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Storm damage confirmed in Caldwell Parish, but from previous event

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www.youtube.com – KTVE – 2025-03-17 22:23:04

SUMMARY: Storm damage confirmed in Caldwell Parish stemmed from a previous event, not the recent weekend storms. The National Weather Service in Shreveport verified two brief EF1 tornadoes touched down during earlier storms on March 4th. The first tornado, near Vixon along Highway 4, caused minimal damage over 0.05 miles with peak winds of 88 mph. The second tornado occurred near Kelly off I-165, traveling 0.44 miles with winds of 100 mph, damaging a hay barn and a family home. Ongoing surveys aim to assess any additional damage from the recent storms. Updates will follow.

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After the weekends storms, the national weather service in Shreveport sent teams out to do storm damage surveys. they were able to confirm that 2 brief EF1 tornadoes touched down in Caldwell Parish. Caldwell Parish did see a few tornado warnings on the morning of Saturday, March 15th, however after careful analysis from the National Weather Service in Shreveport, the new thought is that the confirmed tornadoes happened on a previous event on March 4th.

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Trump administration to investigate Tulane for DEI policy, practices

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lailluminator.com – Piper Hutchinson – 2025-03-17 15:36:00

Trump administration to investigate Tulane for DEI policy, practices

by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
March 17, 2025

The U.S. Department of Education is launching investigations into Tulane University and 44 other colleges and universities as part of President Donald Trump’s backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) measures. 

The investigation, which is being conducted by the department’s Office of Civil Rights, comes a month after the department sent a non-legally binding “dear colleagues” letter warning that schools could lose federal funding if they did not discontinue diversity, equity and inclusion practices and is part of the Trump administration’s larger backlash against DEI. 

Tulane, a private university in New Orleans, is alleged to use “race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs,” according to a media release from the U.S. Department of Education. 

“We are aware of the announcement and prepared to respond to investigators and ensure we are complying with the law,” Tulane spokesman Mike Strecker said in a statement. “We’re committed to fostering a community where everyone can thrive, without bias for or against any groups.” 

The release specifically cites Tulane’s affiliation with the “Ph.D. Project” as the cause of the investigation. The Ph.D. Project is a nonprofit organization that partners with universities and industry to support students from underrepresented backgrounds.

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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.

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Midday Ark-La-Miss News Update: March 17, 2025

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www.youtube.com – KTVE – 2025-03-17 15:00:50

SUMMARY: In today’s Midday Ark-La-Miss update, West Monroe police are investigating a body found in a ditch near Shadow Creek Apartments, though details are limited. Arrests have been made in a shooting at Grambling State University on March 12, with three suspects identified. Mississippi’s governor declared a state of emergency following deadly storms that left six dead and multiple injuries across 21 counties. Tornadoes caused widespread damage, with some people still missing. The weather forecast predicts rising temperatures and breezy winds with a chance of showers mid-week. Stay tuned for updates, and remain safe.

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Midday Ark-La-Miss News Update: March 17, 2025

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Issues found with federal grants to Louisiana homeland security office | Louisiana

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Emilee Calametti | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-17 14:22:00

(The Center Square) — A recent audit reported that the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness did not comply with reporting requirements for the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act.

This is not the first instance either. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor noted that this is the second consecutive year that the homeland security office has not complied with specific reporting requirements in federal law — this year for two programs. 

According to the auditor’s office, the Hazard Mitigation Grant and Flood Mitigation Assistance programs must report specific information for obligating actions equal to or over $30,000 in federal funds for a subaward to a non-federal entity to the FFATA Subaward Reporting System no later than the end of the month following when the obligation was made. 

With these guidelines in place, four of 11 Hazard Mitigation Grant subawards tested totaling $3,898,561 were submitted 54 to 117 days after the due date. There were also 12 of 15 Flood Mitigation Assistance subawards tested totaling $21,245,124 submitted 115 to 176 days after the due date.

The Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant is a program under FEMA that provides resources and funding for communities seeking disaster preventative measures. The Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant is another FEMA program that provides funding to reduce the risk of flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

This is the second year the homeland security office has not complied with reporting guidelines for the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant. The auditor’s office addressed the consecutive years of noncompliance in their report after finding that management had not addressed the previous year.

“Our Corrective Action Plan from FY23 is being implemented; however, there are still issues beyond our control in the FSRS system, as far as permissions for more than one staff, as well as the report from homeland security office Grants working as it should,” Sandra Gaspard, assistant director of the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division, noted in the response to the audit.

The auditor’s office offered some recommendations in the report, including the homeland security office bolstering its internal controls. This would allow award information to be entered on time adhering to federal requirements. 

However, in the office’s response, Gaspard noted that the Federal Funding and Accountability and Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System is changing soon.

“FSRS is being retired this Spring, and the process for the new system entry will require an entirely new implementation plan,” said Gaspard.

The homeland security office anticipates its corrective action plan to be completed in 90 days. 

Emilee Ruth Calametti serves as staff reporter for The Center Square covering the Northwestern Louisiana region. She holds her M.A. in English from Georgia State University and soon, an additional M.A. in Journalism from New York University. Emilee has bylines in DIG Magazine, Houstonia Magazine, Bookstr, inRegister, The Click News, and the Virginia Woolf Miscellany. She is a Louisiana native with over seven years of journalism experience.

The post Issues found with federal grants to Louisiana homeland security office | Louisiana appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

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