Posted
2012-06-20 05:12:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR WEDNESDAY 062012
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
A FIRE BROKE OUT EARLY TUESDAY AT NATCHITOCHES' LEVY EAST BED AND BREAKFAST, GUTTING THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE. IT HAPPENED ABOUT 5:45 A.M. AND TOOK FIREFIGHTERS ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET THE BLAZE UNDER CONTROL. ONE FIREFIGHTER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. AUTHORITIES DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE WAS INSIDE WHEN THE FIRE STARTED AND THE BLAZE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. LEVY EAST BED AND BREAKFAST DATES BACK TO THE 1860S.
THE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY MUCH CONFIRMED AND STILL, VERY HARD TO SWALLOW. NEARLY 300 CENTRAL LOUISIANA RESIDENTS WILL BE LAID OFF FROM STATE JOBS IN PINEVILLE NEXT MONTH. ACCORDING TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS, 101 EMPLOYEES WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS AT PINECREST SUPPORTS AND SERVICES CENTER, 82 WILL BE CUT FROM PAYROLL AT CENTRAL LOUISIANA STATE HOSPITAL, AND MORE THAN 100 WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS AT THE DABADIE CORRECTIONAL CENTER. ALL THREE FACILITIES ARE IN PINEVILLE. THE CUTS ARE THE RESULT OF THE GOVERNORS VETO LAST WEEK OF FUNDING FOR DABADIE AND CUTS MADE BE LAWMAKERS, IN THE JUST COMPLETED LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
A COMMITTEE CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING THE PROCESS FOR FINDING THE NEXT RAPIDES PARISH SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT IS SPLIT ON WHEN THAT PROCESS SHOULD WRAP UP.
COMMITTEE MEMBER JANET DIXON PROPOSED TUESDAY THAT THE COMMITTEE'S PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED DATE OF DEC. 12 TO HAVE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT IN PLACE BE MOVED UP TO NOV. 15. JULIE MCCONATHY SUPPORTED THE MOTION, BUT STEVE BERRY AND PAM WEBB VOTED AGAINST IT, LEAVING THE MOTION TO FAIL AT 2-2.
CENTRAL LOUISIANA OFFICIALS ARE UPSET WITH GOVERNOR JINDAL FOR USING HIS VETO PEN TO TAKE AWAY FUNDING FROM THE DABADIE CORRECTIONAL CENTER IN PINEVILLE. THAT WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF 100 STATE JOBS, BECAUSE THE PRISON WILL HAVE TO CLOSE. INMATES WILL BE CONSOLIDATED INTO THE AVOYELLES CORRECTIONAL CENTER IN COTTONPORT. PINEVILLE REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS HAZEL PREDICTS THE GOVERNOR'S NEXT STEP IS TO TRY AGAIN TO PRIVATIZE THE AVOYELLES PRISON.
AT THE END OF THE DAY TODAY, THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION WILL PASS TO AN AFRICAN AMERICAN PASTOR FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE NATION'S LARGEST PROTESTANT DENOMINATION VOTED TUESDAY TO ELECT THE REV. FRED LUTER JR. TO LEAD THEM. FACED WITH DECLINING MEMBERSHIP, THE SBC IS TRYING TO APPEAL TO A MORE DIVERSE GROUP OF BELIEVERS. LUTER'S ELECTION AT THE SBC'S ANNUAL MEETING IN NEW ORLEANS HELPS THOSE EFFORTS. SOME SOUTHERN BAPTISTS ALSO BELIEVE ADOPTING THE ALTERNATIVE NAME “GREAT COMMISSION BAPTISTS” WILL HELP. THEY SAY THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEGATIVE ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE CURRENT NAME.
THE RESULTS OF A VOTE ON THAT PROPOSAL WILL BE ANNOUNCED TODAY.
NOTIFICATION LETTERS WERE SENT TO LOUISIANA'S LAWMAKERS TUESDAY, ADVISING THEM ABOUT THE PLANNED JULY 14 VETO SESSION AND HOW TO SCRAP THE MEETING IF THEY DON'T WANT TO HOLD IT. THE VETO SESSION WAS AUTOMATICALLY SET WHEN GOV. BOBBY JINDAL REJECTED BILLS FROM THE REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT ENDED THIS MONTH. A VETO SESSION WOULD ALLOW LAWMAKERS TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO OVERRIDE SOME OF THE GOVERNOR'S DECISIONS. A MAJORITY WRITTEN VOTE OF EITHER THE HOUSE OR SENATE CAN CANCEL THE VETO SESSION. THE DEADLINE FOR LAWMAKERS TO SEND IN BALLOTS TO STOP THE SESSION IS MIDNIGHT JULY 9. LAWMAKERS HAVE NOT HELD A VETO SESSION SINCE THE CURRENT LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION WAS ENACTED FOUR DECADES AGO.
GOV. BOBBY JINDAL WAS ON THE ROAD YESTERDAY RAISING MONEY FOR REPUBLICANS IN WEST VIRGINIA. THE GOVERNOR ATTENDED FUNDRAISERS FOR REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE BILL MALONEY AND FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA REPUBLICAN PARTY.
U.S. INTERIOR SECRETARY KEN SALAZAR IS IN NEW ORLEANS TODAY, TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS OF OFFSHORE OIL & GAS LEASE SALES IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. LOUISIANA OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT DON BRIGGS SAYS HE IS ENCOURAGED BY THE NUMBER OF SUBMITTED BIDS FOR THE LEASES; 593 FROM 48 COMPANIES. THIS IS THE FIRST OFFSHORE LEASE OFFERING IN THE CENTRAL GULF SINCE THE 2010 BP OIL SPILL. BRIGGS SAYS THE OFFERING TOTALS ABOUT 39-MILLION ACRES...:
FOUR LOUISIANA PARISHES RANK IN THE TOP 100 IN THE COUNTRY FOR GROWTH. THE DATA, FROM THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, LISTS LIVINGSTON PARISH AS THE COUNTRY'S 37TH FASTEST-GROWING. ASCENSION IS 69TH, ORLEANS 77TH AND BOSSIER PARISH IS 91ST. DEMOGRAPHER GREG RIGAMER SAYS IT'S MORE EVIDENCE THAT LOUISIANA'S ECONOMY IS OUTPACING THE NATION'S.
THE NINE SCHOOLS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SYSTEM HAVE RECEIVED PERMISSION TO NEARLY TRIPLE ANNUAL CAR REGISTRATION FEES FOR STUDENTS FROM $35 TO UP TO $100 STARTING IN THE FALL. SYSTEM SPOKESWOMAN JACKIE TISDELL SAID TUESDAY THAT THE FEE POLICY WAS ADJUSTED TO ACCOMMODATE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS, WHICH WAS ADDED TO THE SYSTEM THIS YEAR, AND CHARGES $100. EACH CAMPUS WILL ANALYZE ITS NEEDS BEFORE DECIDING INDEPENDENTLY HOW CLOSE TO THE $100 MAXIMUM IT WILL CHARGE.
A STATE REPRESENTATIVE HAS GIVEN UP HIS POSITION ON A HOUSE COMMITTEE TO DEVOTE MORE TIME TO REFORMING THE STATE BUDGET. IN A LETTER TO HOUSE SPEAKER HUCK KLECKLEY, LAKE CHARLES REPRESENTATIVE BRETT GEYMANN RESIGNED HIS SEAT ON THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE TO SPEND MORE TIME ON THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. GEYMANN IDENTIFIES HIMSELF AS ONE OF THE FISCAL HAWKS, A GROUP OF CONSERVATIVE LEGISLATORS WHO TRIED TO STRIP SO CALLED ONE-TIME MONEY OUT OF THE STATE BUDGET. GEYMANN CALLED THE BUDGET, JUST PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE AND SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR...SHAMEFUL...
LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT IS GETTING A $1.1 MILLION GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. THE MONEY IS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO RUNWAY SAFETY AREAS — SPACES FOR PLANES THAT OVERSHOOT, UNDERSHOOT OR VEER OFF THE RUNWAY. SEN. MARY LANDRIEU'S OFFICE ANNOUNCED THE GRANT IN A TUESDAY NEWS RELEASE THAT SAID MONEY FROM THE GRANT WILL HELP LAFAYETTE REGIONAL MEET FEDERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS BY A DEC. 31, 2015, DEADLINE.
A 23-YEAR-OLD PREGNANT WOMAN WAS SHOT IN THE BACK AND ARM AS SHE SAT INSIDE A CAR IN BATON ROUGE. POLICE SAY THE WOMAN, WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, WAS TRANSPORTED TO AN AREA HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. POLICE SAY SHE'S LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION. MEANWHILE POLICE SAY THE SHOOTING SUSPECT, A 26-YEAR-OLD MAN, REMAINS AT LARGE.
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