By Gary Laney
American Press
McNeese State's displaced fall sports teams have found homes at various sites.
The Cowboys football team will practice and stay at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond until they are able to return to the Lake Charles campus, athletics director Sonny Watkins said Friday.
Also at SLU will be the Cowgirls' soccer team. The volleyball and tennis teams will stay and practice at Louisiana-Lafayette.
"We appreciate the effort these schools are making for us," athletics director Sonny Watkins said.
McNeese's fall teams were left without a livable campus and with damaged facilities after Hurricane Rita ripped through Lake Charles early on the morning of Sept. 24.
Watkins said that while these teams will stay and practice at other schools, they will not attend class. McNeese has a goal of re-opening the campus and completing its fall semester, Watkins said.
"They won't be going to class," he said.
The football team will report to Hammond Monday and begin practicing Tuesday, athletics spokesman Louis Bonnette said.
Watkins also said that while the football team will practice at Hammond, it won't necessarily play home games there. The Cowboys don't have another home game scheduled until Oct. 15, their Southland Conference opener against Stephen F. Austin.
"There are a few places we might play that," he said. "But probably not Hammond."
Cowboy Stadium will probably not be an option, at least for the SFA game. McNeese's home field suffered significant damage to light poles and its press box and the field, located below ground level in an embanked area, is filled with 3-4 feet of murky water.
McNeese has had three home games cancelled this season, two because of Rita and one after Hurricane Katrina compelled Southern to call off the Sept. 3 season opener at Lake Charles. Northwestern Oklahoma State was scheduled to be in Lake Charles Sept. 24, the day of the storm. Southern Utah was scheduled to be in Lake Charles Saturday.
McNeese and SLC rival Lamar, which does not play football, both took direct hits from Rita, a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
As a result, the Southland has lost 13 conference volleyball games, one conference soccer game, eight football games and two cross country meets with SLC participants.
The SLC took the following actions Friday to deal with the storm's aftermath:
-- In volleyball, the conference will not reschedule the canceled league matches.The regular season champion will be determined by conference win percentage.
-- Athletic directors agreed to improvise to schedule "home" matches for Lamar and McNeese, both currently without homes.
-- The league volleyball tournament, scheduled for Nov. 18-20 in Arlington, Texas,will be expanded from six teams to the top eight regular-season finishers. While the conference has taken steps to address the problem in volleyball, there are issues in football.
Unless McNeese fills its current Oct. 8 open date, it will finish with eight games played. The NCAA requires seven wins against Division I-AA opponents for a team to get an at-large berth to the NCAA playoffs.
Unless that rule is waived in regards to McNeese, the 1-1 Cowboys could not possibly earn an at-large berth. A 6-0 conference record would give them the required wins, but they would have the automatic berth anyway. Any loss in coference would leave McNeese with no more than six wins.
Friday, September 30
Cowboys football headed for Hammond
Jeff Davis schools want students back Oct. 10
BY DORIS MARICLE
AMERICAN PRESS
JENNINGS — Jeff Davis Parish school officials say students will return to classes on Oct. 10, a week from Monday.
Schools in Jeff Davis Parish will remain closed next week to allow for cleanup. Some schools are also being used to house out-of-state National Guard troops and utility crews dispatched to the area to help with recovery efforts following Hurricane Rita.
Superintendent of School Tommy Smith said all 12-month employees, assistant principals and principals are to report to their assigned work sites on Monday, Oct. 3, to begin cleanup of facilities.
Students will not return to school until the following Monday on Oct. 10, which had previously been scheduled for a teacher in-service day. Smith said the in-service day has been canceled and buses will run.
Any students or employees with extreme circumstances which would prevent them from returning to school or work should contact the school’s principal, he said.
Smith said many of the schools will not be able to reopen next week because of damage. He said every school has received some type of damage ranging from minor roof problems to flooded floors.
Local schools are also serving as staging areas for National Guard troops and electrical crews working to restore power in the area.
More than 800 troops and electrical crews are being housed at schools in Welsh and Jennings. Cafeteria tables and chairs from Ward Elementary School are also being used at a staging area at the Jennings Airport.
Downtown Lake Charles gets power
A major milestone in the effort to restore Lake Charles was reached last night, when some lights in the downtown area blinked back to life. City Hall, court buildings and other downtown buildings able to take power have been restored.
This was made possible by the restoration of the Chlomal substation east of Lake Charles and the Ann and East Broad substations west of the city. These substations are part of a 69-kilovolt loop that encircles Lake Charles. The substations also serve public works, emergency and other governmental facilities. Crews continue to work on restoring other substations along the loop as well.
Crews were also successful in restoring the substation serving the RS CoGen plant southwest of the city.
The outlook for the Nelson Plant in Westlake continues to improve. The plant is currently generating approximately 135 megawatts. Crews continue to work on restoring a 500-kilovolt line that connects the Nelson Plant to Richard, a 500-kilovolt switching station north of Crowley.
The estimated restoration date has been moved up several days to Monday, October 3. The restoration of this line will help with load issues around the Lake Charles area.
Seeking CHRISTUS employees
CHRISTUS Health, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the U.S. with operations in several regions of Texas and Louisiana located directly in the path of Hurricane Rita, is asking an estimated 5000 employees who were displaced by the storm to please call the CHRISTUS Associate Disaster Resource Line at 1-866-683-2070.
DeQuincy health workers to be paid
DEQUINCY — All DeQuincy Memorial Hospital and DeQuincy Home Health employees will be paid on Thursday, Oct. 6. Employees will be paid the same amount as the previous pay period due to the fact computers are down and time can not be computed accurately. The differences will be worked out at a later date.
Checks will be deposited in your Sabine State Bank account. The hospital is asking that all hospital and home health employees contact their department heads. If employees have not contacted their department head, they can call (337) 786-1200.
Mail service resumes in DeRidder
BY ELONA WESTON
AMERICAN PRESS
DERIDDER — When U.S. Postal Service trucks cranked up Tuesday and carriers drove their regular routes, DeRidder postmaster Mack Courvelle said a sense of normalcy returned to the area.
"You always see the mail carriers," he said. "It's a normal function."
Courvelle has been driving to the Lafayette area, dropping off mail and purchasing fuel for his carriers.
He said finding fuel has been the difficult task in delivering residents' mail. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Courvelle bought over $400 of fuel on both days and returned to DeRidder and sold it to his carriers.
"I filled up fuel in five-gallon cans and put them in the back of my truck," he said.
DeRidder is normally serviced from post offices in Lake Charles. Since Hurricane Rita, the DeRidder Post office has been receiving dispatches from Lafayette.
"With Lake Charles being shut down, Lafayette is sending us a dispatch every morning and they take back whatever mail we have at that time with them," Courvelle said. "Our alternative is to get it to Lafayette or even Leesville and they get it to Alexandria, which in turn, will get it in the mail stream."
DeRidder has been assisting the rural post offices of Pitkin, Merryville, Grant, Elizabeth, Singer, Dry Creek and Sugartown, which are operating. Postal workers from those offices pick up their mail in DeRidder and drop off outgoing mail.
The only post office that received considerable damage, according to Courvelle, was the Singer Post Office, which lost its roof.
The post office now operates out of the local branch of Singer's satellite branch of the Beauregard Parish Library, on La. 27.
Courvelle said restoring mail service to Calcasieu and Cameron parishes will be difficult.
"They are working now and trying to get them their SSI-type checks and they are making points available for that," he said.
Courvelle has been impressed with postal employees, who he called "upbeat."
"I think when everybody showed up for work on Tuesday and we had power and air-conditioning, I've never seen so many people happy to be at work," he said.
According to information released by the U.S. Postal Service, customers unable to receive delivery at their permanent address due to Hurricanes Rita or Katrina are being asked to file a change-of-address. The quickest and easiest way is to do this
electronically by going to http://www.usps.com or by calling (800) ASK-USPS ((800) 275-8777).
Hurricane victims in areas without telephone or Internet service should go to the nearest post office, complete a change-of-address form, and submit to a postal retail associate at the counter or mail it - it's postage free.
Time for 256th Brigade return announced
The correct return time for all members of the 256th Brigade Combat Team released on pass, either from Fort Polk or from their initial return from Iraq, is Sunday, Oct. 2, at 4 p.m., according to Lt. Taysha Deaton, a 256th Brigade public affairs officer.
"Look and leave" in Calcasieu
BY HECTOR SAN MIGUEL
AMERICAN PRESS
Thousands of Calcasieu Parish residents are home today to inspect their property, clean up their yards, and - officials hope - go back by day’s end to where they were staying.
At 10 a.m. today, Sept. 30, parish officials will kick off the “look-and-leave” phase of the post-hurricane Calcasieu ComeBack program.
Full electrical power isn’t expected to be restored in the area for a few weeks, and services are lacking as a result. Despite that, elected officials are still not confident that everyone who comes to look will indeed leave.
Calcasieu ComeBack was hammered out in a closed-door meeting Thursday among the parish’s six mayors and Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Hal McMillin.
McMillin said residents who visit should not bring their children — and should keep their hotel reservations.
“We would like for them to come in and assess the situation and leave as soon as possible. When they get here they are going to see what we have been through the last few days. There is a lot of devastation. A lot of streets have been cleared. It looks a lot better,” he said.
“Electricity will continue to remain a central issue for the next 14 to 20 days," said Calcasieu Parish Administrator Mark McMurry said. "Hopefully that could be a little bit better. It could be little bit worst. There won’t be an exactness to that we can give anyone right now.”
McMurry said the date when the second phase of the plan called the “Calcasieu Comeback” will be implemented hasn’t been announced yet.
A publicity campaign aimed at those returning today for the look-and-leave visit will be conducted through brochures and with a telephone number residents can call for information, 721-3840.
Lake Charles doesn’t have potable water, but Sulphur and Westlake do.
Citizens returning to the parish must be prepared to be self-sufficient, with their own food and water, parish officials said. They also must stay off the streets at night and have access to cash, as credit card usage will be difficult. Elderly residents, children and other special-needs citizens are strongly urged not to return during the first phase, officials said.
Residents will be asked to return to their temporary lodging locations at their own discretion and wait to permanently re-enter at a later, undetermined date.
Informational checkpoints are at the Interstate 10 exits in Iowa, at Highway 171 in Lake Charles, at Enterprise Boulevard in Lake Charles, in Westlake, at La. 108 in Sulphur, at Beglis Parkway in Sulphur, at Ruth Street in Sulphur and at Exit No. 7 in Vinton.
Local officials are asking for cooperation with and observance of the following rules and statements:
Animal rescues in Lake Charles
Hurricane Rita evacuees who left pets behind in Lake Charles in the evacuation can contact the Calcasieu Parish Animal Control or Animal Rescue to check on their pets.
The Lake Charles Police Department has been receiving a lot of phone calls from evacuees who want police to check on their pets.
However, the proper agency to call is Calcasieu Parish Animal Control or Animal Rescue.
Animal Control can be contacted at (337) 437-3347, and Animal Rescue at (838) 568-5557.
Thursday, September 29
Calcasieu school employees' pay available
BY CLIFF SEIBER
AMERICAN PRESS
Calcasieu Parish School System employees who do not have direct deposit to their banks may pick up their paychecks from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Sept. 30, at the ticket booth of the Barbe High School football stadium on 2200 W. McNeese St.
Direct deposit checks will be in bank accounts on the regular schedule, according to Charlene Chiasson, the board's public information officer.
School board employees must have a picture ID when they pick up their checks. For security reasons, personnel cannot release checks to anyone but the employee whose name is on the check. No one will be allowed to pick up a check for someone else.
Employees who do not use direct deposit and who are unable to pick up their checks today may have the school system deposit them at certain banks, or they may be mailed.
Details are on the board's Web site at www.cpsb.org.
Superintendent Jude Theriot told employees in a letter that they are still employed, so there is no need to apply for unemployment benefits.
Theriot said while the decision of whether to reenroll Calcasieu Parish schools is up to parents, it is not necessary because a plan for a modified school year will be developed to give students a full year's credit.
In an emergency session, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education decided that while LEAP, Iowa and Graduate Exit Exam tests will be given this spring, the fourth and eighth grade LEAP tests will not be high stakes - passing will not be required for advancement into the fifth and ninth grades. However, passing the GEE will still be required to graduate.
Students due to graduate this spring will still be able to receive Louisiana diplomas, no matter where they finish the year, state Superintendent Cecil Picard said.
Red Cross covers hotel rooms for evacuees
The American Red Cross has added Southwest Louisiana zip codes to the program that covers hotel rooms for Hurricane Rita evacuees.
The Red Cross Special Transient Accommodations and Assistance Program previously covered only Katrina evacuees. New zip codes were added Wednesday to the program’s Web site: www2.corplodging.com/arc/.
The site says evacuees who need assistance with lodging should mention the program to hotel managers, who can bill the rooms to the Red Cross through the Internet. The hotel payment process is administrated by the private housing firm Corporate Lodging Consultants.
CNN reported on its Web site that the Lake Charles zip code 70615 was inadvertently omitted from the list of qualifying zip codes.
The zip code was added to the list Wednesday after a Georgia hotel owner notified the Red Cross of the mistake, CNN reported.
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
Louisiana residents get by in Northeast Texas
BY ERIC CORMIER
AMERICAN PRESS
DALLAS – For those who know they don’t have a home to go back to, the unknown is almost too much to handle, but at least they have a place to lay their heads and people to help and watch over them.
An estimated 350,000 hurricane evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are sheltered in northeast Texas, according to state authorities. Shelter officials with the Salvation Army, Red Cross and church organizations are keeping a close eye on supplies that are running thin.
Evacuees like David and Christine Goodness, of Stingray Drive in Lake Charles, appreciate all the food, hot water, bedding and acts of kindness that have been provided to them in Marshall, Texas.
“We live in Country Pines subdivision and a man told us it is no more,” David, an Isle of Capri employee, said. “But that’s what we expected from the storm.”
Christine, who worked at a storage business in Lake Charles that may or may not be standing, worries about money and employment, but she knows that things could be worse.
“I never thought we would have ever been in a shelter. But this is 100 times better than what we saw at the Louisiana Superdome. There’s decent food here and a decent place to sleep. We have nothing to complain about,” she said.
All the Goodness’ have to worry about is the two of them -- unlike the 41 members of the Galmore family who are from north Lake Charles.
They left last Thursday, hours before Hurricane Rita made landfall.
“We got to Texas on Friday. We went to Many first, but at the First Pentecostal Church, they kicked us out because the lights were going out. As we left, the lights came back on but we still had to leave as the bad weather was coming in. God was with us on the road,” said Ronald Galmore, who lives on Colletta Street.
The Galmore clan ended up splitting up and spreading to shelters and homes in Fort Worth and Dallas.
As a group, they have found open arms at the Salvation Army office in Arlington, a block from Texas-Arlington University.
Shelia Galmore, of Elaine Street, knows her home is still standing, but suffered wind and tree damage.
“It’s all horrible. My heart went out to the people from New Orleans. We in Lake Charles stepped out and opened our hearts and arms and gave them everything we had after Hurricane Katrina,” she said.
She thinks the same support wasn’t shown to Lake Charles evacuees of Hurricane Rita.
“In Leesville, we slept outside. A police officer took us to a church, but they had no room. In Shreveport there were no shelters and they asked us to go to Minden. We had to call a phone number and find the shelter at a Kroger’s. At least the woman at the store helped us. Then we ended up with six other numbers but got tired calling so we went to Texas, where our family is,” she said.
High emotions caused by stress, lack of sleep and hunger made life unpleasant for the Galmore clan.
“We are a big family. You will never find us arguing or fussing, but I have to say the devil got in and we started fighting among each other,” Galmore said.
At the moment, the in-fighting has stopped among the Galmores, and like the Goodnesses, they are counting down the days down when they can go home and contend with whatever inconveniences await them there.
“At least we have our family,” Sheila Galmore said.
Crews energizing lines, substations near Lake Charles
Power crews are making progress in the effort to restore power to Lake Charles, Entergy said. More lines and substations in the outlying area being re-energized.
This approach will allow power to be imported into the Lake Charles area from other areas while work continues on restoring Entergy’s damaged Nelson Plant in Westlake, the company said.
The company said the following milestones were reached Wednesday and Thursday:
• A 230-kilovolt line connecting the Nelson Plant with Cleco’s Cooper Plant (north of Calcasieu Parish) was energized.
• Crews energized a 230-kilovolt line running from the Nelson Plant to the Solac substation. The Solac substation is located on the southwest corner of a 69-kilovolt loop that encircles Lake Charles.
• A 69-kilovolt line from the Klondike substation (located in northeast Cameron Parish) to Entergy’s Meaux substation in Vermillion Parish, south of Lafayette, was energized. This has brought many more customers online.
Work is continuing on a 500-kilovolt transmission line from Richard (a 500-kilovolt switching station north of Crowley) to the Nelson Plant that is crucial and will help with loading issues.
Progress is also being made in restoring the 69-kilovolt loop that encircles Lake Charles.
Crews are also currently focusing on repairing the Ann and Contraband substations, which serve emergency, police, medical, waterworks and governmental facilities in Lake Charles.
Calcasieu reentry plan: "look and leave"
Calcasieu Parish officials and the mayors of the six municipalities in the parish announced a phased reentry plan Thursday for parish residents evacuated for Hurricane Rita, the worst disaster in parish history.
The plan is split into two phases: Calcasieu Visit and Calcasieu Comeback.
Calcasieu Visit is a “Look and Leave” period that will permit residents to re-enter the parish, assess the damage to their homes, gather important belongings and then return to safer and more secure locations outside the hurricane-damaged area. This phase will begin Friday, Sept. 30 during daylight hours.
Citizens returning to the parish must be prepared to be self-sufficient, with their own food and water, parish officials said. They also must stay off the streets at night and must have access to cash, as credit card usage will be difficult.
Elderly residents, children and other special needs citizens are strongly urged not to return during the first phase, officials said.
Residents will be asked to return to their temporary lodging locations at their own discretion to permanently re-enter in Calcasieu Comeback at a date yet to be determined.
Returning residents are urged to call a re-entry information line at 337-721-3840, which will list informational checkpoints at the following Interstate-10 exits: I-10 in Iowa, I-10 at Highway 171 in Lake Charles, I-210 at Enterprise Boulevard in Lake Charles, I-10 in Westlake, I-10 at La. 108 in Sulphur, I-10 at Beglis Parkway in Sulphur, I-10 at Ruth street in Sulphur and I-10 at Exit No. 7 in Vinton.
American Press resumes printing; blog will go on
The American Press resumed publication today with a free, 12-page limited-circulation edition.
It is being printed out-of-town and placed in selected high-traffic dropoff points in our readership area.
This blog, and the American Press’ emergency site, www.americanpresslc.com, will continue.
The print edition of the paper is being printed via special arrangement with The Daily Advertiser of Lafayette.
An American Press crew is producing the paper at a temporary news bureau in the Advertiser’s conference room, printing it at noon and trucking it in the afternoon to various locations in Southwest Louisiana.
There also will be editions Friday and Sunday. There will be no Saturday edition. The future publication schedule has not been determined.
American Press reporters and photographers continue to cover the news throughout the area, with bureau chiefs and editors working in Lafayette, Jennings and DeRidder.
The American Press building on U.S. 90 is being repaired for roof holes and is still without power. For that reason, the advertising, classified, accounting and circulation departments remain closed. Their operations, and home delivery of the American Press, will resume as power and access permit. The regular Web site, www.americanpress.com, also is down.
The Beauregard News Bureau (462-1213) and Jeff Davis Bureau (821-5309) are open and staffed.
Readers are invited to post news, photos and comments here or send them to special e-mail address, lcamericanpress@gmail.com.
Display advertising questions may be directed to the Louisiana Press Association in Baton Rouge, (225) 344-9309, which is handling insertion orders and billing until the American Press business office reopens.
Brett Downer
Editor
Questions from readers
Here are a few questions we've received in the last day or so. Any readers able to offer information can add it in this post's comments, or contact the poster directly.
• UPDATE: Rebecca Hanberry wants to get in touch with her cousin, Wiley Cooley. Wiley is an electrician at PPG, but no one in his family has heard from him in days. Anyone with information concerning Wiley should call Rebecca at (318) 868 0623 or (318) 426 9678
• Tracy R. Graham would like to know the condition of Dean Street (off W. McNeese), Common Street on Alan
Road, and Lake Street (off Caroline Street). Updates to the comments and to tgraham@fkp.com.
• Anna Powell is looking for any information on Thibodeaux Lane in Lake Charles, off Burton Ln., 1/2 mile from Prien Lake. Please add information to the comments and send it to annapowell@bellsouth.net.
• Grand Lake resident Cindy, resident of the 700 block of Hwy. 384, requests in formation on the area where the road has S curves going toward Sweetlake. Her email address is SnootzCL@aol.com
• Debbie Dupin needs information on the Oak Park area and 19th Street. Her email address is Debbie_Dupin@dell.com
• Gloria Kennedy asks if there are any guidelines for cleaning tree limbs and other debris from the storm side of the street, and what to do about removing it from private yards. Gloria also wonders if anyone in the Lake Charles area is selling tarpaulin. Gloria's email address is kenngj@msn.com.
• Dee Landreneau, a former Lake Charles resident, wonders if the Sallier Oak survived the storm. Dee can be reached at deelandreneau@yahoo.com.
• Bee LeDoux asks if anytone can provide a photo of the N. Claiborne area in Sulpher and the down highlines known to be on the road. Dee's email address is antbeeroach@cox.net.
• Jodie, at jodie@neopolis.net, asks for an update on the situation at Phelps prison, and how well the facility weathered the storm.
Calcasieu OEP Info 9-29-05
as of 9:00am
· Residents are still encouraged not to return to Calcasieu Parish. Officials are working on a re-entry plan. Residents should expect further details on the re-entry no later than Thursday of this week.
· All state highways in Calcasieu Parish are open. Interstate through-traffic is now on Interstate-10. Interstate 210 is closed to through traffic and is accessible only by checkpoints. People traveling within the parish should avoid using the interstate system.
The office of emergency preparedness urges all residents currently in Calcasieu Parish to use safety when driving on the roadways. All residents are asked to stop at all intersections. Each intersection should be treated as a four way stop sign. Many drivers are speeding through an intersection putting other drivers at risk.
· The City of Lake Charles has established drop-off locations for household garbage (no storm debris or limbs) at the following locations:
MLK Center -2009 Simmons
Reynaud Middle School –745 Shattuck
TH Watkins Elementary –2501 7th Avenue
Barbe Elementary –Penn St.
LaGrange HS -3420 Louisiana Ave
FK White Middle School –1000 East McNeese
Barbe High School –2200 West McNeese
· Parish President Hal McMillin has issued a parish-wide burning ban. This ban includes all municipalities as well as unincorporated areas.
· The Environmental Health Department of The Louisiana Office of Public Health has determined that Sulphur City water is safe to drink.
· A curfew still remains in effect from dusk till dawn parish-wide
· Primary Supply Distribution Sites:
Lake Charles
-Civic Center
Sulphur
-Climatrol Building (old Wal Mart) Cities Service Highway.
Moss Bluff
-Old Wal Mart
Secondary sites
DeQuincy
-Phelps Correctional Center
Vinton
-Vinton elementary
Iowa
-Iowa High School
Residents will be given MREs, water, and ice. We are working this with both military and FEMA sources. We ask that residents please be patient with supplies. People living in outlying areas with a vehicle should go to three primary sites. If they are unable to drive there, they should contact their local fire department. Local fire departments will travel to distribution sites to get commodities.
· Residents outside of parish that are currently displaced are encouraged to look to the following websites for information:
-www.kplctv.com
-www.americanpresslc.com
-www.cppj.net (information is limited at this time)
· The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has closed all waterways in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes to all vessel traffic other than approved commercial and emergency traffic.
· American Red Cross announces feeding sites today in Calcasieu and Beauregard parishes. The following locations are:
Calcasieu
Lake Charles: LC Civic Center, capable of feeding 10,000
Sulphur: First Baptist of Maplewood, capable of feeding 5,000
Beauregard
Deridder: Dollar General store, feeding 1,200
South Beauregard Electric, feeding 1,200
Merryville football stadium 1,200
· The American Red Cross is not giving out vouchers to contractors interested in performing work in Calcasieu Parish. This is not a service the Red Cross provides.
· City officials are asking residents of Lake Charles to conserve their water usage. Water and sewer facilities are limited at this time. As previously mentioned, all water should be boiled and treated before consumption.
· Salvation Army announces Canteen Locations throughout Calcasieu Parish beginning today (9/29):
Iowa: Lawrence Toups Park
Singer: Singer Baptist Church
Starks: Starks Mini-Mart
Vinton: Vinton Elementary
Hackberry: Hackberry Community Center
Moss Bluff: New Wal-Mart
Kaplan: American Legion
Westlake: Community Center
Lake Charles: Family Dollar on 171
DeQuincy: Nichols Shopping Center
LeBleu Chevron @ Hwy. 3059
The Salvation Army is scouting locations in Cameron for a canteen
Tom Hoefer
Calcasieu Parish
City Savings Banks open in DeRidder, Leesville
City Savings Bank is now open in DeRidder on North Pine Street and in Leesville, according to Pam Doucet of the O'Carroll Group.
Riding out the storm in Jennings
BY DORIS MARICLE
AMERICAN PRESS
JENNINGS — Crystal Dickinson and her husband, Shane, didn't think things were going to be too bad as they hunkered down for Hurricane Rita in their North Church Street home in Jennings.
She'd slept through Hurricane Lili three years ago and stayed behind for Hurricane Andrew before that.
"I thought we'd be all right because we were far enough from the danger zone," Dickinson said. "I thought it would be similar to Hurricane Lili and I napped through that one."
She tried to sleep through this one, too and thought she'd be safe on the floor. She didn't realize the seriousness of it until just before the storm hit.
"About a minute before the first strong gusts of wind hit, my dog got up and came laid next to me and put her head on my chest...I knew it was time to hold on," she said.
That's when the sounds hit.
"If thunder could scream at you that would be the sound I heard," she said describing the loud roar she heard outside.
The roar was followed by sounds of transformers blowing which Dickinson said sounded like "large guns" and the sounds of trees crashing around her.
"I'm 33 year old, but might as well have been 10 years old because I just wanted to talk to my mom," she said.
Dickinson spent much of the night trying to contact her mother by telephone, but was unsuccessful. She didn't calm down until the next day when she knew her mother was safe.
"Hurricane Lili and Andrew didn't put an impression on me, like this one," she said. "Next time I am going to pack up my husband, my dog and my cat and we're gone."
Dickinson was surprised to find moderate damage to her home when she stepped outside the next morning.
"I thought things would be worse," she said. "I expected to see water rolling down the roads."
Dickinson said most of the damage around her home was caused by a 200-pound branch falling on a power line.
Photos of McNeese, Lake Charles
A reader asked to submit his online photo album to this blog. The album has several photos of Hurricane Rita's damage to the McNeese campus and elsewhere in Lake Charles. Click the adjacent photo to open a new window and go to his album.
Wednesday, September 28
Entergy making progress in Lake Charles
Hurricane Rita knocked out every transmission line into Calcasieu Parish, leaving the city of Lake Charles in the dark.
Entergy is taking a strategic approach to re-energize Lake Charles by methodically restoring lines and substations in the outlying areas. This approach will allow power to be imported into the Lake Charles area from Richard (a 500-kilovolt switching station north of Crowley) as crews continue to work to bring the Nelson Plant in Westlake back online.
Crews have been making steady progress in accomplishing this. Transmission lines from Richard to Bayou Cove (a substation northeast of Jennings) and Bayou Cove to Jennings have been re-energized, as has a 138-kilovolt line from Bayou Cove to Lake Charles.
Work is also continuing on a 500-kilovolt transmission line from Richard to the Nelson Plant that is crucial to re-starting the plant. That work involves completely rebuilding a number of transmission towers destroyed by Hurricane Rita.
Crews are working on restoring load to major industrial customers. A 230-kilovolt line from Verdine to PPG was re-energized Wednesday.
Crews are also currently focusing on repairing the Ann substation, which will restore power to emergency, medical and governmental facilities in Lake Charles.
Rita's impact on Cameron schools
On behalf of members of the Cameron Parish School Board, superintendent Doug Chance announces the following information for Cameron Parish residents and all school employees as a result of Hurricane Rita.
1. All students will have the opportunity to complete the 2005-2006 school year as Cameron Parish students;
2. The school calendar will be adjusted as needed due to the “Hurricane Rita” disruption;
3. Bus transportation will be expanded to accommodate the temporary housing locations for Cameron students (out of parish as necessary and appropriate);
4. Employees are being considered fully employed with benefits since the school year will be completed;
5. The 2005-2006 school year will be continued with multiple schools in session at locations in Grand Lake and Hackberry as soon as safety and electrical service issues are resolved;
6. Plans are being structured to conduct 2005-2006 graduation and commencement ceremonies for each of the four high schools; i.e., a senior of Grand Lake will be a graduate of Grand Lake; a senior of Hackberry will be a graduate of Hackberry; a senior of Johnson Bayou will be a graduate of Johnson Bayou; and, a senior of South Cameron High School will be a graduate of South Cameron High School; and,
7. Extra and co-curricula activities and practices will begin as soon as safety and electrical issues are resolved.
Further announcements will be made to the media and announcements will be posted on the Web site for Cameron Parish Schools at www.camsch.org beginning Friday, Sept. 30. Employee e-mail will be available at that time.
Maritime worker registry
The Ports Association of Louisiana has created a database for all displaced maritime industry workers to register post-Hurricane Rita.
Fill in the information of where you evacuated to and everyone will be able to see names and contact information for all employees who register at www.portsoflouisiana.org/hurricanememberdirectory.asp.
Life improving in JD Parish
JENNINGS — Life is slowly getting back to normal in Jeff Davis Parish following the wrath of Hurricane Rita.
Sheriff Ricky Edwards, who also serves as the director of emergency preparedness, said electricity is being restored to many areas and some businesses are reopening. Residents were also returning to area nursing homes and the Southwest Louisiana War Veterans Home.
"Getting power and seeing some stores and restaurants reopen brings a big sigh of relief," Edwards said. "Jeff Davis Parish is slowly getting back on its feet."
Edwards said power was restored in much of Jennings overnight. Power in areas outside of Jennings, including Welsh, has still not been fully restored due to major problems with distribution systems.
Water has also been restored in all areas of the parish. A boil warning remains in effect for the Lake Arthur area.
Edwards said 85-90 percent of all the parish roads are open and passable, except those remaining under water in low lying area of Lake Arthur, Grand Marais, Bayou Chene and Lacassine Bayou area.
Clean up efforts are also underway throughout the parish as residents begin clearing their yards and homes of debris. Residents are urged to take limbs, branches and trees to the parish landfill near Welsh.
A dumpster for household trash, including spoiled meat and other foods, is located in the parking lot behind the Parker's Department store in downtown Jennings. Residents can dump trash from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
A debris burn site is also being established in Jennings for trees, limbs and branches.
Jennings Mayor Terry Duhon said the city will also begin picking up debris from the front of residences. Regular trash pick up service is not expected to return until next week.
Schools will remain closed this week. A decision will be made by Friday concerning plans for reopening.
The parish courthouse will remain closed until Monday, Oct. 3.
Jennings City Hall is also closed.
Dr. Mark Clawson's office at 805 N. State Street is open as a
clinic. The closest emergency room is in Crowley.
People outside the area needing information should contact their local fire or police department or the Sheriff's Office at 821-2100.
BY DORIS MARICLE
AMERICAN PRESS
Northrop Grumman sending relief to LC
NEW ORLEANS - Three 53-foot trailer trucks loaded with supplies and equipment departed Northrop Grumman's New Orleans facility on Tuesday to assist the company's Lake Charles facility with Hurricane Rita recovery efforts.
The trucks containing food, water, ice, generators, compressors, 1,980 gallons of diesel fuel, tarps, acetylene torches, corrugated siding, cleaning supplies and a washer and dryer, are intended to provide relief to company employees in Lake Charles after they took care of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems employees in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
"This is our way of returning the favor to our fellow Northrop Grumman teammates who have suffered the impact of Hurricane Rita," Woody Oge, the site director at Northrop Grumman's New Orleans facility, said in a statement. "They really came to our aid when we needed it right after Katrina and we're just glad to be able to help them out in their time of need."
The Integrated Systems sector in Lake Charles transported fuel and water to the New Orleans facility to assist the yard in restoring operations after Katrina. Northrop Grumman is utilizing the emergency-response experience learned from past storms to allow facilities to assist each other in times of need, company officials said.
The company said it is working with various federal and state agencies to provide temporary housing for displaced employees.
NC electric crews in SWLA
DERIDDER - More than 100 line technicians from eight North Carolina co-op systems are working to restore power to parts of Southwest Louisiana.
The state's electric cooperatives sent line crews to Louisiana this week to assist with power outages caused by Hurricane Rita.
The North Carolina co-op crews were sent to assist two Louisiana electric cooperatives, which include Beauregard Electric Cooperative in DeRidder and Washington St. Tammany Electric Cooperative in Franklinton.
Additional line crews will be sent later this week from North Carolina's electric cooperatives.
The deployment of help is part of a mutual aid agreement shared between the nation's nearly 1,000 electric cooperatives to help one another in times of emergency, such as natural disasters.
How to get $2,000 per household
Southwest Louisiana residents who have been displaced by Hurricane Rita can get $2,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through a special program called Expedited Assistance.
What is Expedited Assistance?
$2,000 per household, for disaster-related needs such as transportation, clothing, rental housing, other housing accommodations, and food.
If approved, the funds will be electronically transferred to your bank account or a check mailed via the US Postal Service.
The $2,000 is included in the calculation of total benefits for which you may be eligible.
This amount may cover only a portion of the total assistance that you need. After going through the normal eligibility process you may receive additional payments of assistance.
Am I eligible for Expedited Assistance?
You may be eligible if:
You are a resident impacted by Hurricane Rita from a declared parish/county in Louisiana or Texas, and
You have been displaced by the hurricane, and
You do not have the means of identifying damage to your property or are unable to provide immediate documentation.
How do I get Expedited Assistance?
Register with FEMA online at fema.gov.
Or Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
Or Call TTY 1-800-462-7585 for people with speech or hearing disabilities.
How will the money be given to me?
Funds will be made available by an electronic transfer to put funds directly in your bank account, or a check that can be delivered directly to individuals through the US Postal Service.
What if I don’t have a bank account?
Visit a local disaster recovery center and someone will be able to assist you with setting up a bank account.
School decision could come this week
Calcasieu Parish officials could decide when or if they will reopen schools after a Thursday meeting between area mayors and school board officials.
Lake Charles city administrator Paul Rainwater said the meeting will follow the completion of an ongoing assessment of infrastructure damage and other problems around the parish.
“From there then we’ll make some really tough decisions,” Rainwater said. “What we’re asking for is a little time so we can do an assessment of where our community is at.”
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
Port has moderate damage
Hurricane Rita caused moderate damage to facilities and cargo at the Port of Lake Charles, port officials said. The port could be fully operational in a few days.
“We’re not heavily damaged,” said Nathan Sukiennik, the port’s director of marketing and trade development. “We’ve lost some of the tin off of the older buildings and, of course, like everyone else, our power lines are down and we’ve lost power.”
Sukiennik said the storm damaged less than 3 percent of the 40,000 tons of cargo in port.
“There were some bags that got wet. Some of the lumber got wet,” Sukiennik said.
Workers have already begun patching buildings and cleaning up debris. A call over local radio for volunteer cleanup workers was so successful a few had to be turned away Tuesday, port officials said.
The port is also in the process of setting up a Houston accounting office to handle payroll and other financial matters, Sukiennik said.
Seven port workers rode the storm out in a fortified room in the port’s new automatic bag-loading facility.
Port employees are asked to call in Friday afternoon for further instructions. The number to call is (337) 263-3542.
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
Cleanup under way in Allen Parish
OBERLIN — Cleanup efforts are under way in Allen Parish after Hurricane Rita.
Allen Parish's Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director John Richer said Wednesday officials are working to clean roads and restore power.
More than 2,000 customers remained without power. Some areas may be without power for at least two more weeks, he said.
In the meantime, Richer is asking that residents be patient and cooperate with officials.
"We need everyone working together," he said.
Although there are no official damage estimates available, Richer said preliminary damages could be in excess of $500,000. A flyover of the parish was conducted Wednesday to survey the damage and determine the number of homes damaged and value of losses.
Richer said the parish is now in the recovery stage.
"We are trying to make life as easy as possible for everyone," he said.
He said many areas remain impassable due to downed trees and power lines.
"There are areas where people can't even get out of their home to go
pick up supplies or food," he said.
Crews are working to clear those roads and reopen routes for mail and school buses. All roads should be open by Thursday.
Food distribution centers have been set up at the Oberlin Civic Center and area fire stations. Volunteers are needed to help at the distribution sites.
The parish is also serving as a shelter for hundreds of other Louisiana residents who fled Hurricane Rita under mandatory evacuations last week. He said many of those have stopped in Allen Parish trying to get closer to home or have run out of fuel.
Fuel is still scarce, he said. A limited fuel supply is available for emergency personnel, public works, critical needs and medical purposes.
Richer is also asking Allen Parish residents to register with FEMA for assistance by calling (800) 621-3362. The parish is expected to be added to the disaster lists, which will make residents eligible for federal assistance.
Doris Maricle
American Press
VA evacuates 100 from LC nursing homes
PINEVILLE, La. – The Alexandria VA Medical Center (VAMC) led the evacuation of 100 elderly patients from Martin de Porres Community Nursing Home and Chenannault Residential Care Facility, based in Lake Charles, on Sept. 23 to a staging area in Alexandria.
The patients were moved in anticipation of Hurricane Rita to temporary shelters in Alexandria at Bolton High and Alexandria Senior High Schools.
The patients, some with mental health needs, are being relocated to sites within the region to ensure that adequate medical and mental health care is provided.
The Lake Charles patients will be transferred to the Alexandria VAMC or sites in Dallas, Little Rock, Ark., Shreveport and Waco, Texas from Sept. 26-27. The patients will return to their home facilities after damage assessments and necessary repairs are made, and local authorities deem the area safe for their return.
Families and friends trying to reach these patients should contact the Alexandria VA Medical Center at (800) 375-8387. All VA employees needing assistance may call toll-free at (866) 233-0152. Operators will be available from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. CT daily.
For further information, please call Jay De Worth, Acting Public Affairs Officer at the Alexandria VA Medical Center, at (800) 375-8387, ext. 2010.
A breakdown of VA patient transfers:
Martin dePorres Community Nursing Home
Chennault Residential Care Facility
Also, today, Sept. 28, approximately 330 nursing home patients from the affected area will be transferred to the Waco and Marlin, Texas, VA Medical Centers. The patients will stay in unused and vacant space at the two VA medical centers, and there is no current timeline as to how long they will stay.
As stated in today’s Waco Tribune Herald, Federal Emergency Management Administration officials took local VA officials up on their offer to provide space in Waco and Marlin for nearly 330 nursing home patients, said Bruce Gordon, chief executive officer of the Central Texas VA Health Care System. The influx is coming from short-term shelters and private facilities in Arkansas and elsewhere that temporarily housed patients from nursing homes in Houston, Beaumont and Lake Charles.
“The VA has stepped up and said, ‘Let us take some of these people,'” Gordon said. “There will be a lot of work, but we feel like we can step up and really help.”
Lyondell requests employees check in
Employees at any of Lyondell's affected facilities that have not yet contacted their supervisors should do so immediately, the company said. If a supervisor cannot be reached, or if telephone service is disrupted, Lyondell has established alternative methods for checking in:
Please remember to update your supervisor or call the toll-free number if your situation changes.
Employees should notify their human resources representative or send an e-mail to storm@lyondell.com to advise the company of any personal needs or to request assistance from the Lyondell Disaster Relief Fund. They may also complete the online form at http://www.lyondell.com/rita/contact_form.asp.
For more information, please check the Lyondell Web site at http://www.lyondell.com/. There is a section for those affected by Hurricane Rita at http://www.lyondell.com/rita/.
9-28 daily fact sheet from Calcasieu OEP
As of 5:00pm:
· Residents are still encouraged not to return to Calcasieu Parish. Officials are working on a re-entry plan. Residents should expect further details on the re-entry no later than Thursday of this week.
· All state highways in Calcasieu Parish are open. Interstate through-traffic is now on Interstate-10. Interstate 210 is closed to through traffic and is accessible only by checkpoints. People traveling within the parish should avoid using the interstate system.
· The office of emergency preparedness urges all residents currently in Calcasieu Parish to use safety when driving on the roadways. All residents are asked to stop at all intersections. Each intersection should be treated as a four way stop sign. Many drivers are speeding through an intersection putting other drivers at risk.
· Parish President Hal McMillin has issued a parish-wide burning ban. This ban includes all municipalities as well as unincorporated areas.
· A curfew still remains in effect from dusk till dawn parish-wide.
· The City of Lake Charles has established drop-off locations for household garbage (no storm debris or limbs) at the following locations:
MLK Center -2009 Simmons
Reynaud Middle School –745 Shattuck
TH Watkins Elementary –2501 7th Avenue
Barbe Elementary –Penn St.
LaGrange HS -3420 Louisiana Ave
FK White Middle School –1000 East McNeese
Barbe High School –2200 West McNeese
· DOTD has announced a schedule for the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge to be available for vehicle traffic. The bridge will be in place from sunrise to 10am daily for vehicle traffic. The remainder of the day it will be for marine traffic only.
· The Environmental Health Department of The Louisiana Office of Public Health has determined that Sulphur City water is safe to drink.
· Primary Supply Distribution Sites:
Lake Charles
-Civic Center
Sulphur
-Climatrol Building (old Wal Mart) Cities Service Highway.
Moss Bluff
-Old Wal Mart
Secondary sites
DeQuincy
-Phelps Correctional Center
Vinton
-Vinton elementary
Iowa
-Iowa High School
Residents will be given MREs, water, and ice. We are working this with both military and FEMA sources. We ask that residents please be patient with supplies. People living in outlying areas with a vehicle should go to three primary sites. If they are unable to drive there, they should contact their local fire department. Local fire departments will travel to distribution sites to get commodities.
· Residents outside of parish that are currently displaced are encouraged to look to the following websites for information:
-www.kplctv.com
-www.americanpresslc.com
-www.cppj.net (information is limited at this time)
· The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has closed all waterways in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes to all vessel traffic other than approved commercial and emergency traffic.
· The Salvation Army announces mobile kitchen locations for Wednesday, Sept. 28. Some locations will remain stationary, while others will change daily. Addresses of the following locations have not been given to the OEP at this time. The Salvation Army is prepared to make 14,000 meals today. The following locations are:
Kaplan, Vinton, 171 Family Dollar (outside of Moss Bluff), Lebleu, DeQuincy, Singer, Starks, Westlake, Iowa, Hackberry.
Representatives from Salvation Army are traveling to Cameron to scout locations for mobile kitchens. That information should be made available tomorrow (Thursday).
· American Red Cross announces feeding sites today in Calcasieu and Beauregard parishes. The following locations are:
Calcasieu
Lake Charles: LC Civic Center, capable of feeding 10,000
Sulphur: First Baptist of Maplewood , capable of feeding 5,000
Vinton: A site is currently being set up and should be online later today. Location has not been given.
Beauregard
Deridder: Dollar General store, feeding 1,200
South Beauregard Electric, feeding 1,200
Merryville football stadium 1,200
· The American Red Cross is not giving out vouchers to contractors interested in performing work in Calcasieu Parish. This is not a service the Red Cross provides.
· City officials are asking residents of Lake Charles to conserve their water usage. Water and sewer facilities are limited at this time. As previously mentioned, all water should be boiled and treated before consumption.
Tom Hoefer
Calcasieu Parish
Photos from Sulphur
A reader sends us this link to photos taken by Adam Richards from post-Rita Sulphur: http://adrock.eblana.org/Hurricane/.
Tuesday, September 27
President Bush visits Southwest Louisiana
BY JEREMY HARPER
AMERICAN PRESS
President George W. Bush visited Lake Charles Tuesday to get a first-hand glimpse of Hurricane Rita’s destruction and to meet with local and state officials about the government’s response to the disaster.
Bush viewed the devastation in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes from Marine One before landing at Chennault International Airport just after noon in Air Force One. He then met with area mayors and parish officials for more than an hour.
“If you look in their eyes, you see people who have been through a lot,” Bush said during a brief statement to the news media following the meeting. “And they’re showing strong leadership, and I admire their stand and the courage they take.”
Before his 2 p.m. departure, Bush traveled by motorcade to the far end of the sprawling Chennault complex to a view a tent city where dozens of rescue workers from as far as Ohio and Nevada are staying. He stepped out and shook hands with many of the rescue workers, at one point posing for a picture with a woman and her rescue dog.
Upon his arrival, Bush was greeted by Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach and Lt. Gen. Russel Honore near an airplane hangar, which, like much of Chennault, sustained major damage during the storm.
“We had a great meeting with the president,” Roach said later. “I was told that we might have 20 minutes with him, I think we had about an hour and 40 minutes.
“He asked questions. He listened to what we were concerned about.”
Bush said he understands that evacuees are frustrated because they are barred from returning to their homes. Echoing calls from local officials, he urged residents not to return until basic services could be restored, which local officials have said could be weeks.
Bush said he cleared the way late Monday night for each family displaced by Rita to receive a $2,000 check -- the same type of expedited assistance victims of Hurricane Katrina received --to ease the financial burden of a long-term evacuation.
“I understand there’s a lot of frustrations with the people who left this part of the country -- people that are scattered around want to come back and see their homes, and they want to come back to the communities they love,” Bush said. “But it’s very important for them to understand that now is not the time to come back, until they get the utilities up and running and until they can get the sewer systems running and until they get some water people can drink.
“I heard loud and clear from the parish presidents and the mayors that, you know, people are getting frustrated. And I understand that frustration. But I think it’s very important to listen to the governor and the local folks about the conditions at home. People are working hard to get the utilities up, they’re working hard to get fuel here for people. And this area is going to rebuild and it’s going to grow again.”
Top federal disaster officials were also in town Tuesday, including acting FEMA director David Paulison and Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen, head of the government’s hurricane relief operations. They participated in a briefing at the E-911 building on Hodges Street.
Allen said he has assigned a senior FEMA official to work directly from the Lake Charles area with local officials. He said once basic needs are provided for, officials will begin assessing damage to critical infrastructure.
Paulison praised local officials for their response before and after the hurricane, particularly the successful evacuation of more than 95 percent of the population.
“They have simply done an outstanding job,” Paulison said. “They’re professional, they did the evacuation properly, they’ve got their act together,” he said. “They don’t cut us any slack at all.”
Blanco said the response to Rita was an improvement over the widely criticized initial reaction to Katrina in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi.
“I do want to tell you that some things worked right this time; we learned a lot of lessons from our previous experience with Katrina,” Blanco said. “Our communications network stayed up, all of these folks could continue communicating their needs to us because there was a communications system that was not in place, it was brought in by your people and our people, working together.”
Paulsen said FEMA has delivered 916,000 pounds of ice, 54,000 gallons of water and 153,000 meals ready-to-eat to Southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.
Bush’s meeting with local officials was a roundtable discussion, the local officials said, that included the heads of Cameron and Calcasieu, area mayors, Gov. Kathleen Blanco, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany.
Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Hal McMillin said the meeting was relaxed and effective.
“We have the pipeline open for the recovery of Southwest Louisiana,” McMillin said.
The Chennault complex sustained heavy damage. Portions of hangars were twisted and huge tendrils of metal roofing draped over the sides of the buildings. Insulation was strewn about throughout the area and two aircraft in a hangar were visibly damaged.
Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles site manager, J.J. Blood, who greeted Bush with Roach and Honore, said the damage to his company’s facilities and aircraft is repairable.
“Actually it probably isn’t as bad as it looks,” Blood said. “We’re looking at several different options in order to become operational and we’re hoping to have all this cleaned up by this weekend.”
***
Due to the extreme heat, Secret Service agents wore khaki pants with short-sleeved button-down shirts instead of the usual black suits.
Bush’s visit was only the second time a sitting president has visited Lake Charles.
Bush greets disaster workers
(Lake Charles, LA) United States President George W. Bush shakes the hand of a member of the Nevada Task Force who were assisting the efforts in Southwest Louisiana after Hurricane Rita. (Rick Hickman/American Press)
Bush visits Lake Charles
(Lake Charles, LA) From left, United States Army General Honore', Louisiana State Governor Kathleen Blanco and United States President George W. Bush speak to the media during his recent visit to Southwest Louisiana after Hurricane Rita.n (Rick Hickman/American Press)
Bouncing back
McNeese State assistant baseball coach Chris Fackler was mowing the field at Cowboy Diamond Tuesday. Afterwords, he raked.
It didn't matter that the outfield wall was demolished as a result of Hurricane Rita. It didn't matter that the third base dugout had partially crumbled.
"I couldn't just sit around and do nothing," Fackler said. "It was driving me crazy."
So he raked the recently cut grass, explaining that if you leave the cut grass on the field, it would kill the grass that's still growing.
"Some people are negative about this," he said while taking a break from his work. "But we'll bounce back. We'll come back from this."
For those who have found ways to defy Calcasieu Parish's "lockdown" order and return to assess damage, that's largely been the attitude. While some areas in Southwest Louisiana have been devastated, others seem to largely be spared of damage. In some places, falling trees seem to have gone out of their way to miss property.
When I was on my way into town for my first visit since Hurricane Rita struck, I was expecting the worst. I had been prepared by a trip to Slidell on the way to the Southern Mississippi-McNeese game. I had been prepared by a trip through the Mississippi Gulf Coast after I took my mother to Florida during the Rita evacuation. I saw things in Mississippi, then Lake Charles, that encouraged me.
In Mississippi, I saw towns like Biloxi, Gulfport and Long Beach coming back to life. The destruction was still visually evident, overwhelmingly so.
But businesses were open. People were home. Power was restored. And it was a mere three weeks and change since Katrina unleashed her fury.
In Lake Charles, I walked into a town where recovery was well under way. On the morning I was there, I saw an army - literally - of recovery workers, including military of all kinds (most notably, and encouragingly, now-celebrity General Russel Honore), law enforcement from across the country, and a parade of electrical workers focused on firing up some nine currently powerless grids.
It looked like a tough situation, but one well under control. I can imagine that a couple of days ago was Lake Charles's darkest hour. When I was there Tuesday, you could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The same applies to atheltics.
Right now, sports in Lake Charles are still at their low point. The beloved McNeese Cowboys football team is homeless, with light poles looking the wrong way and a "Hole" turned into a "Bowl" of water. Facilities all over town and the area are devastated.
But I see a Chris Fackler mowing grass and things start to change in my mind. There are people around that care about the fate of these teams, and there are people involved with these teams that won't let the ship sink.
Lake Charles will be back. McNeese will be back. And the sports that are played here will be just fine.
Gary Laney
American Press
McNeese sports looking for a home
McNeese State athletic director Sonny Watkins said Tuesday that he was looking for a temporary home for Cowboy and Cowgirl sports.
Watkins was on campus assessing damage. He said he had spoken to athletic directors from Northwestern State and Southeastern Lousiana about the possibility of McNeese teams relocating to those campuses and playing home games at those places until McNeese is ready, but nothing has been settled yet.
The logistical problems of staying on campus are many. The university may be weeks away from full utility service. There is damage to Cowboy Stadium, and FEMA was turning the A.I. Ratliff Practice Fields into a tent city for the recovery effort.
McNeese has already lost three games - all home games - to hurricanes this season. Prior to this season, there had never been a cancelled game in school history.
Gary Laney
American Press
Damaged athletic facilities at MSU, high schools
I had a chance to see athletic facilities around Lake Charles Tuesday. Damage to McNeese State facilities varied. Damage to high school football fields I saw was extensive.
Cowboy Stadium had two heavily damaged light standards. The northwest standard tilted back toward the track, and the southeast standard tilted north. (I erroneously reported yesterday that the northwest pole tilted toward the field.)
The press box had damage, but appeared functionally intact. The field has standing water and may need to be pumped electronically. The softball field looked ok and fences were knocked down at the tennis courts. Burton Coliseum looked fine and was being used as a staging ground for military, law enforcement and electrical workers. The baseball field's outfield wall was completely decimated and the third base dugout was partially collapsed.
At LaGrange's Mims Stadium, the light poles all appear to be pushed in dangerous directions. It was worse at Lake Charles-Boston's Cougar Stadium, where some light poles have fallen completely to the ground, and none stand straight. Just across the street from Cougar Stadium, Legion Field's light poles are perfectly straight, though some point the wrong direction.
Gary Laney
American Press
Contact number for Merrill Lynch clients
Merrill Lynch's Lake Charles-area clients may reach the company through this toll-free number to the Amarillo, Texas, office: (800) 365-2252.
I-10 open to through-traffic
All state highways in Calcasieu Parish are open. Interstate through-traffic is now on I-10. I-210 is closed to through-traffic and is accessible only by checkpoints.
Residents staying in the parish should avoid using the Interstate system. They may not be allowed back through the checkpoints. If a parish resident needs supplies from a FEMA distribution site or from a business that is open, they should avoid using the Interstate system to go there.
No burning of anything is permissible because there is no way to fight fires that may break out. Debris can be removed and disposed of when it is safe.
Tom Hoefer
Calcasieu Parish
Lyondell requests employees check in
Lyondell Chemical Company wants to hear from all displaced employees regarding their personal situations, and to ensure they are safe and have adequate accommodations. The company asks employees to please call (888) 457-6118 to check in.
Aeroframe Services asks employees to return if possible
Aeroframe Services in Lake Charles at Chennault Airpark would like to request that any members of the workforce who can report to work to come in Wednesday or as soon as possible to assist in facility clean-up.
They will need to bring their badges and should try to report to the plant about 8:30 a.m. and plan to work until 5 p.m.
Employees can contact Kerry Mitchell, director of communications, at (330) 304-4000, (619) 886-1881, or by e-mail at kadele14@hotmail.com.
Harrah's contact number changed
LAS VEGAS – Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., asks all employees of Harrah’s Lake Charles Casino & Hotel to call its toll-free hurricane relief hotline at (877) 422-7466 as soon as possible so they can be accounted for and provided updates as they become available.
DeRidder stores open to weary customers
DERIDDER — The line seemed endless at the Stop-n-Save on West 1st Street in DeRidder when cashier Sharla Moore turned to owner Christine Strahan and said she needed a break.
"It's hot. I need air," Moore said, wiping sweat from her red face.
Strahan said her store has been filled with customers desperate for food and drinks for nearly two days.
Strahan and her husband own two other local stores which were open Sunday, but sold out of supplies. No stores in DeRidder have gas, she said, despite rumors.
"We sold out of that before Rita hit," she said.
Strahan predicted it would be only a few hours before Stop-n-Save's shelves were empty. That prediction came true early Tuesday afternoon, when the store was finally picked clean.
"We're just trying to help people out," she said. "Nobody has anything. We're just doing our part."
At about 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, the line at the DeRidder Wal-Mart started wrapping around the store's massive parking lot.
Weary customers gathered at the doors as early as 6 a.m. to be in the front of the line. Police officers stood guard at the doors to ensure order.
Customers were allowed in 25 at a time and were limited to two loaves of bread and two bags of ice each. Other merchandise, however, was not restricted.
Wal-Mart employees said the store would remain open depending upon supplies. Other DeRidder businesses, including Popeyes and Ryan's Steakhouse, also opened Tuesday.
Elona Weston
Beauregard/Vernon Bureau Writer
Insurance information for state, school employees
The Louisiana Office of Group Benefits (OGB) is reaching out to its 75,000 state and school employees and their families who have been displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and who have health insurance through the state of Louisiana.
The OGB has announced several changes that make it easier for displaced state workers and school employees to obtain health care through its four programs — PPO, EPO, MCO and HMO:
All plan members who live in zip codes starting with 700, 701, 704, 395, 396, 705, and 706 (plus zip code 70377) who want to switch to the PPO or the EPO can do so. The EPO has a nationwide network of physicians and hospitals. Plan members can contact their agency headquarters or call the OGB for assistance at (800) 272-8451. Plan members interested in switching can also get help in determining their new premiums.
PPO, EPO and MCO plan members can print a two-year history of their medical claims, including lists of lab and x-ray tests, and prescriptions from the OGB Web site at www.groupbenefits.org. This will be especially useful for plan members seeing new providers.
PPO, EPO and MCO plan members who use out-of-network pharmacies will not have to pay a penalty until further notice.
Plan members in the EPO, PPO, MCO and Humana HMO plans will be able to refill prescription drugs without the usual 30-day restrictions.
United Behavioral Health has a hotline for all OGB plan members in any plan the EPO, PPO and MCO who have behavioral issues or who need a list of disaster relief assistance resources in their area. The toll-free number is (866) 615-8700. Additional resources are also available at the UBH Web site at liveandworkwell.com.
Plan members in the FARA MCO can call (800) 427-4511 for help. FARA has moved its customer service operation to Lafayette.
EPO plan members can call UnitedHealthcare toll-free at (866) 336-9374. Plan members in the Humana HMO can call the customer service center toll-free at (866) 427-7478.
LeLeux declares public emergency in Sulphur
In order to provide all citizens of Sulphur with required police and fire protection, safe ingress and egress on city streets, water quality and production, and wastewater collection and treatment, the city will need to take appropriate actions to provide these services, which have been limited as a result of Hurricane Rita. To do this will require the declaration of a public emergency.
Louisiana Public Bid Law provides in R.S. 38:2212, that all public work including labor, materials and all purchases of materials or supplies exceeding the sum of $15,000 must be advertised and bid, with an exception as stated in R.S. 38:2212 (D). This section of the law will not apply in cases of extreme public emergency where such emergency has been certified to by the public entity and notice of such public emergency is made available to the public.
In the current fiscal year, appropriations were allocated for emergency situations. The cost for restoring basic city services, which were interrupted by Hurricane Rita, is not known at this time, but is not expected to exceed $500,000. The city will make every effort to secure reimbursement from FEMA for any and all funds expended.
Therefore, a public emergency is hereby declared by Mayor Ron LeLeux as of Sept. 26, necessitating required purchases and services for the restoration of basic city services without the normal formalities.
Verizon says it's making progress
HOUSTON - Verizon Wireless says its crews continue to make significant progress restoring service to the hardest-hit areas of the Texas Gulf Coast and Southwest Louisiana.
In the Beaumont and Lake Charles areas, the network "remains heavily impacted," with service largely restored to the city centers and along major highways, Verizon said in a statement.
"More than 85 percent of Verizon Wireless cell sites in the Texas and Louisiana coastal areas have their own back-up generators and extended battery back-up to operate during power outages," the company said.
FEMA: Roof tarps coming Thursday
FEMA says blue tarps that can be used to cover roof damage will arrive in two days. Distribution locations have not yet been announced.
Minaldi, LC Division business to operate from Lafayette
Judge Patricia Minaldi will be temporarily working out of the Lafayette Federal Courthouse. All Lake Charles Division business will also be handled at the Lafayette Federal Courthouse.
In Jeff Davis, damage, but homes mostly spared
Damage is widespread in Jeff Davis Parish following Hurricane Rita.
Residents are returning to the area to find roof damage, windows blown out of their homes and businesses, uprooted trees and downed power lines.
“It’s a lot better than I thought I’d find,” Gwen Richard said as she surveyed the damage around her mother’s home, finding only loose shingles and downed branches. "We got lucky this time."
The parish's damage is moderate to extensive, according to Sheriff Ricky Edwards. He said the hardest-hit areas appeared to be Lake Arthur, which had inland flooding, and Topsy, which sustained hurricane force winds. Edwards also reported flooding on the south side of the parish, including Grand Marais and Bayou Chene areas.
“There’s not a lot of houses damaged,” Edwards said, “mostly road flooding and major tree damage.”
Edward said crews were working to restore power, connecting vital services first, concentrating on local hospitals and nursing homes. The closest power is in Iota.
“If you are in a place that has electricity and air conditioner, you’ll want to stay there until the power is on,” he said.
Those returning home scramble to buy generators, while others wait in long lines for bags of ice and precious gas. Others returned to their homes to assess the damage and clean out refrigerators, but many stayed home, sweating it out and trying to deal with life after Hurricane Rita.
“I opened the windows to my house to get a breeze, but it’s still hot in here,” said George Simon as he fanned himself with a magazine.
A parishwide curfew is in effect from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. until further notice. Edwards said some looting of homes and businesses has been reported, and arrests have been made.
About 500 additional police, government and military personnel are in the parish providing security and distributing ice, water and meals-ready-to-eat. Ice, water and MREs are available from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Market Basket in Welsh, the old Winn-Dixie parking lot in Jennings and the VFW in Lake Arthur.
Drop-off distributions sites are also located at the Bayou Chene and Fenton fire stations, Elton High School, Topsy VFW and the Welsh and Hathaway fire departments. Officials are working on establishing a pickup site in Roanoke.
Gas is available at Tiger Mart in Lake Arthur, Buddy’s Chevron in Jennings on Shankland Avenue, and Murphy USA in Jennings; Shop Rite is working to get gas services running.
A trash container is located behind Parker’s Department store for household trash, including spoiled meat and food, and is available from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Friday. No tree limbs, debris or batteries are allowed.
Highway 90 west of Welsh is closed due to a downed utility pole. Interstate 10 is open across the parish, and most parish roads are now open.
Schools are closed this week. A decision on reopening schools will be made at the end of the week.
Dr. Mark Clawson’s office at 805 N. State St., Jennings, is open as a clinic. He is handing out medications and dealing with medical referrals. The closest emergency rooms are in Crowley and Lafayette.
For more information or to report problems, call the Jeff Davis Sheriff's Office at (337) 821-2100.
Doris Maricle
Jeff Davis Parish Bureau Chief
Calcasieu officials working on re-entry plan
When area officials consider re-entry into Calacasieu Parish, it’s as much about how as when.
Learning some of the lessons from Jefferson Parish's handling of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, Calcasieu mayors and parish officials went to work on a plan to bring residents back into their communities.
"There was a lot of chaos" in Jefferson Parish, said Calcasieu Parish spokesman Tom Hoefer. He said that many people who went into Jefferson to check on their property got stuck there because they either didn't have fuel to get out or had other vehicle issues. "They had to be evacuated again."
Issues of sanitation, logistics and traffic gridlock plagued Jefferson residents. That parish kept its residents out for a week before allowing some back in to check on their property.
In Calcasieu, "the enormity of the situation is incredible," said Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach. "Every level of service is at risk." Roach said there is no timeline yet for residents to return, but such plans will be structured for limited re-entry. "We can’t support everyone here."
Among the main issues were water and sewage. Roach said he has generators online to support 75 percent of the systems.
Broken water lines -- both mains and ones into homes -- will make it difficult to maintain pressure, Roach said. The mayor also said that services such as garbage collection are also affected by the lack of fuel.
Because of Hurricane Katrina earlier this month, resources normally available for disaster situations are already stretched to the hilt, he said.
Dennis Spears
Night Editor
JD Bank's main branch regains power
Employees at Jeff Davis Bank's main branch in Jennings shouted "Hallelujah" as main power returned at about 1:50 p.m. on Tuesday.
Nancy Hayes, who works for the bank's president, said the bank had been on generator power for days. She said the bank's power is connected to the Jennings American Legion Hospital.
Employees were able to access accounts and other financial information. Hayes said the Kinder branch was open, but the McNeese branch had been damaged. She said with power back, employees were ready to head west to examine other branches.
Garrett Guillotte
Staff writer
Remarks from Entergy Louisiana
The remarks below were made by Renae Conley, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, at a news conference in Lake Charles held Monday:
"Good Afternoon!
Hurricane Rita has caused catastrophic damage to the electric infrastructure in Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana. Early damage assessments are providing evidence that much of the work will be rebuilding the electric distribution system, rather than simply repairing it.
Both the Nelson and Sabine power plants are offline and currently being assessed for damage.
Damage to the transmission system that feeds electricity in Lake Charles is extensive. Transmission crews are currently assessing the system in and around Lake Charles to determine what lines are in service and how power can be delivered into the City.
Currently, we have identified 117 transmission lines out of service and 125 substations out of service in southwest Louisiana. Damage assessment continues, and these numbers may increase.
Regarding the distribution infrastructure, we have already identified hundreds of poles and cross arms that have been damaged and need replacing. We have hundreds of miles of electrical wire down that will need repair.
At this time, while we are still assessing the damage, we can not give definitive estimates on when power will be restored to Lake Charles. We expect that we it will be weeks, rather than days, before large numbers of customers can be restored.
In the meantime, we will work with Mayor Roche and city officials to determine what critical services need prioritization for electricity, and we will work with to get power to those locations first.
In closing, I would like to say to all the citizens of Lake Charles and surrounding areas that Entergy will be a partner in the rebuilding of the area. We understand our role in getting life back to normal, and we will do everything we can to help this community.
Thank you."
Beauregard school board paychecks to be distributed Wednesday
Beauregard Parish School Board paychecks for Sept. 28 will be distributed to regular employees at the central office in DeRidder on Wednesday.
All direct deposits have been converted to regular paychecks.
Employees whose last name begins with letters A to M may pick up their checks from 9 a.m. to noon. Employees whose last name begins with letters N to Z may pick up their checks from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
A photo I.D. will be required to pick up checks. If an employee is picking up multiple checks, they must bring all applicable photo I.D.'s so that the checks can be released.
Checks will not be mailed. All checks will be held at the central office in DeRidder for pickup.
Information regarding paychecks for substitute employees and employees payed semi-monthly will be made available later this week.
Beauregard notes: Distribution centers open today
There will be water, ice and food distribution today, Sept. 27, at 5 p.m. at locations in DeRidder, Merryville and Longville. Distributions will take place at DeRidder Dollar General Store, at 827 Mahlon St., at the Merryville High School football stadium on La. 110 and at South Beauregard Elementary School on U.S. 171.
Anyone with electricity and water are asked not take ice and water from these locations.
There will be an information center set up at each location to answer questions. People in shelters should get their supplies from the shelter, not from these locations.
Do not come to Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office for ice, water or MREs.
— Gas stations are beginning to get electricity and fuel distribution is beginning. The sheriff's office is asking stations and customers to limit their purchases to $25 per family per day until power and supplies are restored. At that time the $25 limit will be relaxed.
— The resource center at the old K-Mart building in DeRidder is currently closed and is in the process of replenishing their supplies. When the center is ready to open, the date and procedure for use will be announced.
— The Sheriff's Office is asking people to contact FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA to get ID numbers.
— Other law enforcement agencies are sending deputies to assist local law enforcement and the national guard in security duties. Currently, Lincoln and Madison Parish Sheriff Departments are present in Beauregard.
There is zero tolerance concerning looting in the parish. In the last two nights, six people have been arrested for looting, which carries up to 15 years in the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
— The Police Jury has announced that they have opened a debris site at the east corner of Hwy. 190 and Old Airport Rd. This site will be taking debris logs and stumps. Larger pieces should be cut as close to stumps as possible, in 20-inch pieces. There will be equipment and personnel at the site to assist in unloading the debris. The hours of operation will be from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
CPSB looking for employeees
The Calcasieu Parish School Board is trying to make contact with the following school board employees:
Maintenance employees
Cafeteria managers
Payroll Department employees
If you are one of theses employees or if you know how to contact one of these employees, please relay the following message to them, the school board Web site requests.
Those employees are asked to call the CPSB hotline at (337) 433-1049.
"Please do not call this number unless you are one of the persons listed above," the Web site states. "The person answering this number does not have any further information about CPSB issues."
Hibernia needs employees
Employees who are able to work, even if they are not physically at their normal work locations because of evacuations, are needed in both branch and non-branch offices, according to the Hibernia Web site's Hurricane Emergency Message Center.
Those employees should contact their managers for work site assignments.
Hibernia employees in areas affected by Hurricane Rita are asked to call the bank's Employee Emergency Information Line for updates on any impact on Hibernia's offices and operations.
Customers may call 1-877-706-4233 for a recorded update on storm impact or 1-800-262-5689 to reach Hibernia's customer service agents.
All offices in Calcasieu and surrounding parishes are closed. The main offices in New Iberia and Franklin are closed because of power outages, but the remote drive-ups are open. Offices in Lafayette and Abbeville are open.
Iowa water safe; Use care with generators
By Jamie Gates
American Press
Iowa Mayor Margo Racca reassured residents of her area that the water is safe to drink.
For Iowa residents wanting to evacuate, buses are at Market Basket to shuttle them to the Lake Charles Civic Center for evacuation.
Lake Charles Fire Chief David Manuel is urging citizens of Southwest Louisiana to be careful when using generators. They are not to be used indoors as that would cause death by carbon monoxide poisioning.
"People don't realize that when they wire the generators into their circuit boxes that they are causing a backfeed into already downed power lines which is causing fires," Manuel said. "If someone accidentally touches one of these lines, not knowing that it's live, they can be electrocuted." He stated that he understands people needing generators but that they are really compounding the problem.
BECI, Entergy hit hard
By Jamie Gates
American Press
Kay Fox with Beauregard Electric stated that the company lost power to 100 percent of its customers — which leaves 36,500 customers in the dark.
"Crews were in the area even before Hurricane Rita hit," said Fox, of the crews who have been living in tent cities trying to restore service. "It's going to be a slow process and we ask for patience from our customers."
Fox is asking people to log on the their website at www.beci.org.
Entergy Corporation CEO Renea Conley stated that they are doing assesments all over Southwest Louisiana. "So far, we've seen 117 transmission lines down and 125 substations are out. That translates to hundres of miles of wires down. It could take weeks to restore electricty to the area." she said. "We will work closely with Mayor Randy Roach to prioritize energy restoration to our customers."
FEMA Director in Lake Charles
By Jamie Gates
American Press
New Federal Emergency Management Agency director David Paulison was in Lake Charles Monday to address questions about FEMA's response in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita in Southwest Louisiana.
"I am crediting the lack of loss of life to the swift evacuation of residents and coordinated efforts of all the local emergency prepardness officials," Paulison said. "Lots of people have lost everything and we are going to stay here until we get the situation resolved."
Paulison stated that the "successful response from locals and parish residents and officials to state personnel - has truly been a partnership" adding that he's been very pleased with the results.
Five deaths have been attributed to the storm, however, those were in Beaumont. So far, no deaths in Louisiana have been reported.
Paulison asked residents to call 1-800-FEMA to register for disaster assistance or log on to the website at www.fema.gov. If those in need have a bank account, the money can be sent through direct deposit. He stated that those who no longer have homes need to provide a valid mailing address to receive money.
"President Bush has approved 625 million for housing assistance with the bulk going to Louisiana residents," Paulison said. "Recovery will be a slow, methodical process but we'll cut through the red tape to speed up the process."
State Senator Mary Landrieu was also on hand at Monday's news conference to provide reassurance to the residents of Southwest Louisiana.
"Our state has been devastated by two powerful storms," Landrieu stated. "This has become a national disaster which will take an unprecidented national response. We can't stop the water. We can't stop the wind. But we can invest in coastal restoration, Landrieu said.
"We are the country's only energy based coast. People don't come to Louisiana to sunbathe. The nation is already realizing the importance of Louisiana to the economy as a whole."
Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach has spoken with local FEMA officials and said that there are plans to put a local FEMA office in Lake Charles so citizens could apply for relief in person as well as have concerns answered.
"The request has to come through the state and we put that request in this morning," Roach said.
FEMA Distribution Points
Main FEMA distribution sites:
The following locations may provide a shuttle to one of the main distribution sites:
Residents will be given meals-ready-to-eat, water and ice. The parish is working with both military and FEMA and asks that residents be patient with supplies.
Tom Hoefer
Calcasieu Parish
Airport damaged; FBO still operating
The hangar shared by Air Logistics and Cameron Mosquito Control is now a pile at the end of the Lake Charles Regional Airport runway. Three small planes are among the damage. A hangar just feet from the destroyed hangar was untouched.
Vision Aviation, the fixed based operation just north of the airport tower, is open during the daylight hours. Serving mainly military aircraft, the FBO sold nearly 5,000 gallons of jet fuel Monday.
Naomi Guidry
American Press
FEMA in Iowa
Iowa police chief Charles Ipes says FEMA is distributing food, water and ice at Iowa High School.
He said military police are helping local police patrol the town, and reported only arrests for curfew violations. Curfew in Iowa is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Garrett Guillotte
Staff writer
Kinder town clerk: FEMA hard to contact
John Taylor, town clerk for Kinder, said, "We've had phone service fine in city hall all week long, but we can't seem to make any headway with contact with FEMA."
Taylor said it's his understanding from the governor's office that Allen Parish is included in the federal disaster area, but it seems that "FEMA doesn't know that."
Taylor said he is working with U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery to try to find out how to get FEMA into the parish.
Garrett Guillotte
Staff writer
Photos from Lake Charles
s j b, a user of the photo sharing service Flickr, has posted several photos from Hurricane Rita's aftermath, including many from Lake Charles. There is also a Flickr group for Hurricane Rita.
Garrett Guillotte
Staff writer
Coastal satellite images available
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released high-resolution satellite photos of coastal Louisiana and Texas taken after Hurricane Rita's passage. The photos are from Sept. 25-26. Image sizes are between 2-3 megabytes and may take some time to download over a slow Internet connection.
Each pixel in the images resolves to about 1.2 feet - resolution high enough to clearly see vehicles, small houses, boats and landscape features.
Here are direct links to images from:
On Tuesday, the NOAA released further images of inland Cameron, west Calcasieu on the Texas border, south Calcasieu on the Cameron border, and southeast Texas, including:
Garrett Guillotte
Staff writer
First Federal Bank closes area offices
First Federal Bank of Louisiana says it offices in Calcasieu Parish and in DeRidder, Oakdale and Oberlin are closed until power and communications are restored. Its offices in Natchitoches and Alexandria are open; however, branch employees in both cities say computers are down at all open branches and are unable to process transactions or provide current account information.
First Federal employees in Natchitoches and Alexandria advised customers to hold on to cash if they have it, and that money from their accounts may be available from ATMs outside of the First Federal network. However, any balances in those systems would be from Sept. 21 or Sept. 22, and would not be updated until information could be rerouted from Lake Charles.
The view from downtown
It’s 6 a.m. Tuesday morning in downtown Lake Charles. I’m writing this from inside a car parked at my apartment complex at Ryan and Pujo streets.
I’ve been up for two hours. The post-Rita downtown is not built for sleep.
Dozens of generators are humming in a parking lot across the street near the Calcasieu courthouse. Four industrial-strength flood lights are pointed at my window. Entergy trucks and ambulances pass by intermittently, lights flashing. Military transport trucks also rumble down the road.
At least the helicopters stopped for the night.
But the noise isn’t the worst part. As anyone who has been in Lake Charles the past few days knows, there is an ever-present and oppressive heat from which there is no escape. My apartment is on the second floor, and turns into something not unlike a sauna during the day. After sunset the inside temperature drops below 90. The evening breeze went dead last night.
A cool front would be nice.
From my car, which for now is serving primarily as a generator to charge my phone and laptop, I can see lights on three floors of the Chase office building on Lakeshore Drive. Across the street is a collapsed brick wall lining the base of the old hotel that has been converted into office space. Before I returned to Lake Charles to work, I saw images of the damaged building on national news networks like CNN and on the Web site of the New York Times. It’s more dramatic in person.
In every other direction is only absolute darkness. The traffic light at Ryan and Kirby streets, lit softly by the floodlights, serves as the gate into a lifeless pitch-black nothingness. The cars pass through the gate and disappear into the hot, humid night.
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
FEMA supplies in Calcasieu
FEMA will begin distributing ice, water and meals ready-to-eat at six Calcasieu Parish locations today, according to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury.
Supplies are limited, according to parish officials, and may not be available at some of the locations at any given moment. Here are the sites:
Lake Charles -- LC Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive
Sulphur -- Old Wal-Mart, La. 108 North of I-10
Vinton -- Vinton Elementary School, 1610 Hampton
Hayes -- Fire Station, 8141 Galley Road
Moss Bluff -- Old Wal-Mart building, La. 378 and U.S.171
Iowa -- Iowa High School, 401 West Miller Ave.
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
LSU melts down in loss to Tennessee
By SCOOTER HOBBS
American Press
BATON ROUGE — If you were counting on LSU football for a little Louisiana lift, better look elsewhere.
Or maybe it just ain’t gonna happen for this state this month.
At least nobody new lost a house.
But the state’s psyche suffered another disaster of sorts Monday night — a meltdown of biblical proportions — as the fourth-ranked Tigers blew a three-touchdown halftime lead and eventually lost 30-27 in overtime to Tennessee.
Think of it this way. It could be worse.
You could be Les Miles, trying to follow in the footsteps of Nick Saban, and making your home debut by blowing what is believed to be the biggest lead a Tiger team ever held before losing a game.
“We’re miserable,” said Miles after a lengthy postgame chat with his team. “We’re all disappointed. We lost our poise and couldn’t stop them.”
The clincher came when Tennessee’s Gerald Riggs bulled in from a yard out in overtime, moments after LSU settled for a field goal with its possession.
But by overtime it was almost anti-climatic for Tennessee, a foregone nightmare for the Tigers, after the Vols forged a 24-24 tie after trailing 21-0 at the half.
“We knew we’d score,” Riggs said of the overtime. “It didn’t matter if it was in the air or on the ground. We had the utmost confidence.”
It capped an awful night for a crowd of over 80,000 who somehow picked their through the debris of the state looking for a glimmer of hope and a reason to celebrate.
Instead, it was more heartache.
“We played like a joke in the second half,” said LSU defensive tackle Kyle Williams after admitting the Tigers probably got complacent after dominating the first half. “An absolute joke. It was a complete and total breakdown. A joke.”
LSU’s defense followed a dominating first half with some Arizona State flashbacks, allowing a Tiger reject, Rick Clausen, to pick it apart.
That would be the salt in this gaping wound.
Clausen, who transferred to Tennessee two years ago after it was obvious he was making no headway up the LSU depth chart, came off the bench to riddle the Tigers for 196 yards passing while completing 21 of 32 passes, one for a touchdown.
The Tiger offense wasn’t much help as it managed only three points and three first downs in the second half and probably left a couple of touchdowns on the field when it was moving in the first half.
“We played well to a point,” Miles said. “When you’re in your second game you would wish to play with the ability to finish and we didn’t. That’s why we lost the game.”
Clausen, peppering LSU’s defense with mostly short passes, directed two long scoring drives sandwiched around a Tiger field goal and the Vols got a gift when Jonathan Hefney intercepted a Russell pass and returned it to the LSU 2-yard line.
The interception, Russell’s first of the season, set up a one-yard scoring run by Riggs and turned what had been a three-touchdown Tiger rout-in-the-making into a 24-21 nail-biter with 7:15 to play.
“That’s when you could feel is slipping away,” Williams said.
Another three-and-out by the Tigers set up a 52-yard Vol drive that tied the score at 24-all on Wilhoit’s 28-yard field goal with 2:02 to play.
The Vols second touchdown drive was easily the most frustrating. It stayed alive with two third-down penalties against the Tigers after they thought they’d forced a punt and Clausen converted another third-and-17 when a wide receiver got wide open and would probably have scored if he hadn’t had to dive for Clausen’s pass.
“Not making plays, making stupid plays,” Williams said. “Just bad plays by us. The second half it didn’t get done.”
Even in the first half, LSU played with more emotion than precision in building the three-touchdown lead.
The Tigers scored on their first play from scrimmage when, after Kenneth Hollis recovered a fumble by Vols quarterback Eric Ainge at the UT 19, LSU’s Joseph Addai bounced outside and scored from there on the next play.
A 47-yard flee-flicker pass from JaMarcus Russell to Craig Davis set up a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Russell.
The Tiger defense got in the act when Vol starter Eric Ainge, under pressure in the back of the end zone, tossed up a wild underhand pass that was intercepted by Hollis at the 3-yard line and returned for an easy touchdown.
Otherwise, the Tigers stopped themselves, so much so thatTennessee was fortunate to only be trailing 21-0 at the half.
LSU lost two unforced fumbles deep in Vols territory, was unable to move after starting another possession at the UT 40 and the first-half clock hit zero with the Tigers, out of timeouts, desperately trying to get off another play from the Vols’ 6-yard line after Russell chose to scramble instead of throwing the ball away to at least set up a field goal.
“We had some rough situations that it was tough to get through,” said Russell, who was 11 of 19 for 145 yards in the first half but only 3 of 9 for 13 yards in the second half. “It was one of those things where we just shot ourselves in the foot.”
The Vols, who ran only three plays in Tiger territory in the first half and never crossed midfield on their own in the first half, quickly made it interesting in the second half, setting the tempo with a 61-yard touchdown drive in which Clausen completed six of seven passes.
The LSU defense actually might have been too good in the first half, forcing the normally land-loving Vols to abandon their running game
“That’s what we talked about all week,” Williams said. “We wanted to stop the run. Then we get them in a position where they had to throw the ball and then we couldn’t make plays.”
LSU NOTEBOOK: Fans still turn out
By SCOOTER HOBBS
American Press
BATON ROUGE — The official announced attendance of 91,986 at the LSU-Tennessee game might have been a stretch, but there did appear to be 80,000 or more to the naked eye.
Even without the headaches caused by the two recent hurricanes, that’s pretty amazing considering Tiger Stadium’s first Monday night game was a work day and a school night for the fans and only a handful of the 7,000 Tennessee fans who bought tickets were able to make the trip.
LSU athletic director Skip Bertman said he asked last week and was told that roughly 21,000 season ticket holders lived either in the New Orleans area or more than two and half hours from Baton Rouge.
“And that,” Bertman said, “wouldn’t include Lake Charles, which is only two hours away. I asked for that information before we knew Lake Charles would be affected.”
The hurricane aftermath actually added a few Lake Area fans to the mix.
Jason Thorpe and Jeremy Jackson of Sulphur didn’t have tickets last week and had no intention of being at the game before the former evacuated to Hattiesburg, Miss., and the latter fled to Toledo Bend.
Both are big LSU fans and headed for Baton Rouge when a friend in the city told them he had extra tickets — and a place to stay.
“I guess that’s one good thing about the hurricane,” said Thorpe. “No way I could get a ticket to a game like this if it hadn’t been for the hurricane. It wasn’t all bad.”
Pete LaFleur and Jacqueline Lugar of Lake Charles were in the same boat after evacuating to a friend’s house in Baton Rouge.
“I’m happy to be at the game,” LaFleur said. “You have to look on the bright side.”
Dave Boling of Lake Charles evacuated to a relative’s house in nearby Zachary, but made sure his LSU-UT tickets were with him just in case.
His date, Sharon Henry of Bridge City, Texas, also considers herself a huge LSU fan, but evidently is a novice to the SEC.
She came to the game wearing an orange blouse that could have come from the Tennessee gift shop.
A quick stop at the LSU gift shop solved that dilemma, but it was a little hot and humid to be wearing a gold t-shirt over the orange one.
COLORS: Before the game the honor guard included the flags of the states affected by hurricanes — Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas — along with the American flag.
LSU student athletes from the affected states carried the flags of their home states.
Also, the LSU band added a set to its normal pregame show by playing the song, “Walking to New Orleans.”
OVERTIME: It was LSU’s fifth overtime game (the Tigers are 3-2) and also the second straight time that Tennessee has visited Tiger Stadium and had to work OT. LSU beat the Vols 38-31 in OT in 2000, Nick Saban’s first year. None of the five has lasted more than one OT. It was also the second straight year the Tigers have opened the season at home with an OT game as they beat Oregon State 22-21 last year. When LSU settled for a field goal, it was the first they’d ever attempted in an OT. They scored touchdowns in OT victories over Tennessee, Mississippi State and Oregon State. In the only other loss, Ole Miss had the ball first and scored a TD but LSU blocked the extra point and returned it for a 2-point conversion to leave them trailing by four points. But the Tigers came up short having to go for a touchdown. The Ole Miss loss was LSU’s only OT game on the road.
QUICK START: LSU’s offense scored on its first play from scrimmage at home this season when Joseph Addai bounced outside and sprinted 19 yards for a touchdown. It was set up a play earlier when SS Jesse Daniels sacked UT quarterback Eric Ainge, forcing a fumble that was recovered by OLB Kenneth Hollis. It was the first time LSU scored on its first play of a game since 2001 against Tulane (also the home and season opener) when LaBrandon Toefield did it from 28 yards out.
HE’S BACK: Former LSU QB Rick Clausen, who transferred to Tennessee three years ago, came back to haunt the Tigers when he came off the bench to riddle them for 196 yards while completing 21 of 32 passes.
Clausen, who started the Vols’ previous game against Florida, came on after an ineffective Eric Ainge threw an ill-advised interception just before being sacked in the end zone that was a gift for LSU’s Kenneth Hollis to return three yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 LSU lead.
Clausen admitted his demotion last week almost canceled his return to Tiger Stadium.
“It was tough week for myself,” he said. “I called home a few times. I didn’t really want to be here. My family said you’ve got to stay, you never know what might happen. I’m thankful to them and the guys in the locker room. They kept me going and and had faith in me. I’ll always be indebted to those guys.”
TURNABOUT: Tennessee, which hadn’t scored in the second half of its two previous games, didn’t score in the first half Monday but roared back with 24 points in the second half to force the OT.
WELCOME TO TIGER STADIUM, LES: The first noticeable boos of the Les Miles era came after Tennessee tied the score at 24-all with 2:02 remaining. When the Tigers ran two plays up the middle, the cascade began.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: LSU has not had its home opener this late since 1961 when the Tigers beat Texas A&M 16-7 on Sept. 30. Back then the season started later and the schedule was only 10 games ... Before the game LSU was the only one of 117 teams in Division I-A football that had played only one game. Most have played three or four.
NEXT: LSU plays at Mississippi State Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The game is not on network television, but will be carried by LSU’s Tigervision pay-per-view.
“We can’t dwell on this game,” Miles said. “In effect, it’s Tuesday and we’ve got to get ready to play another game.”
With the short week, LSU will be back at practice Tuesday night.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 OT
----------------- -- -- -- -- -- [ - ] -----
Tennessee........... 0 0 7 17 6 [ 6 ] - 30
LSU................. 7 14 3 0 3 [ 3 ] - 27
Scoring Summary:
First Quarter
LSU - Joseph Addai 19 yd run (Colt David kick) — 1 play, 19 yards, TOP 0:06.
Second Quarter
LSU - JaMarcus Russel 1 yd run (Colt David kick) — 4 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:20.
LSU - Kenneth Hollis 3 yd interception return (Colt David kick)
Third Quarter
UT - Bret Smith 8 yd pass from Rick Clausen (James Wilhoit kick) — 11 plays, 61 yards, TOP 3:30.
LSU - Chris Jackson 42 yd field goal — 6 plays, 25 yards, TOP 1:51.
Fourth Quarter
UT - Rick Clausen 1 yd run (James Wilhoit kick) — 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 5:31.
UT - Gerald Riggs Jr 1 yd run (James Wilhoit kick) — 2 plays, 2 yards, TOP 0:42.
UT - James Wilhoit 28 yd field goal — 9 plays, 52 yards, TOP 3:22.
OVERTIME
LSU - Colt David 31 yd field goal — 5 plays, 12 yards.
UT - Gerald Riggs Jr 1 yd run (No kick) — 6 plays, 25 yards.
Team Statistics
2005 LSU Football
UT LSU
FIRST DOWNS................... 21 13
Rushing..................... 6 5
Passing..................... 11 6
Penalty..................... 4 2
NET YARDS RUSHING............. 70 98
Rushing Attempts............ 34 33
Average Per Rush............ 2.1 3.0
Yards Gained Rushing........ 110 131
Yards Lost Rushing.......... 40 33
NET YARDS PASSING............. 250 158
Completions-Attempts-Int.... 28-51-2 14-28-1
Average Per Attempt......... 4.9 5.6
Average Per Completion...... 8.9 11.3
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS........... 320 256
Total offense plays......... 85 61
Average Gain Per Play....... 3.8 4.2
Fumbles: Number-Lost.......... 4-2 3-2
Penalties: Number-Yards....... 14-97 11-71
PUNTS-YARDS................... 8-309 8-312
Average Yards Per Punt...... 38.6 39.0
Net Yards Per Punt.......... 27.4 36.5
Inside 20................... 2 3
50+ Yards................... 1 0
Touchbacks.................. 0 0
Fair catch.................. 2 1
KICKOFFS-YARDS................ 5-325 5-319
Average Yards Per Kickoff... 65.0 63.8
Net Yards Per Kickoff....... 43.6 45.0
Touchbacks.................. 3 1
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD. 3-20-0 5-90-0
Average Per Return.......... 6.7 18.0
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 4-74-0 2-47-0
Average Per Return.......... 18.5 23.5
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD.. 1-26-0 2-3-1
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD. 0-0-0 0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards........... 0 0
Possession Time............... 35:30 24:30
1st Quarter................. 9:43 5:17
2nd Quarter................. 8:42 6:18
3rd Quarter................. 7:31 7:29
4th Quarter................. 9:34 5:26
OT Quarter................. 0:00 0:00
Third-Down Conversions........ 6 of 16 2 of 13
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 1 of 1 0 of 0
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 5-5 3-4
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 2-18 4-32
PAT Kicks..................... 3-3 3-3
Field Goals................... 1-1 2-2
Individual Statistics (Final)
Rushing No Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
-------------------------------------------------
Gerald Riggs Jr 24 97 8 89 2 22 3.7
M. Hardesty 2 4 0 4 0 3 2.0
Erik Ainge 2 0 9 -9 0 0 -4.5
Rick Clausen 6 9 23 -14 1 8 -2.3
Totals... 34 110 40 70 3 22 2.1
Passing Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Long Sack
-------------------------------------------------
Rick Clausen 32-21-1 196 1 25 3
Erik Ainge 19-7-1 54 0 16 1
Totals... 51-28-2 250 1 25 4
Receiving No. Yds TD Long
----------------------------------------
C.J. Fayton 8 61 0 16
Chris Hannon 6 55 0 14
Robert Meachem 3 44 0 25
Bret Smith 3 38 1 25
Gerald Riggs Jr 3 20 0 10
Jayson Swain 2 15 0 8
Cory Anderson 2 9 0 5
Chris Brown 1 8 0 8
Totals... 28 250 1 25
Punting No. Yds Avg Long In20 TB
---------------------------------------------------
B. Colquitt 8 309 38.6 50 2 0
Totals... 8 309 38.6 50 2 0
Punts Kickoffs Intercept
All Returns No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg
--------------------------------------------------
Gerald Riggs Jr 0 0 0 1 17 17 0 0 0
Lucas Taylor 3 20 20 2 45 25 0 0 0
I. Johnson 0 0 0 1 12 12 0 0 0
Jonathan Hefney 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 26 26
Totals... 3 20 20 4 74 25 1 26 26
Field goal attempts
----------------------------------------
James Wilhoit 4th 02:02 28 yds - Good
FUMBLES: Tennessee-Gerald Riggs Jr 3-1; Erik Ainge 1-1. LSU-JaMarcus
Russel 1-1; Skyler Green 1-0; Joseph Addai 1-1.
LSU
Rushing No Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
-------------------------------------------------
Joseph Addai 16 93 9 84 1 21 5.2
Shyrone Carey 5 13 3 10 0 5 2.0
Jacob Hester 2 6 0 6 0 5 3.0
Justin Vincent 3 6 1 5 0 4 1.7
Skyler Green 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
JaMarcus Russel 6 13 20 -7 1 8 -1.2
Totals... 33 131 33 98 2 21 3.0
Passing Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Long Sack
-------------------------------------------------
JaMarcus Russel 28-14-1 158 0 47 2
Totals... 28-14-1 158 0 47 2
Receiving No. Yds TD Long
----------------------------------------
Craig Davis 3 68 0 47
Dwayne Bowe 3 28 0 18
Skyler Green 2 10 0 5
Jacob Hester 2 10 0 7
Keith Zinger 1 21 0 21
Early Doucet 1 11 0 11
Joseph Addai 1 7 0 7
Bennie Brazell 1 3 0 3
Totals... 14 158 0 47
I'm a Hurricane Rita evacuee - Part 2
My four kids lay sound asleep side-by-side on the floor of the American Press news bureau in downtown DeRidder as Hurricane Rita reached us in the early hours Saturday. The lights went out as the high winds began to whip the old brick building.
In the dark, the 100 mile per hour winds shook the building. I could hear loud, terrible noises that sounded like metal bending or things being torn off the roof. The awning in front of the American Press building began to bang against the glass windows and front doors. It seemed like it might shatter the glass before the morning light came.
I tried to determine what I would do if the winds ripped off the building's roof or smashed the large glass windows in front. The building had a separate garage connected to the back of the building. This would be our refuge if my worst fears came true.
I fell asleep and awoke hours later to a loud banging noise. It was the awning again. By now it was daylight and the winds were still whipping, sending pieces of shingles and sheet metal through the air. We started to see the damage the high winds had done to the building and downtown DeRidder. The winds would continue most of the day. We finally took down the awning because it kept banging against the glass windows.
As the day progressed, the kids tried to entertain themselves with no air conditioning in the building. A friend of bureau chief Shawn Martin's came by and dropped off some MREs we could eat. The MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) are used by the military, but you would think they were designed for kids. My children loved the chili mac and the jalapeno cheese spread. The MREs even had small bags of Skittles and M&Ms in them. The MREs used water to heat them. It took the kids' minds off the predicament we were in. They had not bathed in days. They didn't like it.
Managing Editor Bobby Dower and I worked all day. Shawn had figured out a way to use my van as a generator to run our computers and get us an Internet connection since we had no power. We listened to the television and radio. We filed stories that I was able to put together along with other stories filed by Shawn. By Sunday morning, we began to walk outside and look at the damage firsthand. There were trees down everywhere. I walked my two dogs and took some pictures. I thought about how nice it would be to go to church. The Press building was starting to get too hot because the sun had come out. Bobby decided he would head for Lafayette. The kids were miserable but their morale was high. My youngest child, Ricky, 7, made action figures out of plastic cups and utensils. I knew we had to leave. I decided to head for Houston where my brother lived.
Staffer Elona Weston came by to file some stories. Elona and her husband, Tom, rode the hurricane out with their dog in a local church hall. She drove me to her home where she had a working phone. I contacted my brother in Houston and told him we were coming. On the way back, Elona drove me by the city park. It was destroyed with dozens of large trees down and park pavilions blown away. The playground equipment remained standing.
I used the van one more time to power up the computers to e-mail my wife back in Lake Charles what we were doing. I told her not to worry. The kids and my mom packed their stuff quickly. We loaded the van and headed out. Fortunately I had a full tank of gas. I had filled up in DeRidder the day before the storm hit. I wondered if the gas would be enough to get us to Houston. I didn't have a Texas map. I decided to drive on U.S. 190 west to U.S. 59 south which would take us to Houston. We left at 3:45 p.m. Sunday from DeRidder and would not arrive in Houston until nearly seven hours later.
As we hit the road, we started to see more mass destruction from Hurricane Rita. It look like a war zone. The first town we came upon was Merryville. Huge trees, snapped like twigs, crossed over power lines on both sides of highway. We came upon some convenience stores that had opened their doors. They had no electricity, but gobs of people filled them trying to get supplies. It didn't look pretty.
As we entered Texas, we soon saw long lines of vehicles lined along the highway in the opposite direction waiting to get into distribution points where supplies was being given out. Trees were down everywhere, particularly on power lines. Many were nearly in the road. Entering Newton, we knew the power was out. The traffic lights didn't work. High winds had damaged Newton High School. We later saw a field of small pines trees in which all of them leaned northward, pushed that way by the hurricane winds.
Every town we came to - Jasper, Woodville, Bon Wier, Indian Springs - had no electricity. People standing on the roadside looked like they were in shock and didn't know what to do. We finally made it to Livingston, Texas. There was still no power but I got onto U.S. 59 south. Little did I know we would hit three separate detours on U.S. 59. It took us miles out of our way and drank my gasoline. I finally had to turn off the van's air conditioner and roll the windows down to conserve gas. There was no gas anywhere. We had to make it on what we had. I saw people stranded along the road with their vehicles, waving signs asking for help. I didn't have any gas to spare.
It seemed the farther south we went, the more delays we encountered. The first detour made us drive more than 20 miles off our original route. My gasoline began to get lower and lower. We saw one house along the way that had a large sign posted in front. It read: "Help us. 43 people here. Water and ice needed." I only had 10 bottles of water. I came to an intersection in the middle of nowhere. A chubby kid sitting on a box along the curb asked me if I needed directions. I said no. I finally made it to U.S. 59, only to hit another detour. A bridge on the highway had been hit by a barge. It was closed until road crews could determine if it was safe.
We were told by the highway patrol to double back another 10 or 15 miles. I was starting to reach half a tank of gasoline. We still had a far way to go. We kept looking for a sign that would tell us how much further we had to go to reach Houston. It was now dark and there were vehicles everywhere. We started to hit long lines heading for Houston. The traffic sometimes came to a standstill. Trucks and cars began riding on the shoulder to get around the traffic jams.
We hit a third detour which eventually took us back to U.S. 59 near Cleveland, Texas. I didn't know if there were any more detours. Traffic was heavy at first, but soon the highway opened up and I started to speed down the road. We reached Houston at 10 p.m. The kids wanted to eat at a restaurant. Everything was closed. We managed to get an order of chicken wings to go from Hooters. The kids ate them up. When I reached Houston, I had enough gas left to go 70 more miles.
Hector San Miguel
City Editor
Monday, September 26
Beauregard: No burning, trash pickup or FEMA
There's a burn ban in Beauregard Parish, a dusk-to-dawn curfew in DeRidder and sporadic water service in rural areas of the parish, says Robert L. McCullough Jr. of Beauregard Incident Command.
Trash and debris pickup is not in service.
South Beauregard and Merryville water systems are under repair.
Parish schools are closed at least this week -- except for those which get power back.
There are no FEMA reps in the parish. People can get help from the Red Cross, which is present at some shelters or available toll-free at 1-888-GET-INFO.
The Office of Community Services is closed this week. People can call 1-800-348-KIDS for help or local law enforcement for abuse reports.
Shawn Martin
American Press
They come from all over the nation
JENNINGS -- They stand in 92-degree afternoon heat, happy to accept a bag of ice from a stranger as they begin the last leg of a power-restoration tour that has unexpectedly taken them clear across the state.
They're among the many who have come from all over to help.
Working on power lines in Jennings off La. 26 is a four-person union crew from L.E. Myers of Indianapolis. They are journeymen linemen Arnold Owens and Jackie Wood, ground person Cynthia Spear and apprentice lineman Bear Cassler.
They are from California, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Sabine, Ohio. They work 16-hour shifts. And they didn't expect that they'd still be here.
The crew members came down after Hurricane Katrina. They worked in Magnolia, Kenner and, for a week and a half, a wrapup assigment in New Orleans.
Then Hurricane Rita hit. They just added another assignment: Jennings. And they just rested that bag of ice on the shady side of the truck.
Brett Downer
Editor
No looking back
Murry Burleigh of Lake Charles sits in a line several cars deep, hoping to purchase a generator at Stine in Lake Charles. Burleigh and his wife, Carolyn, chose to evacuate to Monroe after remembering how bad Hurricane Audrey was after riding that storm in the Cameron Parish Courthouse.
Rick Hickman
Staff Photographer
McNeese cancels Southern Utah game; football and baseball facilities damaged
The Southland Conference had a teleconference Tuesday to sort out the future of the storm-stricken McNeese State University and Lamar State University sports schedules.
SLC spokesman Bruce Ludlow said representatives of both schools reported severe damage at a Wednesday teleconference. However, McNeese athletic director Sonny Watkins and head coach Tommy Tate did not take part in the discussion. Watkins was on his way to McNeese to assess the damage.
"In the next couple of days, the schools have a chance to get a better idea of conditions before we have another teleconference Friday," Ludlow said.
McNeese has canceled Saturday's home game against Southern Utah. It is the third canceled home game for McNeese, which is yet to play a home game this season.
Though some games in past years have been postponed, McNeese has never had a football game canceled until this year.
The idea of Southern Utah hosting McNeese on Oct. 8, an open date for both teams, has been discussed.
Northwestern State officials are considering hosting housing McNeese athletes. Louisiana Tech is currently hosting the Tulane football team.
McNeese's football and baseball facilities are both damaged. Cowboy Stadium has several damaged light standards, including one that hangs dangerously over the field, said Matthew Bonnette, who was on Lake Charles to inspect damage to the home of his father, McNeese Sports Information Directpor Louis Bonnette. There is also damage to the press box.
The outfield wall is down at Cowboy Diamond, and the third base dugout is destroyed, according to assistant baseball coach Chris Fackler.
Gary Laney
Staff Writer
14th Judicial District Court suspended
The 14th Judicial District court has been closed by order of Chief Judge Mike Canaday, according to a news release from his office. The suspension is for Sept. 26 through Oct. 9, unless further extended.
Calcasieu schools will remain closed
Calcasieu Parish public schools and administrative offices are closed until further notice in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, according to spokesman Charlene Chiasson.
All extracurricular activities and sporting events, including practices, are also canceled.
A modified school year is being designed, Chiasson said, so Calcasieu Parish students can get in a full year's work without having to enroll elsewhere.
The Oct. 4 school board meeting has been canceled.
The www.cpsb.org Web site is up and running, as are employee e-mail accounts. Information on the site will be updated at least daily, Chiasson said.
Karl Bruchhaus, chief financial officer for the school system, is working out plans for distribution of payroll to employees, whether through established direct depoit routes or delivery of checks to those who have not signed up for direct deposit. The plans will be announced on the Web site.
Chiasson asked that employees who can connect to the Internet pass along the information to colleagues who do not have access.
Cliff Seiber
Staff Writer
Looking for his master
Several dogs, left behind by their owners, run the streets of Lake Charles in the storm's aftermath. (Photo:Rick Hickman)
Tanglewood Road
Looking north down Lake St. from the intersection of Lake St. and Sale Rd. (Photo: Rick Hickman)
Strong arm of the law
The presence of National Guard muscle augments local authorities and helps maintain order in hurricane-struck Lake Charles. (Photo: Rick Hickman)
Guarding the loot
Staff Sgt. Ellifritt and Specialist Lawerence, both National Guardsmen from Oregon, stand guard from looters at the Walgreens on Ryan St. The two had just recently arrested an individual who was trying to loot Market Basket on Ryan St. (Photo: Rick Hickman)
Shopping in Lake Charles
Kathy Gates buys non-perishable food and supplies in volume at the new Sam's Club in Lake Charles. Sam's Club opened a mini store within inside the main store that is open 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Rick Hickman
Staff Photographer
Nursing home residents sheltered in Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA - Several hundred Southwest Louisiana nursing home residents, staff and family members found safe harbor from Hurricane Rita at the Peabody Magnet High School in Alexandria. However the fractured infrastructure of Lake Charles is an especially serious complication for the elderly and those with serious medical conditions.
Among those at Peabody are nursing home residents from Lake Charles, DeQuincy, Sulphur and other towns and parishes in Southwest Louisiana.
The residents of the various nursing homes are provided mattresses and cots on the floor of the school gymnasium, while the staff and family members slept in the hall ways and in the upper level where the retractable seats are pushed in to make ample space for the evacuees.
Many of the the people coming to the shelter spent long hours Thursday night in bumper-to-bumper traffic on U.S. 165. Some spent 13 hours or more to make the normal hour and a half drive from Lake Charles to Alexandria.
Calcasieu and Allen parish school buses helped transport many of the elderly. Others were driven by their own relatives and staff members of the nursing homes, who are all staying together in the shelter.
Stacks of special needs nursing supplies were brought to the gymnasium and everyone has been fed three hot meals a day by the school cafeteria workers.
Doctors have kept an eye on the evacuees, most of whom have special medical needs and medications. The facility has been guarded by both the Alexandria Police Department and the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Department.
When the hurricane struck late Friday and Saturday, the shelter felt little impact inside. Remarkably, the electricity stayed on through Friday night and much of Saturday. When it did go off, conditions became warm and uncomfortable. However the rain subsided, and the doors were opened so the still potent breezes helped bring much needed relief with the air circulating throughout the building.
Electricity was brought back on and air conditioning for the special needs evacuees made it a relief for all.
The Louisiana National Guard from Camp Beauregard unloaded additional stockpiles of water and MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) on Sunday. They also brought news that other evacuees were being moved into a separate gym area of the school, to relieve crowded conditions at another shelter.
Also Sunday, shelter officials learned that a nursing home in Mamou was in dire need of food and nursing supplies. Staff and family members pitched in to load the needed goods on a Calcasieu Parish school bus, and send it to the relief of those in urgent need in Evangeline Parish
While the Spartan conditions make for stressful living, the residents of the nursing
homes have received around-the-clock nursing care. Home team and visitors locker rooms were designated for dressing, shower and restrooms for both men and women.
The water shortage in Alexandria Monday brought about more concerns and challenges for the needs of the nursing home residents at the shelter.
As of Monday evening, some of the evacuees were preparing to return home to those parishes that have been reopened. But the uncertainties of the length of time Lake Charles will be without such critical services as electricity, water and sewerage, presents especially difficult challenges for the families of nursing home residents.
Unable to return to their own storm-damaged homes for possibly weeks, and with a critical shortage of nursing home beds throughout the hurricane-stricken Gulf Coast, some Southwest Louisiana families now face the agonizing prospect of placing their loved ones in facilities far from familiar surroundings.
The complications of Hurricane Rita continue to multiply as storm displaced families regroup, and attempt to get on with their lives.
Mike Jones
Staff Writer
Taking Stock
Wayne McGown of Lake Charles surveys the damage to his Ihles Rd. home. McGown is speaking with his wife and relaying the damage to her in Monroe. (Photo: Rick Hickman)
Depending on God
Dewey Young Jr. sat soaked with sweat in his wheelchair inside the sweltering gym at DeRidder Junior High School.
His wife, Alice, tenderly counted out his yellow and green pills as he watched TV, which was tuned to news of Hurricane Rita's aftermath.
"It's been so far, so good," said Young, who is 82. "I haven't been able to sleep, though."
Young is among 300 other Calcasieu Parish evacuees seeking shelter at the school. He is an Army veteran as well as a hurricane veteran. He remembers Audrey and the devestation it caused Southwest Louisiana decades ago.
"We lost our home. It was in the middle of Lake Charles, and it was gone," Young said.
Young hopes his family will have more luck this time around.
He has been praying a lot, he said, as he pointed to the white rosary draped around his neck.
"I know God. I depend on him every day," said Young.
Like Young, Donna Bellard Wilde of Grand Lake is depending on God to see her through these difficult days. She hasn't heard if her Cameron Parish home has survivied and she has assumed the worst.
"There is only one thing that matters - life," she said.
Wilde stayed in DeRidder along with her two daughters. They rode out the storm in a house on Virgina Street and heard Rita's howling winds as well as trees snapping.
They are sounds that will haunt her for the rest of her life, she said.
"I've learned that when they say a hurricane is coming you don't hesitate. You pack up and go," she said.
Elona Weston
American Press
Public Photo Gallery Live
We have established a public photo gallery, where members of the public can upload any pictures they have of Lake Charles to assist other people in finding out the condition of their street or area.
Is is hosted at www.hobbsnews.com/cpg/
New users must first click "register" and fill out the form. You can then click "upload" to add your photo.
The public can also append comments to each photograph if they have more information.
Hurricane Rita :: Lake Charles Public Info Gallery
FEMA Distribution Sites
Here are the FEMA distribution sites around Calcasieu Parish for ice, water and meals ready-to-eat. Supplies are limited and are arriving sporadically. It is not guaranteed that supplies will be available at the locations at any given moment.
Lake Charles—LC Civic Center 900 Lakeshore Drive
Sulphur—Old Wal Mart Highway 108 North of I-10
Vinton—Vinton Elementary School 1610 Hampton
Hayes – Fire Station 8141 Galley Road
Moss Bluff—Old Wal Mart Highway 378 & 171
Iowa—Iowa High School 401 West Miller Ave.
Other sites may be added later.
Tom Hoefer
Calcasieu Parish
Reader Questions
Some questions submitted by readers...
I am trying to find out how the hurricane has affected Sowela. Does anyone know when classes are expected to resume?
From: gree3211@bellsouth.net
Please help us determine what the situation is at these locations:
Assured storage Units at ILES and Country Club. ALL of our belongings are in this storage unit.
We have not heard any information on the residents in the 700 block of West Hale, flooding, damage etc.
Anyone have info on the Longville Lake Park?
From: doiron0423@yahoo.com
Do you have any reports from Hebert’s on Big Lake?
From: dwrogers@sequentenergy.com
If anyone has any information about damage (especially trees on houses) on Swanee Street in the Henry Heights area of Lake Charles, I would be very grateful if they could relay it to the American Press email site.
From: zcajuntom@yahoo.com
Has any information been given about Big Pasture Rd. in Grand Lake?
From: tommyr@cajunnet.com
Lake Charles couple killed in auto accident
McCOMB (AP) - A Louisiana couple was killed in a one-vehicle accident on U.S. 98 in Pike County, authorities said Friday.
The accident occurred Thursday, said County Coroner Percy Pittman. Pittman said he was able to contact relatives who told him that Tommy G. Taylor, 71, and his wife, Emogene N. Taylor, 69, both of Lake Charles, La., had left home to flee Hurricane Rita.
A passenger in the sports utility vehicle, identified as Garcia Ramirez Bogata, 25, whose address was listed as McNeese State University, was treated and released from Southwest Mississippi Medical Center in McComb and returned to a shelter in the city, Pittman and the Highway Patrol said.
Medical services
If you seriously hurt yourself in Calcasieu Parish, you most likely will be treated somewhere else, according to local officials.
State and local officials say that three of the five major hospitals in the parish are open for emergencies only, and aren’t admitting patients for treatment other than stabilization.
‘‘From a medical standpoint, we are struggling to maintain services,’’ said Mark Severn, a parish hospital coordinator with Lake Charles Memorial Hospital.
So, from a medical standpoint, Calcasieu Parish is not the place to be.
‘‘The infrastructure is not there,’’ said Dr. B.J. Foch, the state Office of Public Health Region 5 medical director. ‘‘People should not return at this time.’’
Christus-St. Patrick, West Calcasieu-Cameron and Women and Children’s hospitals are operating emergency rooms, with a triage center set up by a federal medical disaster team at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Memorial and W.O. Moss Regional hospitals are not operating.
Injured patients who require surgery are being transported to other areas in Louisiana, mostly Lafayette and Alexandria, Foch said.
Severn said the work load for local medical responders has been one or two calls an hour.
‘‘We call it medium,’’ he said of the work load.
Without electricity and running water and sewage service, ‘‘it made no sense to have patients when the situation isn’t safe,’’ Severn said in regards to the closing of Memorial.
‘‘Hospitals on generators don’t run air conditioners,’’ he said. ‘‘If you live here you understand.’’
With sweating walls and water on the floors, ‘‘you don’t want to put a patient in that situation,” he said.
Dennis Spears
Night Editor
Relief organization contacts
FEMA spokesman Don Jacks encouraged Southwest Louisiana residents to register with FEMA as soon as possible.
Residents can do so by going to the Web at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.
Residents can also contact the American Red Cross via www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-975-7585.
Bobby Dower
Managing Editor
Red Cross in Beauregard Parish
Ralph Wright executive director of the Southwest Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross, said more than 700 Calcasieu Parish evacuees are being sheltered in DeRidder schools.
On Monday, Wright said 400 are staying at DeRidder High School and 300 are at DeRidder Junior High. At one time there were more than 600 at DeRidder High. Wright said some medically needy evacuees have been transported by bus to other locations.
He said evacuess are being fed three meals a day and living conditions are adequate.
"The thing we need now more than anything is electricity,"' he said. "We've got food and a place to stay."
The Southern Baptist Convention arrived at the shelters Monday to help cook meals, Wright said. More than 70 Red Cross volunteers from across the United States are assisting. Also, the Oregon National Guard is providing security at the shelters.
Wright said he is staying in close contact with Calcasieu Parish officials and will inform the evaucees when they can return home.
"We don't know how long it will be but these people will go back to Lake Charles as soon as they get the all clear to go back," he said.
Elona Weston
American Press
Beauregard update
The City of DeRidder has advised that the tap water supply within the city is safe to drink.
A tent city has been established at the Beauregard Parish fairgrounds where more than 100 utility trucks are being staged.
Kay Fox of Beauregard Electric said that more than 100 customers in Rapdies Parish now have power.
FEMA is distributing ice and water at the old Kmart in DeRidder. They are limiting it to one unit of ice and one unit of water per vehicle.
Elona Weston
American Press
Some stores are open
The new Sam's Club store next to L'auberge du Lac Casino operates a mini-store to serve locals in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. it also began selling gas today, creating long lines. Target and Albertsons stores are also open.
Rick Hickman
Staff Photographer
Entergy update
Entergy's power system must be rebuilt, not just repaired, according to the company's CEO.
Renae Conley said Monday that both the Nelson and Sabine power stations are off-line as Entergy inspects those facilities.
She said that 117 transmission lines and 125 substations are out of service. She said she expects both numbers to climb.
"It will take weeks, not days, to restore power," she said.
Entergy spokesman Sheila Mott said that it may take three weeks or longer for some power to be restored.
"Many people will not see their power restored next week," Mott said.
Bobby Dower
Managing Editor
Iowa police chief: Get out, stay away
Iowa Police Chief Charles Ipes urges evacuees of the town to stay away, and those who stayed behind to leave.
Ipes said that while few houses in Iowa sustained major damage, and while there is drinkable water in the city, there is still no power and few services available.
"All of our manpower is in here working around the clock," Ipes said. "We've been controlling looting; we haven't had major problems with looting."
The town is awaiting National Guardsmen to help control traffic in Iowa, and is also working to get ice and more water, Ipes said.
He said the rising heat index and lack of non-emergency medical services should convince any who stayed behind — especially small children and the elderly — to take buses from town to the Lake Charles Civic Center, where people will be evacuated to shelters outside of the parish.
Ipes said "not many houses" suffered much more than roof damage, and that major damage was mainly in larger metal and brick buildings. He said tornadoes caused the most damage to parts of town, "wiping out" Boudreaux's Mechanic Shop on Hwy. 90. Also, he said parts of the city barn had disappeared.
He said the city, like the rest of Calcasieu Parish, is blocked off by military and state police, and residents cannot return until they are told it is safe.
"We are keeping close watch on their property and their businesses, and we'll continue to do that until it's safe for them to return," Ipes said. "We want them to rest easy and keep up with the news."
Garrett Guillotte
Staff writer
Lyondell employees asked to check in
Lyondell Chemical Company in Lake Charles encourages all of its employees to call and provide information regarding their safety and welfare, location and contact numbers. Please call (337) 491-3211 or (610) 359-2001.
In Welsh: water and sewerage, but not power
An update on Welsh from Town Clerk Linda LeBlanc:
"Many trees have fallen on power lines and/or houses in the Town of Welsh and many streets are blocked with the fallen trees. Many homes have roof damage, and some homes lost attached metal carports.
"No fatalities or injuries have been reported from storm.
"We hope to have electricity restored within 7-14 days, but the feeder lines (power transmission lines) have been destroyed and must be repaired before we can have power locally. We do have running drinking water and sewerage services.
"Welsh policemen, firemen, and public works department have been working around the clock to restore our losses. The National Guard will arrive soon to assist. Market Basket parking lot is a distribution point for ice, water, and the military meal packs and the National Guard is overseeing the distribution."
Southwest La. in national spotlight
Southwest Louisiana is in the national spotlight in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita with stories about it on national network news and in major newspapers nationwide. Here's are excerpts of some of those stories.
* CNN - In a story aired Monday, former KPLC-TV meteorologist Rob Marciano, who now works for CNN, drove to Lake Charles to tour the storm damage. He entered the city off of Interstate 210 onto Lake Street. He tried to visit his former residence but the road was blocked by fallen trees. He also visited flooded areas in Southwest Louisiana.
On the network's Web site - www.cnn.com - the main weather story had a Cameron dateline. It quoted military relief commander, Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who conducted an aerial tour of Cameron Parish.
"Aerial photographs showed the storm had reduced rows of homes along the Cameron Parish shoreline to nothing but splintered remains and empty foundations," the CNN story reported.
"The flooded countryside of the largely rural area was dotted by the carcasses of some 4,000 to 5,000 cattle."
In an earlier CNN story, Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach was quoted saying, "The lake has risen higher than I've ever seen in my lifetime."
* Washington Post - The newspaper reported: Lake Charles was particularly hard-hit. On the approach to the city, water lapped at the first-floor windows of buildings, intersections were underwater, traffic lights hung precariously low, and three-foot-diameter trees bisected houses.
Brent McManus, 45, returned to find his lakefront home flooded to the second floor. His children's swing set and a six-foot-high fence had disappeared beneath the lake's surface.
Federal authorities 'told me this property was the fifth most likely to flood in Lake Charles," McManus acknowledged. "They wanted me to build it higher. I guess this time I will."
McManus's neighbor, Judson McCann, 69, stayed in his home through the storm, taking refuge in a room atop the garage: "It was very noisy and dark, and with the rain, you couldn't see across the lake," McCann said. "So I didn't know it was rising." When daylight finally arrived, he found the lake lapping at the garage.
"It was worse than I thought," Lake Charles resident Paul Tabarelli, 27, said. "The house was shaking." Tabarelli boarded up the outside of the house before taking refuge with two friends. A sheet-metal window guard clung to the side of the house bearing the spray-painted legend: "Three people inside."
* New York Times - The newspaper reported: In Cameron Parish, which is just across the state line from Texas and caught the brunt of the storm, small towns and fishing villages were all but destroyed.
The town of Cameron, population 2,000, remained under water in places on Sunday, and other towns, like Holly Beach, which has fewer than 200 residents, seemed to have disappeared.
A day after the eye of Hurricane Rita passed directly over the coastal parish, pushing a storm surge forecast to be as high as 20 feet in some places, familiar landmarks were gone - the fish camps, the store, the intersection of Highways 82 and 27 on the Gulf of Mexico.
"In Cameron, there's really hardly anything left," Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco said. "Everything is just obliterated."
Hector San Miguel
City Editor
Generators at Stine's
Around 11:30 a.m. Monday, Stine's on Nelson Road had about 200 generators for sale. The store was expecting another shipment Monday afternoon.
Murry and Carolyn Burleigh, who live in University subdivision, evacuated to Monroe, but came back to Lake Charles. Murry rode out Hurricane Audrey in 1957 at the Cameron Parish Courthouse.
Murry said the damage in Lake Charles caused by Hurricane Rita is worse than the damage caused by Audrey.
Rick Hickman
American Press photographer
Harrah's Hotline
Harrah's Lake Charles Casino has set up a contact number for employees to call in and give information regarding their safety, as well as their location and contact numbers.
Harrah's urges employees to call (800) 966-1078 as soon as possible.
Hurricane Rita aftermath quotes
“It’s God’s way to say it’s going to be OK,” - Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach talking about the sunset on Lake Charles the day after the storm hit.
“I could not believe how dark it is at night. It’s quite scary,” - Sulphur Mayor Ron LeLeux on the total power outage in Sulphur.
“It’s not the same Vinton that they left here,” - Vinton Mayor David Riggins on what Vinton residents will see when they return home.
“We throw them some MREs and some water and say, ‘good luck,' ” Lake Charles Police Chief Don Dixon on what would happen to looters who are put in the local jail.
“Those are chief concerns for us because we don’t someone to break into a gun store and have those assets to themselves to create some problems for us," - Lake Charles Police Sgt. Mark Krause talking about police guarding closed stores that sell weapons.
Hector San Miguel
City Editor
Storm damage survey
A Sunday survey of damage caused by Hurricane Rita along U.S. 190 west from DeRidder to Livingston, Texas found no electricity in the six communities between these two towns.
Trees were down over power lines all along U.S. 190. There were trees down on top of several homes in these communities. There was some heavy wind damage to Newton High School. Downed trees laid all along both sides of U.S. 190 driving westward.
The towns in the dark are DeRidder and Merryville in Louisiana, and Bon Wier, Newton, Jasper, Woodville, Indian Springs and Livingston in Texas.
Hector San Miguel
City Editor
No burning of trash in parish
Emergency officials ask residents in Calcasieu Parish not to burn trash, tree limbs or any other items, because there is no way to put out fires should they get out of control.
Man drowns off Houston River Road
A resident drowned Friday night near Merlin Drive in Westlake, Calcasieu Parish Assistant Coroner Zeb Johnson told the American Press late Sunday.
It is the first reported fatality in Calcasieu Parish related to Hurricane Rita.
"The man was witnessed walking around the area, possibly drinking, and was found later that night," Johnson said. "A neighbor pulled him out from the bank. He was covered until the neighbor could reach authorities Saturday afternoon."
The victim is identified only as a white male who apparently lived in that area.
The body was picked up by West Calcasieu-Cameron Hospital.
Merlin Drive is near the intersection of Houston River Road and John Stine Road.
Brett Downer
Editor
FEMA distribution points in Calcasieu
FEMA distribution points in Calcasieu Parish will be announced around noon today. Ice, water and meals ready-to-eat will be distributed. When the times and locations are confirmed, they will be posted here.
Tom Hoefer
Calcasieu Parish
Mayor on CBS: Guard patrolling city
Authorities had trouble keeping people from southern Louisiana from traveling through floodwaters in their boats to discover whether Rita wrecked their homes and livelihoods.
"I've been through quite a few of them, and we've never had water like this," said L.E. Nix, whose home on the edge of a bayou in Louisiana's Calcasieu Parish was swamped with 3 feet of water. "I had a little piece of paradise, and now I guess it's gone."
Lake Charles Randy Roach told CBS's "The Early Show" this morning that the city is being patrolled by the National Guard and that clean-up was underway.
"The good news is that the water is going down, it's kind of back in the banks of the lake and our recovery process is well under way," he said. "The response has been tremendous. I really appreciate everything that the federal government has done to help us."
CORRECTION: No return date set
There is no specific date set by authorities for when people can begin to return to Lake Charles and the rest of Calcasieu Parish.
A previous post incorrectly suggested that people would be allowed back beginning Oct. 3. That post has been removed.
No date has been set for returning. The challenge of major power restoration is the reason.
Staff reports
Sunday, September 25
One team played
While most McNeese State athletic teams found their events cancelled over the weekend because of Rita, the Cowgirls tennis team went to Little Rock, Ark. for a tournament.
"We decided with the hurricane coming, we'd go over there and go ahead and play,'' head coach Pat McCain said. She noted that with a team comprised almost entirely of foreign players, there wasn't a big concern about players dealing with their families.
The Cowgirls started one match, but the rains from Rita came in and washed away the rest of the tournament.
"I'm trying to get in touch with (athletic director) Sonny Watkins now to get some guidance,'' McCain said. "Tomorrow, we'll go to Monroe where a lot of the players have friends they can stay with.''
Gary Laney
American Press
Local flavor in Natchitoches
At Natchitoches, Southwest Louisiana residents filled the town to a population it normally only experiences during the city’s Christmas Lights Festival.
But many who came here to flee the storm wound up experiencing a more subdued version of the storm experience.
Hurricane Rita passed through town early Saturday morning, with tropical storm winds downing trees and power lines and leaving much of the city without power. Most of the power was back by Saturday evening, but many areas just outside of the city, including places where displaced Lake Charles residents found shelter, were still without power.
Businesses remained closed Saturday, but reopened Sunday.
At Wal-Mart, a Lake Charles man who sought shelter from the strom in DeRidder shopped for provisions.
“This is the closest place you can go to get groceries,’’ he said.
At Northwestern State about 1,500 evacuees, including many from Lake Charles, sought shelter and some remained Sunday evening. A national guardsman stationed at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans stood in the arena with an AK-47 strapped over his shoulder.
“We have nothing to go back to,’’ said the guard, who lives in Kenner. “Jackson Barracks is under 15 feet of water.”
Gary Laney
American Press
Welsh: 4-7 days for power
Welsh police chief Tommy Chaisson said it would be 4-7 days before the city experienced a return to power. He said most of the work for restoration to this point involved clearing roads, a job largely done, he said.
He said on Monday that the national guard would take over the distribution of ice, food and water. He is also pursuing more national guard assistance for security around town.
Gary Laney
American Press
Toll free number set up for ConocoPhillips employees
Management for the ConocoPhillips refinery in Lake Charles has set up a toll free number for employees to call and give information regarding their safety and welfare, location and contact numbers, according to John Gott, Lake Charles Refinery Plant Manager. The number is 1-888-766-1100.
Some of your messages and notes to us
Comments of all sorts have come in from readers to our temporary e-mail address, which is lcamericanpress@gmail.com. Here are excerpts from some recent posts:
1:29 a.m. - "I live in Sweetlake on Gulf Hwy next to Gaspard's store on Arsene Lebeu and Gulf Hwy. Please give me some info on that area."
6:39 a.m. - "Does anyone know anything about the area around Prien Lake Park, near 210 - flooding, tree damage, etc?"
6:55 a.m. - "I am in the military serving overseas. I have been trying to find out the fate of my parents home in Westlake. What are the conditions near Miller avenue and Legion Lane (where the VFW is located)? My family and I feel totally helpless over here and want the people of Louisiana to know you are in our thoughts and prayers. Hope all will be ok as soon as possible. Take care and God Bless."
7:41 a.m. - "I have relatives that stayed behind at 158 Dave Cole Road, Ragley. have not reached them really worried cannot reach missing person hotline. Can you help?"
9:33 a.m. - "I haven't been able to track down any information about the Oak Park neighborhood, especially the part of 5th Avenue between Prien Lake Road and Oak Park Boulevard. Trying to determine how much flooding, tree damage, or roof damage occurred in that area..... Any news there?"
9:54 a.m. - "I am looking for any information about Vinton and the Edgerly community."
11:21 a.m. - "Can anyone find out information on where the residents of Resthaven Nursing Center on Sale Lane have been sent? My mother is a resident there (Joyce
Futch), and we were told they were being evacuated but don't know to what
destination."
12:11 p.m. - "We were curious as to when and where we should tune in to catch Mayor Roach making an offical statement through a press conference. We have heard from every other mayor on Fox, CNN, etc. We are ready to hear our mayor tell us, about us."
12:53 p.m. - "Do you have any reports or photos of the Kroger Supermarket at 12th. & Common Sts.?"
Staff Reports
Beauregard, Vernon Schools closed
Beauregard Superintendent of Schools Myrna Cooley has announced that Beauregard Parish schools will be closed at least until Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Schools in Vernon Parish will be closed for at least all of next week, according to the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Department.
At last, Tigers' home opener
BATON ROUGE -- Are you ready for some diversion? Do you want a brief return to normalcy?
LSU will try to provide the former, however brief, for a battered state tonight when the Tigers finally play their home opener against No. 10 Tennessee.
How normal it will be is anybody's guess.
It's Monday night football in Tiger Stadium, for one thing, but at least for those lucky enough to still have cable or satellite access, it's a chance to turn thoughts from surviving Katrina to solving Tennessee coach Philip Fulmer, from escaping Rita to stopping Vol running back Gerald Riggs.
The 6:30 p.m. kickoff, televised nationally by ESPN2 with an hour and a half headstart on the NFL's MNF show, will be LSU's fourth try to get the home season opener in the books. It will also be the thrice-delayed home debut of new head coach Les Miles.
The original opener with North Texas was postponed until Oct. 29, the second against Arizona State was forced to re-locate to Tempe, Ariz., and this one, originally scheduled for Saturday, was backed up two days to avoid butting heads with Rita.
Tonight's contest was going to be the first-ever Tiger home game on a school day before LSU canceled classes for Monday, ostensibly to clean up from Rita's minor littering, but it also helps ease what otherwise might have been a traffic jam to rival the Houston evacuation.
It will be just LSU's second game and the Tigers' first in 16 days since they were displaced to Arizona State and beat the Sun Devils 35-31.
The Tigers, who erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in that one, got rave reviews for focusing on a game while assisting in the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina with many of their apartments overflowing with relatives stranded from New Orleans.
The national media was full of stories this week chronicling the hold on the state's culture that LSU football has and what a relief it would be to its citizens to finally see the Tigers play.
"It's no secret that this football team feels drawn to play for the state of Louisiana, if not every year then certainly this year," Miles said. "We're as excited as we can be. We look forward to being at home in front of our friends and family."
This time let's call the distractions even.
While LSU had to adjust its practice schedule on the fly and players from the other corner of the state are hosting evacuees, it's hardly business as usual for Tennessee.
Four Tennessee fans spotted in an off-campus restaurant Friday afternoon had arrived the night before for what they thought would be a Saturday night game.
"Know anybody that needs four tickets?" one of them asked.
They couldn't stick around until Monday.
Even before the latest postponement, few of the 7,000 Vol fans who purchased tickets were expected to be here since hotel space is virtually non-existent.
The Tennessee football team, which has adjusted its practices as often as the Tigers have, will make the rare day trip for a road game, flying into Baton Rouge Monday morning and leaving immediately after the game.
Fulmer wondered aloud why he should bring a team into Louisiana when everyone there seemed to be evacuating. When LSU pressed to have the game played Saturday as scheduled, Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton went as far as to suggest he would forfeit the game before flying his team into a possible hurricane.
"I think it would have been a real shallow victory. I mean, truly a shallow victory," Miles said. "We certainly wouldn't have taken any credit for it."
Miles will likely have to wait at least two more weeks to see the real Tiger Stadium, however.
With the delay and surrounding distractions, not to mention the problems of far-flung fans reaching the game, LSU officials really have no idea what kind of crowd to expect. But a guess would have somewhere between half and three-quarters of Tiger
Stadium's 92,000 seats being used -- unheard of, particularly for an SEC game against a top ten opponent. At least the playing conditions might be a little closer to normal. Although the original post-Rita forecast called for thunderstorms to continue through Tuesday, no rain has fallen in Baton Rouge since mid-afternoon Saturday -- it was blue skies Sunday -- and there's just a slight chance of rain for the game.
"I'm just excited we're finally playing," Miles said.
GAME CAPSULE
SITE: Tiger Stadium (92,000), Baton Rouge
TV: ESPN2. Radio: KKGB (101.3 FM).
RECORDS: LSU 1-0 (0-0); UT 1-1 (0-1).
LATEST LINE: LSU favored by 6 1/2.
LAST MEETING: LSU 31, UT 20 (2001 SEC title game).
LAST WEEK: LSU's was idle, beat Arizona State 35-31 on Sept. 10; UT
lost to Florida 16-7.
COACHES: LSU Les Miles (1st year, 1-0; 5th year overall, 29-21); UT Philip Fulmer (14th year, 124-32).
OFFENSES: LSU multiple (190 ypg rush, 244 ypg rush, 35 ppg); UT multiple (102 ypg rush, 210 ypg pass, 13 ppg).
DEFENSES: LSU 4-3 (99 ypg rush, 461 ypg pass, 31 ppg); UT 4-3 (61 ypg rush, 231 ypg pass, 13 ppg).
Scooter Hobbs
American Press
City, parish update
City and parish officials in locked-down Calcasieu Parish said at a Sunday news conference that Oct. 3 would be the day that some residents could return to begin assessing damage to their homes and businesses.
Officials, though, later backed off that statement, citing difficulties in the restoraton of electricity for the area. Entergy officials say the repair of main transmission lines could take longer than that to complete.
Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach also said that when you are allowed to return to the area, don't expect things to be normal.
''Be patient with us,'' said Roach. ''It will be a long period of recovery.''
Officials say that only those checking on property will be allowed to return at first.
''No kids and grandmas,'' said Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Hal McMillin. ''Just adults who are there to assess and fix problems.''
Roach also stressed that in the meantime, evacuees can apply for FEMA grants of $2,000. They can be obtained through the FEMA Web site or at some shelters.
''If you register for FEMA today, you can have money in your account tomorrow,'' he said. ''The $2,000 is intended to tide you over.''
Officials said those who rode out Hurricane Rita who want to be evacuated from Lake Charles should go to the Civic Center, where FEMA buses will take them to shelters out of the area. It was not made clear where those shelters are.
It was also stated that Lake Charles Fire Department crews will make rescues for those needing medical assistance. Call 911 for assistance.
The general theme of the news session was ''stay away, stay away, stay away.''
Westlake Mayor Dudley Dixon said those who return now will be ''getting in the way of people trying to clean up. It will be a drawn-out process. Be prepared for that.''
''We cannot do the job with traffic in the city,'' said Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso in regards to the restoration of utilities.
In Sulphur, there is some running water, but the city in in ''a boil situation,'' said Mayor Ron Leleux.
He said residents of that city should ''take no chances. We'll let you know when it's safe to drink.''
Leleux described the situation in the city as ''very bad. We lost a lot of trees, and houses need roofs - but we also see how well houses stood up.''
The parish, which has been cordoned off by law enforcement and the military, is under a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Lawmen reported no fatalities in the parish as of Sunday.
DeRidder water safe to drink
DeRidder Mayor Gerald Johnson says there is no order to boil water for city residents. "There were a few minor issues earlier, but those have all been resolved," he said. "The generators at city water wells are functioning well, and the sewer plant is up and running. Everything's as good as it can be here considering the conditions."
DeRidder is increasing police presence in the city with assistance from agents with the Louisiana Attorney General's office and the Louisiana National Guard. Some guardsmen could be seen today standing watch over gas pumps at a convenience store.
The mayor has also issued a dusk to dawn curfew in the city. Most main thoroughfares and highways have been cleared, but the side streets are closed from downed trees and power lines. "The situation is still dangerous", said Johnson.
"There are no reports of any fatalaties or injuries to citizens of DeRidder related to the storm," Johnson said.
Emergency preparedness officials will conduct two briefings per day to update residents.
Shawn Martin
DeRidder Bureau
Jeff Davis damage
The roof was missing from the east wing of Our Lady Immaculate School in Jennings.
Two of the four gas pumps at the EZ-Mart at the corner of La. 26 and U.S. had been blown flat on the ground.
Several large oak trees along U.S. 90 east of La. 26 had been felled by the wind.
Hathaway High School appeared to have little or no damage.
Bobby Dower
Managing Editor
News from northern parts of Texas and Louisiana
MARSHALL, Texas -- Hurricane Rita evacuees from Southwest Louisiana were broken hearted Sunday after reports that parish and municipal officials recommend that nobody head back south for a period of 7-10 days.
At motels and hotels where Calcasieu Parish residents are staying, the feeling is that southwest Louisiana officials are being overly cautious.
Some people are running out of money and need assistance. Information has floated around that FEMA will help but information on how to contact the agency is scarce.
I've been able to share information with some Lake Charles evacuees on how they can contact FEMA on the phone and online.
Eric Cormier
American Press
Staff writer
Beauregard Parish notes
The city of DeRidder has established a dusk to dawn curfew.
Ken Harlow of the DeRidder Fire Department says residents of Beauregard Parish should not burn limbs or trash. City officials and volunteer fire departments throughout Beauregard Parish have a fuel and water shortage which has compromised their ability to respond to fires.
The distribution depot at the old K-Mart in Deridder is out of supplies for evacuees.
James Eaves, President of Beauregard Parish School Board, says that parish schools sustained moderate damage.
"We came out of this pretty good", says Eaves. "Most of the schools suffered roof damage. The most significant damage was at Merryville High School, where the press box and scoreboard were both destroyed."
According to Eaves, the only school they have not been able to communicate with is Hyatt High School.
Red Cross volunteers
DERIDDER — A few days ago, American Red Cross volunteer Bob Vanicore was handing out food and supplies to Hurricane Katrina evacuees at the Lake Charles Civic Center.
Vanicore now finds himself at the receiving end as an evacuee himself.
"I don't like it," he said. "You can sure put yourself in their shoes."
Vanicore and his family drove their motor home to DeRidder. It now sits beside DeRidder Junior High School where Vanicore is volunteering.
"It's out of gas," he said, throwing his hands to the air. "Clean out."
Red Cross volunteer like Vanicore gave teamed with the Oregon National Guard to feed and care for the hundreds of evacuees who are staying at Beauregard schools and churches.
There are 350 at DeRidder Junior High and another 600 at DeRidder High School.
On Sunday, Red Cross volunteer and DJHS teacher Cathy Hall drove around DeRidder, picking up limbs out of residents' yards to fuel the barbecue pitt that's feeding the near 1,000 evacuees at the two DeRidder schools.
Hall said Double D Steakhouse donated a pickup full of produce for the evacuees.
Hall has asked local restaurants and stores to donate food like crackers, bread and peanut butter.
"They are going to be here a lot longer than we thought," she said. "They've got water and ice but short on food."
Hall said the schools also need charcoal.
"If someone's got the food, there's no point in it spoiling when we've got hungry people," she said.
For more information on donating food to the Red Cross, call Hall at 462-9441.
Elona Weston
DeRidder bureau
Evacuees in DeRidder pray
DERIDDER — During his 85 years, Truman Lillie has learned that there's only one way you can get through hard times.
"God," he said. "He gets you through days like this."
On Sunday, Lillie sat in the foyer of the DeRidder First United Methodist Church waiting for the 10 a.m. service to begin.
Despite the sweltering heat and the storm damage, church members gathered to thank God for what they have left.
Joyce Simon, manager of the Calcasieu Council on Aging, planned on praying with the church congregation on Sunday.
She's with the 15 CCOA seniors and their families. Her main task for the past two days has been consoling weary seniors who have been asking when they'll be able to return home.
"They want to know how their homes are," she said.
George Ackleson, 85, of Westlake is one of those seniors. He's been living in southwest Louisiana since 1961, but has never evacuated for a hurricane until now.
"It was fear and education," he said. "I made up my mind in about 45 minutes that it was time to go."
Ackleson said he started getting scared when he looked around Westlake and saw that most residents had left.
"I said 90 percent of those people must know something and I'm going to join those 90 percent and get out," he said.
Ackleson and his friends Herman Lantz of Sulphur and Charles Rushing of Toomey said they'll stay at the church for as long as they have to, but they miss the comforts of home.
"They feed you good here and treat you right," Lantz said. "But it ain't home."
Elona Weston
DeRidder bureau
Neighborhood damage reports
Southwest Louisiana residents are posting reports of damage in neighborhoods throughout the area on the message board at the Web site lakecharles.com -- run by the local company Data.sys Inc.
The company is managing the site out of Fayetteville, Ark.
Trees down in Welsh
According to Welsh city officials, there has been no flooding in the city, but many trees are down, and many homes have sustained damage from wind and falling trees. Power is out, and Welsh residents are asked not to return until at least Friday.
Although homes have been damaged, officials said they knew of no homes that had been destroyed entirely.
Roger Demary
Webmaster, AmericanPressLC.com
Police on 12-hour shifts
As of an hour ago, there have been 17 arrests in Calcasieu Parish for looting-related crimes, according to spokesman Mark Kraus of the Lake Charles Police Department.
The LCPD is working 12-hour shifts of all available officers so that at any given time half the force is on the street. Asked about the main problems, Kraus said "mostly trees down, but we're having the main thoroughfares cleared. The streets have been a problem, but we've been managing."
Dennis Spears
Night Editor
Mayor asks for patience to restore systems
James Simpson, who lives on Eighth Street, was standing outside the 911 building and holding a sign that read: "Mayor Roach, let our people come home."
"Even if we have no food, no water and no cash, we would rather be home," he told the American Press. "People live here every day in worse conditions."
Roach listened to Simpson's concerns and said afterward, "We have lost our infrastructure. The city has no ability to support people."
Roach told the American Press that "right now, we are in a domino effect -- no power, no water -- and that has profound implications for the city to operate. With no water pressure we have no fire protection."
The mayor asks people who have left Lake Charles to "give us a few days to restore the system" before coming back to the city.
City Administrator Paul Rainwater said, "We cannot ensure the safety and health needs for those who come back."
Water and sewer are "down because there's no electricity," he said. The city is getting generators to run the system.
"We're going to run parts of the system" and restore it in sections, Rainwater said.
There are parts of the city reporting water pressure -- Simpson, the protestor is one of them -- and while Rainwater acknowledged that, he added that it is non-potable water.
"You can't drink it," he said.
A city police officer answering telephones said, "If you can find a place where you can flush a toilet, tell them to be excited and stay there."
Dennis Spears
Night Editor
Vinton slammed hard
Vinton Mayor David Riggins said Sunday residents should not come back to town until they get the all-clear from officials here.
He said residents should realize when they do return "it's not the same Vinton that they left here."
Riggins said that many of town's large oak trees have fallen due to the high winds of Hurricane Katrina.
"Every structure in town was touched in some way, shape, form or fashion," he said.
Riggins said the town has no electricity or water at this time.
The town operates its own electric co-op. It's seeking help from other co-ops around the state to help it get its power restored.
Riggins estimate that 92 percent of the town evacuated.
"I've asked people not to come back here. We are very primitive over here. You can't live in a primitive environment," he said,
Riggins said the town hopes to get their water plant going but he urges residents still in town to boil their water.
"We don't have houses down on the ground as a result of the storm. We got trees on houses. We got trees in yards. We've got awnings gone, things like that," he said.
Riggins said the town had two house fires at the time the hurricane struck Vinton but firefighters were only able to get to one of them.
The mayor said he wanted to "assure the residents of Vinton that we are working very hard."
"Please be patient with us. Let us get the town restored with basic services," he said.
There have been no reports of any storm-related facilities, according to Riggins.
Hector San Miguel
City Editor
Honore in LC; soldiers clearing road debris
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore is in Lake Charles.
"He's the federal side" of the recovery efforts in Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish, said Paul Rainwater, Lake Charles city administrator.
The military is bringing in an engineering battalion to handle the infrastructure issues such as water service, sewer and power.
Soldiers in uniform are on city streets using heavy equipment to clear limbs and debris. Along Enterprise Boulevard, for example, a crew was working a stretch between 8th and 12th streets.
An infantry unit will help to cordon off the parish, Rainwater said.
A military police battalion will help with patrols.
Also, FEMA officials are in place, Rainwater said, to help with electricity, water and sewer issues.
FEMA is bringing in food and water to residents who have stayed in Lake Charles.
Local officials are asking for additional National Guard units for the parish.
There will be a press briefing at 4 p.m. today for more information on the efforts. The American Press will be staffing it and reporting it here.
Dennis Spears
Night Editor
Lyondell requests employees check in
Lyondell public relations manager Aaron Woods says employees of Lyondell-owned plants across areas affected by Rita should call one of these two information lines: (337) 491-3211 and (610) 359-2001.
Welsh shut down, blocked off
Welsh is blocked off at Interstate 10 and US90 and is "shut down completely," according to a reader who is one of several eyewitnesses. "That town has been hit bad," one of them said. "There's one house that looks like it pretty much got ripped right in half." All three said no one is allowed access.
Brett Downer
Editor
Area mayors give update
Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach said Sunday morning that residents should stay away until the city makes an announcement that it's OK to return.
He said there still is no power, no water, no gas or any stores open to provide food.
Roach said he has been in constant contact with state and federal government officials who are planning to send assistance.
The city is trying to get refrigerated trucks to come but transportation is difficult because of downed trees.
He added that it's pretty certain that there will be no school in Calcasieu Parish anytime soon.
"We are going to come through this," Roach said.
Sulphur Mayor Ron LeLeux said residents can come back to Sulphur at noon Monday to check their property but the city still has no power. Water has to be boiled before using it because of problems with the water plant.
LeLeux said residents should be prepared for "a shocking experience" when they arrive in Sulphur because trees are down everywhere.
"It looks like a bomb went off," LeLeux said. "I could not believe how dark it is at night. It's quite scary."
Sulphur police have arrested two looters.
"We are all over the place. We have no patience for this," LeLeux said.
LeLeux put out a plea for ice.
"We are in desparate need of ice. We have no ice at all," he said.
Hector San Miguel
City Editor
CORRECTION: No return date set
The is no specific date set when people can back to Lake Charles or Calcasieu Parish.
To repeat: no return date has been set.
This corrects a previous post.
Staff reports
Saturday, September 24
The first look Saturday morning
A drive-around by the American Press at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning offered a first look at Hurricane Rita's effects. Staff Photographer Rick Hickman drove. In the passenger seat, Night Editor Dennis Spears described what they saw to Editor Brett Downer, who listened via cell phone and took notes. This is what Spears and Hickman encountered on their ride.
* * *
Windy, but only a light, misty rain.
Turned onto U.S. 90 and soon saw a tree down near Martin GMC.
Left on U.S. 171 -- in all but silent traffic. A pretzeled hunk of metal up ahead; it turned out to be the support beams for a billboard that had stood over Steambill Bill's. Completely bent over. Across the street, near McDonald's, lay a power cable. Overhead, dead stoplights.
West on Broad Street, toward the lake. Stoplights not just dead, but down. Power lines sagging.
Two more blocks. A woman walking outside. It's Nina Doherty, who owns the Harley-Davidson shop. She rode out the storm. If she's out for fresh air now, it's rainy, breezy air. A city policeman is nearby. He says the worst is yet to come, because they're expecting some flooding.
One block more. To the right is Orange Grove Cemetery and old oaks. One oak has collapsed across the road. In the cemetery, someone's roof has come to rest among the markers.
Two streetside poles have snapped. Just snapped. The police have stopped traffic, though traffic is not the right word today.
South on Fourth Avenue, then. No street flooding. Third Avenue, though, has water to the curb.
So far, the homes and business buildings have some damage to the exteriors, but not too bad.
Back up to Broad. A social services office has lost its roof. The motel next door is a mess. A billboard is down. An industrial supply business has had it facade ripped away.
Crossing First Avenue. The Cajun Cafe. It's blown through.
Dark stoplight at Enterprise Boulevard. At the diagonal corner, the Exxon is destroyed. A block down, there's a beautiful old oak. It's leaning on a power line.
Two blocks up, restored First Methodist can count it blessings. It appears intact. Across the street, an abandoned gas station can count it losses. The awning has blown off.
Animal rescue
Residents of a home in the Garden District of Lake Charles, La., hand feed a baby squirrel that was knocked from its nest by Hurricane Rita on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005. (AP Photo/Post-Dispatch, J.B. Forbes)
Storm Surge
Even after the eye of the storm passed, waters from the surge remained a problem for the city of Lake Charles, one of the communities on the Texas-Louisiana border struck hardest by the hurricane. (AP Photo)
American Press family: Please check in
Readers, please pardon our housekeeping for a moment.
We ask everyone at the American Press -- employees in all departments -- to check in with us via e-mail. Tell us how you're doing, where you're staying, and at what phone number(s) and alternate e-mail addresses we can reach you. That way, we'll know you're OK, and we'll be able to give you specific information quickly as we get get back to regular operations. The e-mail address is lcamericanpress@gmail.com. This is a new, emergency e-mail address; the usual "@americanpress.com" addresses won't work -- yours too -- because the power's out.
Even if you've already made posts on this site, send along an e-mail.
Thanks. Be safe.
Brett
Aftermath
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More scenes from Lake Charles, only hours after Hurricane Rita's passage over the city. Many places were flooded, and many historical buildings and places damaged by the storm. (Photographer: Rick Hickman)
Aftermath
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Weeks of hard work await those returning to their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. Officials caution evacuees to remain away for now, as police report arrests of looters in Calcasieu parish municipalities. (Photographer: Rick Hickman)
Readers describe Prien Lake, Lake Street areas
With Hurricane Katrina easing but still continuing, brothers John, Bill and Mike Price made a two-hour drive west to Lake Charles this afternon to check on property. Their travels offer a glimpse of the damage in the all-but-empty city.
They say they saw lots of things scattered in the street, lots of trees down along Lake Street -- and lots of law enforcement officers.
Looking south down blocked-off Lake Street is long-focus view of fallen trees. In the other direction are a wrecked A.G. Edwards sign, a fallen 100-foot pine that impedes entrance to public housing, and a tree near the 18th street intersection.
The Prien Lake Mall area displays little damage from the exiting hurricane -- but two big trees and a fallen telephone pole crimped the Hazel Street access to Village Green Apartments. A few windows are blown out at the complex.
Along Prien Lake Road, the Tony's Pizza sign is down; the Diamond Shamrock canopy is flipped over, part of it extended into the road; gas pumps are on their side; a tree is crunched into the side of the Ruby Tuesday restaurant; and a dozen boat-towing government trucks are using Exxon as a rendezvous area. You can't go much past that, though, because several feet of water floods the foot of the Contraband Bayou overpass.
Staff reports
No overpass collapse in Iowa
Contrary to rumor, there is no failed or collapsed overpass along Interstate 10 near Iowa, Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards says.
Staff reports
Ripped by Rita
Hurricane Rita left much of this DeRidder shopping center with heavy damage Saturday.
Shawn Martin
Beauregard News Bureau Chief
How long until all-clear? At least two days
Calcasieu Parish officials will decide in 48 hours on when people can come back.
That means two days until a decision -- not necessarily two days until people can come back.
Staff reports
DeRidder home damaged by Rita
Hurricane Rita dropped this large tree near a home in DeRidder Saturday.
Elona Weston
Beauregard News Bureau Reporter
Iowa remains closed
Iowa had trees and power lines down and a few businesses torn up but there are just a few homes with major damage, Police Chief Charles Ipes says.
"It's wet right now and we're tired," he said. The town has set up a triage unit to host the National Guard at Iowa High.
"The city is shut down until such a time that the mayor says it is safe to come in."
He knows of one injury related to Rita. A man was taken to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital after he flipped on his tractor and seriously injured his leg.
Dennis Spears
Night Editor
Ambulance service busy, before and after
Acadian Ambulance handled about 900 patients because of Hurricane Katrina -- and those were only the ones before the storm hit.
One Rita started roaring, there were calls on hold from when conditions weren't favorable to respond.
When people call for help during a hurricane and immediately afterward, "some we can get to and some we can't," Acadian's Keith Simon said.
The work continues today. "We've been busy since the winds died down, but we've been dealing with downed lines and trees that will leave some streets inaccessible," Acadian's Lane Owers said.
The calls to Acadian have included people with cuts and scrapes from debris, a couple who were rescued from a roof cave-in that left them more scared than injured, and "a lot of car wrecks." They handled wrecks in Oak Park, MLK Highway, Moss Bluff and downtown.
"I want to complement all responders," Owers said. "We've come together as a team. We can serve this city."
Dennis Spears
Night Editor
Police and fire departments
Some local notes:
In Jeff Davis Parish, U.S.190 and LA26 are now closed.
The Westlake Police Department says there are "quite a few streets with trees down."
The Lake Charles Fire Department says it will respond to rescues and actual fires only.
Staff Reports
Den of thieves
With the Calcasieu Parish jail emptied of inmates evacuated before the storm, Sheriff Tony Mancuso has plenty of room for looters. He's using the space.
Mancuso told CNN today that his deputies have arrested about six people for looting and Lake Charles police officers have arrested another seven -- "and they're in the jail."
Staff reports
Tipped by Rita
This scale replica of the Statue of Liberty that stands outside a DeRidder business fell victim to Hurricane Rita Saturday.
Shawn Martin
Beauregard News Bureau Chief
Shredded, but still flying
This American flag was shreaded by the more than 100 mph winds from Hurricane Rita Saturday.
Shawn Martin
Beauregard News Bureau Chief
Rita damage in DeRidder
Hurricane Rita ripped through Beauregard Parish late Friday and early Saturday, leaving widespread damage.
Elona Weston
Beauregard News Bureau Reporter
Steeple toppled in DeRidder
Hurricane Rita's powerful winds tore the steeple away from the First United Pentecostal Church in DeRidder on Saturday.
Shawn Martin
Beauregard News Bureau Chief
Lake water rising, looters arrested
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said on CNN that water in Lake Charles continues to rise due to a strong south wind.
“It’s not going down; it’s still coming up,” Mancuso said. “We need a break.”
Mancuso said deputies, despite the persistent bad weather, have been patrolling the parish and have made six arrests for “minor looting.” Lake Charles police have arrested seven people for looting, he said.
“We’ve got somewhat of a handle on it right now,” he said.
Mancuso said deputies have been able to reach many areas of the parish. Some have had windows busted out of their vehicles by winds and debris, he said.
“We’re not completely under water, we can still get around pretty well,” he said.
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
Riding out the storm
Hurricane Rita roared her way into Beauregard and Vernon parishes early Saturday, and stayed for a spell.
She danced with the trees, leaving thousands of them bent, broken or grounded in her wake. Several pitched onto homes, vehicles and roadways.
At the height of the storm, sustained winds early Saturday topped more than 100 mph. By 4 p.m. Saturday, Rita’s presence could still be felt in the area, with gusts up to 50 mph.
The winds steadily increased from late Friday into Saturday. They made a howling arrival, and immediately began peeling shingles, tin and metal sheeting off roofs, downing power lines and trees. Electrical services in both Beauregard and Vernon parishes were also victims of Rita. By 1:15 a.m. Saturday, both parishes were without electrical service.
The high winds delayed crews from beginning the lengthy task of removing trees and limbs from lines and stringing new ones in their place.
A scanner brought a continual flow of Rita-related developments.
At 12:20 p.m. Rosepine Police Chief Dennis Parrott said a water main on Louisiana Avenue behind the elementary school had broke, further soaking the saturated soil.
At the same time, emergency officials decided to send buses to move evacuees at South Beauregard High School to DeRidder High School once conditions improved.
Evacuees at the shelter complained of the conditions Friday through Saturday. The Southwest Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross was seeing to their needs, including providing meals.
At 2:30 p.m. Phelps Correctional Center reported winds in excess of 100 mph and the sheet metal roofing was coming off. The prison also reported its cellular telephone service had been knocked out by the storm.
As some of the highest sustained winds arrived, an evacuee in need of a cigarette, ventured outside the shelter he was staying at 2:35 a.m. Saturday, prompting a warning from lawmen to go inside.
However, the evacuee told lawmen that if he did not get his “smoke” he would leave. Their response: “If that’s what he wants to do, let him go.”
At 3:35 a.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service warned the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office to be prepare for sustained 100 mph for at least two to three hours.
About 10 minutes later, a lawmen commented on his radio that: “This looks like a war zone” on North Texas Street and Park Road. He also reported numerous downed trees, power lines and debris.
Shortly before daybreak Saturday, DeRidder police reported a home on Pecan Street with two tress across it.
Numerous such complaints came in throughout Saturday.
At 5 a.m., the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office reported communication problems. They also reported countless downed trees, power lines and structural damage.
Nearly two hours later, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Training Center’s emergency generator gave out.
Three minutes, later, a Beauregard deputy radioed in Graybow Road — a major parish artery — was “completely blocked” at the railroad crossing by downed trees.
Saturday’s sunrise arrived at 6:50 a.m., giving many their first glimpse of Rita’s devastation.
Early Saturday it was reported that the U.S. 165 overpass over Interstate 10 had collapsed.
However, at 8:03 a.m., a member of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, reported the overpass was “OK,” along with several others in the area.
At 8:06 a.m., Glen Mears Sr., director of the Beauregard Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, reported that only one of the parish’s many shelters sustained storm-related damage. He had no reports of any deaths or injuries.
Jamie Fletcher, owner of Louisiana Awards in DeRidder, was one of the many in the parish that did not evacuate.
“I went to bed at 10 p.m. when the power went out,” he said. “This was as good a place as any to be.”
Fletcher said his business only suffered minor leaks. He said he awoke at 7 a.m. and went out to assess the damage around him.’
In Vernon Parish, Louisiana State Police Troop E, Alexandria, spokesman Trooper Jeff Covington said most state highways in the parish had been cleared, but a portion of U.S. 171 between Rosepine and Pickering was blocked by a down tree.
Covington said many of the parish road were impassable because they were littered with downed trees and power lines. He said the structural damage was reported to be minimal.
Many homes and businesses in DeRidder suffered structural damage, mainly to the roofs, signs, outbuildings and garages.
There were reports of mobile homes in Beauregard being destroyed by the storm.
As day gave way to night, people in DeRidder could be seen venturing out of their homes to look at the damages.
Many appeared to wander around aimlessly, with dazed looks on their faces.
Lawmen and other emergency responders and officials spent Saturday clearing trees, lines and debris and starting damage assessments.
Shawn Martin
Beauregard News Bureau Chief
Photo posts coming
Staff Photographers Jamie Gates and Rick Hickman have been shooting news photos all day today. Once they and Night Editor Dennis Spears improvise on the best way to get those photos downloaded and transmitted via generator power, you'll see them here later today.
In the meantime, www.americanpresslc.com/gallery/index.shtml
offers a gallery of photographs made before and after Hurricane Rita.
Refineries halted, damage unknown
Faced with the possibility of a direct hit from a major hurricane, many, if not all, of Southwest Louisiana’s chemical plants and oil refineries ordered rare complete shut downs and evacuated their workers.
Information is limited, but as of Saturday evening workers at the area’s two major oil refineries, ConocoPhillips and Citgo, had not been able to return to assess the damage to their facilities.
“We’re totally shut down,” Citgo spokeswoman Patricia Prebula said Saturday by phone. “We’re trying to get our people back.”
Prebula said a special Citgo team will return as soon as possible to assess the damage and begin the gradual process of restarting the refinery.
The ConocoPhillips headquarters in Houston were closed Saturday due to Rita, but the company said on its Web site that its local facility made a “controlled shutdown” prior to the storm.
“Damage to (the) Lake Charles refinery and offshore assets is being assessed,” the company said.
The Environmental Protection Agency said on its Web site that it sent advance teams to Texas plants to assist in the shutdowns. The EPA made no mention of teams being sent to Louisiana.
Jeremy Harper
American Press Staff Writer
Public notices
Thanks for your many emails. Please bear in mind that we can't reply to everything quickly, if at all, so please bear with us and watch this blog for information. We have lots of requests to check homes and people who remained in Lake Charles. Please forgive us if we're unable to respond: try posting in the comments for this entry, where members of the public might be able to help.
Here are a few requests that warrant posting:
The McNeese Athletic Department is attempting to locate all staff and student-athletes in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. Please email us at either mcneesesports@yahoo.com or jhowe@mcneese.edu to let us know your whereabouts and if you are safe. Please stay tuned to the University website and McNeeseSports.com for more updates.
Ellen Sung writes that N. Lake Charles/Goosport appears not to be flooded; Moeling Street n. of I-10 is not flooded; the NYT has photo slideshow of storm waters rising onto what appears to be Lakeshore Drive, and Austin American Statesman reports Lake Street flooding.
Trees snapped, toppled all around OLQH
Almost all of the trees surrounding Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church, off Lake Street, are either snapped or down. Most have toppled toward the west.
Rick Hickman
Staff Photographer
Jennings: Gas pumps gone; tree debris
A Jennings resident who's back in his home today says some of the gas stations along La. 26 "just blew apart" from wind, with their gas pumps snapped off near the base. There is tree debris everywhere, he said, but "not a lot of damage to houses." He also said advertising billboards along Interstate 10 in the Jennings are down -- some of them, pole and all. On the north side of I-10, ditches and pools of standing water are topped with whitecaps.
Staff reports
Interstate 10 exits closed
Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Hal McMillan has announced, at the request of Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso, that the exits off Interstate 10 from the Texas border to exit 44 at Iowa will be closed until further notice.
The announcement came from the Lake Charles office of U.S. Rep.Charles Boustany Jr., R-La.
“This is a safety issue. Emergency officials need to be able to operate within the parish to conduct search and rescue operations and accurately assess the damage done to Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes by Hurricane Rita. I am asking for the patience of the residents of these parishes," said Hal McMillan, Calcasieu Parish President.
" Safety is the most important factor at this point and we will reopen these exits when and only when, it doesn't hamper search, rescue and recovery efforts.”
Only emergency personnel should be in the city at this time.
"There are still some issues with natural gas leaks, downed power lines and dangerous debris on the streets. There will be plenty of time to take care of property. Right now, we need to keep the focus on taking care of lives,” McMillan said.
Mayor on CNN
In a brief telephone interview with CNN minutes ago, Mayor Randy Roach said Lake Charles, though battered and flooded, appears to have escaped “catastrophic damage” from Hurricane Rita.
However, Roach said the city has “extensive wind damage and some very, very extensive flooding.”
Roach said even though flooding was still a problem in places, the city was preparing to dispatch public works employees, firefighters and police officers to search for any survivors.
The city is also imposing a 7 a.m.-6 p.m. curfew.
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
Mayor: Don't come back just yet
Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach said Saturday that no one should return to the city for at least the next two days while government officials assessed damage left by Hurricane Rita. Roach made the comments on KPLC-TV, which has been broadcasting from Christus/St. Patrick Hospital.
"I want to emphasize that now is not the time to come back," he said. "I will tell you in the next 48 hours after we do an extensive assessment of damage throughout the city."
Roach said he had done a preliminary survey of the damage by driving around the city this morning. He said many roadways were blocked.
"There is pretty extensive wind damage. We are fortunate that the storm didn't come in as a category 4 or 5. There are broken telephone poles and downed trees," he said.
Roach said so far there have been no reports of loss of life.
Asked about flooding, he said the water was over the boardwalk along the lakefront. Pumps at the Kayouchee Coulee pump station were overwhelmed because of high water.
"It will take a while for water to drain, " he said.
Roach said the Civic center "seemed to come through pretty well" with only a few broken windows. He said the Hibernia Tower had some first story windows out. "Every street is impassible. We don't want anyone coming back until we are able to do a more extensive survey." Roach added that the damage to LC is "nothing like you saw in Mississippi."
"The damage here is consistent with a category 2 hurricane, " he said. He said its going to take a long time to restore power. "We won't be able to restore power in a couple of days. I haven't seen anything we cannot recover from.
Roach said residents who remain in the city should not drink the water until they have boiled it.
The Lake Charles Police Department and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Department are providing security throughout the city, he said. Both departments have been in contact with military police.
"There is no power. There is no gas. There are no restaurants open," he said.
"If we do this right, we will recover quicker. We cannot have people coming back into town. There are downed power lines throughout the city."
Roach said he plans to have his staff shoot digital photos of the storm damage and post them on the city's Web site.
Hector San Miguel
City Editor
Evacuees to Fox, CNN: Give Roach airtime
Readers who include a Lake Charles stockbroker, a Jennings schoolteacher and a Baton Rouge attorney with local property holdings are telling us they want CNN, Fox News Channel and other major TV news organizations to give Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach prominent time on the air.
Brett Downer
Editor
*UPDATE: The mayor was interviewed on CNN today.
Ark-La-Tex gets ready
MARSHALL, TEXAS -- Southwest Louisiana evacuees are hunkering down for the Hurricane Rita throughout the Ark-La-Tex region.
Heavy rains have forced some Louisiana residents to seek shelter father north, but they are being hindered by lack of hotel and motel space in Arkansas.
Power is out in different locations off Interstate 20.
Many are upset that they can't get visual pictures of southwest Louisiana from network broadcasts.
An unspecified number of Lake area evacuees were supposed to be taken to a FEMA operated shelter west of Minden. All shelters are full in the northwest portions of Louisiana and northeastern portions of Texas.
American Press staffer Erin Kelly's nephews were involved in a two-vehicle accident Wednesday in Opelousas. The boys and their are doing fine, but their father's truck was totalled and their dog was killed after they were struck by a vehicle driven by a drunk driver.
The driver was clocked at 60 miles per hour.
The boys and their father are in Marshall, Texas.
Eric Cormier
American Press
Staff writer
Police Jury building OK
The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury administration building in downtown Lake Charles has survived the hurricane and will be used as a command post, according to the Police Jury’s Web site.
Non-essential personnel should stay away from the building until further notice, parish officials said.
Jeremy Harper
Staff Writer
Authorities await chance to view damage
Here is an early-morning summary of what the Associated Press is carrying about Hurricane Rita's impact in Southwest Louisiana, much of it reported by the AP's Brett Martel out of Lake Charles:
Rita made landfall at 2:30 a.m. CDT as a Category 3 storm just east of Sabine Pass, on the Texas-Louisiana line, bringing a 20-foot storm surge and up to 25 inches of rain, the National Hurricane Center said. Within four hours it had weakened to a Category 2 storm, with top winds of 100 mph, as it moved further inland between Beaumont and Jasper, Texas.
Residents in hard-hit western Louisiana called police early Saturday to report roofs being ripped off and downed trees. Rescuers were forced to wait until the winds outside died down to safe levels.
"We can't even get out to check yet," said Sgt. Wendell Carroll of Louisiana's Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office. "All we can hear is the wind a-howling."
The storm spun off tornadoes as it churned northwest at 12 mph with winds that topped 120 mph, causing transformers to explode in the pre- dawn darkness.
Rita's heaviest rains - up to 3 to 4 inches an hour -- fell in Lake Charles, National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Omundson said. The town had 8 inches of rain more than two hours before the storm's landfall. Near the coastal town of Cameron, the weather service recorded a wind gust of 112 mph as the storm's center approached.
In Vinton, west of Lake Charles, police could see several building fires from their station and took calls from residents reporting others at homes and businesses throughout town, Lt. Arthur Phillips said.
"It's tore up pretty good," he said. "We've taken quite a beating."
The roof of the town's recreation center was completely torn off, and residents reported businesses destroyed by winds and homes damaged by fallen trees, Phillips said.
In the days before the storm's arrival, hundreds of thousands of residents of Texas and Louisiana fled their homes in a mass exodus of 2.8 million people that produced gridlock and heartbreak.
Late Friday, southwestern Louisiana was soaked by driving rain and coastal flooding. Sugarcane fields, ranches and marshlands were already under water at dusk in coastal Cameron Parish.
The sparsely populated region was almost completely evacuated, but authorities rushed to the aid of a man who had decided to ride out the storm in a house near the Gulf of Mexico after one of man's friends called for help. They were turned back by flooded roads.
Empty coastal highways and small towns were blasted with wind-swept rain. A metal hurricane evacuation route sign along one road wagged violently in the wind, and clumps of cattle huddled in fields.
Steve Rinard, a meteorologist in Lake Charles, said he could not keep count of the tornado warnings across southern Louisiana. "They were just popping up like firecrackers," he said.
In Lake Charles, home to the nation's 12th-largest seaport and refineries run by ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Citgo and Shell, nearly all 70,000 residents had evacuated. Several riverboat casinos that mostly serve tourists from Texas also closed ahead of the storm.
"We see these storms a little differently after Katrina," said city administrator Paul Rainwater. "We all realize that no matter how safe you feel ... you have to take it seriously, you have to plan."
In Jennings: Many trees down, power out
An eyewitness who is riding out the storm in Jennings says via cell phone that the city has lots of downed trees, and that the city fell fully dark at about 12:30 a.m., when the last remaining power -- at a Shannon Drive neighborhood -- went out.
Staff reports
Some of your messages and notes to us
Comments of all sorts have come in from readers to our temporary e-mail address, which is lcamericanpress@gmail.com. Here are excerpts from some recent posts:
4:37 a.m. - "Tornado warning in Leesville. KALB: 10 inches of rain in LC at least."
4:02 a.m. - "Power out in Natchitoches."
11:53 p.m. - "I am a native of Lake Charles and my parents still live there. (They're in Monroe, where they report that it's just like Lake Charles because they know half of the 3,000 people at the shelter.) Thank you so much for your bravery in staying to provide use the updates. It is the kind of real local information that CNN reporters standing in the wind outside "Christus St. Elizabeth" (they misnamed it) can't offer. By the way, if (staff writer) Eric Cormier is around, tell him I said hi. He knows my parents, who own Triplett's. Please stay safe." -- Ellen Sung, Raleigh, N.C.
11:07 p.m. - "I heard Dennis (Spears, night editor) on the news a few minutes ago and it sounds like you guys are OK over there. ... Thanks for keeping everyone updated."
9:57 p.m. - "My parents fled to my sister's house in Mississippi -- which was flooded by Katrina."
9:48 p.m. - "I am a Lake Charles resident held up in Mississippi waiting for the end of this storm. Thank you for this blog ... I will be using this to help gauge when to come back and what I have to come back to south Lake Charles."
7 p.m. - From Kay Fox, Beauregard Electric Cooperative: "Beauregard Electric has begun to experience the outages due to Rita's encroachment into the seven parish service area. As we continue to experience this devastation, we ask for your patience. Crews will be dispatched into the service area as soon as it is deemed safe, which may be Saturday evening. At that time, crews will assess the damage to begin the restoration process. Again, we'd like to say thank you for your patience."
6:24 p.m. - "Keep up the great journalism and be safe."
4:06 p.m. - "Good work setting up the blog. I am in Central Texas, but parents and my brother and his family live in LC, as I used to, and have evacuated. I am glad to have someplace to catch up on my hometown."
We invite you to send your thoughts, news and photos as well.
Brett Downer
Editor
Sheriff's Office: Minor leak, but all safe
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, contacted during a routine call-around, says all personnel are safe and phones are working as the agency continues to ride out the hurricane. There is a small leak in one