Louisiana news briefs

New Iberia man killed 

in St. Mary single-car wreck

FRANKLIN (AP) — State police say a single-car wreck in St. Mary Parish killed a New Iberia man.

Troopers say the accident is believed to have happened between 1 and 2 a.m. Friday. A Nissan Maxima driven by 60-year-old Charles Rogers traveled off the right side of La. 87. The car overturned and Rogers, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene.

The accident was not discovered until hours later, when a farmer reported finding the car.

 

3 new West Nile infections 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s health department said three new cases of West Nile virus reported this week bring the state’s total this year to 48.

Of the three new cases, one, in Lafayette, involves a serious brain and spinal cord infection. Two others involve less serious West Nile fever — one in Ouachita Parish and one in Morehouse Parish.

There have been two West Nile-related deaths so far this year.

 

13-year-old ATV driver 

dies after being hit by SUV 

JEANERETTE (AP) — A 13-year-old boy from Jeanerette has been killed in the crash of an all-terrain vehicle.

Louisiana State Police say Benjamin Oliver was driving the ATV Friday night on a frontage road by U.S. 90 in Iberia Parish. They say the teenager drove through the median separating the frontage road from the highway and was struck by a sport utility vehicle.

Oliver was thrown from the ATV and taken to a hospital, where he died. State law requires an ATV rider to wear a helmet. Troopers say the teenager was not wearing one.

The driver of the SUV was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. She was wearing a seatbelt.

 

LSU law students have highest 

percentage passing bar exam 

NEW ORLEANS— LSU law students had the highest rate of passage among students of Louisiana law schools who took the state bar exam in July.

Newly released figures from the state Supreme Court show 120 of 171 LSU law grads who took the test passed — just over 70 percent.

Fifty-six out of 88 Tulane grads — or 64 percent — passed the exam. Out of 203 Loyola grads, 115 — or 57 percent — passed; while 53 of 154 Southern Law School grads passed, for a rate of 34 percent.

 

Frame completed at Lafayette General project 

LAFAYETTE (AP) — The Lemoine Co. has completed the frame for its $53 million expansion and renovation project at Lafayette General Medical Center.

The project includes construction of a parking garage with 343 spaces, expanded emergency room and surgical area.

Work began in October 2012. The first phase — including the garage — is expected to be completed in April 2014. Phase two, which includes the expansion and renovation of the emergency room and surgical area, is scheduled for completion in late summer 2014.

Wills Hoover, Lemoine’s project manager, said crews will now work on walls, electrical and plumbing work, flooring and millwork.

Marie Lukaszeski, who is managing the project for the hospital, said the entrance will house 17 emergency treatment rooms, including special areas for critical care, trauma treatment and psychiatric evaluation.

She said the 45,000-square-foot, second-floor surgical area will have 11 operating rooms of roughly twice the size of current operating rooms and two new rooms for minor procedures.

The current surgical area has about 21,000 square feet of space.

 

3 Thibodaux police promoted 

THIBODAUX (AP) — Three veteran Thibodaux police officers have been promoted at badge-pinning ceremonies with family and friends.

Lt. Kevin Brooks, a 15-year veteran, has worked in corrections, investigations and platoon A and will now be the supervisor of platoon C in the patrol division.

Five year veterans Sgt. Clint Dempster and Sgt. Jacob Hoffpauir both served in the patrol division before being moved to the Problem Oriented Policing Unit, with Hoffpauir serving a dual position with bicycle patrol.

Dempster will serve as the sergeant overseeing the problem oriented unit. Hoffpauir will serve as assistant supervisor on platoon D.

 

Group questions Lafayette charter application 

LAFAYETTE (AP) — A Lafayette Parish parent organization fighting two pending charter school applications is questioning why one charter school failed to disclose management problems raised in audits of two schools it operates in New York.

The New York State Comptroller Office’s audits of Buffalo United School and Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School reveal a lease payment of $800,000 over fair market value at one school and call for better oversight of public funds.

Ann Burruss, a Lafayette Parish parent, said the issues should have been disclosed by National Heritage Academies in its charter school application to the Louisiana Department of Education.

 

DHH cites Baker Middle School 

BAKER (AP) — Broken water fountains, broken toilets, dirty restrooms and dirty ceiling tiles are among the problems state health inspectors say they found at Baker Middle School following a routine inspection.

The state Department of Health and Hospitals, which inspects all schools in the state twice a year, issued its report on Baker Middle after its Oct. 1 inspection.

But Baker School District Superintendent Ulysses Joseph said some of the items in the report are flat wrong.

 

Lafourche Parish to study need for stop signs 

THIBODAUX (AP) — Concerned that too many traffic control devices could have an adverse effect, the Lafourche Parish Council has requested a study in the northern part of the parish to determine if there are too many stop signs and speed bumps.

Kevin Belanger, CEO of South Central Planning and Development Commission, will conduct the study for the parish.

Responding to drainage concerns in his area, Councilman Aaron Caillouet drove through west Thibodaux near Lafourche Sugars when he noticed he was often stopping or slowing down for stop signs and speed bumps.