By WILL SENTELL Key lawmakers Tuesday praised a plan that would triple state aid to ports in Louisiana. "I can't ever remember Louisiana having more money in its coffers," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Roy Quezaire, D-Donaldsonville.

By Guillet, Jaime; Santora, Tommy Officials at the Port of South Louisiana in LaPlace often boast about having the largest tonnage port and being the top port in export tonnage in the United States.

By Advocate staff The Bush administration distributed nearly $400 million Monday, including $26 million for the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and three other south Louisiana facilities, to boost security at seaports, commuter trains and other transit systems.

By Simon Romero Gary LaGrange, the exuberant chief executive of the Port of New Orleans, tries to convey the impression of a man at ease. After all, the Mississippi River warehouses and wharf that he is in charge of sustained minimal damage and flooding from Hurricane Katrina.

By K.T. Arasu CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Port of New Orleans resumed operations on Wednesday as the first vessel headed out to sea more than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina closed down shipping.