Posted
2011-07-28 05:47:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR THURSDAY 072811
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
TROPICAL STORM DON CONTINUES TO SLOWLY CHURN WESTWARD INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FORECASTER RICHARD PASCH SAYS DON IS EXPECTED TO KEEP TRACKING WEST AND NORTHWEST, WITH LITTLE PROBABILITY OF HITTING LOUISIANA'S COAST. DON'S CURRENT "CONE OF PROBABILITY" TAKES IT ASHORE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE TEXAS COAST. PASCH SAYS DON IS NOT PREDICTED TO GROW MUCH STRONGER. PASCH SAYS DON SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL SOMETIME LATE FRIDAY OR EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
WITH A TROPICAL STORM APPROACHING, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL SAYS IT HAS EVACUATED ABOUT 70 NON-ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL FROM PRODUCTION AND DRILLING OPERATIONS IN THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO.
72 YEAR OLD MILTON DAIGRE OF ALEXANDRIA WAS KILLED YESTERDAY MORNING IN A ONE VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH TRAFFIC CIRCLE. DETAILS ARE STILL SKETCHY AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE WRECK. THE APD SAYS THEY ARE STILL INVESTIGATING. MILTON DAIGRE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.
AFTER AN OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING AT 5:30 THIS AFTERNOON, COPELAND’S RESTAURANT IN ALEXANDRIA WILL REOPEN IT’S DOORS AFTER ALMOST A YEAR. COPELAND'S FIRST OPENED IN MARCH 2005, BUT FRANCHISE OWNER DAVID PUGH CLOSED IT NEARLY A YEAR AGO IN AUGUST. HOWEVER, WHEN IT REOPENS TONIGHT, IT WILL BE UNDER CORPORATE OWNERSHIP. THE BUILDING, LOCATED BY THE SOUTH TRAFFIC CIRCLE, HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RENOVATED.
RECENTLY RELEASED DATA FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LISTS SIX CENLA SCHOOLS, ONE FROM AVOYELLES PARISH, ONE FROM NATCHITOCHES PARISH AND FOUR FROM RAPIDES PARISH, AS ACADEMICALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THE STATE ALSO RELEASED ITS ANNUAL ACADEMIC WATCH LIST, WHICH NAMES 16 CENLA SCHOOLS.
THIS YEAR, SCHOOLS WERE UNDER GREATER PRESSURE TO PERFORM DUE TO A HIGHER STANDARD FOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORES, WHICH INCREASED FROM 60 POINTS TO 65. STATE OFFICIALS POINTED TO THE FIVE-POINT BOOST IN THE MINIMUM STANDARDS AS THE REASON MORE LOUISIANA SCHOOLS MADE THIS YEAR'S LISTS. NEXT YEAR, REQUIRED MINIMUM SCORES WILL RISE TO 75 POINTS.
WINNFIELD POLICE CHIEF JOHNNIE RAY CARPENTER HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS IN PRISON FOR INTERFERING WITH THE ARREST OF A WOMAN WANTED FOR BANK FRAUD IN WASHINGTON STATE. U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE JAMES D. KIRK ON WEDNESDAY ALSO SENTENCED CARPENTER TO ONE YEAR OF SUPERVISED RELEASE AND IMPOSED A $4,000 FINE. CARPENTER WAS CONVICTED IN FEDERAL COURT IN APRIL ON A MISDEMEANOR CHARGE OF OBSTRUCTING THE ARREST OF A FUGITIVE. FEDERAL OFFICERS WERE MAKING AN ARREST IN WINNFIELD IN AUGUST 2009 WHEN CARPENTER INCITED A CROWD OF PEOPLE AGAINST THEM.
THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION REPORTED WEDNESDAY THAT ANNUAL JOB GROWTH IN LOUISIANA SLOWED A BIT IN JUNE, BUT THE STATE STILL POSTED ITS LARGEST NUMBER OF PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS SINCE DECEMBER 2008. THE STATE HAD 11,600 MORE NON-FARM JOBS LAST MONTH THAN IN JUNE 2010. THE LARGEST GAINERS INCLUDED PRIVATE EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES, LEISURE-HOSPITALITY, TRADE, TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES AND THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR THE PETROLEUM SECTOR HAS BEEN LARGELY STAGNANT OVER THE PAST YEAR. ON THE OTHER HAND, CONSTRUCTION, WHICH HAS BEEN HIT BY THE NATIONAL HOUSING MELTDOWN, HAS DROPPED 2,700 JOBS.
RAPIDES PARISH SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES ARRESTED 21 YEAR OLD ANDRE BATISTE YESTERDAY AFTER THEY FOUND HE WAS IN POSSESSION OF A POUND OF MARIJUANA, FOUR GRAMS OF COCAINE AND THREE HANDGUNS. BATISTE WAS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF DRUG POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE, THREE COUNTS OF DRUG POSSESSION, DRUG POSSESSION IN A SCHOOL ZONE AND ILLEGAL CARRYING OF A WEAPON WITH DRUGS. THE ARREST CAME AFTER DEPUTIES RECEIVED A TIP TO SEARCH BATISTE'S RESIDENCE.
ACCORDING TO POLICE IN LAFAYETTE, TWO PEOPLE WERE FOUND DEAD IN A HOUSE IN THEIR CITY YESTERDAY MORNING. CORPORAL PAUL MOUTON SAID A FRIEND OF THE TWO VICTIMS FOUND THE BODIES. THE AGES AND NAMES OF THE VICTIMS--ONE MALE, ONE
FEMALE--HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED YET, PENDING NOTIFICATION OF NEXT OF KIN. MOUTON CALLED THE DEATHS--QUOTE--"VERY SUSPICIOUS IN NATURE."
GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL HELPED BREAK GROUND YESTERDAY ON THE NEW LOUISIANA DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER AT LSU IN BATON ROUGE. THE 94-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT FACILITY WILL HOUSE THE UNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOR COMPUTER TECH AND ELECTRONIC ARTS' DIGITAL MEDIA TEST CENTER. THE GOVERNOR SAYS IT'S THE START OF A NEW ERA OF TECH-RELATED BUSINESS HERE IN LOUISIANA.
A YEAR AFTER THE DEEPWATER HORIZON EXPLOSION AND THE BP OIL SPILL, THREE OF LOUISIANA'S PREMIER FISHING RODEOS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK THIS WEEKEND. STATE WILDLIFE & FISHERIES ASSISTANT SECRETARY RANDY PAUSINA SAYS THE RETURN OF THESE EVENTS IS GREAT NEWS FOR THE STATE. THE GRAND ISLE TARPON RODEO AND THE FAUX PAS (FOH PAH) RODEO IN VENICE BOTH START TODAY, AND THE WEST DELTA KINGFISH INVITATIONAL KICKS OFF FRIDAY AT THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI. PAUSINA SAYS THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF EVEN JUST ONE EVENT IS A MAJOR BOON TO THE PARISH AND THE
STATE.
LOUISIANA'S UTILITY REGULATORS THREW THEIR SUPPORT WEDNESDAY BEHIND A NATIONAL PROPOSAL FOR AT&T TO BUY T-MOBILE USA FOR $39 BILLION. IT WOULD GIVE AT&T 43 PERCENT OF THE STATE'S WIRELESS MARKET. THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION VOTED 4-1 TO BACK THE MERGER IDEA, WHICH IS AWAITING FEDERAL CONSIDERATION.
FORMER GOVERNOR EDWIN EDWARDS AND TRINA SCOTT WILL BE MARRIED TOMORROW BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT, KITTY KIMBALL. THE FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND HIS FINANCE WILL TIE THE KNOT SOMEPLACE IN NEW ORLEANS ON FRIDAY, THE DAY BEFORE EDWARDS' 84TH BIRTHDAY.
CABLE TV VIEWERS GET TO SEE A DIFFERENT SIDE OF ANGOLA STATE PRISON TONIGHT, AS THE DOCUMENTARY "SERVING LIFE" AIRS ON OWN, THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK. ANGOLA WARDEN BURL CAIN SAYS THE FILM FOCUSES ON THE PRISON'S HOSPICE PROGRAM FOR TERMINALLY ILL & DYING INMATES. LISA COHEN'S FILM FOLLOWS A GROUP OF INMATE HOSPICE CARE WORKERS, AS THEY TRY TO EASE INMATES THROUGH THE END OF LIFE. CAIN SAYS ANGOLA STARTED THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PRISON HOSPICE YEARS AGO, AS A MONEY-SAVING EFFORT.
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