News for Wednesday 020613

By Dave Graichen

State Police are investigating the  Hit  & Run death of a pedestrian Monday  night  in  Pineville,  who  was  struck  by   at   least   two vehicles--possibly  three.  Trooper  Scott  Moreau  says 30-year-old Sonnie  Thompson  was hit while walking along Highway 116.  He  says evidence indicates she was killed by the first vehicle, but also hit by other motorists...who all kept going. A fourth driver stopped and called authorities.

Rapides Parish deputies arrest two teenage girls for making e-mailed  threats against students and teachers at Tioga High school. Sheriff's  spokesman Lt. Tommy Carnline says school officials called them about the  threats last week.  Carnline says Jessica Winslow and Ti'jeanae (TIE-jen-ay) Harris, both  17, were arrested without incident after an investigation traced the  threatening messages to them.  He says they each face ten counts of terrorizing, and no bond has been set as yet.

Pineville PD reports an Alexandria couple has been charged in connection with the theft last month of $18,000 in jewelry the Kmart store in Pineville. 22 year old Ancranette Sword and 45 year old Bobby West were charged with felony theft.  They were booked at the Rapides Parish Detention Center where they are awaiting bond.

Alexandria City Council voted Tuesday to remove Michael Ziegler from the Board of Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority and replace him with Michael Caffery. Alexandria mayor Roy was not happy with the way the matter was handled and accused dist. 3 councilman Jules Green of “good ol’ boyism, after the councilman made the  move to replace Ziegler with Caffery, his former campaign manager. Caffery was appointed to the GAEDA board by Green and confirmed Tuesday by a unanimous vote.

LSU Agricultural Center Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil was named Tuesday as interim chancellor of LSU’s Alexandria campus. He will fill the position for eight months starting March 1.Current LSU-A Chancellor David Manuel is expected to leave the university in May to become president of Drury University in Springfield, Mo.

The A.P.D.. reports A 24-year-old Alexandria man died Monday night when his car hit a tree on Enterprise Road. Alexandria police responded to the 11:10 p.m. crash in the 1700 block of Enterprise.  There they found A 1989 Mercury driven by Charles Carter had run off the road, hit a mailbox and then a tree near the intersection of Paris Street. An autopsy and toxicology tests are being done.

Governor Jindal has released  few  details  of  how  his proposal to raise sales taxes and do away with income taxes will work.  One part would,  reportedly, include a one-dollar per pack tax on cigarettes.

The  legislature   starts   its   regular  session  April  8th,  and anti-tobacco lobbyists will surely  be  there  to  push for a higher cigarette  tax, and to see that it's dedicated to smoking  cessation and prevention programs, or at least to the health care budget.

Louisiana State  Police say the driver of an SUV who crashed head-on into a school bus  this  morning  in  Pointe Coupee Parish has died. Trooper Jared Sandifer says fog could have  been  a  factor  in  the

early morning crash, which is now under investigation. 38-year-old  Jody Harris, of Ventress, died from her  injuries.  The bus driver and the nine kids aboard received only minor injuries.

While  the  exact  cause of the 34 minute "Super  Blackout"  remains under investigation,  it looks like  a public record shows  Mercedez Benz  Superdome officials were told last  season by The Louisiana Stadium & Exposition  District who released an October  15th  memo Monday  saying  tests  to  the  dome's  electrical  feeders "showed some decay and a chance of failure. Entergy representatives  are  expected  at an emergency meeting  Friday  to  discuss  the  outage  and  provide  additional information as to what exactly happened.

The  Louisiana  Conference  of  Catholic  Bishops  asked  the Jindal Administration  to  stop  the  execution  of  Christopher  Sepulvado because  the  lethal  injection is scheduled for Ash Wednedsay.  The Governor reportedly has no plans to intervene. The Desoto Parish Man is scheduled to die for  beating and scalding his 6-year-old stepson two decades ago.

A new license  plate  in honor of the state's timber industry is now available. The Louisiana  Forestry  Association  designed the plate, that you can buy at the Office of Motor Vehicles.  A  portion of the proceeds will go to the forestry division of the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

A  Shreveport  man suspected of two home invasions  and  some  other robberies is behind  bars.  Police  say 41-year-old Anthony McDonald allegedly invaded two homes, and tried  to  rob  a  couple  at a bus stop.  He's  also  accused  of  car  theft. All four of those crimes happened  on  January  28th,  and  all victims  gave  a  description matching McDonald.. He now faces a list of charges.

Acadia Parish  Deputies  say  somebody  broke  into the Crowley High school  Ag  Farm late last month and killed a prize  show  pig.  The perpetrator also  cut three other animals. Deputies says the act was not only cruel and  senseless,  it  also  cost  the owners potential sales  at  the  livestock  show.  There's  a $1000 cash  reward  for information that helps catch the bad guy.