News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Louisiana Crawfish Festival vendor sells Chinese mudbugs without required signage: report

Published

3 months ago

March 21, 2025

Staff Editor

lailluminator.com – Louisiana Illuminator – 2025-03-21 17:32:00

Louisiana Crawfish Festival vendor sells Chinese mudbugs without required signage: report

by Louisiana Illuminator, Louisiana Illuminator
March 21, 2025

A food vendor at the Louisiana Crawfish Festival in St. Bernard Parish has served Chinese-sourced crustaceans and failed to disclose it as required under state law, organizers have confirmed.

WVUE-TV Fox 8 reports organizers were made aware of the infraction when an attendee sent them pictures of a vendor using packages of foreign crawfish. Louisiana law requires fair food vendors, restaurants, seafood markets, grocers and other retailers to display signs that detail the origin of any foreign crawfish they sell.

Crawfish Festival secretary Cisco Gonzales Jr. confirmed to Fox 8 that the visitor told organizers the vendor had no such signage.

“We know how important supporting local seafood is in St. Bernard Parish,” Gonzales said. “You know, I come from a family of fishermen. A lot of my uncles and cousins are still down there doing that, and we want to respect that and we wanna make sure that our vendors are respectful of that, too.”

The crawfish for all festival vendors are being checked, and they are being asked to display signage if they’re serving foreign catch, Gonzales said.

The Louisiana Crawfish, held annually for 50 years in Chalmette, started Wednesday and ends Saturday.

The origin of seafood sold and served in Louisiana is under heightened scrutiny after Louisiana strengthened its source disclosure law, effective Jan. 1. Optional fines for offenses start at $15,000 for a first offense to $50,000 for third and subsequent offenses.

Spot genetic testing from the Texas-based firm SeaD Consulting has revealed most merchants, eateries and vendors sampled are purveying local catch, but some are either knowingly selling foreign seafood or aren’t aware of the labeling law.

SeaD found four Lafayette restaurants out of 24 sampled were selling foreign shrimp passed off as local in a study it conducted last month. It conducted similar testing in New Orleans in January, when three of 24 restaurants sold undisclosed imported shrimp.

In November, a joint investigation from Fox 8 and the Illuminator used SeaD testing and found that the large majority of vendors at a local festival and seafood market were providing catch from the Gulf of Mexico and area waters.

SeaD Consulting does not disclose the names of businesses it discovers selling undisclosed foreign seafood, preferring instead to raise awareness of the state labeling law.

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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.

The post Louisiana Crawfish Festival vendor sells Chinese mudbugs without required signage: report appeared first on lailluminator.com

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June 30, 2025

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www.youtube.com – KTVE – 2025-06-30 09:01:57

SUMMARY: A warm, moist airmass persists with daytime heating and upper-level disturbances causing patchy storms late afternoons and evenings. A front arriving tomorrow may bring more scattered showers and thunderstorms. Cooler temperatures might briefly dip to the lower 90s on Wednesday, but heat will return by the Fourth of July, reaching mid to upper 90s with heat indices in the mid triple digits late week. Rain chances decrease by July 4th due to strengthening ridging aloft. Elevated dew points in the 70s and prolonged dangerous heat increase heat stress risk, urging precautions like altering outdoor plans and recognizing heat illness symptoms.

Conditions have not changed much. A very warm and moist airmass still remains in place. Daytime heating, abundant moisture, and upper-level disturbances will allow for more patchy storms late afternoon into the evening hours. A front will approach tomorrow when more scattered showers and t-storms are possible. There is a brief opportunity for cooler temperatures to drop to the lower 90’s on Wednesday. Then, we are back to the mid and pushing upper 90’s by the end of the week on the 4th. Rain chance will subsidize by the 4th and over the weekend, but heat indices will push into the mid triple digits late week.

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June 30, 2025

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www.youtube.com – KSAT 12 – 2025-06-30 05:09:16

SUMMARY: A chance of scattered afternoon downpours continues today with hazy skies caused by Saharan dust lingering through Wednesday. Moisture from the remnants of Tropical Depression Barry in Mexico and Tropical Storm Filosy in the Pacific is feeding rain chances in Texas. Expect daily spotty showers and storms, mostly in the afternoons, with rain chances around 20-30% through Thursday. Temperatures will be warm but not extreme, ranging from low 90s to mid-90s by Independence Day. Thursday and the Fourth of July will be partly cloudy, humid, and have much lower chances of rain. No hail or flooding is expected this week.

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Storms likely Monday and latest on Barry

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1 day ago

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www.youtube.com – WDSU News – 2025-06-29 18:06:14

SUMMARY: Scattered showers and thunderstorms occurred across Southeast Louisiana Monday but are now winding down. However, abundant moisture remains, fueling a 70% chance of more showers and storms Tuesday and Wednesday, especially near the coast, with rain chances dropping to 10% Thursday through Saturday. Tropical Storm Barry, currently lopsided due to strong upper-level winds, has strengthened to 45 mph winds and is moving northwest toward eastern Mexico, expected to make landfall soon and weaken over mountainous terrain. Meanwhile, a 20% chance exists for a new tropical or subtropical system to develop in the eastern Gulf or southeast coast within seven days.