Local Update

My friend Laura came back early this morning after driving in traffic all night. She got in through Jefferson Parrish by coming over the Causeway and then taking the back roads to Riverbend. She lives a few blocks past The Maple Leaf, and she has power. I heard on the radio yesterday that The Maple Leaf did not have power (when they were inviting people to drink warm Budweiser and were powered by generators), and I'm going to drive around and see which neighborhoods have power and which do not. She said people entering Orleans Parrish directly are being turned away. In Markey Park on Piety, we heard rumor that there were MRE's and vodka at Spain and Rampart, but a nice National Guard officer who called Josh "Sir," went and checked and said that no help/comfort stations have been established yet because no one is allowed back in the city. I met a total asshole at the park too. He grabbed my press pass and said I didn't need it and should have made it dirty and that I should have been interviewing him as he surveyed "The Bank." I told the rule was that if you stay, you can't be al asshole. I'm going to drive around soon and see what's going on as far as power goes.