In case you're living under a rock..

... a rock with an internet connection, I guess... you should be aware that Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee has passed away this morning following a frighteningly rapid onset of complications from his ongoing leukemia treatments.

Lee was a colorful and controversial figure on the local political scene for nearly three decades alternately beloved and despised for varying reasons. Lee's legacy will undoubtedly be closely tied to the strange politics of race in Orleans and Jefferson all of which we can discuss later. For now, it's sufficient to note that an era has ended in local politics in tragic fashion.

Update: Very thorough obit from the T-P