Demolition in progress: Mayor Sid Edwards on Wednesday ordered the demolition of the abandoned Oyo Hotel at 10920 Mead Road. The blighted hotel was abandoned at least two years ago by its corporate owners and became a site for “squatters and criminal activities,” according to the mayor’s office. As the hotel was being prepared for demolition Tuesday, staff from the mayor’s Office of Homelessness Prevention encountered roughly 15 people living in the hotel. Those individuals are now being connected with addiction recovery, mental health and other services. Blight has been a signature issue for Edwards.
Grid’s next chapter: David LaCerte, a 2008 LSU Law graduate and one of five members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, will return to LSU on Thursday to discuss the future of U.S. energy policy, infrastructure and power markets. His lecture comes as the electric power sector faces rapidly rising demand from data centers, the need for new generation and transmission infrastructure, and challenges tied to renewable energy and potential electric vehicle growth. Confirmed to a second 10-year FERC term in May, LaCerte focuses on grid reliability, energy affordability and infrastructure modernization while supporting domestic energy development.
67,000 misclassified: A routine maintenance error by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office temporarily switched about 67,000 voters statewide to inactive status, with officials expecting to restore the correct status by Wednesday. The office said the mistake was caused by human error and will not affect voters’ eligibility or ability to cast a ballot, as inactive voters remain eligible under state law. Officials have added safeguards to prevent a repeat and encouraged voters to verify their registration information through the state’s voter portal or Geaux Vote app. Louisiana Illuminator has the full story.
