Posted
2012-09-19 05:00:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR WEDNESDAY 091912
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
LOUISIANA IS WAKING UP TO SOME COOL FALL WEATHER TODAY. STATE CLIMATOLOGIST BARRY KEIM SAYS THE COOL SNAP COMES COURTESY OF A FRONT CARRYING A LOT OF COLD CANADIAN AIR. KEIM SAYS THURSDAY MORNING WILL BE THE COOLEST WE'VE SEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON, BUT A SLOW WARMING TREND WILL BEGIN ON FRIDAY.
LOUISIANA COLLEGE ON TUESDAY ANNOUNCED THAT J. MICHAEL JOHNSON HAD RESIGNED AS DEAN OF ITS SHREVEPORT-BASED LAW SCHOOL. LC PRESIDENT DR. JOE AGUILLARD SAID THE PROCESS OF REPLACING JOHSON, WHICH WILL INCLUDE SOME LONG-RANGE PLANNING BY LC, COULD AFFECT THE OPENING DATE OF THE LAW SCHOOL, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE FALL SEMESTER IN 2013. WE’RE TOLD THAT J. MICHAEL JOHNSON’S DEPARTURE IS DUE TO A JOB OFFER.
THERE APPEARS THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA WILL NOT BE DOING AWAY WITH THE LITTLE USED BICYCLE LANES ON BOLTON AVENUE. STRUGGLING BUSINESS ALONG ROADWAY WERE SURPRISED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO TO FIND THAT THE PARKING HAD DISAPPEARED ALMOST OVER NIGHT. SEVERAL OF THE BUSINESS DO HAVE PARKING IN THE BACK OF THEIR BUILDINGS. BUT, HIGH CRIME IN THE AREA HAS DISCOURAGED MANY FROM USING THAT PARKING. AT A RECENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING BUSINESS OWNERS SHOWED UP TO EXPRESS THEIR FRUSTRATIONS OVER THE LOSS OF THEIR ROADSIDE PARKING. SEVERAL BICYCLE ENTHUSIASTS, FEW FROM THE AREA, WERE ALSO ON HAND. IT APPEARS THE COUNCIL SIDED WITH THE LATTER.
ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL RECEIVE A $7 MILLION GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE A NOISE MITIGATION PROJECT THAT BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS. U.S. SEN. MARY LANDRIEU IN A NEWS RELEASE TUESDAY SAID THE GOVERNING BOARD THAT RUNS AEX IN ALEXANDRIA WOULD RECEIVE $4 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION. THE MONEY, LANDRIEU SAID, WAS INCLUDED IN GRANTS GIVEN TO LOUISIANA AIRPORTS THAT TOTALED $7.7 MILLION. THE DIRECTOR OF ENGLAND AUTHORITY, WHICH RUNS AEX, SAID THERE WILL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS OF AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION TO FURTHER AEX'S NOISE MITIGATION PROGRAM. JON GRAFTON SAID THE $7 MILLION WOULD BE ISSUED IN ONE GRANT BY THE FAA.
THE FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA GOT A HELPING HAND FROM SMITHFIELD FOODS AND THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION WHO DONATED A COMBINED 30-THOUSAND POUNDS OF PROTEIN TO THE BANK. THE 15-TONS OF FOOD WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH A NETWORK OF CHARITABLE AGENCIES IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA.
NO FEDERAL AID EXISTS FOR THE NEARLY $100 MILLION IN DAMAGE THAT HURRICANE ISAAC UNLEASHED ON CROPS ACROSS LOUISIANA. THE LSU AGCENTER ESTIMATES THE BIGGEST IMPACT WAS ON SUGAR CANE, COTTON, CITRUS, SWEET POTATOES AND PECANS. HOWEVER, THE CATEGORY 1 STORM ALSO WHIPPED AND SATURATED HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF CORN, RICE AND SOYBEANS. STATE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY COMMISSIONER MIKE STRAIN SAID HE WANTS TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH OF THE DAMAGE WAS UNINSURED BEFORE HITTING CAPITOL HILL TO BEG FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ASSISTANCE.
ENTERGY OF LOUISIANA SAYS DAMAGES FROM ISAAC WILL COST THE COMPANY BETWEEN 400 AND 500-MILLION DOLLARS TO REPAIR. ENTERGY SPOKESPERSON MICHAEL BURNS SAYS THE COMPANY IS LOOKING INTO A NUMBER OF WAYS OF RECOUPING ITS LOSSES INCLUDING TAPPING INTO STORM RESERVES, INSURANCE AND POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL CHARGES TO ITS CUSTOMERS. BURNS SAYS ISAAC IS THE FOURTH MOST DAMAGING STORM IN ENTERGY'S ALMOST 100 YEAR HISTORY.
EARLY ESTIMATES OF DAMAGES TO STATE PARKS FROM HURRICANE ISAAC ARE APPROACHING SEVEN-MILLION DOLLARS. LT. GOVERNOR JAY DARDENNE, WHO OVERSEES STATE PARKS, SAYS THE BRUNT OF THE DAMAGE WAS TO A PAIR OF STATE PARKS IN ST. TAMMANY PARISH. HE SAYS THE COSTS TO REOPEN FONTAINEBLEAU AND FAIRVIEW-RIVERSIDE STATE PARKS WILL ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY HALF THE COST.
THE CITY OF PORT ALLEN, IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH, IS HAVING TROUBLE FILLING SOME FULL-TIME SLOTS ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE REASON? CANDIDATES ARE FAILING THE PSYCH EVALUATION REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S INSURANCE CARRIER. THE POLICE CHIEF SAYS HE'S LOSING FAITH IN THE PSYCHIATRIC TEST. HE SAYS TWO REJECTED CANDIDATES WERE 20-YEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERANS; ONE WITH HONORABLE MILITARY SERVICE.
A ST. FRANCISVILLE TEEN HAS BEEN INDICTED FOR 1ST DEGREE MURDER, FOR THE STABBING MURDER OF AN 8-YEAR-OLD BOY BACK IN JUNE. 16-YEAR-OLD TREVOR REESE WILL BE TRIED AS AN ADULT. HOWEVER HE CANNOT BE GIVEN THE DEATH PENALTY, BECAUSE OF HIS AGE.
THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HAS CANCELED PLANS TO USE AERIAL DRONES TO MONITOR CROWDS FOR THE 2013 SUPER BOWL. THE CITY OFFERS NO REASON NOT TO USE THE SPIES IN THE SKY, BUT SAYS A HOMELAND SECURITY HELICOPTER WITH A CAMERA ABOARD WILL BE EMPLOYED.
A DELIVERY TRUCK DRIVER FROM DIAMONDHEAD, MISSISSIPPI HAS BEEN CHARGED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN ROBERT, LOUISIANA. A DISABLED CAR, WITH FOUR OCCUPANTS INSIDE, WAS PARKED ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF I-12 WHEN THE DELIVERY TRUCK, DRIVEN BY 37-YEAR-OLD LOUIS BREAUX, DRIFTED ON TO THE SHOULDER AND SLAMMED INTO THE CAR. A ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILD WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH. THE DRIVER OF THE CAR AND A TWO-YEAR-OLD WERE TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL WITH
MODERATE INJURIES. A SECOND ADULT IS IN SERIOUS CONDITION.
A MANDEVILLE MAN PLEADS GUILITY TO RUNNING A PONZI SCHEME THAT BENEFITED HIS OWN BANK ACCOUNT. ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL DAVID CALDWELL SAYS 54-YEAR-OLD HUGO URREA (U-RAY-UH) CONVINCED PEOPLE HE KNEW THAT HE WOULD INVEST THEIR MONEY, INSTEAD IT WAS FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL GAIN. CALDWELL SAYS URREA WILL SPEND AT LEAST THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN A JAIL AND THE JUDGE HAS ORDERED URREA TO PAY FULL RESTITUTION OF 247-THOUSAND DOLLARS
SPORTS..
THE SECOND RANKED LSU TIGERS BEGIN SEC PLAY THIS SATURDAY AT AUBURN. THE HOME TEAM HAS DOMINATED THIS SERIES IN RECENT HISTORY, BUT THE BAYOU BENGALS ARE BIG FAVORITES TO WIN THIS WEEKEND. AUBURN IS 1-AND-2 AND HAVE PLAYED POORLY ON OFFENSE.
AFTER A DAY OFF YESTERDAY, THE SAINTS RETURN TO THE PRACTICE FIELD TODAY IN THE HOPES THAT THEIR PREPARATION FOR SUNDAY'S GAME AGAINST KANSAS CITY WILL RESULT IN THEIR FIRST VICTORY OF THE SEASON. NEW ORLEANS CORNERBACK JABARI GREER SAYS THEY ARE COMMITTED TO GETTING BETTER. THE SAINTS DEFENSE HAS TAKEN A LOT OF THE BLAME FOR THE TEAM'S 0-AND-2 START. BUT WIDE RECEIVER LANCE MOORE SAYS THE OFFENSE CAN PLAY BETTER TOO. MOORE SAYS THE 0-AND-2 START IS NOT SITTING WELL WITH THE PLAYERS.
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