KTBS.com

Differing opinions on whether accused opera dress thief mentally fit to stand trial

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:11:51 GMT

Two doctors have given different opinions about the mental competency of a homeless man accused of stealing a leading character's dress during a Shreveport Opera rehearsal.

Another psychiatrist will evaluate Tim Grim to give his opinion whether Grim is mentally competent to stand trial for felony theft.

Grim, 39, was arrested in April after a man walked into a rehearsal for a Shreveport Opera performance of Manon Lescaut and asked for food and money. The man was told to leave -- but came back in through another door, grabbed the main character's dress and three other items of women's clothing and took off, police said.

Four members of the opera, who were rehearsing in the building just south of downtown, gave chase, followed a trail of dropped garments and found Grim in a wooded area. Police said he had stripped down to his underwear and was offering to sell the diva dress -- valued at $1,200 -- for a dollar.

Grim, who is jailed at Caddo Correctional Center, has a history of arrests going back 14 years, Caddo District Court records show. One is for a robbery but the rest are for minor crimes like authorized entry, misdemeanor drug possession, panhandling and disturbing the peace.

Caddo District Judge Leon Emanuel appointed a sanity commission to evaluate Grim. One doctor concluded Grim's paranoid schizophrenia could be controlled with medication and Grim was competent to stand trial; another concluded he was not competent and recommended he be placed in a state psychiatric facility until his condition improved, court records show.

Grim, who has pleaded not guilty to felony theft charges, is jailed at Caddo Correctional Center.

Permalink | Comments

The worst -- and best -- thing that's happened to him

ED WALSH ewalsh@ktbs.com — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:11:17 GMT

In the 12 days since he survived a church steeple falling on his car, Michael Williams of Shreveport has become known as the "steeple man" and the "miracle on Texas Street."

He is also learning a lot about the kindness of friends and strangers.

Williams was driving in front of First United Methodist Church at the head of Texas Street in Shreveport when a tornado blew the church steeple on his car. It took Shreveport firefighters nearly an hour to extricate him from the wreckage. Williams, a 57-year-old graphic artist, suffered several fractures and injuries to his hand. He was placed in a body cast.

Williams has been released from the hospital and is recuperating at home.

"Every day is a better day," he said of his recovery.

He is thankful not only that he survived the freak accident -- but also to family, friends and total strangers whose only connection to him are images of that church steeple on top of his crumpled car.

"I can tell you that the prayers and the things we've read have had a profound and distinctive impact on my healing. It's not just about medicine," Williams said of the cards, letters and postings on his Facebook.

Every night before he goes to bed, his wife, Judy, reads the new entries and words of encouragement posted on Facebook.

"Every night we laugh until it hurts -- because it does hurt," he said. "And we cry when we read these things, because it's overwhelming to us."

Friends built a wheelchair ramp at Williams' home and people have been delivering lunches and dinners.

"We live in a scary world, and I've been able to see a side of humanity that we just don't get to see all the time," he said. "Judy has said what happened that night was the absolute worst thing that happened to me and the absolute best thing that happened to me."

Permalink | Comments

Bossier council hears from citizens about layoffs

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:11:29 GMT

Citizens unhappy about dozens of proposed layoffs in city government addressed the Bossier City Council about their concerns during an agenda meeting today.

Mayor Lo Walker has proposed laying off up to 88 city employees in order to deal with a projected $6.5 million deficit in the city budget. The majority of those layoffs would come from the police and fire departments, the city's largest.

That has led to a storm of protests from public safety employees, their friends and families.

"We want our (tax) dollars spent on police and fire protection," Bossier City resident Randy Harper told the council, drawing applause from the audience.

The City Council has the final say on the city budget, which must be approved by next month. Council members have said they will come up with alternatives to layoffs. Among the proposals: drawing from a reserve fund, eliminating Bossier City's subsidy to Sportran bus service, cutting overtime, a hiring freeze and reducing the number of city take-home cars. The mayor said the layoffs are painful but the only way to handle such a large budget deficit.

Council president Don Williams has been criticized for not allowing opponents of layoffs to address the council until now.

Sportran carries approximately 300,000 passengers a year in Bossier.

Helen Paige, who spoke out against the cut in the bus subsidy, said routes in Bossier City need to be modified to reflect where riders go: Bossier Parish Community College, the casinos and the hospital.

Lower-than-expected sales tax revenues have been a major reason for Bossier's budget problems. As property values in Bossier City have escalated in recent years, the City Council has rolled back property tax rates to keep property tax bills from jumping.

Permalink | Comments

Work at water treatment plant could lead to drop in pressure

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:11:11 GMT

Construction work at the city of Shreveport's water treatment plant could cause drops in water pressure over the next three days, the city said today.

The work is being done at the Amiss Water Purification Plant on Cross Lake. It will last until Thursday as workers connect the plant to a new 60-inch water main.

No homes or businesses will be without water, the water department said, but there could be a slight decrease in water pressure.

If your water pressure drops significantly, you can call the city’s service center at 673-7600

Permalink | Comments

Man arrested for posing as meter reader

Associated Press — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:11:17 GMT

A man has been arrested on charges he posed as a utility meter reader -- apparently intending to steal a meter so he could turn his electricity on, authorities in Hope, Ark., said.

   Hope police and Hempstead County sheriff's deputies said a police dog found Lee Harris, 24, hiding in a mobile home about seven miles south of Hope. Chief Deputy James Singleton said a resident had called them after the man didn't have proper identification.

   Harris was held on charges of second-degree criminal impersonation, trespassing and resisting arrest.

   Harris also was a convicted sex offender.

Permalink | Comments

Trooper won't be prosecuted over incident with judge

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:11:24 GMT

The Louisiana state trooper arrested earlier this summer on charges he manhandled a state district judge after a traffic stop outside the Red River Parish courthouse will not be prosecuted -- at the request of the judge, the attorney general's office said today.

"The attorney general's office has received a request that criminal charges on Trooper Eric Schonfarber be dismissed," attorney general's spokeswoman Tammi Arender Herring said. "Judge Lewis Sams has requested that we not pursue criminal charges related to an incident that occurred between the judge and trooper on June 29, 2009 in Red River Parish. The attorney general's office will honor his request."

Herring declined to provide specifics about the decision. Sams, who filed the initial complaint, has not commented on what happened.

Schonfarber was arrested in July on charges he used excessive force and shoved the Red River district judge onto the hood of his patrol car in front of the courthouse in Coushatta. The incident happened after the trooper pulled Sams over for not wearing a seat belt. The incident escalated when the judge handed the trooper his driver's license but not his judge's identification, saying he did not want to appear to be using his position to get out of a ticket.

Schonfarber returned to duty in September after an internal investigation by State Police concluded he did not violate department procedures in handling the situation.

The attorney general's office got the case after the Red River district attorney excused her office.

Schonfarber was using a pool car instead of his assigned patrol car and that car did not have an in-car video recording system that would have recorded what happened, State Police said.

One person familiar with the details of the case said the judge, who had been pulled over June 29 for not wearing his seat belt, did not want to show the trooper his judge's identification in order to get out of a ticket. Schonfarber, a trooper for 14 years, was insistent.

Sams had been stopped for not wearing a seat belt as he pulled into the courthouse parking lot, a person who spoke with the judge said. The judge admitted not wearing his seat belt. The trooper was handed Sams' driver license, then asked where Sams worked -- a routine question in traffic stops -- and was told he was a judge. The trooper asked for his judge's I.D. and badge and Sams replied he didn't think it was proper to use his position and would just accept the ticket, the person familiar with the case said.

Both the trooper and the judge were insistent over the judge's I.D. and the trooper wound up pushing the judge onto the hood, said one person who was at the courthouse at the time. Sams got a ticket and was released.

Permalink | Comments

Victims of I-30 wreck identified

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:11:35 GMT

Four people were killed on Interstate 30 near Texarkana early today when a tractor-trailer crashed into a vehicle stopped in a construction zone, touching off a fiery, chain-reaction crash.

Killed were two people in a car that was sandwiched between two of the trucks, and the driver and a passenger in the truck that hit them, Arkansas State Police said.

State Police said Vaughn Gentry, 43, of Dallas and Albert Pruitt, 51, of Addison, Texas, died in the truck that was hauling newspaper advertising inserts. The people in the car who were killed were identified as
Walter Carpenter, 77, and Victory Barker, 64, of Hot Springs.

Investigators said Carpenter and three other drivers were stopped in the work zone when a Freightliner that Gentry and Pruitt were in crashed into Carpenter's car, setting off an explosion and fire. Troopers could not determine who was driving the truck.

That section of westbound was closed most of the day as troopers investigated how the wreck happened and crews remove the wreckage of the vehicles and spilled cargo from the trucks. Eastbound I-30 was reopened this morning.

The accident happened about 2:35 a.m. four miles east of the Texas-Arkansas line.

The car wound up between two 18-wheelers and caught fire, destroying it. The truck that crashed into the back of the car also burned while the trailer of the truck in front of it was heavily damaged.

Two other people -- the driver of the 18-wheeler that was hit from behind and one of two people in the pickup -- suffered minor injuries, State Police said.

One of the trucks was carrying packages for the postal service.

"I've seen some pretty awful wrecks but this is a pretty drastic wreck," said firefighter Larry Cook.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

Surveillance video shows convenience store robbery

CHRIS REDFORD credford@ktbs.com — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:11:52 GMT

Bossier Parish sheriff's detectives today released a surveillance photo of the robbery of a convenience store weekend before last. A sheriff's deputy wrecked his patrol car trying to find the robber.

The robbery occurred late on the night of Oct. 30 at the Dogwood Dixie Mart in Dogwood subdivision. At the time, the Sheriff's Department was heavily involved in flood-control efforts less than a mile away in the Carriage Oaks-Stockwell area of Bossier City and in tornado cleanup north of Bossier City.

The man walked into the store and immediately went behind the counter where the safe was kept, deputies said. He grabbed two money bags -- which turned out to be empty -- and then briefly wrestled with the the store clerk before leaving, deputies said.

Investigators said the man got into a waiting car, which was driven by another individual.
Deputy Trey Herren, who was called to the report of the robbery, wrecked his patrol car on Stockwell Road. He suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

Natchitoches residents protest what they call racial injustice

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:11:36 GMT

Some concered citizens in the city of Natchitoches organized a march to the City Council meeting tonight. More than 100 people filled the room to voice concerns about what they believe is racial injustice in their city. The president of the Louisiana Chapter of the NAACP was present to support their efforts.

"The people of Natchitoches want inclusion at the table. It's obvious that the African American community is not participating in the economic development of this city. I think it's obvious by the number of people that showed up that it's time for inclusion," Ernest Jackson said. Johnson says he's urging citizens to continue protesting until they see change.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

Marshall school placed on lockdown during manhunt

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 23:11:36 GMT

Trinity Episcopal School in Marshall, Texas, was placed on lockdown for two hours Monday afternoon due to a standoff at a nearby house.

The school, located on Rosborough Springs Road, was placed on lockdown about 3:30 p.m. at the request of police. The lockdown ended shortly before 5 p.m. and parents were able to pick up their children from the private school.

The incident involved a man police were concerned had barricaded himself in a house with a gun. Members of a SWAT team eventually went into the house but did not find the man.

Police later arrested William Christopher Shields, 26, of Rosborough Springs Road when he jogged up to where police had surrounded his house. He tried to run away but officers caught him. Authorities had him detained for evaluation.

Permalink | Comments

City Council looks at $1,000 bonuses for city employees

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 23:11:27 GMT

The city of Shreveport is considering giving many of its employees one-time, $1,000 bonuses.

The money would come from $6 million in payments the city received for leasing its property for natural gas drilling as part of the Haynesville Shale field.

The council will vote at its next meeting in two weeks. If they approve the bonuses, the money would be paid at mid-December.

Most civilian employees of the city did not get pay raises last year this year. Many public safety employees get small "step" increases each year.

"Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to give them a pay raise this year. The least we felt we could do is give them a one-time, $1,000 bonus," City Council Chairman Ron Webb said.

The bonuses would not be paid to elected officials, political appointees, civil service fire and police employees, and people who work in Shreveport City Court, the city marshal's office or the Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

Habitat for Humanity house burglarized

ED WALSH ewalsh@ktbs.com — Mon, 9 Nov 2009 22:11:36 GMT

A Habitat for Humanity house being built in Shreveport's Caddo Heights neighborhood has been burglarized.

David Walton never thought his first chore at his soon-to-be new home would be sweeping up broken glass after the break-in.

Walton and his wife, Yolanda, put 350 "sweat equity" hours to get the Habitat house.

A burglar or burglars took the new refrigerator this month. Last month, someone took a door from inside the house.

"It won't deter us from what we actually what we came to do: revitalize this neighborhood," said Habitat for Humanity's Cherie Ashley.

Among the people working on Walton's house ere students from the Caddo Career and Technology Center, which is located across the street. Students were making burglar bars for the house but they didn't have them installed when the break-ins occurred.

"Whoever is watching, I just want to tell them: You can't hide from God," Yolanda Walton said.

Habitat for Humanity will replace the refrigerator, door and the broken window.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

Stroller Recall

Associated Press — Mon, 9 Nov 2009 21:11:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- About a million Maclaren strollers sold by
Target and Babies "R" Us are being recalled after 12 reports of
children having their fingertips amputated by a hinge mechanism.
   The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall includes
nine models of Chinese-made single and double umbrella Maclaren
strollers, which have been sold around the country since 1999.
   The fingertip amputations occurred when children placed their
fingers in the hinge mechanism of the recalled strollers.
   The company is offering free repair kits to fix the stroller
problem. Details are available at http://www.cpsc.gov.

Permalink | Comments

BCPD engaged in high speed chase

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 18:11:15 GMT

Bossier City Police were involved in a chase just before noon today. They were notified at 11:40 by the U.S. Marshal's office of a suspect who was in their vicinity. Bossier City Police located Jeffery Davis, 33, near Swan Lake Road and I-220. He led them on a chase along Benton Road where he reached speeds of up to 65 miles per hour and ran two stop lights. Davis finally stopped the vehicle and took off on foot at Shed Road. He was captured shortly after that. Police say he had a warrant out for his arrest on drug charges. Davis will now be facing additional charges in Bossier City.

Permalink | Comments

U.S. 71 in south Bossier could reopen tonight

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 17:11:18 GMT

U.S. 71 in far south Bossier Parish, which has been closed since last Friday due to high water, could be reopened tonight, officials said.

High water from Red Chute and Loggy bayous led authorities to close the highway near McDade. It had been down to one lane. Sandbagging efforts could not keep water off the highway.

South Bossier Parish has gotten the worst of flooding from Red Chute and Loggy, which have not been able to drain quickly because the Red River, which is fed by them, is so high. Red Chute has been dropping slowly.

An evacuation watch for residents living near Red Chute Bayou and Flat River in northeast Bossier City has been lifted. That area includes the Victorian Pointe, Stonebridge, Stockwell, Brookhaven, Richmond Cove, Carriage Oaks, Carriage Oaks Crossing and Lafayette Park subdivisions. The residents who decided to evacuate weekend before last had returned early last week.

An evacuation watch for persons who live north of Highway 154 to Sligo Road in south Bossier Parish has also been lifted.

An evacuation advisory remains in effect for residents in far south Bossier Parish in an area south of Highway 154 at Highway 157. Most people have stayed in their homes, authorities said.

Permalink | Comments

Ida no longer hurricane, Gulf warnings downgraded

Associated Press and staff reports — Mon, 9 Nov 2009 16:11:51 GMT

    Ida is no longer a hurricane as it loses strength over the water on its way to a landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast sometime early Tuesday.

   Forecasters late Monday morning said Ida was expected to come ashore in the Mobile, Ala., area.

   The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Ida to a tropical storm Monday morning after its top sustained winds dropped to near 70 mph.

   Hurricane warnings were dropped along the Gulf Coast and replaced with tropical storm warnings that stretch from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

Ida was expected to have only minor impact on weather in the ArkLaTex: There would be some breeze and isolate showers, forecasters said.

The center of Ida on Monday morning was located about 185 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest near 17 mph.

   State government offices were closed today in New Orleans, as well as Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes as a precaution.

Permalink | Comments

Body of motorcyclist found in East Texas creek

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 15:11:43 GMT

The body of a motorcyclist who went over a bridge railing after an accident has been found in the creek that runs below the bridge.

The body of the man, whose name has not been released, was found late Sunday night in Middle Cypress Creek in Harrison County.

Authorities said two brothers were riding their motorcycles earlier in the day on Farm Road 450 near Hallsville when one lost control and went over the bridge.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

Shreveport home catches fire

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:11:53 GMT

An early morning fire keeps Shreveport fire crews busy. A home in the 1300 block of Youree Drive, near Stoner Avenue, went up in flames just after 3:00 this morning. Fortunately, the homeowner made it out safely. No one was injured, but this blaze did give crews a little trouble. Kerry Foster with the Shreveport Fire Department says this was an unusual circumstance and it took them a little longer than expected to get the fire under control. The cause is under investigation. Authorities say they do not suspect foul play.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

300-plus years of sisterhood

CASEY FERRAND cferrand@ktbs.com — Sun, 8 Nov 2009 23:11:47 GMT

Three sisters in Minden -- all over the age of 100 -- together have set a Guinness world record as the oldest living siblings. Their milestones were celebrated on Sunday.

The Thornton sisters are Maggie Mae Thornton Renfro, 114; Carrie Lee Thornton Miller, 107; and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren, 103.

They've lived through segregation, witnessed the civil rights movement and lived through 21 presidents. Through all that history, they are now making some of their own.

The oldest sister, Maggie, is already in the record book as the oldest black woman in the United States, the oldest person in Louisiana, the fourth oldest in the nation and sixth oldest in the world.

Relatives say the secret to their longevity is faith and family.

"What they need to live this long is love and care so that's what we give them," said Rosie's daughter, Lovie Warren.

Maggie Thornton will celebrate her 114th birthday on Nov. 14. Guinness World Records officials said the oldest person documented by Guinness was 122 years old.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments

Firefighters training to always be prepared

Casey Ferrand — Sun, 8 Nov 2009 03:11:47 GMT

If you see smoke coming from a downtown Shreveport building this weekend, don't be alarmed. The Shreveport Fire Department is doing its annual training for high-rise fires.

It's not often that Shreveport firefighters have to battle high rise fires, but they train as though it can and will happen at any time. The department is having a series of specialized high-rise training drills in a downtown building on Marshall Street.

The simulated fire and rescue drills sharpen firefighter's skills and increase proficiency in high-rise building fires. The Chief of Training says because these fires pose a greater risk, it's important that they train annually and be ready to perform when duty calls.

"We train from the perspective that if its predictable, then it is preventable. It is predictable that eventually it will happen," says Chief Louis Johnson. "Our citizens expect us to know what to do when it happens, and the fact that it doesn't happen often is not a good excuse for not being ready."

There are about 45 firefighters from 6 stations in the city taking part in the training. Only firefighters that work at stations that are likely to be called to a high-rise fire downtown are participating in the training.

Permalink | Play Video | Comments