Atchafalaya current flow still rising
Col. Alvin B. "Al" Lee is ready to do war with floodwater.

Sheriff's ranges give public a new target
Although violence might not be a major concern for residents of the Tri-parish area, local law enforcement groups are urging citizens to take advantage of various self-defense classes offered throughout the region.

Vitter looks to temporarily halt flood insurance hikes
Levee certification, which is conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers, is crucial to determining homeowners flood insurance rates. When levees are decertified, insurance premiums are bound to rise along with tensions from locals who own homes.

Jindal gives So. Lafourche Levee District nearly $20M
Efforts to protect coastlines in south Lafourche are making headway, thanks to a little help from Gov. Bobby Jindal.

District may feel budget woes in 2010
Unemployment numbers throughout the region may still be looking good, but local schools might be starting to feel the effects of a down economy.

Nicholls Culinary Program hopes 3rd time is a charm at nationals
Whatever is cooking at Nicholls State University is certainly a recipe for success.

Woman found dead, TPSO awaiting cause
Authorities from Terrebonne Parish found the body of 26-year-old Merrell Stewart last Tuesday in a small body of water about three miles west of La. Highway 311 near Houma.

St. Mary worried river could reach '73 level
The record-breaking snowfalls in the Northeast may be miles from the Gulf Coast, but come spring when the snow begins to melt, local officials fear the impact could be devastating.

Priest: Haiti situation grows worse
The earthquake may be over for Haiti, but the storm is just beginning. Devastating effects of the event that shook the area on Jan. 12 are beginning to emerge from rubble found across the country.

Downtown Houma considering farmers market
Beautification projects are continuing to take place throughout Houma, as parish officials are toying with the idea of bringing a farmers market to downtown.

North T'bonne library delay causes stir
Northern Terrebonne Parish residents anxious to check out books at the area's new library will have a longer wait - 83 days longer.

A day in a soldier's life
It started with a plane ride, but it wasn't your average jumbo jet. Instead, a military-standard C-130 that was said to have served for many years, conducting a variety of missions - including locating hurricanes - and carrying numerous passengers.

As Iraq deployment date nears, training picks up
A slew of United States military vehicles slumbered down a long, winding road on Friday afternoon.

T'bonne levee district inks LDWF agreement for J-2
The Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District is about to dig into new ground.

LABI official: Tough times could be coming for La.
The Tri-parish area could be looking at increases in unemployment and higher taxes in 2010. Along with what sounded like an assembly line of warnings, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) vice president Jim Patterson told a crowd last Tuesday, while the Saints Super Bowl win was a major success, it shouldn't be considered a cure-all.

Pit bull law could get more teeth
Life could soon become much more regulated for St. Mary Parish pit bull owners.

Attempt to raise rates denied by insurance dept.
State Farm's request to raise homeowners' insurance rates in Louisiana were denied by the Louisiana Department of Insurance following days of waiting and uncertainty.

Terrebonne celebrates World Wetlands Day
Over 160 children from four area schools lined up to touch live baby alligators, see a giant horned owl, play with a black bear, and even talk to Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District's Executive Director Reggie Dupre.

Local banker brings foreign news crew to Houma Rotary
MidSouth Bank President Rusty Cloutier has become a fierce critic of the banking system that led to the current national financial crisis. After writing a book and testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, Cloutier has even attracted international attention for his views on the shortcomings of our financial institutions.

Amid the rubble in Port-au-Prince
The Tri-Parish Times was given the chance to interview Bonnie Gillespie, a relief worker on the ground in Haiti. As media coverage of the event dwindles, relief organizations on the ground in Haiti are faced with a maze of infrastructure and logistical issues as they try to get supplies to some of the more remote areas rocked by last month's earthquake.

Haiti's hardship helped by local charities
As news of Haiti's earthquake slips from the headlines, area relief organizations are continuing to help the country in its lengthy recovery process. Although Port-au-Prince was hit hardest by the earthquake, one area charity with longstanding ties is busy helping the western part of the country with a flood of refugees fleeing the capitol city.

Super Bowl win evokes Saints' fever
A day removed from the team's first-ever Super Bowl title, reality had still not fully sunk in yet for Houma native and lifelong Saints fan Kenneth Breaux.

T'bonne's Bayou Grace helping locals succeed
For Dulac native Monica Parfait, it was an envelope that changed her life. While not all stories gleam with success, hers appears to be heading in that direction.

BP gives $2.25 million in grants to La. technical colleges
Oil giant BP announced that it will give $2.25 million in grants to six Louisiana technical colleges over the next three years to improve their math and science sectors. Fletcher Technical and Community College will receive $825,000 over the next three years, which will help implement a new associate's degree in integrated production technologies.

Public Works director job to be re-advertised
The Public Works director position in Lafourche Parish has been vacant for nearly five months since former director Ronald Robichaux was relieved of his position in September.

Mixup costs insurer $27K in penalties
In the wake of a botched transition of health care providers, United Health Care has agreed to pay Terrebonne Parish Consolidated government $27,000 for failing to smoothly transfer the health care of parish employees into their system.

Who Dat fanatics taking fanhood to next level
Houma doctor A.J. de la Houssaye spends most of his time each day correcting patients' troubled vision.

Houma census site to help Tri-parish residents
Numbers are about to start rolling in for the U.S. Census Bureau, which will be conducting the 2010 Census starting in March.

T'bonne schools adjust medicine policy
Terrebonne Parish school nurses have finished the first round of H1N1 vaccinations. A second round of immunizations will be administered to children under the age of 9 starting Feb. 8. About 25 schools are included in the second round, said Cindy Spence, nursing coordinator for Terrebonne Parish schools.

Odomes prosecution faces new hurdle
The prosecution of Derrick Odomes, who is accused of killing a Thibodaux priest in 1992, will have to clear another legal hurdle before the case can go to trial. Odomes' lawyer, Lynden Burton of New Iberia, has filed a motion claiming that his client should not receive any prison time if convicted because he was only 14 years old when the crime was committed.