Ralph Dreger,
a Methodist minister and civil rights activist from Baton Rouge, has received the highest honor bestowed by the American Civil Liberties Union -- the Benjamin E. Smith Award. Dreger, a psychology professor at Louisiana State University, was recognized for his work on social justice issues for low-income people and for his longtime pursuit of racial and religious tolerance.

Gary Gibbs,
Louisiana State University's defensive coordinator, accepted a position as the linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys on Feb. 27. It will be the first pro job for Gibbs, who also served as the head coach at Oklahoma. However, Gibbs' departure means LSU Coach Nick Saban must hire his fourth defensive coordinator in just over two years.

Shell Oil Company Foundation
has approved a $1.5 million grant for the National D-Day Museum to underwrite the costs of the museum's new World War II film, Price for Peace. The project is co-produced by filmmaker Stephen Spielberg and historian Stephen Ambrose, and directed by James Moll. The 90-minute documentary tells the stories of American and Japanese soldiers in the Pacific campaign.

The Sewerage and Water Board
again failed to publicize a meeting of its Special Evaluation Committee in violation of the state's Open Meetings Law. The committee was scheduled to review the three bids to manage New Orleans' water and sewer systems, but had to cancel last Tuesday's meeting after it learned that the time and place had not been adequately publicized. An identical situation occurred in October.

Other Stories This Week in News & Views:

News Feature
Zydeco vs. Zydeco
Inside Jeff Parish

Commentary
How You Play the Game

Politics
Harbingers of Change

Penny Post
The Motorist

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