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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
W e d n e s d ay, J a n u a ry 14, 2026
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La. could get $350M in federal funds Hurricane, flood protection part of budget bills
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — Louisiana is poised to get hundreds of millions of dollars for stronger levees, flood walls, pumps and other projects to guard against hurricanes. The U.S. Senate is expected to consider this week three appropriations bills that have already cleared the House of Representatives. They include $356,523,193 in earmarks for 51 community projects in Louisiana. Roughly a third of that, $137.5 million, would be dedicated to construction and maintenance for the Morganza to the Gulf hurricane
protection system in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. Another $500,000 is for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study hurricane flooding on suburban northshore communities. And $3.25 million would augment the St. Tammany Parish Flood Management, a joint state-federal project already underway to prevent flooding in and around Slidell. “My top priorities in this bill are hurricane and flood protection,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson. “The bill we passed includes critical funding I included for Morganza to the Gulf and additional flood protection projects across southeast Louisi-
ana, which will better prepare our communities and protect the lives and livelihoods of the families who live here.” The “Community Project Funding” is part of three government spending bills the House passed Thursday with three weeks left to avoid another federal government shutdown on Jan. 30. The House has passed legislation to fund the work of roughly half the federal government. Another six spending bills are poised to be considered. The Senate is expected to take up the measures this week. If
STAFF FILE PHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING
The ‘Bubba Dove’ Floodgate in the Houma Navigation Canal is part of the ä See BUDGET, page 6A Morganza to the Gulf flood protection system.
Alumina plant secures $450 million investment
Doctor who mailed abortion pills to La. charged Medication sent from California to St. Tammany patient
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
the refinery extracts alumina from red bauxite ore. Alumina is smelted and used to make aluminum, and it also has a number of uses in the defense, aerospace and automotive supply chain. Over the years, alumina production has shifted to China because of what chemical industry officials have labeled as unfair trade practices. The Gramercy facility is the last alumina refinery in the U.S.
A California doctor has been accused of sending abortion pills to Louisiana and charged with a felony in St. Tammany Parish, and state officials want California to turn the doctor “This is over to Louisiana for prosecution. not health It’s the latest care; front in a growing it’s drug national debate — dealing. ” with Louisiana at the center — over LIZ MURRILL, how states that Louisiana ban using drugs attorney for abortions can general enforce their laws against doctors in states that have kept the practice legal. Attorney General Liz Murrill on Tuesday announced her office brought charges against Remy Coeytaux, a doctor in Sonoma County, for the crime of abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs. Gov. Jeff Landry signed an extradition request on Tuesday, a spokesperson said. Murrill said her office is committed to pursuing “individuals who flagrantly and intentionally violate our laws by sending illegal abortion pills into our state, placing women in danger.” “This is not health care; it’s drug dealing,” she said in a statement.
ä See ALUMINA, page 8A
ä See ABORTION, page 10A
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE
The Atalco Gramercy complex in St. James Parish
Environmental improvements set to boost Gramercy facility BY TIMOTHY BOONE
Staff writer
Private equity companies and the federal government are planning to make a $450 million investment in the Atlantic Alumina plant near Gramercy, a move officials say will allow the facility to boost production and clean up long-standing environmental issues. Concord Resource Holdings and its majority shareholder, Pinnacle Asset
Management, will put up more than $300 million for the plant, and the Department of Defense will invest $150 million, said David LaPlante, a consultant working on the project. The money will allow Atalco to bring alumina production up to the 1 million pounds it is capable of delivering. Right now, the plant is producing below that level due to attrition of equipment, LaPlante said. Founded in 1959 by Kaiser Aluminum,
EBR School Board approves one charter school, rejects another BY CHARLES LUSSIER
evaluator. “You will get to know me very quickly. This is something I’m very A new elementary school, com- passionate about, so buckle up,” plete with a working farm, is on said founder Sarah Schnauder. The East Baton Rouge Parish track to open in Baton Rouge in the fall after winning preliminary School Board on Thursday tentaapproval to operate, despite a neg- tively OK’d the proposed Harvest ative review by an independent Commons School in a 6-3 vote Staff writer
WEATHER HIGH 64 LOW 33 PAGE 8B
while unanimously rejecting a bid to create another elementary school in town to be called Community Roots Leadership Academy. The board is expected to ratify its choices on Jan. 22 when it holds its regular monthly meeting. Community Roots Leadership Academy has the right to appeal
a denial to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, or BESE. If the appeal is successful, Community Roots would receive a Type 2 charter, which would allow it enroll students from anywhere in Louisiana. The leaders of both applicants are Baton Rouge residents trying
Business ......................3B Commentary ................7B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
to start their first charter schools. They stand in contrast to the established charter school networks, typically from out of town, who’ve had the most success in recent years getting officials to approve their applications.
ä See CHARTER, page 11A
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