News for Wednesday 061213

By Dave Graichen

 

It appears Ft. Polk is safe for now. A Senate panel on Tuesday approved legislation rejecting the Defense Department’s request to shutter installations and facilities in the United States that are no longer needed as the military branches cut the number of troops in uniform. Last week, The House Armed Services Committee also said no to more base closings, and even took the additional step of adding a provision barring the Pentagon from even planning for another round of cuts. The House and Senate refusals effectively ensure that a final defense policy bill approved by Congress for the 2014 fiscal year won’t give the department permission to close excess bases even as lawmakers clamor for ways to cut the federal deficit.

 

Governor Jindal yesterday signed senate bill 116 that will allow voters in Pineville to go to the polls in October to decide whether or not they what alcohol to be sold in local restaurants. Supporters say restaurants that are interested in Pineville but currently shying away, particularly national chains who say they would come to the city if alcohol sales are allowed. It’s hoped, that, in turn, would attract more development, including hotels, that would open up economic opportunities in the city.

 

The Alexandria City Council adopted resolutions Tuesday confirming two people to city posts who had held the positions on an interim basis. Daniel Williams was confirmed as director of community services. Williams was confirmed by a 4-3 vote, with council members Chuck Fowler, Harry Silver, Lee Rubin and Jim Villard voting yes while Ed Larvadain, Mitzi LaSalle and Jules Green voted no. David Gill was confirmed by unanimous vote as director of public works.

 

Governor  Jindal's  coastal  advisor is critical of BP's decision to end  active  deepwater  horizon oil  spill  operations  in  Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.  Chairman  of  the  Coastal  Protection and Restoration  Authority  Garret  Graves  questions  why BP would  end response   efforts   in  those  states  when  there's  an  estimated one-million barrels of oil still in the Gulf of Mexico. BP says oil response  efforts will continue along 84 shoreline miles in Louisiana.

 

One of the bills passed by the Legislature and sent to Governor Jindal's  desk reforms the state's practices for collecting outstanding debts.  State Treasurer John Kennedy supported the legislation. He says,  currently, the state's many agencies handle their own collections – and  do so poorly. House Bill 629  centralizes all debt owed the state under the Department of  Revenue. Kennedy says it will more effectively collect some of the  nearly $2-billion in outstanding sums owed to the state. Kennedy says the   centralized collection system will be implemented with  the Governor's signature and could produce millions for state coffers  before the year's end.

 

3 death row inmates have filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana State  Penitentiary for what they call appalling conditions under extreme heat  in their cells. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of the inmates by the  Promise of Justice Initiative and deputy director Mercedes Montagnes who says the state of death row at Angola is unacceptable. Montagnes says they are not asking for "comfortable"  conditions on death row---they are asking for humane conditions... in addition to the extreme heat, Montagnes says the inmates say they get dirty water and when they  get ice, it often has bugs in it.

 

Pairings and game times have been announced  for  the  College World Series and the LSU Baseball/UCLA game will be held Sunday  night  at 7pm  on  ESPN2 and ESPN3. The first game on Saturday will be between the  Oregon   State/Kansas   State   Super  Regional  winner  versus Mississippi  State.  The second game on  Saturday  will  be  Indiana against  Louisville.  The  first  game  Sunday  will  be  the  North Carolina/South Carolina  Super Regional winner versus North Carolina State.

 

The woman accused of a Memorial Day weekend drunk driving crash that killed  three  people  has been released from the hospital and taken into custody by St. Charles  Parish  deputies. Jennifer Englade face three counts of vehicular homicide, 3rd degree feticide, 2nd offense DWI and other charges. Investigators believe  she  was legally drunk when she veered across the center line and into the  path  of  small sedan;  killing two adults inside...one of them a pregnant woman.  A passenger in Englade's vehicle was also killed.

 

The US Coast Guard  says one person is dead and another fighting for their life after a boating  accident  in Pilottown Monday. Pilottown is  located  in the very tip of the boot  of  Louisiana  and  rescue swimmers had to  be lowered to the location of the pleasure craft in trouble. The two were  air-lifted to the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans and upon  arrival  one person was pronounced dead and the other in critical condition.

 

U-L Monroe has named three finalists to become the school's new athletic  director. The three finalists are Georgia associate A-D Josh  Brooks, U-C Riverside A-D Brian Wickstrom and Texas-Pan American  athletic director Chris King.  The plan is to have a new A-D in place by August 1st.

 

A New Iberia woman and her  son are accused of burglarizing the same home twice. Morgan City Police  say 47-year-old Tina Collier and her 17-year-old son Brandon allegedly  hit  the  house  on  May 17th and again last Sunday. They've been booked in the parish jail.

 

Bossier City's newest casino resort is growing closer to opening its  doors. Margaritaville spokesperson Christy Wood says State Police Gaming  division officers are visiting this week, to test casino systems, gaming  machines, staff training and compliance with state laws. Wood says the tropically-themed Margaritaville is very much on track for

it's Grand Opening celebration; coming up in early July. Jimmy Buffett is scheduled to perform at the grand opening.