news for wednesday 102412

by dave graichen

an investigation by the rapides parish sheriff’s department into what is being described as a major brawl at the bolton / grant game last friday night has been concluded.  RPSO deputies who were working security for the game, were told of a large disturbance on the field while they were escorting the officials  off the field.   Deputies then responded to the scene, breaking up the disturbance and separating the individuals involved. After the subjects were interviewed from both sides, it was determined none of the people involved wanted to pursue any criminal action. 

the rapides parish sheriff’s department reports Three people face drug charges in connection with a drug operation, including a Deville man who has been arrested six times since January. 37 year old Richard Schweiger  was charged Friday with possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute. Also arrested on drug charges were 32 year old Jeremy Allinson and 30 year old Amber Allinson, both from pineville.

lsua Chancellor dr. David Manuel should know this week whether he will be the next president of Drury University. the 65 year old manuel is one of two finalists for the job. the other name on the list, 71 year old dr. David Steele, who is currently the dean of the College of Business at San Jose State.

john white, the state’s  education chief has been summoned to federal court in new orleans to testify in a case involving the state's new school voucher law and a 47-year-old desegregation case. The Tangipahoa school system argues that the voucher law, which pays private school tuition for some lower-income students from low-performing schools, diverts state money from the local school district. And they say that affects the system's ability to comply with orders in the desegregation case. Those orders include construction of four elementary schools and the continuation of magnet school programs. a second lawsuit, brought by the state’s two teacher’s unions and dozens of school boards across the state, is scheduled to be heard late next month.

new information is coming out about the attack that critically injured a winnsboro woman. on sunday night, 20 year old sharmeka moffitt told police she was attacked and set on fire while walking through city park. kkk was painted on the hood of her vehicle and racial slurs under that. a candlelight vigil was held last night in winnsboro for moffitt, who remains in critical condition. but, here’s the twist, Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb said during a press conference at the Franklin Parish Courthouse yesterday afternoon that all forensic evidence pointed toward Sharmeka Moffitt concocting the story and setting herself on fire.

Long lines could  be  seen in some early voting locations yesterday as the doors opened to kick off a week of early ballot punching for the November 6th Presidential election. Early  voting  is from 8:30 until 6 now through October 30th, except of course this Sunday. Voters can find the location in their district online a sos.la.gov.

440  schools  will  receive  about  10-thousand   dollars  each  for achieving  or  exceeding  goals  established  by  the  state. Overall thirty-seven-percent of Louisiana public schools received  an "A" or "B"  grade,  according to school performance scores released by the state dept. of ed earlier this week.  State  Superintendent  of  Education John White says He is also encouraged be the number of "D" and "F" schools  dropping from 44-percent in 2011 to 36-percent this year.

The calendar says the 2012 hurricane season  should be winding down, but  the  activity  in  the  tropics says something  different.  The National hurricane Center is tracking  Tropical  Storm  Sandy in the Caribbean and Tropical Depression 19, which is in the middle  of the Atlantic.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says Sandy is not a threat to the Gulf. Sandy is the  18th named storm of the hurricane season and Keim says 2012 will go down as one of the most active seasons in history.

The state  House  of  Representatives  has  gathered  enough  member signatures to support calling a special session to possibly overturn recent  deep  cuts  to  health  care  services  made  by  the Jindal Administration. The Special Session Call has until Thursday to amass enough  State  Senate signatures to make the session happen.  If  it does happen, it would be after Thanksgiving.

The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control has a new dog in the fight against synthetic marijuana. ATC used money it raised from fines and  penalties  to  buy  a  two-year-old   German   Shepard, specifically  trained  to  sniff  out  the illegal drug. The K-9 was brought  in  from  Holland  and is currently  undergoing  additional training in Acadiana.

A man stabbed his pregnant wife and cut the fetus from her body Tuesday afternoon in livingston parish. The woman, who was seven months pregnant, is in stable condition, but the child is dead. Sheriff’s deputies took Jeffrey Reynolds into custody and were testing him for drugs. Investigators issued warrants against Reynolds on felony counts of feticide and attempted second-degree murder.

A pair of Baton Rouge area pee wee football  coaches  are  suspended after  a  passerby  recorded  a  halftime rant, in which the coaches loudly and angrily berate the pre-teen  team.   The organizers of Baton Rouge youth sports say the coaches are out for the rest of this season and may not be asked back at all.