June 2019

All in for riches: World Series of Poker marks 50th run

Tens of thousands of professional and amateur poker players go on a pilgrimage to Las Vegas every summer in hopes of returning home richer, owning a gold bracelet and having considerable bragging rights.

They are young and old and overwhelmingly male. They are college dropouts and accountants, entrepreneurs and CEOs, actors and athletes, psychologists and comedians. And they all have a chance of becoming world champions.

At the World Series of Poker — now marking its 50th edition — everything is possible.

Friendship strikes through Buddy Ball organization

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Logan Atkins (Senior) and recently graduated Morgan Herpin created a friendship in a high school geography class that inspired the newly formed Friend2Friend organization, which hosts “Bulldog Buddyball.”

Atkins who had a rough start to his high school career was seen as distant to most students, but two years ago when Junior cheerleader Morgan Herpin decided to reach out to offer help to Logan on a map project in class, his school days changed drastically.

Prosecutors seek life sentence in Charlottesville car attack

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — To federal prosecutors, James Alex Fields Jr. is a callous, hatefilled young man who saw a group of people protesting against white nationalists and decided to kill them. But to Fields’ lawyers, he is a troubled 22-year-old with a history of mental illness who deserves some measure of leniency.

Rotary Club welcomes guest speakers

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Left: On June 11, guest speaker Dione Sabelhaus gave an update on Jeff Davis Parish tourism statistics. She also spoke about the new Gator Chateau and gift shop.

Top left: Beau Fontenot, county director of Farm Service Agency, spoke at the June 18 meeting, discussing the services his agency provides and the impact rain and flooding had on the rice and soybean crops in the parish.

ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE ‘HEAD START’: 14 RELEASED TO WILD

COLUMBIA (AP) — They’re more likely to bite than say thanks, but 14 alligator snapping turtles reared at a fish hatchery are now swimming about in the wild.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Thursday that Wednesday’s release at Boeuf (BUFF) Wildlife Management Area in Caldwell Parish was part of a head start program to replenish the species.

The federal government is scheduled to decide next year whether to declare the turtles endangered or threatened. State biologists are working to reduce the need for such a listing.

 

Police: One person in custody in missing Utah student case

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — One person was taken into custody Friday in the case of a Utah college student who disappeared 11 days ago, police said.

Officials did not immediately provide further details ahead of a planned news conference scheduled in the disappearance of 23-yearold Mackenzie Lueck. Photos of the arrest show a man being handcuffed peacefully by several members of a SWAT team in combat-style gear.

EX-NYPD OFFICER INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGE

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former New York City police officer has been indicted on murder charges in Louisiana.

The New Orleans Advocate reports 29-year-old Gerardo Bugallo-Beret was charged Thursday with second-degree murder in the March shooting death of Tyrone Reese.

A press release from District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office says Bugallo-Beret shot 29-year-old Reese in front of an apartment building in the Treme neighborhood. Bugallo-Beret says he shot Reese in selfdefense after Reese verbally threatened him. Cannizzaro’s office says Reese was unarmed.

 

Reed blasts pair of homers in victory

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The Jennings Bronco All-Stars got off to a hot start to their Section Tournament Thursday night by defeating North Vermilion 9-2 in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Port Barre defeated Lydia by a final of 9-2 in the first game of the four-team bracket. Jennings used a big night by slugger Ryan Reed at the plate to catapult the hosts to a winners bracket game against Port Barre set for 8 pm Friday night.

Justices won’t revive Ala. ban on abortion

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t revive Alabama’s attempt to ban the most commonly used procedure in second-trimester abortions after the measure was blocked by lower courts.

The justices on Friday rejected the state’s appeal and declined to review a lower court ruling that blocked the law. The 2016 Alabama law sought to ban the abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation, a procedure Alabama referred to in court filings as “dismemberment abortion.”

Welcome Home

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Several new cold-blooded residents arrived this week at their new home inside the Louisiana Oil and Gas Park’s Gator Chateau.

The facility now houses a total of 22 alligators and welcomed four new babies along with four new 1-2-year-olds to be added to the indoor pond.

The rescued gators are fostered at the facility until they are able to be released safely back into their natural habitat.

“We take care of them until they are old enough and train them so that they are prepared when they are released back into the wild,” said alligator docent Sarah Estes.