Sunday marked the annual “blessing of the fleet” in the small fishing village of Chauvin, Louisiana. The town was hit hard by Hurricane Ida, and this year’s blessing coincided with the grand reopening of a local symbol of Cajun culture and perseverance: the Chauvin Sculpture Garden. Coastal Desk reporter Kezia Setyawan has more.
It’s no secret the South is home to colorful traditions. Everything from the food we eat to the songs we sing have deep ties to our history, often borne out of resistance, survival, and a celebration of life.
Those traditions are the subject of a new docuseries Ritual, from Louisiana Public Broadcasting and PBS. Host Tarriona “Tank” Ball, the Grammy-nominated lead singer of Tank and the Bangas, and producer Avery White, give us the details.
But first, nearly 18 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, the Road Home program – which was established to aid homeowners rebuild after storm damage – has officially ended. This frees over 3,000 residents from debt owed to the state, and forgives all existing lawsuits. But those who already paid are out of luck, as they won’t be refunded for previous payments.
Richard Webster reported this story for Verite Newsroom in partnership with WWL-TV and The Times Picayune / New Orleans Advocate. He joins us today for more.
Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Adam Vos. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.
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