Sunday, May 14, 2017
State/Nation
Across the Nation Associated Press
Ex-LA sheriff gets 3-year sentence LOS ANGELES — Former Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for obstructing an FBI investigation into abuses at the jails he ran. The 74-year-old Baca, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, was sentenced by a judge who has shown little leniency when it comes to Baca’s role atop a department rife with corruption. U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson said he would have sentenced Baca to five years in prison except for his years of service and the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The judge, however, took exception to a defense contention that Alzheimer’s is a sentence of its own. “As awful as Alzheimer’s diseases, it’s not a criminal penalty,” Anderson said. “Alzheimer’s disease is not a get-outof-jail card.” Baca was ordered to turn himself in July 25 to begin serving his sentence. As he walked out of the courthouse Friday morning, Baca told reporters that it had been “an interesting day” and thanked his supporters for standing by him. “For 48 years, he served the people of Los Angeles with all his might, with all his heart,” his attorney, Nathan Hochman, said. “He gave it his all, all the time.” The lawman, who worked his way up from guarding inmates to running the nation’s largest jail system — and largest sheriff’s department — was convicted in March of obstructing justice, conspiring to obstruct justice and lying to federal authorities. Baca abruptly resigned in 2014 as the probe netted several underlings who plotted to hide an inmate informant from his FBI handler when they learned the jails were being investigated.
shows that of the nation’s 595 flood fatalities since 2011, 61 percent involved people in vehicles. In Missouri alone, five people motorists died in late April and early May after heavy rains caused rivers and creeks to suddenly surge. Many states use public service campaigns and electronic billboards to warn of the dangers of driving into water. Warning signs are often posted at crossings, and some have barriers or gates.
Astronauts ace 200th spacewalk CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An equipment water leak shortened Friday’s spacewalk by two U.S. astronauts at the International Space Station, but they still managed to replace a faulty electronics box. Despite the initial trouble, it was a milestone moment as Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer floated outside on the station’s 200th spacewalk. The astronauts wasted no time removing the old electronics box, their No. 1 chore, and plugging in a new unit. The device — a bit unwieldy at more than 5 feet long — supplies electricity and data to science experiments on the outside of the station. The pair also whipped through other tasks, leaving only two undone. During earlier preparations, a small amount of water leaked from the connection point between an umbilical hose and Fischer’s suit. The hose is one of two that provide water, oxygen, power, cooling and communications for astronauts before they float outside. The leaky hose had to be disconnected before the spacewalk could begin. The astronauts ended up sharing Whitson’s hose while they waited, which reduced their suit battery power. As a result, Mission Control cut the spacewalk from the intended 6 ½ hours to four hours even before it began.
Drivers continue to die on flooded roads
Man injured during Louisiana tornado
ST. LOUIS — Despite the best efforts of emergency management officials and warnings from meteorologists, Americans continue to die by driving onto flooded roads. Data compiled by Todd Shea of the National Weather Service
BATON ROUGE, La. — Authorities say at least one person has been injured after a tornado touched down in Louisiana. Police Sgt. L’Jean Mckneely Jr. in Baton Rouge said a man was taken to a hospital after Friday morning’s storm
flipped over his vehicle. Mckneely said his injuries weren’t considered life-threatening. National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Destri said the tornado also tore down power lines and caused some structural damage after it touched down in Baton Rouge around 9 a.m.
Coroner reopens case of bullied boy CINCINNATI — A coroner has reopened an investigation into an 8-year-old boy’s suicide, and his school district said Friday that it expects to release surveillance video that shows a bully knocking him unconscious two days before he killed himself. A Hamilton County coroner’s office spokesman said new evidence has prompted the reopening of the suicide investigation of Gabriel Taye, who hanged himself in his bedroom with a necktie on Jan. 26. Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco told Cincinnati radio station WLW on Thursday that she asked police for a full investigation to determine whether there are contributing factors to Gabriel’s suicide, WXIXTV reported. “It was very hard for me to believe that an 8-year-old would even know what it means to commit suicide,” Sammarco told WLW. Cincinnati police said in a statement that they would have no further comment about the case, and they directed question to the coroner’s office. The coroner’s spokesman said Friday that Sammarco wasn’t available to discuss the investigation being reopened.
Calf born at ranch has 2 extra limbs BEULAH, N.D. — A calf born seemingly healthy at a North Dakota ranch has an extra set of limbs hanging off its neck. State Veterinarian Susan Keller tells The Bismarck Tribune that the calf could’ve been born with one of two disorders, polydactyly or polymelia. With polymelia the extra limbs are often smaller or shrunken. Polydactyly is the result of genetic combinations involving recessive genes. Keller says this type of defect is an “important topic that producers should not be afraid to report to their veterinarian and to all breed associations.”
Daily Corinthian • 7A
Across the State Associated Press
Payday lender forced to close, fine ordered JACKSON — Mississippi officials are forcing one of the state’s largest payday lenders to close, imposing fines of more than $1.5 million. The Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance issued the order Thursday, revoking 75 licenses held by All American and ordering an immediate stop to new loans. The company must pay fines of $1.58 million and refunds to at least 700 customers. Federal and state regulators announced in 2014 that All American Check Cashing was illegally encouraging customers to pay only interest on car title and payday loans, accusing it of breaking Mississippi law. The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is suing All American in federal court, seeking to force repayment to more customers. All American has strenuously disputed the enforcement actions, even filing a state ethics complaint against a banking regulator.
Inmate stabbed multiple times MERIDIAN — Authorities say an inmate has been stabbed at an east Mississippi prison. The Meridian Star reports that the stabbing happened Thursday at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility near Meridian. Lauderdale County Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun says the inmate suffered multiple stab wounds. He described the injuries as not lifethreatening. Calhoun says the inmate was taken to a local emergency department. The newspaper reports that charges against an attacker, if identified, would be presented to a grand jury.
Robbery suspect sought in Natchez NATCHEZ — Authorities are searching for multiple suspects in connection with an alleged armed robbery in Natchez. The Natchez Democrat reports that Adams County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Maj. Jerry Brown says the victim was playing dice with a few people on Tuesday night when four to five men wearing ski masks pointed guns at the victims.
Brown says the suspects reportedly took a pistol and $140 in cash. He says the victim later went to a nearby store to report the crime.
Bryant seeks federal tornado assistance JACKSON — Residents of Holmes and Montgomery counties could get federal help following April 30 tornadoes, if Gov. Phil Bryant gets his way. Bryant has officially asked that President Donald Trump declare a disaster. The Republican governor also asks Trump to approve assistance to governments and nonprofit utilities in Adams, Calhoun, Carroll, Claiborne, Holmes, Jefferson, Montgomery, Webster and Yazoo counties. That could pay to repair government property, remove debris, and cover emergency worker overtime. Other counties could be added later if Trump approves. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says 112 homes without insurance were destroyed or severely damaged in Holmes and Montgomery counties. MEMA and federal officials have been conducting joint assessments. The National Weather Service counted 29 tornadoes in Mississippi, the fourth-largest outbreak on record. One man died in Durant.
Ex-employee gets education contract JACKSON — A former high-ranking employee at the Mississippi Department of Education has received a $48,000 contract to do two months of consulting work for the agency. The department awarded the contract to J.P. Beaudoin effective May 5, The Clarion-Ledger reported. He was the department’s research chief from August 2015 until last October, with an annual salary of $158,000. He is now the CEO of Research In Action, an education consulting company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The contract was first reported Wednesday by Mississippi Today. Department of Education documents show Research In Action will produce some annual reports that are required by federal law. Because the total amount of the contract is below $50,000, it did not require approval by the state Board of Education.
When he worked at the Department of Education, Beaudoin supervised six offices, including student assessment, accreditation and educator licensure. He was helped develop state testing standards. Regulations from the state Personal Service Contract Review board say that for a year after leaving a state government job, it is a breach of ethical standards for a former employee to have a state contract “in matters which were within the former employee’s official responsibility.”
Full-court hearing urged in murder JACKSON — Mississippi is pushing for a full appeals court hearing after a three-judge panel ruled a woman convicted of a grisly double murder deserves a new trial because of racial discrimination in her jury selection. In filings late Wednesday, the state asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans for a hearing in front of the full court after a panel ruled 2-1 in March that Lisa Jo Chamberlin was entitled to a new trial. She was convicted and sentenced to death in two 2004 killings the appeals court described as gruesome “even by the standards of capital cases.” The appeals court ruled there was evidence of discrimination; the state disagrees. Chamberlin, who is white, challenged the exclusion of two black jurors.
Slow economic growth picks up JACKSON — Economic growth accelerated in Mississippi in 2016, but still trails the national average. Gross domestic product numbers released Thursday by the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis measure all the economic output of each state. Mississippi’s economy grew 0.8 percent in 2016, compared to a 0.3 percent increase in 2015. Growth was led by retail trade and agriculture. The mining and construction sectors shrank. Nationwide, economic output rose 1.5 percent during 2016. Mississippi, with a $108 billionplus economy, grew 37th fastest among states. State economist Darrin Webb had predicted 2016 growth of 2.4 percent. Mississippi’s economy remains smaller than in 2008.
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