Wednesday, May 14, 2008
NEWS
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The Baton Rouge Area Chamber released a strategy paper on education this morning that emphasizes the importance of the region’s public education in building long-term economic growth.
Convicted sex offenders would face possible jail time for wearing masks at Mardi Gras or handing out Halloween candy under legislation that cleared a House committee Tuesday. Developer John “Pete” Clements unveiled details Tuesday of River Park, his planned $600 million mixed-use development on 36 acres near Hollywood Casino on the north side of downtown. For many the cost of gas is forcing some tough spending choices, especially when the paycheck just doesn't stretch far enough. As financial times grow tougher, some Americans are wrestling with how far they're willing to go for a little extra cash. On Wednesday we found some folks who were willing to bleed for it. There could be a difference in your paychecks starting next year. Gov. Bobby Jindal is backing a bill that eliminates the Stelly Plan tax increase. If passed, the bill could mean hundreds of dollars in tax relief, but it's only part of what some lawmakers hoped to accomplish. There is a good chance of rain both Wednesday and Thursday, but will the skies clear in time for your weekend? Chief Forecaster Pat Shingleton has your forecast. Groups were chosen to take over troubled schools in the Baton Rouge area, but a lot of people didn't like the decision. Under the recommendations by the state Board of Education, Advance Baton Rouge and 100 Black Men will be running three of the schools in the area. An independent panel put made the recommendations, and they weren't approved without a fight. A bill designed to deter criminal cases like the one against Anna Pou, a doctor charged with murder for the deaths of hospital patients after Hurricane Katrina, received approval Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee. NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- As former President Jimmy Carter nailed down the front porch of a home under construction in the Upper 9th Ward Wednesday, singer Harry Connick Jr. gave an update on the progress being made in a neighborhood that has been slow to recover from Hurricane Katrina. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Former LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux has told The Birmingham News he will sign with Jacksonville State University. Louisiana taxpayers may see a savings in their paychecks starting in January. Gov. Bobby Jindal offered his support to eliminate the Stelly Plan, a plan approved in 2002 that resulted in a tax increase for most people. Two and a half years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, two-thirds of the coastal parish's residents say the storms have affected the mental health of their community. Of those surveyed, 60 percent said there are few specialized health care services and medicines available for mental health care. Our May Chef of the Month, Ruffino's, joined us Wednesday morning to prepare its Heirloom Tomato Stack Salad. Prostate cancer is a silent killer, but it doesn't have to be. It is curable in the event of early detection and treatment. Three teachers in East Baton Rouge Parish have been named as a "Teacher of the Year," and they dropped by 2une In Wednesday morning before heading to class. Gov. Bobby Jindal and his top legislative leaders announced at a press conference this morning that they are backing a $300 million tax cut but not the elimination of the state income tax. “This is a permanent tax cut. It won’t be undone by this administration,” Jindal said during a press conference at the State Capitol. The Baker City Council approved video bingo 3-2 after considering the subject for a month. Forty-five percent of profits must go to charity. A sting operation by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board busted several stores for selling to minors. A man accused of stealing a laptop computer from an Iberville Parish deputy sheriff’s cruiser was shot in the leg as the deputy tried to detain him. The East Baton Rouge Parish school system announced the 2008-2009 Teachers of the Year on Tuesday, honoring a special-needs pre-school teacher, a 33-year teaching veteran and a high school Spanish teacher. The winners were announced at a banquet sponsored by the nonprofit group Volunteers In Public Schools and Neighbors Federal Credit Union. Over the objections of Gov. Bobby Jindal, who campaigned on making government transparent, a House panel Tuesday approved legislation that would limit the records a governor could keep from public view. The Army Corps of Engineers’ latest plan for Category 5 hurricane protection in Louisiana is still very late and very short of recommendations, priorities and overall cost estimates, according to a National Research Council of the National Academies report released Tuesday. DENHAM SPRINGS — The city’s Fire Department can’t safely rescue anyone from a burning building because of a lack of personnel, Fire Chief Ivy “Woody” Cutrer told the City Council on Tuesday. NEW ORLEANS — With the start of the third hurricane season since Katrina less than three weeks away, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers put floodgates and pumps at four New Orleans-area outfall canals through their paces Tuesday to make sure the equipment — and the workers operating it — are primed. CENTRAL — The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in opposition of a Metro councilman’s proposal to name the Central Thruway after his late wife. The East Baton Rouge bus system is facing a $500,000 shortfall this year because of rising fuel prices, and officials say the budget hole could increase to $1 million by the end of the year. Anti-gambling legislation that would have banned ATMs and any credit extensions from casinos narrowly failed Tuesday. But state Sen. Joe McPherson, D-Woodworth, and other gambling critics did get one victory in committee with legislation forcing casinos to also advertise their revenue when touting their large payouts to customers. Gov. Bobby Jindal plans to veto legislation that would allow Iberville Parish voters to decide whether Louisiana should get a fifth racetrack. A House committee amended a bill Tuesday to give the Louisiana legislative auditor access to ratemaking records of private insurance companies that the state holds confidentially. A bill that would allow insurance companies to set different deductibles on policies for named storms, such as tropical hurricanes, passed a House committee Tuesday. LIVINGSTON — Livingston Parish public schools continue to struggle to break through a plateau in scores at the upper-middle and high-school levels on state standardized tests. LAFAYETTE — City-parish government has tentatively agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a 9-year-old lawsuit filed by police, firefighters and city marshals in a dispute over back wages. Organizers of the effort to build a National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in southwest Louisiana are preparing to put a bid out for specific plans for the project. OPELOUSAS — A proposed school reorganization plan to help resolve desegregation issues in St. Landry Parish is scheduled to be made public today at a special School Board meeting. State educators approved two new ways Tuesday for public school eighth-graders to get around a test required for promotion. A third exception failed on a 5-5 vote. It may be debated again Thursday during a meeting of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. WALKER — Alderman Rick Ramsey said he plans to pursue a proposed voter referendum that would alter rules on alcoholic beverage sales in Walker. ST. GABRIEL — The St. Gabriel Police Department on Monday arrested schoolteacher Julie Landry, 46, of Plaquemine, and booked her with cruelty to a juvenile. Landry is a third-grade teacher at East Iberville School in St. Gabriel. An Ascension Parish physician charged with illegally prescribing medication without a legitimate medical purpose was released on his own recognizance on Tuesday during his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge. VACHERIE — The West Bank connection from Veterans Memorial Bridge to La. 3127 is expected to open in June. LIVINGSTON — The three candidates vying to be the next superintendent of Livingston Parish public schools agreed Tuesday they would communicate and work with School Board members, staff and the public if appointed to the job. DENHAM SPRINGS — The Denham Springs Economic Development District approved a settlement Tuesday with the Bass Pro project developer. |
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