| By Chad Calder | Staff writer
LABOR DAYS: Our national holiday to celebrate the strides of the labor movement is often marked by the toils of many still overworked and underpaid. This year, however, hard work was more prevalent than ever as hammers swung, debris was hauled and trash was hoisted into trucks as people throughout the region continued to dig out from Hurricane Ida. Laborers, carpenters and even neighbors with a little know-how to share began to chisel away, house-by-house, block-by-block, at the destruction that replaced our normal streetscape just over a week ago. Trash and debris collection services have also lurched back into operation, taking on "the nastiest of the nasty."
SENIORS STRUGGLE: Accusations continue to fly in the wake of post-storm evacuations of local senior apartment complexes where five have died, and we have more accounts from some residents at the center of the tragedy. Meanwhile, the city says inspections will take place before any residents return.
FEMA RESOURCES: New Orleans has historically had a complicated relationship with FEMA, but the agency remains the tip of the spear in terms of federal aid. FEMA says power outages — not just storm damage — may qualify residents for evacuation aid; will give out reimbursements for generators and chainsaws; and can help renters affected by Ida. Meanwhile, the arrival of blue roofs nears.
RETURN TO POWER: As has become standard, here is the latest on power restoration efforts throughout the region. Meanwhile, the gasoline situation has been getting a little better in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but remains dire in the hardest hit areas.
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