January 2020

Little change across Edwards’ cabinet for new term

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LOUISIANA SPOTLIGHT

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is starting his second term Monday with no widespread upheaval among his Cabinet and staff, maintaining a largely steady administrative footprint across the agencies that oversee many state programs and services.

Still, he needs to fill two critical health positions in his administration, and he could lose his chief budget adviser depending on how the Louisiana State University presidential search goes.

All Fired Up

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Hathaway High students participated in a pep rally ahead of Friday night’s homecoming clash with JHS. 

 

House speaker dispute marks new Louisiana legislative term

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana’s new Legislature is starting with a dispute over House speaker, just like the old Legislature did four years ago.

The 105 members of the House and 39 members of the Senate take their oaths of office Monday as the new term of state government begins, with Republicans taking over a twothirds majority in the Senate and nearing that supermajority in the House.

Mississippi: Up to 40 deer tested had deadly brain disease

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A deadly brain disease has been found in or is suspected in 40 Mississippi deer, and the state is asking hunters to continue providing samples through the deer season.

“Deer harvest begins to tail off this time of the season. I hope we will get several hundred more before the season is over, if not a thousand or so,” Russ Walsh, wildlife chief of staff for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said Thursday.

JoAnn Daigle Lantz

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Funeral services for JoAnn Daigle Lantz, 78, of Jennings was held at Matthews and Son Funeral Home Monday, January 13, 2020, at 11 a.m.,with Deacon Mike Tramel officiating.

A gathering of family and friends was held at Matthews and Son Funeral Home Sunday, Jan.12, 2020, from 3:30-9 p.m., with a rosary recited at 6 p.m., led by Deacon Mike Tramel. Visitation resumed Monday from 8 a.m. until the time of her service.

JoAnn was laid to rest in Calvary Cemetery.

NATIONAL BRIEFS

Ill newborn recovered after parents take her from hospital

US troops clear rubble from Iraq base days after Iran strike

AIN AL-ASAD BASE, Iraq (AP) — U.S. troops cleared rubble and debris from a military base housing American soldiers in western Iraq on Monday, days after it was struck by a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles in a major escalation between the two longtime foes.

The Iranian attack was in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike near Baghdad airport that killed a top Iranian commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, prompting angry calls to avenge his slaying.

Trump, Pelosi square off ahead of impeachment trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi squared off Sunday ahead of his impeachment trial, as she said senators will “pay a price” for blocking new witnesses and he quickly retorted that she and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff should both testify.

Canadian officials accidentally push nuke alert to millions

TORONTO (AP) — People throughout the Canadian province of Ontario awoke Sunday to a cellphone alert warning them of an “incident” at a nuclear plant just east of Toronto — only to later be told the message was a mistake.

The message, which was transmitted throughout the nation’s most populous province, was accompanied by a shrill emergency broadcast noise. It said an unspecified event had occurred at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. There was no abnormal release of radioactivity, it added, and people did not need to take protective action.

William, Harry issue statement amid UK royal family rift

SANDRINGHAM, England (AP) — Princes William and Harry slammed a newspaper report Monday describing a severe strain in their relationship, calling the story offensive and potentially harmful as they embark on talks regarding the future of the British monarchy.

The two brothers issued the unusual statement even as Queen Elizabeth II was set to hold face-to-face talks with Prince Harry for the first time since he and his wife, Meghan, unveiled their controversial plan to walk away from royal roles. The dramatic family summit is meant to chart a future course for the couple.