News for Thursday 020713

By Dave Graichen

Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member Johnny “Red” Robertson, who led Ferriday High to four state championships and a state record 54-game streak without a loss, died Tuesday in his adopted hometown of Ferriday. Visitation will be held Thursday from 5-8 p.m. at Ferriday First Baptist Church and funeral services are slated for Friday at 2 p.m. Red Robertson was 88.

Louisianans will soon be getting no mail on Saturdays, as the Post  Office announces its latest cost-cutting measure. U.S. Postal Service  spokesman John Friess (freeze) says the decision to eliminate Saturday  letter delivery was all about dollars and cents.  Friess says the USPS will save about $2-billion by ending Saturday  delivery. However, the Post Office will continue to deliver packages and express mail 6 days a week. The delivery cutback goes into effect in early August.

A  Bossier City lawmaker pre-files a bill for the Spring legislative session  to  protect  the  privacy  of concealed carry weapon permit holders. Rep. Jeff Thompson says the  names and addresses of the CCP holders are confidential, and his bill  would  help assure they stay that way. Last month, a New York newspaper published a list  of gun owners and CCP holders, which led to several being burglarized  and  their guns stolen.  Thompson says such information in Louisiana is not  subject to public  information requests, and his bill would make in unlawful to release it.

A Tioga High School teacher facing 11 sex crime charges resigned Tuesday from the Rapides Parish School District. 27 year old Heather Michelle Cooksey, an English teacher, was arrested on Dec. 19 on charges that the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office said arose from a sexual relationship with a student. She again was arrested Jan. 22 on nine additional charges. Cooksey is free on a $35,000 bond.

Two lawmakers want to open more of the Louisiana Governor’s Office to scrutiny, proposing a bill that would limit the expansive public records exemption used by Gov. Bobby Jindal to hide nearly all documents in his office. State Rep. Jerome “Dee” Richard, No Party-Thibodaux, and state Sen. Rick Gallot, D-Ruston, filed the measure this week to be considered in the legislative session that begins in April. Under existing law, most of the documents and emails in the Governor’s Office are shielded from public view, with a broad exemption that hides anything considered part of the governor’s “deliberative process.” The argument is that internal decision-making is protected to allow for the free flow of ideas.

The Lafayette  Parish  Sheriff's office is now involved in trying to find the person responsible  for the dog fight shown in a disturbing video that went viral on Facebook  yesterday. An animal organization in Hammond first learned of the post and used social media to spread their outrage. Authorities say they  really  don't know much at this point, and any help from the public is appreciated.

The  Tax  Man  Cometh. Governor Jindal's proposal to eliminate state income taxes could mean paying higher sales taxes on most items, but also paying taxes  and fees where they've never been charged before. That could include landscaping,  cable TV, marina services and other services that are currently tax and  fee free. The Governor says his plan to rewrite the tax code will be "revenue neutral".

State officials Wednesday announced that they are soliciting bids from school districts and others for pilot projects to overhaul pre-kindergarten classes in Louisiana. The changes stem from a 2012 state law, which assigned details of the do-over to the state Department of Education and the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The new setup is aimed at revamping what critics call a pre-kindergarten system that features uneven quality, standards and availability. The rate of children entering kindergarten ready to learn is 54 percent. State officials hope to get that number to 70 percent.

The  lawyer for the Charenton man who went off the deep end  January 26th and killed a cop and another man has asked for a sanity hearing for his  client.  He  says  Wilbert  Thibodeaux  "exhibited  bizarre behavior" before the shootings that also wounded two St. Mary Parish deputies.

A  Lafourche  Parish judge says he will rule today whether or not the Thibodeaux  man   accused  of  beheading his disabled son is competent  for  trial.  The  judge  says  the  question  is  whether 31-year-old Jeremiah Wright can help his attorneys during the trial. The  man  is  charged  with  first-degree murder  in  the  death  of 7-year-old Jori Lirette whose head was left in the yard of the house where he lived with his mother.

Shreveport  Police  say  a  1-year-old  child  is  left with serious injuries  after being involved in an alleged drag race.  They  say two drivers  in  separate  cars  were  drag  racing when one of them crashed into a pickup truck, seriously injuring  the  female  driver and   critically  injuring  the infant. Police found no car seat  in the pickup, and the child  was  not restrained.

For the fatal crash last year that left an 83-year-old Abbeville man dead  a  Vermillion  Parish  grand  jury  has charged Maurice police officer,   Willis   Thomas,   with  negligent  homicide. Thomas   was responding to a call with his  emergency  lights and siren on when a car driven by Paul Suire pulled from a side  street onto Hwy.167 and was struck by the patrol car.

The state Department of Insurance  is investigating claims that some residents near the huge sinkhole in Assumption Parish, who evacuated their homes moths ago, are getting letters of non-renewal from their homeowners insurance. Insurance Commissioner  Jim  Donelon  says his agents are looking into those claims.

The Mayor  of  Baton  Rouge  has  abruptly fired the city's Chief of Police, amid spiraling violent crime  in the Capitol City. Mayor Kip Holden's  office  notified  Chief Dwayne White  of  his  termination reportedly by letter. No word on an interim chief as yet.

LSU's 2013 recruiting class is receiving great reviews. Rivals.com ranks  the Tigers class as the 5th best in the nation, 24-7 sports and ESPN.com  have LSU's class as the 7th best. Coach Les Miles is very excited about  the 27 new players that are joining the program.