John Snell
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John Snell has worked in the TV news business in New Orleans since 1983. During that time, he's reported on virtually every major story in Southeastern Louisiana, from the 1984 World's Fair to the collapse of the oil industry, the Edwin Edwards trials, hurricanes and their aftermath.
Since the 2005 storms, John has focused on South Louisiana's storm protection, including natural features, such as barrier islands, marsh and cypress swamps.
His 2012 documentary, "Disappearing Defenses," won two national honors: an Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television Digital New Directors Association and a distinguished Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.
John has a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University. In his spare time, he enjoys bicycling and photography.
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A $41 million renovation reimagines New Orleans riverfront attractions
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Southeast of the town of Jean Lafitte, contractors for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have converted open water into near 1,200 acres of new marsh.
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Federal dollars reach the long-awaited Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee projects
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The $100 million project is building nearly seven miles of marsh and a ridge similar to a beach dune.
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Louisiana’s coastal program is facing a funding crisis as the big money from fines and settlements associated with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill runs out in 2032.
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Louisiana’s Rep. Steve Scalise pushes back against arguments U.S. must steer clear of new energy production
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Contractors are crafting a $760 million levee through the swamp that surrounds vulnerable River Parish communities.
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Dredging in the New Orleans landbridge is aimed at providing hurricane defenses.
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Maurepas Swamp River Diversion will be "like watering a lawn."
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The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion would channel up to 75,000 cubic feet per second of river water into the marsh
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Officials intentionally drain Henderson Lake to fight invasive species and improve the water quality.
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Also called pogy and fatback, menhaden are by far Louisiana’s largest fishery, generating upwards of 500 million tons per year. That’s more than shrimp, crabs, and oysters combined.
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A rare okapi has given birth at the Audubon Species Survival Center.
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Eight-month-old orphaned black bear cubs will be taken from Alaska to their new home in New Orleans.
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Oystermen complain that much fresh water in the system would devastate oyster leases.
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For the first time in 75 years, scientists documented endangered sea turtles nesting on a Louisiana beach
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The concept of the project has been discussed since 1984, but a final Environment Impact Study represents a milestone in the efforts to make it a reality.
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Residents see the marsh near their homes rapidly deteriorate.
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“RISEE ACT” would share oil, gas and wind energy revenue with states.
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A canal into the Wax Lake area produced new marsh and islands over the last 80 years.
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Coastal activists question Army Corps plan to partially close Neptune Pass
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CPRA hopes to restore some of the 106 square miles of wetlands destroyed in Hurricane Ida
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$34 million renovation will transform the 30-year-old aquarium site
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Hurricane Center warns West Bank levees could be overtopped if a carbon copy of Ida veered 15 miles to the east
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St. Bernard Parish leaders call a $394 million ridge restoration "critical" protection for wetlands and levees.
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2,700 acres project will pump three Superdomes worth of mud
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Higher river levels draw dozens of bald eagles to the Bonnet Carre Spillway.
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Early results show positive signs for efforts to plant a new forest in Madisonville.
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LSU Ag Center estimates Hurricane Ida caused $315 million in damage to Louisiana's forest owners
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A partnership between the New Orleans and San Diego zoo organizations breeds endangered species
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Two-month-old Sumatran orangutan Roux needs to hit more milestones before his public debut.
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Two proposed Mississippi River diversions could benefit the Louisiana's wetlands, a new study finds.
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Marine Science Program takes advantage of a living laboratory to teach lessons that last a lifetime.
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Handlers have been bottle feeding the infant.
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In years when there are major disasters, the results can be devastating.
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The Will-o'-the-wisps is the newest attraction at Celebration in the Oaks
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The Audubon Nature Institute may have something to rival the excitement, at least in the zoo world.
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The $100 million Spanish Pass Marsh & Ridge project will create 7 miles of land
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Significant portions of the marsh on the north and western sides of Barataria Bay appear to have been lost to Ida’s surge and waves.
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All that was left of that little spot was a little island, a small spit of land, separated from the shoreline with a lone cypress tree.
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Levee district juggles with ways to remove marsh grass while avoiding a cash crunch
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Satellite images show damage to wetlands from Ida appears most severe in areas around Barataria Bay
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25% of the homes in Lafourche Parish are destroyed or uninhabitable
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Ida heavily damaged or destroyed six of the roughly 20 camps along the Wilkinson Canal
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The 2020 hurricane season claimed more land around the Irish Bayou community
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This working alligator farm, like many businesses, copes with the COVID-19 pandemic
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The state says Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion played no role in Mandy Tumlin’s civil service appeal
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Children are returning to school and it’s not a bad idea to have a calm, honest conversation with them about strangers and avoiding potentially dangerous situations.
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Lake Itasca State Park in Minnesota draws thousands of visitors curious to see the source of the Mississippi River
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Louisiana scientists explain fruit flies and humans share many of the same cancer-related genes.
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