Posted
2012-09-14 05:36:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR FRIDAY 091412
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
A SMALL CROWD WAS ON HAND LAST NIGHT FOR THE SECOND OF THREE PUBLIC FORUMS AIMED AT GETTING PUBLIC INPUT AS THE SEARCH CONTINUES TO FIND A NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN RAPIDES PARISH. THE CROWD MADE OF CURRENT AND FORMER SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, CLERGY AND A SMATTERING OF PARENTS. THE THIRD AND FINAL FORUM WILL BE HELD NEXT THURSDAY AT GLENMORA HIGH SCHOOL.
STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS HAVE A FINAL TALLY ON THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC SCHOOL KIDS WHO'LL ATTEND A PRIVATE OR PAROCHIAL SCHOOL THIS YEAR, UNDER THE STATE'S VOUCHERS PROGRAM. 4944 STUDENTS FROM FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAKE THE TRANSITION THIS YEAR. 14% OF THOSE CAME FROM SCHOOLS EARNING A "C" GRADE. 69% WERE FROM "D" SCHOOLS; 17% FROM SCHOOLS GETTING AN "F". THE VOUCHERS WERE AVAILABLE ON A NEEDS BASE.
PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS RECEIVING LOUISIANA STATE FUNDS FOR VOUCHERS MUST SUBMIT TO AUDITS OF HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE USED. SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION JOHN WHITE SAID THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WILL PAY FOR THE AUDITS, WHICH ARE TO BE PERFORMED BY ACCOUNTING FIRMS APPROVED BY THE STATE TO ASSURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE BEING USED WISELY. THE AUDITS WOULD BE DONE ANNUALLY AND WOULD BECOME PART OF THE ANNUAL REVIEW TO DETERMINE IF SCHOOLS SHOULD CONTINUE TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VOUCHER PROGRAM.
A SIKES MAN WAS FOUND GUILTY THURSDAY IN FEDERAL COURT IN ALEXANDRIA FOR FIRING SHOTS AT A LOUISIANA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD HELICOPTER FROM CAMP BEAUREGARD BEING USED DURING A MARIJUANA ERADICATION PROGRAM IN WINN PARISH. THI INCIDENT OCCURRED BACK IN AUGUST OF 2010. 61 YEAR OLD JAMES KELLY WAS FOUND GUILTY OF A LONG LIST OF CHARGES. HE WILL BE SENTENCED IN DECEMBER AND FACES A LONG PRISON STAY.
A POLLOCK WOMAN HAS BEEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH A HOME INVASION IN ALEXANDRIA EARLY MONDAY MORNING. ALEXANDRA POLICE INITIALLY ARRESTED 47-YEAR-OLD DAVID WELLS OF ALEXANDRIA. 27-YEAR-OLD CHRISTINA BOLGIANO WAS ARRESTED BY ALEXANDRIA DETECTIVES WEDNESDAY. SHE WAS BOOKED INTO THE RAPIDES PARISH DETENTION CENTER, CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF HOME INVASION. THE VICTIM TOLD OFFICERS THAT TWO SUSPECTS KICKED IN THE DOOR OF THE RESIDENCE AROUND 12:50 A.M. ONE WAS ARMED WITH A KNIFE, AND THEY DEMANDED THE VICTIM'S MONEY. THE VICTIM WAS NOT INJURED IN THE ATTACK.
WALGREENS PHARMACIES AND EXPRESS SCRIPTS HAVE PATCHED UP THE DISPUTE THAT MADE THEM SEVER TIES LAST YEAR; FORCING THOUSAND OF WALGREEN'S CUSTOMERS TO FILL THEIR MEDS ELSEWHERE. THAT'S COST WALGREENS BILLION IN BUSINESS. STARTING SATURDAY, YOU CAN FILL AND REFILL YOUR EXPRESS SCRIPTS PRESCRIPTIONS AT WALGREEN'S AGAIN, STATEWIDE.
STATE POLICE SAY A MAN SNAPPED AT A DSNAP DISTRIBUTION SITE IN LAPLACE WEDNESDAY TROOPER MELISSA MATEY SAYS 46-YEAR-OLD MARK KNIGHT GREW AGITATED WHEN TURNED DOWN FOR DISASTER FOOD STAMPS FOR HURRICANE ISAAC. HE WENT TO HIS VEHICLE AND GOT THE WEAPON, BUT WAS QUICKLY SUBDUED. SHE SAYS THE
INCIDENT COULD HAVE TURNED VIOLENT AND TRAGIC, BUT NO SHOTS WERE FIRED.
POLICE IN EUNICE HAVE ARRESTED A "KISSING BANDIT" AT THE CITY'S WAL-MART STORE. OFFICERS SAY LONG-HAUL TRUCKER RANDY BUTCHER APPROACHED A FEMALE STORE WORKER AND SUDDENLY GRABBED HER AND KISSED HER. SHE BROKE FREE AND TOLD HER SUPERVISOR, WHILE BUTCHER WAS STILL IN THE STORE. BUTCHER THEN ALLEGEDLY APPROACHED A FEMALE CUSTOMER, AND WAS MOVING IN FOR THE SMOOCH...WHEN HER BOYFRIEND WALKED UP. HE'S BEEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT, BATTERY AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT. WE ASSUME THE LAST CHARGE WAS FOR THE EMBRASE..
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IS ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS IN HURRICANE ISAAC AFFECTED AREAS TO REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING TO AUTHORITIES. THEY SAY RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL WASTE SHOULD BE PLACED OUTSIDE FOR TRASH PICKUP AND PROPERLY SEPARATED. THE DEQ SAYS ILLEGAL DUMPING IS A SERIOUS CRIME THAT COULD CARRY JAIL TIME AND A $25,000 FINE.
GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL SPENT SOME TIME IN NEW HAMPSHIRE YESTERDAY,
CAMPAIGNING FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY. JINDAL ALSO HELPED THE GOP CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR THERE IN HIS CAMPAIGN. JINDAL'S REMARKS TO A GOP "UNITY BREAKFAST" WERE LESS ABOUT ROMNEY, AND MORE CRITICAL OF PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHOSE ADMINISTRATION HE SAYS IS "MARRED BY BROKEN PROMISES".
SHREVEPORT POLICE SEEK TWO MEN INVOLVED IN A FATAL SHOOTING OUTSIDE A HOME THERE LAST NIGHT. PD SPOKESMAN CPL. MARCUS HINES SAYS THE MEN WERE ATTEMPTING TO BREAK INTO THE HOUSE. THE HOMEOWNER, 32-YEAR-OLD JASON WILLIAMS WAS SHOT AND KILLED. HINES SAYS THEY HAVE FEW LEADS AT THIS TIME, BUT ARE LOOKING OUT FOR TWO BLACK MEN, EACH ABOUT 5-FOOT-TEN. HINES SAYS THE INCIDENT IS LIKELY DRUG-RELATED. A FULL INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY.
PICCADILLY RESTAURANTS, A BATON ROUGE-BASED CAFETERIA CHAIN, HAS FILED CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY. THOMAS SANDEMAN, THE COMPANY'S CEO, TOLD SAYS THE FILING, WHICH WAS MADE TUESDAY IN U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT IN LAFAYETTE, WILL PROTECT THE VALUE OF PICCADILLY, ALONG WITH ITS EMPLOYEES AND RESTAURANTS. THE BANKRUPTCY FILING SAID THE CHAIN WANTED TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM WHAT IT CALLED "AN AGGRESSIVE LEGAL MANEUVER" TAKEN BY A LENDER. THIS IS PICCADILLY'S SECOND BANKRUPTCY FILING; THE FIRST WAS IN 2003.
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