Gustav briefs for Suburban parishes, Sept. 7, 2008

• By ADVOCATE STAFF REPORT
• Published: Sep 7, 2008 - Page: 5B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Livingston Parish
Livingston Parish emergency officials have called for a parishwide burn ban and shortened a nighttime curfew by four hours, parish officials said.

The burn ban started Friday and bars any open burning, including debris fires, said Brian Fairburn, parish director of homeland security.

He said the ban was called because smoke was giving the elderly trouble breathing while windows are open in powerless homes. The ban remains in effect until further notice.

Starting Saturday night, the parishwide curfew changed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., Fairburn said.

The parish also has closed rivers and waterbodies, including the Amite, Tickfaw, Blood and Blind rivers, the Amite River Diversion Canal and Lake Maurepas, Fairburn said.

Art demonstration canceled
A demonstration by New Roads artist Gail Ruth originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Denham Springs city hall has been canceled due to widespread power outages from Hurricane Gustav.

Another demonstration  with the Denham Springs Fine Art Association will be scheduled for a later date, association officials said Friday.
Call Bonnie Williams at (225) 791-1896 or (225) 975-2761 or e-mail to myartandsoul@hotmail.com.

St. Helena Parish
Acting School Superintendent Gloristine Tanner said school officials are planning to re-open public schools to students Wednesday in St. Helena Parish.

All 12-month employees, who include principals and janitors, must return to school Monday and Tuesday. Teachers return with students Wednesday.

Tanner said the schools lost all their refrigerated foods but are getting deliveries Monday and Tuesday.

She said Dixie Electric Membership Corp. officials told her all schools would have power by Wednesday.

An American Red Cross shelter in the high school gym closed Saturday. Shelter manager Vicki Lee said those staying at the shelter left by 7:30 a.m. She said most who had remained at the shelter were local residents who do not have power.

As of 4:05 p.m. Saturday, 1,339 customers were without power, or 26.5 percent, according to a real-time DEMCO Web site. Greensburg, the parish seat, had power Friday, including the town’s gas stations, parish officials said.