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12 31 02 |
The Best and the Worst of the Week
 Local
pregnancy-prevention programs are
credited for a steady drop in Louisiana's teen birth rate. A recent study from
the National Center for Health Statistics reported that births to teen mothers
dropped 24 percent in Louisiana between 1991 and 2001 -- slightly under the
national drop of 26 percent. The center credited several public and private
initiatives in Louisiana that emphasized responsible behavior among teens, including
abstinence and contraceptive use.
Louisiana Housing Finance Agency officersviolated
ethics policies, mismanaged the agency and failed many of the low-income families
who depend on the agency's SHARE program to rehabilitate their homes, according
to Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle. His office last week released an audit blasting
the agency's managers for spending more than $6 million to renovate more than
300 Louisiana homes; many of the houses had shoddy or unfinished work, the audit
said.
Gordon L. Hackman ,a
New Orleans attorney who practices in Boutte, had his law license suspended
for two and a half years for mishandling clients' money. The state Supreme Court
said Hackman used more than $113,000 from a client escrow account for his personal
use, and abruptly fired an employee who discovered the abuse and confronted
him about it. Hackman told the high court that he had intended to replace the
money.
Louisiana
is the second-worst state in the nation (behind New Mexico) when
it comes to inoculating children against common but dangerous diseases, according
to the National Immunization Program. A recent study found that the state experienced
its biggest drop in vaccinating children before their second birthday since
1996. Public health officials say cuts to the state's health budget may be at
least partly responsible for the drop in vaccinations.
Other Stories This Week in News & Views:
Letters to the Editor
Commentary
Duke's Crimes
News Feature
The Aggressive Pacifist
Inside Jeff Parish
Politics
Top 10 Political Stories of 2002
Penny Post
I Reckon
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