The Best and the Worst of the Week
John Walsh, a senior at Jesuit High School and chief editor of the school newspaper, won the grand award in the annual Tom Bell Silver Scribe Competition for area high school journalists. Walsh competed against more than 35 students from nine area schools in the daylong contest, co-sponsored by the Press Club of New Orleans and Loyola University's School of Mass Communication. The Jesuit newspaper, The Blue Jay, and Campus Currents of Baton Rouge Magnet High School tied for best newspaper.
Dr. Jullette Saussy,
director of New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, received top honors at the EMS State of Sciences Conference in Dallas. Saussy's peers on the U.S. Metropolitan Municipalities EMS Medical Directors Consortium presented her with the Michael Copass Award for her superior service, contributions and leadership in out-of-hospital emergency care. Saussy also serves as medical director for the Fire Department and medical officer for the city's Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety.
UNO's National Center for Advanced Manufacturing,
a department of the UNO College of Engineering at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, successfully completed a formal NASA operation readiness review. By passing the rigorous analysis, NCAM is now certified to build hardware for NASA's Constellation Program, which is responsible for developing the Ares launch vehicles and the Orion crew capsule that will send astronauts to explore the moon by 2020.
Mandeville Police Chief Tom Buell
used money from the Citizen Service Fund, also known as Toys for Tots, to give presents to various city officials and workers, according to a Times-Picayune story. One lucky tot was Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price, who received a $500 gift card in 2006 and a $300 card in 2003. Buell defended his actions by saying many of his officers and city employees need assistance, including himself — he got a fruit basket — and his mother-in-law, who was given a $100 gift card.
