Faith-based disaster relief groups balance COVID safety with speedy response to Hurricane Ida
RNS In the wake of Hurricane Ida, faith-based disaster relief groups are assessing damage, setting up mobile kitchens and preparing to send skilled volunteers to Louisiana, Mississippi and other states hit hard by the storm. Those groups began putting equipment and supplies into place before Ida made landfall on Sunday and have kept in constant […]
In the US, a judge refuses to toss case against defiant Louisiana pastor
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USAP A judge has refused to toss out six criminal complaints filed against a Louisiana pastor charged with violating coronavirus gathering capacity rules put in place during the early days of the pandemic. Nineteenth Judicial District Judge Eboni Johnson-Rose on Monday dismissed pastor Tony Spell’s motion to have the case against him […]
In the US, Louisiana man gets 25 years for torching three Baptist churches
Lafayette, Louisiana, USAP A Louisiana man who admitted to burning down three predominantly African American churches to promote himself as a “black metal” musician was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay the churches $US2.6 million. US District Judge Robert Summerhays of Lafayette sentenced Holden Matthews, giving the 23-year-old man credit […]
In the US, abortion foes vent disappointment after Supreme Court ruling
New York City, USAP Abortion opponents vented their disappointment and fury on Monday after the Supreme Court issued a five-to-four decision to strike down a Louisiana law that would have curbed abortion access. The ruling delivered a defeat to anti-abortion activists, but President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign quickly invoked it as part of a new appeal […]
Man arrested over three church fires in US state of Louisiana
A 21-year-old man, the son of a law enforcement officer, faces charges over three fires, believed to have been deliberately lit, at historically black churches in the US state of Louisiana, according to state authorities. The man, identified as Holden Matthews, of Opelousas, was booked into jail in relation to three counts of simple arson of […]
In first, Native American tribe displaced by sea gets land to relocate
Thomson Reuters Foundation A small Native American tribe in Louisiana whose land has nearly vanished into the sea has moved a step closer to relocating its community further inland after authorities acquired new land for the move, part of a first-of-its-kind project. The 208 hectares of farmland will be made available to members of the […]