A preliminary settlement in the class-action lawsuit against Bob Dean and the botched nursing home evacuation during Hurricane Ida has been reached. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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The attorney for a woman who was refused an abortion in Louisiana even though her fetus has an unformed skull is calling on the legislature to hold a special session and clarify the law. Marsanne Golsby has more.
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The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources announces a 25-million dollar grant from the federal government that will go towards cleaning up abandoned wells. D-N-R spokesperson Patrick Courreges says they can begin spending the money on October 1st
Cut 3 (10) “…really well”
D-N-R says Louisiana’s orphaned well count is around 45-hundred. That number has grown considerably in recent years due to operators going out of business or abandoning the site due to state regulations.
Courreges says the federal funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and the federal government has indicated states will receive additional funding in the coming months….
Cut 4 (11) “…dealing with.”
Most of the orphaned wells are in north Louisiana with 31 hundred of the 45-hundred current abandoned well sites in the Shreveport and Monroe areas. Courreges says these wells become an environmental hazard over time…
Cut 5 (09) “..methane.”
DNR is seeking qualified contractors to plug, cap and reclaim these orphaned wells.
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A preliminary settlement has been reached in the class-action lawsuit against Bob Dean over the evacuation of more than 800 nursing home patients to a warehouse last year during Hurricane Ida. Blair Constant, one of the attorneys representing patients, says a trial date of October 3rd has been set.
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Which equates to approximately $17- thousand for each patient.
The class-action lawsuit is seeking restitution for the 843 nursing home residents who experienced deplorable conditions at the Tangipahoa warehouse after the category 4 storm made landfall a year ago Monday. Constant says reaching a settlement in such a short time frame is rare.
Cut 7 (08) “…from now.”
Family members of some of the nursing home patients appeared at a news conference Thursday and while many said no amount of money can make up for the suffering caused by Dean, Constant says they hope this keeps others from suffering in the future.
Cut 8 (08) “…happen again.”
Dean has since lost his nursing home licenses and is also facing other civil and criminal lawsuits.
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Attorney Ben Crump is calling on the state Legislature to hold a special session to address the state’s abortion ban law. Crump represents Nancy Davis who was denied an abortion in Louisiana despite being told her baby had Acrania, a lethal condition for the fetus in which the skull does not fully form. Crump says this is the type of medical exemption in which an abortion should be allowed in Louisiana.
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Davis says doctors were afraid of being charged criminally if they performed the abortion, so she’s going out of state next week to have a two-day procedure. Davis appeared at the press conference with her partner and three children. She says the ordeal has been heartbreaking and mentally exhausting.
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Louisiana law imposes harsh penalties on doctors who perform newly-illegal abortions. Doctors can face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Crump says the Legislature needs to act as soon as possible because of other women in similar situations who will suffer if the law isn’t changed.
Cut 11 (10) “.beautiful mother”
The governor’s office has not said if Governor Edwards is considering calling a special session to clarify the law.
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A petition to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been filed with the Secretary of State’s Office, as she faces criticism for a taxpayer funded trip to France. Also Cantrell showed up in court in support of a 14-year-old convicted carjacker and his family. Stephanie Uddo was one of his victims, and says Cantrell’s appearance was an unpleasant surprise…:
Cut 12 (09) “….for us.”
The recall petition claims that Cantrell has shown a “failure to put New Orleans first and execute the responsibilities of the position.”
Wednesday afternoon, Cantrell addressed growing anger about her choice. She said the teen’s family asked for her support. Of the victims, Cantrell said, “I did say God bless you, that means something to me, may be not to you, but that means something to me.” Uddo says that felt to her like an attack, and she feels victimized all over again…:
Cut 13 (10) “as a weapon.”
The mayor says she “didn’t take sides”, but Uddo disagrees. Uddo says Cantrell reached out to the perpetrator and his family, but never her. The mayor’s office says she didn’t know how. Uddo says Cantrell apparently didn’t want to
Cut 14 (13) “..poor explanation.”
Uddo and other victims would like an apology from Cantrell. The recall effort must garner signatures from 20% of people eligible to vote in Orleans Parish within 6 months to get on a ballot.