News

It’s easy to tease out the artists who’ve inspired A.J. Croce’s singing over the years — Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Buddy Holly, even Ray Davies of The Kinks. He loves early rock n roll and R&B. So perhaps it’s ironic that A.J. rarely sounds like his father, singer-songwriter Jim Croce, who made his mark on music in the late 1960s and early 70s.

With nine albums to his credit and more than 20 years as a touring musician, A.J. Croce is his own man, performing his own music. And a devoted fan base has shown its appreciation for the genre-busting of the younger Croce.

Louisiana health officials say a Caddo Parish resident has died from the West Nile virus.

The individual who died was between 60 and 74 years old. Martha Whyte, public health chief in northwest Louisiana, told the Shreveport Times she could not provide other information, citing confidentiality rules.

The federal government has canceled $5.9 million in disaster loans given to Plaquemines Parish after Hurricane Katrina.

Parish President Billy Nungesser says the action was taken by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Nungesser says the parish now must repay the remaining $3 million of $8.9 million in special community disaster loans it received after the 2005 storm.

Nungesser says he plans to try to get the remaining amount forgiven.

New Orleans is nearing the end of a four-year process to update the master plan for zoning. The new comprehensive plan will update one that has been in place for more than 40 years.

South Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish has low unemployment — there are lots of jobs in offshore services. So many that there could be a shortage of locals with the skills needed. The Working Coast summer camp in Houma teaches kids about the big industries in their area, and aims to get them excited about those career paths.

About 30 kids hang their fishing poles over a small bridge outside the Water Life Museum in Houma, Louisiana. They’re enjoying their last day at the Working Coast Camp.

Welcome to the Coastal Rundown, a new series exploring the people, places, gear, facts and suggested resources across the Gulf Coast.

Meet: Austin Badon

City Council Representative, District 100

State Rep. (D), Chairman of the House Education Committee

Motto: “Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it.”

By Ian McNulty

New Orleans, La. –

I get pretty excited about going out for a Vietnamese meal. But I usually don't set an alarm for one. Still, that's just what I found myself doing before a recent visit to Pho Hoa, a casual Vietnamese noodle house in Harvey.

The vacuum created when NASA left the Michoud facility in New Orleans East has been filled by a range of new, innovative aero-space and robotic manufacturers. Among them, Crescent Unmanned Systems and NVision Solutions.

If you’ve ever driven through the Lower 9th Ward, you know that there is lots of land out there.

On this week’s Notes from New Orleans Sharon Litwin catches up with Lower Nine gardener Jenga Mwendo of the Backyard Gardeners Network about putting vacant lots to use and what’s been happening in her neighborhood since the last time the two of them talked.  

To read more about the Backyard Gardeners Network, visit NolaVie.com.

Scientists are getting a crystal-clear look at two historic vessels almost a mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico.

Pictures were taken from a pair of mini-subs tethered to explorer Robert Ballard’s vessel — the Nautilus.

They show small holes in a lifeboat that may have gone down with a passenger ship sunk in 1942 by a Nazi submarine. Or, it may have been scuttled after passengers and crew were rescued.

Interpretations differ.