Louisiana news briefs

2 new West Nile cases
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s health department says two new cases of West Nile virus infections were reported in the state this week.
One case was in Caddo Parish; the other, in East Baton Rouge Parish.
West Nile can involve a serious and potentially fatal infection of the brain and spinal cord. However, the two cases reported this week involved the less serious West Nile fever, which causes flu-like symptoms.
So far there have been 130 cases of West Nile infections reported in the state this year. Six of those have been fatal.

Student data wasn’t wiped from auctioned computers
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — At least two computers from a defunct charter school organization in New Orleans that were sold at auction a week ago contained names, birthdates and social security numbers for 210 students.
State education officials said they were among well over 300 computers, printers and other devices sold at auction by the Louisiana Property Assistance Agency. The devices were being disposed of by the state Recovery School District, which oversees dozens of independently run public charter schools. The state Division of Administration said RSD should have ensured the devices were wiped clean before they were sold.
RSD officials said in a conference call Friday evening that the device buyers are being contacted and arrangements were being made to make sure any student information on other devices is wiped clean.
The devices were from the Future Is Now organization, which had given up its charter to run a high school in New Orleans.

Officials say oil spill
has not reached Caddo Lake
MOORINGSPORT (AP) — Cleanup crews continue to mop up a 4,000-barrel oil spill into a four-mile stretch of Tete Bayou northwest of Shreveport.
Officials said Saturday that the oil has been contained without reaching Caddo Lake, which straddles the Texas-Louisiana state line and provides drinking water for some water systems.
The oil spilled from the Mid-Valley pipeline, a line owned by Sunoco Logistics Partners which carries crude oil from Longview, Texas to Samaria, Michigan.
“I would call it a significant size spill,” Bill Rhotenberry, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s on-scene coordinator.
Reports that control operators noticed a drop in pressure around 8 a.m. May 13 and shut down within 20 minutes, Sunoco spokesman Jeff Shields said.
Three families who live near the site evacuated, complaining of fumes, and Sunoco is paying their expenses.
No oil sheen has been detected on the lake, but it will be monitored by air and boat as the cleanup continues.
Sunoco expects months of cleanup, with 250 contractors now working, wearing flame retardant clothing, hard hats, safety goggles and respirators.

Shelters set up for bus riders
THIBODAUX (AP) — Bus riders in Thibodaux now have shelters to protect them from bad weather at some stops.
The eight shelters were built by Houma-based Good Earth Transit and the city of Thibodaux.
Good Earth paid about $85,000 for the shelters.
The city of Thibodaux contracted with Byron Talbot Contractors to install the shelters at a cost of about $18,000.

Port seeks dredging
of Houma Navigation Canal
HOUMA (AP) — The director of the Port of Terrebonne says a more thorough accounting of all the oilfield supplies and materials carried on local waters may lead to a solution for the Houma Navigation Canal depth problems,
Port officials have been working to improve the port’s ranking in the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center’s annual rankings to get more money for waterway maintenance.
The statistics center is tasked with compiling information on the movements of vessels and commodities on the waterways and canals throughout the country.
In the past two years, the Port of Terrebonne’s ranking has improved from 150 to 98 after its jurisdiction was corrected in the ranking system. Port director David Rabalais says it improved to 86 this year after new materials were included in the ranking system.

N.O. homes to go on auction
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — About 130 homes and residential lots throughout New Orleans will go on auction on Saturday.
The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority will sell the properties with no minimum prices.
The event will be held in Hall H at the Morial Convention Center.
Registration will begin at 9 a.m., with the auction starting at 11 a.m. Organizers recommend preregistering. Online bidding also is available.
Cashier’s checks, money orders or cash are required in order to register and bid. For their initial deposit, bidders must have a minimum of $2,000 and the ability to increase the deposit to equal 10 percent of the bid amount.
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