In their front yard, blue and red ribbons remained from a party Vernette had hosted for her son just before Hurricane Katrina hit August 29.

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She came home red-eyed, her shoes filthy with mud from the yard between their houses.

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The federal agency began its probe -- which it dubbed "Operation Red Zone" in reference to the area between the 20-yard line and goal line for a football team's offense -- on September 1, 2012, and wrapped it up on February 6.

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