06 January 2006
Two Loose Ends Tied Up
Some good news, some bad (though not really unexpected) news from the Hurricane Katrina aftermath:
And:
New Orleans Bridge Reopens to TrafficThe plan is to replace the bridge completely with a six-lane span within three years.
NEW ORLEANS - AP - A major bridge over Lake Pontchartrain that was torn apart by Hurricane Katrina reopened fully to traffic just before dawn Friday.
Katrina's storm surge ripped giant sections of the five-mile concrete bridge, which links New Orleans and Slidell, La., and tossed some into the lake. Other sections of the Interstate 10 span shifted by as much as 5 feet.
Crews cannibalized undamaged sections from the westbound span to patch the eastbound lanes, which were converted temporarily to two-way traffic. That left about a mile of the westbound roadway missing, and they were replaced with a system of metal trusses and decking.
And:
Hurricane Blamed in Death of Barry Cowsill¶ 10:17 AM
NEW ORLEANS - AP - Barry Cowsill, a member of the popular 1960s singing family The Cowsills, was found dead on a wharf nearly four months after he disappeared when Hurricane Katrina flooded the city. He was 51.
Cowsill's body, recovered Dec. 28 from the Chartres Street Wharf, was identified with dental records Tuesday, said Dr. Louis Cataldie, head of the state hurricane morgue in Carville.
The coroner had not determined the cause of death but believed it was related to the devastating storm, which struck the city Aug. 29.
[snip]
Richard Cowsill said no memorial service was planned and that his brother would be cremated. "He always said when I leave this place, you better party. And that's what we're planning to do," he said.
