Posted
2011-08-25 05:39:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR THURSDAY 082511
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING INCIDENT INVOLVING A CONCORDIA PARISH SHERIFF'S DEPUTY. TROOP E SPOKESMAN TROOPER SCOTT MOREAU SAYS IT STARTED AROUND 1:30 WEDNESDAY MORNING, WITH A 911 CALL FROM A DISTRESSED 46-YEAR-OLD ELIZABETH BRIGHT, OF VIDALIA. HE SAYS WHEN A DEPUTY ARRIVED AT THE HOME, BRIGHT - FOR REASONS UNKNOWN SHE OPENED FIRE. MOREAU SAYS THE DEPUTY RETURNED FIRE; HITTING THE WOMAN IN THE CHEST. SHE IS NOW IN CRITICAL CONDITION. DEPUTIES ALSO OBSERVED 90-YEAR-OLD JIMMY WILLIAMS INSIDE THE HOME; ARMED WITH A SMALL CALIBER RIFLE. AFTER AN HOUR LONG STANDOFF TROOPERS ENTERED THE HOME TO FIND THE ELDERLY MAN GONE. MOREAU SAYS WILLIAMS EVENTUALLY TURNED HIMSELF IN, BUT THEY ARE STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT WHAT STARTED THIS WHOLE SITUATION...
EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE FACT, 45 YEAR OLD RALPH COSBY OF BALL HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SECOND-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF 32 YEAR OLD KENNETH STEPHEN FUNK, POLLOCK. THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE ON PARADISE ROAD "NEAR RALPH COSBY'S RESIDENCE" ON DEC. 24, 2010. AUTHORITIES SAID FUNK WAS SHOT FIVE TIMES DURING HIS ALLEGED BURGLARY ATTEMPT OF A PARADISE ROAD HOME OUTSIDE OF BALL. THEY ALSO SAID THEN THAT THE INVESTIGATION WOULD CONTINUE TO DETERMINE IF THE SHOOTING WAS JUSTIFIABLE. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE INCIDENT TO CALL THEM.
A LAFOURCHE PARISH GRAND JURY WILL HEAR THE CASE TODAY AGAINST THE ACCUSED KILLER OF JORI LIRETTE. JORI'S FATHER, 30-YEAR-OLD JEREMIAH WRIGHT IS ACCUSED OF BEHEADING HIS 7-YEAR-OLD SON. LEGAL ANALYST TIM MECHE SAYS THE CLOSED DOOR PROCESS SHOULD BE AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE. ONCE THE GRAND JURY HANDS DOWN AN INDICTMENT, WRIGHT WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER HIS OFFICIAL PLEA. MECHE SAYS THE ARRAIGNMENT COULD BE PUT OFF FOR A PERIOD OF WEEKS OR MONTHS DEPENDING ON WHAT MOTIONS ARE FILED BY THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS.
U-S SENATOR DAVID VITTER IS SUPPORTING HOUSE SPEAKER JIM TUCKER IN HIS CAMPAIGN FOR SECRETARY OF STATE. VITTER ANNOUNCED HIS ENDORSEMENT IN AN E-MAIL TO SUPPORTERS. TUCKER IS CHALLENGING FELLOW REPUBLICAN AND CURRENT SECRETARY OF STATE TOM SCHEDLER. JUST YESTERDAY, VITTER ENDORSED REPUBLICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL BUDDY CALDWELL, IN HIS REELECTION BID.
THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS ON WHETHER ATTORNEY NATHAN FISHER IS REPRESENTING FOUR LSU PLAYERS INVOLVED IN A BAR FIGHT FOR FREE, WHICH COULD BE AN NCAA VIOLATION. BUT FISHER SAYS HE IS NOT TAKING THIS CASE PRO BONO. FISHER WOULD NOT SAY WHAT HE IS CHARGING THE PLAYERS, BUT HE DID SAY HE NORMALLY REPRESENTS STUDENTS FOR FREE. LSU HAS CONFIRMED THEY ARE RUNNING EVERYTHING THROUGH THEIR COMPLIANCE OFFICE.
A NATIONAL TRACKING FIRM SAYS SECOND-QUARTER SALES OF LOUISIANA HOMES IN SOME STAGE OF FORECLOSURE WENT FOR ABOUT A THIRD LESS THAN HOMES NOT IN TROUBLE.
IRVINE, CALIF.-BASED REALTYTRAC SAID 930 FORECLOSED HOMES WERE SOLD IN THE STATE IN THE APRIL-THROUGH-JUNE PERIOD FOR AN AVERAGE OF $121,506. THAT'S A 34.1 PERCENT DISCOUNT FROM NON-FORECLOSED HOMES AND ACCOUNTED FOR 14.8 PERCENT OF ALL SECOND-QUARTER LOUISIANA HOME SALES. THE NUMBER OF FORECLOSURE SALES ROSE 13.6 PERCENT FROM THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2011 IN LOUISIANA, BUT FELL 3.9 PERCENT FROM THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2010.
THE ORLEANS PARISH CORONER'S OFFICE SAYS THE BODY OF AN ACTOR IN THE HBO SERIES TREME, WHICH IS FILMED IN NEW ORLEANS, WAS PULLED FROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ON WEDNESDAY. WWL-TV REPORTS THAT TREME STAR WENDELL PIERCE CONFIRMED MICHAEL SHOWERS' DEATH VIA A TWITTER DIRECT MESSAGE WITH THE STATION. SHOWERS PLAYED A POLICE OFFICER ON THE DRAMA. SHOWERS' WORK ALSO INCLUDES "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES," ''TRAFFIC," AND THE UPCOMING FILM, "COLOMBIANA."A ST. BERNARD PARISH SHERIFF'S SPOKESMAN SAYS THE 44-YEAR-OLD MAN LIVED IN CHALMETTE WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND, WHO REPORTED HIM MISSING TUESDAY AFTER HE DIDN'T RETURN FROM A NIGHT OUT WITH A FRIEND IN THE FRENCH QUARTER. AUTHORITIES ARE NOT SAYING IF THEY THINK FOUL PLAY IS INVOLVED.
NOT THIS COMING WEEKEND, BUT, NEXT WEEKEND, HUNTERS AND CAMPERS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A STATE SALES TAX HOLIDAY ON ITEMS THEY REGULARLY USE LIKE GUNS AND AMMUNITION. THE TAX BREAK EXEMPTS A WIDE RANGE OF SUPPLIES FROM ALL STATE AND LOCAL SALES TAXES. SOME OF THE ELIGIBLE ITEMS INCLUDE SHOTGUNS AND OTHER WEAPONS, AMMUNITION, HUNTING ACCESSORIES, APPAREL AND OFF-ROAD VEHICLES. VISIT WWW.REVENUE.LOUISIANA.GOV/SECONDAMENDMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
THE HOLIDAY RUNS SEPT. 2 THROUGH SEPT. 4.
THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE AGREED TO MUTUALLY STUDY THE BENEFITS CONTROLLED MISSISSIPPI RIVER DIVERSIONS MAY HAVE ON RESTORING COASTAL MARSHLANDS. GARRETT GRAVES, DIRECTOR OF THE STATE OFFICE OF COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION, SAYS A 5-YEAR STUDY WITH THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WILL SEEK THOSE ANSWERS. GRAVES SAYS THE CORPS' DECADES OF WORK BUILDING RIVER LEVEES HAS PROTECTED MILLIONS, BUT ALSO STOPPED DISTRIBUTION OF RIVER SILT AND MUDS INTO WETLANDS. HE SAYS COASTAL EROSION HAS ROBBED THE STATE OF OVER 1900 SQUARE MILES OF LAND. GRAVES SAYS THE STUDY WILL LEAD TO CONTROLLED DIVERSIONS OF RIVER WATERS INTO THE WETLANDS.
THE FUTURE OF THE NBA IN NEW ORLEANS IS SHOWING INCREASING PROMISE, EVEN THOUGH FANS AND BUSINESSES POURING MONEY INTO HORNETS TICKETS AND SPONSORSHIPS HAVE NO GUARANTEE THAT GAMES WILL BE PLAYED NEXT SEASON.
AS THE HORNETS INTRODUCED CHEVRON AS THEIR FIFTH MILLION-DOLLAR CORPORATE SPONSOR ON WEDNESDAY, TEAM PRESIDENT HUGH WEBER SAID THE FRANCHISE IS CLOSING IN ON SEVERAL GOALS SEEN AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE PRO BASKETBALL'S LONG-TERM PRESENCE IN THE BIG EASY.
GOV. BOBBY JINDAL HEADED TO MINNESOTA TO RAISE MORE CAMPAIGN CASH FOR HIS FALL RE-ELECTION BID. JINDAL'S SPOKESMAN, KYLE PLOTKIN, SAID THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TRAVELED WEDNESDAY TO MINNEAPOLIS FOR A FUNDRAISER. JINDAL HAS ATTENDED FUNDRAISERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SINCE TAKING OFFICE IN 2008, TO DRUM UP MONEY FOR HIS CAMPAIGN. THE ELECTION IS SET FOR OCT. 22. THE GOVERNOR HAS NO MAJOR ANNOUNCED COMPETITORS SO FAR, AND HE HAS NEARLY $9 MILLION IN HIS CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT.
THE STATE'S BOARD OF REGENTS IS REWRITING THE MASTER PLAN FOR LOUISIANA'S PUBLIC COLLEGES, WHICH WILL UPDATE LONG-TERM GOALS FOR THE CAMPUSES AND SET A FRAMEWORK FOR EACH COLLEGE'S MISSION. THE MOVE TO ADJUST THE MASTER PLAN ADOPTED IN 2001 COMES AS STATE HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCING HAS BEEN CUT IN RECENT YEARS, SCHOOLS HAVE ELIMINATED PROGRAMS AND STATE LEADERS HAVE PRESSED COLLEGES TO REDEFINE THEIR ROLES. LAWMAKERS ASKED FOR AN UPDATED MASTER PLAN FROM THE REGENTS BY SEPT. 1. THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO THE PLAN WEDNESDAY.
THE YOUNG WHITE MAN BEATEN BY SIX BLACK CLASSMATES WHO GAINED NATIONAL ATTENTION AS THE "JENA SIX" SAYS HE HAS MOVED ON FROM THE INCIDENT THAT BROUGHT THE SMALL LOUISIANA TOWN OF JENA UNDER SCRUTINY. THE SIX, WHO WERE AT ONE POINT CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER, BECAME THE FOCUS OF A MASSIVE CIVIL RIGHTS MARCH IN 2007, ABOUT NINE MONTHS AFTER THE BEATING. JUSTIN BARKER TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IN HIS FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE HE WAS BEATEN THAT HE'S MOVED ON FROM THE ORDEAL. BARKER, WHO STILL LIVES IN THE TOWN AND NOW WORKS ON AN OIL RIG, SAYS TO THIS DAY HE HAS NO IDEA WHY HE WAS BEATEN. SEVERAL OF THE DEFENDANTS ALSO HAVE MOVED ON AND ARE NOW ATTENDING COLLEGE OUTSIDE JENA.
STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS SAY A BREAKDOWN OF ACT COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM SCORES RELEASED LAST WEEK SHOWS THAT 41 OF LOUISIANA'S 71 SCHOOL DISTRICTS SAW GAINS FROM 2010 TO 2011. IT WAS A BIGGER INCREASE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHEN ONLY 29 DISTRICTS SAW BETTER RESULTS. ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S STATEMENT WEDNESDAY, THE DISTRICTS IN TENSAS, EAST CARROLL AND RICHLAND PARISHES, ALONG WITH THE NEW ORLEANS SCHOOLS IN THE STATE RECOVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT, SAW THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE GAINS. THE ST. TAMMANY PARISH AND CENTRAL COMMUNITY DISTRICTS HAD THE HIGHEST AVERAGE COMPOSITE ACT SCORES.
.jpeg)
