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Louisiana News Sat July 19, 2008
A second New Orleans police officer has been suspended in connection with an incident Tuesday involving officer Ashley Terry, who allegedly brandished a gun and screamed expletives at a woman in front of dozens of children at the Treme Community Center. Superintendent Warren Riley suspended Officer David Ellis, a five-year veteran of the police department, because he "may not have taken the appropriate action when he responded ... on the scene," according to Bob Young, a spokesman for the department. On Thursday, Riley suspended Terry. Officer Ellis is currently assigned to the First Police District. The suspension follows an investigation of the incident at the center at 900 N. Villere Street. Ellis has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation and final review by the superintendent, Young said. Riley earlier this week warned that the conduct of officers who responded to a 911 call about the incident would also come under scrutiny.
Amite mayor pays $270,000 to settle Medicare charges
Amite Mayor Reginald E. "Reggie" Goldsby paid $270,000 to settle allegations he caused Medicare to pay more than $400,000 in improper claims, federal officials confirmed Thursday. "He is alleged to have violated the False Claims Act," U.S. Attorney David Dugas, of Baton Rouge, said in a written statement. Dugas said federal investigators accused Goldsby of signing certificates of medical necessity and writing prescriptions for motorized wheelchairs for people whose medical conditions did not meet the Medicare requirements. Goldsby, a family-medicine physician who has served 24 years as mayor, is seeking re-election Oct. 4. He declined to comment and referred all questions to his Hammond attorney, Duncan S. Kemp III. The agreement that settled the dispute was signed July 9 by Goldsby and includes the government's allegation that he went to church health fairs at the request of a wheelchair supplier. That supplier is alleged to have paid Goldsby $300 to $500 per wheelchair prescription at those health fairs in 2003 and 2004.
N.O.P.D. officer suspended, accused of threats at community center
Police Superintendent Warren Riley on Thursday suspended officer Ashley Terry, who allegedly brandished a gun and screamed expletives at a woman in front of dozens of children Tuesday at the Treme Community Center. NOPD internal affairs investigators flocked to the Treme Center to interview witnesses Thursday morning, responding to a news report publishing witness accounts. The investigation found cause to believe that Terry "may have pulled her weapon" without cause, said Riley, who suspended the officer without pay. Riley indicated that the conduct of officers who responded to a 911 call about the incident would also come under scrutiny. "If the officer or officers who responded failed to write a report or take appropriate action, we will take action," Riley said. Witnesses said the responding officer, whom Police Department spokesman Bob Young described Thursday as a "ranking 1st District officer," did little more than speak privately with Terry -- and then joke loudly about how she should've shot a man who challenged her during the incident. Witnesses said the man only tried to defuse the dangerous situation, asking her to put the gun away because children were present. The ranking officer and one or two others who responded to the same call then filed the 911 complaint as "unfounded," Young said. Terry, who has served on the police force 15 months, came to the center Tuesday afternoon to pick up a 7-year-old nephew from the Tamborine and Fan summer camp. For reasons unknown, she starting honking incessantly at the driver of the car in front of her in the pickup line. When that driver responded, annoyed, the officer then screamed at the woman, "B----, you don't know who you're f---ing with," among other coarse threats, witnesses said. At some point she identified herself as a 7th District police officer, and flaunted her gun in full view of many witnesses, including children, witnesses reported. Kiyana Howell, the subject of the officer's tongue-lashing, said Wednesday that she was astonished to be threatened when she had her son and four other children in her car. Public Integrity Bureau officers interviewed her Thursday morning and told her that she should be hearing from them soon, she said.
Orphan Train decedents gather
The 18th annual gathering of the Louisiana Orphan Train Society will be Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. in Lauman Hall of the Louisiana Memorial Methodist Church in Opelousas. Organizer Flo Inhern said the group is expecting about 60 attendees "but its hard to say. We have members from all over the state and beyond." The Orphan Train is the popular name for an adoption program that was began in 1854 by the New York Foundling Hospital. New York was then experiencing a huge wave of immigrants, many the poorest of the poor. Because of poverty, disease and economic distress, many of their children became orphans and many ended up at the Foundling Hospital. In an effort to fight overcrowding, the Catholic hospital began the nation's first foster care program by shipping the orphans out by the train-load to be adopted by rural Catholic families throughout the rest of the nation. Between 1854 and 1929 more than 150,000 orphans, with numbers pinned to their clothes and accompanied by nuns, boarded trains to new homes. More than 2,000 of these orphans came to Louisiana, primarily to St. Landry and Evangeline parishes. Inhern said her group has no idea how many local descendants there may be, but the numbers are surely in the tens of thousands. "There are a lot we know of but many more we don't. I just picked up a new one today," she said Wednesday. The local Orphan Train Society, made up of descendants of these original riders, has been holding annual in-gatherings since 1990. "We have met every year since. We have met in Lafayette, in Baton Rouge, two or three times in New Orleans, but mainly here," Inhern said. Opelousas is currently working to transform the old Union Pacific Depot in Le Vieux Village into the state's first Orphan Train museum. When completed later this year, it will be only the second such museum in the nation as well as the largest. The local society is working with city to fill that museum with the hundreds of artifacts it has collected as well as agreeing to staff the museum. Next month the society and the city are expected to enter into a formal agreement, most likely a long-term lease on the building. Inhern said the theme of this year's gathering is "Orphan Train History Continues Through the Generations."
Jindal vetoes 29 bills from session
Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed 29 bills from the recent legislative session, rejecting measures he considered excessive or unnecessary. Jindal's veto count nearly equals the number of bills his one-time boss, former Gov. Mike Foster, vetoed during his last four years in office. The governor's tally also is only about a dozen bills short of former Gov. Kathleen Blanco's veto total for her entire term. Jindal overturned legislation that sailed through the session with little opposition. He rejected bills that contradicted his stance against the expansion of gambling. Most notably, he said "No" to pay raises for legislators and Public Service Commission members. Some bills that he vetoed as unnecessary became law as part of other legislation.
Grand jury indicts teen in killing of guardsman
An 18-year-old Baton Rouge man was indicted Wednesday in the April 30 shooting death of an off-duty member of the Louisiana National Guard. An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury formally accused Larry Murray of second-degree murder in the killing of Matthew Trahan, 20, of Lafayette. Murray, 11251 Devall Lane, allegedly shot Trahan during a robbery in the 4100 block of Uncas Street in north Baton Rouge, police said. Detectives believe Murray shot Trahan multiple times after Trahan gave him a ride, police said. An arrest warrant alleges that Murray shouted "Give it up!'' and then searched Trahan's pants for money after shooting him. When Murray couldn't find any money, he forced Trahan's friend and occupant in the car to search Trahan's body, the warrant says. The friend found and surrendered about $240 to Murray, who then fled, the warrant adds. Trahan's friend identified Murray from a six-person photographic lineup, the warrant says. Trahan died on the way to a hospital. A second-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Students claim SU retaliation
With their families in attendance, Southern University graduate students Symphony Guyton and Erica McCain walked across the stage May 9 to receive empty diploma covers. The reason they went home without their master's degrees and the wait continues into mid-July? They claim retaliation - that the political science department chairman was out to get them and the university administration has done little to help. But the students are not just whining voices in the wilderness. They have the full support of their thesis professors who awarded them "A" grades. On the other hand, Southern administrators call the matter part of the thesis process. Albert Samuels, an associate professor of political science, called it "unprecedented" that political science department Chairman Kingsley Esedo waited until the students' master's thesis papers were due in April to get involved and prevent them from graduating on time.
11-year-old girl saves grandmother
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz traveled to Melville Tuesday to honor a very special person, 11-year-old Morgan Johnson. "I wanted to recognize this child who has done something great. Things like this don't happen every day," Guidroz said. The sheriff and has staff presented Morgan with a life saving award for rescuing her grandmother, Betty Majors. According to Guidroz, Morgan and her mother, Vanessa Nieves Johnson, were recently visiting at Major's home when Morgan realized she hadn't seen her grandmother in awhile. She went searching and eventually found her struggling for her life in a pond beside the home. "She was too weak to get up and in great danger of drowning," said Jimmy Darbonne with the sheriff's office. "Morgan rushed for help and assisted in pulling her to safety." According to Guidroz, Morgan doesn't think of herself as heroic. "She told me it was the only thing she could have done," Guidroz said. "She is a very modest young lady. I just thank God she was there."
Former U.S. congressional candidate falsely reports robbery
Former U.S. congressional candidate Zelma Blakes has been arrested on accusations she falsely reported a robbery and kept money she claimed was stolen. The 36-year-old Blakes, of Monroe, ran against U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander in 2004. On Tuesday, Blakes was charged with filing a false report and felony theft. Police say Blakes, an employee of Jackpot Video Bingo, was supposed to take a deposit from the business to a bank Monday when she said she was robbed of the money and her purse. Blakes was taken from the Monroe police department Tuesday afternoon to Ouachita Parish Correctional Center. She was freed on a $4,000 bond.
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Fri Apr 06, 2007
Site demolition company in New Orleans area established Internet presence
RMF Construction Services, LLC, a demolition company located in Terrytown, LA offers complete site demolition services in the New Orleans area and has established an Internet presence.
Randy M. Loup, President of RMF Construction Services LLC tells, "The company was founded as an affiliate to Louisiana Landscape Specialty, Inc when Katrina left the company struggling to survive. The company had to make decisions of how to re-employ and bring the business back online as well as provide needed services to our community. After the suffering and devastation to the South, RMF Construction Services, LLC was founded by offering services in debris removal, earth work, excavation, and demolition. As time changes and the needs of our city emerge, our mission will be to provide the best professional services needed to restore our great city," continues Randy Loup.
Considering importance of Internet technologies in our life, we have established the company website at www.rmfconstruction.com with ability for customers to make online request for free quote for site demolition services. Web promotion campaign also was started to make the website more easily found on the Internet," resumes Randy M. Loup.
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Thu Sep 01, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Find Missing People or Offer Help
BUFFALO, NY - September 2, 2005 /Nitpickit Newswire/ -- NitPickIt today announced the launch of (Katrina Weblog). The Katrina weblog allows volunteers to communicate with each other. Volunteers can coordinate assistance for Hurricane Katrina victims. NitPickit also offers chat features free classifieds as other forms of communication. Please visit Nitpickit.com
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Wed Aug 03, 2005
Feds raid homes of congressman
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - In a two-city raid, FBI agents searched the Washington and New Orleans homes of a Louisiana congressman Wednesday, hauling away boxes and bags from one of the residences.
The Justice Department refused to say what agents were looking for during the searches of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson's homes and vehicle.
Jefferson, 58, an eight-term Democrat from New Orleans, said in a statement issued by his office that he did "not know the extent or precise nature of this investigation" and said he was cooperating fully.
"There were searches executed today in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation," said Bryan Sierra, a spokesman for the Justice Department. "As it is a criminal investigation we will not be able to comment any further."
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