South Terrebonne High School

By hannah robert, guest contributor A school campus with the lights on but empty. The school doors barricaded, still keeping students out. The school cafeteria not holding food but instead debris. The school parking lot with no cars parked but instead dumpsters. The building is closed, and yet, school continues. South Terrebonne High School is a school in lower Terrebonne Parish that was devastated when Hurricane Ida hit on Aug. 26, 2021. Since then, the students have not set foot within the main school buildings. They platooned at H.L. Bourgeois High School last year and now attend classes in trailers, and yet they are an A school and have successful sports and band programs this year. Through it all, they have maintained their culture through sharing in community, giving without expecting anything in return and having hope. When the hurricane hit, it changed the South Terrebonne area for good. Katy Ledet, activities coordinator at the school, says that everyone talks about time in terms of “before and after Ida” because that was when time and reality changed. South Terrebonne had 970 students before the hurricane, but after it hit, the numbers went down to 826. The students were out of school until Sept. 28 and off their campus for one year. When they went to school at H.L Bourgeois, students attended their classes from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students would often not get home until 7:30 p.m. or later because of traffic and problems staffing buses. The problems with platooning didn’t end there. There were also deeper problems of being away from home. Hayden Robichaux, student council and cheer sponsor, says “It was a traumatic experience for all of us. It felt like we were in survival mode. We were able to have class thanks to HLB, but we kept our heads down and didn’t realize how big what we were going through was until it was over.” Ledet says that it was all about being in a blue school. They had prom in H.L. Bourgeois’ gym with their mascot, the Brave, looking down at them. She says that everywhere she looked it was their colors and she just wanted to be back in a green school. “Not being surrounded by our colors, traditions, mascot, community and culture was so jarring. We were so far removed from our community and our green school. We needed to be back on the bayou” Ledet says They had to pause their traditions because they only had 35-minute classes and one football field for all of the parish’s schools to use. St. Ann Catholic Church in Bourg helped South Terrebonne during that year by giving them a place to hold events. The church gave them a key to their community center with no strings attached. They didn’t have to pay for expenses or book days to use the building. It was open to them. The South Terrebonne baseball team’s journey to the playoffs gave the community hope for the first time after the hurricane. No one expected the team to do anything because of the struggles they had to deal with, but they did it anyway. Ledet was live streaming the semi-final game for dozens of students at H.L. Bourgeois during recess. As she watched the team make the play to win their spot in the finals, Ledet broke down. She cried, hugged, laughed and cheered for the Gators. “It was the first time in this very blue school that we had such a perfect, green memory,” she says. The players played for their community and dedicated the school’s first state championship win to them. The team gave hope to the community for the first time since Hurricane Ida hit. “For a moment, nobody was worried about how far away school was. Nobody was worried about insurance,” Ledet says. “Nobody was worried about the tarp on their roof. Everybody was just watching baseball.” The community’s mindset shifted from focusing on the rebuilding to celebrating with the Gators. The community honored that throughout this year by making them captains of the Hercules parade and throwing banquets. The South Terrebonne baseball field is being repaired in time for the baseball season in the spring, so the Gators can play at home. This school and its community has helped each other, asking for nothing in return. The students have given the community something to celebrate and hope for during the long process of piecing their lives back together. The community has donated money, equipment and buildings to use to the school. “That is the essence of not only being Cajun but being a Gator,” Robichaux says. “It’s like when we were gutting my mom’s house after the storm. My neighbors came over and helped out just because, and while they were there, we fixed them dinner.” On Aug. 4 2022, the building of the trailer classrooms was finished and teachers got access to the buildings. The next day was their scheduled open house. Open house at South Terrebonne is normally a scheduled event with parents moving from classroom to classroom on a bell schedule to meet teachers. Because there was no time to prepare, the school hosted a different kind of open house. They unlocked the doors of the new campus and just let people walk around and take it in. Robichaux says that it turned into a “Where are you now?” talk. Everyone could finally see what progress has been made on the school, so they talked about what progress everyone had made at home. Who was back in their houses, who was still living in campers, who still had nothing and how everyone felt. Robichaux says that everyone breathed a sigh of relief that they were finally back home at South Terrebonne. They didn’t have to drive their kids across Houma every day for school. School would finally take place back on South Terrebonne’s campus. Just because they were back on campus didn’t mean all of their problems were solved. The teachers had
Schools in Progress

By Alexis Casnave, features Editor Despite it being over a year since Hurricane Ida, schools across Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes are still recovering. Golden Meadow Middle School suffered entensive damages due to Ida including flooding, damaged roofs, and outside benches reduced to rubble. Principal Hennessy Melancon says it took days for anyone to get out there to assess the damages. Once he was able to set foot on school grounds, he was left in shock. “To see the school in dismay, mangled, and twisted; it was like something out of a horror film,” says Melancon. “It was devastating.” “To see the school in dismay, mangled, and twisted; it was like something out of a horror film.” — Hennessy Melancon, Golden Meadow Middle School principal Golden Meadow Middle School was forced to move to Golden Meadow Upper campus while students from the upper and lower campus have combined together at the Golden Meadow lower campus. Melancon says the students and faculty will remain at the temporary location until the school is completely repaired sometime in the next year, but the exact timeline is currently unknown. “I am very proud of how our school community pulled together to get us back to something somewhat normal,” says Melancon. “This year has been amazing, but in all honesty until we are back on the other campus, we will never be totally normal.” South Lafourche High School is also still waiting for repairs, though the school is up and running. The school had a lot of internal and external damages that made the school uninhabitable for the several months after Ida. Maggie Punch, who teaches at the school, says it’s hard seeing the hurricane’s impact on her students. “I still have students coming to me and expressing their worry about completing school work because of the conditions they live in at home due to Ida,” says Punch. “I mean, I can’t imagine the stress of trying to get an education with a school in this condition and also if they’re going home to a cramped trailer.” Melissa Bagala, principal at St. Mary’s Nativity School in Raceland, also says it has been difficult. “My heart goes out to all my students, especially since they’re so little, so young.” ” — Melissa Bagala, St. Mary’s Nativity School principal “My heart goes out to all my students, especially since they’re so little, so young,” says Bagala. “I just hope my students, their parents, and my faculty keep faith as we navigate through these trying times.” PODCAST SERIESA look at school experiences after Hurricane Ida. a parent’s story Dr. Rachael Marchand Marcello Garde Voir Ci · Season 7, Episode 1 – School Stories with Rachael Marcello a teacher’s story Dr. Michael Martin Garde Voir Ci · Season 7, Episode 3 – School Stories with Michael Martin student stories Olivia Giddens Garde Voir Ci · Season 7, Episode 2 – School Stories with Olivia Giddens Kaylen Authement Garde Voir Ci · Season 7, Episode 4 – School Stories with Kaylen Authement Golden Meadow Middle School The common outdoor area at Golden Meadow Middle School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave Exterior damage at Golden Meadow Middle School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave The entrance is still boarded up at Golden Meadow Middle School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave School cafeteria at Golden Meadow Middle School Photo by: Alexis Casnave Damages to the art room at Golden Meadow Middle School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave Damages to the outside of Golden Meadow Middle School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave South Lafourche High School Front of South Lafourche High School building damaged by Hurricane Ida. Damaged cheer building at South Lafourche High School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave South Lafourche High School damaged ROTC building that is no longer in use. Photo by: Alexis Casnave Equipment parked for repairs at South Lafourche High School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave Band students practicing during construction at South Lafourche High School. Photo by: Alexis Casnave
Environmental Impacts

By Tyrese Lee, Podcast Editor While the natural areas look like they recover quickly from hurricane damage, the effects of Ida to South Louisiana’s environment is still evident. “They’re very resilient to things like this but if you look at it before and at the aftermath of how much marsh we have versus how much water, there is a lot more water than marsh now after the storm,” says Quenton Fontenot, head of biological sciences at Nicholls State University. “…there is a lot more water than marsh now after the storm.” — Quenton Fontenot, biologist Fontenot says Hurricane Ida’s strong winds churned up the Barataria estuary taking large chunks of marsh and pushing them north. “Imagine the waterway you normally drive the boat down is completely clogged up with marsh and mud and things like that,” says Fontenot. “It was a big change.” Thankfully, the levees held so there was no flood, but the water came up near the top of the levees, he says. The most significant impact seen in the area was the marsh’s redistribution. A lot of that marsh turned, rolled, and moved up north. Fontenot says that if you were to go out into the canal now, people wouldn’t be able to tell that any of the damage from Hurricane Ida happened. One thing Fontenot and his team are doing to mitigate the damage is re-dredging out the canals so that they can start getting their boats back and forth. “We still need to bring sediment to rebuild areas where the marshes were lost,” says Fontenot. Terraces, which are like little levies in the middle of open water, are being built to reduce the wind action, so the waves will not get churned up as much, and reduce the harm to the marshes. “By having those terraces, we get more vegetation in these habitats which is more beneficial to the organisms that live out there,” says Fontenot. Others, like Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary (BTNEP), are also working to restore the marshes. “All of these native plants are put out and grown in the estuary and planted in different areas where we’ve lost or tried to restore habitat,” says Ashleigh Lambiotte, the native plant nursery coordinator at BTNEP. Saltwater intrusion is a massive issue, and planting native plants helps hold all the soil in place, so it doesn’t erode or wash away. These native plants also act as a permanent physical barrier so that saltwater can’t get back into the upper marsh areas. “We really focus right now a lot on woody vegetation so some of the trees that we have are hackberry, the native red Mulberry, live oaks, French Mulberry, and yaupon holly,” says Lambiotte. Lambiotte also does a lot of work with native birds, monitoring and making habitats, and putting out nesting for some of our native or migratory birds affected by hurricanes like Ida.These native plants are all important to provide habitat, fruit, and sheltering places for local animals. Lambiotte believes that we need to work more on restoring this habitat along the coast and inland to prevent saltwater intrusion and rising tides. Some of BTNEP’s funding for these projects comes directly from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Shell, and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). While people who live on the lower side of these bayous around Chauvin, Montegut, and the eastern part of Lafourche are still struggling to get repairs done, nature is well on the way to recovery, says Gary Lafleur, professor of biological sciences at Nicholls State University. “Things made by humans are much more susceptible to wind than a marsh. If something gets torn up in places like Montegut, Chauvin, and Isle de Jean Charles, it would take them longer to recover than the marshes would,” he says. “Some of my students and I are working in a marsh right here pretty close to Chauvin and we saw that the nutria, hogs, deer and the bobcats are all still there because natural systems often do OK in hurricanes.” “Things made by humans are much more susceptible to wind than a marsh.” — Gary Lafleur, biologist Mud lumps from Hurricane Ida at the Chauvin marsh. Contributed: Quenton Fontenot
Booming Construction

By Tyrese Lee, podcast Editor While Hurricane Ida damaged homes and businesses in South Louisiana, one industry is booming as they work to rebuild the region. Troy Brown, a contractor from Assumption Parish, says Hurricane Ida’s created so much work due to the massive amount of damage that it caused. “Because there was so much damage and work to be done, it created a backlog of contractors being able to get their work done,” says Brown, who is working in the parishes like Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. James and St. John where Ida did the most damage. The amount of work drew construction crews from all over the country, but local residents preferred local builders. “I’m a well-known local contractor and because of my reputation of the quality of work that I do here in the area, I’ve ended up being on a positive note because it generates so much business for me locally,” says Brown At first, the focus was on fixing roof damage, says Brown. And area building supply companies like Home Depot and Lowe’s were quick to stock up on roofing material due to the need. One difficulty in rebuilding quickly was the impact Hurricane Ida had on supply chains and workers. Doug Gregory, president and CEO of Morrison Terrebonne Lumber, says, “It was difficult getting employees back to work, especially those who lost their dwellings. We all worked around the clock at our stores and worked on our own homes after work through the night. It has been an exhausting process for all of us.” Ida’s impact on the supply chain was better than Gregory thought it would be because many of his vendors knew Ida’s impact and prioritized him by working with him as soon as possible. Morrison Terrebonne Lumber works in the homebuilding, remodeling, and repair business. Gregory says they had to turn down work for various types of jobs because the company was so busy with the business from Ida. Even more than a year later, they are still busy. Gregory hopes Morrison Terrebonne will complete most of its building projects from Ida by late spring of 2023. Another construction business, The Brick Yard, also struggled to keep up with the demand. “The customers were lined up at the door waiting to get materials as fast as we got them, and things started to get very hectic,” says Christian Page, a warehouse operator of The Brick Yard. “The customers were lined up at the door waiting to get materials as fast as we got them, and things started to get very hectic.” — christian page, warehouse operator at The brick yard The Brick Yard had to increase vendors to get a lot of materials from outside by meeting with sources outside the state. Most of the Brick Yard’s business after Ida was in roofing shingles, delivering those materials to areas like Cut-Off, Napoleonville and Gray. “It [Hurricane Ida] definitely helped out but at the same time it was overwhelming for a small business to try to maintain such a very high-frequency amount of customer service,” says Page. To meet the increased business, the Brick Yard is in the process of building a new, larger building across the street from its current location along with hiring more employees. Construction companies are now focusing more on getting materials in time for repairs to people’s homes so that the victims of Ida can finally move on. Contributed: The Brick Yard Contributed: Morrison Terrebonne Lumber
Businesses Rebound

Kajun Twist restaurant in Galliano suffered major damage from Hurricane Ida. Contributed by: Anthony Goldsmith Anthony Golsmith in front of the Kajun Twist restaurant’s temporary food truck while they rebuilt. Contributed by: Anthony Goldsmith Kajun Twist’s popular po’boy. Contributed by: Anthony Goldsmith By Alexis Casnave, Features Editor Despite the hardships Hurricane Ida has caused, it has not stopped the local businesses of Louisiana from prospering. “I believe Houma and other parts of Southeast Louisiana will be bouncing back very soon,” says Sondra Corbitt, executive director of Explore Houma. Corbett reports more businesses have reopened than have closed. From restaurants to local movie theaters, Houma is on track to be fully functional in the next couple of years. Local flower shop, The Blooming Orchid, has been doing extremely well in the past year. The shop has been owned by Angela Adams since 1987 and Ida did little to slow down her business. “During the shop’s repair, me and my crew worked from my house,” says Adams. “I was so grateful to still have business after such a horrific event.” “I was so grateful to still have business after such a horrific event.” — Angela Adams, owner of The Blooming Orchid Adams’ shop sustained water and wind damage causing holes in her roof and loss of electricity for a few weeks. She salvaged what she could in equipment and flowers and continued to work from her home and took business calls from her personal cell phone. Adams sells dozens of flower arrangements weekly with the number increasing into the hundreds during busy seasons like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. “A hurricane’s mess will be temporary, but the love and want for my flowers will stay constant,” says Adams. Farther south in Galliano, family-owned restaurant Kajun Twist reopened for business on October 10, more than a year after Ida struck. “Cooking this food is in my blood so I’ve been doing whatever it takes to share my talent with people,” says owner Anthony Goldsmith. Unfortunately, the damage the restaurant sustained was enough to close it indefinitely, but by December 2021 the business was able to continue working out of a food truck offering Louisiana favorites like shrimp po’boys and gumbo. Goldsmith says, “People are going miles out of their way to get a taste of our food and it’s truly a blessing after everything we’ve been through.”
Insurance Struggles

By Meagan Rousse, managing Editor Louisiana residents are still facing insurance issues one year after Hurricane Ida hit. With some insurance companies going bankrupt, policyholders are being left to find relief from state agencies. Homeowner Holly Crochet has been living in a rental for the past year due to struggles with her insurance. “You feel like you go and you have your insurance and your home is insured,” Crochet says. “You pay all these premiums and those premiums are expensive. I’ve paid them for 30 years and the first time I needed my insurance I couldn’t get it.” “I’ve paid them for 30 years and the first time I needed my insurance I couldn’t get it. — Holly Crochet, Terrebonne Parish resident Crochet’s insurance problems began with her first adjuster. It took two weeks for someone to come inspect her home, and she says he was very inexperienced. Five weeks after the storm, she received her first of only two payments from her insurance. “That only covered honestly our roof and right behind we have a pool house so I changed the pool house roof,” she says. “Basically just, it was not enough.” Shortly after, she found out her insurance company was pulling out of the state by watching tv. Crochet is not the only one facing insurance problems. “Homeowners all across South Louisiana have experienced either having their homeowner’s insurance policy canceled as insurance companies choose to no longer do business in South Louisiana, or companies have also gone bankrupt and are no longer operating in Louisiana in some instances,” says Cashauna Hill, executive director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center. The Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center is a nonprofit organization that helps residents with housing issues. Most recently they helped to pass a bill that protects residents against illegal evictions, which many tenants faced after Ida. “This bill that was recently passed and signed into law and did go into effect provides some concrete penalties for property owners who tried to evict families outside of the normal court process,” Hill says. “Every little step that we can take in providing rights for tenants and landlords under state laws is a huge win, but we do know that there’s still so much more left to be done.” In addition to efforts from the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, residents are looking to companies like the Louisiana Insurance Guarantee Association (LIGA), an agency that helps policyholders when their insurance becomes insolvent. “If they [insurance companies] fail or go into bankruptcy, then LIGA steps up and takes over those claims up to $500,000 per claim,” says Jim Donelon, Louisiana Department of Insurance commissioner. “That’s the second highest coverage limit of any of the 50 states.” As of August 2022, there were eight insurance companies that collapsed following the aftermath of Ida, many that were based in Florida, Donelson says. Including Crochet’s previous insurer, Maison. With little options available for residents facing insurance insolvency, Donelon is hopeful there will be more funding for future disasters. “What I am expecting to happen in the near future is for the legislature to pass a funding bill to fund the creation of the Louisiana Insurance Extended Program which was passed in legislation during the recent session,” he says. The bill will help insurance companies match the money given from a grant to help double the policies premium rate. Companies like Louisiana Citizens are available to help those who were dropped from their insurance, but it is often a last resort. The goal of Citizens is to offer help to customers who cannot get insurance on their own, however the company’s rates are not the cheapest. “My premium went from right around $4,000 prior to Ida per year and when I had to find new insurance with Louisiana Citizens, my policy dropped to over $8,000 a year. It’s my issue of last resort, I’m still with them. I’m insured with them and I basically can’t even live in the structure.” says Crochet. Since Ida, the Citizens program now has around 120,000 customers. This is the biggest increase in policyholders since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Following hurricane Laura, Citizens had around 35,000 policies in their book. This rate increased to around 60,000 policies shortly after Ida hit. These policy increases are mostly credited to the eight insurance companies that have gone insolvent. There are not many laws and regulations regarding protection for homeowners. However, efforts like the eviction bills and the new Louisiana Insurance Extended Program. “So far we’re in a position where our state is not offering any sort of comprehensive, affordable options or assistance or solutions for families who are struggling to find homeowners insurance or afford homeowners insurance policies,” Hill says. “Large scale comprehensive measures designed to protect families in South Louisiana should certainly be a legislative priority.” Holly Crochet’s roof sustained severe damage from Hurricane Ida. Contributed by: Holly Crochet Hurricane Ida caused significant damage to the outside of Holly Crochet’s home. Contributed by: Holly Crochet Mold and mildew began to take over the contents of Holly Crochet’s home. Contributed by: Holly Crochet
Social Changes

By Aaron Galmiche, Photo Editor While the communities of Louisiana’s Bayou Region are on their way to recovery, an unexpected scar has been left, not on the towns, but on the people within them. From abandoned hangouts to lost local traditions, many of Louisiana’s residents now look back fondly on the way things used to be. “We’ve physically recovered but it’s clear we’ve got a kind of ‘new normal’ going on” says Luling resident Joseph Brunette, when looking back at the time he and his friends, as well as many other of the town’s residents, shared before Hurricane Ida passed. “The best moments in Luling were in a parking lot at 2 a.m.,” says Brunette. “We’d go out of town as a celebration once in a while but, once Ida hit, we all got used to going a couple towns over to hang out and you don’t see those local moments anymore.” Brunette also claimed that many towns, such as Hahnville and Boutte, have gone through similar changes, and expressed a degree of sadness. “Being able to share that time without having to plan was what made it special and I hope it comes back someday,” he says. Elsewhere, in Lafitte, a local business was lost in the storm, taking part of the bond it helped its community form with it. Ms. Effie’s Sandwiches, which has been serving sandwiches to the people of Lafitte and the surrounding areas for years, was once an often overlooked part of Lafitte, but is now missed by its patrons for the bond it helped create. “When you go fishing, you bring sandwiches and if they weren’t yours they were Effie’s,” says David “Buddy” Trosclair, a fisherman and frequent visitor of Lafitte. “Effie’s was small but everyone knows a Lafittian who knows Effie’s so it was something small we all related over.” The sandwiches themselves are still available to the community, now being distributed at Joe’s Landing and Tewelde’s Family Market, but the bond they carried seems to have been lessened. “The sandwiches are the same but it feels like the tradition isn’t there,” says Trosclair. While small social changes like these have undoubtedly affected many other Bayou Region towns, many people, like Brunette, who claims “It’s not something we can focus on fixing, but time will either get things right or we’ll learn to live with it,” are hopeful that the culture of their towns will make a full recovery. The Majoria Shopping Center parking lot in Luling, where many residents hung out after hours. Photo Credit: Aaron Galmiche Joseph Brunette in the bed of his truck where he and his friends hung out prior to Hurricane Ida. Photo Credit: Aaron Galmiche The Hahnville Supermarket parking lot in Hahnville, where many residents hung out after hours. Photo Credit: Aaron Galmiche A customer at Joe’s Landing holding two Effie’s Sandwiches Photo Credit: Aaron Galmiche Two Effie’s Sandwiches, which were purchased at Tewelde’s Family Market. Photo Credit: Aaron Galmiche A platter or Effie’s Sandwiches from Down the Bayou Foods. Photo Contributed: Down the Bayou Foods
Damaged History

By Aaron Galmiche, Photo Editor The effects of Hurricane Ida on historic sites in South Louisiana was well documented following the storm. However, as recovery continues, these sites and their journey have been given less attention and assumed by many to be completed or abandoned. Here’s the real progress many of these sites have made in restoring the history that was damaged or lost to Hurricane Ida. Whitney Plantation The display of descendants of former slaves at the front of the Antioch Baptist Church, currently missing several statues while hurricane damage is being repaired. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche A visitor’s pass whos corresponding statue was removed from the display while hurricane damage is being repaired. The one surviving slave cabin of the four that were damaged during Hurricane Ida, currently being rebuilt. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The museums “Slave Quarters” field which formerly housed three additional slave cabins that collapsed during Hurricane Ida. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The Whitney Plantation, Louisiana’s only plantation museum to focus on the lives of the enslaved, and the culture and history it embodies, took a major hit during Hurricane Ida. According to museum guide Cheryl Gaudet, three of the Slave Cabins on display had collapsed entirely and have since been cleared away, while a forth is undergoing a slow but reverant restoration as Ms.Gaudet stressed the importance of “taking into consideration the materials used to do them justice.” Likewise, an exhibit in the Antioch baptist church, which features statues of former slaves and their descendants, has had several of its statues damaged and removed off site, awaiting restoration by their original artist, Woodrow Nash. Many restorations, such as the church roof and the plantation store walls, have already been completed. Museum staff are more than confident the museum will make a full recovery. Karnofsky Tailor Shop The tailor shop’s address tiles which are all that remain in their original position from before the collapse. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The tailor shops bricks stacked neatly on palettes with historic Little Gem Saloon in the background. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The brick pallets shown from ground level. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche Various construction and fencing materials stored in the sites perimeter. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche In New Orleans, on the 400 block of Rampart Street, lies the remains of the Karnofsky Tailor Shop whose collapse was a major hit to New Orleans jazz history and local Jewish history. During the turn of the 20th century, the tailor shop was owned and operated by the Karnofsky family; a Jewish Family that played a major part in the early life of Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Alan Smason of Crescent City Jewish News commented that the family not only sheltered the up-and-coming musician but also taught him to sing and helped pay for his first instrument. This site’s rich history has been well preserved in various publications, but the future of any physical restoration or memorialization of the site has yet to be publicly announced. However, the neat arrangement of the bricks and preservation of the surrounding area indicate that there may still be plans to honor this historic site. The plantation house as seen from its driveway off of River Road. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche A closer view of the front of the plantation house displaying the unfinished roof repairs. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The side view of the plantation house. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The rear of the plantation house which holds storm debris and construction materials. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche Homeplace plantation house After years of its property being appropriated into other developments, the Keller Homeplace Plantation is now largely recognized by the plantation’s house resting just off of River Road. This house is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places for its history and display of classic French architecture, but it is uncertain if or when this site will be fully restored. Among the damage dealt to the town of Hahnville, local, Carol Wajda, recalled the damages to the house’s exterior standing out as she returned home following Hurricane Ida. Being one of Hahnville’s few historic sites, many people of the area were saddened to see a piece of their local history damaged, and even more so to see it recover at such a slow pace. Wajda says, “After 11 months, they got a new roof put on, which is good, but the windows and walls are still in rough shape and we haven’t seen any other work on it.” The exterior of the museum and its sign. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The covered area under the museum, currently filled with furniture from when the museum was emptied following the storm. Photo by: Aaron Galmiche The museum’s lavatory has been affected by mold and structural damage. Photo Contributed: Museum Curator Margie Scoby One of the museum’s side rooms, which formerly held displays, now affected by mold. Photo Contributed: Museum Curator Margie Scoby Finding Our Roots Following Hurricane Ida, the team at Finding Our Roots African American Museum was told to remove the exhibits so the building could be gutted and repaired. Soon after, the reconstruction was halted by the building owners, leaving the team without a permanent place to display and celebrate the museum’s rich history. Founder and Curator Margie Scoby has kept the museum’s legacy alive by continuing their heritage research program and setting up “table-displays” at events and conferences. She has also used this time to network and connect with many people to help expand upon the museum’s contents and possibly aid with recovery. “The community effort is there, but without permission to rebuild, I’m about ready to pop up a tent” says Scoby as she continues her efforts to find a new place to make the museum’s permanent home. Without the ability to rebuild or a donor to provide a building, Finding Our Roots is stalled after gaining national recognition.
Nicholls Damages

By Tyrese Lee, Podcast Editor Hurricane Ida damages to Nicholls State University will cost about $15 million to repair. About $1 million of the cost will be out of the university’s pocket as “wind-driven rain through a window” is considered uninsurable damage. Director of Purchasing, Property Control and Support Services Administration Terry Dupre and President Jay Clune were among some of the first on campus assessing damage after the storm along with Nicholls’ vice president, facilities director, residence hall director, maintenance staff and ground staff. As Nicholls staff members would assess and identify a damaged building, they would let Dupre know, and then he would let the officer risk management insurance company in Baton Rouge know. So once that happened, Nicholls contacted the state’s main remediation contractor or company, Continuum. Continuum went into buildings; if they received water in the building, they extracted the water and put dryers out to prevent further damage from mold, etc. Insurance adjusters began coming down and reviewing every structure individually to assess damages. “The adjuster would walk to Elkins Hall with a university employee because both parties had to agree to the damage done,” Dupre says. After damages were assessed, insurance adjusters came up with a list of damages and then assessed a value to that damage per building. After that, Nicholls hired architects to come and review the information from the adjusters. The architects were not doing anything not damaged by the storm and not considered insured. “It took a long time, like many months, to get to where the office facility planning control has received auction money bids on the work,” Dupre says. “After the bid the next step was getting draft contracts for contractors to come and do the work.” “It took a long time, like many months, to get to where the office facility planning control has received auction money bids on the work.” — Terry Dupre, university administration Nicholls will have to pay for some campus damages that are estimated to be about $1 million. Then when Nicholls pays for that work, they turn it over to another company called Inner City Fund (ICF), which will file Nicholls payments with FEMA. FEMA is then going to reimburse Nicholls 90 percent of its costs. “Due to current market conditions, it takes a very long time to get parts and materials to make repairs,” Dupre says. Michael Martin, an associate professor of English, had damage to his Peltier Hall office from the hurricane. And today, Martin’s office is still in the same condition as Hurricane Ida left it. “My laptop on my desk was not broken so I feel like I escaped, and I would like my office to be repaired since not any work has been done since the hurricane,” Martin says. The Office of Facility Planning and Control is in the process of executing contracts with the contractors. Danielle Breaux, director of facility services and project manager, reported damages still needing repairs are the roof, ceilings, walls, flooring replacement, and mechanical equipment repairs/replacement for the resident halls, apartments, Ellender library, and classroom buildings. “You have to take into account rainy days and delays in materials deliveries which may delay completion time,” Breaux says. To help while waiting on repairs, the university has made temporary accommodations, like renting a temporary air conditioning unit for the cafeteria, Breaux says. “All accommodations that can be made for students, faculty, and staff, are being made.” Elkins Hall with plastic covering roof damages. Photo By: Meagan Rousse Dr. JJ Ayo Pool building with full plastic wrap over roof damages. Contributed by: Nicholls Candies Hall with plastic covering roof damages Photo By: Meagan Rousse Stopher Gymnasium roof damage from Hurricane Ida. Contributed by: Nicholls
Rebuilding Challenges

By Alexis Casnave, features Editor Patience is key for thousands of Louisiana residents who have seen little progress more than a year after Ida’s destruction. “I never thought that a year ago we would have started deconstructing our house and over a year later, they still haven’t paid us for living expenses,” says Valentine resident Lacey France. Louisianians have received over $1.2 billion in financial assistance, yet thousands still are left without a proper home or any type of shelter at all. Ida significantly damaged France’s home, including destroying her roof and mold growing throughout her house.When the time came for France and her family to rely on their insurance company, State National, it went bankrupt. “All of a sudden, the [adjuster] stopped returning our phone calls,” France says. “He called my husband back at a later time and said, ‘I am not supposed to be talking to you, but the insurance company went under.’” In the meantime, France and her husband had to continue to pay their insurance premium until eventually they were taken on by the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association. Unfortunately, there were multiple complications that prolonged the process of getting necessary finances for the fixing of their house. France’s roof was just fixed September 23, but their house is far from being done. “We should not be in the house because we have a lot of mold,” says France. “In fact, I have a mushroom growing out the wall in the living room.” France admits it is not an ideal environment but she and her family of five cannot imagine living comfortably in a camper for an extended period. In addition to insurance issues, construction companies are experiencing issues that are prolonging the rebuilding process of Louisiana. “Materials is one thing there is a shortage of because there’s so much need for it right now and also the lack of workers,” says project manager Neri Sanchez of Lift Construction. Sanchez, who is from Orlando, Florida, works with an out-of-state construction company that has been working on various apartment complexes in the Houma-Thibodaux area since November of 2021. Sanchez has been understanding of the frustration and complaints of residents as they are still without a proper home. “People have been inconvenienced so they want to get back to their normal lives which is understandable but we’re doing the best we can so it’s really coming down on us we get a lot of pressure from outside individuals,” says Sanchez. Despite the hardships, Sanchez expects his projects to be finished by January 1, 2023. Unfortunately, thousands of residents like France cannot estimate when their homes will be back to normal. “We’re not in an ideal situation but we’re lucky because we know way too many that don’t even have a house to live in.” ““I never thought that a year ago we would have started deconstructing our house and over a year later, they still haven’t paid us for living expenses.” — Lacey France Louisianans have received over $1.2 billion in financial assistance, according to FEMA, yet thousands still are left without a proper home or any type of shelter at all. Ida significantly damaged France’s home, including destroying her roof and mold growing throughout her house.When the time came for France and her family to rely on their insurance company, State National, it went bankrupt. “All of a sudden, the [adjuster] stopped returning our phone calls,” France says. “He called my husband back at a later time and said, ‘I am not supposed to be talking to you, but the insurance company went under.’” In the meantime, France and her husband had to continue to pay their insurance premium until eventually they were taken on by the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association. Unfortunately, there were multiple complications that prolonged the process of getting necessary finances for the fixing of their house. France’s roof was just fixed September 23, but their house is far from being done. “We should not be in the house because we have a lot of mold,” says France. “In fact, I have a mushroom growing out the wall in the living room.” France admits it is not an ideal environment but she and her family of five cannot imagine living comfortably in a camper for an extended period. In addition to insurance issues, construction companies are experiencing issues that are prolonging the rebuilding process of Louisiana. “Materials is one thing there is a shortage of because there’s so much need for it right now and also the lack of workers,” says project manager Neri Sanchez of Lift Construction. Sanchez, who is from Orlando, Florida, works with an out-of-state construction company that has been working on various apartment complexes in the Houma-Thibodaux area since November of 2021. Sanchez has been understanding of the frustration and complaints of residents as they are still without a proper home. “People have been inconvenienced so they want to get back to their normal lives which is understandable but we’re doing the best we can so it’s really coming down on us we get a lot of pressure from outside individuals,” says Sanchez. Despite the hardships, Sanchez expects his projects to be finished by January 1, 2023. Unfortunately, thousands of residents like France cannot estimate when their homes will be back to normal. “We’re not in an ideal situation but we’re lucky because we know way too many that don’t even have a house to live in.”