NEWS FOR THURSDAY 120111
BY DAVE GRAICHEN

A DWINDLING OCCUPANCY RATE AND RISING COSTS HAS FORCED OFFICIALS WITH ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH TO PULL THE PLUG ON CANTERBURY HOUSE, THE LOW-INCOME ASSISTED-LIVING HOME IN ALEXANDRIA ESTABLISHED BY THE CHURCH BACK IN THE MID-1990S. AN ATTORNEY FOR THE CHURCH SAID PAPERS ARE BEING PREPARED TO TAKE THE MATTER INTO U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT. HE SAID BOARD MEMBERS AND OTHERS ARE HOPING TO "QUICKLY" SELL THE FACILITY IN A PUBLIC AUCTION SO IT CAN REMAIN VIABLE FOR ASSISTED-LIVING. CANTERBURY HAS 60 ROOMS FOR 60 RESIDENTS, WITH TWO-BED, ONE-BED AND EFFICIENCY UNITS FOR RESIDENTS. AS OF YESTERDAY, THERE WERE FIVE RESIDENTS.

THE ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL HOPES TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IT HAS BEEN ASKING FOR MONTHS REGARDING EXPENSES AT THE ALEXANDER FULTON HOTEL. THE COUNCIL'S FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL MEET IN A SPECIAL MEETING THIS AFTERNOON REGARDING ITS ONGOING INVESTIGATION INTO THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STATUS AND TRANSACTIONS AT THE HOTEL. THE COUNCIL ISSUED SUBPOENAS FOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM MAYOR JACQUES ROY AND SEVERAL OF HIS STAFF MEMBERS. NOW EARLIER THIS WEEK, AN AUDIT ON THE CITY'S FINANCES SHOWED NO QUESTIONANLE FINDINGS ON THE CITY'S SPENDING AT THE HOTEL, AND MAYOR ROY SAYS HE IS CONFIDENT THE COUNCIL'S INVESTIGATION WON'T TURN UP ANY WRONGDOING EITHER.

CHRISTUS ST. FRANCES CABRINI HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES WERE TOLD THIS WEEK THAT SOME POSITIONS WILL BE ELIMINATED IN A COMING RESTRUCTURING DUE TO DECLINING REVENUE FROM A CHANGING HEALTH-CARE CLIMATE. ACCORDING TO CHRISTUS HEALTH LOUISIANA PRESIDENT AND C.O.O. STEPHEN WRIGHT, HE REGRETS , ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, TO MAKE ANY CHANGES WHICH AFFECT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATES, BUT A COMMITMENT THEIR MINISTRY OBLIGATES THEY MAKE ANY CHANGES NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT CHRISTUS CABRINI REMAINS VIABLE." THE HOSPITAL HAS ABOUT 1,500 EMPLOYEES, MAKING IT ONE OF THE LARGER EMPLOYERS IN THE AREA.

AFTER TWO ROBBERIES ON WEDNESDAY, AN ALEXANDRIA MAN IS FACING CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND ROBBERY. 18 YEAR OLD SHELDON FRANKLIN WAS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND ROBBERY AFTER A REPORTED ROBBERY IN THE LOUISIANA AVENUE AND DAY STREET AREAS. AUTHORITIES ALSO LINKED FRANKLIN TO A ROBBERY IN THE 14 BLOCK OF BOLTON AVENUE IN WHICH A VICTIM WAS SHOT. THE VICTIM WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM A LOCAL HOSPITAL. FRANKLIN WAS BOOKED INTO THE RAPIDES PARISH JAIL.

CENTRAL LOUISIANA AIDS SUPPORT SERVICES OR CLASS, WILL OBSERVE WORLD AIDS DAY TODAY, BU OFFERING FREE AND ANONYMOUS HIV TESTS ALL DAY, AT THE NEW CLASS LOCATION ON JACKSON STREET. THE DAY WILL ALSO SERVE AS A DAY TO HONOR THE 484 PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED IN CENLA FROM AIDS-RELATED ILLNESSES.

A NEW STATEWIDE POLL PAID FOR BY W-W-L-T-V IN NEW ORLEANS SHOWS THAT LIKELY VOTERS FAVOR FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NEWT GINGRICH OVER THE OTHER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. GINGRICH RECEIVED 31-PERCENT OF THE VOTE IN THE POLL, WHILE MITT ROMNEY HAD 23-PERCENT, HERMAN CAIN GOT 12- PERCENT AND RICK PERRY HAD 11-PERCENT.

WITH THE SUCCESS OF "CYBER MONDAY" ONLINE SHOPPING THIS WEEK, STATE OFFICIALS REMIND YOU THAT INTERNET SHOPPING IS NOT "TAX FREE". LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE SPOKESMAN BYRON HENDERSON SAYS THERE ARE MANY OF US STILL UNAWARE THAT OUR ONLINE PURCHASES ARE STILL SUBJECT TO STATE TAXES. HENDERSON SAYS OUR ONLINE PURCHASES ARE ALL SUBJECT TO THE STATE'S 8-PERCENT CONSUMER USE TAX, WHICH WE ARE ALL REQUIRED TO REPORT. HENDERSON SAYS ONLINE PURCHASES OF CLOTHES, BOOKS, APPLIANCES, COMPUTERS, ELECTRONICS, FURNITURE, MOVIE OR MUSIC MEDIA, SOFTWARE & MORE ARE ALL SUBJECT TO THE CONSUMER USE TAX.

GOV. BOBBY JINDAL HAS CHOSEN ST. TAMMANY PARISH PRESIDENT KEVIN DAVIS TO TAKE CHARGE OF LOUISIANA'S EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICE. DAVIS WILL START AS DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ON DEC. 9, LEADING PLANNING AND RESPONSE EFFORTS TO STORMS, FLOODS AND OTHER DISASTERS IN THE STATE.

SEVERAL DUNKIN' DONUTS LOCATIONS WILL SOON BE POPPING UP AROUND THE STATE. DUNKIN' BRANDS GROUP VICE PRESIDENT GRANT BENSON SAYS THE COMPANY IS EXPANDING NATIONWIDE AND LOUISIANA WAS CHOSEN FOR 25 NEW DUNKIN DONUT'S LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF THE POSITIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT HERE. BENSON SAYS 25 LOCATIONS ARE SET FOR BATON ROUGE, SHREVEPORT AND NEW ORLEANS BUT THERE ARE ALSO FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKS FOR THE LAKE CHARLES, ALEXANDRIA AND MONROE MARKETS.

LSU ATHLETICS DIRECTOR JOE ALLEVA SENT OUT A STATEMENT TODAY THAT SAID NO ONE HAS BEEN RULED ACADEMICALLY INELIGIBLE FOR POST-SEASON COMPETITION ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM. ALLEVA SAYS THE CURRENT SEMESTER IS NO COMPLETE AND FINALS ARE STILL AHEAD. COACH LES MILES SAYS ITS PREMATURE TO SPECULATE ON FINAL GRADES OF HIS PLAYERS. MEDIA AND MESSAGE BOARD SPECULATION HAS BEEN SWIRLING THAT BACK-UP QUARTERBACK JARRETT LEE AND SEVERAL PLAYERS MIGHT NOT PLAY IN THE BOWL GAME, BECAUSE OF A POOR FALL SEMESTER.

STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT A SOUTH AFRICAN ENERGY AND CHEMICALS COMPANY MAY BUILD AN ETHYLENE PLANT NEAR LAKE CHARLES. SASOL HAS TOLD THE STATE THEY PLAN ON CONDUCTING A FEASIBILITY STUDY, BEFORE BUILDING A FOUR-BILLION DOLLAR PLANT.

THE LOUISIANA DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL OPEN UP QUALIFYING TO CANDIDATES FOR ITS CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK. STATE PARTY CHAIRMAN BUDDY LEACH SAYS ANY REGISTERED DEMOCRAT MAY FILE FOR THE MARCH BALLOT. HE SAYS HE HOPES TO SEE CANDIDATES FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. LEACH SAYS THE DEMOCRATS ARE SEEKING TO REBUILD THEIR PARTY, AFTER A ROUGH ELECTION CYCLE YEAR. HE SAYS MANY RACES FAILED TO EVEN ATTRACT AN ESTABLISHED DEMOCRAT TO RUN; MOST NOTABLY THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION. QUALIFYING TO RUN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC KEY COMMITTEES RUNS NEXT WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.