Former LSP Chief Fleeced New Orleans for Years, Audit Report Alleges Former Louisiana State Police Supt
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Week of December 18 - December 24, 2017 92nd year of providing ‘News that matters’ VVOOLL.. XCIIII NO.. 14 Since 1925 www.louisianaweekly.com 50 cents Former LSP chief fleeced New Orleans for years, audit report alleges Former Louisiana State Police Supt. agency's Mardi Gras deployment. by the former commander and his family Col. Mike Edmonson, who retired earlier A draft audit report by the Louisiana and friends, the audit found. this year amid a scandal involving state Legislative Auditor obtained by The New The rooms were paid for with public troopers who took side trips to the Grand Orleans Advocate outlines a life of luxury funds earmarked for the NOPD. Canyon and Las Vegas while en route to enjoyed by Col. Edmonson and his friends NOPD Supt. Michael Harrison told a San Diego, California conference last and family free of charge during Mardi WWL News that for years the process fall and is accused of destroying evi - Gras over the course of several years. of requesting state troopers has been dence that proves he knew of the side Lavish hotel rooms set aside to accom - the same. trips, took another hit last week when a modate state troopers deployed to New “We send a letter to the colonel asking report by the Louisiana Legislative Orleans during the Carnival season to for a certain number of state troopers. We Auditor alleged that he fleeced the City bolster public safety and assist the under - LILLIE TAYLOR of New Orleans for years during the manned NOPD were in some cases used Continued on Pg. 8 EDMONSON Happy Birthday greetings are sent to a recent member of the exclusive Centenarian Club. Ms. Lillie Taylor celebrated her 100th birthday on December 17. She was one of 10 chil - By Della Hasselle dren born to the union of the late David Contributing Writer and Lizzie W. Taylor of East Feliciana EPORT Parish. But she has called New Orleans R : home for the past 80 years, 49 of those years as an employee of the Monteleone Hotel. Ms. Taylor is a Light pollution has impact on health, environment member of First Street United Methodist Church. And members of her church, along with family and friends, celebrated her birthday at the Neyows Creole Cafe banquet hall this past Saturday, December 16. Public calls for greater scrutiny in ouisiana is getting around New Orleans and Baton Louisiana isn’t alone. glare, light clutter, decreased visi - brighter. According to Rouge, illuminating more at night According to the World Atlas of bility at night and energy waste. scientists, that’s not a between 2014 and 2017. Artificial Night Sky Brightness , 80 Light pollution is problematic, selecting IG good thing. The Baton Rouge Astronomical percent of the world’s population scientists say, because it interferes A light pollution map created in Society has been aware of the now lives under such glow. with people’s internal clocks. part by data from the Earth problem for years, and has even The phenomenon is caused by Throughout history, scientists finalists Observation Group and the dedicated a team of star-watchers light pollution, defined by the say, people have evolved to the Before it began interviewing final - L NLational Oceanic and to measure the level of sky glow International Dark Sky rhythms of the natural light-dark ists seeking to fill the post of New Atmospheric Administration and gather evidence to show it’s Association as any adverse effect Orleans Inspector General, the Ethics shows parts of the state, especially growing. of artificial light. That can include Continued on Pg. 7 Review Board gave residents a chance to weigh in on the finalists and the selection process Wednesday, FOX 8 News reported. Responding to public requests, the Ethics Review Board voted to allow the public to play a more significant role in Former cultural ambassador Irvin Mayfield indicted the process by allowing the finalists to partner Ronald Markham. his position running the city’s public make presentations to the public and Charges include wire The 19 federal counts against Mayfield library support charity to funnel money to allow residents to weigh in on the can - fraud, money laundering and Markham include one count of con - the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, to didates at a later date. spiracy, four counts of wire fraud, one another nonprofit bank account he con - The finalists are vying to replace New and obstruction of justice count of mail fraud, one count of money trolled and, in some cases, to directly feed Orleans Inspector General Ed laundering conspiracy, 11 counts of his lavish lifestyle. Quatrevaux, who stepped down in Irvin Mayfield, the Grammy-winning money laundering and one count of WWL News reported that Thursday’s October citing health issues. jazz trumpeter who became a key cultur - obstruction of justice. indictment closely tracks the spending of Quatrevaux’s departure came in the al figure after Hurricane Katrina and The charges against Mayfield and library donations detailed in the earlier midst of turmoil related to a scathing founded the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Markham come more than two years after WWL reports. It alleges that Mayfield report authored by one of the office’s was indicted by a federal grand jury a WWL News investigation that exposed Continued on Pg. 7 deputy generals, who is vying to replace Thursday along with his longtime NOJO how the popular jazz trumpeter had used MAYFIELD his former boss. That assistant IG, Howard Schwartz, is among the four being considered to succeed Quatrevaux. The others are David Harper of New Mexico, Derry Harper of Tennessee and Patrick Sullivan. of Virginia Black women’s vote leads to Democrat win in Ala. By Stacy M. Brown Jones defeated Moore 49.9 percent voters supported Jones, including 93 child abuse and a Democrat who has Schwartz, who has an FBI back - NNPA Newswire to 48.4 percent for Attorney General percent of Black men voters and 98 earned his chops prosecuting the Ku ground, was fired by Quatrevaux earlier Jeff Sessions’ vacated United States percent of Black women voters. Klux Klan. this year but the Ethics Review Board A heavy African-American Senate seat. Blacks accounted for a 29 percent The contest also was viewed, by still allowed Schwartz to serve as inter - turnout in Alabama’s special elec - According to CNN exit polling, share of all voters in the special elec - many, as a test of racial progress in Continued on Pg. 8 tion propelled underdog Democratic 68 percent of white voters, includ - tion in Alabama. the Deep South, and the power of candidate Doug Jones to victory, in a ing 72 percent of white men voters Black voter turnout played a key President Donald Trump’s rhetoric hotly-contested race against the and 63 percent of white women role in getting Jones elected as to sway voters. flawed, yet heavily-favored, voters, supported Moore, an Alabama voters were forced to Trump campaigned hard for Republican candidate Roy Moore. alleged child predator. choose between a Republican who’s The New York Times reported that Meanwhile, 96 percent of Black perceived as a racist and accused of Continued on Pg. 8 THE LOUISIANA WEEKLY - Page 2 YOUR MULTICULTURAL MEDIUM December 18 - December 24, 2017 State pulls back on coastal-restoration projects due to shortfall in oil and gas royalties By Della Hasselle should have translated to higher road is often inundated by tidal wildlife refuges. In the meantime, U.S. Rep. Steve financial analyst so Louisiana The Lens royalty payments. flooding. It leads to Port The rest goes to the four states Scalise and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy officials can make their own fore - “My guess is there are career- Fourchon, Louisiana’s southern - along the Gulf. In Louisiana, 80 are working to raise the $500 mil - casts, Kline said. “We’re not just A shortfall in Louisiana’s share level people at the Office of most port and a base for offshore percent of GOMESA funds will go lion annual cap for the four states. sitting on our hands.” of federal offshore oil and gas roy - Management and Budget or the oil and gas companies. to the state coastal authority. The That proposal, inserted last month alties is forcing the state to delay Department of the Interior, or both, Other projects include: other 20 percent will go to coastal into the Senate’s version of the The above article originally critical coastal-restoration projects who don’t like this thing,” Graves • Elevating a separate portion parishes; they too will get about GOP tax plan, would open the door appeared on The Lens website and a program that helps fund said about GOMESA. of state Route 1 from Port half of earlier projections. for more money once offshore pro - (www.thelensnola.org). The infrastructure improvements. “I’ve posed questions to the Fourchon to the Grand Isle Bridge, States were to get money in duction increases. Louisiana Weekly enjoys a part - State coastal authority officials Department of the Interior to help which is vulnerable to sea level stages. So far, Louisiana’s GOME - The state is planning to hire a nership with The Lens .◊ and U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R- clarify whether or not there’s rise, subsidence and storm surge SA payments have been small. Baton Rouge) want to know why funny business going on,” he said. • Building a bridge to connect Next year, the payments will projections from a royalty-shar - Kline said members of the Monkey Island and Cameron in include new areas of the Gulf, and ing agreement are now half of coastal authority have gone to Cameron Parish the four states will share a maxi - what they had expected.