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BATON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014

ROUGE,

LOUISIANA

VOL. 39 • NO. 47 • FREE

A PEOPLE’S PUBLICATION

President Obama Seeks ‘Long Term’ Partnership with Africa By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief WASHINGTON (NNPA) – President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that the federal government and private U.S. companies are investing $33 billion in Africa – $12 billion in new commitments – as part of an overall plan for his administration to strengthen its relation with the world’s second-largest continent. Speaking to nearly 50 African heads of state and top officials at the U.S.-Africa Summit at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the nation’s capital, Obama said: “As president, I’ve made it clear that the United States is determined to be a partner in Africa’s success – a good partner, an equal partner, and a partner for the long term. Although this is the largest gathering of African leaders ever convened by a U.S. president, China has had several such conferences and has a strong presence in Africa, building infrastructure and making loans, without attaching the United States’ concerns about

Dr. Jewel Prestage First African-American Woman To Earn Ph.D In Political Science Dies at 82

Dr. Jewel Prestage

The first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D from a department of political science in the United States has died. She was 82 years old. Dr. Jewel L. Prestage served as chair of Southern University’s Political Science Department for 18 years. According to officials at Southern University, she became the nation’s leading catalyst for the development of African-American Ph.D.’s in political science. Her husband of 60 years, Dr. James L. Prestage, was chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus from 1982-1985. Baton Rouge campus Acting Chancellor Flandus McClinton said, “Dr. Jewel Limar Prestage devoted many years of her life to Southern University. She was a loyal and devoted graduate of Southern University. In her capacity as faculty member, department chair and dean, she directly influenced the lives of countless students and left a remarkable legacy which we are proud and privileged to witness, See PRESTAGE, on page 3

democracy or human rights. Offering an indirect contrast to China’s presence in Africa, President Obama said, “We don’t look to Africa simply for its natural resources; we recognize Africa for its greatest resource, which is its people and its talents and their potential. We don’t simply want to extract minerals from the ground for our growth; we want to build genuine partnerships that create jobs and opportunity for all our peoples and that unleash the next era of African growth. That’s the kind of partnership America offers.” President Obama announced five steps that he said will “take our trade with Africa to the next level.” 1) Work to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); 2) Provide $7 billion in new financing to promote American exports to Africa as part of the “Doing Business in Africa” campaign; 3) Partner with Africa to expand electricity, a requirement See OBAMA, on page 2

As the conference gets underway this week in Washington, a look at some of the African heads of state in attendance.

It’s Time For Mosquito Protection By: Johnny Morgan BATON ROUGE, LA – With more than 60 species of mosquitoes in Louisiana and mild temperatures most of the year anytime is a good time to be bitten, said LSU AgCenter entomologist Kristen Healy. But right now is an especially important time to be on the lookout for these pesky predators. “July through September is when mosquitoes tend to be most active in the state,” Healy said. With the first case of West Nile virus recently reported in Caddo Parish, precautions need to be taken to reduce the chance of being bitten, she said. West Nile has been in Louisiana for about 12 years and is here to stay, Healy said. Eastern equine encephalitis virus is another mosquitotransmitted disease. But it is a

rare illness in humans, with only a few cases reported in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Most persons infected with EEEV suffer no symptoms, according the CDC website. How-

ever, severe cases involving encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting. Also new to the U.S. this See PROTECTION, on page 2

Office Of Debt Recovery to be Fully Operational Within Three Years, Secretary Of Revenue Reports to Oversight Board BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Office of Debt Recovery (ODR) is on schedule to be fully operational within three years, Secretary of Revenue Tim Barfield reported to the state Cash Management Review Board on Thursday. ODR will be a highly automated, efficient, and centralized debt collection office that provides collection services for state agencies. It will include a suite of debt collection tools and will work with the Office of the Attorney General and outside collection agencies to perform collection services. ODR was created by the Louisiana Legislature to assist state agencies in collecting overdue debts determined to be “final debt” after exhausting all administrative and legal due process. Housed in the Louisiana Depart-

ment of Revenue, ODR will use new tools to identify and collect final debt payments on behalf of those agencies. Implementation is progressing quickly, largely using LDR’s existing human and budgetary resources. “Looking at the states with state-of-the-art centralized collection operations, this implementation will be completed at See BOARD, on page 2

2-Year Anniversary Of The Bayou Corne Sinkhole

BAYOU CORNE, LA - The anniversary of the Bayou Corne sinkhole is here two years later. On August 3, 2012, the sinkhole opened up in Assumption Parish, triggered when a salt dome, operated by Texas Brine, failed. Approximately 150 homes were evacuated, and most of these residents never have returned to the area. The sinkhole continued to grow, and the incident gained interest from environmental activist Erin Brockovich and the national media. Scientists pointed to a nearby abandoned salt cavern run by the Texas Brine Company.

Now, the massive slurry seems to have stabilized, but monitoring of the sinkhole still continues. Recently, some seismic activity has been detected a few times within the past month in the area. Most residents have settled with Texas-Brine, but some chose to stay behind. A spokesman for the company released a statement today, saying that there has been significant progress made in the last two years, but they understand the frustration felt by many residents. He also said that there are no immediate safety concerns posed by the sinkhole.

FARMERS MARKET CUSTOMERS IN SOUTH BATON ROUGE http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/btrbb-renaissance-baton-rouge-hotel/ SPORTS NEWS LOCAL NEWS BUSINESS NEWS

RELIGION

All human progress was born out of the imagination. Progress came because of someone’s ability to see things differently from the way they were....See Page 4

INDEX

SCOTLANDVILLE CLASS OF 76 During the weekend of July 18 - 20, Kenyana Coates, Joshua Glover, and Jasmine Harris select fresh vegetables to purchase at the Red Stick Mobile Farmers’ Market in South Baton Rouge. Assisting the customers is Lisa Gray, Assistant Manager of the RSMFM...See Page 3

2014; there were over 45 members of the Class of 1976 alumni and along with 8 of their outstanding former teachers as Special Guest... See Page 2

FREE BACK-TOSCHOOL HAIRCUTS

Remington College invites parents to bring their kids in for free back-toschool during its Sixth Annual Cuts for Kids event. Remington College cosmetology programs will provide FREE haircuts to kids 17 and under. ...See Page 5

AENEAS WILLIAMS AT HALL OF FAME Aeneas Williams knew how he wanted a football career that almost didn’t start to end. Still, it’s hard to believe he could have imagined it ending where it did Saturday night — with his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame...See Page 6

Nationals..................................2 State News...............................3 Religion....................................4 Business....................................5 Classifieds.................................5

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THEWEEKLYPRESS.COM Celebrating 39 Years Of Service To The Baton Rouge Community 225.775.2002


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