Police continue search for escaped prisoner following Orleans Parish jailbreak
Federal and state authorities are continuing a manhunt for Derrick Groves, who remains at large after he and nine other inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility. The jailbreak occurred on May 16, one day before Tulane University’s Unified Commencement ceremony. The inmates, who were being held on a variety of charges, forced their way through several doors before removing a toilet and exiting the jail.
There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to Groves’s arrest. He was being held in the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility ahead of a retrial for his conviction of killing two men and injuring two more outside of a party during Mardi Gras in 2018. The escape, which occurred with help from a maintenance worker in the jail, has raised skepticism about Sheriff Susan Hutson’s reelection campaign. Hudson has refused to step down.
Former BYU football quarterback transfers to Tulane following scandal
Former Brigham Young University Cougars quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, has transferred to Tulane following a seven-game suspension for premarital sex, which infringes upon the honor code of the strict Mormon university.
Retzlaff admitted to having sex during proceedings for a civil suit accusing him of rape that has since been dismissed. The quarterback was a star of BYU’s offense last year, passing for almost 3,000 yards and contributing 20 touchdowns. Retzlaff earned the nickname “BYJew” amongst fans of the Cougars, a play on his Jewish heritage at the predominantly Mormon school.
Retzlaff faces a new religious and social culture in New Orleans compared to Provo, Utah, which only has one establishment that serves alcohol and plays music.
New Orleans mayor charged with fraud, obstruction of justice
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell was indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and obstruction of justice on Aug. 15. Cantrell and former New Orleans Police Department officer, Jeffery Paul Vappie, were engaged in a personal and intimate relationship while Vappie was working as the mayor’s bodyguard, according to the indictment.
According to federal prosecutors, Cantrell and Vappie misrepresented Vappie’s working hours, used a city apartment for personal rendezvous and deleted evidence to cover up their fraud. Prosecutors allege Vappie claimed personal visits with Cantrell as hours worked, and Cantrell arranged for Vappie to accompany her on out-of-state trips.
The pair exchanged over 15,000 encrypted WhatsApp messages, intimidated civilians and city officials and lied to investigators. If convicted, Cantrell could face over 20 years in prison. Cantrell is the first Black, female mayor of New Orleans, and now the first sitting mayor of New Orleans to be indicted while in office, but the 27th metro New Orleans official indicted on federal corruption charges since 2000. Cantrell will continue serving the remainder of her term unless she is convicted or steps down.
Dining options, parking passes curbed as new dorms open
Tulane has changed the way dining plans are handled, scrapping options like TU15 for first-years and sophomores. All underclassmen are now required to have an unlimited dining plan. Tulane also announced in an email that second-year students will no longer be eligible for parking passes, citing a lack of parking on campus
While they will have fewer options for dining and transportation, sophomores and juniors will have more on-campus places to live as Bayou and Fogelman Residence Halls have opened for the fall semester. The new dorms feature double suite-style rooms similar to those in River and Lake Residence Halls and house over 760 beds. Non-transfer students who entered the university in 2023 will be the first to be required to live on campus in their junior year.
Officials warn of bacteria outbreak in Louisiana beaches, bayous
The Louisiana Department of Health is urging caution over an ongoing outbreak of Vibrio vulnificus, a waterborne bacterium that can cause vibrosis. Vibriosis can be acquired through open wounds or eating undercooked shellfish infected with the bacteria.
The disease is common in brackish waters, where salt and fresh water meet, like the bayous of South Louisiana. Vibrio infections are most common between May and October, when warm temperatures allow for greater proliferation of bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So far, 17 cases and four deaths have been reported. Historically, the state averages seven cases and one death per year. Vibrio has attracted widespread media attention for its ability to cause necrotizing fasciitis, an infection that causes tissue to die. State health officials are advising residents to avoid entering brackish or salt water with open wounds and to exercise caution around raw or undercooked shellfish. Officials advise that, among rising temperatures, at-risk populations, particularly those who are immunocompromised, should practice extra precautions.