 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer The owner of the Nottoway plantation says an evaluation of the site will determine the future of the 166-year-old mansion that was destroyed by fire Thursday. He says he may be open to rebuilding. “We’re very devastated, we’re upset, we’re sad,” Dan Dyess said Friday. “We put a lot of time, effort and money to developing this property.” The mansion was part of the plantation-turned-resort in rural Iberville Parish, which also served as a reminder of the state's history of slavery. It divided residents over its historic and aesthetic significance, but it also boosted the local economy, bringing in tourists and hosting events. Read more about the aftermath of the blaze.
Around midnight Thursday, 10 inmates escaped the Orleans Parish jail in New Orleans after apparently pulling a toilet from a wall, smashing a hole through sheetrock and fleeing through the opening. It was more than eight hours before officials realized what had happened. It sounds like a movie, but the blowback for Sheriff Susan Hutson will be very real. Read about the brazen escape and what it could mean for the future.
Louisiana native John Foster faces the season finale of "American Idol" on Sunday against two other contestants. Local residents will be pulling for him, of course. But find out what oddsmakers think of the Addis native's chances of winning. | 
