Suburban parish sees homicides rise
Homicides are up more than 50 percent this year in suburban New Orleans’ Jefferson Parish, and the sheriff blames drug dealers who have set up operations here after being driven out of the city by Hurricane Katrina.
Thirty-five people had been slain in the parish as of Tuesday night. Through mid-August of last year, the number was 23. Sheriff Harry Lee released statistics showing that 18 of this year’s killings were drug-related, compared with six at this time last year.
“What happened is we cannot get a handle on the drug traffic,” he said Tuesday.
Jefferson Parish includes the bedroom communities of Metairie and Kenner, as well as blue-collar towns and rural areas.
Various estimates put New Orleans’ population at half its pre-Katrina level of 455,000. Jefferson Parish suffered a smaller population loss – from close to 453,000 before the storm to about 440,000 now.
“I think the population shift has caused the drug market to shift,” Lee said.
Lowell, Mass.
60 puppies perish in truck trailer fire
A trailer carrying dozens of puppies to Northeast pet stores caught fire just off an interstate, killing all of the estimated 60 animals inside, authorities said.
The driver noticed smoke coming from his trailer just before 5 p.m. Monday, state police said. He pulled over, and the Lowell Fire Department put out the flames that engulfed the trailer. But firefighters couldn’t save the puppies.
The puppies were a variety of breeds between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks, according to a state police news release.
Neither the driver, identified as Joseph Price, 40, of Joplin, Mo., nor his passenger, William Iriarte, 50, of Neosho, Mo., was injured.
A preliminary investigation indicated that a malfunctioning fan in the rear of the trailer may have started the fire, police said. No charges have been filed.
Lincoln, Neb.
Nebraskan nets arrest No. 226
Kevin Holder’s rap sheet is 43 pages long, dating back to 1980, and he just got another entry – his 226th arrest.
Police say they caught him Sunday morning after a brief chase and found burglar tools in his possession.
“He’s very well-known to Lincoln police officers,” Police Chief Tom Casady said.
Holder’s convictions include criminal mischief, marijuana possession, violation of protection order, assault, resisting arrest, assault on an officer and possession of cocaine. Many were misdemeanors, but he also has been sentenced to at least three prison terms for felonies, including a four-year stretch starting in 1996.
Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey said Holder was charged Tuesday with felony possession of burglar tools and prosecutors will urge a judge to treat Holder as a habitual criminal. With another felony conviction, that could result in a sentence of up to 60 years. Holder remained behind bars Tuesday afternoon.