LUY-Development

Category: Regional News

  • 2 bodies found on Alabama coast near search area

    2 bodies found on Alabama coast near search area

    ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (AP) — Searchers have found two bodies on the Alabama coast near where crews have been searching for two Louisiana men who went missing in the surf.

    WALA-TV reports that authorities in Orange Beach say a body washed up Tuesday morning at Gulf State Park, and a second one was found later in Gulf Shores.

    The remains were found after two swimmers were last seen near Perdido Pass on Sunday night. Authorities identified the missing men as 22-year-old Darius Robinson and 28-year-old Ryan Guy, both of Louisiana.

    Around the same time they went missing a third swimmer was found floating face down in the water by boaters. A person identified as 28-year-old Jasmine Brundy was taken to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida and remains in critical condition.

    Police say the three were together.

  • Mississippi Prison System Confirms Its 1st Case Of COVID-19

    Mississippi Prison System Confirms Its 1st Case Of COVID-19

    The Mississippi Department of Corrections on Monday night made its first announcement of a coronavirus case in one of the state prisons.

    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) —  An inmate at the Mississippi State Penitentiary was found to have had to the virus after he died, the department said in a news release. It did not give the inmate’s name or say when he died. It said he had underlying health problems.

    “We are committed to protecting the health and well-being of all within our system,” Interim Corrections Commissioner Tommy Taylor said.

    He said that since the beginning of the pandemic, Mississippi has limited the transfer of inmates from prison to prison. The only visitors allowed are attorneys, and daily screenings are done of prison workers.

    “With this first positive case, we have further isolated all the affected areas and increased screenings for all the inmates who came in contact with the individual,” Taylor said. “Inmates who came in close contact with the positive individual have been provided with masks.”

  • Edwards: ‘Too Early To Know’ When Louisiana Can Relax Orders

    Edwards: ‘Too Early To Know’ When Louisiana Can Relax Orders

    Edwards stressed that the practice must continue for now to avoid a new spike in infections.

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — “It’s just too early to know” when Louisiana can begin relaxing stay-at-home orders that have devastated the state’s economy to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday.

    He was speaking to reporters in Monroe, in the northern part of the state, after touring sites of widespread damage from tornadoes on Sunday.

    He was responding to a question about President Donald Trump’s eagerness to get businesses re-opened around the nation.

    Edwards, a Democrat, said he will continue to work with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on the issue.

    State officials from both parties have presented a largely unified front in facing the crisis. But a state representative issued a statement Monday saying the order “must end” April 30.

    “On May 1, we must begin opening as much as possible,” Rep. Mark Wright, a Republican from Covington, said in a news release.

    The number of deaths related to COVID-19 in Louisiana rose to 884 Monday, 44 higher than a day earlier, according to the latest figures from the state health department.

    The number of people hospitalized with the disease caused by the virus was 2,134. That’s 50 more than a day earlier. The number of those requiring ventilators was 461 — a slight increase from Sunday but still well below last week’s numbers.

    State officials have said social distancing efforts appear to be slowing the growth in serious coronavirus illnesses in Louisiana. Edwards on Monday stressed that the practice must continue for now to avoid a new spike in infections.

    He also chastised those who aren’t heeding the warning. He said there was evidence, including anecdotes and a website that records movements of cellphone customers, that many in the state were less mindful of the need for social distancing over the Easter weekend.

    The overall number of Louisiana residents known to have been infected with the new coronavirus was 21,016 as of midday Monday, an increase of 421, as the number of people tested in the state surpassed 108,000.

    The latest figures were released on the same day the state announced that it had made a one-day payment of more than $89.7 million to residents who have lost their jobs or had reduced hours due to the pandemic. That includes more than $66 million from a recently passed federal relief bill to fund the first of weekly $600 payments for unemployed people, including the self-employed who lost work because of the pandemic.

    The state said that, as of Monday, just over 59 % of COVID-19 deaths in Louisiana occurred among African Americans. The figure was down from the 70% figure released last week. However, Edwards noted that the figures vary because the race of some of those affected is not available. Officials in Louisiana and elsewhere have expressed concerns over the disease’s disparate effects on blacks. Edwards last week announced a task force to look into the issue.

    During the absence of college sporting events as a result of the coronavirus battle, LSU announced a plan Monday to help provide badly needed medical supplies. The university said it’s starting large-scale production of personal protective equipment in the assembly center where basketball games are usually played. University employees, working with doctors from New Orleans and Shreveport, are making heavy-duty, reusable gowns and face shields, all with materials donated by area businesses.

    For most people, the coronavirus causes mild symptoms like fever and a cough that resolve in two to three weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, more severe symptoms can occur, including pneumonia, that can lead to death.

    ___

    Associated Press reporter Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge contributed to this report.

  • Sidewalk Notes Bring Smiles To Hospital Staff During Virus

    Sidewalk Notes Bring Smiles To Hospital Staff During Virus

    Unknown artist leaves messages outside Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The messenger is anonymous — but the messages are heartfelt, and appreciated.

    In recent days, workers at New Orleans’ Ochsner Medical Center who take the familiar stroll from the parking lot to the main entrance have been greeted with expressions of gratitude from an unnamed artist, sketched out on the sidewalk.

    “If you’re just arriving, thank you for what you’re about to do,” says one.

    And a little further along: “You are extraordinary.”

    And for those finishing their shifts: ”If you are leaving, thank you … Rest well.”

    The hospital workers have been under strain. The region has been hard hit by the coronavirus, so much so that the state’s governor said earlier this week it might run out of breathing machines by the weekend and hospital beds next week.

    Ochsner, one of the largest hospitals in the area, has been so overwhelmed that regular patient rooms have been converted into ICU-like wards to accommodate the surge in patients.

    Someone has taken note, and has reached out in chalk to tell Ochsner staffers that they are appreciated, The message has been received, loud and clear.

    “It definitely meant a lot to me and was a surprise, a colorful surprise, walking out and going home to go to bed after a long shift,” said first-year resident Leslie Miller, who works in the hospital’s pediatric care unit.

    Miller said hospital employees are used to dealing with heightened stress but for many, the coronavirus has taken stress and anxiety to another level. The messages are a balm.

    They “give us hope,” said lab technician Minerva Martin.

    ___

    While nonstop global news about the effects of the coronavirus has become commonplace, so, too, are the stories about the kindness of strangers and individuals who have sacrificed for others. “One Good Thing” is an AP continuing series reflecting these acts of kindness.

    ___

  • Louisiana Officials Report 68 More Coronavirus-Linked Deaths

    Louisiana Officials Report 68 More Coronavirus-Linked Deaths

    The Louisiana Department of Health reported the figures on its website Sunday

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana health officials reported 68 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, marking the state’s biggest jump in reported deaths since the outbreak began.  The number of infections reported to the state also increased by more than 500 cases from 12,496 to 13,010.

    Before Sunday, the largest number of deaths reported in a single day was 60. The numbers represent when the tests were reported to the state, not necessarily when the infections or deaths occurred.

    Louisiana and the New Orleans area have been an epicenter for the virus, and Gov. John Bel Edwards has repeatedly warned of looming shortages for ventilators and intensive care units.

    For most people, the new coronavirus strain causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and be life-threatening.

  • Ex-NFL Kicker, Saints Hero Tom Dempsey Dies At 73

    Ex-NFL Kicker, Saints Hero Tom Dempsey Dies At 73

    Dempsey died late Saturday while struggling with complications from the COVID19 coronavirus.

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former NFL kicker Tom Dempsey, who played in the NFL despite being born without toes on his kicking foot and made a record 63-yard field goal, died late Saturday while struggling with complications from the new coronavirus, his daughter said. He was 73 years old.

    The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate first reported Dempsey’s death. Ashley Dempsey said Sunday that her father, who has resided in an assisted living home for several years after being diagnosed with dementia, tested positive for the coronavirus a little more than a week ago.

    The Orleans Parish coroner has yet to release an official cause of death.

    Dempsey’s game-winning field goal against Detroit on Nov. 8, 1970, stood as an NFL record for 43 years until the Broncos’ Matt Prater broke it with a 64-yarder in Denver in 2013.

    Dempsey spent 11 seasons in the NFL: His first two seasons were with New Orleans (1969-70), the next four with Philadelphia, then two with the Los Angeles Rams, one with the Houston Oilers and the final two with Buffalo. He retired after the 1979 season.

    “Tom’s life spoke directly to the power of the human spirit and exemplified his resolute determination to not allow setbacks to impede following his dreams and aspirations,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “He exemplified the same fight and fortitude in recent years as he battled valiantly against illnesses but never wavered and kept his trademark sense of humor.”

    Dempsey was born in Milwaukee without four fingers on his right hand and without toes on his right foot. He kicked straight on with a flat-front shoe that drew protests from some who saw the specially made kicking shoe as an unfair advantage. Former Dallas Cowboys President Tex Schramm compared the shoe to “the head of a golf club.”

    But Dempsey would counter that by saying he was merely doing the best he could to use the foot with which he was born, and for the most part, NFL officials, including then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle, agreed. Still, in 1977, the NFL passed what is widely known as the “The Dempsey Rule,” mandating that shoes worn by players with “an artificial limb on his kicking leg must have a kicking surface that conforms to that of a normal kicking shoe.”

    Dempsey returned to New Orleans after retiring from the league. About seven years ago, he was diagnosed with dementia and later moved to an assisted living home, where he contracted the coronavirus in March during the pandemic that has hit the city — and nursing home — particularly hard. He is survived by wife Carlene, three children, a sister and grandchildren.

    His kick has remained part of Saints lore and for a long time stood as one of the greatest moments in the history of a franchise that didn’t make the playoffs until its 21st season in 1987, and didn’t win a playoff game until the 2000 season.

    At the time of the kick, the Superdome had yet to be build and the Saints played home games in the old Tulane Stadium, which was demolished in 1979.

    The Lions led 17-16 after a short field goal with 11 seconds left.

    With no timeouts, the Saints managed to move the ball to their own 45 with 2 seconds left after Billy Kilmer completed a pass to Al Dodd along the sideline.

    According to a media reports, special teams coach Don Heinrich was heard barking, “Tell Stumpy to get ready to go in and kick a long one.”

    At that time, goalposts were on the goal line, not behind the end zone. The spot of the kick was the Saints 37.

    “I was more concerned about kicking it straight because I felt I could handle the distance,” Dempsey told the Times-Picayune. “I knew I was going to get a perfect snap from Jackie Burkett and a perfect hold from Joe Scarpati. It was all up to me. I hit it sweet.”

    Kilmer told the Times-Picayune he remembers standing on the sideline seeing Lions players across the field laughing as Dempsey lined up for the momentous kick.

    “They thought Tom had no chance,” Kilmer said.

    But Dempsey ended up carried off the field on the shoulders of teammates and recalled spending all night at a Bourbon Street bar, celebrating.

    “We were there, with all the guys, until the wee hours,” he said. “From what I can recall, I had a great time.”

    Both the shoe with which Dempsey kicked the 63-yarder and the ball are in the Saints Hall of Fame in New Orleans, into which Dempsey was inducted in 1989. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, has another of Dempsey’s specially made kicking shoes, but Dempsey wanted the mementos of the record-breaking kick to remain in New Orleans.

  • Natchez Delays Municipal Election Cycle

    Natchez Delays Municipal Election Cycle

    STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
    REGARDING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

    NATCHEZ, Mississippi – Mayor Grennell, City Attorney Bob Latham,
    and other local leaders are working with the Governor’s Office, the
    Secretary of State, the Attorney General’s Office and the local
    Election Commission to delay the City’s municipal election cycle,
    which begins with the April 7 primary, followed by the April 28
    runoff, and the June 2 general election.
    Mayor Grennell has spoken with several local candidates who are
    voluntarily suspending their campaigns in response to the
    coronavirus pandemic.
    “At this time of emergency, our local election is not really on the
    radar screen at the state level. This is because of our special charter
    and the fact that we are on a different election cycle from the rest of
    the municipalities. Only a few Mississippi municipalities have local
    elections this spring.”
    The Mayors office will provide updates as soon as more informaitojn
    becomes available.

  • Merit Health Natchez Modifies Visitor Protocols and Policies

    Merit Health Natchez Modifies Visitor Protocols and Policies

    Visitor Restrictions Are in Place for Protection of Patients, Caregivers and the Community
    NATCHEZ, Miss. –March 13, 2020 —Merit Health Natchez is asking for the community’s help in
    maintaining the safety of patients, visitors and our healthcare team members. When in the hospital for
    treatment, the best interest of our patients is to minimize unnecessary exposure to infectious or
    communicable diseases.
    If you have traveled from a high-risk area for COVID-19, have had contact with a person known to be
    infected with COVID-19, and cough, fever or difficulty breathing, patients should tell staff immediately
    and visitors should delay your visit unless seeking medical care.
    Effective today, we have implemented the following entrance and visitor restrictions:
    • There will only be two open entrances to the hospital, the main lobby entrance and the
    Emergency Department. All other entrances will be locked.
    • Only healthy, essential visitors such as immediate family, partner or significant other ages 18
    and older may visit patients.
    • Please limit visitors to one per patient.
    • ICU and Telemetry now have closed visitation with set visiting hours, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    and 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    • Only parents of babies are allowed in the nursery.
    • Only one visitor allowed per patient throughout stay in the areas of Labor and Delivery and the
    Emergency Department and they must be 18 years and older.
    • Patients in isolation will have additional visitor restrictions.
    If you would like to drop off a card, gift or message of encouragement, we are happy to deliver those to
    patients. You may also call a patient’s room or visit patients using Facetime or another video
    communication app.
    We appreciate the community’s understanding and compliance.
    About Merit Health Natchez
    Merit Health Natchez is a Joint Commission-accredited hospital with 179-beds and offers a broad range
    of services including emergency medicine, surgery, cardiology, labor and delivery, radiology, outpatient
    diagnostic testing, physical therapy and more. Merit Health Natchez holds additional accreditations from
    American College of Cardiology for Chest Pain Center, the American College of Radiology for
    mammography, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the
    Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine,
    and Advance Disease-Specific Care Certification for Acute Stroke Ready Hospital from The Joint
    Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Learn more at
    www.merithealthnatchez.com.

  • Trump declares virus pandemic a national emergency

    Trump declares virus pandemic a national emergency

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is declaring the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency, as Washington struggles with providing Americans with relief and officials race to slow the spread of the outbreak.

    Speaking from the Rose Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency.” He said the emergency would open up nearly $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak.

    Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.

    He also announced a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available. The partnership will include drive-thru testing in some locations and an online portal to screen those seeking to get tested.

    Still, Trump said that officials don’t want people taking the test unless they have certain symptoms. “It’s totally unnecessary,” Trump said. He added, “This will pass.”

  • Florida Man upset he can’t bring cutout of Donald Trump to dialysis

    Florida Man upset he can’t bring cutout of Donald Trump to dialysis

    PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man undergoing kidney dialysis three times a week is upset that he can’t bring a life-sized cardboard cutout of President Donald Trump for emotional support.

    Nelson Gibson told WPBF that his family can’t sit with him during his three-and-a-half-hour treatments. To help, he began bringing a picture of Trump as a comfort item.

    “It just feels like bringing something from home to make you comfortable,” Gibson told the West Palm Beach area television station.

    Gibson said no one complained about the photo. Next, he started bringing a small cardboard cutout of himself standing next to a Trump photo. No one complained about the small cutout, and Gibson told the station that some people even took photos with it.

    On Saturday, Gibson took a life-sized cutout of Trump to his treatment at Fresenius Kidney Care in Port St. Lucie. He said that again, no one took issue with this new emotional support item.

    But when he returned Tuesday for treatment with the presidential cutout, Gibson ran into a roadblock.

    “They told me it was too much and it wasn’t a rally,” he told the TV station.

    His son Eric contacted officials at the facility to find out what the problem was.

    “It was supposed to be an issue of safety infectious disease which made no sense,” Eric Gibson said.

    The Gibsons say they feel singled out since the center typically encourages patients to bring emotional support items.

    Gibson said another patient brings in bubble wrap and pops it during her treatment, which he finds nerve wracking.

    “What I would really like to happen is for them not to infringe upon my father’s freedom of expression and speech and allow him to bring in the lifesize cardboard cutout that takes up less service area than a garbage can,” Eric Gibson told the station.

    “While we cannot discuss any specific individual, we strongly support the ability of all our patients to express their views, which includes bringing reasonably sized items into our dialysis centers that do not create safety or infection control issues, or interfere with caregivers on the treatment floor,” said the center’s spokesman Brad Puffer said in a statement.

    The family said they aren’t sure when Gibson will return for treatment.