In the News

How the Bonne Carre Spillway helps raise hurricane levees

The Bonnet Carre Spillway’s primary purpose is to defend New Orleans against Mississippi River flooding. But it also plays a little-known and “dirty” role in hurricane defense.

Since 1985, the spillway has provided clay to build up nearby levees.

The next excavation is expected to provide more than 500,000 cubic yards of clay to raise the levees in east St. Charles Parish.

The job is expected to begin in May.

“The clay will be used to restore about eight to 10 miles of levee from the spillway guide to the Louis Armstrong International Airport to an average – and authorized – height of 13 feet,” Marti Lucore, an Army Corps of Engineers project manager, said.

April is ‘Child Abuse Prevention Month’ in Louisiana

Gov. Kathleen Blanco has declared April ‘Child Abuse Prevention Month’ to raise awareness that prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

The problem is serious. The state Department of Social Services investigated 23,388 allegations of abuse in 2006.

Of that number, 13,729, that’s over half, were considered to be valid, representing 10,525 children.

Marketa Garner-Gautreau, assistant secretary of the state’s Office of Children’s Services, emphasized that abuse has no social boundaries and occurs within all income ranges.

Children are mistreated most frequently when their caretakers become overwhelmed and don’t know how to cope, she said.

Blanco said: “Each and every one of us must get involved in the protection of children.

“We can make a difference not only by reporting suspected abuse and neglect, but also by nurturing communities that actively support families.”

Garner-Gautreau added that the effects of abuse are long-lasting and devastating.

Big movie studio and complex is coming to Louisiana

River Studios, a 925,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art film complex, is coming to Baton Rouge.

That means movie star hopefuls living in St. Charles Parish are just two hours away from trying out for roles in films and jobs in media production.

“This will be the largest studio east of the Mississippi,” State Sen. Robert M. Marionneaux Jr. said. “Louisiana will be known as the movie mecca of the South once the studio is completed.”

Children’s Hospital opens amputee clinic

Children’s Hospital in New Orleans has opened an amputee clinic to help kids who are missing arms and legs.

“This population has very specialized needs,” Dr. Maurice Sholas, pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist for the clinic, said.

“The best thing about the clinic is that it gets kids and parents around other kids and parents with amputation or limb deficiencies.”

The clinic will treat patients the second Wednesday of every month from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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