News For Tuesday 061113

By Dave Graichen

 

A 48-year-old priest with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria was found dead Friday in a room at a local motel. Fr. Jamie Medina-Cruz was a pastor of St. Mary's Assumption Catholic Church in Cottonport and an assistant pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marksville. Medina-Cruz was placed on administrative leave at St. Mary's on March 12 after being accused of improper conduct with a minor. He was relieved of his duties pending an investigation by the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office. No charges had been filed. The APD Reports there were no signs of a crime at the scene.

 

More  bad  economic  news for Shreveport.  Barksdale Air Force  Base officials say they have issued almost 14-hundred furlough letters to civilians who work on  the  base.   The  furlough period starts July 8th.  Officials say the cuts are expected to save Barksdale some 1.6 million dollars.  The furloughs for workers will be one day per week

for 11 weeks.

 

The state Board of Regents releases its annual report of teacher  preparation and performance, which shows public school teachers doing  better than expected. Regents spokesperson Dr. Jeanne (GENE) Burns says  the report shows a great many teachers are rating "effective: proficient" or "highly effective" in the new value-added teacher performance  reviews. She says the findings indicate that the redesign of teacher preparation is working. Teacher preparation programs in Louisiana underwent a major redesign  between 2001 and 2010. Burns says the report shows those efforts are bearing fruit

 

The Louisiana Civil Service Commission has cleared the way for the state to lay off nearly 4,000 employees at LSU-affiliated hospitals in Lafayette, Lake Charles, Houma and New Orleans. Commissioner Scott Hughes, who last week voted to deny the layoffs, said Monday that the state Department of Health and Hospitals had supplied sufficient information in the interim to convince him that there would be a savings, although he still has doubts as to whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would approve some of the planned financing. The employees  to receive pink slips at the end of business June 23.

 

The coroner in Orleans  Parish  has  positively ID'ed the body found inside a car in Bayou St. John as that  of  missing  school  teacher Terrilynn  Monette,  who went missing in the early morning hours  of March 2nd, after leaving  a Lakeview neighborhood bar.  Divers found Monette's black Honda Accord  with  her  still  inside  it Saturday. Cause of death is listed as drowning.

 

A big fundraiser takes place today in Washington DC to help Congressman  Bill Cassidy's US Senate campaign. The National Republican Senatorial  committee headquarters is the host site. The invitation lists the entire  Louisiana republican congressional delegation as "special guests. Latest fundraising totals show, Senator Landrieu has a million dollars  more in her campaign war chest than Cassidy

 

The  Bossier  City Margaritaville Resort Casino  is  in  it's  final stages  of getting  everything  together  before  opening.  State Police and  other  gaming officials are checking this week to see if the new casino is in  compliance  with  Louisiana  law.  They  say a determination  will  be  made  on  Thursday.  The  grand  opening of

Margaritaville  is scheduled for the July 4th week and Jimmy  Buffet with perform at the casino's theater on July 3rd.