Around the State for Aug. 5, 2012
Raceland bridge
to close for repairs
RACELAND — Lafourche Parish officials said the bridge crossing Bayou Dumar on La. 653 will be closed to vehicular traffic several times in the next two weeks while repairs are made.
The bridge is south of U.S. 90 in Raceland.
Officials said it will be closed from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday and Aug. 13-16.
The state Department of Transportation and Development will be doing the work.
Road work to close Huey Long Bridge
JEFFERSON — The left lanes in both directions on the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish were closed Saturday and will remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday.
State transportation officials said workers would be pouring concrete for the bridge’s new, wider lanes. Large trucks will not be allowed on the span until all lanes reopen on Monday.
Drivers can use the Crescent City Connection in New Orleans or the Interstate 310 bridge at Luling to cross the Mississippi River.
The bridge-widening is scheduled for completion in 2013.
Fort Polk company ending deployment
ALEXANDRIA — Fort Polk’s 209th Military Police Company is returning home after a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan.
The company was expected to arrive at Alexandria International Airport around 11 p.m. Sunday.
Their arrival marks the first time that all Fort Polk units will be home at the same time since 2001. The 209th is the last unit to arrive home; it was also the first unit to deploy from the central Louisiana Army base into Afghanistan in 2001.
During this deployment, the 209th MPs served as police mentor/trainers assisting the Afghanistan National Police with training personnel.
Ex-N.O. police officer
gets 2 years in fraud
NEW ORLEANS — Authorities said a former New Orleans police officer was sentenced to two years on a contractor fraud conviction.
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said in a news release that David Dotson, 49, was sentenced Friday.
Cannizzaro said that in July 2008, Dotson agreed to perform repair work, but never did the work and refused to return the money advanced to him.
Dotson was convicted on one count of felony theft in April.
Dotson repaid the homeowners two months after his conviction.
State Supreme Court enables digital filing
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Supreme Court is upgrading its technological capabilities and has launched voluntary electronic filing of documents by attorneys.
A 30-minute online training session provided through the court’s website, http://www.lasc.org, is required to access e-filing.
Officials said that once trained, a password is provided and documents can be filed online as they would be filed conventionally.
The court said e-filing is limited to attorneys in good standing, and technical assistance will be provided by the Clerk of Court Office during regular business hours.
There is a $100 cost for e-filing writ applications and a $50 fee for filing other documents such as oppositions and replies. Those costs are on top of regular filing fees.
The court also will continue to accept filings by hand or mail delivery.
Hunter safety classes offered in Lafourche
THIBODAUX — The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will offer a free hunter safety course Aug. 18-19 for anyone 10 years old or older.
Deputies said the Aug. 18 class will be at the Lafourche Fire District 3 station in Galliano from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Aug. 19 class will be from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the sheriff’s shooting range in Raceland.
The course will cover hunter responsibility and ethics, firearms safety, survival and first aid skills, wildlife identification and other topics.
Participants must attend both class days and pass a written and practical exam to be certified.
Registration must be done in advance. For more information on registration, contact the sheriff’s Training Academy at (985) 449-4480 weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
2 robbery suspects arrested in Kenner
Two people acsused of armed robbery in Monroe County, Miss., have been arrested in Kenner.
Candice Marie Richardson, of Nettleton, and Larry Alexander Christian, of Fulton, were arrested Thursday by the Kenner Police Department.
Authorities said they were tipped off to the location of the 21-year-old Richardson and 26-year-old Christian.
Police believe they, along with Katherine Payne and Anthony Ray Loague, were involved in a July 28 armed robbery. Police said Payne and Richardson lured a man into an ambush set by Christian and Loague.
Payne and Loague were in jail in Monroe County. Richardson and Christian were awaiting extradition to Monroe County.
Compiled from
The Associated Press