Posted
2012-09-04 06:36:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR TUESDAY 090412
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
THE OWNER OF A LOCAL PAINTING & CONTRACTING COMPANY WAS SHOT EARLY MONDAY MORNING DURING AN ARMED ROBBERY IN ALEXANDRIA. THE APD GOT THE CALL AROUND 8:45 A.M. AND ARRIVED AT 93 BOLTON AVENUE TO FIND GENE DECKER HAD BEEN SHOT AND ANOTHER VICTIM, JULIUS LITTLETON, HAD BEEN STRUCK. BOTH MEN WERE TAKEN TO RAPIDES REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER WHERE THEY WERE TREATED AND RELEASED.
DETECTIVES ARE LOOKING FOR SUSPECTS BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NO ARRESTS.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS IS REPORTING RECORD NUMBERS OF WEST NILE CASES ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE. DHH REPORTS 53 NEW CASES OF WEST NILE THIS WEEK, BRINGING THE STATES TOTAL FOR THE YEAR TO 145. DHH SECRETARY BRUCE GREENSTEIN SAYS HURRICANE ISAAC WILL ACTUALLY GIVE US A BREAK FROM THE SWARMS OF INFECTED MOSQUITOES. GREENSTEIN SAYS THE MOSQUITO POPULATION WILL REBOUND USING THE NEW SOURCES OF STANDING WATER TO BREED SO HE ADVISES RESIDENTS TO DUMP OUT ANY STANDING WATER AROUND THEIR HOMES AND TO CONTINUE TAKING PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID GETTING BITTEN.
BUSINESS AND JOBS CONTINUE TO BE ON THE RISE IN LOUISIANA. THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION IS REPORTING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS ARE WORKING IN THE STATE THAN IN MOST OF THE NATION. LWC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CURT EYSINK SAYS NON FARM EMPLOYMENT FOR JULY WAS OVER 1-POINT NINE MILLION, UP ALMOST 41-THOUSAND FROM JULY OF 2011. EYSINK SAYS THE BUSINESS CLIMATE IN LOUISIANA IS BETTER THAN EVER.
PRESIDENT OBAMA VISITED ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH YESTERDAY AFTERNOON TO SEE THE DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE ISAAC. OVER THREE-THOUSAND RESIDENTS IN LAPLACE HAD TO EVACUATE AS A RESULT OF FAST RISING FLOOD WATERS. THE PRESIDENT SAYS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING SHORT TERM RELIEF, WHILE EXAMINING HOW THEY COULD PREVENT ANOTHER DISASTER. GOVERNOR JINDAL, MEMBERS OF LOUISIANA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND LOCAL OFFICIALS WERE WITH THE PRESIDENT WHEN HE TOURED THE DAMAGE FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS YESTERDAY.
THERE ARE STILL CLOSE TO 1,000 PEOPLE AT THE ALEXANDRIA MEGA SHELTER. YESTERDAY, US SENATOR MARY LANDRIEU MET WITH EVACUEES AND THE MEDIA PRIOR TO MEETING THE PRESIDENT IN ST. JOHN PARISH. MANY OF THE EVACUEES COMPLAINED ABOUT THEIR TREATMENT AT THE CENTER, BUT MOST AGREE IT WAS A CASE OF MISDIRECTED FRUSTRATION AS MANY OF THE EVACUEES ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THEY’LL FIND WHEN THEY ARE ALLOWED TO GO HOME. FAMILIES WHO ARE UNABLE TO RETURN HOME BECAUSE OF DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE ISAAC CAN ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE PARISH IN WHICH THEY CURRENTLY RESIDE, ACCORDING TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
STATE AGRICULTURE OFFICIALS SAY HURRICANE ISAAC RESULTED IN AN ESTIMATED 92-MILLION DOLLARS IN CROP LOSSES. THAT ESTIMATE INCLUDES SUGARCANE, RICE, CORN, COTTON, SWEET POTATOES AND PECANS. LSU AGCENTER ECONOMIST KURT GUIDRY SAYS THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT SET IN STONE. GUIDRY SAYS IT WILL BE SEVERAL WEEKS, BEFORE THEY HAVE A FINAL DOLLAR LOSS FIGURE.
MOST STATE RESIDENTS, WHO LOST POWER DURING THE SIEGE OF HURRICANE ISAAC, HAVE NOW HAD THEIR ELECTRICITY RESTORED. THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION IS REPORTING THAT AROUND 131-THOUSAND HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN LOUISIANA ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER, OR ABOUT SIX-PERCENT OF ALL ELECTRICAL CUSTOMERS STATEWIDE. THE MAJORITY OFTHE OUTAGES ARE IN RURAL AREAS OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH THAT WERE INUNDATED WITH FLOODWATERS FROM THE STORM SURGE.
FEMA IS TELLING RESIDENTS WHO SUFFERED LOSSES FROM HURRICANE ISAAC TO GET REGISTERED FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE. AFFECTED RESIDENTS CAN REGISTER AT DISASTER-ASSISTANCE-DOT-GOV. FEMA SPOKESPERSON RAY PEREZ SAYS ONCE YOU ARE REGISTERED AN INSPECTOR WILL COME TO YOUR HOME. HE SAYS PEPOLE SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED IF THEY SEE IN INSPECTOR ON THEIR STREET BUT NOT VISITING EVERY HOME. PEREZ SAYS INSPECTORS ARE ON STRICT SCHEDULES AND CAN ONLY VISIT HOMES ON THAT DAY'S LIST. HE SAYS AFTER THE INSPECTION, FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED QUICKLY.
MOST LOUISIANA MOTORIST NOW HAVE THE OPTION TO HAVE THEIR VEHICLES INSPECTED EVERY TWO YEARS, INSTEAD OF EVERY YEAR. STATE POLICE SPOKESPERSON SGT. LEN MARIE SAYS THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF THEIR VEHICLES BETWEEN INSPECTIONS. A ONE YEAR SAFETY INSPECTION STICKER IS TEN-DOLLARS AND A TWO YEAR STICKER IS 20-DOLLARS.
MISSISSIPPI OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE RELEASED ENOUGH WATER FROM A 700-ACRE LAKE SWOLLEN WITH RAIN FROM ISAAC TO BRING IT TO NORMAL POOL LEVELS. JAMES MACLELLAN, DAM SAFETY DIRECTOR WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, SAYS OFFICIALS WILL DROP LAKE TANGIPAHOA AT PERCY QUIN STATE PARK ANOTHER FIVE FEET THIS WEEK. MACLELLAN SAYS BY THE TIME THE LAKE IS DROPPED ANOTHER FIVE FEET, WORKERS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED A DRAINAGE DITCH THAT WILL DIVERT EVEN MORE WATER FROM THE LAKE INTO NEARBY FIELDS. MACLELLAN SAYS THE DAM IS STABLE.
SENATOR MARY LANDRIEU SAYS THE WIDESPREAD FLOODING CAUSED BY HURRICANE ISAAC LAST WEEK ILLUSTRATES THE NEED FOR MORE & BETTER FEDERAL FLOOD PROTECTION FOR LOUISIANA. TWO PEOPLE DIED IN FLOODWATERS FROM OVERTOPPED LEVEES IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH; ONE PERSON DIED IN FLOODING IN SLIDELL.
LT. GOVERNOR JAY DARDENNE SAYS MANY STATE PARKS IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA ARE CLOSED INDEFINITELY DUE TO ISAAC. DARDENNE SAYS INSPECTION TEAMS WILL ASSESS THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE PARKS TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS SIDED WITH LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE BERNETTE JOHNSON IN HER LEGAL EFFORT TO BECOME THE STATE'S FIRST BLACK CHIEF JUSTICE.
U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE SUSIE MORGAN RULED LATE SATURDAY THAT JOHNSON HAD THE SENIORITY TO SUCCEED CHIEF JUSTICE CATHERINE "KITTY" KIMBALL WHEN THE ALEXANDRIA NATIVE RETIRES EARLY NEXT YEAR. JOHNSON HAD SUED TO BLOCK HER COLLEAGUES FROM DECIDING THE MATTER.
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