Erin Heatherton: The 63rd NBA All-Star Game 2014

New Orleans, Louisiana - Twenty four year old model Erin Heatherton looked lovely in a black dress, shoes, tights and blue suit coat at the 63rd NBA All-Star Game 2014 at the Smoothie King Center on February 16, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Erin Heatherton born Erin Heather Bubley; March 4, 1989 is an American fashion model and actress. She is best known for her work for lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret.

Photos Credit: Getty Images

UPDATE 6: NEW ORLEANS PIPELINE FIRE

UPDATE 6: Assisting agencies complete purging operations.

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard and assisting agencies have completed purging operations of the pipeline fire near Bayou Perot, Monday.

After extensive shoreline assessments and subsequent actions the unified command of the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, Settoon Towing, Chevron and the Coast Guard have deemed there is no threat of fire or explosions at this time. The emergency response phase has concluded. Agencies will continue to monitor for any environmental impacts from this incident while developing a salvage plan to remove the tug from the bayou and make repairs to the pipeline.

No oil was spilled during this incident. During the course of the response, 12,800 feet of boom was deployed to contain any possible spills that might have happened during the course of the response.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received notification March 12 at 6 p.m., reporting that an allision between a tug pushing a barge and a pipeline resulting fire near Bayou Perot 30 miles south of New Orleans.

There were no impacts to wildlife reported. The four crewmembers evacuated the motor vessel Shannon E. Settoon, and the captain was reported to have suffered second to third-degree burns.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.

Station New Orleans: Protecting The Gateway To Global Commerce

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Tippets

A barge transporting cargo travels on the Mississippi River

 near New Orleans, March 7, 2013. Five hundred million tons

 of cargo travels the Mississippi River each year.

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Tippets

Read more: NEW ORLEANS - America is currently besieged by a very particular fear. It is a fear of not enough, a universal fear. It is a fear of not enough money and not enough jobs. It is a fear for the future.

With many television programs constantly bombarding viewers with commentary on the nation’s economic crisis, words and phrases like debt, fiscal cliff, unemployment and most recently budget restrictions have been branded into the American psyche.

In the gathering darkness of the nation’s financial situation, a local light shines. It shines not only on local and national levels, but also on the world’s stage. One of the original missions of the Coast Guard was keeping America’s lighthouses in working condition. Times haven’t changed so much. The Coast Guard still keeps America’s lighthouses running, only now, it is a financial lighthouse.

The Port of New Orleans is an economic powerhouse. For the 2012 fiscal year, the port’s total revenue was $48.5 million, a number expected to be exceeded in 2013.

The port is also the only U.S. seaport served by all six Class 1 railroads, which means that anything coming into the port can go nearly anywhere in the country. With top trade lanes such as the American Midwest, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, the port operates at a global level.

Another mode of transportation once goods reach the port is the Mississippi River.

“A 14,500-mile inland waterway system awaits cargo arriving at the Port of New Orleans,” said Matt Gresham, director of external affairs at the Port of New Orleans. “This system of river and navigation channels can reach Pittsburgh, Chicago, Kansas City and points in between.”

The port and river system act as a conduit for American commerce, a conduit regularly patrolled by the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Station New Orleans is one of the Coast Guard’s first lines of defense for safety on the Mississippi River.

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UPDATE 5: New Orleans Pipeline Fire

A pipeline burns after an collision with tug boat Shanon E. Setton, near Bayou Perot 30 miles south of New Orleans, March 13, 2013. The Coast Guard is working with federal, state and local agencies in response to this incident to ensure the safety of responders and contain and clean up any oil that is leaking. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans)

UPDATE 5: Lightering operations completed, flaring operations continue

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard and assisting agencies continue response operations for a tug and barge that collided with a pipeline near Bayou Perot 30 miles south of New Orleans Friday.

After the barge was removed from the scene and taken to a secure location, offloading operations were conducted and completed at approximately 3 p.m. Friday. The crude oil from the barge has been offloaded into a separate barge.  At no time was any pollution observed coming from the barge.

As the residual liquid petroleum gas in the pipeline dwindles, the flaring operations will continue.  Flaring operations use flares which are devices that burn or oxidize industrial gaseous wastes in a safe, controlled and efficient manner.

The Coast Guard continues to maintain flight restrictions over the airspace near the Shannon E. Settoon barge at and below 5,000 feet within approximately a one-mile radius. Responders have deployed 11,100 feet of boom around the tank barge to contain any possible pollution risks.

The unified command consists of the U.S. Coast Guard, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, Settoon Towing and Chevron.  Other agencies and contractors include Louisiana State Police, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Natural Resources, ES&H, CTEH Air Monitoring, T&T Marine Salvage and Resolve Marine.


NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard continues to respond to a report of an allision between a tug pushing a barge resulting in a pipeline fire near Bayou Perot 30 miles south of New Orleans, Wednesday.

ES & H, the oil spill response organization, is on scene and has mobilized 7,218 feet of containment boom and 6,000 feet of 18-inch containment boom, one cabin boat, five responder class boats, one Marco skimmer and two 24-foot express hull vessels in response to the incident.

There are 2,215 barrels of crude on the barge and approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel on the tug.

A Coast Guard overflight is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday to conduct shoreline impacts and assessments.

There is a one mile by 75 foot-wide sheen reported in the vicinity of the tug and barge.

The owner of the pipeline is Chevron, and the owner of the barge is Setoon Towing LLC. The pipeline was shut in Tuesday evening, and the fire will diminish as the product diminishes.

All crew members were able to exit the tug; the captain reportedly suffered second to third-degree degree burns.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report that the 47-foot tug Shanon E. Settoon was pushing a 154-foot oil barge when it allided with a pipeline 6 p.m., Tuesday.

The Coast Guard is working with federal, state and local agencies in response to this incident to ensure the safety of responders and contain and clean up any oil that is leaking.


The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.

New Orleans Pipeline Fire Update With New Video

NEW ORLEANS — Responders continued to monitor and prepare salvage, firefighting and pollution contingencies for a tug and barge that collided with a pipeline near Bayou Perot 30 miles south of New Orleans Wednesday.

The fire reportedly has reduced in size by approximately 30 percent, and there are no reports of oil in the water. Visual imagery intially indicated potential pockets of crude oil; however, those areas have been determined to be particulate ash from the liquefied natural gas burn off.

Approximately 2,200 barrels of crude oil remain on board the barge and has not been compromised.

A staging area has been established at the C & M Fuel Dock.

The Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team have arrived on scene and are underway to check spill trajectory.

There are approximately 40 response personnel on scene.

Resources deployed for the incident:

The 160-foot Coast Guard Cutter Axe and crew;

Two sections of containment boom, 6,000 feet and 7,000 feet;

Two Marco skimmers;

Ten response vessels;

Two oil spill response trailers.

The unified command consists of the U.S. Coast Guard, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, Settoon Towing, Jefferson and Lafourche Parishes, Chevron and ES&H.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.

Beyonce Performs At Super Bowl 47

New Orleans, Louisiana - Beyonce Knowles performed during the 47th Super Bowl halftime show at the Superdome.  One of the most recognizable characters in modern-day R&B, Beyoncé first rose to fame as the siren-voiced centerpiece of Destiny's Child before embarking on a multi-platinum solo career in 2001. Booming record sales, Grammy awards, movie roles, and a romance with rapper/CEO Jay-Z combined to heighten her profile in the 2000s, making the singer a virtual mainstay in the entertainment world. While some media outlets derisively championed Paris Hilton as "the next Marilyn Monroe," Beyoncé was a much better contender for the role, her glittering pop culture persona only matched by her success onscreen and on record.

Born in Houston in September 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles began performing at age seven, winning