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UNO lays off staff amid budget crisis • Louisiana Illuminator

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lailluminator.com – Piper Hutchinson – 2025-01-30 17:13:00

UNO lays off staff amid budget crisis

by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
January 30, 2025

Approximately 30 University of New Orleans employees have been laid off amid the university’s $10 million budget shortfall. 

The layoffs will generate a savings of $1.9 million for the university, UNO chief financial officer Edwin Litolff said in an interview with the Illuminator. 

The university has already taken significant steps to address the budget shortfall, including furloughing 290 employees and consolidating administrators

No further layoffs or furloughs are planned at this time, Litolff said. Faculty will be offered the opportunity for voluntary furlough, he added. The university is prohibited from requiring faculty to be furloughed. 

Litolff said the university will consider what further cuts need to be made once spring enrollment is processed and financial aid is dispersed. 

UNO’s attempts to rightsize its spending come after nearly two decades of declining enrollment. Its student numbers have struggled to recover since the failure of federal levees after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  

The school had an enrollment of around 17,000 before Katrina, with an immediate drop to around 6,000. For the fall 2024 semester, its total student body was 6,488. 

Exiting the crisis will come down to the university’s ability to enroll and retain students.

Hard budget times for the state during Gov. Bobby Jindal’s two terms in office, from 2008-16, led to significant cuts for higher education, one of two large portions of Louisiana’s budget unprotected in state law. Those cuts switched the burden of funding public colleges and universities from the state to students, leading to significant tuition hikes.

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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.

News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Saturday 10 PM Tropics Update: One far-off tropical wave to watch

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www.youtube.com – WWLTV – 2025-09-13 22:34:05

SUMMARY: A tropical wave near Africa is emerging over the Atlantic but remains disorganized. The National Hurricane Center gives it a 60% chance to develop into a depression or tropical storm, possibly becoming Gabrielle. This system may move northward, staying over the open Atlantic and away from the Gulf, posing no immediate threat. Since the last named storm in late August, stable air, dry conditions, and increased wind shear have suppressed tropical activity in the Atlantic. The next storm names are Gabrielle, Humberto, and Imelda, with only the current wave showing potential for development at this time.

Meteorologist Alexandra Cranford tracks a lone disturbance with a chance of development on Saturday night, September 13, 2025.

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Haynes wanted in on Wildlife bribery scheme too, informant says

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thecurrentla.com – Leslie Turk – 2025-09-11 15:30:00

SUMMARY: Dusty Guidry, a former consultant who pleaded guilty to accepting $800,000 in bribes, testified that Assistant District Attorney Gary Haynes sought involvement in a bribery scheme at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. Haynes, on trial for conspiracy, bribery, money laundering, and obstruction, was previously appointed to run Lafayette’s pretrial diversion program after supporting DA Don Landry. Guidry revealed Haynes pressured him to include him in a similar diversion program scheme at Wildlife & Fisheries, receiving checks totaling $90,000. The scheme involved splitting bribes among Guidry, vendor Leonard Franques, and former department secretary Jack Montoucet, who has also been charged. The statewide program never launched.

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The post Haynes wanted in on Wildlife bribery scheme too, informant says appeared first on thecurrentla.com

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

OPPJ Comprehensive Plan

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www.youtube.com – KTVE – 2025-09-10 21:15:08

SUMMARY: The Ouachita Parish Police Jury is conducting a series of community meetings to gather public input for their comprehensive plan guiding future growth. Police Jury members, including Larry Bratton from District D, emphasize the importance of reflecting residents’ voices in the master plan. Community members participated in interactive stations, allocating resources to priorities like infrastructure and downtown development, to help shape goals for the next 2, 5, and 20 years. Landscape architect Matt Pizatella and partners from Atlas support the effort. Bratton stresses that without proactive planning, the parish risks costly and less beneficial outcomes in the long term.

OPPJ Comprehensive Plan

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