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T u e s d ay, J a n u a ry 20, 2026
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U.S. Supreme Court weighs coastal case trial location Justices wonder about ripple effects from lawsuit
BY ALEX LUBBEN
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP
Gerald Boudreaux, left, chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Committee, presents a plaque to Patricia Colbert-Cormier, who was among the 2026 Dr. King Award recipients, amid a celebration marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.
Staff writer
Members of Boy Scout Troop 100 and Cub Scout Pack 100 prepare to raise the American flag, Louisiana flag and the MLK flag to signal the start of events.
Enduring legacy
The U.S. Supreme Court waded into a landmark lawsuit last week that seeks to hold oil companies to account for allegedly damaging the Louisiana coastline, but the justices’ eventual ruling may not be as clear cut as either side hopes. A ruling in Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish is expected by this summer. There are likely four distinct ways the ruling could play out following Jan. 12 oral arguments, according to attorneys involved in the case and law professors watching it.
ä See COASTAL, page 4A
With the theme “Living the Dream: Together, We Shall Overcome,” the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Committee of Lafayette hosted a celebration marking the 40th Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center on Cora Street in Lafayette.
FILE PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON
A rusted oil pipeline in the Bayou Gentilly oil field has been abandoned, according to lawyers representing Plaquemines Parish in their lawsuit against oil and gas companies.
Report: Louisiana greenhouse emissions were flat in 2025 But influx of new industry could outpace improvements BY JOSIE ABUGOV
Staff writer
ABOVE: Attendees bow their heads in prayer during the prayer breakfast at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Lafayette. RIGHT: Saxophonist Jeremy Benoit and piano player Joseph Breaux perform during the prayer breakfast.
Louisiana has been among the nation’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters due to its heavy industry, but new data shows the state may be at least temporarily bucking a trend. While climate-warming emissions increased nationwide last year, Louisiana’s share has slightly declined over the past few years and was relatively flat in 2025, the preliminary data from an independent research group shows. Any reduction in greenhouse gases classifies
ä See EMISSIONS, page 4A
10 sex abuse lawsuits involve Lake Charles-area clergy
can no longer pursue Charles released in 2019. The clergy Our Lady Immaculate School in Accusations fall under ‘lookback window’ law survivors criminal charges when the statute members named in the lawsuits in- Jennings
BY MEGAN WYATT
Staff writer
Ten lawsuits have been filed in Lake Charles’ 14th Judicial District Court against churches and schools in southwest Louisiana since the state’s “lookback window” law went into effect in 2021, allowing survi-
WEATHER HIGH 63 LOW 35 PAGE 10C
vors of sexual abuse to file decadesold lawsuits. The recent law change from the Louisiana Legislature opened the floodgates for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil suits that otherwise would have been barred through the state’s statute of limitations. Still, in some cases,
of limitations has lapsed or their alleged abuser has died. The lookback window was initially set to expire in 2024, but state lawmakers extended the deadline to file lawsuits until June 14, 2027. Not every clergy member named in a lawsuit previously appeared on a list of credibly accused clergy members the Diocese of Lake
clude: n the Rev. Michael Barras of St. Paul Catholic Church in Elton n the Rev. Mark Broussard of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Roman Catholic Church in Lake Charles n the Rev. James Burke of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Lake Charles n Sister Thelma Dexheimer of
Classified .....................4B Living............................5C Nation-World ................2A Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Lottery ..........................4B Opinion ........................2B Commentary ................3B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
n Deacon Saunier of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Roman Catholic Church in Sulphur n the Rev. Herbert Schuster of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Lake Charles n the Rev. Charles Soileau of St. Joseph Church in Vinton
ä See CLERGY, page 5A
101ST yEAR, NO. 204