Posted
2011-08-18 05:32:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR THURSDAY 081811
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
MEMBERS OF MOUNT ZION MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH COULD KNOW TODAY IF THE REV. AMEAL JONES STAYS AS PASTOR AFTER A DETOUR WEDNESDAY -- A FAILED ATTEMPT BY JONES' ATTORNEYS TO HAVE JUDGE MARY DOGGETT REMOVED FROM THE CASE.
WITNESSES, INCLUDING JONES, ARE SCHEDULED TO START TESTIFYING TODAY IN 9TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT AFTER OPENING STATEMENTS LATE YESTERDAY BY ATTORNEYS FOR PRO-JONES AND ANTI-JONES FACTIONS, WHO ARE BATTLING OVER CONTROL OF THE CHURCH. JONES HAS BEEN AT MOUNT ZION SINCE EARLY 2007, FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF LONGTIME PASTOR DONNY GRANVEL.
DUE TO THE EXTREMELY DRY WEATHER, THE RAPIDES PARISH POLICE JURY YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED THE PARISH WAS UNDER A BURN BAN TIL FURTHER NOTICE. THAT MEANS NO OUTSIDE BURNING AT ALL. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, CALL THE POLICE JURY OFFICE.
I KNOW IT FEEL LIKE WE HAVE HAD AN EXTREMELY HOT SUMMER. BUT, HIS YEAR HAS BEEN A RECORD BREAKER HERE AN IN OUR NEIGHBORING STATE OF TEXAS. WEDNESDAY'S HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 103 DEGREES IN ALEXANDRIA WAS A RECORD FOR AUG. 17. THE PREVIOUS AUG. 17 RECORD HIGH IN ALEXANDRIA WAS 101, SET IN 1967. ON TUESDAY, THE HIGH OF 103 TIED THE AUG. 16 RECORD HIGH THAT WAS SET IN 1943 AND TIED IN 2010.
WEDNESDAY WAS THE SIXTH DAY IN A ROW IN WHICH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE EXCEEDED 100 IN ALEXANDRIA.
FORT POLK AND THE ENGLAND AUTHORITY HAVE TEAMED UP TO CREATE A WAY OF WELCOMING SOLDIERS TO CENTRAL LOUISIANA. OFFICIALS WILL UNVEIL A NEW MILITARY WELCOME CENTER TODAY NEAR THE BAGGAGE AREA OF THE COMMERCIAL TERMINAL AT THE ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE SOLDIERS WILL BE GREETED BY A SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER AND PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION TO THEIR POST, WHETHER IT'S FORT POLK OR CAMP BEAUREGARD.
A HUNTER SAFETY CERTIFICATION COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AT VETERANS OF FOREIGN WAR POST 1736 AT 701 VETERANS DRIVE IN ALEXANDRIA.
THE COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT BY LOUISIANA WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES INSTRUCTORS. IT IS SPONSORED BY PINEVILLE CONCERNED CITIZENS INC. AND VFW POST 1736/LADIES AUXILIARY. THE CLASS WILL RUN FROM 6 TO 9 P.M. FRIDAY AND FROM 8 A.M. TO NOON SATURDAY, FOLLOWED BY A FIELD DAY ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE RAPIDES PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE FIRING RANGE. PARTICIPANTS MUST ATTEND BOTH DAYS TO GET CERTIFICATION. ANYONE AGE 10 AND UP MAY ATTEND. TO REGISTER, CALL 527-5134 OR 448-9271 AND LEAVE THE NAME, AGE AND PHONE NUMBER OF THE PARTICIPANT.
THE SECOND GRADER ALLEGEDLY MURDERED LAST WEEKEND BY HIS BIOLOGICAL FATHER IN THIBODAUX WAS ALIVE AT THE TIME HE WAS DECAPITATED. THAT GRISLY DETAIL IS AMONG MANY OTHERS IN A SWORN STATEMENT TO THIBODAUX COPS FROM THE ACCUSED, 30-YEAR-OLD JEREMIAH WRIGHT. THE STATEMENT ALSO SAYS WRIGHT PLACED THE 7-YEAR-OLD'S HEAD RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, SO THE BOY'S MOTHER WOULD BE SURE TO SEE IT WHEN SHE GOT HOME. LITTLE JORI LIRETTE WAS WHEELCHAIR-BOUND FROM CEREBRAL PALSY AND HAD TO USE A FEEDING TUBE. WRIGHT REPORTEDLY TOLD OFFICERS HE WAS TIRED OF TAKING CARE OF THE CHILD. LAFOURCHE PARISH PROSECUTOR INTEND TO TRY THE CASE IN THIBODAUX, BUT HAVEN'T DECIDED IF THEY'LL
PURSUE A DEATH PENALTY FOR WRIGHT.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY LOUISIANA'S AVERAGE COMPOSITE ACT SCORE INCREASED BY ONE-TENTH OF A POINT, FROM 20.1 IN 2010 TO 20.2 IN 2011, KEEPING PACE WITH THE NATIONAL INCREASE. LOUISIANA'S AVERAGE COMPOSITE ACT SCORE STILL TRAILS THE NATIONAL COMPOSITE SCORE OF 21.1 BUT THE STATE'S GROWTH OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS OUTPACED NATIONAL GROWTH.
A NEW SCHOOL YEARS MEANS A CHANGE OF SCHEDULES AND A ROUTINE THAT COULD PUT CHILDREN AT RISK OF BEING LEFT BEHIND IN A HOT VEHICLE. TREY WILLIAMS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SAYS PARENTS AND GUARDIANS WHO DROP OFF THEIR CHILDREN AT DAY CARE OR SCHOOL NEED TO MAKE SURE THEIR CAR IS EMPTY OF KIDS BEFORE GOING INTO WORK. WILLIAMS SAYS THIS YEAR ALONE THEY'VE INVESTIGATED SEVEN CASES WHERE A CHILD WAS LEFT UNATTENDED IN A VEHICLE. TWO OF THOSE CHILDREN DIED AND THE FIVE OTHERS SUFFERED SERIOUS OR PERMANENT INJURIES.
A KENNER WOMAN SAYS SHE WAS SHOCKED AT CONDITIONS SHE FOUND AT THE CROWLEY ANIMAL SHELTER. 61-YEAR-OLD ROSEMARIE HARMON WAS TRAVELING WITH HER CAT AND TWO DOGS, WHEN SHE GOT IN AN ACCIDENT. SHE WAS ARRESTED, HER CAR IMPOUNDED AND THE PETS SENT TO THE SHELTER. DAYS LATER, HARMON WENT TO RETRIEVE THEM, AND SAYS SHE FOUND THEM IN OVERCROWDED CAGES, WITH NO AC OR FANS AND COVERED IN URINE AND FECES. SHE SAYS A SHELTER WORKER DUNNED HER FOR $225, BUT ACCEPTED $60 CASH AND POCKETED IT WITHOUT OFFERING A RECEIPT. THE CITY SAYS
THEY'LL LOOK INTO HER CLAIMS.
THIEVES IN ST, LANDRY PARISH ATTACKED A MAILMAN AND STOLE A LOCKED BAG OF MAIL. SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS PERHAPS THEY THOUGHT THE LOCK SIGNIFIED VALUABLE CONTENTS, BUT THE BAG WAS JUST MAIL. HE SAYS THE SUSPECTS WERE LAST SEEN IN A WHITE VAN HEADED TOWARDS OPELOUSAS..
BOGALUSA PAPER MILL TEMPLE-INLAND IS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A SPILL LAST WEEK INTO THE PEARL RIVER THAT'S LINKED TO A 40-MILLE STRETCH OF DEAD FISH. ST. TAMMANY PARISH PRESIDENT KEVIN DAVIS HAS DECLARED A PARISH EMERGENCY, AND HAS BEGUN A CLEANUP EFFORT. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FISH, FROM DOZENS OF SPECIES, ARE FLOATING ON THE BLACK SLUDGY WATER. POLLUTION IS NOW REPORTED IN NORTHERN LAKE PONCHARTRAIN TOO.
A NEW GALLUP POLL SHOWS THE APPROVAL RATING FOR CONGRESS IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW OF ONLY 13-PERCENT. L-S-U POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR KIRBY GOIDEL SAYS THE LOW APPROVAL RATING DOES NOT MEAN LOUISIANA VOTERS DISAPPROVE OF THEIR OWN CONGRESSMEN. HE SAYS LOUISIANA'S US SENATORS ARE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A LOCALLY POPULAR POLITICIAN CAN OVERSHADOW PARTY IDEOLOGY. GOIDEL SAYS VITTER DOES VERY WELL BECAUSE HE IS A REPUBLICAN IN A REPUBLICAN STATE AND LANDRIEU IS WELL LIKED IN SPITE OF BEING A DEMOCRAT.
POLICE IN AND AROUND DERIDDER ARE SEEKING A BANK ROBBER, WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE A BOMB. THE MASKED MAN TOLD TELLERS HE HAD A BOMB, DEMANDED CASH AND FLED THE BANK ON A BICYCLE--LEAVING THE DEVICE TO COVER HIS ESCAPE. POLICE LATER DETERMINED THE BOMB WAS A FAKE.
THE STATE HAS WORKED OUT A PLAN WITH OKLAHOMA IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHELTER MORE EVACUEES WITHIN LOUISIANA DURING A HURRICANE. INTERIM DIRECTOR PAT SANTOS, OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, SAYS DURING THE NEXT STORM EVACUATION A VOLUNTEER GROUP FROM OKLAHOMA WILL MANAGE A SHELTER AT SHREVEPORT'S HIRSCH COLISEUM. SANTOS SAYS WITH HELP FROM THE OKLAHOMA VOLUNTEER GROUP, THEY WILL HOUSE 13-HUNDRED EVACUEES AT THE HIRSCH COLISEUM. HE SAYS THAT WILL KEEP HUNDREDS OF LOUISIANA EVACUEES FROM HAVING TO GO TO OTHER STATES FOR SHELTER. SANTOS SAYS THE VOLUNTEER GROUP OF OKLAHOMA CONSISTS OF NEARLY TWO HUNDRED FIRST-RESPONDER PERSONNEL FROM THAT STATE.
TWO CHILDREN AND A YOUNG MAN HAVE DIED THIS SUMMER FROM A BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA THAT LIVES IN WATER. THIS MONTH, THE RARE INFECTION KILLED A 16-YEAR-OLD FLORIDA GIRL, WHO FELL ILL AFTER SWIMMING, AND A 9-YEAR-OLD VIRGINIA BOY, WHO DIED A WEEK AFTER HE WENT TO A FISHING DAY CAMP. THOSE CASES ARE CONSISTENT WITH PAST CASES, WHICH ARE USUALLY KIDS, OFTEN BOYS, WHO GET EXPOSED TO THE BUG WHILE SWIMMING OR DOING WATER SPORTS IN WARM PONDS OR LAKES. THE THIRD CASE, HERE IN LOUISIANA, WAS MORE UNUSUAL. IT WAS A YOUNG MAN WHOSE DEATH IN JUNE WAS TRACED TO THE TAP WATER HE USED IN A DEVICE CALLED A NETI POT. IT'S A SMALL TEAPOT-SHAPED CONTAINER USED TO RINSE OUT THE NOSE AND SINUSES WITH SALT WATER TO RELIEVE ALLERGIES, COLDS AND SINUS TROUBLE. HEALTH OFFICIALS LATER FOUND THE AMOEBA IN THE HOME'S WATER SYSTEM. STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THE PROBLEM WAS CONFINED TO THE HOUSE; IT WASN'T FOUND IN CITY WATER SAMPLES.
LOUISIANA CASINO REGULATORS MEET THURSDAY TO DECIDE WHETHER TO ALLOW ISLE OF CAPRI CASINOS INC. TO SELL ONE OF ITS TWO GAMBLING RIVERBOATS IN LAKE CHARLES TO A GROUP THAT WANTS TO MOVE IT TO BOSSIER CITY. THE PROPOSED DEAL WITH PARADISE CASINO LLC INVOLVES THE CROWN CASINO, THE LOWEST-PERFORMING RIVERBOAT IN THE STATE.
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