Posted
2012-08-30 19:59:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR FRIDAY 083112
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
A HOME INVASION WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN ALEXANDRIA HAS LEFT TWO CATHOLIC PRIEST INJURED AND FIVE PEOPLE IN CUSTODY. ALEXANDRIA POLICE SPOKESPERSON SGT. BRUCE FAIRBANKS, SAYS OFFICERS ARRIVED AT THE RECTORY OF ST. RITA CATHOLIC CHURCH SHORTLY BEFORE NINE O'CLOCK. BOTH PRIESTS WERE TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE THEY WERE TREATED FOR HEIR INJURIES AND LATER RELEASED IN GOOD CONDITION. FAIRBANKS SAYS OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO BREAK THE CASE SHORTLY AFTER EVENTS UNFOLDED. SGT. FAIRBANKS SPECULATES IT WAS A RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE AND SO FAR POLICE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND A MOTIVE.
IT'S OFFICIAL. THE LSU VS. NORTH TEXAS FOOTBALL GAME IN TIGER STADIUM WILL BE PLAYED AS SCHEDULED AT 6 P.M. ON SATURDAY NIGHT. OFFICIALS MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY AFTER AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE ISAAC WAS MADE. AD JOE ALLEVA SAYS OPTIONS ARE LIMITED AS FAR AS OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY THIS GAME AND THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE STADIUM, SO THEY ARE PROCEEDING WITH THE SEASON OPENER ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
AS FEARED, FLOODING FROM ISAAC IS PLAGUING MANY PARTS OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA. A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS ORDERED FOR ALL RESIDENTS ALONG THE TANGIPAHOA RIVER, DUE TO THE THREATENED FAILURE OF A DAM UP-RIVER AT PERCY QUIN STATE PARK NEAR MCCOMB, MISSISSIPPI. AN ESTIMATED 50-TO-60-THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY THIS ORDER. SHELTERS HAVE BEEN SET UP IN HIGH AND DRY PARTS OF TANGIPAHOA PARISH FOR THE EVACUEES. YESTERDAY OFFICIALS IN MISSISSIPPI TRIED A CONTROLLED RELEASE IN THE HOPES OF RELIEVING PRESSURE ON THE DAM.. A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN CALLED FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN OF KENTWOOD, IN NORTHERN TANGIPAHOA.
ALSO YESTERDAY, OFFICIALS UNDERTOOK A CONTROLLED BREACH OF THE PARISH
LEVEE NEAR BRAITHWAITE, IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH, WHERE OVERTOPPING DURING ISAAC'S STORM SURGE FLOODED HUNDREDS OF HOMES. OFFICIALS SAY THE LEVEE MUST BE BREACHED TO ALLOW THE WATER TO DRAIN BACK OUT OF THE AREA. THE LEVEE IS NOT PART OF THE FEDERAL LEVEE SYSTEM.
MORE THAN 40 PERCENT OF LOUISIANA WAS WITHOUT POWER BECAUSE OF HURRICANE ISAAC, NOW DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION. THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SAYS 871,000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES AROUND THE STATE — ABOUT 41 PERCENT OF ALL CUSTOMERS WERE AT ONE POINT WITHOUT POWER. NEARLY ALL CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT POWER IN PLAQUEMINES AND ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISHES, ACCORDING TO THE PSC STATISTICS. ELEVEN OTHER PARISHES HAD THREE-QUARTERS OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES OR MORE WITH POWER OUTAGES.
BP AMERICA HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL DONATE $1 MILLION TO SUPPORT DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS IN LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI FOLLOWING HURRICANE ISAAC. SPOKESPERSON BRENT CLANTON SAYS THE DONATION WILL BE MADE TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AND THE SALVATION ARMY AND DIVIDED EQUALLY BETWEEN THE TWO STATES.
ONE OF THE MORE BIZARRE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE ISAAC'S LANDFALL IN LOUISIANA; THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ACTUALLY FLOWED BACKWARDS FOR SOME TIME. ALEX DEMAS, WITH THE U.S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, SAYS THE RIVER'S LOW LEVEL AND SLOW CURRENT REVERSED FOR A SHORT TIME, WHEN ISAAC CAME ASHORE. DEMAS SAYS THE RIVER FLOWED IN REVERSE AS FAR NORTH AS BELLE CHASSE FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS, AS HURRICANE ISAAC WAS PUSHING STORM SURGE UPRIVER. THE RIVER'S LEVEL ROSE TEN FEET DURING THAT TIME. DEMAS SAYS THE PHENOMENON IS UNUSUAL, BUT NOT COMPLETELY UNHEARD-OF. THE MISSISSIPPI FLOWED BACKWARDS IN 2005 DUE TO WIND AND SURGE FROM HURRICANE KATRINA.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS QUARTERBACK DREW BREES USED A TWITTER POST TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE CITY AFTER ISAAC LASHED THE AREA WITH HIGH WIND AND FLOODING RAIN. IN A POST THURSDAY AFTERNOON, BREES SAID: "WE ARE ABOUT TO TAKE THE FIELD IN TENNESSEE, BUT OUR HEARTS ARE WITH NEW ORLEANS AND ITS RESIDENTS. MAY GOD WATCH OVER US ALL." THE SAINTS WERE SCHEDULED TO PLAY THE TENNESSEE TITANS IN A PRESEASON GAME THURSDAY. BREES HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN RECOVERY IN NEW ORLEANS AND HIS "REBUILDING DREAMS" CAMPAIGN RAISED MORE THAN $2 MILLION FOR PLAYGROUNDS, ATHLETIC FIELDS AND SCHOOLS.
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