News

Father, daughter find each other on genealogy site

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Almost a year ago, Laura Barnes sat down to write what was perhaps the most important email she’s ever sent.

“I don’t really know where to start, other than that I noticed we matched based on our DNA profile,” she began. “My name is Laura Kristi Barnes and 19 years ago, I was born and adopted. I’ve always known my biological mother, but never knew who my biological father was. Based on our DNA match, you could be my biological father.”

US adds a solid 213,000 jobs; unemployment up to 4 pct.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers kept up a brisk hiring pace in June by adding 213,000 jobs, a sign of confidence in the economy despite the start of a potentially punishing trade war with China.

The job growth wasn’t enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising from 3.8 percent to 4 percent, the government said Friday. But the rate rose for an encouraging reason: More people felt it was a good time to begin looking for a job, though not all of them immediately found one.

Trump weighs 2 or 3 for court, to meet with Pence

WASHINGTON (AP) — The list of contenders to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy is narrowing, with President Donald Trump telling reporters that he’s focused on two or three people ahead of his Monday announcement.

“I think I have it down to four people. And I think of the four people I have it down to three or two,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday, as he traveled to a campaign rally in Montana.

Up and Over

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Local girls put their trampoline to good use Thursday afternoon.

33 Chinese dead in boat sinking off Thai island

PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — Thai authorities on Friday evening suspended the search for missing tourists who were on a boat that sank during a storm off the southern resort island of Phuket, as the death toll rose to 33, all of them Chinese nationals.

The search for another 23 people still missing will resume at 5 a.m. Saturday, said Prapan Khanprasang, chief of the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office.

Herrmann’s HR helps lift Mariners over Angels 4-1

SEATTLE (AP) — In early April, Chris Herrmann was a free-agent catcher sitting on his couch at home wondering if he was going to play baseball again.

Now he is. And the Mariners are glad they found him.

Herrmann hit his first home run for Seattle, and Marco Gonzales pitched six solid innings to lead the Mariners to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

Gonzales (9-5) gave up five hits while striking out seven in a 102-pitching outing. The lone run he gave up was Kole Calhoun’s sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1.

Maryland releases subpoenas for records in FBI hoops probe

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Maryland has joined the list of schools to receive a grand jury subpoena seeking records in the ongoing federal corruption investigation into college basketball.

The school released two subpoenas to The Associated Press and other media outlets Friday in response to public records requests. That follows North Carolina State’s release in March of a similar subpoena seeking communication records between school officials and its former coaching staff, and ex-Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. and his representatives.

Fire board responds to request

A Fire District 2 board representative has responded to Jennings Mayor Henry Guinn’s call for renegotiations of a joint service agreement between the agency and the city. The fire district,

Schools receive funding for child behavior programs

The Louisiana Department of Education has mandated that some of the funds provided by the state to the Jeff Davis Parish School Board (JDPSB) will be allocated toward programs that address child behavior problems.

As part of the state’s School Redesign program JDPSB will now have access to $21,424 to spend on programs to curb the district’s suspension and explusion rates. Typically the monies allocated to the program would be part of school Title 1 funds used to pay for programs for financially disadvantaged students.

Meeting a New Friend

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Tourists from Huntsville, Texas, visited Jennings Friday morning, where 9-yearold Grace got to meet an alligator for the first time at the Gator Chateau.