Not a total rout: Republicans have easily maintained their hold on the state House and Senate, but were unable to oust Democratic incumbents they had in their sights in the primary election Saturday. Republicans will have 24 senators out of 39 beginning in January—an increase of two—and they will have at least 57 of 105 House members. Four Democratic House members and two Democratic senators targeted by the state Republican Party, Gov. Bobby Jindal, U.S. Sen. David Vitter or all of them managed to hang on to their jobs despite expensive campaigns launched against them. Democratic incumbents who retained their seats include Sens. Ben Nevers in Bogalusa and Eric LaFleur in Ville Platte. Meanwhile, at least three former senators seeking to return to their old posts are in runoffs with the current officeholders.
Bravo! Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s documentary Native Waters: A Chitimacha Recollection is up for a 2011 Suncoast Emmy Award in the category of Documentary—Cultural. The winners will be announced on Dec. 3 at ceremonies in Miami. The documentary tells the story of Native Americans who were among the first people to inhabit Louisiana some 8,000 years ago in the Atchafalaya Basin of Louisiana.
Boo! Official trick-or-treat hours in the parish will be from 6-8 p.m. on Halloween, Mayor Kip Holden’s office announced today. “The Mayor and Police Chief Dewayne White are urging all motorists to be especially mindful of pedestrians during these hours, and to stay off of residential streets if at all possible,” says a release from the mayor’s office. Police officers are being directed to concentrate heavily on local neighborhoods throughout the city to ensure the safety of children and adults alike. The department also strongly encourages parents to take advantage of the many organized, supervised Halloween events that are taking place in all areas of the city. While there is no law against adults trick-or-treating door-to-door, city officials stress the activity is intended for children, usually under the age of 12.
