Elise Plunk

Elise Plunk

[email protected]

Elise Plunk is an environmental reporter for the Louisiana Illuminator and Report for America corps member based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She grew up in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida, where she was a reporter for WUFT news and editor-in-chief of Atrium Magazine. Elise's work is a part of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, which offers free coverage of agriculture, water and environmental issues from a network of reporters centered around the Mississippi River Basin to news outlets across the nation.

Amazon’s data center network in Northwest Louisiana is going to get bigger
Louisiana

Amazon’s data center network in Northwest Louisiana is going to get bigger

Aug 18, 2026
Elise Plunk
Amazon and state officials announced Tuesday the company’s data center hub under construction in Northwest Louisiana will be expanded. A third facility, not officially part of Amazon’s original $12 billion investment announced in February, will bring the total project value...
Rental aid available in Louisiana for Tropical Storm Arthur damage
Louisiana

Rental aid available in Louisiana for Tropical Storm Arthur damage

Aug 17, 2026
Elise Plunk
Federal rental assistance will be available to Louisiana residents who can’t live in their homes because of damage from Tropical Storm Arthur. The storm hit in late June, flooding areas in the central and southeastern parts of the state. Gov...
Whooping cranes are on the cusp of a comeback story. Could Trump policy change the ending?
Louisiana

Whooping cranes are on the cusp of a comeback story. Could Trump policy change the ending?

Aug 17, 2026
Elise Plunk
The calls of whooping cranes from an isolated corner of the New Orleans west bank cut through the humid August air like fire alarms, echoing back and forth in cacophonous, punctuated bursts of conversation. Richard Dunn, assistant curator for the...
Heat deaths drop dramatically in Louisiana, but health officials still urge caution
Louisiana

Heat deaths drop dramatically in Louisiana, but health officials still urge caution

Aug 07, 2026
Elise Plunk
The number of heat-related deaths in Louisiana is on a steep decline, but state health officials are still urging the public to take precautions as extreme summertime heat surges on. Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein confirmed in a news conference Friday...
Undeterred Democrats qualify for La. congressional races favoring GOP candidates 
Louisiana

Undeterred Democrats qualify for La. congressional races favoring GOP candidates 

Aug 06, 2026
Greg LaRose Elise Plunk
A new congressional district map in Louisiana is expected to further tilt its U.S. House delegation toward Republicans in 2027. But the new political landscape has not discouraged some Democrats from qualifying for races on the Nov. 3 ballot in...
As Meta data center expands, advocates push harder for transparency
Louisiana

As Meta data center expands, advocates push harder for transparency

Aug 05, 2026
Elise Plunk
Consumer, science and environmental advocates are pushing harder for transparency from Meta and the utility that will power its expanding Hyperion data center in Northeast Louisiana. The Alliance for Affordable Energy and Union of Concerned Scientists held a joint news...
Meta data center pollution permit doesn’t account for all its emissions, Sierra Club says 
Louisiana

Meta data center pollution permit doesn’t account for all its emissions, Sierra Club says 

Aug 04, 2026
Elise Plunk
An environmental group argues Louisiana officials did not account for all of the harmful emissions Meta’s data center in Richland Parish will produce when it approved the facility’s Clean Air Act permit revisions in June. In comments submitted Thursday to...
Louisiana moves to set up homelessness courts, with critics saying it won’t help
Louisiana

Louisiana moves to set up homelessness courts, with critics saying it won’t help

Jul 30, 2026
Elise Plunk
Advocates and service providers for the homeless worry a new Louisiana law that criminalizes unauthorized sleeping outdoors will make it even harder for people who struggle to find permanent housing. Act 788, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Metairie, was dubbed...
Are you owed a state tax refund? You can check online.
Louisiana

Are you owed a state tax refund? You can check online.

Jul 27, 2026
Elise Plunk
Individuals and businesses in Louisiana should make sure they’ve received any tax refunds they’re owed from the state before they are declared “unclaimed property,” the state Revenue Department says. Nearly 23,000 Louisiana taxpayers were sent letters informing them they are...
Conservationists worry Endangered Species Act changes could threaten recovery efforts
Louisiana

Conservationists worry Endangered Species Act changes could threaten recovery efforts

Jul 27, 2026
Elise Plunk
The continuous rattle of a red-cockaded woodpecker’s bill against a pine tree used to be a much more common sound throughout Louisiana forests. The plucky bird makes its home by burrowing into the hearts of longleaf pine trees, and the...
Recycled glass and salt-loving bacteria are helping scientists bring back coastal cypress
Louisiana

Recycled glass and salt-loving bacteria are helping scientists bring back coastal cypress

Jul 16, 2026
Elise Plunk
Tulane University researchers and the recycling facility Glass Half Full are using evolutionary relationships between bacteria, fungi and plants to grow cypress and other plant species in glass sand created from recycled bottles. Scientists hope to build back areas of...
LSU Vet Med warns residents to watch for wildlife, pet safety ahead of expected floods
Louisiana

LSU Vet Med warns residents to watch for wildlife, pet safety ahead of expected floods

Jul 14, 2026
Elise Plunk
Ahead of heavy rain expected for parts of southern Louisiana through the end of the week, Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine warns residents to keep pets inside and away from wildlife displaced by flooding. Wildlife can flee from...