Heads and tales: The Katrina factor
By Wade Kwon
Showusyourtrips!: One of the nation’s oldest Mardi Gras celebrations takes place in Mobile, but has long been overshadowed by its rowdier neighbor, New Orleans. With its competition still rebuilding from God’s wrath Hurricane Katrina, will Mobile benefit from refugee revelers? Some 90,000 are expected for Mobile’s parades and parties.
• Mobile expects larger Mardi Gras crowds because of Katrina [Associated Press]
Billing department: Helping Alabama during the Katrina crisis cost roughly $33 million, and now the federal government is billing the state. By law, the state must chip in one-fourth of the cost, or $8.3 million. Katrina will likely be Alabama’s second-most expensive storm, right behind … Hurricane Ivan of 2004.
• Feds: Alabama owes more than $8 million [Mobile Register]
Any port from a storm: More than 24,000 Katrina evacuees are still in Alabama, with more than 5,000 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. Most have settled into new jobs and schools, but the trauma remains. Bessemer native Marie Sandoval fled Slidell, La., with her family and said three-year-old daughter was traumatized by the storm and the sudden relocation. “We thought she would just forget about it after a while, but she brings it up every day. She asks, ‘Why did our house get broken?’ She always asks about her old room.”
• Many evacuees make permanent home here [Birmingham News]
Also:
- Glossy social mag reveals hot parties, facelifts
- Bartow Arena to be torn down for new Taco Bell, Arby’s, DVD store
- Who we’re praying for in 2006: Nagin, Alito, Tom-Gelina
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