SEVERE WEATHER-FORECAST
More tornadoes in forecast for central US Tuesday
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - More severe weather is in the forecast for parts of the central United States already reeling from powerful tornadoes this week.
The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., says golf ball-sized hail, powerful winds and isolated, strong tornadoes could strike areas of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma on Tuesday. The area at risk does not include Moore, Okla., where dozens of people were killed in a monstrous tornado Monday.
Forecasters say the greatest risk for severe weather Tuesday includes the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The National Weather Service is predicting flash flooding in parts of Arkansas and Louisiana as the storm system dumps several inches of rain in a short time frame Tuesday afternoon.
In Moore, where search and rescue operations continue, showers and thunderstorms are expected Tuesday with heavy rainfall.
DESOTO SCHOOLS
DeSoto board to discuss desegregation order
MANSFIELD, La. (AP) - DeSoto Parish School Board members will hold a special meeting to discuss its desegregation order where it relates to proposed school construction and enforcement of Mansfield school attendance zones.
Schools Superintendent Cade Brumley estimates about 40 students are attending the wrong schools. Until now, he said, enforcement of the attendance zones has not been pressed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
But the DeSoto Parish School Board must make the change in order for the Justice Department to approve much-needed expansion plans for the North DeSoto campus.
The Times reports the school board will meet in special session Wednesday to discuss the issue and the accompanying court order that will be filed with the U.S. District Court's Western District, where final approval of any school changes is required.
SHREVEPORT HOSPITAL
Christus to close main Shreveport hospital
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - Christus Health will close Sutton Children's Medical Center in Shreveport as it moves services from Christus Schumpert St. Mary Place to south Shreveport and Bossier City.
Dr. William Lunn, Christus Health Shreveport-Bossier chief operating officer says the closure is part of a 2-year plan to focus on outpatient services and close the St. Mary Place location entirely.
The Times reports the changes, which start immediately, will cost about 200 jobs in Shreveport-Bossier City over the next two years.
Sutton Children's Medical Center, which opened in 2006 at the St. Mary Place location, was the health system's attempt to create a one-stop location for specialty pediatric care. Community members, led by pro golfer Hal Sutton, helped raise $7 million for the $20 million children's hospital.
PARISH PRESIDENT LAWSUIT
Lawsuit against St. Bernard president dismissed
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed former St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro's defamation lawsuit against current Parish President Dave Peralta and several other parish employees.
The Times-Picayune reports the judge said that while Taffaro's suit characterized the animosity between him and Peralta, it failed to demonstrate how Peralta and others violated Taffaro's rights.
The Taffaro suit claimed they had engaged in "creating bogus accusations which were leaked to print and broadcast media ... and repeatedly providing Taffaro's employer, the Jindal Administration, with false and bogus accusations of wrongdoings."
U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman ruled Friday that Taffaro had failed to state a valid claim and agreed to dismiss the civil suit.
MONROE CITY SCHOOLS
Cuts needed to align Monroe school budget
MONROE, La. (AP) - Reductions in the number of employees, possible school closures and cuts to services including food and transportation are all possibilities as Monroe City Schools superintendent-elect Brent Vidrine takes the helm of the district on June 1.
Vidrine tells The New-Star the district will consider all expenditures to balance the upcoming fiscal year's budget.
He says the district is facing a $4.5 million deficit.
Board vice president Mickey Traweek said all districts across the state will be considering similar options.
Vidrine said interim superintendent Derenda Flowers has already received suggestions of cuts from the district's principals and is working with staff to create a budget. Flowers is also the district's chief financial officer.
SCHOOL VANDALISM
Seniors accused in Comeaux High vandalism
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Police say 19 Comeaux High seniors face misdemeanor charges after authorities say they vandalized the school over the weekend.
Lafayette police Cpl. Paul Mouton says the students received misdemeanor summonses for criminal mischief and criminal trespassing for vandalizing the school grounds.
Comeaux High Principal Joe Craig tells The Advocate the students didn't spray paint or destroy property, but the school wasn't fit to open Monday.
Craig says they dumped trash barrels, turned over yard furniture. In the cafeteria, he says they turned over furniture and threw eggs against windows.
Craig says some students urinated by the cafeteria, toilet-papered trees, wrote expletives and drew lewd pictures in chalk on sidewalks and buildings.
ACADIA PARISH SHOOTING
Eunice man killed, 2 others wounded in shooting
RAYNE, La. (AP) - An 18-year-old Eunice man was shot and later died after he and two others were attacked in the small Acadia Parish community of Branch north of Rayne.
Sheriff Wayne Melancon said in a news release received by The Advocate D'Andre Goodley died Sunday at Acadia-St. Landry Hospital.
Authorities did not release the names and conditions of the other two victims, who were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
Melancon said the shootings followed an altercation involving the victims.
WHOOPING CRANE KILLED
$3K reward for whooping crane killer in N La.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A hunter in northwest Louisiana has shot and killed 1 of the first whooping cranes brought to Louisiana in an attempt to re-establish the highly endangered species here.
State and federal authorities are offering a $3,000 reward for information about whoever did it.
One clue is that a somewhat unusual cartridge was used to shoot the 3-year-old female crane.
Gabe Giffin, a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement division spokesman, says the National Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., analyzed a plastic fragment found in the bullet's track. He says scientists believe it came from a .264-caliber or 6.5mm bullet with a polymer tip.
The 5-foot-tall cranes are among the world's rarest birds, with 412 in the wild and about 200 in captivity.
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