NEWS FOR FRIDAY 011312
BY DAVE GRAICHEN

A NEW SURVEY BY EDUCATION WEEK MAGAZINE GAVE LOUISIANA SCHOOL'S AN OVERALL GRADE OF C AT 77.2. THAT'S SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND RANKS THE STATE 23RD IN THE NATION. BUT LOUISIANA STILL RECEIVED AN F FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN GRADES K-12. BESE BOARD PRESIDENT PENNY DASTUGUE SAYS THE STATE IS TAKING STEPS TO RAISE STANDARDS AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS THEY KNOW SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. SHE SAYS THE CURRENT SYSTEM HAS SHOWN SOME IMPROVEMENT BUT ITS BEEN TOO SLOW AND TOO INCONSISTENT.

A BLOODY STRETCH OF SHOOTINGS IN NEW ORLEANS GOT DEADLIER THURSDAY MORNING WHEN NINE PEOPLE WERE SHOT AND FOUR KILLED. POLICE SAY THREE SUSPECTS BURST INTO A HOME ABOUT 9 A.M. IN EASTERN NEW ORLEANS WITH GUNS BLAZING, SHOOTING FIVE PEOPLE, TWO OF WHOM WERE KILLED. THE THREE SURVIVORS WERE TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL, WHERE ONE MAN LATER DIED. THE SHOOTINGS FOLLOW FOUR SEPARATE SHOOTINGS ON WEDNESDAY IN WHICH EIGHT PEOPLE WERE SHOT, INCLUDING A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL.

STATE POLICE SAY A 59-YEAR-OLD VILLE PLATTE MAN DIED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A TANK TRUCK. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ON HIGHWAY 104 WEST OF MAMOU IN EVANGELINE PARISH. TROOPERS SAY DWAIN LAFLEUR WAS EASTBOUND WHEN HIS CAR CROSSED THE CENTER LINE AND STRUCK A PROPANE TRANSPORT TRUCK DRIVEN BY 70-YEAR-OLD JERRY HEBERT, ALSO OF VILLE PLATTE. LAFLEUR WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. HEBERT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES IN THE CRASH AND WAS TREATED AT THE SCENE. THE CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

STATE GOVERNMENT HAS REVEALED THE $50-BILLION, 50-YEAR MASTER PLAN FOR SAVING AND RESTORING LOUISIANA'S COAST. THE PLAN FEATURES A SERIES OF LEVEES, DIVERSIONS, BARRIER ISLAND RESTORATIONS AND CREATION OF NEW MARSH. COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION DIRECTOR GARRETT GRAVES SAYS THIS PLAN DIFFERS FROM PREVIOUS PLANS, BECAUSE A NUMBER OF SO-CALLED "REAL LIFE" FACTORS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, LIKE SOIL CONSISTENCY, WATER FLOW RATES AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS ON THE AREAS AFFECTED. THE ENTIRE PLAN IS NOW ONLINE AT "COASTALMASTERPLAN.LOUISIANA.GOV".

GOVERNOR JINDAL ADDRESSES THOSE WHO OPPOSED HIS CHOICE OF JOHN WHITE TO BE THE NEW EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT. LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS PRESIDENT JOYCE HAYNES SAID THAT BESE WAS "BOUGHT AND PAID FOR" BY THE GOVERNOR, FOR SUPPORTING WHITE. MR. JINDAL SAYS HAYNES REPRESENTS TEACHERS' INTERESTS, NOT WHAT'S BEST FOR STUDENTS. JINDAL SAYS WHITE HAS THE QUALIFICATIONS, TALENT AND PROVEN SUCCESS TO HEAD THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. HE SAYS LOUISIANA EDUCATION NEEDS REFORMS, YET THERE ARE MANY WHO RESIST CHANGE AT ANY COST. WHITE WAS APPROVED BY BESE BY A 9-1 VOTE

THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES HAVE FOUND THE BODY OF A MISSING BATON ROUGE WOMAN ON THE BOGUE CHITTO RIVER. AGENTS SAY 61-YEAR-OLD KATHY HOLLOWAY WAS FOUND THIS MORNING NOT FAR FROM WHERE THEY FOUND HER CAPSIZED VESSEL LAST MONTH. THE SEARCH FOR HER HUSBAND, WILLIAM, CONTINUES.

A LIVINGSTON PARISH SHERIFF'S DEPUTY HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND FIRED AFTER ALLEGEDLY ENGAGING IN INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH AN TEENAGE GIRL. 37-YEAR OLD JEREMY BRISTER WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF MOLESTATION AND THREE COUNTS OF INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH A JUVENILE. HE'S BEING HELD IN THE LIVINGSTON PARISH DETENTION CENTER ON $125,000 BOND.

ALSO IN LIVINGSTON PARISH, AUTHORITIES SAY FIVE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR
BREAKING INTO THE PARISH DETENTION CENTER. THE FIVE CUT A FENCE AT THE JAIL AND ENTERED DRUGS, CELL PHONES AND OTHER CONTRABAND TO INMATES AT THE JAIL. ALL FIVE ARE BEING HELD ON $1 MILLION BOND AND MORE ARRESTS ARE EXPECTED.

A HOUSTON-BASED COMPANY THAT PROVIDES CORROSION PROTECTION SERVICES FOR THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IS PLANNING TO OPEN A NEW PLANT IN SCOTT. HOUSTON PLATING AND COATINGS LLC SAYS IT WILL HIRE 120 PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO WORK AT THE NEW $9 MILLION LAFAYETTE-AREA FACILITY. THE COMPANY'S CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND GOV. BOBBY JINDAL ANNOUNCED THE PLANS THURSDAY, SAYING THE JOBS WOULD HAVE ANNUAL AVERAGE SALARIES OF $35,000 PLUS BENEFITS.


THE LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER DISCOVERS THAT THE RECENTLY BANNED SO-CALLED "BATH SALTS" COULD EAT YOUR FLESH. THE STUDY WAS LED BY DR. RUSSELL RUSSO WHO SAYS THEY TREATED A 34-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO ADMITTED TO INJECTING THE DRUG INTO THE MUSCLE OF HER ARM. HE SAYS THE WOMAN DEVELOPED A FLESH EATING BACTERIA AND ENDED UP HAVE HER ARM, SHOULDER, AND ONE BREAST REMOVED.

FEDERAL AGENTS HAVE ARRESTED 14 PEOPLE AND SEIZED MORE THAN $200,000 WORTH OF COCAINE AND CASH AS A RESULT OF AN 18-MONTH UNDERCOVER DRUG INVESTIGATION IN SHREVEPORT.