Posted
2012-09-26 05:00:00
by
Dave Graichen
NEWS FOR WEDNESDAY 092612
BY DAVE GRAICHEN
THE SY-FY CHANNEL'S GHOST HUNTERS FEATURES THE ALEXANDRIA ZOO ON TONIGHT'S SHOW. THE TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS FOLLOWS UP ON STORIES THAT THE ZOO'S DEARLY DEPARTED DIRECTOR, IS STILL PULLING PRANKS. CURRENT DIRECTOR LEE ANN WITT SAYS SOME OF THE STAFF BELIEVE HER LATE HUSBAND, LES WITT, IS STILL HAVING FUN. WITT SAYS SHE HASN'T BEEN PARTY TO WHAT WILL BE ON TONIGHT'S SHOW. SHE SAYS SHE LEFT IT UP TO ONE OF HER STAFF MEMBERS TO STAY WITH THE TV CREW WHILE THEY SHOT FOOTAGE INSIDE THE ZOO. SHE SAYS TONIGHT'S WILL GIVE UP COMING EVENTS AT THE ZOO A BOOST. A VIEWING PARTY AND BENEFIT FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE ALEXANDRIA ZOO AT DIAMOND GRILL IS SET TO COINCIDE WITH THE 8 P.M. PREMIER.
RAPIDES PARISH SHERIFF DEPUTIES ARREST AN ALEXANDRIA MAN FOR ALLEGEDLY HIDING A LOADED HANDGUN ON A SHELF OF CANDY BARS. LT. TOMMY CARNLINE SAYS THEY WERE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON A STORE'S PARKING LOT FOR POSSIBLE DRUG ACTIVITY. CARNLINE SAYS A MARKED SHERIFF DEPARTMENT VEHICLE PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AND A DEPUTY SAW A 19-YEAR-OLD ACTING SUSPICIOUS. QWATRELL FORD WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON AND ILLEGAL CARRYING OF A WEAPON. CARNLINE SAYS FORD APPARENTLY GOT NERVOUS WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND TRIED TO DITCH A LOADED 22-CALIBER PISTOL ON A SHELF STOCKED WITH CANDY BARS.
THE NEW INTERIM SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT FOR RAPIDES PARISH, GERALD WOODARD, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING YESTERDAY, HIS FIRST DAY ON THE JOB, BY MEETING THE CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF. WOODARD WAS APPOINTED INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT BY A 5-4 VOTE AT A SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING MONDAY NIGHT. WOODARD, WHO WILL BE PAID $11,400 PER MONTH DURING HIS STAY, WAS SUPERINTENDENT OF GRANT PARISH SCHOOLS FROM JUNE 1, 1997 UNTIL HE RETIRED JULY 1, 2000. BEFORE THAT, HE SPENT 11 YEARS AS SUPERVISOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND MAINTENANCE FOR GRANT PARISH SCHOOLS.
THREE DEVILLE RESIDENTS WERE CHARGED WITH OPERATING A METH LAB MONDAY AFTER A TRAFFIC STOP ON LA. HIGHWAY 115 FOR A HEADLIGHT VIOLATION. ARRESTED WAS 24 YEAR OLD KINSEY ROSZELL, 29 YEAR OLD JOSEPH JACKSON JR. AND 28 YEAR OLD DARREN WILSON. ALL WERE CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT EACH OF CREATION/OPERATION OF A CLANDESTINE LAB, ACCORDING TO THE RELEASE. DEPUTIES NOTICED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE ITEMS USED TO MAKE METH WHILE GETTING THE IDENTITIES OF THE THREE. DETECTIVES SAID THE LAB WASN'T COOKING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.
BATON ROUGE AND LAFAYETTE SAW A SURGE IN THE NUMBER OF NONFARM JOBS IN AUGUST, WHEN COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE, WHILE NEW ORLEANS SAW A MODEST DECREASE IN THE SAME PERIOD, ACCORDING TO INFORMATION RELEASED TUESDAY BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. ALEXANDRIA / PINEVILLE SAW A MODEST GAIN, ADDING 300 JOBS FROM AUGUST 2011 FOR AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 63,400.
OFFICIALS IN ASSUMPTION PARISH SAY THE SALT DOME CAVERN UNDER THAT SLURRY-FILLED SINKHOLE NEAR BAYOU CORNE HAS COLLAPSED. TEXAS BRINE, WHO OWNS THE CAVERN SAYS RECENT SEISMIC ACTIVITY IS TO BLAME, BUT PARISH OFFICIALS ARE SKEPTICAL. MEANWHILE RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR THE SINKHOLE REMAIN EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES. THEY'VE BEEN LIVING THAT WAY SINCE EARLY AUGUST.
FORMER JEFFERSON PARISH PRESIDENT AARON BROUSSARD PLED GUILTY TO TWO CORRUPTION CHARGES IN FEDERAL COURT TODAY. BROUSSARD FACED 27 COUNTS FOR A PAYROLL SCHEME THAT RESULTED IN HIS EX-WIFE BEING PAID FOR A PARALEGAL JOB SHE WAS NOT QUALIFIED FOR AND DID NOT DO. U-S ATTORNEY JIM LETTEN SAYS THE COUPLE RECEIVED 323-THOSUAND DOLLARS OVER SIX YEARS. BROUSSARD WILL BE SENTENCED IN FEBRUARY AND FACES UP TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON.
BATON ROUGE POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A LOCAL MAN FOR THE SHOOTING DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND AND HER UNBORN BABY. 33-YEAR-OLD ADAM STERLING IS CHARGED WITH KILLING 21-YEAR-OLD SHYLAH HICKS, WHO WAS 5 TO 6 MONTHS PREGNANT. THE CHARGES ARE 2ND DEGREE MURDER, 1ST DEGREE FETICIDE AND POSSESSION OF A WEAPON BY A CONVICTED FELON. HICKS AND HER BABY WERE SHOT DEAD AT HER HOME AROUND NOON YESTERDAY.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE SEEKING THE PERSON WHO SHOT AND KILLED A DOLPHIN NEAR ELMER'S ISLAND, AND AN ANIMAL CONSERVANCY GROUP SAYS IT'S POSSIBLE A FISHERMAN IS RESPONSIBLE. COURTNEY VALE, WITH THE WHALE AND DOLPHIN CONSERVATION SOCIETY, SAYS WE MAY FIND DOLPHINS CHARMING AND CUTE, BUT THOSE WHO MAKE A LIVING FROM THE SEA FEEL THEY'RE PESTS. THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE WILL TAKE ANONYMOUS TIPS ON THE SHOOTING OF THE DOLPHIN. VALE SAYS HER GROUP IS ALSO OFFERING AN INCENTIVE TO HELP CATCH THE SHOOTER.
HURRICANE ISAAC IS BEING BLAMED FOR A 15-PERCENT DROP IN THE STATE'S PECAN HARVEST. PRE-STORM ESTIMATES PUT THIS YEARS YIELD AT 13-POINT-FIVE MILLION POUNDS, BUT THAT ESTIMATE HAS DROPPED TO AROUND 11-MILLION POUNDS IN THE WAKE OF ISAAC. LSU AGCENTER PECAN SPECIALIST CHARLIE GRAHAM SAYS LOSSES WERE MUCH HIGHER IN SOME AREAS. GRAHAM SAYS THE GOOD NEWS IS MOST OF THE TREES MADE IT THROUGH THE STORM WITH LITTLE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, AND EVEN WITH THE EXPECTED 15-PERCENT LOSS, THIS YEAR'S HARVEST IS STILL VERY GOOD.
A NEW STUDY BY THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SAYS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE HUNTING AND FISHING FOR FUN. THE REPORT SAYS, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, LOUISIANA HAD THE SECOND HIGHEST INCREASE IN WILD-LIFE RELATED RECREATION BEHIND ALASKA.
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