Chancellor’s Forum: Martin outlines University’s financial plans, p. 3
Women’s basketball: Van Chancellor resigns after four seasons, p. 7
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Clean as a Whistle
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St. Patty’s Day: BR puts its own spin on festive holiday, p. 11
Thursday, March 17, 2011 • Volume 115, Issue 108
TLC show to feature Prairieville crime-scene cleaning business Celeste Ansley Staff Writer
Xtreme Cleaners, a crime-scene cleaning company in Prairieville, will face the challenges of cleaning a home devastated by Hurricane Katrina and a home ransacked by hoarders April 12 on the TLC show “Ultimate Cleaners.” Larry Douglas, president of Xtreme Cleaners, is a former police officer from New England who founded the company in 2003 because he wanted to help families clean up after tragic events place in their homes. The company added the Prairieville location in 2008. “The premise was to help families in time of need,” Douglas said. The episodes featuring Xtreme Cleaners were supposed to premiere March 20 but have been pushed back so a Charlie Sheen special can air. Douglas said the company now cleans homicide and suicide incidents, methamphetamine labs, crack houses, hoarder homes and animal over-runs. “Basically, anything that causes a house to go into total distress,” Douglas said. Douglas said suicide is an incident with which the company commonly deals. “We are extremely discreet and clean it up so the family doesn’t have to deal with the trauma,” he said. Douglas said his service doesn’t become a burden on families because the cleanup can be covered by homeowners insurance if a crime scene or death occurs in the home. Douglas said some cases are tougher than XTREME, see page 6
photos courtesy of DISCOVERY CHANNEL
[Top] Matt Douglas of “Ultimate Cleaners” stands in front of a distressed property in New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina. [Bottom, from left to right] Patrick Fletcher and Joshua Douglas take trash bags to the dumpster. Joshua Douglas loads the dumpster. Fletcher uses a fogger to purify the air.
Regents propose funding formula Matthew Albright Chief Staff Writer
The Board of Regents is considering changing its funding formula, according to a report issued to legislators Wednesday afternoon. The Regents oversee the state’s higher education system. Its funding formula determines how much funding individual schools receive. The proposal presents four major changes to the existing formula. First, different standards would be applied to two-year institutions like Baton Rouge Community College than to four-year institutions like LSU. Two-year administrators have complained their goals are different from four-year institutions and therefore merit different benchmarks. Second, funding would be tied to performance standards that apply to the LA GRAD Act, a bill passed last year that allows institutions to raise tuition independently by up to 10 percent, given certain performance markers. Administrators at technical colleges and smaller universities have complained that graduation rates, REGENTS, see page 6
ELECTION WATCH: A series looking at the SG presidential race
Wells, Bordelon propose student voice on Board of Sups Editor’s note: Ticket series will be printed in alphabetical order according to the presidential candidates’ last names. Andrea Gallo Staff Writer
Candidates of the “Together LSU” ticket for Student Government president and vice president say they want to make SG an outlet for communication among University organizations and administrators. Presidential candidate Cody Wells, an SG senator, and vice presidential candidate Kathleen Bordelon, former senator and current director of Student Outreach, said the SG president will be eligible for a seat on the Board of Supervisors in the upcoming year, and Wells said
he will “go after the seat with all his might.” Currently, Ali Lieberman, LSUShreveport’s SG president, is the student member on the Board. Bordelon said she is prepared to step into Wells’ role if he is busy at the Board of Supervisors. She said with a strong executive branch behind them, Wells’ absence from the SG office will not affect goals that need to be accomplished. The duo, both of whom have worked in the Legislature as aides, said the process for budget cuts is largely political because Gov. Bobby Jindal is up for re-election. Wells said he supports mergers of universities, but legislators are going to cling to whatever University is in their area. Wells said while Jindal’s current proposed budget says there will
be no cuts to higher education, the politicized process will change that. “Just because his initial budget is pretty for higher education, it won’t be at the end,” Wells said. Though Wells and Bordelon say they will “protect student interest” as far as budget cuts, they will not dedicate their entire administration to them. “We’re not going to let the focus of our administration be combating budget cuts,” Wells said. Wells voted for both the resolution to add “gender identity and expression” to the
Hear more from Wells and Bordelon at 5:20 p.m. on KLSU. TOGETHER LSU, see page 6
BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille
Student Government presidential candidate Cody Wells, left, and vice presidential candidate Kathleen Bordelon discuss their campaign Wednesday in Hodges Hall.