Posted
2012-05-21 05:32:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR MONDAY 052112
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
A CRASH BETWEEN AN ATV AND A PICKUP TRUCK YESTERDAY AFTERNOON CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A DEVILLE MAN AND HIS SON AND THE INJURY OF ANOTHER CHILD. THE CRASH HAPPEN WHEN AN ATV BEING DRIVEN BY 39 YEAR OLD SCOTT KELLY STRUCK A PICKUP TRUCK ON HICKORY GROVE LOOP. KELLY WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE AS WAS 7 YEAR OLD DEVON KELLEY. AN 11 YEAR OLD JUVENILE WAS ALSO SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. NO ONE ON THE ATV WAS WEARING A HELMET.
LOUISIANA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STOOD AT 7.1 PERCENT IN APRIL, UNCHANGED FROM MARCH, ACCORDING TO FRESH DATA FROM THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED FIGURES, THOUGH, REVEALED THAT OVERALL THE STATE'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS RISEN SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR. STILL, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED IN LOUISIANA DIPPED SLIGHTLY FROM MARCH. NEVADA HAS THE NATION'S WORST JOBLESS RATE, CREEPING UP TO 11.2 PERCENT IN APRIL. NORTH DAKOTA'S OIL-FUELED BOOM KEPT UNEMPLOYMENT THERE AT THE NATION'S LOWEST RATE, 3 PERCENT.
IT'S NATIONAL DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK. THIS MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, BUT STATE FARM SAYS THEY PAID OVER 109-MILLION DOLLARS ON 38-HUNDRED DOG BITE CLAIMS IN 2011. THAT'S UP FROM THE 90-MILLION IN 2010. STATE FARM SPOKESPERSON GARY STEPHENSON SAYS THEY HAD 55 DOG BITE CLAIMS IN LOUISIANA LAST YEAR, WITH 1-POINT-3 MILLION DOLLARS PAID OUT. THE AVERAGE DOG BITE CLAIM IN LOUISIANA IN 2011 WAS 24-THOUSAND DOLLARS. STEPHENSON SAYS CHILDREN MAKE UP MORE THAN 60-PERCENT OF ALL DOG BITE VICTIMS.
LOUISIANA STATE POLICE BEGIN THEIR ANNUAL "CLICK IT OR TICKET" SEAT BELT CAMPAIGN TODAY. STATE HIGHWAY SAFETY COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOHN LEBLANC SAYS
127 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE TEAMING UP FOR BEEFED-UP PATROLS, HIGHWAY CHECKPOINTS AND MORE, TO ENFORCE SEAT BELT USE BETWEEN TODAY AND JUNE 3RD. THE CAMPAIGN COVERS THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, AND LEBLANC SAYS THEY HAVE A GOAL OF ZERO TRAFFIC DEATHS RELATED TO FAILURE TO WEAR SEAT BELTS. LEBLANC SAYS SEAT BELT COMPLIANCE IS AT ABOUT 78-PERCENT IN LOUISIANA, BUT NOTHING LESS THAN 100% WILL DO. HE SAYS THIS YEAR'S "CLICK IT OR TICKET" CAMPAIGN WILL BE THE STATE'S LARGEST EVER, IN TERMS OF OFFICERS INVOLVED. STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT EVERYONE IN A MOVING MOTOR VEHICLE BE WEARING THEIR SEAT BELT.
THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SYSTEM BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CANCELED A SPECIAL MEETING TODAY TO DISCUSS PENDING BUDGET CUTS TO THE STATE'S COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THE BOARD DECIDED TO POSTPONE THE MEETING WHILE THE SENATE IS STILL DEBATING THE BUDGET. UL SYSTEM PRESIDENT RANDY MOFFETT SAYS AS THE BUDGET STANDS NOW THE UL SYSTEM WILL LOSE NEARLY 106-MILLION DOLLARS, THIS YEAR, BRINGING TOTAL REDUCTIONS IN STATE FUNDING SINCE 2008 TO 293-MILLION. IN THE SAME TIME TOTAL REDUCTIONS IN STATE FUNDING FOR ALL HIGHER ED IS 585-MILLION DOLLARS. DEALING WITH ADDITIONAL CUTS TO THEIR BUDGET MEANS SOME SCHOOLS WILL
HAVE TO DECLARE WHAT AMOUNTS TO BANKRUPTCY. PAST LOSSES HAVE MEANT CUTTING 300 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND ELIMINATING 1300 POSITIONS. MOFFETT SAYS WHILE THEY HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST THEY STILL HOPE FOR A LAST MINUTE REPRIEVE.
STATE POLICE SAY A 62-YEAR-OLD SOUTH CAROLINA TRUCK DRIVER DROVE HIS BIG RIG THE WRONG WAY ON INTERSTATE 10 NEAR BREAUX BRIDGE WHILE HE WAS DRUNK. TROOPERS REPORT MARSHAL SMITH OF SOUTH CAROLINA WAS INVOLVED IN THREE HIT AND RUN ACCIDENTS BEFORE BEING STOPPED BY STATE POLICE USING SPIKE STRIPS ON THE ROADWAY. MIRACULOUSLY NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED.
A FIRE GUTTED A LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY FRATERNITY HOUSE ON SATURDAY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES TO THREE FIREFIGHTERS BUT NONE TO STUDENTS. AUTHORITIES SAY THREE FIREFIGHTERS WERE TREATED AT NORTHERN LOUISIANA MEDICAL CENTER AND RELEASED. TWO SUFFERED FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION, WHILE A THIRD WAS HURT WHEN HE WAS ON STAIRS THAT GAVE WAY. THE HALF-DOZEN OR SO STUDENTS WHO WERE INSIDE THE BUILDING WERE ALL EVACUATED SAFELY.
A NEW ORLEANS LAWMAKER HAS SHELVED HIS PROPOSAL TO GIVE THE GOVERNOR THE AUTHORITY TO CALL IN THE LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD TO HELP POLICE THE CITY, WHICH HAS SEEN CONTINUED MURDER RATES HIGHER THAN IN OTHER LARGE MUNICIPALITIES.
DEMOCRATIC REP. AUSTIN BADON TOLD THE TIMES-PICAYUNE THAT HE GAVE UP ON THE BILL AFTER FACING RESISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. BADON PROPOSED TO LET THE GOVERNOR DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY TO ACTIVATE THE NATIONAL GUARD WHEN THE MURDER RATE IN A CITY OF 200,000 PEOPLE OR MORE IS 45 HOMICIDES PER 100,000 RESIDENTS OR HIGHER. NEW ORLEANS EXCEEDED THAT RATE IN 2010 AND 2011. THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE DISCRETION ON WHETHER TO ENLIST THE NATIONAL GUARD'S HELP, SOMETHING THE GOVERNOR APPARENTLY DIDN’T WANT.
THE CITY OF YOUNGSVILLE WILL SPLIT FROM THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND FORM ITS OWN DISTRICT IF THE SCHOOL BOARD CANNOT FIND THE MONEY TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL THERE OR EXPAND EXISTING BUILDINGS TO RELIEVE CLASSROOM CROWDING.
A SPLIT WOULD DRAIN FUNDING FROM THE LAFAYETTE SYSTEM AND SEPARATE SOME HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOLS THAT HELP THE DISTRICT'S OVERALL ACADEMIC RANKING. LAFAYETTE SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT PAT COOPER SAID THE SPLIT LIKELY WON'T HAPPEN BECAUSE HE WILL PUSH THE SCHOOL BOARD TO APPROVE NEW FACILITIES IN YOUNGSVILLE.
LONGTIME NATCHITOCHES MAYOR JOE SAMPITE (SAM' PIH TAY) HAS DIED. THE NATCHITOCHES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY. SAMPITE SERVED AS MAYOR IN NATCHITOCHES FROM 1980 TO 2000. ARRANGEMENTS, WHICH HAVEN'T BEEN ANNOUNCED YET, ARE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF BLANCHARD ST. DENIS FUNERAL HOME IN NATCHITOCHES.
THE LSU BASEBALL TIGERS ARE SEC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS FOR THE 15TH TIME IN THE SCHOOL'S HISTORY. IT'S THE TIGERS FIRST OUTRIGHT SEC TITLE SINCE 2003. THE TEAMS THAT NEEDED TO LOSE, LOST ON SATURDAY AND LSU BEAT SOUTH CAROLINA 3-2 IN 10 INNINGS TO CLINCH THE CHAMPIONSHIP. LSU FINISHED THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A 42-19 RECORD, 19-AND-11 IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE. IT'S LIKELY THE TIGERS WILL RECEIVE A TOP EIGHT NATIONAL SEED WHEN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET COMES OUT NEXT MONDAY.
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