Lincoln Parish School Board Tuesday

The Lincoln Parish School Board (LPSB) will meet Tuesday, March 1, 6:00 PM, Central Office, 410 South Farmerville Street.

Here is the agenda.

Louisiana Paid Media Doesn’t Want to Pay Its ‘Fair Share’

From Jeremy Alford’s Twitter feed:

Word has spread that the new sales tax increase would apply to advertising. Lobbying arm of press roaming Rev & Fiscal Affairs Committee

— Jeremy Alford (@LaPoliticsNow) February 28, 2016

Sheriff Decries Threatened Budget Cuts

One of the oldest tactics of politicians is to threaten the taxpayers with “turning all the criminals loose” if higher taxes are not approved. Here’s the latest manifestation of that.

Ouachita Court Case Coverup Update – 2/24/16

Palowsky wants sanctions hearing delayed in case against court officials

By Johnny Gunter

Facing sanctions and contempt of court charges, a Monroe businessman and his attorneys asked the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport last week to postpone an early March hearing until a final judgment is reached on whether they can present evidence in court to counter the allegations.

Stanley R. Palowsky III and his attorneys, Sedric Banks of Monroe and Joe Ward of Covington, stated in a Feb. 18 petition to the Second Circuit that ad hoc Judge Jerome J. Barbera III erred by forbidding them from presenting evidence when the sanctions and contempt of court charges are taken up in court on March 4.

Banks and Ward claim Barbera scheduled the March 4 hearing before appeals were heard on other aspects of the litigation, a move that could hamper Palowsky from presenting evidence in court to defend himself.

Government Shutters for Rain

State offices in EBR, elsewhere to close at noon amid weather concerns

by Capitol News Bureau

State offices in East Baton Rouge Parish and at least 14 others will close at noon on Tuesday because of the chance of inclement weather, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne announced Tuesday morning.

The list of closings includes West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and West Feliciana parishes.

The Secretary of State’s Office also announced Tuesday that early voting in the presidential primary in Louisiana is closed at noon in the following parishes: East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lafourche, Livingston, ST. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and West Baton Rouge. Early voing will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Forecasts call for heavy rains and strong winds, especially Tuesday afternoon.

Lots of public and private schools in south Louisiana are closed Tuesday because of weather concerns.

LSU, S. LA Schools Cancelled for Rain Threat

South Louisiana schools, LSU announce Tuesday closures

ADVOCATE STAFF REPORT|

On Monday, West Baton Rouge Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, East Baton Rouge Head Start, Zachary, Central, East/West Feliciana, St. Helena, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Livingston, Ascension, Tangipahoa, St. James and Baker public schools and Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic, Parkview Baptist, Dunham School, Louisiana Key Academy, Democracy Prep Baton Rouge and LSU Lab private schools announced classes are canceled Tuesday.

LSU and Baton Rouge Community College also announced canceled classes starting Tuesday at noon.

In the greater New Orleans area St. Tammany and Washington parishes announced schools are closed Tuesday. Northlake Christian, Archbishop Hannan and Pope John Paul High School on the northshore will also close Tuesday.

The forecast calls for an enhanced risk for severe weather across most of Louisiana with some areas in Washington, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes facing a greater risk.

On Monday afternoon, West Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent Wesley Watts announced that classes would be cancelled because the worst of the storms would be happening just when students would be released from school.

“I don’t want kids on the road,” Watts said.

Warrants Issued for Alleged Accomplices in Hashway Slaying

After a prospective prosecution witness (and alleged accomplice) went missing last week, Assistant Attorney General Mike Ruddick was taking no chances on it happening again with two others in the Sue Hashway murder case.

Markeva Day and Robert Demps, both charged with being accessory to aggravated burglary and accessory to second degree murder, did not show up this morning in Third Judicial (Lincoln, Union Parishes) District Court in Ruston. Ruddick asked for and got bench warrants issued for their arrest, along with a doubling of their bail from $25 thousand to $50 thousand. Ruddick said his office had been in contact with the two.

The primary culprit in the June, 2012 crime spree is Cameron Mays, according to allegations.

Mays is charged with aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated burglary that allegedly occurred in the Cypress Springs neighborhood where retired Grambling State University Professor Dr. Sue Hashway was found slain. The alleged victim in the rape and kidnapping case was a Louisiana Tech student.

Another alleged accomplice, Brandon Bonton was in court today, and was scheduled for an April 25 status conference, the same day Mays is set for trial.

Presiding this morning was Divsion B Judge Tommy Rogers.

Auditors Tag ULM Athletics

ULM Athletic Department Discrepancies

The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s Athletic Department was not able to reconcile football, basketball, and baseball ticket sales to its cash deposits. For one game selected from each sport, deposits were short by a total of $17,727, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today.

According to the report, the contractor hired by the University of Louisiana at Monroe Foundation, Inc., to collect ticket sales on behalf of the athletic department did not provide enough detail for the university to completely reconcile its deposits. The report further noted that 3,678 complimentary tickets were issued for the three games without the signatures of the ticket holders, and multiple revenues and expenses were misclassified on the university’s athletic department financial statement.

The state auditor said the report resulted from an annual set of agreed-upon procedures that are used to examine the financial reporting of the athletic department to determine whether it is compliant with NCAA rules and to help the university evaluate its internal controls.

Complete report here.

Ouachita Court Case Coverup Update – 2/17/16

Five judges, law clerk face sanctions in Palowsky case; judge removes seal on court record

By Johnny Gunter – Feb 17, 2016

Monroe businessman Stanley Palowsky III and his attorneys want sanctions brought against five Fourth Judicial District Court judges, law clerk Allyson Campbell and the host of attorneys representing the six defendants.

Palowsky and his attorneys, Sedric Banks of Monroe and Joe Ward of Covington, say the district court officials and their attorneys also should be found in contempt of court.

Meanwhile, in an unexpected move, ad hoc Judge Jerome J. Barbera III removed the seal of court records in Stanley R. Palowsky III v. Allyson Campbell and others. Barbera, a retired district court judge from Thibodeaux, had ordered the court record sealed from the public at the end of a Nov. 5 hearing. His order to unseal the case was filed Feb. 10.

Barbera’s handwritten order unsealing the court record was signed in Grapevine, Texas and faxed to the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court from the Great Wolf Lodge of Grapevine.

LA Lege Considering New Tax on Health Insurance Providers

A new tax on health care providers (Blue Cross, Vantage, etc) is under consideration by the Louisiana Legislature, according to LaPolitics Publisher Jeremy Alford. Without doubt, the cost will be passed on to those who actually pay the premiums.

The Legislature is currently in special session considering a myriad of new taxes on people who work for a living, so that government employees won’t have to do without.

Wrote Alford:

Lawmakers could likewise get cover from a health care provider fee that has been floated. Those involved aren’t talking specifics yet, but it could potentially generate a significant amount of money if the provider community gets onboard. More details are expected soon if the plan comes together.