Aid: Gov. John Bel Edwards says he’ll sign a state of emergency for Louisiana following Monday’s storms, WAFB-TV reports. Edwards said Wednesday he toured some of the impacted areas, calling them “catastrophic.” Despite the confirmed death in Vernon Parish, the governor says the state is fortunate that more lives were not lost during the severe weather. The declaration will allow hard-hit areas to qualify for federal or state financial aid for recovery. Read the full story.
Slave cemetery: Activists say Louisiana should reject the planned $9.4 billion Formosa Plastics complex to be built in St. James Parish, because at least one slave cemetery is on the grounds and others may be on recently purchased property that remains unstudied. The company, however, says it respects the one burial ground it has found and is working with state officials to protect it. Read the full story.
Only in Louisiana: A 60-foot-long wooden alligator as been constructed on the Mississippi River levee in Garyville in anticipation of the annual Christmas Eve bonfires in St. James and St. John parishes. The alligator is 25-feet at its widest. See photos here.
