Posted
2012-03-12 05:44:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR MONDAY 031212
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
A NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION OPENS TODAY WITH FIGHTS WELL UNDERWAY OVER JOB PROTECTIONS FOR TEACHERS, PENSION BENEFITS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES AND THE USE OF STATE TAX DOLLARS FOR NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING THE BATTLES OVER NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND SERVICES ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. LAWMAKERS CONVENE AT NOON, AND GOV. BOBBY JINDAL IS SCHEDULED TO SPEAK AN HOUR LATER TO THE HOUSE AND SENATE. JINDAL'S PUSHING LARGE CHANGES TO TEACHER PAY AND EDUCATION FUNDING, AND HE'S PROPOSING TO SHRINK RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR THOUSANDS OF STATE WORKERS. MEANWHILE, LAWMAKERS ARE PROPOSING TO REVISIT ANNUAL FIGHTS OVER CELL PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING, TEACHING SEX EDUCATION IN CLASSES, ABORTION RESTRICTIONS AND MANDATORY DRUG TESTING FOR WELFARE RECIPIENTS. THE SESSION MUST END BY JUNE 4.
MORE THAN 100 LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT LOUISIANA HAVE ENDORSED GOV. BOBBY JINDAL'S PLAN FOR REFORMING EDUCATION. IN A JOINT STATEMENT, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS SAID, "THE STATUS QUO IS FAILING FAR TOO MANY OF OUR KIDS, AND IT'S CLEAR THAT OUR STATE MUST BETTER PREPARE OUR KIDS FOR SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN LIFE. THE STATEMENT ALSO ASKED REPRESENTATIVES IN THE STATE HOUSE AND STATE SENATE TO JOIN IN SUPPORTING GOV. JINDAL'S EDUCATION REFORM PROPOSALS. THE LIST OF OFFICIALS IS MADE UP OF COUNCIL AND ALDERMEN, SOME SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND THE MAYORS OF SEVERAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES. ABSENT FROM THE LIST, THE MAYORS OF ALEXANDRIA AND PINEVILLE, PLUS MOST OTHER MAYORS FROM ACROSS CENLA.
A MISSISSIPPI REAL ESTATE COMPANY IS OFFERING A STORIED LOUISIANA HOTEL FOR $6.5 MILLION, 'AS IS.' PAUL GREEN & ASSOCIATES OF NATCHEZ SAY THE 140,000-SQUARE-FOOT HOTEL WILL NEED RENOVATION. THE FIRM'S WEBSITE SAYS THE HOTEL HAS 172 ROOMS, INCLUDING 13 DELUXE SUITES. THE HOTEL WAS BUILT IN 1908 BY SAWMILL OWNER JOSEPH BENTLEY, THE FIRST PERSON IN ALEXANDRIA TO OWN AN AUTOMOBILE. WHEN IT OPENED, IT HAD A FULL-SERVICE BARBERSHOP, PRINTING PRESS, RESTAURANT, TELEGRAPH OFFICES AND OTHER BUSINESSES. THE MARBLE CAME FROM VERMONT, AND THE BUILDING HAD ITS OWN POWER AND REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS. IT HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE DECEMBER 2004.
WE NOTE THE PASSING OF WILLIAM KUSHNER. A FAMILIAR NAME TO MANY HERE IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA. KUSHNER CONDUCTED THE RAPIDES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOR 34 YEARS. A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY REPORTS KUSHNER DIED SUNDAY. SERVICES WILL BE WEDNESDAY IN LAKE CHARLES, WITH ARRANGEMENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED BY HIXSON OF LAKE CHARLES. KUSHNER RETIRED AS RAPIDES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR IN 2002.
AS A NEW STATE LEGISLATURE CONVENES IN BATON ROUGE TODAY. GOVERNOR JINDAL HAS BEEN PROMOTING HIS AGENDA FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, BUT WILL STATE LAWMAKERS GO ALONG WITH HIS PLANS? U-L LAFAYETTE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR PEARSON CROSS FORESEES A CONTENTIOUS SESSION. THERE ARE SEVERAL ITEMS JINDAL IS SUPPORTING THAT COULD HAVE TROUBLE GETTING PASSED. THE GOVERNOR WANTS A STATEWIDE PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHER SYSTEM, HE'S PROPOSING CHANGES TO TEACHER TENURE, AND HE WANTS STATE WORKERS TO PAY MORE TOWARDS THEIR OWN RETIREMENT. LEGISLATORS ARE ALSO DEALING WITH ANOTHER BUDGET DEFICIT.
STATE POLICE SAY SEPARATE WRECKS IN VERNON PARISH KILLED A 22-YEAR-OLD DRIVER AND A 21-YEAR-OLD PEDESTRIAN FROM OUT OF STATE. TROOPER DANIEL "SCOTT" MOREAU SAYS MARCI STERLING OF LEESVILLE DIED EARLY SUNDAY, WHEN SHE HIT A TREE AND WAS THROWN OUT OF HER CAR. HE SAYS THE PEDESTRIAN WAS HIT BY A CAR WHILE CROSSING U.S. HIGHWAY 171 SOUTH OF LOUISIANA HIGHWAY 1211 ABOUT 11:30 P.M. SATURDAY. THE MAN'S NAME WAS NOT RELEASED BECAUSE HIS FAMILY HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. MOREAU SAYS THE DRIVER, 19-YEAR-OLD AARON BLACKWELL OF BOGALUSA, WAS BOOKED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE.
WE MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT STATE BUDGET CUTS COULD FORCE THE CLOSURE OF SEVERAL STATE MUSEUMS. WORD IS NOW, TWO OF THEM COULD BE RIGHT HERE IN CENLA, THE DELTA MUSIC MUSEUM IN FERRIDAY AND THE TIOGA HERITAGE PARK AND MUSEUM. THE ARE 17 MUSEUMS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF SEC. OF STATE TOM SCHEDLER'S OFFICE. THE PROPOSED STATE BUDGET WOULD ONLY ALLOW SCHEDLER TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN AT THE TWO LARGEST MUSEUMS. THOSE TWO MUSEUMS WOULD BE THE OLD STATE CAPITOL IN BATON ROUGE AND THE LOUISIANA STATE EXHIBIT MUSEUM IN SHREVEPORT.
AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LOUISIANA 4TH & 8TH GRADE STUDENTS PREPARE TO TAKE THE HIGH-STAKES LEAP TEST NEXT WEEK, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFERS STUDY HELP WITH A LIVE TUTORING HOTLINE. SPOKESPERSON RENE GREER SAYS THE HELP BEGINS WITH PRACTICE LEAP TEST STUDY BOOKLETS THAT STUDENTS CAN GET FROM THEIR SCHOOL. GREER SAYS THE LDOE WILL HAVE LIVE TUTORS AVAILABLE ON ITS TOLL-FREE TUTORIAL HOTLINE .STARTING TONIGHT FROM 5 UNTIL 7 PM AND RUNNING NIGHTLY THROUGH MARCH 19TH. A SECOND PHASE OF THE HOTLINE WILL RUN FROM APRIL 2ND THROUGH THE 12TH. GREER SAYS THE TUTORIAL HOTLINE FOR THE LEAP IS COMPLETELY FREE, AND EACH PHASE OF THE HELP WILL FOCUS IN ON THE CORRESPONDING PHASE OF THE HIGH-STAKES TEST.
LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DAN RENEAU SAYS THE PROPOSED MERGER OF LOUISIANA TECH AND LSU-SHREVEPORT WOULD ENRICH THE STATE'S NORTHERN PARISHES. RENEAU SENT AN EMAIL ON TO LOUISIANA TECH FACULTY, STAFF AND ALUMNI, OUTLINING THE UNIVERSITY'S POSITION ON THE PROPOSED MERGER. JOINING LSU-SHREVEPORT AND LOUISIANA TECH WAS RECOMMENDED IN A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE CONSULTING FIRM EVA KLEIN AND ASSOCIATES AND SUPPORTED BY THE LOUISIANA BOARD OF REGENTS. THE LEADING RECOMMENDATION IN THE MERGER PROPOSAL IS TO CREATE A LARGER LOUISIANA TECH WITH RUSTON AND SHREVEPORT CAMPUSES UNDER THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SYSTEM.
DESOTO PARISH SCHOOL OFFICIALS DON'T KNOW ANY FIGURES YET, BUT EXPECT TO HAVE TO PARE THEIR 2012-13 BUDGET FROM CURRENT SPENDING BECAUSE DRILLING IN THE HAYNESVILLE SHALE IS SLOWING DOWN. OIL AND GAS COMPANIES BEGAN ANNOUNCING CUTBACKS EARLIER THIS YEAR. PLANNERS ALWAYS SAID THE EXPLOSION OF LEASING AND DRILLING WOULD SLOW. THIS YEAR, FOUR YEARS INTO THE DRILLING, IS EXPECTED TO MARK A SIGNIFICANT TURN IN ACTIVITY. RECORD LOW NATURAL GAS PRICES BECAUSE OF AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY FROM SHALE PLAYS AND AN UNUSUALLY MILD WINTER HAVE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES MOVING TO OIL AND NATURAL GAS LIQUID PLAYS. COMPANIES ARE SLICING RIG COUNTS IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA BUT CONTINUE TO SERVICE THOUSANDS OF WELLS ALREADY DRILLED IN THE AREA.
A BELATED WELCOME HOME, WITH FOOD AND LIVE MUSIC, IS PLANNED FOR ACADIANA'S VIETNAM VETERANS. IT WILL START AT 10 A.M. ON MARCH 31, A SATURDAY, AT COMEAUX RECREATION CENTER. THE U.S. SENATE ADOPTED A RESOLUTION ABOUT A YEAR AGO DECLARING MARCH 30 AS WELCOME HOME VIETNAM VETERANS DAY. IT WAS MARCH 30, 1973, THAT U.S. COMBAT TROOPS WITHDREW FROM SOUTH VIETNAM. SAIGAN FELL TO THE NORTH VIETNAMESE IN APRIL 1975. SOLDIERS CAME HOME FROM VIETNAM TO PROTESTERS CALLING THEM LOSERS AND BABY-KILLERS.
SPORTS..
THE 11TH RANKED LSU BASEBALL TEAM'S EIGHT-GAME WINNING STREAK ENDED ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH A SEVEN TO ONE LOSS TO NOTRE DAME. LSU HOSTS NOTRE DAME AGAIN TONIGHT. FRESHMAN AARON NOLA IS EXPECTED TO START ON THE MOUND FOR THE TIGERS.
.jpeg)
