Louisiana news briefs

2 indicted in tainted St. John Parish water probe
EDGARD (AP) — A grand jury Monday indicted two workers for failing to properly collect and record samples from testing sites in St. John the Baptist Parish where a brain-eating amoeba was found in the water system.
Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell’s office said Kevin Branch, 54, of LaPlace, and Danielle Roussel, 43, of Paulina, were charged with malfeasance in office and filing or maintaining false public records. Each charge carries up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
The charges stem from allegations the two failed to perform “a duty lawfully required of a public employee in completing necessary water testing” and falsified information on water testing logs they were required to maintain.
State health officials sought the investigation after the Naegleria fowleri amoeba was found in the parish’s water, even though records indicated chlorine levels high enough to kill it. The Department of Health and Hospitals said independent tests found chlorine levels below state standards in a water line serving about 12,500 customers in Garyville, Mt. Airy, Reserve and parts of LaPlace.
The amoeba has killed three people in Louisiana since 2011, though none of the deaths was linked to the water supply in St. John.

La. police hosting ‘Heroin Summit’ in Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Law enforcement agencies are participating in a “Louisiana Heroin Summit,” designed to address the recent rise in heroin use and drug-related deaths around the state.
The event today is hosted by the Louisiana State Police in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The state police says that the Baton Rouge area ranked 19th in the nation last year per capita for heroin overdose deaths, with 34 people who died from use of the drug.
Arrests for heroin also are on the rise statewide. The state police says 152 pounds of heroin were seized last year, compared to 21 pounds in 2012.

Final plea in 2010 murder
of Rayville officer
RAYVILLE (AP) — A third man involved in the 2010 murder of Rayville Police Sgt. Thomas Alexander has pleaded guilty in the case.
Anthony Oatis pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter before state District Judge Terry Doughty, who sentenced him to 21 years in prison.
Oatis dropped off two other men — Richard Long and Robert Walker — at the home of Theo and Frances Coenen in Richland Parish to commit a burglary but never entered the home.
All three were arrested in the death of Alexander, 57, who was shot and killed while responding to a burglary-in-progress call Sept. 11, 2010.

New city petition submitted
BATON ROUGE (AP) — St. George supporters have submitted their petition for incorporation to the East Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of Voters.
Monday’s move comes on the heels of a flurry of high-profile land annexations by the City of Baton Rouge.
“We chose to turn the petition in early due to the constant efforts by the City of Baton Rouge to undermine the democratic process,” organizers wrote in a prepared statement distributed by spokesman Lionel Rainey. “This petition is a testament to the legitimate concerns of nearly 20,000 registered voters in this parish.”
Rainey estimated the group had about 18,200 signatures as of Monday. Supporters needed 17,746 signatures or 25 percent of the registered voters in the proposed boundaries of the new city of St. George.
Rainey said earlier they had crossed that hurdle in late September, but said the group would push forward with trying to get 20,000 signatures in case some are tossed on technicalities or for errors. If the petition turns out to be short of the requisite valid signatures, St. George organizers will be given 60 days to close the gap.

Citrus trees surveyed
BATON ROUGE (AP) — The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is checking Plaquemines Parish citrus trees for 13 pests and diseases.
Commissioner Mike Strain says two inspectors began door-to-door surveys on Monday to check all commercial and residential property.
The survey will continue through next summer, starting in the south and moving northward toward Belle Chasse.
The main focus will be citrus canker, citrus greening and the insect that carries citrus greening.

LSU sprinter accused
of forcible rape
BATON ROUGE (AP) — An All-American sprinter on LSU’s track team has been arrested after a woman told investigators he allegedly raped her at an off-campus party.
Nethaneel Joseph Mitchell-Blake, 20, was booked early Monday morning with forcible rape.
Deputies say the 18-year-old woman told investigators that Mitchell-Blake allegedly raped her early Sunday at his apartment complex. Investigators say Mitchell-Blake told deputies the sex was consensual.
An LSU spokesman said the school was aware of the off-campus incident. He said LSU has zero tolerance for any criminal activity.

Terrebonne council
to approve clerk, assistants
HOUMA (AP) — The Terrebonne Parish Council is scheduled to finalize the appointment of a new clerk and two assistants next month.
The council introduced ordinances Monday night selecting Venitta Chauvin as council clerk, Suzette Thomas as assistant council clerk and Tammy Triggs as senior minute clerk.
A public hearing to ratify the selections is scheduled for Nov. 5. The council is expected to vote on the appointments the same night.
After former Council Clerk Charlette Poche retired early this month, there was confusion over the method of hiring the staff members.

Water Campus plan OK’d
BATON ROUGE (AP) — The first component of the Water Campus, a 33-acre center for coastal education and research between downtown and LSU, has been approved by the East Baton Rouge City-Parish Planning Commission.
Commissioners also approved Monday a rezoning request from the Tipitina’s Foundation to turn two buildings into office/classroom space, audio and video recording studios, digital media editing suites and rehearsal rooms for local musicians.
Commissioners approved plans to rezone a 2-acre section to allow the construction of a four-story, 65,000-square-foot Water Campus building. The building will be the headquarters for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
The CPRA is a state agency that is responsible for coastal restoration and protection projects and planning in Louisiana.