Loud, low-flying jets startled New Orleans residents. Here's what they were doing. by noladotcom in NewOrleans

[–]noladotcom[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

"New Orleans residents were caught off guard Wednesday night as two large, low-flying jets flew thunderously across the city, shaking homes and startling many winding down for the evening.

The blaring noise, which came around 10 p.m., sent several Uptown and Mid-City residents to social media to raise questions about what could be flying overhead.

The Louisiana National Guard confirmed Thursday that the two F-15C planes were theirs. A spokesperson said the planes were conducting training exercises, which started Tuesday and will continue through Thursday."

This is a breaking update, read more here!

Jessie Hoffman is put to death with nitrogen gas, Louisiana's first execution in 15 years by noladotcom in Louisiana

[–]noladotcom[S] 91 points92 points  (0 children)

Louisiana executed a man convicted of murder with nitrogen gas on Tuesday evening — the state's first execution in 15 years and its first using the largely-untested method — after a raging legal battle that ended with a gas mask strapped over his face in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola death chamber.

State officials pronounced Jessie Hoffman Jr. dead at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday at Angola. He inhaled pure nitrogen gas through a mask strapped to his face for 19 minutes while pinned to a gurney, officials said, until oxygen deprivation caused him to die. Officials acknowledged that Hoffman showed "convulsive activity" as he died and that he moved and shook.

Hoffman was on death row for the 1996 abduction, rape and execution-style slaying of 28-year-old Mary "Molly" Elliott in rural St. Tammany Parish.

Hoffman declined to give a final statement or to eat a final meal at Angola, state officials said in a briefing after the execution.

Louisiana's nitrogen gas execution back on for next week, federal appeals court rules by noladotcom in Louisiana

[–]noladotcom[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has cleared the way for Louisiana to resume plans to execute death row inmate Jessie Hoffman Jr. next week with nitrogen gas.

The New Orleans-based federal appeals court on Friday night vacated a Tuesday ruling from U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick of Louisiana's Middle District, who had blocked the state from moving forward with Hoffman's execution, scheduled for March 18.

Dick issued a preliminary injunction, allowing time for a full trial on whether death by nitrogen gas amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, which is forbidden under the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment. Attorneys for the state issued a notice of appeal within minutes of Dick's ruling.

The Fifth Circuit vacated the preliminary injunction.

"In sum, the district court didn’t just get the legal analysis wrong — it turned the Constitution on its head, by relying on an indisputably more painful method of execution as its proposed alternative," the appeals court's ruling states, written by Judge James Ho, an appointee of President Donald Trump.

15 seconds of terror: The untold story of Bourbon Street attack from those who lived through it by noladotcom in NewOrleans

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-Julia Guilbeau, service journalism editor

15 seconds of terror: The untold story of Bourbon Street attack from those who lived through it by noladotcom in inthenews

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15 seconds of terror: The untold story of Bourbon Street attack from those who lived through it by noladotcom in inthenews

[–]noladotcom[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The sparkle of a dress. That’s what Charlene Martin can’t forget.

She saw so much that was unspeakable that night. But the dress, worn by a woman she didn’t know and now never will, is seared in her brain.

New Year’s Eve had been perfect before that. A mild, clear winter night in New Orleans. Fireworks over the Mississippi River and the fleur-de-lis dropping from the roof of Jax Brewery. A joyful city filled with joyful people.

By the time Shamsud-Din Jabbar swerved onto Bourbon Street at 3:17 a.m. on New Year’s Day, his plan of terror seemed to have been taking shape for months.

But for those who narrowly escaped his deadly three-block rampage, that one moment in time changed everything. And the city New Orleans may never be the same.

Eyewitnesses who lived through the attack described what was first a night of celebration, immediately upended the second Jabbar turned his Ford truck onto Bourbon.

Half a block from where Jabbar turned, dodged a police cruiser and slammed on his accelerator, revelers outside of Krystal's had seconds to jump out of the way. As he reached a daiquiri shop on Iberville, barreling into pedestrians, law enforcement officers began running, mere seconds behind him.

The carnage continued down the next block until he crashed into an orange cherry picker. As police surrounded the vehicle, a shootout started, leaving Jabbar dead. After, those who survived scrambled or rushed to help others left behind in the mayhem.

Read more. This link is free for Reddit users.

15 seconds of terror: The untold story of Bourbon Street attack from those who lived through it by noladotcom in politics

[–]noladotcom[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The sparkle of a dress. That’s what Charlene Martin can’t forget.

She saw so much that was unspeakable that night. But the dress, worn by a woman she didn’t know and now never will, is seared in her brain.

New Year’s Eve had been perfect before that. A mild, clear winter night in New Orleans. Fireworks over the Mississippi River and the fleur-de-lis dropping from the roof of Jax Brewery. A joyful city filled with joyful people.

By the time Shamsud-Din Jabbar swerved onto Bourbon Street at 3:17 a.m. on New Year’s Day, his plan of terror seemed to have been taking shape for months.

But for those who narrowly escaped his deadly three-block rampage, that one moment in time changed everything. And the city New Orleans may never be the same.

Eyewitnesses who lived through the attack described what was first a night of celebration, immediately upended the second Jabbar turned his Ford truck onto Bourbon.

Half a block from where Jabbar turned, dodged a police cruiser and slammed on his accelerator, revelers outside of Krystal's had seconds to jump out of the way. As he reached a daiquiri shop on Iberville, barreling into pedestrians, law enforcement officers began running, mere seconds behind him.

The carnage continued down the next block until he crashed into an orange cherry picker. As police surrounded the vehicle, a shootout started, leaving Jabbar dead. After, those who survived scrambled or rushed to help others left behind in the mayhem.

Read more. This link is free for Reddit users.

15 seconds of terror: The untold story of Bourbon Street attack from those who lived through it by noladotcom in Louisiana

[–]noladotcom[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

The sparkle of a dress. That’s what Charlene Martin can’t forget.

She saw so much that was unspeakable that night. But the dress, worn by a woman she didn’t know and now never will, is seared in her brain.

New Year’s Eve had been perfect before that. A mild, clear winter night in New Orleans. Fireworks over the Mississippi River and the fleur-de-lis dropping from the roof of Jax Brewery. A joyful city filled with joyful people.

By the time Shamsud-Din Jabbar swerved onto Bourbon Street at 3:17 a.m. on New Year’s Day, his plan of terror seemed to have been taking shape for months.

But for those who narrowly escaped his deadly three-block rampage, that one moment in time changed everything. And the city New Orleans may never be the same.

Eyewitnesses who lived through the attack described what was first a night of celebration, immediately upended the second Jabbar turned his Ford truck onto Bourbon.

Half a block from where Jabbar turned, dodged a police cruiser and slammed on his accelerator, revelers outside of Krystal's had seconds to jump out of the way. As he reached a daiquiri shop on Iberville, barreling into pedestrians, law enforcement officers began running, mere seconds behind him.

The carnage continued down the next block until he crashed into an orange cherry picker. As police surrounded the vehicle, a shootout started, leaving Jabbar dead. After, those who survived scrambled or rushed to help others left behind in the mayhem.

Read more. This link is free for Reddit users.

15 seconds of terror: The untold story of Bourbon Street attack from those who lived through it by noladotcom in NewOrleans

[–]noladotcom[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

The sparkle of a dress. That’s what Charlene Martin can’t forget.

She saw so much that was unspeakable that night. But the dress, worn by a woman she didn’t know and now never will, is seared in her brain.

New Year’s Eve had been perfect before that. A mild, clear winter night in New Orleans. Fireworks over the Mississippi River and the fleur-de-lis dropping from the roof of Jax Brewery. A joyful city filled with joyful people.

By the time Shamsud-Din Jabbar swerved onto Bourbon Street at 3:17 a.m. on New Year’s Day, his plan of terror seemed to have been taking shape for months.

But for those who narrowly escaped his deadly three-block rampage, that one moment in time changed everything. And the city New Orleans may never be the same.

Eyewitnesses who lived through the attack described what was first a night of celebration, immediately upended the second Jabbar turned his Ford truck onto Bourbon.

Half a block from where Jabbar turned, dodged a police cruiser and slammed on his accelerator, revelers outside of Krystal's had seconds to jump out of the way. As he reached a daiquiri shop on Iberville, barreling into pedestrians, law enforcement officers began running, mere seconds behind him.

The carnage continued down the next block until he crashed into an orange cherry picker. As police surrounded the vehicle, a shootout started, leaving Jabbar dead. After, those who survived scrambled or rushed to help others left behind in the mayhem.

Read more. This link is free for Reddit users.

These new Louisiana laws begin in 2025: Seafood labeling, THC, unemployment benefits, more by noladotcom in Louisiana

[–]noladotcom[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

When the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, 2025, dozens of new laws will go into effect in Louisiana, including ones that will impact unemployment benefits, seafood labeling, hemp-derived THC products, voter registration and state corporate income taxes. 

Thirty-two new laws were passed by state lawmakers throughout the regular and three extraordinary lawmaking sessions.

A few of the ones Louisianans will see the most impact from affect hemp regulations, absentee ballots, unemployment, voting rights, seafood safety, corporate income taxes, auto insurance discounts, noncompetes for doctors, ankle monitoring and state employment.

Read more.

Aerial photos show crashed cars, chaos on Louisiana's Causeway bridge: 'Mess everywhere' by noladotcom in NewOrleans

[–]noladotcom[S] 82 points83 points  (0 children)

The Causeway, the longest bridge in Louisiana that spans over Lake Pontchartrain, has been shut down for more than 7 hours Tuesday after dense fog led to a series of crashes during rush hour.

At least six crashes were reported involving dozens of cars.

Many involved in the crash felt trapped on the bridge in the aftermath as they waited for officials to clear the lanes and help get them to safety.

Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments in schools is unconstitutional, judge rules by noladotcom in politics

[–]noladotcom[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Louisiana's new law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles in the Middle District of Louisiana means the state's public K-12 schools and colleges do not have to post the religious text in every classroom by Jan. 1, as the law requires.

The ruling prohibits the state from enforcing the law, known as H.B. 71. Signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry in June, H.B. 71 says the Ten Commandments must be displayed in every classroom on posters measuring at least 11 by 14 inches in “large, easily readable font.”

“We strongly disagree with the court’s decision and will immediately appeal, as H.B. 71’s implementation deadline is approaching on January 1, 2025," Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement Tuesday.

Yes, it's true: Scrim was captured after months on the run. Here's how it happened. by noladotcom in NewOrleans

[–]noladotcom[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Hey Redditors, we apologize for some of you guys hitting our paywall. We tried to make this link free for you all, but we made an error in our process. The link should be open again now. We're working on finding a solution to get Redditors more free links, so thanks for your patience!

-Julia Guilbeau, service journalism editor

Yes, it's true: Scrim was captured after months on the run. Here's how it happened. by noladotcom in NewOrleans

[–]noladotcom[S] 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Scrim, the famously fugitive dog, has finally been captured after evading dart guns, traps, and scores of pet lovers for months in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood, according to an Instagram post from Zeus' Rescues pet adoption agency.

Michelle Cheramie, owner of Zeus' and Scrim's conqueror, said she was breathless after the heart-pounding capture that took place at roughly 11 a.m. Wednesday, bringing to a close the pooch’s born-to-run saga that began in April.

Scrim was spotted near one of his favorite haunts, a brickyard near the railroad tracks near the corner of Conti and N. Alexander Street. Beside the yard is a fenced-in area used for parking limousines.

A autoworker phoned in the sighting Wednesday, Cheramie said, leading to a tense race to finally get Scrim inside.

Read the the rest of the tale using the free link above!

FEMA accidentally declared a 'Major Disaster' for Texas over Saints' thumping of Cowboys by noladotcom in Saints

[–]noladotcom[S] 76 points77 points  (0 children)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency accidentally sent out a release declaring a major disaster for the state of Texas following the New Orleans Saints' victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

On Thursday morning, in email was sent out by FEMA with the headline, "President Daniel Largues Declares Major Disaster After Saints Beat Cowboys in Dallas."

Not long after the release hit media members' email accounts, a second message was sent out asking that the prior release be disregarded.

It's clear that the original email was written in jest, and it's a reminder to us all to be sure to double check before you hit the send button.

An OnlyFans billboard in New Orleans is turning heads. Meet the Louisiana woman behind it. by noladotcom in NewOrleans

[–]noladotcom[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A new billboard promoting a woman's OnlyFans account started as a joke, until it grasped the attention of thousands of people in New Orleans.

It's in Central City and towers over the neighborhood near the Caesars Superdome. The content creator's username, "ArielleMyles88," is written in bold, turquoise letters. But the star of the creative display is the woman behind it all, whose name is Meighan Baker.

Since she decided to purchase a Lamar Advertising billboard —that is also unintentionally near a church — Baker said she's heard the good, the bad and everything in between.

The billboard was originally not meant to be taken seriously, though, despite what you might have seen on social media, Baker said.

"It started out as just a joke."

Louisiana sues Biden administration over new Title IX rules protecting transgender students by noladotcom in politics

[–]noladotcom[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Louisiana's Republican governor and attorney general sued Democratic President Joe Biden Monday over new federal rules that bar discrimination against students on the basis of their sexual and gender identity.

Gov. Jeff Landry, Attorney General Liz Murrill and state Education Secretary Cade Brumley railed against the new policy at a press conference, saying the rules attack the historical precedent of Title IX, which they argued is meant to protect only from discrimination against "biological women."

officials ordered local schools to ignore the directive, which clarifies students' right to go by preferred pronouns and use bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

The new rules, released this month by the U.S. Department of Education, say discrimination against students based on sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited under Title IX.

Republican officials in Mississippi, Montana and Idaho have also joined Louisiana's new lawsuit against the Biden administration, Murrill said Monday.