Posted
2011-08-12 07:03:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR FRIDAY 081211
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
THE ALEXANDRIA HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS NO SHORTAGE OF APPLICANTS AS THEY SEARCH FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR THEIR FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WANDA DAVIS. BOARD MEMBERS HAVE RECEIVED 28 RÉSUMÉS FROM LOCAL PROFESSIONALS AND OTHERS ACROSS THE STATE AND COUNTRY INTERESTED IN THE POSITION. CLIFFORD MOLLER, THE HEAD OF THE ALEXANDRIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS REPORTEDLY ONE OF THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE THE JOB. THE AHA BOARD STOPPED EXCEPTING APPLICATIONS ON MONDAY. NO WORD AS TO WHEN A DECISION WILL BE MADE.
BOND HAS BEEN REVOKED FOR WINN PARISH SHERIFF A.D. LITTLE AFTER HE VIOLATED A CONDITION OF HIS RELEASE EVEN BEFORE STEPPING A FOOT OUT OF JAIL. THAT MEANS THE 62-YEAR-OLD FIRST-TERM SHERIFF WILL REMAIN JAILED UNTIL HIS TRIAL. LITTLE WAS ARRESTED AUG. 2 FOLLOWING A FEDERAL INDICTMENT ACCUSING HIM AND 10 OTHERS OF TRAFFICKING METHAMPHETAMINE IN THE WINN PARISH AND SHREVEPORT AREAS. HE WAS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE THIS WEEK ON A $100,000 BOND AND STRINGENT RESTRICTIONS SET BY U.S. MAGISTRATE MARK HORNSBY. ONE OF THOSE CONDITIONS WAS FOR LITTLE TO NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH HIS OFFICE OR ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION. BUT AUTHORITIES LEARNED THURSDAY THAT LITTLE CALLED HIS WIFE AND ASKED HER TO RETRIEVE FILES FROM HIS OFFICE, WHICH SHE DID.
THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET ON THURSDAY CORRECTED LANGUAGE IN BILLS ALLOCATING FUNDING FOR REBUILDING A BRIDGE IN THE RIGOLETTE AREA AND SUPPLYING GENERATORS FOR THE PROCTER & GAMBLE PLANT IN PINEVILLE. AS APPROVED BY THE PANEL, THE $527,000 INCLUDED IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL OF THE 2011 SESSION CAN BE EXPENDED ON RECONSTRUCTING THE RIGOLETTE ROAD BRIDGE.
THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE TROPICAL WAVES NOW ACTIVE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN; EACH WITH THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A NAMED STORM. STATE CLIMATOLOGIST BARRY KEIM SAYS TWO OF THEM ARE STILL MANY DAYS FROM NEARING THE U.S., BUT STILL MERIT CLOSE MONITORING. ONE SYSTEM, OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S., IS EXPECTED TO TRACK OUT TO SEA. THE OTHERS ARE IN THE EASTERN AND MID-ATLANTIC; SLOWLY
HEADED OUR WAY.
A NEW REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY SAYS LOUISIANA IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO FIGHT CANCER. AMBER STEVENS WITH THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY SAYS THE STATE FALLS SHORT IN SEVERAL AREAS. SHE SAYS LOUISIANA BANS SMOKING IN RESTAURANTS, BUT BARS AND CASINOS SHOULD BE INCLUDED AS WELL. STEVENS SAYS LOUISIANA SHOULD DRAMATICALLY RAISE ITS TOBACCO TAX, TO DISCOURAGE SMOKING. SHE SAYS THE ACS WANTS THE STATE TO PASS MORE CANCER FIGHTING LAWS AND POLICIES.
THE FIELD OF CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO BE LOUISIANA'S SECRETARY OF STATE HAS NARROWED. NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE WALKER HINES HAS ANNOUNCED HE WILL NOT RUN FOR THAT OFFICE AFTER ALL. HINES WILL ALSO NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM IN THE STATE HOUSE. AT 27-YEARS-OF-AGE, HINES IS THE LEGISLATURE'S YOUNGEST MEMBER. CURRENT SOS TOM SCHEDLER WILL BE CHALLENGED BY HOUSE SPEAKER JIM TUCKER AND POSSIBLY BY DEMOCRAT CAROLINE FAYARD.
AUDITS OF IN-HOME HEALTH PROVIDERS WHO CARE FOR LOUISIANA MEDICAID PATIENTS TURNED UP INSUFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION FOR WORKER TRAINING, A LACK OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ON EMPLOYEES, TIMESHEET DISCREPANCIES AND OUTRIGHT FRAUD. THE 41 COMPANIES REVIEWED BY AN ACCOUNTING FIRM OWE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS $4.2 MILLION IN OVERPAYMENTS AND FINES. THE REVIEWS, CONDUCTED OVER THE FISCAL YEAR THAT ENDED IN JULY, WERE PART OF A DHH PROGRAM TO COMBAT FRAUD ESTIMATED TO SIPHON OFF MILLIONS FROM THE MEDICAID PROGRAM EACH YEAR.
THE LOUISIANA STATE POLICE HAS RECEIVED FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS TO GET AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS OFF THE ROADS. SPOKESPERSON LT. DOUG CAIN SAYS THE DOLLARS WILL HELP PROVIDE STATE POLICE WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO SPECIFICALLY TARGET AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS. CAIN SAYS $592,000 WAS APPROVED BY THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET. CAIN SAYS THEY'RE GOING TO USE THAT MONEY TO PUT EXTRA TROOPERS ON THE HIGHWAYS.
THREE MEN IN OUACHITA PARISH ARE CHARGED WITH CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS FOR ALLEGEDLY HANGING A DEAD RACCOON BY ITS NECK FROM A NOOSE AND DISPLAYING THAT ON A FLAGPOLE--THE PURPOSE BEING TO INTIMIDATE BLACK STUDENTS AT A MOREHOUSE PARISH SCHOOL. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN 2007, BUT THE CHARGES ARE FRESH. IF CONVICTED THEY COULD DO UP TO A YEAR IN PRISON.
A JUDGE IN CADDO PARISH SENTENCES A MAN TO DEATH FOR THE 2007 MURDER OF 86-YEAR-OLD CHARLES MARTIN. ERIK DALE MICKELSON'S ATTORNEYS SAY THEY'LL WORK WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF LAWYERS TO GET HIM A NEW TRIAL. LAWYER DAVID PRICE SAYS MISTAKES WERE MADE BY JUDGE SCOTT CRICHTON, AND THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT MICKELSON WAS INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL. THE CADDO PARISH PROSECUTOR SAYS JUSTICE WAS SERVED AND MICKELSON GOT THE SENTENCE HE HAD COMING. MARTIN WAS STRANGLED AND DISMEMBERED; HIS REMAINS SCATTERED ACROSS THE PARISH.
GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL CUTS THE RIBBON ON A NEW FOOD PROCESSING FACILITY IN BASTROP. THE NEW D-G FOODS PLANT HAS RENOVATED THE FORMER INTERNATIONAL PAPER PLANT INTO A 85-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT CHICKEN PROCESSING FACILITY. WHEN FULLY STAFFED IT'S EXPECTED TO HAVE AN ANNUAL PAYROLL OF OVER 6-MILLION DOLLARS AND CONTRIBUTE $3-MILLION IN LOCAL TAX REVENUE.
MERCHANTS IN NEW ORLEANS' FRENCH QUARTER ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT PEOPLE WHO AGGRESSIVELY SOLICIT DONATIONS FROM VISITORS. THE SOLICITORS OFTEN IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS THE PARTY PATROL AND ISSUE BOGUS TICKETS FOR OFFENSES LIKE "BEING TOO PRETTY", OR "HAVING TOO MUCH FUN". THEY ASK FOR $10 FOR THEIR ORGANIZATION IN EXCHANGE FOR A HAT. THEY OFTEN BLOCK PEDESTRIANS' PATH AND MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY MUST DONATE. SOME EVEN VERBALLY BERATE THOSE WHO DECLINE. MERCHANTS FEEL THE PANHANDLERS ARE BAD FOR BUSINESS AND TOURISM OVERALL.
THE WIFE OF A MISSISSIPPI JUDGE FOUND AN 80-MM MORTAR SHELL ON THE COUPLE'S PATIO IN NATCHEZ THIS WEEK, SO THEY CALLED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THE SHERIFF CALLED FORT POLK, AN ARMY BASE IN LOUISIANA, WHICH SENT A BOMB TEAM OVER TO BLOW UP THE MORTAR WEDNESDAY. TURNS OUT, THE JUDGE COLLECTS MILITARY MEMORABILIA AND A FRIEND HAD LEFT THE MORTAR AS A GIFT.THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ISN'T PROVIDING THE NAME OF THE FRIEND WHO LEFT THE MORTAR AND CONSIDER THE CASE CLOSED.
THE STATE MINERAL AND ENERGY BOARD PULLED IN $647,000 DURING ITS AUGUST SALE OF PETROLEUM RIGHTS TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAND. THE AGENCY SAYS IT AWARDED 17 LEASES COVERING ABOUT 1,680 ACRES. THERE WERE 39 LEASES AVAILABLE COVERING ABOUT 44,000 ACRES. OF THE TRACTS AWARDED, 3 WERE IN NORTHERN LOUISIANA AND 14 WERE IN THE SOUTHERN PARISHES.
SPORTS..
FOOTBALL RETURNS TO THE LOUISIANA SUPERDOME TONIGHT AS THE SAINTS KICKOFF THE PRESEASON BY HOSTING THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS. NFL ANALYST MIKE DETILLIER SAYS THE STARTERS WILL ONLY SEE ACTION IN THE FIRST QUARTER. HEAR THE GAME TONIGHT ON 96.9 KZMZ STARTING WITH THE PREGAME SHOW AT 5PM.
HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON SAYS THE NFL LOCKOUT AND THE SHORT TIME TO PREPARE THE TEAM HAS FORCED HIM TO SHORT THE PLAYBOOK FOR TONIGHT'S GAME. THE BLACK AND GOLD HAS HAD ONLY SEVEN FULL PRACTICES SINCE THE PLAYERS AND OWNERS CAME TO A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
DOCTORS STILL AREN'T SURE IF TULANE DEFENSIVE BACK RENALDO THOMAS LOST CONSCIOUSNESS DURING WEDNESDAY'S PRACTICE BECAUSE OF THE HEAT. THOMAS WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE REMAINED LAST NIGHT FOR OBSERVATION.
HE IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED TODAY.
LSU FRESHMAN WIDE RECEIVER JARVIS LANDRY PRACTICED FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY SINCE BREAKING HIS FOOT DURING A SUMMER SEVEN-ON-SEVEN WORKOUT. THE STANDOUT FROM LUTCHER IS EXPECTED TO HAVE AN IMPACT THIS SEASON. LANDRY SAYS HE'S USED HIS TIME ON THE SIDELINE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE OFFENSE.
LSU FAN DAY IS TOMORROW AND IT'LL BE A TIME FOR TIGER FANS TO SHOW THEIR APPRECIATION. THIS YEAR'S FAN DAY WILL BE SPLIT BETWEEN TWO LOCATIONS. COACH LES MILES AND THE OFFENSE AND OFFENSIVE COACHING STAFF WILL BE IN THE MADDOX FIELD HOUSE, WHILE THE DEFENSE AND DEFENSIVE STAFF AND SPECIAL TEAMS WILL BE IN THE PETE MARAVICH ASSEMBLY CENTER.
ON THE DAY OF THE FIRST NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PRE-SEASON GAME, STATE OFFICIALS SAY LOUISIANA'S CUSTOM SAINTS LICENSE PLATES ARE SELLING PRETTY WELL. OFFICE OF MOTOR VEHICLES COMMISSIONER NICK GAUTREAUX SAYS THE PLATES COMMEMORATING THE BLACK & GOLD'S 2009 SUPER BOWL VICTORY ARE STILL HOT SELLERS. GAUTREAUX SAYS THAT NUMBER OF SPECIALTY PLATES THAT HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY LOUISIANA MOTORISTS IS MORE THAN MANY OTHER SPECIALTY PLATES OFFERED BY THE STATE.
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