Latest news with #LDH
Axios
6 days ago
- Health
- Axios
High lead levels lead to sudden day care closure
High lead levels have led to a lease dispute and the sudden closure of an Algiers Point day care. Why it matters: The closure leaves 30 young New Orleanians and their families without day care, and raises questions about why state officials didn't make sure a lead test had happened before it even opened. Zoom in: The Crescent School announced its closure July 18 after a student was diagnosed with lead poisoning, day care owner Liza Drennon tells Axios New Orleans. When the diagnosis arrived, the student's home and the day care were tested, a Louisiana Department of Health spokesperson confirmed. Elevated lead levels were found both in the soil outside the school, where kids often play throughout the day, and in the dust inside its historic Algiers Point building, Drennon says. One of the city's oldest neighborhoods, it's known to have a denser concentration of lead in its soil. But the levels at the school were so high, Drennon says, she was forced to close immediately, pending remediation. Caveat: It's not clear if the student's diagnosis stemmed directly from exposure at the school, or whether other sources played a role. Drennon declined to put Axios in touch with the family, citing their request for privacy. Threat level: There is no safe level of lead for drinking water, according to the EPA, and soil contamination is of particular concern when children play in it. Go deeper: How to identify lead exposure symptoms. But like many other American cities built on aging infrastructure, New Orleans is grappling with high levels of the substance, which was commonly used in early construction. A massive project to discover and remove the city's lead water pipes, for example, has been in the works for years, but now faces delays due to contractor issues, the Times-Picayune reports. How it works: The day care facility should have been lead-tested before it opened its doors, according to an LDH spokeswoman, citing state law. While the Louisiana Department of Education ultimately licenses these facilities, it relies on LDH to ensure compliance with health guidelines, an LDOE spokesman said. But LDH's "pre-opening inspection" does not include lead testing, and documents outlining LDOE's physical facility requirements don't mention lead. Rather, LDH says it requires testing "only when LDH receives mandatory notification of a case of lead poisoning or lead exposure." In other words, Drennon was legally required to have the facility lead-tested, but it doesn't appear to be anyone's job to make sure she did it. Drennon says the Crescent School was fully licensed, with a license renewal from the Department of Education arriving just days before the student's lead test results. "I went through countless health inspections, fire inspections and Department of Education inspections," she says, noting that she wasn't aware of any specific lead test requirement. "If I had known I should have gotten a lead inspection, I would have and may never have moved into that building." Yes, but: Either way, the cost to remediate totaled up to about $30,000, a fee Drennon says she couldn't pay without some concessions from her landlord, the neighborhood's Knights of Columbus organization. Drennon, who says the language of her lease protects her landlord from responsibility for the presence of lead, says she asked for a lease extension and reduced rent so she could pay back a family loan for the remediation cost. But the KoC declined after an organization vote. The other side: The KoC saw the proposed rent reduction as "an unsustainably deep cut," according to an emailed statement from Ed Moise, who identified himself as the member who ran point on the school's lease. The group, he said, does not operate as a nonprofit and "must continue to meet certain obligations to maintain our charter. Currently, our options are to: merge with another council, become a non-chartered men's club, or disband, all of which we are currently exploring." "Unfortunately, our current financial situation makes it impossible for us to entertain Ms Drennan's offer," he said. What's next: The dispute is playing out in dramatic fashion in the small New Orleans neighborhood, with Facebook posts and some people even protesting Sunday services at the church affiliated with the local Knights of Columbus.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Assumption Parish man charged with government benefits fraud
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Agents investigated and arrested an Assumption Parish man accused of Medicaid fraud for multiple years. Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Lenroy Brown, 53, of Paincourtville, was arrested Tuesday, June 10. An investigation started after Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agents received a complaint from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) on Dec. 11, 2023, regarding an allegation of Medicaid fraud. According to an affidavit, Brown earned a total of $169,772.67 from April 2021 to March 2023 in wages that weren't disclosed to LDH and fraudulently obtained $16,758.03 in Medicaid benefits. Brown was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of government benefits fraud. The attorney general's office said an investigation is ongoing. 10 Chinese nationals detained after ICE operation at Baton Rouge massage parlors Landry names new head of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Republicans barrel toward risky vote on DOGE cuts VIDEO: Police chase excavator during extremely slow-speed pursuit in South Carolina Metro Council picks firm to search for downtown revitalization project developer Trump says Rand Paul invited to picnic while Massie slams him over invites Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New bill seeks to improve ER care for trafficking victims and sexual abuse
BATON ROUGE, La. () — A bill in the state legislature looks to help emergency room workers identify and appropriately treat victims of human trafficking and sexual abuse. , written by (D-Opelousas), would create a Human Trafficking in Emergency Departments Task Force that would write a 'uniform protocol for human trafficking which shall include information about signs of human trafficking and appropriate response.' 'Basically, what we're doing is trying to bridge the gap between emergency health care and trauma informed care for trafficking victims,' Miller said. Miller, who works in the health care field as a nurse, said many victims of human trafficking end up in emergency rooms. He said the initial inspiration for this bill was a lack of a game plan for healthcare workers to help suspected victims that come to the emergency room, especially since the person trafficking them can typically be at the hospital with their victim. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Whoever is trafficking them is also either in the room or outside waiting for them to get out,' Miller said. '(The Victim) can be scared to say anything because then that person can do some harm to them. But the physician didn't have a tool to hold a patient.' While the initial bill would these victims to be temporarily held until proper caregivers and authorities could arrive, Miller said that approach was too aggressive, leading to the idea for the task force to find a better strategy. 'We're involving a task force that's going to get involved and work with the local regional LDH departments and collaborate with the same nurses, etc., to figure out what is the best path forward,' he said. 'If they suspect someone is being human trafficking that's come into the emergency room, what tools that they need to help the patient?' The amended bill was passed by the Senate today, and heads to Gov. Jeff Landry's desk for final approval. House Republicans tee up tweaks to Trump megabill Abbeville police chief speaks on drive-by shooting video More Storms Likely For The Rest of The Week, Low End Severe Threat… Suspicious bag prompts evacuation at Lafayette Regional Airport New bill seeks to improve ER care for trafficking victims and sexual abuse Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
09-06-2025
- Health
- Axios
Louisiana on track for record whooping cough cases
Whooping cough is spreading faster in Louisiana than it has in more than a decade, and health officials warn that this year could set a record for cases. Why it matters: Adults need to take precautions to keep infants safe, doctors say, because they are most at risk for complications from the illness. The big picture: Louisiana has had 170 cases reported as of May 14, surpassing the number for the entire year of 2024, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The current record of 214 cases was set in 2013. Threat level: Two babies have died in Louisiana since September, marking the state's first deaths from whooping cough, or pertussis, since 2018, LDH says. Since September, 42 people have been hospitalized, with about 70% of them younger than 12 months. So far this year, the pertussis case rate for infants in Louisiana is at least seven times higher than all other age groups, LDH says. Cases are increasing nationally as well. Health officials attribute some of the rise in cases to declining vaccination rates and waning immunity. What he's saying:"It is a horrible disease," says Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatrician and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Babies really do struggle to catch their breath, and sometimes they stop breathing altogether and it's terrifying to watch." When babies are being hospitalized with whooping cough, he said it's an indicator that more adolescents and adults also have it but probably haven't been diagnosed. The babies usually get exposed because someone else in the household is coughing, he said. How it works: Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It spreads through coughing, sneezing and close contact, LDH says. Symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, intense coughing fits and post-coughing vomiting for two to three weeks. Severe cases can hinder breathing and last for months. Zoom in: Two vaccines (Tdap and DTaP) prevent serious complications, LDH says, and are available for children and adults. But protection fades over time. LDH recommends that adults get a booster shot every 10 years. Medical providers can do a nasal swab test to check if you have whooping cough. Antibiotics treat the symptoms and the spread if given early, LDH says. What to do for teens and adults: If you have a cough and are around babies, seek medical attention earlier than you would if you aren't around babies, Sharfstein encourages. Tell the doctor you live with or interact with an infant regularly, because the doctor may think differently about your cough, he said. Check your vaccine records, and get a booster if needed, he advised. For babies: "I would say a cough that doesn't look right to the parents always needs to be checked out by the doctor," Sharfstein said, especially if it is a persistent cough that's interfering with a child's ability to do normal things. He encourages parents to create a cocoon around infants by making sure everyone is vaccinated and gets tested quickly if they have a cough. Go deeper
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iwata Takanori leaves EXILE after 11 years
9 Jun - It was revealed that Iwata Takanori will no longer be a part of EXILE. The singer, who has been with the group since 2014, announced the news on social media on 6 June, saying that he has been deliberating about balancing his time what with his increasing workload throughout the years. "After a long period of thinking, I finally decided that I will focus on the third generation of J SOUL BROTHERS in the future," he said. "I will continue to be an artist under LDH and will take my work in various fields seriously as the third-generation J SOUL BROTHERS, an actor, and as an individual." Saying that EXILE had been his youth and dreams, Iwata stressed that being a member of the group was something he took pride in. "I will sincerely carry out activities to repay the fans who have supported me as a performer of EXILE for 11 years," he added. The singer will also not be a part of EXILE's upcoming tour, "The Reason". (Photo Source: Iwata IG)
