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Israel intensifies strikes amid Iranian retaliation Top generals, scientists killed in Iran and nuclear sites hit, officials confirm
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Audit: La. DCFS vacancies remain high ‘High turnover, high burnout,’ former employee says
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD
Staff writer
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LEO CORREA
An explosion caused by a projectile strike illuminates the skyline in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Saturday. Iran retaliated against Israel’s blistering attacks on the heart of Iran’s nuclear and military structure on Friday. Iran launched scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below. BY JON GAMBRELL, JOSEF FEDERMAN and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran’s nuclear and military structure Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists — a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below.
earlier wave of missiles, to head to shelter. The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a wave was being launched. Associated Press journalists in Tel Aviv could see at least two Iranian missiles hit the ground, but there was no immediate word of casualties. “We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed,” ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in A firefighter calls out to his colleagues at the scene of an explosion in a residential compound in northern Tehran, Iran, a recorded message Friday in which he vowed revenge. on Friday following an attack by Israel. Iran’s U.N. ambassador said 78 people were killed and In a second round of at- booming in the sky over Je- more than 320 wounded in tacks, sirens and explo- rusalem early Saturday. The Israeli attacks. sions, possibly from Israeli Israeli military urged civilä See ISRAEL, page 5A interceptors, could be heard ians, already rattled by the
N.O. Fair Grounds seeks to ensure horse racing season Company failed to secure public subsidy from state legislators
Staff writer
PHOTO PROVIDED By LOU HODGES JR. The owner of the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is in “active Horses race at the Fair Grounds discussions” with state officials Race Course in New Orleans in to ensure that the upcoming 2023. The Fair Grounds owner horse racing season will proceed on schedule, a company spokes- says it’s in ‘active discussions’ to ensure there is a horse racing person said Friday. Churchill Downs Inc., which season this year. has owned the historic racetrack for the past two decades, operator’s license after the comhad asked the Louisiana State pany failed to secure a public Racing Commission earlier this subsidy from state legislators. week to call an emergency meetä See RACING, page 4A ing so that it could relinquish its
WEATHER HIGH 86 LOW 74 PAGE 10C
ä See VACANCIES, page 4A
Lafayette Parish schools change provider of health insurance Cost of claims, prescriptions had strained budgets
BY ANTHONY McAULEY
An audit shows that Louisiana’s child welfare staffing needs remain high despite years of criticism of the agency over employee shortages. The audit of the Louisiana Department of Children and Families Services’ Child Welfare Division said vacant staff positions have increased from 118 in fiscal year 2023 to 140 in February. The area seeing the most vacancies was frontline child welfare workers. The report said DCFS “has struggled to recruit and retain qualified Child Welfare staff due to the nature and difficulty of the job, along with a low salary.” The audit said unmet staffing needs of at least 129 workers existed across the nine child welfare regions for fiscal year 2024. The Alexandria and Covington regions had the highest staffing needs, with Alexandria needing 31 workers and Covington having a shortfall of 27. DCFS Secretary David Matlock, who was tapped Matlock to lead the department by Gov. Jeff Landry in 2023, wrote to the auditor agreeing with the analysis but said it doesn’t represent the true staffing need. Matlock said the numbers don’t account for new hires who are unable to carry a full caseload or for the cases that have to be transferred due to caseworkers going on extended leave, making it take longer to complete the work. The Child Welfare Division had 1,541 employees serving 4,400 children in foster care per month and conducting nearly 22,000 child protection investigations in fiscal year 2024, according to the audit. As of February, the staff total had decreased to 1,446. The Child Welfare Division includes programs such as child protective
BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer
Lafayette Parish school system employees and retirees will have a new third-party health insurance administrator after nearly 30 years with the same company. The School Board voted at its Thursday night meeting to allow Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr. to negotiate and enter into a contract with a new third-party administrator, or TPA. The item passed 8-1 with board member
David LeJeune being the only no nies were asked to use 2024 claim vote. information to estimate what the The school district, which self- claims would have cost if profunds its insurance, has worked cessed through them instead. with Louisiana Blue Louisiana Blue Cross Cross Blue Shield for Blue Shield, UMR by more than 30 years. United Healthcare and But in the past two Meritain Health by Aetyears, the costs of claims na were compared lookand prescription prices ing at characteristics has increased, causing including estimated savthe LPSS insurance fund ings, network and procosts to balloon, straining Touchet vider disruption, wheththe budget. er it required premium The district’s insurance or plan changes, and the advisory committee asked its in- type of network. Touchet told board members surance consultant, Gallagher, to request information form other during the meeting he would TPAs about claim costs and the start negotiations with Meritain. ability to directly contract with ä See INSURANCE, page 4A medical providers. The compa-
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100TH yEAR, NO. 349