Louisiana news briefs

Hercules Offshore to lay off 324 workers
HOUMA (AP) — Houston-based Hercules Offshore says it will lay off 324 offshore Gulf of Mexico workers, about 15 percent of its workforce, because of a decline in business.
The drilling rig contractor sent a letter to the Texas Workforce Commission last week, saying the company would lay off the employees by the end of the year.
The layoffs involve employees who work out of Port Fourchon, Grand Isle, Berwick, Cameron, Abbeville, Lafitte, Larose and Venice.
The company announced an $88.6 million third quarter loss on Oct. 23.
John T. Rynd, Hercules CEO and president, said in a statement the company’s business outlook may not improve until sometime next year.

Man accused of killing
2 teens still in hospital
BREAUX BRIDGE (AP) — The man accused of killing two teenage girls and injuring a third last week, remains in guarded condition at a Lafayette hospital.
When he is released, troopers say 32-year-old Jeremy Abraham, of Breaux Bridge, faces a number of charges including two counts of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, felony hit-and-run and other vehicle-related charges.
Police say Abraham was traveling eastbound on Martin Street in Breaux Bridge when he struck three girls as they were walking to school.
So far, troopers say, Abraham has not retained a lawyer.
Abraham is a 14-year army veteran who served in Iraq and Kuwait.
Master Trooper Brooks David said Abraham will undergo a psychiatric evaluation and they will investigation if post-traumatic stress disorder impacted his driving.

Judge rules Cooper investigative report is public
LAFAYETTE (AP) — A state judge has ruled that an investigative report about the performance of Lafayette Parish Superintendent Pat Cooper became a public record as of Oct. 1.
That was the date that the Lafayette Parish School Board voted to receive attorney Dennis Blunt’s complete report. The board hired Blunt in May to conduct an investigation into aspects of Cooper’s job performance.
On Monday, Judge Jules Edwards ruled that the board waived any attorney-client privileges that would have protected the report by virtue of its Oct. 1 vote.
The Daily Advertiser had filed suit in civil court against the school board and Blunt seeking all reports resulting from the board’s three-month investigation of Cooper, and a determination that those documents were public records.

Judge: Cemetery must
turn records over to state
GONZALES (AP) — A state district judge has ruled the operator of a financially troubled Prairieville cemetery facing a Louisiana Cemetery Board investigation must comply with a board subpoena and turn over the business’ records by the end of the week.
State board officials have said in court papers they suspect Oak Lane Memorial Park cemetery was sold to evade expected board directives stemming from the board’s look at the cemetery’s finances.
Tim Pujol, Oak Lane’s attorney, said Monday that the cemetery had offered to open up its offices to the board.
Pujol said the operation is down to one person, and he does not have the ability to copy the multiple boxes of records dating back to 2013 that the board is seeking.

Man booked in October kidnapping of Tulane student
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Police in New Orleans say they have made an arrest in the alleged knifepoint kidnapping of a Tulane University student in the city’s Carrollton area last month.
The victim said she had been accosted by a man who held a knife to her neck and groped her before she was able to escape.
Detectives were able to identify a suspect using surveillance footage from the area.
The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Julian Correa, an accounting sophomore at Loyola University. The charges were simple battery and second-degree kidnapping.
Correa remained jailed Monday. Bond was set at $100,000. It was unclear if he had an attorney.
A Loyola spokeswoman says Correa has been suspended until a hearing to determine what action to take.

Trials likely next year
in couple’s death
THIBODAUX (AP) — A Lafourche Parish prosecutor says the trials for three men charged in a 2013 double murder will likely be delayed until next year.
Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant II said motions are still to be heard and he may seek a mental exam for at least one defendant.
Toronzo Thompkins of Raceland, Traveyon Blackledge of Thibodaux and Jerrard Major Sr. of Raceland are each charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Their trials were set for November.
Prosecutors say Thompkins allegedly hired Blackledge, who is his son, and Major to kill police informant Nikki Landry of Larose. She and Harry Lefort of Cut Off were found shot to death in her apartment Sept. 22, 2013.
Morvant says the three men will be tried separately.

Taylor Swift headlines Superfest opening night
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Taylor Swift will headline opening night performances May 22 at the Bayou Country Superfest.
Promoters of the country-music themed festival made the announcement on Monday.
The festival is set for May 22-24 at Tiger Stadium on the LSU campus.
Promoters say the full schedule for the festival will be made public Wednesday.

Mother arrested after
naked child found in street
GRETNA (AP) — A Gretna mother is free on bond following her arrest on child desertion charges after police say her autistic son was found wandering naked in the street and eating grass.
Jovan Mosley, 30, was arrested Saturday after Gretna Police said her 7-year-old autistic son was found three blocks from their home.
According to an arrest report, it was about 50 degrees when officers found the boy about 2:05 p.m. — the third time he was found wandering the streets alone. When officers took him home, police say Mosley was asleep on a couch while five other children — ages 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 — were playing unsupervised.
From The Associated Press.

Mosley was booked on four misdemeanor counts of child desertion and released Sunday on a $2,000 bond.

Grambling leader outlines plan to address deficit
GRAMBLING (AP) — Facing a more than $3 million deficit, Grambling University plans to increase faculty teaching loads while requiring furloughs, provide incentives for 15 faculty members to retire, and possibly even shutter the Grambling Laboratory Schools.
Interim President Cynthia Warrick announced the drastic measures to help cash-strapped Grambling regain sound financial footing during a meeting with faculty and staff on campus Thursday.
Warrick attributed much of the immediate problem to the university’s drastic decrease in enrollment this fall.
The university’s fall enrollment is 4,504 — down 11 percent from last year. Based on the tuition rate, Warrick estimated the university is out $3.7 million.