United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced that TIMOTHY M. STRAIN, age  47, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was arrested today pursuant to a criminal complaint signed by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Christine M. Noland charging STRAIN with mail fraud and bank fraud. The affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that STRAIN used fraudulent money orders to pay the balance due on two vehicle loans.

The mail fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

The charges in the complaint are the result of an ongoing investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.

NOTE: A complaint is an accusation by a law enforcement agent that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by the defendant. The defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty at trial.

East Baton Rouge Parish residents can drop off household hazardous materials for safe disposal at the upcoming Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day on Saturday, March 13 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

City-Parish Recycling Director Susan Hamilton emphasized that this event is only for the collection of residential hazardous materials, and will not accept materials generated by businesses and other commercial sources. Participants entering the drop-off site will be checked to make sure they are East Baton Rouge residents.

The following household hazardous materials will be accepted: fertilizers, pool chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, gasoline, cleaning products, latex and oil paint and paint products, automobile tires, auto products including used oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, diesel, oil and fuel filters; cooking oil; fluorescent tubes, ballasts and compact fluorescent bulbs; lead acid, nickel-cadmium and alkaline batteries; stereos and televisions.   To be accepted, liquids must be in labeled, closed containers that hold five gallons or less.

Items that will not be accepted include: ammunition, explosives, fireworks, non-residential waste, radioactive devices (smoke/fire/detectors), large gas cylinders such as helium, acetylene or Freon, Styrofoam peanuts, school lab waste, fire extinguishers, appliances (white goods) or furniture, copiers, construction and demolition debris, asbestos-containing building materials, biomedical hazardous material, computers, computer monitors, fax machines and computer components.

For a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable household hazardous materials, go to www.brgov.com/recycle.

Hamilton said that although household hazardous materials comprise only 1 percent of the waste stream, they can negatively impact almost every aspect of the environment, polluting the air, water and soil.

Over the past 23 years, East Baton Rouge residents have safely disposed of more than 2 million pounds of household hazardous materials through local collections like the one that will be held March 13, she said.

Residents should enter the drive-through drop-off site from Scenic Highway at Foss Street.   Directional signs will be posted and police officers will be on hand to keep traffic moving steadily.

Sponsors and Partners: City-Parish Public Works Recycling  and Environmental divisions, Baton Rouge Fire Department Hazardous Materials Division, City Police, City Constable’s Office, Emergency Medical Services, PSC Environmental Services, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Dow Chemical Company, Habitat for Humanity, Southern Recycling, Siemens Corporation, The Recycling Foundation, Interstate Batteries of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Parks Commission, Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and WRKF-FM.

For more information contact the EBRP Recycling Office at (225) 389-5194.

United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced today that MICHAEL LEE, age 46, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge James Brady and pleaded guilty to charges contained in a corruption-related indictment (“corruption indictment”) and a firearm-related indictment (“firearm indictment”).

With regard to the corruption indictment, LEE pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), violating the RICO Act, using an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, and making false statements to the FBI. With regard to the firearm indictment, LEE pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in violation of a protective order. LEE faces up to 60 years in prison and a $1,250,000 fine.

During today’s hearing, LEE admitted to, among other things, facilitating cash payments to Edward James in exchange for James causing the corrupt dismissal, reduction, or otherwise “fixing” of numerous charges against LEE and others, including battery, domestic violence, and drug charges. LEE also admitted that he lied to FBI agents and that he advised “John Doe” to bribe the victim in a battery case so that the victim would not complain about the battery case being corruptly dismissed.

LEE is the ninth individual convicted as a result of Operation “Illegal Motion.”

The charges against LEE result from Operation “Illegal Motion,” an ongoing investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office with the cooperation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Louisiana Office of Inspector General; the Louisiana State Police; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigative Division; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Criminal Investigations Division. The cases are being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Corey R. Amundson and Assistant United States Attorney M. Patricia Jones.

Beginning Saturday, February 27 at 12:01 a.m., workers plan to temporarily close Highland Road at the Kansas City Southern Railroad Crossing for the weekend as part of a Green Light Plan project to widen the roadway.

The roadway at the railroad crossing east of Interstate 10 will remain temporarily closed over the weekend (February 27 and 28) and will re-open to the traveling public by 5 a.m. on Monday, March 1, weather permitting.  The closure is necessary to install new railroad crossing panels in this area of the project.

Motorists should prepare to use Airline Highway and Perkins Road East as primary roadways for detours.  These detour routes, along with alternate travel directions, are depicted in the detour route reference map attached to this advisory.

Message signs warning of the closure will be posted near the crossing on Highland Road to alert motorists of the roadway closure, and motorists are strongly encouraged to remain alert, focused and exercise caution when traveling in the vicinity.  Travel times may be affected, and motorists are encouraged to factor in potential delays when traveling in the area during the weekend closure.

Work began last January to widen Highland Road from Perkins Road to Airline Highway as part of the Green Light Plan to relieve congestion on major traffic arteries in East Baton Rouge Parish.  The Highland Road project will replace a two-lane undivided roadway with a four-lane boulevard and a raised median from Perkins Road to Airline Highway.  The project will also include new bridge crossings at Ward’s Creek and Old Ward’s Creek and a new railway crossing at the Kansas City Southern Railroad.

Highland Construction Detour

East Baton Rouge sales tax revenues totaled $161.2 million in 2009, representing a drop of 5.96 percent from the previous year, according to the latest sales tax figures released today.

Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden said the Capital City is weathering the national recession much better than most other American cities that have had to resort to service cuts and layoffs to balance their budgets.

In spite of the loss of $10.2 million in sales-tax revenues in 2009, Holden noted the City-Parish budget remains balanced with no reduction in services, largely due to conservative spending.

“As we tracked the downturn in the national economy, we were conservative in our budget estimates and conservative in our spending to make sure that our city-parish budget remained sound,” Mayor Holden said.  “I have watched other cities in Louisiana and around the country cut police officers, reduce services and lay-off employees, and we are fortunate that our budgeting process took into account a potential decrease in local sales.”

Holden said he remains optimistic about the future for East Baton Rouge, especially in light of a December report by Forbes Magazine that listed Baton Rouge among the top 10 fastest recovering cities in America. The Forbes article cited East Baton Rouge’s relatively low unemployment and stable housing market in predicting its rapid recovery.

“We are still projecting a small job growth over the next year at a time when other areas are losing jobs and facing high unemployment,” Holden said, “and we will make sure our city and parish remain strong until our sales tax receipts fully rebound.”

The latest East Baton Rouge sales tax report shows that sales-tax collections in December totaled $14.9 million, a decrease of $2.7-million or 15.25 percent compared to December of 2008.

Join Metropolitan Councilwoman Ronnie Edwards, representing Council District 5, on Monday, February 22 as she hosts her second 2010 Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting at St. Mark United Methodist Church, located at 6217 Glen Oaks Drive.

This will be the second of ten meetings that will take place monthly at district churches, in hopes to make more constituents aware of what’s going on in District 5, and the City-Parish. Several city-parish departments will be on hand to talk with attendees, including Sheriff Sid Gautreaux; Ron Cowart, 4th District Police Dept.; Johnny Wallace, DPW; and Micheal Ellis, Sewer Program Manager with CH2MHILL.

All constituents are invited to participate, as the meeting will start at 6:00pm. If you have any questions or would like to suggest your church as a potential meeting location, please feel free to call our district office at 389-4831.

Mardi Gras is an official City/Parish holiday and will be observed on Tuesday, February 16, 2010. All City/Parish offices will be closed on this day.

Solid waste collection (garbage and trash) in East Baton Rouge Parish will be made on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, by Allied Waste under their contract with the City/Parish for residential and governmental buildings. Recyclable material in EBR Parish will be collected as normal on Tuesday, February 16, 2010. The North Landfill will be open to all haulers both commercial and the general public on Tuesday, February 16, 2010.

Peter T. Newkirk, P.E.
Director
Department of Public Works

The National Weather Service in Slidell has Been Upgraded to A Winter storm Warning for Sleet Accumulation and Snow Accumulation, Which is in effect Until 2pm CST Friday Afternoon. Frozen Precipitation has Begun Across the Florida Parishes, Including Baton Rouge, Hammond, Slidell. in Addition, Sleet was Observed Along the Mississippi Coast. The Threat of Sleet will Likely Persist Through the Evening Hours and Accumulation from a Quarter to Half Inch is Expected Through Midnight. Roads, Bridges, and Overpasses in the Warning area are Slick and Hazardous. Accumulation of Ice on Roadways, Bridges And Overpasses will Make Travel Treacherous. in Addition, Sleet May Change over to Snow Late this Evening toward Morning. Snow Accumulation of 1 to 2 Inches May Occur After Midnight Through Late Friday Morning Across the Florida Parishes and the Mississippi Coast. Snow is Expected to Taper Off from West to East During the Mid and Late Morning Hours Friday and Should End Early Friday Afternoon. Precautionary/preparedness Actions  A Winter storm Warning Means Significant Amounts of Snow  Sleet, and Ice are Expected or Occurring. Strong winds are Also Possible. this will Make Travel very Hazardous or Impossible. An area of Low Pressure will Develop in the Northwest Gulf Of Mexico and Track East Northeast Across the North Gulf tonight And Friday. with Cold Air in Place…sleet and Snow are Expected Over Areas Mainly Along and North of the Interstate 10 And 12 Corridor. a Brief Mix or Change to Sleet and Snow will Also Be Possible Just South ofInterstate 10 and 12 Corridor.

Due to the current Winter Weather event, I urge all Department Heads to follow theirplans for ensuring all critical services are covered. The Mayor’s Office of HomelandSecurity and Emergency Preparedness is monitoring the situation as well as workingwith the local weather service, school boards and hospitals and will keep everyoneupdated via email or by internet at Redstickready.comorBRGOV.com. I have directedthe following measures be taken:1. Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness haveactivated all procedures for a Winter Storm Watch and will continue tocommunicate with my office critical information as it becomes available.2. IS has activated their staffing plans and are monitoring critical equipment toensure we maintain our operational status.3. The Department of Public Works is currently following their emergency winterweather procedures which include sand loaded, sand truck speakers and highalert on barricades available to be deployed should conditions require warrant.4. The Baton Rouge City Police has implemented their inclement weather plan andhave additional officers available to keep the motoring public safe should icingoccur and are working closely with local and state agencies to monitor theroadway conditions.All departments are working very closely with both local and state agencies to providethe most accurate and timely information. There is not a decision made for an earlydismissal today or a Snow Day tomorrow, however should your employee’s haveavailable leave accrued you may allow them to take time off. We will continue tomonitor this event and will update as necessary.

Below is a list of school closures for Friday, February 12th around the Baton Rouge area.

All Livingston Parish Schools will be closed on Friday.

The following schools will also be closed on Friday:

• Advance Baton Rouge Schools
• Alden’s School of Cosmetology
• Amite Christian School and Daycare
• Ascension Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• Baker Schools
• Bethany Christian
• Central Community Schools
• Central Private School (Baker)
• Centreville Academy (Centreville, MS)
• DJ’s School of Beauty
• Don Avenue Baptist Church and Preschool
• East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• East Feliciana Parish Public Schools (Thursday afterschool activies canceled) & Parochial Schools
• False River Academy
• First Step Christian Learning Center (St. Francisville)
• Iberville Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• LA School for the Deaf
• LA School for the Visually Impaired
• Little People’s Playstation (Livingston)
• Livingston Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• Pointe Coupee Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• Pointe Coupee Catholic Elem. and High
• Quad Area Head Start (Clinton, Jackson)
• Redeeming Life Preschool
• Silliman Institute (Clinton)
• St. Helena Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• Tangipahoa Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• Trinity Christian Academy (Zachary)
• University Lab (LSU)
• West Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• West Feliciana Parish Public Schools & Parochial Schools
• You Can Succeed Learning Center (Baton Rouge, St. Gabriel)
• Zachary Community Schools

Last Updated 02/11/2010 5:07pm

With the possibility of snow and rain in the forecast throughout the Mardi Gras holiday weekend, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today that department staff is prepared to deal with winter weather.

Maintenance forces will be on standby to apply sand and salt over any affected bridges and roadways, to remove fallen trees from the roadway, and to close any roads as needed.

Interim Secretary Sherri LeBas urges motorists to take the threat of winter weather seriously. “In the event of adverse weather conditions, the department will strive to maintain access to Louisiana’s highways and interstates; however, we encourage the motoring public to avoid traveling during snow and ice, if at all possible,” said LeBas.

During winter weather conditions, the best thing motorists can do is drive slowly and carefully, and avoid driving while distracted. Always allow for extra driving time, reduce speeds when visibility is low, and make sure there is plenty of room between vehicles. Also, look out for black ice, which can form on bridges, overpasses, off-ramps and in shady spots. As always, DOTD reminds motorists to buckle up and refrain from drinking and driving.

Citizens can get the latest updates on real-time traffic and road conditions by using the 511 Traveler Information System simply by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region about which they are seeking information. Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information Web site at www.511la.org.

Motorists can also obtain information regarding road closures by contacting DOTD’s Customer Service Center at 1-877-4LA-DOTD (1-877-452-3683). The center is open 7:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Issued by The National Weather Service
New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA
5:12 am CST, Thu., Feb. 11, 2010

… WINTER STORM WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON…

A WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR AREAS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 12 AND 10 CORRIDOR… EXTENDING FROM METROPOLITAN BATON ROUGE TO THE NORTHSHORE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN… TO THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST.

FROZEN PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON… BUT IS MORE LIKELY DURING THE EVENING ACROSS METROPOLITAN BATON ROUGE AND ALONG THE INTERSTATE 12 CORRIDOR. A MIX OF RAIN AND SLEET WILL LIKELY DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. DURING THE EVENING… THE RAIN AND SLEET MIX WILL LIKELY CHANGE TO A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW AS PRECIPITATION SPREADS EAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST. IT WILL BECOME MOSTLY SNOW WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

SLEET AND SNOW MAY BECOME MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES… ESPECIALLY AFTER 9 PM. THIS COULD RESULT IN A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION AS SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATE ON THE ROADS. ACCUMULATIONS OF SLEET AND SNOW MAY REACH 2 TO 3 INCHES BY NOON ON FRIDAY WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE MID AND LATE MORNING HOURS FRIDAY AND SHOULD END EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW… SLEET… OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

More Information

… SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT AND FRIDAY…

.AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP IN THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO AND TRACK EAST NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTH GULF TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. WITH COLD AIR IN PLACE… SLEET AND SNOW ARE EXPECTED OVER AREAS MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 10 AND 12 CORRIDOR. A BRIEF MIX OR CHANGE TO SLEET AND SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE JUST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 AND 12 CORRIDOR.