[cgk]

Updates as they come in on Katrina

12:17 PM CDT on Thursday, September 1, 2005

Tom Planchet

12:15 P.M. - Gov. Blanco's press conference has been postponed until 1 p.m.

12:13 P.M. - Information for employees of the Orleans Parish Public School System: Payroll records unattainable at this time, according to school officials, though employees will be able to keep their health insurance, even those who were recently laid off. Employees are asked to call 1-877-771-5800 and leave their contact information.

12:11 P.M. - (New York Times): The NBA may move the Hornets out of New Orleans for the entire season. Click here.

12:07 P.M. - WWL-TV's Brad Panovich: Mother Nature reclaimed the Mississippi River delta. If she wants to move the delta, or move the city, then she will.

12:05 P.M. - (AP): Twenty-seven young patients from a hospital in New Orleans are in Kansas City. They were flown in last night on two Missouri Air National Guard transport planes.

Children's Mercy Hospital of Kansas City agreed to take the patients after sending a team to New Orleans to arrange the transfer from that city's Children's Hospital.

A spokesman for the Kansas City hospital said the New Orleans facility called yesterday asking for accommodations as quickly as possible.

A spokesman at the Kansas hospital says medical officials wanted to get the kids "to someplace safe and dry, away from the chaos." The patients range in age from a few months to 20 years, and were hospitalized for everything from asthma to leukemia. Their conditions range from fair to critical.

12:02 P.M. - (AP): The federal court system in New Orleans needs a new place to set up shop.

The courts are closed indefinitely.

And a federal judiciary spokesman says Congress must pass emergency legislation when it returns after Labor Day to let the system move to an alternate location.

Federal law doesn't let U.S. District courts hold proceedings outside their geographic area.

But the Speedy Trial Act says criminal cases must be handled quickly, so New Orleans will need a new locale to deal with cases.

[cgk]

Text messaging 

Randy Perry e-mails:

I just text messaged my friend who is in Ocean Springs and it worked. I live in Washington state. I have Verizon Wireless and I am not sure what he has but the first three number along with the area code of 228 are 324. Please get this out there so other people know about it. I have left a message on the message board also.

I also have been receiving text messages, but haven't been able to get any out. Good point.

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Coroner's update 

Harrison County coroner Gary Hargrove said the following locations have been set up for people to check on relatives:

-- In Harrison County, at the county courthouse in downtown Gulfport, where his main office is set up.
-- In Biloxi, at the Public Safety Center, Porter Avenue, there will be a table set up.
-- In Hancock County, a table will be set up at the county emergency operations center at Dunbar and US 90.

[Deo volente]

"12:15 P.M. - Gov. Blanco's press conference has been postponed until 1 p.m."


ENOUGH with the press conferences, the hand wringing, and the whining!

MR. PRESIDENT,
SEND IN THE MILITARY NOW, SECURE THE AREA, AND SAVE AMERICAN LIVES!

This is the only solution, in my opinion.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

12:11 P.M. - (New York Times): The NBA may move the Hornets out of New Orleans for the entire season.

Was this tidbit inserted for comic relief?