Posted
2011-08-16 05:30:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR TUESDAY 081611
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL JAMES CALDWELL SAYS A WINN PARISH GRAND JURY HAS RETURNED AN INDICTMENT CHARGING SHERIFF ALFRED LITTLE ON THREE FELONY CHARGES. THESE CHARGES COME ON THE HEELS OF LITTLE'S INDICTMENT ON SEPARATE FEDERAL DRUG CHARGES. IN THE THREE-COUNT INDICTMENT, THE FIRST-TERM SHERIFF IS ACCUSED OF MALFEASANCE, ABUSE OF OFFICE AND PERJURY. EACH STATE CHARGE CARRIES THE POSSIBILITY OF UP TO FIVE YEARS AT HARD LABOR AND FINES WHICH COULD TOTAL $20,000. BOND HAS BEEN SET ON THE STATE CHARGES AT $40,000. HOWEVER, A FEDERAL MAGISTRATE RECENTLY REVOKED THE SHERIFF'S BOND ON HIS FEDERAL CHARGES. LITTLE IS IN FEDERAL CUSTODY PENDING HIS TRIAL IN FEDERAL COURT.
AS EXPECTED REP. RICK GALLOT ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT HE IS RUNNING FOR STATE SENATE DISTRICT 29, A NEWLY DRAWN MINORITY DISTRICT THAT RUNS FROM SOUTH RAPIDES PARISH TO RUSTON. GALLOT, WHO IS 45, HAS BEEN IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SINCE 2000, WHEN HE WON A SPECIAL ELECTION. BECAUSE OF TERM LIMITS, GALLOT IS PREVENTED FROM RUNNING AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR HIS RUSTON-BASED HOUSE SEAT, DISTRICT 11.
THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF LOUISIANA IS SUING TO BLOCK ENFORCEMENT OF A NEW STATE LAW THAT LIMITS SEX OFFENDERS' ACCESS TO SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES AND OTHER ONLINE FORUMS. THE FEDERAL SUIT FILED MONDAY IN BATON ROUGE CLAIMS THE LAW IS OVERLY BROAD AND VIOLATES THE FREE SPEECH RIGHTS OF SEX OFFENDERS. THE ACLU SAYS THE LAW, WHICH TOOK EFFECT MONDAY, LIKELY TARGETS SITES LIKE FACEBOOK AND MYSPACE BUT ALSO BLOCKS ACCESS TO NEWSPAPER SITES, JOB DATABASES AND OTHER WEBSITES THAT ALLOW USERS TO COMMUNICATE. THE GROUP IS ASKING A FEDERAL JUDGE TO IMMEDIATELY BLOCK ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW.
THE MOTHER OF A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DISABLED BOY, WHO WAS DECAPITATED BY HIS FATHER, ADDRESSED REPORTERS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN THIBODAUX. AN EMOTIONAL, JESSLYN LIRETTE, DESCRIBED JORI LIRETTE AS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO HER. THE BOYS BIOLOGICAL FATHER, 30-YEAR-OLD JEREMIA LEE WRIGHT OF
THIBODEAUX HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND IS BEING
HELD ON A 5-MILLION DOLLAR BOND. AUTHORITIES POLICE SAY WRIGHT HAS CONFESSED TO THE CRIME.
GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL WAS IN MONROE MONDAY, TO ANNOUNCE A HIRING MILESTONE FOR GARDNER DENVER THOMAS PRODUCTS. MR. JINDAL SAYS THE MAKER OF SPECIALTY PUMPS WAS EMPLOYING ABOUT 70, AND CONSIDERING MOVING TO WISCONSIN, JUST TWO YEARS AGO. HE SAYS STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONVINCED THEM TO STAY AND EXPAND THEIR WORKFORCE. WITH IT'S WORKFORCE NOW AT 258, GARDNER DENVER THOMAS IS ON TRACK TO MEET A BENCHMARK OF 300 EMPLOYEES BY YEAR'S END. THAT WAS A CONDITION OF THE $19-MILLION INCENTIVE FROM THE STATE TO REMAIN IN MONROE.
GOVERNOR JINDAL ALSO ANNOUNCED A MAJOR MAKER OF VIDEO GAMES FOR MOBILE DEVICES WILL OPEN A DEVELOPMENT STUDIO IN NEW ORLEANS. HE SAYS PARIS BASED GAMELOFT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A STATE INCENTIVE PACKAGE WORTH $3.7-MILLION. WHEN THEIR STUDIO IS OPENED, GAMELOFT INTENDS TO EMPLOY ABOUT 146 PEOPLE AT SALARIES OF $69-THOUSAND OR MORE. MR. JINDAL SAYS GAMELOFT CHOSE LOUISIANA OVER SEVERAL TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGY HUBS IN THE U.S.
AUTHORITIES ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF A PAPER MILL IN BOGALUSA WAS THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION THAT CAUSED A LARGE FISH KILL ON THE PEARL RIVER, AN IMPORTANT RIVER FOR THE THREATENED GULF STURGEON. ON MONDAY, INVESTIGATORS WITH THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SAID THEY HAD INSPECTED THE PAPER PLANT. BUT OFFICIALS SAID THEY HAD NOT FIGURED OUT THE EXACT SOURCE OF THE FISH KILL AND WERE AWAITING TEST RESULTS DUE IN FOUR TO FIVE DAYS. DEQ SAYS THE PAPER MILL REPORTED A PROBLEM LAST WEEK AT ITS WASTEWATER PLANT.
MEANWHILE, AUTHORITIES ARE TELLING PEOPLE TO AVOID THE RIVER AND NOT EAT FISH FROM IT FROM BETWEEN BOGALUSA AND POPLARVILLE, MISS., SOUTHWARDS TO AROUND SLIDELL.
THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR WILL BEGIN EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE STATE THIS WEEK AND THE STATE POLICE ARE REMINDING DRIVERS TO SHOW EXTRA CAUTION AROUND SCHOOLS, SCHOOL BUSES AND IN SCHOOL ZONES. TROOPER MARK DENNIS SAYS THOSE TRAVELING THE ROADS DURING PEAK SCHOOL TRAFFIC NEED TO GIVE THEMSELVES EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION. DENNIS SAYS TROOPERS WILL BE AGGRESSIVELY PATROLLING SCHOOL ZONES AND THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS.
A $10,000 POWERBALL PRIZE WON MARCH 19 REMAINS UNCLAIMED AND IS SET TO EXPIRE SEPT. 15. THE WINNING TICKET WAS PURCHASED AT KANGAROO EXPRESS IN COVINGTON. IT MATCHED FOUR OF FIVE NUMBERS PLUS THE POWERBALL NUMBER. IF NOBODY TURNS IN THE TICKET, THE MONEY IS DEPOSITED INTO THE LOTTERY'S UNCLAIMED PRIZE FUND, WHICH IS RETURNED TO PLAYERS IN THE FORM OF INCREASED PAYOUTS ON SCRATCH-OFF GAMES AND PLAYER PROMOTIONS.
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