Posted
2011-12-13 09:17:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR TUESDAY 121311
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 3 TO REPLACE JONATHAN GOINS TODAY. ROOSEVELT JOHNSON, THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL, SAID ON MONDAY THAT THE COUNCIL OFFICE HAD RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE LOUISIANA SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE ON HOW TO PROCEED AND "WILL GO FORWARD WITH IMMEDIATE ACTION" TO REPLACE GOINS. SOME OF THE NAMES BEING TOSSED AROUND, INCLUDE VON JENNINGS, JESSE TURNER AND EMILE HURTS. JENNINGS IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOWER THIRD NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH & CONCERNED CITIZENS ORGANIZATION AND A FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE. TURNER IS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ACADIAN VILLAGE CONCERNED CITIZENS GROUP, WHILE HURTS IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SAMTOWN-WOODSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
A GRAND JURY NEXT MONTH WILL HEAR THE CASE AGAINST A FORMER SUPERVISOR OF THE RAPIDES PARISH DRUG TASK FORCE METRO NARCOTICS, WHO WAS ARRESTED AUG. 25 AND ACCUSED OF IMPROPER CONTACT WITH FEMALE DRUG OFFENDERS AND TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE. THE PARISH DA’S OFFICE SAYS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING THE CASE AGAINST FORMER SHERIFF'S LT. MICHAEL LACOUR, WHO RESIGNED AFTER HIS ARREST IN AUGUST. LACOUR REMAINS OUT OF JAIL ON BOND.
TWO SEPARATE SHOOTING INCIDENTS IN NATCHITOCHES OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS HAS LEFT A WOMAN IN CRITICAL CONDITION. POLICE SAY THE FIRST INCIDENT SUNDAY NIGHT LEFT A MAN WITH NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM A LOCAL HOSPITAL. HOWEVER, A HOME INVASION YESTERDAY MORNING. CONSWELA MITCHELL SUFFERED A GUNSHOT WOUND TO HER TORSO MONDAY MORNING AFTER TWO MEN BROKE INTO HER HOME AND DEMANDED MONEY. AFTER SHOOTING AND ROBBING THE WOMAN, THE MEN FLED THE SCENE WITH THE CASH.
GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL GIVES NO INDICATION HE WILL FIRE PAUL RAINWATER AS HIS COMMISSIONER OF ADMINISTRATION FOLLOWING HIS ARREST THIS PAST WEEKEND FOR A D-W-I. RAINWATER WAS ARRESTED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING IN BATON ROUGE ON FIRST-OFFENSE D-W-I, RECKLESS OPERATION OF A VEHICLE AND FAILURE TO OBEY A STOP SIGN. JINDAL SAYS RAINWATER MADE A POOR DECISION. AS COMMISSIONER OF ADMINISTRATION, RAINWATER CRAFTS THE STATE'S OPERATING BUDGET AND MONITORS SPENDING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. JINDAL SAYS RAINWATER HAS ADMITTED HE MADE A MISTAKE AND THE GOVERNOR BELIEVES HE'S STILL THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB.
GOV. BOBBY JINDAL IS INVITING ALL FOUR OF HIS LIVING PREDECESSORS TO HIS JAN. 9 INAUGURATION. THAT INCLUDES EDWIN EDWARDS, WHO WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON EARLIER THIS YEAR AND REMAINS ON PROBATION FOR A FEDERAL CORRUPTION CONVICTION. JINDAL SPOKESMAN FRANK COLLINS SAYS INVITATIONS WILL BE SENT TO FORMER GOVS. KATHLEEN BLANCO, MIKE FOSTER, BUDDY ROEMER AND EDWARDS FOR THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY AT THE OLD STATE CAPITOL. COLLINS SAYS THE INVITATIONS WILL GO OUT LATER THIS WEEK.
A NEW VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER CLINIC IN WILL OPEN TODAY IN LEESVILLE ON UNIVERSITY PARKWAY. THE 15,500-SQUARE-FOOT OUTPATIENT CLINIC WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ABOUT 2,500 VETERANS AND 7,000 CLINIC VISITS PER YEAR, OFFICIALS SAID. SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED INCLUDE PRIMARY CARE, MENTAL HEALTH, PHARMACY EDUCATION, PHLEBOTOMY, NUTRITION COUNSELING AND MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK.
STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE THE LEAP AND I-LEAP TESTS THAT THOUSANDS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKE EVERY YEAR WILL BE REPLACED BY A NEW EXAM. BESE PRESIDENT PENNY DASTUGUE SAYS STUDENTS WILL TAKE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TEST STARTING IN THE 2014-15 SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE OF AN ONGOING EFFORT TO MAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL COURSES MORE RIGOROUS. RAPIDES PARISH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT GARY JONES IS HOPEFUL A MOVE AWAY FROM THE LEAP TEST WILL PROVIDE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF A STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE.
THE NUMBER OF WOMEN LAWMAKERS IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IS DROPPING. WHEN THE NEW LEGISLATIVE TERM STARTS IN JANUARY, 16 WOMEN WILL BE IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE WHICH IS DOWN FROM 23 FEMALE LAWMAKERS IN 2011. LOUISIANA WOMEN'S NETWORK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHERON BRYLSKI SAYS IT'S A DISCOURAGING TREND BECAUSE FEWER FEMALES IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, MEANS ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO WOMEN GET LESS ATTENTION.
CADDO PARISH DEPUTIES ARREST A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT WORKER FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING CREDIT CARD INFORMATION TO RUN UP THOUSANDS IN PURCHASES. CADDO SHERIFF'S SPOKESPERSON CINDY CHADWICK SAYS 21-YEAR-OLD CHARLES GRANT IS CHARGED WITH UNAUTHORIZED USE OF AN ACCESS CARD. CHADWICK SAYS GRANT COPIED A CUSTOMER'S CREDIT CARD INFORMATION DOWN, AND LATER USED IT TO MAKE OVER $3000 IN PURCHASES.
LOUISIANA SEAFOOD PRODUCERS ARE URGING CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES TO STOP A FEDERALLY MANDATED WAGE INCREASE FOR FOREIGN WORKERS DOING SEASONAL JOBS ON WORK VISAS. LOUISIANA SEAFOOD PROMOTION & MARKETING BOARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EWELL SMITH SAYS THAT WOULD MEAN RISING WAGES BY 50 TO 70%, AND THAT WOULD BE DISASTROUS FOR HIS INDUSTRY. THE FEDERAL LABOR DEPARTMENT RULE APPLIES TO THOSE HERE ON THE FEDERAL H-2B VISA PROGRAM. THAT ENCOMPASSES NOT ONLY SEASONAL SEAFOOD WORKERS, BUT ALSO LANDSCAPING, FORESTRY AND OTHER INDUSTRIES. SMITH SAYS MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE ARE TRYING TO UNDO WHAT HE FEELS IS AN UNWISE AND IMPRACTICAL FEDERAL POLICY.
AN OFF-DUTY NEW ORLEANS COP IS ARRESTED FOR DRUNK DRIVING AND HIT & RUN, AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY SLAMMED INTO THREE PARKED CARS, IN THREE DIFFERENT PLACES. NOPD SAYS 34-YEAR-OLD OFFICER CHARLES COULON WAS DRIVING HIS OWN PERSONAL VEHICLE AT THE TIME. AFTER THE THIRD IMPACT WITH A PARKED CAR, COULON REPORTEDLY PULLED OVER AND TURNED HIMSELF IN.
A HOUMA TEENAGER FACES A VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGE AFTER A WEEKEND CRASH THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF HIS PASSENGER. STATE POLICE TROOPER RUSSELL GRAHAM SAYS THEY BELIEVE 18-YEAR-OLD STEPHEN MURPHY OF HOUMA WAS DRIVING DRUNK WHEN HE FLIPPED HIS TRUCK INTO A DITCH. IN ADDITION TO THE VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGE, MURPHY ALSO FACES CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL BY A PERSON UNDER 21 AND RECKLESS OPERATION.
A TERREBONNE PARISH COUNCILMAN SAYS HE'LL INTRODUCE A NEW ORDINANCE IN RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS ABOUT BRIGHTLY COLORED TOMBS AND GRAVE MARKERS AT A PUBLIC CEMETERY. AMONG THE MOSTLY WHITE AND GRAY SLABS OF CONCRETE AT SOUTHDOWN CEMETERY ARE A HANDFUL THAT ARE PAINTED IN A VARIETY OF SPLASHY COLORS, PINK, RED, GREEN, BLUE AND YELLOW. COUNCILMAN ALVIN TILLMAN SAYS THAT THE BRIGHT COLORS ARE WRONG FOR A CEMETERY. HIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE REQUIRING THAT TOMBS BE PAINTED WHITE WOULD APPLY TO THREE CEMETERIES IN THE PARISH.
SPORTS..
CHRIS PAUL ISN'T COMING TO LOS ANGELES, AT LEAST NOT NOW. THE CLIPPERS ON MONDAY REJECTED A PROPOSED DEAL BY THE NEW ORLEANS HORNETS FOR THE ALL-STAR GUARD BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO GENERAL MANAGE NEIL OLSHEY, THE TEAM FELT "THE COST WAS JUST TOO HIGH. OLSHEY WENT ON TO SAY, “WHETHER THE DEAL IS ALTOGETHER DEAD, THOUGH, REMAINS TO BE SEEN. NEW ORLEANS MADE A FAIR OFFER ON THEIR END. WE DIDN'T THINK THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO PURSUE AT THIS POINT."
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