News for Friday 062813
By Dave Graichen
Regarding the buzz surrounding Bobby Jindal joining the US Senate race, the Governor's political adviser says there is no interest there at all. An article in La-politics.com that said the decision for Jindal to join a race with Democrat Mary Landrieu seems obvious. Publisher John Maginnis said running for president would be a long shot for Jindal.
President Obama has nominated New Orleans attorney Kenneth Polite (PO-leet) to be the next US Attorney for the state's Eastern District. Polite would replace Jim Letten, who stepped down earlier this year. Senator David Vitter issued a statement saying he would have preferred a more seasoned leader from the US Attorney's office (Polite is 37) but indicates he will support Polite's nomination.
Tonight is the grand opening for the 23-million dollar Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches. The building is the new home to great memorabilia from Louisiana's rich sports history. Chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Doug Ireland, says it's must see for that fan who loves the Saints, Tigers or any other Louisiana team. Ireland says the large complex will also contain the Northwest Louisiana History Museum, which features artifacts from early native American civilizations...
Yesterday was National HIV testing day, which has special importance in Louisiana. The Bayou State ranks number one in the US for HIV cases for people 13-24 years old. Doctor Fred Lopez with the LSU Health Sciences Center for Infectious Diseases says he's not surprised based on surveys that show high sexual activity among high school students. Baton Rouge and New Orleans are also two of the top three cities in
the country for new HIV Infection Diagnoses for people of all ages.
Talk about a cold case, A Lake Charles grand jury indicts a man for the murder of his wife 51 years ago. 73-year-old Felix Vail is accused of killing his wife, Mary Vail, in October of 1962. Her body was found in the Calcasieu River.
The Terrebonne Sheriff's office has arrested 11 people for dealing drugs out of 3 convenience stores. The six-month covert drug operation may have stopped a half million dollars from going to Yemen. The Drug Enforcement Administration has no indication that the money is tied to terrorist activity but the investigation is ongoing.
Federal lawmakers and officials discussed Thursday increasing the level of safety inspectors and improving enforcement under existing laws in the wake of recent plant explosions in Geismar and West, Texas. The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing focused on learning more about what caused the Geismar incident and on what more could be done to prevent explosions like the one in Texas.
State Police say a motorcyclist in Lake Charles died following a crash in eastern Calcasieu Parish. They say 25-year-old Zachery David Manuel began to pass three cars on a highway when the lead vehicle made a left turn and his bike crashed into the driver’s side door. Manuel was taken to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.
State Police say a 27-year-old man from Slidell died after his motorcycle slammed into a car that didn't yield in a turn onto Highway 190 in St. Tammany Parish. They say Kiel Rasmussen was thrown from his bike and killed, the driver of the vehicle was charged with failure to yield at a stop sign resulting in a death and driving with no driver’s license.
A 13-year-old boy in the town of Stonewall is recovering from a vicious attack by a neighbor's pit bull. The dog was tied to a tree with no food present and no sign warning the dog would bite. The boy required 300 stitches. The dog has been destroyed.
A 9-year-old boy from baker drowned in a mobile home park’s swimming pool Thursday morning. The child was alone in the pool when he was found and pulled out of the water about by an adult. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Sports..
LSU is No. 5 in the final Baseball America magazine rankings released Thursday . This marks the Tigers' fourth Top 10 finish in the past six seasons and their second Top 5 finish in the past five years. By the way, LSU is No. 1 in the final 2013 college baseball attendance rankings, marking the 18th straight season in which the Tigers have led the nation in total attendance at baseball games
Louisiana Tech University Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde announced he is stepping down effective July 1st. Van De Velde has served as the Bulldog AD since 2010. Tech officials say they are immediately beginning the process of forming a search committee to find candidates who could assume leadership of
the athletics department.