OK, KALB is full of it -- look at this new article from the Alexandria Town Talk:
New Orleans evacuees arrive in Cenla
By Billy Gunn
bgunn@thetowntalk.com
(318) 487-6378
Complete Local Coverage
Alexandria police Chief Daren Coutee asked Gov. Kathleen Blanco today to try to arrange weapons and drug searches of people fleeing New Orleans before loading them on to buses and shipping them to Central Louisiana.
That request is in the wake of arrests made in Pineville early today on two occupants of three filled buses that showed up
unannounced at the closed Wal-Mart building, which was converted into a shelter Wednesday afternoon.
Today, Pineville police Chief Jay Barber said two men were arrested, one on a weapons charge, another on possession of about one pound of cocaine.
Coutee also asked Blanco to “decontaminate” before they’re bused by washing the New Orleans refugees, who are “covered in debris.”
This morning, Barber said firefighters were ready to help “decontaminate” the new Wal-Mart shelter after the early morning arrival of the three buses.
By noon, Pineville’s fire department set up showers in the rear of the Wal-Mart building, Barber said.
Pineville officials this morning also tried to return Hurricane Katrina evacuees to the small shelters they left Wednesday after they were ordered to take shelter in the bigger building of the closed Wal-Mart.
Some in crowds getting off the buses clashed with those who have been in other area shelters since early this week but were transferred to the Wal-Mart building Wednesday afternoon on orders from local Red Cross officials.
“It’s real bad in there (the Wal-Mart building),” said Merlin Wiley of New Orleans, who with five children, his wife and sister were going to try to get to Baton Rouge today.
“It don’t look like they want to take showers,” Wiley said.
Wiley and his family were being housed in Kingsville Baptist Church, where accommodations and the people “were real nice.”
Rich Dupree, mayoral chief of staff for Pineville, said evacuees who previously had been housed at buildings in Keys Park and the Main Street Community Center would return to those buildings.
Dupree said he was trying to contact Donahue Baptist Church for permission to return evacuees who were made to leave Wednesday.
Town Talk reporter Bill Sumrall contributed to this report.