http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/la-news/ en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:33:44 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051126/posts Despite the devastation hurricanes Katrina and Rita wrought on Louisiana in 2005, a large number of coastal residents still say they would refuse to evacuate if another hurricane zeroes in on the state, a Harvard University survey shows. “Even though the percentages of people not prepared or who wouldn’t evacuate are small, those numbers add up to the thousands in a metropolitan area like New Orleans,” said Tami Buhr of Harvard’s School of Public Health and one of the survey’s researchers. “That’s a lot of people still at risk.” The survey was conducted between May 27 and June 23 when... 2theadvocate.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051126/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:33:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050922/posts NEW ORLEANS, LA – A 35-year veteran police officer with the New Orleans Police Department was suspended, with only 15 minutes left on his last shift, for wearing the wrong uniform shirt. Sergeant Bobby Guidry was moving his personal belongings from his office to his car when he was informed by a supervisor that the older, powder-blue uniform shirt he was wearing was out of regulation. The department had recently changed from the powder-blue shirts to an unpopular all-black uniform following Hurricane Katrina. Superintendent Warren Riley, who has defended Sergeant Guidry’s suspension, says there are plans to switch back to... Police Link http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050922/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:17:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050582/posts Eliot Kamenitz / The Times-PicayuneWorkers along the Mississippi River try to contain the hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel oil from a barge and ship collision on Wednesday. The river is now closed to the Gulf of Mexico. The massive oil spill that remains a major threat to the area's fragile delta ecosystem now stretches from New Orleans to the mouth of the Mississippi River -- a distance of 100 miles, Coast Guard officials said early Thursday. The Times-Picayune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050582/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:48:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050249/posts One day after it was revealed that Sen. John McCain was to hold a closed-door meeting with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, Jindal said Wednesday that there is no way he will fill the bottom half of the GOP presidential ticket. "I'm not going to be the vice presidential nominee or vice president," Jindal told Fox News. "I'm going to help Sen. McCain get elected as governor of Louisiana." "Let me be clear: I have said in every private and public conversation, I've got the job that I want," Jindal said. It's not uncommon for those being considered for... CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050249/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:17:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050126/posts I just want to see who you think McCain should pick to be his running mate. This thread is not about "Juan McCain" and please spare us "he should pick Fred or Duncan and step down". I think it should be: Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050126/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:29:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049944/posts Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he does not want to be considered as vice president on the GOP ticket, making him among a growing number of those pulling themselves out of the race. ” I look forward to continuing to be governor of Louisiana. This is a once in a lifetime chance to improve our state. We’ve cut six taxes but we’ve got a lot more work to do right here in Louisiana,” Jindal told “FOX & Friends” on Wednesday. Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049944/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:27:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050078/posts While Barack Obama is speaking about international affairs in Germany before thousands of fans tomorrow, John McCain will be talking about a pressing domestic issue with an equally striking if very different backdrop. Weather permitting, McCain will helicopter from Louisiana to an oil rig in the Gulf Coast to make the case for expanded off-shore drilling, says a McCain aide. Politco http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050078/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:53:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050007/posts This past Tuesday a University student, Cassie LeBlanc, was robbed while getting into her car after leaving the library around 9:30 p.m. The robber forced her against her car and asked for her wallet, then he discovered there was no cash. He decided he didn't want it, but after seeing text books on the front seat, the thief decided to take those instead. I was very glad to hear LeBlanc was alright, but a very important question came to mind: What if she had a firearm to defend herself? Would this incident have happened? My answer is probably not. The... Daily Reveille http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050007/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:45:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049870/posts All six crew members aboard a U.S. B-52 bomber that crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Guam earlier this week are dead, the U.S. Air Force said on Wednesday. The plane crashed on Monday, while on its way to participate in a flyover to mark a Liberation Day parade in Guam, a U.S. territory. Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049870/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:03:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049860/posts Drum roll. Suspense. Who will it be? In this corner, we have Stormin' Mormon Mitt Romney. In the other, we have Brain-Buster Bobby Jindal. Amid speculation that John McCain will announce his vice presidential pick soon, political nail-biters have begun placing bets. Favorites include Louisiana Gov. Jindal, with whom McCain is meeting Wednesday, and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney, whose resume is familiar. Can McCain's former foe become his new best friend? Romney would bring more than squeaky clean qualifications and youthful good looks to the ticket. New polling in Michigan by Ayres, McHenry & Associates shows that Romney gives McCain... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049860/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:44:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049805/posts SPRINGHILL, LA (KSLA) - Governor Jindal will welcome republican presidential candidate senator John McCain to the Bayou State on Wednesday -- a state that political analysts expect McCain to carry without a problem. So the question of where governor Jindal ranks on McCain's list of vice presidential nominees is on the mind of many in Louisiana. The governor answered with a confident no about the possibility of accepting the nomination for the vice presidency. "I'm not going to be VP. I've already got the job that I want. I want to be Governor. I told the people when I was... KSLA News 12 Shreveport, LA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049805/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:11:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049622/posts WINNFIELD, LA. -- At 1:28 p.m. on Jan. 17, Baron "Scooter" Pikes was a healthy 21-year-old. By 2:07 p.m., he was dead. What happened in the 39 minutes in between -- during which Pikes was handcuffed by police and shocked nine times with a Taser while reportedly pleading for mercy -- is spawning suspicions of a political cover-up in this lumber town infamous for backroom dealings. Chicago Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049622/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:00:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049424/posts WASHINGTON -- Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain is expected to be in New Orleans on Wednesday night amid reports that he'll sit down with Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is often mentioned as a possible running mate for the Arizona senator. Jindal said he has no meeting with McCain on his schedule, but McCain staffers told WashingtonPost.com that McCain will be talking to the governor. The New Orleans stopover raised eyebrows in political circles because it broke with McCain's schedule of appearances in battleground states -- he is well ahead in Louisiana -- and provided no details about his agenda... The Times-Picayune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049424/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:21:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049323/posts WASHINGTON -- Former Gov. Edwin Edwards and former Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown are among the more than 2,000 people convicted of federal crimes awaiting word on whether President Bush will give them a pardon or commute their sentences during his final months in office. Edwards, who turns 81 on Aug. 7, will be eligible for release from the Federal Detention Center in Oakdale on July 6, 2011. He's serving a 10-year sentence for corrupting the state's riverboat casino licensing process. "I'm hopeful," said former Gov. David Treen, who joined former U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston in filing the request on... The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049323/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:15:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048555/posts CEDAR FALLS, IOWA -- Standing near a mound of rotting floorboards and door frames outside his home near the Cedar River, Steve Aldrich shouted to the volunteers who had driven 1,000 miles to muck out his finished basement and carve 4 feet of soaked drywall from the walls of the first floor. "I love you guys, thank you so much," he said as he headed off to the city planning department of the Midwestern university town, hoping to learn whether he would have to raise his house a foot above the 100-year flood plain in order to rebuild. "I'll be... The Times-Picayune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048555/posts#comment Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:58:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047997/posts p> WAFB TV Channel 9, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana pulled out all the stops for this ridiculous report claiming that "some women" in the Pelican State are resorting to working in strip clubs because gasoline is so expensive. To prove it, WAFB found one woman that said so. I'd say that clinches this as "fact," then, wouldn't you? In typical sensationalistic news fashion, WAFB TV assumes that because gas is more expensive, women across the state are throwing away their morals to work as strippers. During these tough economic times, many people are struggling to make ends meet. The city's... Publius' Forum http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047997/posts#comment Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:17:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047478/posts Teddy Roosevelt impressed the nation with his focus on conservation and while he was president was responsible for pushing to conserve our nation's wilderness in the form of sundry national parks, mostly in the western U.S. This was a worthy enterprise, few can deny. But what is the true purpose of these conservatories but to set aside tracts of land away from developers so that nature can prevail? Is it not a given that these lands should be governed by nature and but set aside by government? So, we all agree that government may take the unspoiled wilderness and save... Publius' Forum http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047478/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:57:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047274/posts U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu now attracts 49% of the vote in her bid for re-election while Republican challenger John Kennedy earns 44%. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows that, when “leaners” are included, it’s Landrieu 51% Kennedy 45%. Rasmussen Reports http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047274/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:22:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047136/posts The woman - who according to several witnesses announced that she was a New Orleans police officer - had come to the Treme Community Center to pick up a 7-year-old nephew and, for reasons unknown, became enraged at the driver of the car in front of her in the pickup line, witnesses said. Numerous witnesses said the woman relentlessly honked her car horn. As the situation escalated, she yelled expletives at the other driver and got halfway out of her car and brandished a gun, they said. At that point one of the witnesses called 911... Police Department spokesman Bob... NOLA.COM http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047136/posts#comment Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:42:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046984/posts NOAA-supported scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and Louisiana State University are forecasting that the "dead zone" off the coast of Louisiana and Texas in the Gulf of Mexico this summer could be the largest on record. The researchers are predicting the area could measure a record 8,800 square miles, or roughly the size of New Jersey. In 2007, the dead zone was 7,903 square miles. The largest dead zone on record was in 2002, when it measured 8,481 square miles. The official measurement of this year's dead zone is slated to be released in late July. Researchers began... Reuters via Science Codex http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046984/posts#comment Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:01:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046023/posts AMITE — Former Hosanna pastor Louis D. Lamonica will not face charges that he sexually abused a 2-year-old girl at his upcoming aggravated rape trial, Assistant District Attorney Don Wall said in court Monday. That case will be severed from the rape charges involving Lamonica’s two sons, ages 11 and younger at the time of the alleged abuse, on which Lamonica will be tried next month in 21st Judicial District Court. Lamonica, 49, of Holden, is among the seven members of the former Hosanna Church in Ponchatoula indicted in 2005 in the abuse of the three children. His trial is... advocate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046023/posts#comment Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:09:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046634/posts ToughTimes, Tough Decisions (MATURE CONTENT) BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - During these tough economic times, many people are struggling to make ends meet. The city's housing market is in a slump, gas and food prices are rising, and some say it's either sink or swim. Now, some women are going to great lengths to make some extra cash right in Baton Rouge. It's a fantasy, an escape for some attempting to close off the outside world. However, for the women inside who are barely clothed and strapped into high heels, exotic dancing can be a way to survive. "All of... wafb.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046634/posts#comment Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:14:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046514/posts The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office got information from three more victims against Charles L. Bergeron Sr. Bergeron is currently incarcerated on other sex charges. According to CPSO, a 20-year-old man said Bergeron performed oral sex on him at different times when the victim was 16-years-old. The victim also said this happened at Bergeron's house. Bergeron was charged with 25 counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Judge Michael Canaday set his bond at $2.5 million. A 23-year-old man said Bergeron gave him alchohol with Somas and Xanax before performing oral sex on him. Bergeron was charged with forcible rape and... kplctv.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046514/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:17:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046495/posts NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Both of the major candidates in this year’s U.S. Senate race in Louisiana report raising more than $1.5 million in the last three months, although the incumbent has a big advantage right now in cash on hand. Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu’s campaign reports cash on hand of $5.5 million. State Treasurer John Kennedy, a Republican, has $2.7 million for his campaign to unseat Landrieu. The figures are from press releases distributed by the campaigns. The campaigns’ reports were due with the Federal Elections Commission Tuesday but had not been posted on the FEC Web site as... http://www.wdsu.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046495/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:48:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046375/posts LAFAYETTE — An Amelia businessman who is the husband of a former state representative has pleaded guilty in federal court to harboring illegal aliens. Lenny J. Dartez of Morgan City now faces a sentence of up to five years in jail and a possible maximum $250,000 fine for harboring aliens, according to court records. He will be sentenced in federal court Oct. 22. As part of his plea agreement, Dartez agreed Monday to pay $45,000 in civil penalties to the Department of Homeland Security, $5,000 of which will be paid on or before sentencing with the remainder to be paid... Advocate Acadiana bureau http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046375/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:32:41 GMT