• EDITORIAL: Hold schools accountable
Jefferson Parish school officials point out that they're not breaking the rules by rerouting magnet school students' test scores to their neighborhood schools, but this deceptive practice hurts accountability and must be stopped.

• Folsom may curb building projects
Midway through a comprehensive review that could lead to dramatic changes in planning and zoning regulations, Folsom officials on Monday re-introduced an ordinance that would block some new building projects within the village limits for six months, or until the village's plan is completed.

• John Kennedy: Outspoken and persistent
BATON ROUGE -- If John Kennedy makes it to the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, he would not be the first, or certainly the most famous, member of "the world's most exclusive club" to carry that name.

• Parents organize against magnet proposal
Parents opposed to plans to make a magnet school out of Hazel Park Elementary are soliciting community support to maintain the status quo at the River Ridge campus.

• Planners tour Slidell, assess needs
Volunteers from the American Planning Association toured Slidell on Monday to help assess the city's planning needs and offer guidance as the city continues its recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

• Runoff rivals work to shore up support
After laying low for more than a week, the Democratic Party runoff candidates in the 2nd Congressional District are revving up their campaigns with high-profile events that reflect their bases of support.

• Dust puts library wing off limits
Patrons trying to track down historical or genealogical information at the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie have found the Special Collections Department closed for the past two weeks because employees discovered an unidentified powder on some of the books.

• Tammany zoning meeting Saturday
Parish planning officials have scheduled a Saturday meeting with residents as they prepare to rezone the unincorporated areas of southeastern St. Tammany.

• Victim died in random robbery
A Marrero man who was killed last week was likely the victim of a random crime, as authorities have linked his death to two attempted armed robberies that occurred on the West Bank within the same time frame, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said Monday.

• Voters oust 2 incumbents
In one of the biggest shakeups in Plaquemines Parish's 25th Judicial District in decades, voters unseated an incumbent judge and district attorney in an election that centered on a blistering courthouse audit from this spring that suggested widespread mismanagement of public money.

• Winds whip fire out of control
A wind-whipped fire that was set to burn used pallets at a Reserve marine company ignited a storage container and a cargo trailer Monday before being brought under control by firefighters, St. John the Baptist Parish's public safety director said.

• City puts in bid on east N.O. hospital
After studying the idea for more than a year, the city of New Orleans is negotiating in earnest to buy Methodist Hospital and open an emergency room that would serve residents of Gentilly, eastern New Orleans and other neighborhoods deprived of critical health services since Hurricane Katrina.

• EDITORIAL: Barriers better than crosses
Eleven people have died since 2001 after their cars flew off a stretch of Airline Drive in St. Charles Parish and plunged into the murky waters of the Borrow Pit Canal, which runs along the highway. Another 15 people died in 2006 alone along an accident-prone stretch of Interstate 12 in St. Tammany Parish.

• Mental health initiative uses peer counselors
A local nonprofit agency is deploying a relatively new tool in the effort to improve mental health care in New Orleans: It is recruiting people who have known mental illness first-hand to act as mentors to those newly diagnosed.

• Kenner man is followed home, robbed at gunpoint
Kenner police have arrested two men who followed a Kenner man home from his family's store and robbed him at gunpoint Sunday evening as he entered his University City home, authorities said.

• 3 from N.O. arrested in kidnapping, murder
Three New Orleanians were arrested outside Latimer, Miss., on Wednesday and booked in an apparent double kidnapping that left one man dead and another injured.

• Father booked in incest, rape
A New Orleans man has been booked with aggravated incest and rape in connection with the molestation of his 10-year-old daughter, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report.

• Report: Minor arrests clog up system
While progress has been made in the New Orleans criminal justice system since January 2007, a report by the Metropolitan Crime Commission examining the police and the district attorney's office concluded the agencies still need to shift their focus to successfully build and prosecute good cases against violent offenders.

• 3 from N.O. arrested in kidnapping, murder
Three New Orleanians were arrested outside Latimer, Miss., on Wednesday and booked in an apparent double kidnapping that left one man dead and another injured.

• City puts in bid on east N.O. hospital
After studying the idea for more than a year, the city of New Orleans is negotiating in earnest to buy Methodist Hospital and open an emergency room that would serve residents of Gentilly, eastern New Orleans and other neighborhoods deprived of critical health services since Hurricane Katrina.

• Dust puts library wing off limits
Patrons trying to track down historical or genealogical information at the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie have found the Special Collections Department closed for the past two weeks because employees discovered an unidentified powder on some of the books.

• Father booked in incest, rape
A New Orleans man has been booked with aggravated incest and rape in connection with the molestation of his 10-year-old daughter, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report.

• Folsom may curb building projects
Midway through a comprehensive review that could lead to dramatic changes in planning and zoning regulations, Folsom officials on Monday re-introduced an ordinance that would block some new building projects within the village limits for six months, or until the village's plan is completed.

• Kenner man is followed home, robbed at gunpoint
Kenner police have arrested two men who followed a Kenner man home from his family's store and robbed him at gunpoint Sunday evening as he entered his University City home, authorities said.

• Mental health initiative uses peer counselors
A local nonprofit agency is deploying a relatively new tool in the effort to improve mental health care in New Orleans: It is recruiting people who have known mental illness first-hand to act as mentors to those newly diagnosed.

• Parents organize against magnet proposal
Parents opposed to plans to make a magnet school out of Hazel Park Elementary are soliciting community support to maintain the status quo at the River Ridge campus.

• Report: Minor arrests clog up system
While progress has been made in the New Orleans criminal justice system since January 2007, a report by the Metropolitan Crime Commission examining the police and the district attorney's office concluded the agencies still need to shift their focus to successfully build and prosecute good cases against violent offenders.

• Tammany zoning meeting Saturday
Parish planning officials have scheduled a Saturday meeting with residents as they prepare to rezone the unincorporated areas of southeastern St. Tammany.

• Victim died in random robbery
A Marrero man who was killed last week was likely the victim of a random crime, as authorities have linked his death to two attempted armed robberies that occurred on the West Bank within the same time frame, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said Monday.

• Voters oust 2 incumbents
In one of the biggest shakeups in Plaquemines Parish's 25th Judicial District in decades, voters unseated an incumbent judge and district attorney in an election that centered on a blistering courthouse audit from this spring that suggested widespread mismanagement of public money.

• Winds whip fire out of control
A wind-whipped fire that was set to burn used pallets at a Reserve marine company ignited a storage container and a cargo trailer Monday before being brought under control by firefighters, St. John the Baptist Parish's public safety director said.

• John Kennedy: Outspoken and persistent
BATON ROUGE -- If John Kennedy makes it to the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, he would not be the first, or certainly the most famous, member of "the world's most exclusive club" to carry that name.

• 2 St. Charles roads to undergo repairs
Crews will begin repairing pavement and patching shoulders along two state highways on the east bank of St. Charles Parish Wednesday.

• 2 St. Charles roads to undergo repairs
Crews will begin repairing pavement and patching shoulders along two state highways on the east bank of St. Charles Parish Wednesday.

• Awesome Girls earn the title
"Awesome" is an overused word, but the Awesome Girls are awesome. They're confident, courteous and articulate.

• BRIEFS
--- MEETINGS ---

• BRIEFS
--- HAPPENINGS ---

• Fundraiser benefits Leukemia Society
A fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will be held this afternoon in Metairie.

• Fundraiser benefits Leukemia Society
A fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will be held this afternoon in Metairie.

• Hopefuls draw battle lines in debate
BATON ROUGE -- U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-New Roads, tried to convince 6th Congressional District voters Monday that he is an independent voice who reflects his conservative constituents on abortion, gun rights and expanding oil and gas exploration, while siding with his party leaders on defending Social Security and economic policies geared to the middle class.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Sunday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• Police identify gunshot victim
Coroner's investigators have identified the 37-year-old man shot to death Friday in the Iberville public housing complex as Wickham M. Parlante.

• Police identify gunshot victim
Coroner's investigators have identified the 37-year-old man shot to death Friday in the Iberville public housing complex as Wickham M. Parlante.

• POLICE REPORTS
The following were reported to law enforcement authorities:

• Public records case goes to state Supreme Court
Louisiana Supreme Court justices on Monday heard arguments about whether the closure of the criminal case against a doctor and two nurses clears the way for the release of documents from former Attorney General Charles Foti's investigation of deaths at Memorial Medical Center after Hurricane Katrina.

• Scalise ad ties rival to Obama
With Congress now adjourned for the year and his opponent still on the attack, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, has launched the first television advertisement of his 1st District re-election campaign, firing back at Democratic challenger Jim Harlan of Lacombe.

• Scalise ad ties rival to Obama
With Congress now adjourned for the year and his opponent still on the attack, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, has launched the first television advertisement of his 1st District re-election campaign, firing back at Democratic challenger Jim Harlan of Lacombe.

• Tap into 401(k) only as a last resort
Question: In today's hard financial times, what are the pros and cons of tapping my 401(k)?

• West Esplanade delays are expected
Long delays are expected for the next six weeks because a construction project has narrowed West Esplanade Avenue to one lane in each direction at its intersection with Transcontinental Drive, authorities said.

• West Esplanade delays are expected
Long delays are expected for the next six weeks because a construction project has narrowed West Esplanade Avenue to one lane in each direction at its intersection with Transcontinental Drive, authorities said.

• Bond broker's fraud trial to begin
In a federal fraud case full of high-profile New Orleans area politicians listed as co-conspirators, all eyes are now on Gwendolyn Moyo, a little-known, twice-convicted bond broker who will literally begin defending herself today.

• Drugs at home make kids sick
A pair of West Bank toddlers were hospitalized and their mother was arrested last week after they ingested marijuana and amphetamines, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report.

• Runoff rivals work to shore up support
After laying low for more than a week, the Democratic Party runoff candidates in the 2nd Congressional District are revving up their campaigns with high-profile events that reflect their bases of support.

• John Kennedy: Outspoken and persistent
BATON ROUGE -- If John Kennedy makes it to the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, he would not be the first, or certainly the most famous, member of "the world's most exclusive club" to carry that name.

• Planners tour Slidell, assess needs
Volunteers from the American Planning Association toured Slidell on Monday to help assess the city's planning needs and offer guidance as the city continues its recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

• 3 from N.O. arrested in kidnapping, murder
Three New Orleanians were arrested outside Latimer, Miss., on Wednesday and booked in an apparent double kidnapping that left one man dead and another injured.

• Sheila Stroup: Awesome Girls earn the title
"Awesome" is an overused word, but the Awesome Girls are awesome. They're confident, courteous and articulate.

• Bond broker's fraud trial to begin
In a federal fraud case full of high-profile New Orleans area politicians listed as co-conspirators, all eyes are now on Gwendolyn Moyo, a little-known, twice-convicted bond broker who will literally begin defending herself today.

• BRIEFS
--- MEETINGS ---

• BRIEFS
--- HAPPENINGS ---

• Letter to the Editor: Charity essential for training
When weighing the Charity Hospital system we in the community should consider more than health care for the poor. We should consider health care for all of Louisiana.

• City puts in bid on east N.O. hospital
After studying the idea for more than a year, the city of New Orleans is negotiating in earnest to buy Methodist Hospital and open an emergency room that would serve residents of Gentilly, eastern New Orleans and other neighborhoods deprived of critical health services since Hurricane Katrina.

• Drugs at home make kids sick
A pair of West Bank toddlers were hospitalized and their mother was arrested last week after they ingested marijuana and amphetamines, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report.

• Father booked in incest, rape
A New Orleans man has been booked with aggravated incest and rape in connection with the molestation of his 10-year-old daughter, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report.

• Stephanie Grace: Humble Shepherd
It's amazing the difference a little enforced honesty can make.

• John Kennedy: Outspoken and persistent
BATON ROUGE -- If John Kennedy makes it to the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, he would not be the first, or certainly the most famous, member of "the world's most exclusive club" to carry that name.

• Jarvis DeBerry: Katrina unlikely star in Ohio political ad
I did not invite Bea Rill to my wedding reception.

• Mental health initiative uses peer counselors
A local nonprofit agency is deploying a relatively new tool in the effort to improve mental health care in New Orleans: It is recruiting people who have known mental illness first-hand to act as mentors to those newly diagnosed.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Sunday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Sunday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Sunday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• Letter to the Editor: Night school the only way some will graduate
Re: "School Board delays decision on job cuts," Metro, Oct. 10.

• Letter to the Editor: No one elects journalists
Re: "World news tomorrow," Other Opinions, Oct. 12.

• Parents organize against magnet proposal
Parents opposed to plans to make a magnet school out of Hazel Park Elementary are soliciting community support to maintain the status quo at the River Ridge campus.

• Planners tour Slidell, assess needs
Volunteers from the American Planning Association toured Slidell on Monday to help assess the city's planning needs and offer guidance as the city continues its recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

• POLICE REPORTS
The following were reported to law enforcement authorities:

• Report: Minor arrests clog up system
While progress has been made in the New Orleans criminal justice system since January 2007, a report by the Metropolitan Crime Commission examining the police and the district attorney's office concluded the agencies still need to shift their focus to successfully build and prosecute good cases against violent offenders.

• Runoff rivals work to shore up support
After laying low for more than a week, the Democratic Party runoff candidates in the 2nd Congressional District are revving up their campaigns with high-profile events that reflect their bases of support.

• Runoff rivals work to shore up support
After laying low for more than a week, the Democratic Party runoff candidates in the 2nd Congressional District are revving up their campaigns with high-profile events that reflect their bases of support.

• Scalise ad ties rival to Obama
With Congress now adjourned for the year and his opponent still on the attack, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, has launched the first television advertisement of his 1st District re-election campaign, firing back at Democratic challenger Jim Harlan of Lacombe.

• Letter to the Editor: Time in prison is lost forever
Re: "How much of Connick's legacy on ballot?," Other Opinions, Oct. 1.

• Victim died in random robbery
A Marrero man who was killed last week was likely the victim of a random crime, as authorities have linked his death to two attempted armed robberies that occurred on the West Bank within the same time frame, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said Monday.

• Voters oust 2 incumbents
In one of the biggest shakeups in Plaquemines Parish's 25th Judicial District in decades, voters unseated an incumbent judge and district attorney in an election that centered on a blistering courthouse audit from this spring that suggested widespread mismanagement of public money.

• Letter to the Editor: What makes front-page news?
I take exception to the frequent domination of The Times-Picayune's front page by large pictures of criminals or athletes.

• Economy, health care at center of debate
BATON ROUGE Republican challenger John Kennedy tried to use the first televised U.S. Senate debate Sunday night to saddle Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu to her party leaders and all things liberal, while hitching his candidacy to the national GOP ticket and its promises of change.

• Economy, health care at center of debate
BATON ROUGE Republican challenger John Kennedy tried to use the first televised U.S. Senate debate Sunday night to saddle Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu to her party leaders and all things liberal, while hitching his candidacy to the national GOP ticket and its promises of change.

• EDITORIAL: A one-two punch
Communities across South Lousiania were still cleaning up after Hurricane Gustav when they were hit by another powerful storm.

• Party may censure Republicans backing Landrieu
BATON ROUGE -- With more than two dozen prominent Republicans publicly backing incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu over her GOP opponent, state Treasurer John Kennedy, the state Republican Party is considering ways to discipline Republican officials who endorse Democrats, the head of the state party said Saturday.

• St. Henry's pastor says he won't leave church
The pastor of the Church of St. Henry has publicly thrown his support behind his parishioners in their fight to keep their parish church open.

• EDITORIAL: A trailer-free new year
St. Bernard Parish officials are close to setting a deadline for removing FEMA trailers from private property, and that will be a significant recovery milestone for a parish that lost all but a handful of buildings to Hurricane Katrina.

• Coca-Cola sues Jeff School Board
The Coca-Cola company has sued the Jefferson Parish School Board, claiming the board breached existing beverage contracts by hiring Pepsi last year as the sole drink dispenser for all schools in the system.

• 1st Amendment expert to speak at Loyola
Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, a lawyer who is an expert on First Amendment issues, will deliver this year's Phelps Lecture on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Tulane Law School, 6329 Freret St.

• Local Travelers Aid provides lifeline to the homeless
It didn't take long for tears to flow as a 38-year-old native New Orleanian tried to explain why she sought help last week from the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans.

• 1st Amendment expert to speak at Loyola
Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, a lawyer who is an expert on First Amendment issues, will deliver this year's Phelps Lecture on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Tulane Law School, 6329 Freret St.

• BRIEFS
--- HAPPENINGS ---

• Third-place finisher backing Capitelli
Touting Ralph Capitelli as the candidate who would best revamp the Orleans Parish district attorney's office, defense attorney Jason Williams on Sunday endorsed his one-time competitor for the top prosecutor job in New Orleans.

• Brees carves win with predicted precision
If you listen to right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who spends a good part of his Sundays in the huddle with Drew Brees, here's his story on the Saints quarterback.

• Economy, health care at center of debate
BATON ROUGE Republican challenger John Kennedy tried to use the first televised U.S. Senate debate Sunday night to saddle Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu to her party leaders and all things liberal, while hitching his candidacy to the national GOP ticket and its promises of change.

• State tests cable barriers to save lives on the roads
Could a barrier along Airline Drive in St. Charles Parish have saved Warren Williams from a near drowning? Or kept Daralinda Paul's car out of the drink? Or saved the lives of Allen and Sandra Washington's four children?

• Tragic illness couldn't take away a Metairie boy's childhood, but a tragic accident took his life
For nearly three years, little Owen Bushland bravely battled a myriad of congenital heart defects -- ailments that required open-heart surgery, the insertion of a pacemaker, a tracheostomy and dependence on a ventilator.

• 1st Amendment expert to speak at Loyola
Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, a lawyer who is an expert on First Amendment issues, will deliver this year's Phelps Lecture on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Tulane Law School, 6329 Freret St.

• BRIEFS
--- HAPPENINGS ---

• Coca-Cola sues Jeff School Board
The Coca-Cola company has sued the Jefferson Parish School Board, claiming the board breached existing beverage contracts by hiring Pepsi last year as the sole drink dispenser for all schools in the system.

• Letter to the Editor: Debate format is confusing
I have a problem with Tuesday night's presidential debate. Two candidates stating what they did and making accusations about what the other did and did not do only leaves me more confused.

• Letter to the Editor: Ease the way
I have another comment on contraflow. For faster flow, maybe the police could organize evacuees in groups of 100 cars according to our ZIP codes.

• Letter to the Editor: Frat brothers off scot-free
Re: "Criminal charges dismissed in Tulane hazing case," Page 1, Oct. 8.

• Other Opinions: Saints preserve us
A friend believes that last Monday night's loss to the Vikings may go down as one of the worst home defeats in Saints' history.

• Letter to the Editor: Sister questions Stan Barré's five-year sentence
I opened the paper Oct. 3 and read that a New Orleans police officer received a sentence of 57 months after pleading guilty to robbing and beating some helpless poor person. I just could not believe my eyes when I saw that it was Judge Carl Barbier who sentenced him -- the same judge who sentenced my brother, Stan Barré, to 60 months for a nonviolent crime after Stan cooperated with the government for 18 months.

• St. Henry's pastor says he won't leave church
The pastor of the Church of St. Henry has publicly thrown his support behind his parishioners in their fight to keep their parish church open.

• Lolis Eric Elie: The Dutch go beyond protection
"Strength in harmony."

• Letter to the Editor: There are many 'life' issues
Re: "Catholics have a clear duty," Your Opinoins, Oct. 8.

• EDITORIAL: Shepherd's fast rise -- and fall
Metro area residents were hardly shocked Friday when Derrick Shepherd, after claiming his innocence for months, admitted his role in a money-laundering scheme and resigned his state Senate seat.

• Fall novena to St. Jude starts Oct. 20
It's fall and once again it is time for the fall St. Jude novena at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 6425 West Metairie Ave. in Metairie. The nine days of prayer begin Oct. 20 and continue through Oct. 28.

• Fall novena to St. Jude starts Oct. 20
It's fall and once again it is time for the fall St. Jude novena at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 6425 West Metairie Ave. in Metairie. The nine days of prayer begin Oct. 20 and continue through Oct. 28.

• Influential allies on Jefferson's side
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Danny Davis is from Chicago, but he feels a special kinship with Rep. William Jefferson of New Orleans. Davis grew up in Parkdale, Ark., 30 miles along the poorest stretch of America from Jefferson's hometown of Lake Providence.

• ON THE HILL
--- New tack in fight for third term ---

• Cloudy review holds up grants
The New Orleans City Council is expected to decide this week whether to hand out $5 million in grants to 20 local businesses and nonprofits, even though members of the council and Mayor Ray Nagin's administration acknowledge that the proper review process hasn't been followed.

• Scalise, Harlan joust in taped 1st District debate
U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and Democratic challenger Jim Harlan of Lacombe engaged in a spirited face-off for broadcast this morning, taking a contentious tone as the 1st Congressional District campaign comes into focus.

• Family looks for comfort, and answers
Four months after a gunshot ended Nathaniel Mills' life in the barbershop he had always dreamed of owning, more than 80 friends and family members gathered Saturday to seek the help of the community he loved.

• FIRMLY PLANTED
To say that the Brother Andre community garden in the Upper 9th Ward was "a bit overgrown" before Saturday was an understatement, Venice Williams said as she yanked a patch of knotted roots from a shrub run amok and added it to a large weed pile.

• Jazz and Razz
JAZZ

• Downtown board sets budget, goals
The Downtown Development District has set itself some ambitious goals for 2009, such as reducing graffiti in the Central Business District by 50 percent and lining up a site and financing for a new home for Civil District Court somewhere in the district.

• Cloudy review holds up grants
The New Orleans City Council is expected to decide this week whether to hand out $5 million in grants to 20 local businesses and nonprofits, even though members of the council and Mayor Ray Nagin's administration acknowledge that the proper review process hasn't been followed.

• Downtown board sets budget, goals
The Downtown Development District has set itself some ambitious goals for 2009, such as reducing graffiti in the Central Business District by 50 percent and lining up a site and financing for a new home for Civil District Court somewhere in the district.

• Family looks for comfort, and answers
Four months after a gunshot ended Nathaniel Mills' life in the barbershop he had always dreamed of owning, more than 80 friends and family members gathered Saturday to seek the help of the community he loved.

• FIRMLY PLANTED
To say that the Brother Andre community garden in the Upper 9th Ward was "a bit overgrown" before Saturday was an understatement, Venice Williams said as she yanked a patch of knotted roots from a shrub run amok and added it to a large weed pile.

• Slidell man dies in pickup crash
A 41-year-old Slidell man died early Saturday in a one-vehicle crash along Louisiana 433 near Bayou Bonfouca in Slidell, a State Police spokesman said.

• REUNIONS
The 1943 class of St. Joseph's Academy in New Orleans will celebrate its 65th reunion on Friday at 11 a.m. at Don's Seafood, 4801 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie.

• AARP's safe driving course Wednesday
The American Association of Retired Persons will hold a safe driving course on Wednesday from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Parish Center at St. Clement of Rome Church and School, 4317 Richland Ave., Metairie.

• Algiers residents will open their homes
Joe and Jo Ann Toomy's recently renovated Algiers Point penthouse is part of a larger reclamation project.

• Algiers residents will open their homes
Joe and Jo Ann Toomy's recently renovated Algiers Point penthouse is part of a larger reclamation project.

• Algiers residents will open their homes
Joe and Jo Ann Toomy's recently renovated Algiers Point penthouse is part of a larger reclamation project.

• Algiers schools will get defibrillators
The Kiwanis Club of Algiers -- Morning Edition and Ochsner Medical Center -- West Bank are equipping all nine schools in the Algiers Charter Schools Association with automated external defibrillators, officials announced Tuesday.

• ARMED FORCES
LAFITTE

• A TOUR OF ALGIERS HOMES
Joe and Jo Ann Toomy's recently renovated Algiers Point penthouse is part of a larger reclamation project.

• Bark After Dark gala is Oct. 24 in LaPlace
Riverlands Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will hold its 10th annual Bark After Dark gala Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Bull's Corner Restaurant on Airline Highway in LaPlace.

• Battle for the Paddle draws 2,000 to Luling
The United Way of St. Charles kicked off its 2008-09 fund-raising campaign Oct. 2 with its seventh annual Battle for the Paddle.

• BRIEFING BOOK
TOP OF THE NEWS

• CALENDAR
SUNDAY

• Candy sought for Grand Isle, Lafitte kids
The Jefferson Parish Council is collecting Halloween candy for children in the towns of Grand Isle and Lafitte.

• Chamber sponsoring state park bike ride
The Jefferson Chamber has always been about improving not just the business climate, but also the lives of the citizens of Jefferson Parish. The Chamber recognizes that an excellent quality of life is a factor that attracts and keeps residents and businesses.

• Church musical is canceled
Musica de Camera has canceled "Ah, Sweet Lady," scheduled for today at Holy Name of Mary Church in Algiers because soprano Thais St. Julien is ill. The performance will be rescheduled in early 2009.

• COLLEGES
DELGADO

• COMING UP
ST. CHARLES

• COMMUNITY REPORT
ARTINA

• COMMUNITY REPORT
--- Metairie ---

• COMMUNITY REPORT
--- St. Charles ---

• DAMARIS JOHNSON
School: Destrehan

• Domestic violence vigil to be Wednesday
The City of Kenner and the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children will hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

• Domestic violence vigil to be Wednesday
The City of Kenner and the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children will hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

• Domestic violence vigil to be Wednesday
The City of Kenner and the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children will hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

• Drum major youngest ever to lead Raider band
When the Archbishop Rummel High School Raider Band took the field this school year under the direction of sophomore Andrew Fath, it was a dream come true.

• Economic woes pale next to Saints loss
Wasn't it Bob Dylan who said, "Oh, the times they are a changing?" Boy, are they. This past week I don't know anyone who isn't at least 10 points above the highest rating on any stress scale.

• Flu shots available without appointment
The St. Charles Community Health Center in Luling is promoting a flu shot drive.

• Football mom knows what goes with territory
It was 4 a.m., and Andrell Lockett woke up thirsty.

• Gretna fest puts wear, tear on dancing shoes
I think I'll blame the city of Gretna for my sore feet and legs last weekend.

• Hair-cutting event to benefit breast cancer
In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Hair Illusions Hair Salon in Luling will open Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to give haircuts with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.

• Halloween event lists wanted
The West Bank Picayune sections will publish a list of Halloween activities, fall festivals and Halloween alternative events that will be open to the public on the West Bank.

• Hamsters have a ball with races
It seems to be the season of the hamster (and the hamster ball). Soon after an oversized ball left town to spread the word about the new Disney movie "Bolt" featuring an animated hamster, local real-life hamsters brought their runabout balls out for a public competition.

• HAPPENINGS
ROAD CLOSURES

• HEAD OF THE CLASS
'Lynn Hartley, of Kenner, earned her bachelors degree in elementary education from Louisiana State University at New Orleans. She has taught for the past 16 years at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Kenner. Hartley began teaching prekindergarten since the inception of the school's prekindergarten program and this year she began teaching kindergarten.

• HEALTH NEWS
FREE IMMUNIZATIONS

• Hunter safety course set
The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office will offer a hunter safety education course in November in Killona. It will be Nov. 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Nov. 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Richard Benoit Memorial Firearms Range at the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center in Killona.

• Japanese plums good addition to orchards
Gardeners in the River Parishes may want to consider adding a loquat tree, sometimes called Japanese plum or Japanese medlar, to their landscapes.

• KEEPING THE FAITH
GLORIOUS 2008

• KENNER BUILDING PERMITS
The following building permits were issued by the city of Kenner Sept. 21 through Oct. 5:

• Kenner football's top scorers named
--- Football ---

• KENNER POLICE REPORTS
These arrests and incidents were reported to the Kenner Police Department.

• KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
BBQ CHICKEN DINNER FUNDRAISER

• Landrieu, Kennedy to square off tonight
BATON ROUGE -- Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger John Kennedy square off tonight in their first of three scheduled televised debates in a U.S. Senate race that is growing increasingly caustic.

• LaPlace Boy Scout reaches highest rank
Mathew Harris of LaPlace has earned the highest rank in Scouting, Eagle Scout.

• Leah Chase shares more than her art
When I read Leah Chase's description of art in last week's Lagniappe, I had to smile. I could hear her saying the words.

• LOOK AHEAD
--- WEDNESDAYS ON THE POINT ---

• Luling team helps repair storm-damaged church
A work team from Luling United Methodist Church recently lent a helping hand to a fellow Methodist church in Dulac that was severely damaged during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

• Many come to aid of Saints staffer
For 11 years, Albertha Armstrong of Kenner has been a fixture with the New Orleans Saints. The long-time Saints employee handled ticket sales while touching the hearts of co-workers, friends and fans alike with her infectious smile and caring spirit.

• Many come to aid of Saints staffer
For 11 years, Albertha Armstrong of Kenner has been a fixture with the New Orleans Saints. The long-time Saints employee handled ticket sales while touching the hearts of co-workers, friends and fans alike with her infectious smile and caring spirit.

• MEETINGS
These government and community meetings are open to the public. To have meetings considered for inclusion, send e-mail to citydesk@tpmail.com with MEETINGS in the subject line or a fax to 504.826.3007.

• Nurse named to state list
Delana Buquoi of Ochsner Medical Center -- West Bank has been named to a list of 100 Great Nurses of Louisiana, an honor founded in 1986 to recognize outstanding nurses and their accomplishments and successes.

• Organization marks Oktoberfest on Oct. 22
The German-Acadian Coast Historical and Genealogical Society will hold its annual Oktoberfest featuring German food and a presentation on Louisiana Acadians on Oct. 22.

• Parade promises to be 'spooktacular'
Always painting in bold strokes, Mardi Gras impresario Blaine Kern plans to make Halloween the next big thing in New Orleans with his first Krewe of Boo parade.

• Photo caption
The Cabrini High volleyball team recently donated their time and knowledge to teach volleyball to children at Woodlake Playground in Kenner. Nearly 75 children ages 6-13 attended the clinic led by Cabrini coach Greg Castillo and 23 members of the Cabrini volleyball program. Coach Castillo has conducted the free clinic for the past three years at the request of Ken Marroccoli, director of the Kenner Parks and Recreation Department. "We teach the kids basic volleyball skills such as passing, serving, hitting, and defense," Castillo said. "Our girls get a great feeling from teaching others some of what they have learned."

• Photo caption
Earline and Joe Provenzano of Harahan celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary Sept. 2. Earline, 91, is a homemaker. Joe, 93, is a retired electrical contractor. They have four children, Jolene Schneckenburger, Janet Genusa and Joey Provenzano of Harahan, and Jill Provenzano of River Ridge. They have seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

• Photo caption
Yolonda Wornner Prevost of New Orleans was recently installed as president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Greater New Orleans Chapter. She is the wife of Hallowed Wesley Prevost Jr. and has two daughters, LaTosha Micah Prevost-Scott and LaShanda Krystal Prevost, and a grandson. She is employed by the Louisiana Department of Education as a distinguished educator. She is a graduate of Southern University at New Orleans with a degree in elementary education. Her master's degree from Xavier University is in school administration. Prevost is also vice president of the congregation and chairman of the board of education at Mount Zion Lutheran Church, and connections chair for the Omicron Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

• PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Emily Bonura

• PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alexis Ceravola

• PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Emily Virgets

• PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Allison Briuglio

• Recycling drop-off event set for Saturday
Jefferson Parish has scheduled a recycling drop-off event for Saturday.

• Recycling drop-off event set for Saturday
Jefferson Parish has scheduled a recycling drop-off event for Saturday.

• Recycling drop-off event set for Saturday
Jefferson Parish has scheduled a recycling drop-off event for Saturday.

• Root crops perfect for local fall planting
Beets and carrots are great crops for the fall garden in Louisiana. These root crops are good producers for the relatively small space they require.

• School employees' daycare rates to rise
For the first time in its 20-year history, the Jefferson Parish public school system's employee daycare program for infants and toddlers is raising its rates.

• SCHOOL MENUS
The following meals will be served at Algiers Charter schools this week. Menus are subject to change. Choice of milk is served at all meals.

• SCHOOL MENUS
The following meals will be served at Jefferson Parish public schools this week. Menus are subject to change. Choice of milk is served at all meals.

• SCHOOL NEWS
--- St. Charles ---

• SCHOOLS
ACADEMY OF OUR LADY

• SCHOOLS
--- Elementary and middle school news ---

• SCOUTS
GIRL SCOUTS EXTRAVAGANZA

• SELF-HELP EVENTS
ADOPTEES BIRTHRIGHTS COMMITTEE

• Slidell man dies in pickup crash
A 41-year-old Slidell man died early Saturday in a one-vehicle crash along Louisiana 433 near Bayou Bonfouca in Slidell, a State Police spokesman said.

• St. Martin's, E.D. White excel at swim meet
In a swim meet hosted by St. Martin's Episcopal School in Metairie on Sept. 23, St. Martin's won the girls division while E.D. White Catholic High won the boys division.

• Teen Read Week Oct. 12-18 at library
St. Charles Parish Library will celebrate the 11th annual Teen Read Week today through Oct. 18.

• Ursuline education shaped nurse's life
We often hear that life is a journey and that the road we travel is filled with twists, turns, ups, downs, wrong turns and sometimes, even dead ends. Please, someone, where are the directions? Don't bother with the GPS, because I, for one, need more help than "recalculating."

• Ursuline education shaped nurse's life
We often hear that life is a journey and that the road we travel is filled with twists, turns, ups, downs, wrong turns and sometimes, even dead ends. Please, someone, where are the directions? Don't bother with the GPS, because I, for one, need more help than "recalculating."

• VETERANS NEWS
VFW DANCE

• White House correspondent to speak at Country Day School
Metairie Park Country Day School is hosting its Leah Goldman Karp lecture on Monday at 7 p.m. and the guest speaker is Jim Axelrod, chief White House correspondent for CBS News.

• Workshop to focus on veterans of war
A one-day workshop aimed at clergy, lay leaders and chaplains to assist them with helping and understanding war veterans returning home will be held on Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at John Calvin Presbyterian Church, 4201 Transcontinental Drive, Metairie.

• ART-FULL FUTURE
A bold and ambitious effort to place the Crescent City at the center of the international contemporary art world begins in three weeks with Prospect.1 New Orleans, a city-spanning art extravaganza that will last nearly three months and scatter the works of 81 of the world's hottest artists indoors and outdoors, from Uptown to the Lower 9th Ward.

• Art show another New Orleans miracle
As Hurricane Gustav swirled toward the Louisiana coast, threatening to scuttle Dan Cameron's years-long dream to bring an international art show to his adopted city of New Orleans, the native New Yorker got in touch with his inner optimist.

• PAMPY: ON THE RECORD
On a hot day in the summer of 2007, a sweaty-palmed Stan "Pampy" Barré fidgeted as he watched FBI agents cut crude holes in his $1,500 tailored Italian suit, planting a bug that would shortly be used to record a conversation with New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas.

• Influential allies on Jefferson's side
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Danny Davis is from Chicago, but he feels a special kinship with Rep. William Jefferson of New Orleans. Davis grew up in Parkdale, Ark., 30 miles along the poorest stretch of America from Jefferson's hometown of Lake Providence.

• Landrieu, Kennedy to square off tonight
BATON ROUGE -- Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger John Kennedy square off tonight in their first of three scheduled televised debates in a U.S. Senate race that is growing increasingly caustic.

• Letter to the Editor: A breath of fresh air
Re: "Biden-Palin debate lacked expected fire," Page 1, Oct. 3.

• A life of wasted chances
The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.

• Letter to the Editor: Commit to saving our youth
Re: "New Orleans mothers feared the worst for their sons: Nightmares come true with double homicide," Page 1, Oct. 10.

• Stephanie Grace: Deeper in the crystal ball
And now, a brief break from this crazy, all-consuming election season to talk about the next couple of election seasons.

• Letter to the Editor: Don't expand juvenile detention; rehabilitate it
Re: "Expansion of juvenile jail suggested: Officials disagree on its benefits," and "Zoning panel rejects halfway house," Metro, Oct. 9.

• Family looks for comfort, and answers
Four months after a gunshot ended Nathaniel Mills' life in the barbershop he had always dreamed of owning, more than 80 friends and family members gathered Saturday to seek the help of the community he loved.

• James Gill: GOP doing Kennedy no favors
The national GOP can make a huge difference when it sends hot-shot campaign managers and strategists to help a candidate in Louisiana.

• HAPPENINGS
ROAD CLOSURES

• Letter to the Editor: Incompetence is criminal
Re: "Official: Cottages will be done on time," Metro, Oct. 8.

• Sheila Stroup: Leah Chase shares more than her art
When I read Leah Chase's description of art in last week's Lagniappe, I had to smile. I could hear her saying the words.

• MEETINGS
These government and community meetings are open to the public. To have meetings considered for inclusion, send e-mail to citydesk@tpmail.com with MEETINGS in the subject line or a fax to 504.826.3007.

• New fitness test mimics combat
Described by one of his colleagues as a "PT stud" because he relishes physical training, 1st Lt. Adrian Ambe sweated through a demanding exercise last week to cheers from his fellow troops.

• Scalise, Harlan joust in taped 1st District debate
U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, and Democratic challenger Jim Harlan of Lacombe engaged in a spirited face-off for broadcast this morning, taking a contentious tone as the 1st Congressional District campaign comes into focus.

• Letter to the Editor: The rats are winning the race
Re: "Fed grants $37 billion loan to AIG," Page A-8, Oct. 9.

• Letter to the Editor: Ways to help, long-distance
Re: "Misery loves company," Living, Oct. 8.

• Other Opinions: WORLD NEWS TOMORROW
In the three years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged this region and blew away the homes and hopes of hundreds of thousands of its citizens, there has been much reflection of what we as a nation have learned. In my view, one of the most important lessons is the need to adapt and update our commitment in this new century to a free press that is, as Justice Brennan wrote in 1964, "uninhibited, robust and wide-open."

• Amen time at I-10 and Fremaux
The new interchange at Fremaux Avenue and Interstate 10 had been in use for 11 days, but politicians involved in the project gathered at the site Monday to pat themselves on the back for a job well-done.

• Barber's shooting still a mystery
Ever since he was a young boy cutting his schoolmates' hair in his living room, Nathaniel Mills dreamed of being a barber.

• Dope dealer convicted in killing
An Orleans Parish jury convicted a 23-year-old man of murder this week, a year after a 37-year-old man was shot in a Central City intersection as dozens of people watched.

• EDITORIAL: An eye on crime
The promise of hundreds of crime cameras posted across the city to give New Orleans police and prosecutors fail-safe evidence was a myth.

• FEMA needs its own help
Along with the wind, the rain and the surging seas, Hurricane Gustav, it turns out, also delivered a dose of irony.

• Foghat fan was a little too friendly
A year after he made waves in Jefferson Parish political circles by challenging his own father for election, John Young III once again attracted attention as the only person arrested inside the grounds of the Gretna Heritage Festival.

• Jefferson trial date may be delayed
ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- A federal judge said Friday that a Dec. 2 trial date for U.S. Rep. William Jefferson is unlikely while both sides await an appeals court ruling.

• Jindal praises local response to storms
Gov. Bobby Jindal on Friday praised the efficiency of local response efforts during and after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, saying the hard work of Louisianans often made up for slower federal assistance.

• LEAP strategy will get review
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is expected next week to address the rerouting of magnet school test scores, a controversial practice of Jefferson and two other public school systems.

• No-swim warning issued for lake
State health officials Friday issued a no-swimming advisory for Lake Pontchartrain at Fontainebleau State Park because of high levels of bacteria.

• Parish unveils budget plan for 2009
The St. Tammany Parish Council is reviewing a $99.1 million spending plan for 2009, which Parish President Kevin Davis says reflects the "financial crisis" facing the nation and the "serious downturn" in the local housing market.

• Police seek robbery suspects
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office is trying to identify two men who pulled three armed robberies in Metairie on Sunday. The robberies occurred between 8 and 11 p.m. at Lake Villa Drive and Veterans Memorial Boulevard, in the 3100 block of Houma Boulevard and in the 3500 block of North Arnoult Road, according to Sgt. Larry Dyess, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office. In each instance, the two men approached victims, showed a gun and demanded money. Detectives have surveillance camera images of the robbers and a getaway vehicle used in two of the three holdups.

• Road, drainage work spread around
More than 100 road and drainage projects throughout St. Tammany's unincorporated areas are scheduled to be done next year with money from the parish's 2-cent sales tax.

• St. John board favors revised proposal
St. John the Baptist Parish School Board members favored a plan for $46 million in proposed school improvements Friday that included replacing the oldest and most deteriorated building at West St. John Elementary School with a new classroom building, and making sure elementary schools without gymnasiums each get a new covered, paved play area.

• Suspects in man's beating sought
Slidell Police are searching for a group of men that beat and robbed a man early Friday as he was walking in downtown Slidell.

• Tax break to boost historic projects
After a concerted lobbying effort by a group of New Orleans developers and preservationists, Congress voted last week to extend a tax incentive that should help spur the restoration of historic buildings in cities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

• Wagner library is reopening
It's back to the books at the Charles A. Wagner branch library in Metairie, and back to the bricks at the Lakeshore branch.

• 'C-Murder' defense seeks delay
Days before his retrial, Corey "C-Murder" Miller's attorney Friday asked to delay the trial, saying that "inflammatory rhetoric" about the rapper's case raised in Judge Martha Sassone's re-election bid is hurting his chance for a fair trial.

• EDITORIAL: Learning from shelter woes
Poor conditions at some state-run shelters, including a lack of running water, marred Louisiana's otherwise successful debut of government-assisted evacuations during Hurricane Gustav.

• Fest haul going to good cause
Officers in two New Orleans police districts and firefighters at four of the city's engine houses should have reason to smile each time someone buys a beer, bottled water, soda or poster at the Gentilly Fest today.

• St. John voter turnout at 38%
About 38 percent of St. John the Baptist Parish residents cast ballots last Saturday, mirroring earlier forecasts for voter turnout in the judicial and district attorney races.

• Wagner library is reopening
It's back to the books at the Charles A. Wagner branch library in Metairie, and back to the bricks at the Lakeshore branch.

• Car fires might be work of arsonist
Several recent vehicle fires in the Uptown area have piqued the interest of police and fire investigators, sparking an investigation into a possible arsonist.

• Child reports stranger with candy
A 7-year-old Destrehan girl told St. Charles Parish detectives that a stranger tried to lure her into his truck with candy Thursday evening, according to the Sheriff's Office.

• Man shot to death in Iberville complex
A 37-year-old man was shot to death Friday night in the Iberville public housing complex in what police described as a "narcotics deal that went bad."

• Marrero man slain outside of home
A 20-year-old man was shot once in the head late Thursday and left to die near the driveway of the Marrero home he was living in.

• Council leaves retreat with team spirit
The New Orleans City Council hasn't lacked for consensus this year -- its votes on key issues such as authorizing public housing demolitions and making the inspector general's office permanent were unanimous -- but the members weren't always on the same page, either.

• Disaster aid center open through Friday
Residents affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike can get information or assistance in filling out federal forms at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Vacherie which will remain open through Friday.

• Car fires might be work of arsonist
Several recent vehicle fires in the Uptown area have piqued the interest of police and fire investigators, sparking an investigation into a possible arsonist.

• Child reports stranger with candy
A 7-year-old Destrehan girl told St. Charles Parish detectives that a stranger tried to lure her into his truck with candy Thursday evening, according to the Sheriff's Office.

• 'C-Murder' defense seeks delay
Days before his retrial, Corey "C-Murder" Miller's attorney Friday asked to delay the trial, saying that "inflammatory rhetoric" about the rapper's case raised in Judge Martha Sassone's re-election bid is hurting his chance for a fair trial.

• Council leaves retreat with team spirit
The New Orleans City Council hasn't lacked for consensus this year -- its votes on key issues such as authorizing public housing demolitions and making the inspector general's office permanent were unanimous -- but the members weren't always on the same page, either.

• Disaster aid center open through Friday
Residents affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike can get information or assistance in filling out federal forms at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Vacherie which will remain open through Friday.

• Dope dealer convicted in killing
An Orleans Parish jury convicted a 23-year-old man of murder this week, a year after a 37-year-old man was shot in a Central City intersection as dozens of people watched.

• Fest haul going to good cause
Officers in two New Orleans police districts and firefighters at four of the city's engine houses should have reason to smile each time someone buys a beer, bottled water, soda or poster at the Gentilly Fest today.

• Jindal praises local response to storms
Gov. Bobby Jindal on Friday praised the efficiency of local response efforts during and after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, saying the hard work of Louisianans often made up for slower federal assistance.

• Man shot to death in Iberville complex
A 37-year-old man was shot to death Friday night in the Iberville public housing complex in what police described as a "narcotics deal that went bad."

• Marrero man slain outside of home
A 20-year-old man was shot once in the head late Thursday and left to die near the driveway of the Marrero home he was living in.

• St. John voter turnout at 38%
About 38 percent of St. John the Baptist Parish residents cast ballots last Saturday, mirroring earlier forecasts for voter turnout in the judicial and district attorney races.

• Worker dies in fall at hotel
A 39-year-old man waterproofing windows at a Warehouse District hotel was fatally injured Friday morning when he apparently slipped off a ladder and fell, the coroner's office and a hotel representative said.

• Worker dies in fall at hotel
A 39-year-old man waterproofing windows at a Warehouse District hotel was fatally injured Friday morning when he apparently slipped off a ladder and fell, the coroner's office and a hotel representative said.

• EAST JEFFERSON POLICE REPORTS
These incidents were reported to law enforcement authorities.

• Jindal heads to Florida to pad campaign chest
BATON ROUGE -- He is three years away from facing the voters, and he ended 2007 with almost $800,000 in his campaign account. But Gov. Bobby Jindal apparently is leaving little to chance.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Thursday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• POLICE REPORTS
ST. CHARLES ARRESTS

• SHEPHERD PLEADS GUILTY, RESIGNS
Four days before his federal trial was to begin, state Sen. Derrick Shepherd pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit money laundering, a sharp turnaround for the defiant public official who had accused the government of indicting him in retaliation for his refusal to disclose wrongdoing by other elected officials.

• Lobbying pays off for preservationists
After a concerted lobbying effort by a group of New Orleans developers and preservationists, Congress voted last week to extend a tax incentive that should help spur the restoration of historic buildings in cities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

• SHEPHERD PLEADS GUILTY, RESIGNS
Four days before his federal trial was to begin, state Sen. Derrick Shepherd pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit money laundering, a sharp turnaround for the defiant public official who had accused the government of indicting him in retaliation for his refusal to disclose wrongdoing by other elected officials.

• Tenants facing uncertain future
Before Hurricane Katrina, Brodwein Beraud worked as a home-health aide and paid a few hundred in rent to Versailles Arms, a complex in eastern New Orleans subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• Three years later, 6,500 subsidized apartments fester
More than three years after Hurricane Katrina, nearly 6,500 privately owned, federally subsidized apartments sit unrepaired in the state of Louisiana. Most -- about 4,000 -- are in the New Orleans area.

• Jefferson trial date may be delayed
ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- A federal judge said Friday that a Dec. 2 trial date for U.S. Rep. William Jefferson is unlikely while both sides await an appeals court ruling.

• Parish unveils budget plan for 2009
The St. Tammany Parish Council is reviewing a $99.1 million spending plan for 2009, which Parish President Kevin Davis says reflects the "financial crisis" facing the nation and the "serious downturn" in the local housing market.

• Road, drainage work spread around
More than 100 road and drainage projects throughout St. Tammany's unincorporated areas are scheduled to be done next year with money from the parish's 2-cent sales tax.

• St. John board favors revised proposal
St. John the Baptist Parish School Board members favored a plan for $46 million in proposed school improvements Friday that included replacing the oldest and most deteriorated building at West St. John Elementary School with a new classroom building, and making sure elementary schools without gymnasiums each get a new covered, paved play area.

• Tax break to boost historic projects
After a concerted lobbying effort by a group of New Orleans developers and preservationists, Congress voted last week to extend a tax incentive that should help spur the restoration of historic buildings in cities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

• BRIEFS
--- RELIGION NEWS ---

• Car fires might be work of arsonist
Several recent vehicle fires in the Uptown area have piqued the interest of police and fire investigators, sparking an investigation into a possible arsonist.

• Child reports stranger with candy
A 7-year-old Destrehan girl told St. Charles Parish detectives that a stranger tried to lure her into his truck with candy Thursday evening, according to the Sheriff's Office.

• 'C-Murder' defense seeks delay
Days before his retrial, Corey "C-Murder" Miller's attorney Friday asked to delay the trial, saying that "inflammatory rhetoric" about the rapper's case raised in Judge Martha Sassone's re-election bid is hurting his chance for a fair trial.

• Corrections and Clarifications
Courts to merge in 2014: A Sept. 21 article incorrectly reported when a merger of New Orleans' criminal and civil courts into the new 41st Judicial District must take effect. A law passed by the Legislature last spring allows the courts to remain separate until Dec. 31, 2014.

• Corrections and Clarifications
Wrong street named: A story in Thursday's editions about unaffiliated voters being improperly blocked from voting in last week's Democratic 2nd District congressional primary used an incorrect street name. It should have said Robert Jones experienced voting problems at a Harvey firehouse on MacArthur Avenue.

• Corrections and Clarifications
Heisman didn't wash away: A column in the Oct. 3 sports section mistakenly said that the 1945 Heisman Trophy won by Army running back Felix "Doc" Blanchard, which was given to St. Stanislaus College in 1991, was washed away by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The brothers who run the Bay St. Louis, Miss., school took the trophy with them when they evacuated. The trophy was recently on loan to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson. Blanchard attended St. Stanislaus before enrolling at West Point.

• Council leaves retreat with team spirit
The New Orleans City Council hasn't lacked for consensus this year -- its votes on key issues such as authorizing public housing demolitions and making the inspector general's office permanent were unanimous -- but the members weren't always on the same page, either.

• Dope dealer convicted in killing
An Orleans Parish jury convicted a 23-year-old man of murder this week, a year after a 37-year-old man was shot in a Central City intersection as dozens of people watched.

• EAST JEFFERSON POLICE REPORTS
These incidents were reported to law enforcement authorities.

• Letter to the Editor: Goodbye to green Tammany
I reside in Flower Estates North off Louisiana 21 north of Interstate 12 and have to deal daily with the current traffic gridlock caused by unrestrained commercial development that will only get worse.

• Letter to the Editor: In our hot climate, trees are not the enemy
Re: "Mid-City trees a true menace," Your Opinions, Oct. 10.

• LEAP strategy will get review
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is expected next week to address the rerouting of magnet school test scores, a controversial practice of Jefferson and two other public school systems.

• Man shot to death in Iberville complex
A 37-year-old man was shot to death Friday night in the Iberville public housing complex in what police described as a "narcotics deal that went bad."

• Marrero man slain outside of home
A 20-year-old man was shot once in the head late Thursday and left to die near the driveway of the Marrero home he was living in.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Thursday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Thursday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• NEW ORLEANS POLICE BLOTTER
The New Orleans Police Department reported the following incidents occurring through Thursday. If you have information on these or any other crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn up to $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

• POLICE REPORTS
ST. CHARLES ARRESTS

• Police seek robbery suspects
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office is trying to identify two men who pulled three armed robberies in Metairie on Sunday. The robberies occurred between 8 and 11 p.m. at Lake Villa Drive and Veterans Memorial Boulevard, in the 3100 block of Houma Boulevard and in the 3500 block of North Arnoult Road, according to Sgt. Larry Dyess, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office. In each instance, the two men approached victims, showed a gun and demanded money. Detectives have surveillance camera images of the robbers and a getaway vehicle used in two of the three holdups.

• Political support splits along religious lines
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama last month led Republican John McCain among Catholics, mainline Protestants, black Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated, according to a national poll released this week by a nonprofit coalition of progressive faith groups.

• Road, drainage work spread around
More than 100 road and drainage projects throughout St. Tammany's unincorporated areas are scheduled to be done next year with money from the parish's 2-cent sales tax.

• Letter to the Editor: Show me the money
This $700 billion bailout is helping no one except the very wealthy. Everyday Americans are losing their savings, their retirement, their future.

• Letter to the Editor: Slap at moderator unwarranted
If you watched the vice presidential debate, you probably noted that moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS conducted herself as a journalist should, treating both candidates fairly and evenly. I was proud of her.

• St. John board favors revised proposal
St. John the Baptist Parish School Board members favored a plan for $46 million in proposed school improvements Friday that included replacing the oldest and most deteriorated building at West St. John Elementary School with a new classroom building, and making sure elementary schools without gymnasiums each get a new covered, paved play area.

• St. John voter turnout at 38%
About 38 percent of St. John the Baptist Parish residents cast ballots last Saturday, mirroring earlier forecasts for voter turnout in the judicial and district attorney races.

• Letter to the Editor: Surplus could aid recovery
Re: "Upside of high oil prices: State gains from royalties," Page A-2, Sept. 30.

• Other Opinions: Teacher offers a message of tolerance
By the worried look on my mother's face I instantly knew that something was wrong. As I climbed into her car, parked in front of George C. Marshall Junior High in Beaumont, Texas, on the afternoon of May 15, 1972, she broke the news. "Governor Wallace has been shot."

• Letter to the Editor: Water bill a shocker
Shouldn't there be some legitimate oversight of the Sewerage & Water Board?

• 5 north shore areas deemed cultural districts
The artistic communities along the north shore received special recognition for their impacts on the state's culture and economy with the announcement by Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and Gaye Hamilton, manager of the Cultural Economy Program with the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism of the certification of the first 29 Cultural Districts in Louisiana.

• Corps plans to fix leaky floodwall seals
The Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it plans to repair deficient seals that presumably are letting small amounts of water leak through the West Return Canal floodwall in Kenner.

• EDITORIAL: Don't forget Gustav
The Federal Emergency Management Agency took an important step for Louisiana's recovery in agreeing to pick up the full costs of debris cleanup and other immediate emergency expenses related to Hurricane Ike in several hard hit parishes.

• Evacuation shelter plans upgraded
BATON ROUGE -- Should Louisiana have another mandatory evacuation before the 2008 hurricane season ends Nov. 30, the state would continue to use some of the shelter facilities that were widely criticized during the evacuation for Hurricane Gustav. But the conditions and staffing would be vastly improved.

• Fresh era beginning for School Board
For many years leading up to Hurricane Katrina, most Orleans Parish School Board members regularly fought proposals for a state takeover and charter schools. They often courted teachers union support -- then a big factor in getting elected -- and decried school choice and state intervention as ploys to dismantle and weaken the public education system.

• Fresh era beginning for School Board
For many years leading up to Hurricane Katrina, most Orleans Parish School Board members regularly fought proposals for a state takeover and charter schools. They often courted teachers union support -- then a big factor in getting elected -- and decried school choice and state intervention as ploys to dismantle and weaken the public education system.

• Slidell may get new seniors center
More than three years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Slidell Senior Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency seems poised to pay the cost to demolish and rebuild the Cousin Street structure.

• Traffic fines to go into overdrive
For the first time in at least two decades, drivers caught violating traffic laws in the town of Madisonville will see a substantial increase in the fines they pay.

• Air station plans big birthday bash
Military units have called Belle Chasse home for five decades now. So Plaquemines Parish officials said it is appropriate to honor one of their leading constituents: the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base.

• Church-merger pace surprises some
The Archdiocese of New Orleans appears poised to close two small Uptown Catholic parishes within weeks, rather than waiting for the end of the year, as many parishioners expected.

• Deputy rape case moving again
Citing a deteriorating rapport with the victims, the state attorney general's office has recused itself from a case involving a St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff's deputy facing rape charges.

• EDITORIAL: Looking ahead on storms
With the potential for stronger and more frequent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, getting a clearer picture of what climate change could bring is critical in assessing risk and planning storm protection.

• Efforts to catch emu on the loose run afowl
An hours-long standoff in northeastern St. Tammany Parish broke when the 6-foot suspect bolted for the woods, leaving behind a group of deputies, a surprised homeowner and probably a few feathers.

• Slidell school contracts approved
In a unanimous vote with no discussion, the St. Tammany Parish School Board on Thursday approved a $9.84 million contract to build the Robert C. Brooks Education Complex.

• Take a walk on wild side Saturday
Area families are invited to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week by exploring wild new attractions during the 11th annual Wild Things Festival on Saturday in Lacombe.

• Water tower dilemma develops
Months after discovering a leak at the Gretna water tower on Belle Chasse Highway that sent a fine mist over walkers and joggers in Mel Ott Park, city officials are learning the 40-year-old tower could require a million-dollar overhaul to avoid much costlier malfunctions in the future.

• It's tea time for garden enthusiasts
Greater Slidell Council of Garden Clubs members will demonstrate Tuesday during the Louisiana Garden Club Federation's District VI Fall Meeting that gardening is their cup of tea.

• Officials grilled about cameras
New Orleans City Council members spent more than an hour Thursday grilling Nagin administration officials about the city's crime camera program, questioning whether the millions spent on the cameras were properly authorized and whether they have produced meaningful results.

• School to grade recycling program
Ethel Schoeffner Elementary School in Destrehan will soon be the testing ground for a paper recycling program.

• Signs of recovery
-- The first half dozen homes in the Lower 9th Ward built by Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation are complete or nearing completion, and construction will begin soon on the next phase of the project, which aims to build 150 homes for people who owned property in the hardhit area.

• Special delivery leads to drug charges
While the package was not a surprise, two Mandeville residents last week received a surprise deliveryman.

• Special delivery leads to drug charges
While the package was not a surprise, two Mandeville residents last week received a surprise deliveryman.

• Things appear to be clicking for Rebels
Imagine one of those moments. You know the kind. Those moments when things just click and things fall into place exactly how you would have them fall.

• Camellia marching band fest Saturday
Northshore High School will be the place to be Saturday for marching band members and marching band enthusiasts.

• Man stabs wife's friend, police report
A 36-year-old man stabbed a friend of his estranged wife more than 24 times Wednesday morning in the West Carrollton neighborhood, police said.

• Air station plans big birthday bash
Military units have called Belle Chasse home for five decades now. So Plaquemines Parish officials said it is appropriate to honor one of their leading constituents: the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base.

• Burglar has familiar face
A burglar broke into Tomatillo's restaurant on Esplanade Avenue during late-night raids last week, walking away with bicycles and bottles of alcohol, police said.

• Church-merger pace surprises some
The Archdiocese of New Orleans appears poised to close two small Uptown Catholic parishes within weeks, rather than waiting for the end of the year, as many parishioners expected.

• Corps plans to fix leaky floodwall seals
The Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it plans to repair deficient seals that presumably are letting small amounts of water leak through the West Return Canal floodwall in Kenner.

• Deputy rape case moving again
Citing a deteriorating rapport with the victims, the state attorney general's office has recused itself from a case involving a St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff's deputy facing rape charges.

• Efforts to catch emu on the loose run afowl
An hours-long standoff in northeastern St. Tammany Parish broke when the 6-foot suspect bolted for the woods, leaving behind a group of deputies, a surprised homeowner and probably a few feathers.

• Former inmate sues parish jail
A handicapped former inmate is suing the St. Tammany Parish jail and some of its staff, alleging that they improperly addressed his handicap during a stay at the jail in 2007.

• Man stabs wife's friend, police report
A 36-year-old man stabbed a friend of his estranged wife more than 24 times Wednesday morning in the West Carrollton neighborhood, police said.

• Officials grilled about cameras
New Orleans City Council members spent more than an hour Thursday grilling Nagin administration officials about the city's crime camera program, questioning whether the millions spent on the cameras were properly authorized and whether they have produced meaningful results.

• REACHING ACROSS THE LAKE
The laws of physical science explain that materials expand or contract with the change in pressure and temperature. When objects are wet or cold, they contract. Conversely, when they are warm, they exp