Fire hydrant inspections begin Monday, Oct. 6 Oct 2, 2008 - The St. Bernard Parish Fire Department will begin fire hydrant inspections on Monday, Oct. 6. Throughout the parish, individual fire hydrants will be opened for about two minutes to record water pressure and flow readings. The inspections will be between 9 and 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. This is a necessary procedure performed twice a year to ensure all fire hydrants in the parish work properly. Residents may experience rusty water during this testing. Running water for five minutes should flush the rust and clear up the water. Source:  St. Bernard Parish Government

Chalmette woman and her nephew booked in burglary of next-door neighbors; stolen blanket hung in window and spotted by victims Oct 1, 2008 - A Chalmette woman and her nephew were booked Wednesday, Oct. 1 with burglary of their neighbors in a half-double    St. Bernard Parish sheriff's deputies handcuff Lisa J. Smith and Troy Clouatre after stopping their vehicle on Paris Road on Wednesday, Oct. 1.They were both booked with simple burglary and possession of stolen property worth more than $5,000. residence after the victims spotted a stolen blanket hanging in a window being used to shield from view other stolen items in the room, Sheriff Jack Stephens said. “This is like something out of “World’s Stupidest Criminals,’’ Sheriff Stephens said. “But we’ll take any help we can get in solving a crime.’’ After the victims reported the burglary, sheriff’s detectives obtained a search warrant for the half-double where the blanket was hanging and numerous stolen items including electronics were found inside, the sheriff said. Detectives learned the names of the occupants and while still on the scene the woman and her nephew came by in a vehicle but drove away when they saw sheriff’s deputies, Sheriff Stephens said. They were stopped and arrested on nearby Paris Road, he said.     Troy Clouatre, booked with burglary and possession of stolen property in Chalmette, after a stolen blanket was spotted hanging in a room of his residence to shield from view other stolen items in the room Troy Clouatre, 35, and Lisa J. Smith, 47, both of 422 West Solidelle St., were booked with simple burglary and possession of more than $5,000 of stolen property, the sheriff said. Both are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison and will go before a judge to have bond set on Thursday, Oct. 2. An investigation is continuing into whether they are suspects in other burglaries, authorities said. The victims had been away for several weeks and returned on Oct. 1 to discover the burglary and noticed that a blanket of theirs, with designs of dogs on it, was hanging in a window of their next-door neighbors in a half-double residence, Sheriff Stephens said. He said it appeared the blanket was used to shield from view other stolen items in the room.

Man arrested after allegedly trying to cut off neighbor’s head with 4-foot metal sword Sep 30, 2008 - A Chalmette man was booked with aggravated assault on Sunday night, Sept. 28, for allegedly trying to hit a neighbor and cut off his head with a 4-foot metal sword during an altercation, Sheriff Jack Stephens said.   Leslie Wilson, 57, of Chalmette, booked with aggravated assault for allegedly trying to cut a neighbor's head off with a sword No one was injured. Leslie Wilson, 57, 4019 Jupiter Drive, acknowledged to sheriff’s deputies he tried to go after neighbor Albert Estopinal III, 32, 4021 Jupiter, with the intent of cutting his head off, saying Estopinal threatened him first, the sheriff said. Both Wilson and Estopinal were booked with disturbing the peace in the 8 p.m. incident on Jupiter Drive near the corner of Atreus Street. Wilson was also booked with attempted simple escape by somehow getting out and walking away from the sheriff’s car he had been placed inside, while handcuffed, but was immediately stopped and put back in the vehicle. Estopinal also was booked on an outstanding arrest warrant charging him with felony theft over $500. Both are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison; Wilson on bond of $13,500 and Estopinal on bond of $11,000. A sheriff’s deputy recovered he sword, which he said he saw through an open door was on the living room floor of Wilson’s residence, Sheriff Stephens said. Estopinal told deputies he went to Wilson’s residence to confront him over something and they got into a physical altercation, at which time Estopinal said Wilson broke free, ran into Wilson’s residence, and came out with the sword, the sheriff said. Wilson followed Estopinal to the street where Wilson allegedly swung the sword at the man, who dodged the attempted strikes by jumping away, Sheriff Stephens said. The sheriff said the men were still outside when deputies arrived but the sword was gone, soon recovered in Wilson’s residence. Wilson’s wife, Helen Wilson, told deputies her husband went after Estopinal with the sword as a means of protecting her, the sheriff said, but the woman was inside during the incident.