Three tax preparers from Westwego are arrested on felony charges of defrauding the state’s disaster relief program. Starr Carbo, Johnnie Mae Ricard and Erica Williams all work for Global Tax Service in Jefferson Parish. Department of Revenue spokesman Byron Henderson says investigators learned they charged clients as much as $110, and inflated the value of losses when submitting for a refund on sales tax they paid on items lost during a declared disaster…:

CUT 13(04)      “…their client.”

All three are charged with Injuring Public Records.

Louisiana is receiving $134-million in federal funds to offset the effects of climate change and reduce chronic flooding. Louisiana Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says money will be spread out over the next five years, so the state is expected to receive 25 million dollars this fiscal year…:

CUT 04(05)      “…road elevations.”

Wilson says the money can also be used to update pumping capacity.

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon wants the state to set aside a pot of money to lure new insurance companies to Louisiana, just as it successfully did after the 2006 impact of Katrina and Rita. Since Ida last year and the storms of 2020, a number of insurers have left the state; leaving nearly 90-thousand homes and businesses scrambling for coverage with just weeks until the height of storm season. Donelon says he’ll ask the Governor and House & Senate leaders for the money, which could come from the huge sums of federal money flowing in for storm recovery and the pandemic…:

CUT 08(09)      “…to come write.”

State Police report a small plane crashed today ON an I-49 off-ramp near Cheneyville. The plane was dusting crops nearby and only the pilot was aboard. At this time, LSP has not released the pilot’s condition or what caused the plane to go down. The FAA will presumably take over the investigation.

LDH reports another 1500 new cases of COVID, with 686 currently hospitalized with symptoms. They also report 20 new COVID-related deaths.