Julia Guilbeau

1 week ago | nola.com | Julia Guilbeau

Robert Prevost, an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru, was elected by fellow cardinals on Wednesday as the Catholic Church's newest pope, making him the first American leader in the church's 2,000 year history. Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order, took the name Leo XIV. He had been a leading candidate except for his nationality.

1 week ago | nola.com | Julia Guilbeau

The New Orleans area was pounded by rain on Wednesday as severe storms brought strong winds and roaring thunder to southeast Louisiana, leaving thousands without power and flooding roads. Most of of the region and parts of Mississippi remained under a flood watch through Thursday evening as forecasters said another round of thunderstorms was expected in the next day.

1 week ago | nola.com | Julia Guilbeau

Late spring is creeping into early summer in New Orleans, and residents have one annoying insect other than mosquitoes to keep an eye out for — swarming termites. Formosan termites, the subterranean bugs that inhabit south Louisiana, emerge each year like clockwork, flocking to street lights on warm, humid evenings in April and May. Swarms typically peak in mid-May, often around the Mother's Day holiday, but they can be seen even before that.

2 weeks ago | nola.com | Julia Guilbeau

The sun is shining and despite a few clouds lingering in the sky, the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is shaping up to be hot and humid. Forecasts call for a "very, very" hot weekend in the Crescent City, and skies are expected to remain clear on Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Drinking plenty of water is, of course, the best option to prevent hydration.

2 weeks ago | nola.com | Julia Guilbeau

Thousands pass through the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival gates each year, and there's one funky factor that makes it easy to decipher the devotees from the newcomers: a printed BayouWear Hawaiian shirt. Over the last four decades, the button-downs have become part of the unspoken Jazz Fest dress code, a uniform that’s celebrated by many beyond New Orleans locals. In fact, the shirt's story is woven into the fabric of the Crescent City’s biggest music celebration.