonne fights plan for oilfield wastewater well ~WWL

A festival for making things hopes to launch a movement in New Orleans ~Mark Waller

Spring Garden Show attracts experts and newbies alike ~Della Hasselle

Second line Sunday: Old & Nu Style second line parade ~Big Red Cotton, Gambit

After pillaging state coffers Bobbly Jindal orders spending freeze to avoid shortfall

Jindal’s sneak attack on public ~C.C. Forgotston

As Louisiana’s coast disappears, so does landowners’ money ~Peter Moskowitz, Aljazeera

Don’t expect a safe, humane Orleans Parish Prison any time soon; here’s why ~Michael Avery, The Lens

New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward: The Pitt Houses Revisited – Can Brad Really Make it Right ~Brian Beinvenu, NotesOnNewOrleans.net

Shrimp prices jump, but supply OK for Lent ~WWLTV 

Crawfish Increasing After Cold Weather Slump ~Kailyn Davillier, NOLA DEFENDER

This Simple Trailer Has Everything You Need to Deal With Disaster~Alexander George, Wired
~Hat Tweet @Noladishu

Champ Bailey agrees to 2-year deal with Saints, source says ~Ramon Antonio Vargas, New Orleans Advocate

Champ Bailey: 'I’m going to try to be a part of something special' ~Saints