MONROE, La., (KNOE 8 News) - Here are some of the stories in the ARKLAMISS for Friday, the 15th.
BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp.'s board has voted to borrow $100 million through bonds to cover a $70 million shortfall - in direct defiance of the Jindal administration's wishes. Division of Administration spokesman Michael DiResto criticized the proposed bond issue, describing it as bad for all property owners and taxpayers.
GREENSBURG, La. - Louisiana State Police say a 26-year-old Mississippi man died in a single-vehicle wreck on La. Highway 10 in St. Helena Parish The victim has been identified as James Ponder, of Mount Olive, Miss.
NEW IBERIA, La. - The Iberia Parish Coroner's Office has identified the victim of a Tuesday night stabbing as Lolita Bailey, whose 13-year-old stepson is being held on a count of second-degree murder. Coroner Dr. Carl Ditch said in a news release that Bailey died of multiple stab wounds.
LAFAYETTE, La. - The Lafayette City-Parish Council is considering giving drivers until April 30 to pay the nearly 29,000 past-due city parking tickets and traffic camera citations before the start of a tougher collection policy. The council last year approved a new collection policy that calls for the City-Parish Attorney's Office to file lawsuits to recover traffic camera citations.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A new $12 million children's library is set to open this weekend in Little Rock. The Central Arkansas Library System is planning to hold an opening celebration tomorrow for its Children's Library and Learning Center. The new facility includes a computer lab, teaching kitchen and theater to go along with thousands of books, DVDs and CDs.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Former President Bill Clinton is expected to help announce the launch of a microloan program for small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Little Rock area. Clinton is scheduled to appear this afternoon at the launch of Kiva City Little Rock. The program connects small business owners to an online community where people can lend money to Arkansas businesses.
SPRINGDALE, Ark. - An Arkansas man has been charged with two counts for first-degree murder following the deaths of two infants in separate incidents. Springdale police say Travis Fox admitted that he "violently shook" his 7-month-old son, who died Wednesday at a hospital. Washington County authorities say Fox was already under investigation for the September 2011 death of another of his children, who was 6 months old.
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - ConAgra Foods is set to break ground on a $100 million expansion to a plant in Russellville. The ceremony to mark the addition takes place this morning. ConAgra plans to add 80 new jobs at the plant which produces Banquet, Healthy Choice and Marie Callender's products.
HERNANDO, Miss. - DeSoto County school board members have approved contracts designed to improve online connections within Mississippi's largest public school district. Telepak, a sister company of Mississippi-based C Spire Wireless, won a contract to provide Wide Area Network services and Internet connectivity to the district and its 42 schools.
HERNANDO, Miss. - A Mississippi businessman, accused of embezzling prize money from bowling leagues at the Southaven bowling center he owns, will go through pretrial intervention. It's a program for first-time nonviolent offenders, instead of going to trial.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Hattiesburg Public School District is surveying its parents and students to find out what kinds of programs and activities it should offer to its parents. Vicki Kibodeaux, the district's federal programs director, says the responses to the survey will help the district determine how to spend some of its Title 1 funds.
GULFPORT, Miss. - A 60-year-old Hudson, Fla., woman must pay a $5,000 fine and serve a 20-year prison term for distributing oxycodone in Mississippi during stays at local resorts. Gail Ann Owens also will have three years of post-release supervision.
