Louisiana news briefs

Causeway southbound reopened after crash
METAIRIE (AP) — The southbound span of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway has reopened after a closure to recover a vehicle knocked into the lake during a fatal accident.
The span was closed about 10 a.m. Tuesday and reopened at 12:15 p.m.
The St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office identified the victim of Monday’s accident as 57-year-old Edward Burton of New Orleans.
Burton was slowly driving a large truck used to protect construction workers in front of it Monday afternoon when his truck was rear-ended by a garbage truck. The bridge’s general manager, Carlton Dufrechou, said the impact sent the construction truck over the bridge railing and into the lake.
Burton worked for Traffic Solutions, which was doing striping and signage work on the bridge.

14-year-old girl shoots mom in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Police say a 14-year-old girl is in custody after she allegedly shot her mother following an argument.
The incident happened just before 8 p.m. Monday.
Officers say the girl retrieved a gun following an argument and shot her 34-year-old mother in the face.
The mother was taken to an area hospital for treatment. There has been no word of her condition.
The girl was arrested but police have not specified what charges she faces.
Her name was not released because of her age.

Bourbon Street shooting suspect faces Dec. 1 trial
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The lone known suspect in a mass shooting on Bourbon Street could face a jury within a month.
Retired Criminal District Court Judge Jerome Winsberg, who is handling the case against Trung Le, set Dec. 1 as a tentative trial date during a hearing Monday.
The hearing dealt with a handful of issues, ranging from Le’s safety inside Orleans Parish Prison to which judge will preside over the trial.
Le is alleged to be one of two men who exchanged gunfire June 29, injuring nine people and killing 21-year-old Brittany Thomas. His attorney says Le fired in self-defense. The second gunman has not been identified.
Le also pleaded not guilty to a battery charge stemming from a Sept. 30 fight with another inmate at the jail.
His lawyer, Martin Regan, told Winsberg he believed Le was in danger in prison and asked the judge to transfer him to a facility in St. Charles Parish. Winsberg said it was up to Sheriff Marlin Gusman to decide whether Le is safe.

17,000 Realtors
to meet in N. O.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The National Association of Realtors says more than 17,000 members and nearly 400 exhibitors are coming to New Orleans for the group’s annual conference.
The keynote speaker will be Capt. Mark Kelly, commander of space shuttle Endeavour’s final mission. Convention officials say Kelly’s wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, will also appear at the session Saturday afternoon.
Members will work on houses for Habitat for Humanity in eastern New Orleans before the convention begins. That volunteer build day will be today.
Pre-conference courses also are scheduled today and Thursday.
The conference and expo itself runs Friday through Monday. The group bills it as the largest trade show in real estate.

Lake Charles woman arrested
in infant’s death
LAKE CHARLES (AP) — A 26-year-old Lake Charles woman has been arrested in connection with the April 1 death of an infant.
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said Brittney K. Woodcock was arrested Monday on a negligent homicide charge in the death of 6-month-old Kaden James Reed.
Reed died after becoming wedged between an adult mattress and wall while in Woodcock’s care.
Mancuso says the baby was crying, and had been propped up on the bed with a bottle. He says Woodcock returned and found the child but investigators question the length of time he was unattended.
Mancuso says Woodcock was sleep deprived and on drugs at the time of the child’s death.
Woodcock’s bond was set at $750,000. It was not known if she has an attorney.

1 surrenders,
1 fugitive in alleged $1M scam
LAFAYETTE (AP) — The U.S. Marshals Service says officials have arrested one of two Romanian men accused of scamming people out of more than $1 million on Craigslist and other classified advertising websites.
Spokesman Corey Britt said in a news release Tuesday that 49-year-old Gheorghe (“George”) Olar surrendered Oct. 29.
He says 31-year-old Dorin Racu remains a fugitive.
Authorities did not give details about the alleged scam, but say hundreds of people in Louisiana and other states were defrauded.
The Marshals Service is asking for tips and says a cash reward is available for information leading to Racu’s arrest. He’s described as white, 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair, and tattoos on both arms.

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ tour to open in Bossier City
BOSSIER CITY (AP) — Taylor Swift will open her next world tour in Bossier City on May 20, 2015.
CenturyLink Center general manager Rebecca Bonnevier said officials worked for months to secure the opening date. She says she expects a sellout, like Swift’s performances there in 2009 and 2011.
The 24-year-old is promoting the album called “1989,” featuring “Shake It Off.” Nielsen SoundScan says it sold nearly 1.3 million copies in its first week. The album was released Oct. 27.

Goodrich working 3 wells in Tangipahoa formation
COVINGTON (AP) — Houston-based Goodrich Petroleum Corp. says the company is completing two wells in Tangipahoa Parish and has started drilling another there.
The wells are in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, an oil-rich formation that crosses Louisiana and extends east into Mississippi.
Energy industry experts say activity in the Tuscaloosa formation is likely to be hurt by the recent drop in oil prices.
Goodrich has more than 300,000 acres under lease and three rigs working there, and most of its $300 million drilling budget for 2014 targets development in the formation.