Louisiana and Mississippi at 2 a.m. on Monday.
Good morning, Louisiana and Mississippi editors.
If you have contributions for or questions about the Louisiana-Mississippi report, call 1-504-523-3931 or 1-601-948-5897. To report technical problems: 1-800-469-1362. AP stories, along with the photos that accompany them, can also be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. Reruns are also available from the Service Desk (877-836-9477).
Breaking news staffers Bill Fuller will be in New Orleans at 4 a.m. and Jack Elliott Jr. in Jackson at 6:30.
Phone numbers: 1-601-948-5897 and 1-800-662-7707 or 1-504-523-3931.
Louisiana editors, please note:
A separate advisory has moved on the AP's plans for testing tables associated with the Dec. 8 election in Louisiana.
The advisory is moving daily at 11 a.m.
LOUISIANA TOP STORIES
ST. BERNARD RESIDENCY (NewsNow time-spotted for 3 a.m.; WT time-spotted for 4 a.m.)
CHALMETTE — Voters in St. Bernard Parish will consider a proposal on the Dec. 8 ballot that would require parish employees to live in the parish. Councilman Richie Lewis, who introduced the proposed charter amendment, says it is a matter of making sure parish employees have a personal stake in the community. Neither New Orleans nor Jefferson, Plaquemines or St. Tammany Parish governments have across-the-board residency requirements for parish employees. The city of Kenner requires department heads to live in the city; a 2007 Kenner referendum to eliminate that requirement was defeated.
The following articles moved Sunday for Monday newspapers
EXPLOSIVES INVESTIGATION
DOYLINE, La. — State police authorities say they have begun a criminal investigation of a northwestern Louisiana company after finding about 6 million pounds of artillery propellant stored illegally on the site of a former Army munitions plant. Boxes and small barrels of the pellets were found both outdoors and crammed into unauthorized buildings located at Camp Minden, a former Army munitions plant, said Col. Mike Edmonson, state police superintendent. He said the evacuation of the town of Doyline, which abuts the 15,000-acre property, may extend past Tuesday. About half the town's 800 residents left Friday.
LOUISIANA SINKHOLE
BATON ROUGE, La. — Owners of a failed brine storage cavern say they're working as fast as possible on a state order for work at the Assumption Parish sinkhole. Spokesman Sonny Cranch says Texas Brine Co. lawyers will review a $100,000 fine ordered Saturday by state Conservation Commissioner James Welsh.
OAKDALE RIOT ANNIVERSARY
OBERLIN, La. — Men and women who worked at a federal prison taken over by Cuban inmates in 1987 held a reunion and honored the 28 workers held hostage 25 years ago. Cubans who came to the United States on the Mariel boatlift burned down four prison buildings at Oakdale and held workers hostage for up to eight days after learning they might be returned to Cuba.
HEALTH OVERHAUL-STATES-MEDICAID
WASHINGTON — It's health care brinksmanship, with hundreds of billions of dollars and the well-being of millions of people at stake. President Barack Obama's health care law expands Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low-income people, but cost-wary states must decide whether to take the deal. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar.
AP Photos WX101-0816101421.
NIGHTCLUB STABBING
(Information in the following story is from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com)
HOUMA, La. — After a former bartender was convicted of killing the manager of a Houma nightclub, his sister and mother were arrested in the courtroom on a charge of witness intimidation. The Courier (http://bit.ly/TvYlg5 ) reports that 26-year-old Jorell Young was convicted Friday of first-degree murder and sentenced to life for killing Robert LeCompte (luh-COUNT) on Christmas 2009 in the Drama Club.
DOLPHINS-HORN ISLAND
(Information in the following story is from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com)
GULFPORT, Miss. — Authorities say a dolphin's head has washed up on Horn Island and a whole dead dolphin at Gulfport. The director of the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport tells The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/WCwdsJ ) that experts will examine both on Monday.
BOMB THREAT TRIAL
(Information in the following story is from: The News-Star, http://www.thenewsstar.com)
MONROE, La. — A former teacher accused of making bomb threats against three private schools in Ouachita Parish is scheduled for trial Monday. The News-Star (http://tnsne.ws/Xfyj6G) reports that David Reyna faces up to 20 years at hard labor if he's convicted on one count of falsely threatening to bomb a school.
LA-ISAAC-MANDEVILLE GAZEBO
(Information in the following story is from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com)
MANDEVILLE, La. — Mandeville's iconic gazebo was in ruins after Hurricane Isaac. But The Times-Picayune reports (http://bit.ly/11q4srI) repairs by city work crews have it back in shape in time for the annual Winter on the Water celebration.
DONALDSONVILLE FIRE STATION
(Information in the following story is from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com)
DONALDSONVILLE, La. — The City Council has picked a location for a proposed new fire station. The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/11qfahI) the City Council voted this past week to look into a possible land swap, tasking City Attorney Chuck Long with researching the proposed trade of land between the city and Ascension Parish government.
TANGIPAHOA DRAINAGE
(Information in the following story is from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com)
ROSELAND, La. — Voters in the Roseland, Amite and Independence areas will decide Dec. 8 on two millage propositions supporting drainage work. The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/WWcjOh) Tangipahoa Parish's Gravity Drainage District 4 is seeking renewal of a pair of ad valorem taxes that fund drainage work and canal clearing.
TERREBONNE TRAIL
(Information in the following story is from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com)
HOUMA, La. — Terrebonne Parish has received about $92,000 from the state for the Southdown Trails System, a biking and walking trail. The Courier reports (http://bit.ly/Tyu8zq ) the money will help start the first phase of the bicycle route, the Southdown Loop.
SORRENTO FLAP
(Information in the following story is from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com)
SORRENTO, La. — Sheriff's deputies were called to the Sorrento Town Hall earlier this week after the mayor and a town councilman got into a verbal match, officials say. The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/Uw2Rys) an Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office incident report shows Mayor Wilson Longanecker felt threatened by Councilman Jason Adams before Tuesday night's Town Council meeting.
CHENNAULT RUNWAY
(Information in the following story is from: American Press, http://www.americanpress.com)
LAKE CHARLES, La. — Chennault International Airport officials will hire a design company for preliminary work on expanding the airfield's taxiway into a second runway. The American Press (http://bit.ly/cseYHv) reports the airport's Board of Commissioners will pay AVCON Inc. $227,525 for the work.
LOUISIANA NEWS IN BRIEF
GENERAL MOTORS SHREVEPORT
SHREVEPORT, La. — General Motors LLC is officially gone from Shreveport. The automaker closed its Shreveport plant in August. And The Times (http://bit.ly/11mLiDV) reports that it officially handed over the facility on Friday to the trust that took over 89 GM-owned facilities in 14 states after GM declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. .
GULFPORT SHIP CHANNEL
GULFPORT, Miss. — The Army Corps of Engineers will begin maintenance dredging this week in the northern end of the Gulfport Ship Channel. Spokesman Patrick Robbins tells The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/YGa3eB) that the $2.4 million available will let the Corps dredge about 2.6 miles of the 14-mile-long channel. Some ships are unloading in New Orleans because they can't get to Gulfport.
TERREBONNE BUDGET
HOUMA — Terrebonne Parish will hold a public hearing Wednesday on its 2013 budget and five-year construction spending plan. The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Government Tower in Houma.
The following articles moved Sunday for Monday newspapers
FISH LIMIT LOWERED
FARMERVILLE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has lowered the daily limit for crappie in D'Arbonne Lake. The change from 50 to 25 fish was approved by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in response to concerns of overfishing.
MCNEESE COURSES
(Information in the following story is from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com)
LAKE CHARLES, La. — McNeese State University will begin offering electronic learning courses in the spring semester. The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/YnxKYM ) the courses offer students lessons online or accessed by DVD.
BLUES TRAIL MARKER
EBENEZER, Miss. — Elmore James, known as the "king of the slide guitar," will be honored Monday with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. The ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Newport Baptist Church in Ebenezer. James is buried in the church cemetery.
INTERNATIONAL PAPER-FINE
REDWOOD, Miss. — International Paper Co. is paying a $38,250 civil fine for failing to label used oil tanks and exceeding air pollution limits from a lime kiln. The company, based in Memphis, Tenn., agreed in September to pay the fine to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
LOTTO-POWERBALL
NEW ORLEANS — Nobody won the jackpots in big-money lotteries sold in Louisiana. The Louisiana Lottery Corp. says that means estimated jackpots rise to $60,000 for Easy 5, $275,000 for Lotto, and $50 million for Powerball. It says the biggest prize for tickets sold Saturday in Louisiana was $1,397 for 16 Lotto tickets that matched five of the six Lotto numbers. The next-biggest prize was $200, for 10 Powerball tickets. Four matched three numbers and the Powerball; six matched four numbers without the Powerball.
MEMBER EXCHANGES
Moved in advance for use in Monday editions
MUSICAL MURAL TRADITION
KINDER — An Allen Parish holiday tradition has reached the end of the line. After more than 30 years of drawing more than 60 murals for church musicals, the last 10 years at Green Oaks Church in Kinder, the Rev. Jerry Long is calling it quits after this Christmas. By Doris Maricle.
CAT ISLAND ROOKERIES
CAT ISLAND — Time has not been kind to Cat Island, two small spits of land in Plaquemines Parish that have served for years as bird nesting destinations. Cat Island is the name for two separate islands that have been eroding for years. Both have shrunk over just the past four months, and most of their plants are dying or dead. By Amy Wold.
ANALYSIS
Moved in advance for use in Monday editions
LOUISIANA SPOTLIGHT-ANALYSIS
BATON ROUGE — The LSU governing board's handling of a planned merger of two top university leadership jobs hasn't exactly been a model of finesse and transparency. The attorney general's office has suggested the Board of Supervisors likely violated the state's public meetings law in approving the consolidation, prompting a do-over vote planned for Friday. Meanwhile, the Georgia-based organization that accredits Southern colleges is raising concerns about conflicts of interest and appropriate handling of the merger plans. Despite the concerns, the board clearly plans to move ahead with combining the positions of system president and chancellor of the flagship campus. A search has begun for someone who will fill the merged position as the board works to clean up the mess it created with its hasty decision-making. AP News Analysis. By Melinda Deslatte.
LOUISIANA SPORTS
The following articles moved Sunday for Monday newspapers
T25-SUGAR BOWL
NEW ORLEANS — Now that Charlie Strong has his Louisville Cardinals in a BCS bowl, of course fate would have it that his team's opponent is Florida, a program with which he won a pair of national titles. Sugar Bowl officials announced on Sunday night that this season's game will pit the Cardinals of the Big East against the Gators of the Southeastern Conference on Jan. 2. By Brett Martel.
AP Photos NJME120-1129122238, FLGAI101-1124122014, NJME112-1129122248.
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
ATLANTA — The Chick-fil-A Bowl will be Tigers vs. Tigers. Bowl officials announced Sunday night that No. 9 LSU will face No. 14 Clemson in the Dec. 31 game at the Georgia Dome. Both teams are known as the Tigers, and both play in the stadiums that are known as "Death Valley." By Paul Newberry.
AP Photos NY114-1123120800, SCRE101-1124121930, ARDJ111-1123121729, SCRS117-1124122239.
LA TECH-NO BOWL
Louisiana Tech, with a 9-3 record and the highest scoring team in the country, isn't going to a bowl game. La Tech athletic director Bruce Van De Velde told The Associated Press that Independence Bowl organizers offered a spot in their game on Saturday afternoon, but the Bulldogs had other possible options still available to them. Van De Velde said he asked the Independence Bowl for more time to make a decision, but was told by game organizers that they couldn't wait. By Ralph D. Russo.
AP Photos CATA111-1125122219.
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
SHREVEPORT, La. — Louisiana-Monroe, playing in its first bowl game, will meet Ohio in the Independence Bowl. The Independence Bowl selected Ohio (8-4, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) after being told Louisiana Tech was not yet ready to accept an invitation the Dec. 28 contest that could have been a matchup of two north Louisiana schools.
MISSISSIPPI TOP STORIES
LOGGERS-ROADS
MERIDIAN — Lauderdale County Supervisor Wayman Newell says it's time to set some rules to protect county roads from damage by log trucks. Newell brought the issue up during a board work session this past week.
The following articles moved Sunday for Monday newspapers
HEALTH OVERHAUL-STATES-MEDICAID
WASHINGTON — It's health care brinksmanship, with hundreds of billions of dollars and the well-being of millions of people at stake. President Barack Obama's health care law expands Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low-income people, but cost-wary states must decide whether to take the deal. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar.
AP Photos WX101-0816101421.
DOLPHINS-HORN ISLAND
(Information in the following story is from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com)
GULFPORT, Miss. — Authorities say a dolphin's head has washed up on Horn Island and a whole dead dolphin at Gulfport. The director of the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport tells The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/WCwdsJ ) that experts will examine both on Monday.
DESOTO DISPATCHER INFO
(Information in the following story is from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com)
HERNANDO, Miss. — Starting early next year, DeSoto County residents will be able to let 911 dispatchers know ahead of time what specific needs their families have. The Memphis Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/TBDRoP ) reports that the SafeTown system will keep their information on hand in case of an emergency.
TUPELO SIGN FINES
(Information in the following story is from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://djournal.com)
TUPELO, Miss. — Tupelo business owners are riled up about the city's crackdown on store signs. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (http://bit.ly/Xf5IOR ) reports that business owners have been cited for banners, open signs and flashing signs that don't meet the city code.
PLANE CRASH-MISSISSIPPI
JACKSON, Miss. — Authorities are trying to determine if there was water in the fuel of a plane that crashed Nov. 13, killing three pilots, according a preliminary report on the investigation. The report says dirty water similar to that left behind after dousing a fire was found in part of the engine. Clear water was found elsewhere in the fuel system. The National Transportation Safety Board says it's trying to find where that water came from. By Jeff Amy.
MISSISSIPPI NEWS IN BRIEF
GULFPORT SHIP CHANNEL
GULFPORT, Miss. — The Army Corps of Engineers will begin maintenance dredging this week in the northern end of the Gulfport Ship Channel. Spokesman Patrick Robbins tells The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/YGa3eB) that the $2.4 million available will let the Corps dredge about 2.6 miles of the 14-mile-long channel. Some ships are unloading in New Orleans because they can't get to Gulfport.
DELTA HEALTH CENTER
MOUND BAYOU — The Delta Health Center Inc. in Mound Bayou has received $1.3 million in operating funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Officials say the money represents six months of funding.
OXFORD-TRANSIT FACILITY
OXFORD — Construction has begun on a new transit facility to Oxford to meet what local officials say has been a growing demand for bus transportation. City planner Tim Akers has told officials that in the past few months nearly a quarter of a million passengers have ridden on Oxford University Transit buses.
The following articles moved Sunday for Monday newspapers
USM HOUSING
(Information in the following story is from: The Hattiesburg American, http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com)
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Demolition will soon begin to make way for a huge residential housing project at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Hattiesburg American (http://hatne.ws/VdRpUD ) reports that Vann Hall, Scott Hall and east Bond Hall will be torn down over four months, beginning late this month.
HANCOCK SCHOOLS
(Information in the following story is from: Sea Coast Echo, http://www.seacoastecho.com)
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — The Hancock County school system has a list of projects on which to spend $16 million from a bond issue approved by voters. Schools Superintendent Alan Dedeaux tells the Sea Coast Echo (http://bit.ly/Tw9m3t) that the district has compiled a list of "priority" projects and will begin taking bids on certain ones later this month.
VOTER FRAUD CONVICTION
(Information in the following story is from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com)
TUNICA, Miss. — The Mississippi Supreme Court has upheld the voter fraud conviction of a Tunica County woman accused of submitting phony absentee ballots in the August 2007 presidential primary. The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/TyvefD ) reports that the court affirmed all 10 vote fraud counts against Lessadolla Sowers. The high court also upheld the sentence: Five years of prison on each count, all running at the same time.
BLUES TRAIL MARKER
EBENEZER, Miss. — Elmore James, known as the "king of the slide guitar," will be honored Monday with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. The ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Newport Baptist Church in Ebenezer. James is buried in the church cemetery.
HANCOCK SCHOOLS
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — The Hancock County school system has a list of projects on which to spend $16 million from a bond issue approved by voters. Schools Superintendent Alan Dedeaux tells the Sea Coast Echo (http://bit.ly/Tw9m3t) that the district has compiled a list of "priority" projects and will begin taking bids on certain ones later this month.
INTERNATIONAL PAPER-FINE
REDWOOD, Miss. — International Paper Co. is paying a $38,250 civil fine for failing to label used oil tanks and exceeding air pollution limits from a lime kiln. The company, based in Memphis, Tenn., agreed in September to pay the fine to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
TANGIPAHOA DRAINAGE
(Information in the following story is from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com)
ROSELAND, La. — Voters in the Roseland, Amite and Independence areas will decide Dec. 8 on two millage propositions supporting drainage work. The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/WWcjOh) Tangipahoa Parish's Gravity Drainage District 4 is seeking renewal of a pair of ad valorem taxes that fund drainage work and canal clearing.
BLUE MOUNTAIN-SPORTSPLEX
(Also moved on Mississippi sports wires)
BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. — Blue Mountain College is scheduled to break ground Monday on its new sports complex. The property, about one-half mile north of the BMC campus, will be the site of a baseball field, softball field, golf practice range, intramural soccer field, sand volleyball court, and running track.
MEMBER EXCHANGES
Moved in advance for use in Monday editions
INTERSTATE 69/269 CORRIDOR
HERNANDO — The public gets to ride the preparation trail for six additional months for DeSoto's long-awaited Interstate 69/269 International Trade Corridor study, launched in 2010 and now slated for completion by June 30, 2013. The pivotal blueprint — intended to guide development for decades along the route through DeSoto County — originally was due to be presented to the county board of supervisors by the end of this year, but the delay is viewed as a boon. Swirling visions ranging from new schools and industries to park venues get time to jell. By Henry Bailey, The Commercial Appeal.
NATCHEZ TRACE-SALAMANDERS
CLINTON — On cold, dreary winter nights, tall flashing caution lights along a rocky stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway will warn drivers to brake for salamanders. On cool nights when the rain is pouring, salamanders emerge from the ground where they live most of the year and begin to cross from small patches on one side of a two-mile stretch of road looking for breeding ponds on the other, said herpetologist Tom Mann, who leads a group of volunteers who count, identify and escort the salamanders across the busy parkway. By Josh Edwards, Vicksburg Post.
ANALYSIS
Moved in advance for use in Monday editions.
UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME-ANALYSIS
JACKSON, Miss. — Current and former Mississippi lawmakers, across party lines, are mourning the death of longtime Democratic Sen. Bennie Turner of West Point, who died Nov. 27. He was 64. Turner, an attorney, was first elected to the Senate in 1992 and took office in January 1993. The most recent configuration of his district included all of Clay County and parts of Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties. By Emily Wagster Pettus.
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS
The following articles moved Sunday for Monday newspapers
GATOR BOWL
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Gator Bowl ended up with a less-than-marquee matchup thanks to the success of the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA sanctions surrounding two Big Ten programs. The New Year's Day bowl in Jacksonville landed Northwestern and Mississippi State, two teams with little or no national prominence. By Mark Long.
AP Photos MSOXF104-1124122058, ILNH112A-1124121329, MSOXF106-1124122058.
BBVA COMPASS BOWL
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Pittsburgh is making its third straight trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl, facing a resurgent Mississippi team. The Panthers and Rebels will meet on Jan. 5 in a matchup of 6-6 Big East and Southeastern Conference teams which are led by first-year coaches.
AP Photos TPS118-1201121916, MSRS212-1124122325, MSRS214-1124122325, TPS102-1201121916.
BLUE MOUNTAIN-SPORTSPLEX
(Also moved on Mississippi news wires)
BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. — Blue Mountain College is scheduled to break ground Monday on its new sports complex. The property, about one-half mile north of the BMC campus, will be the site of a baseball field, softball field, golf practice range, intramural soccer field, sand volleyball court, and running track.
