VIEUX CARRE - A man at the popular local goth hangout Dark   Secrets went berserk this evening and, according to   witnesses, literally tore apart and ate the bartender and  bouncer Butch Arrison, in addition to utterly destroying   the interior of the establishment. The man responsible   has not been apprehended but a police sketch is available   from the accounts of eye witnesses. 

<OOC: A rough picture   vaguely resembling Ladislas but more bestial> 

Anyone   recognizing this man is asked to contact the police   immediately and avoid confronting him, as he is   considered extremely dangerous. 
 

Fire at DeCroix Estate   
Mon Jan  6 
IC Date:  July 29, 1997 

In the early morning hours today, there was  an explosion followed by a fire at the DeCroix Estate on   Moss Street in the Bayou. Fire fighters quickly got the   blaze under control and the damage was limited to two   rooms. 

The cause of the fire is still unknown but police have   arrested 28 year old Richard Mitchell. Mitchell is   currently under police guard at the Elks Place Medical   Plaza, where doctors report he is in critical condition   from 2nd and 3rd degree burns. 
 

Police Declare High School Girl Missing. 
Tue Jan  7 
 
Katherine Britson, a Senior at Martin Luther King High    School who vanished evening of July 28th after staying   late at school, was officially declared missing by the   New Orleans police department today as they launched   their investigation in the matter. 

Britson, 18, who held positions in the forensics   team, the school yearbook and the newspaper, was last   seen staying late to oversee the final layouts for the    summer edition of the MLK Register. A self described   "quiet girl" with hopes of becoming an English major at   Tulane University, her parents phoned 911 when she did   not return home at her usual time. 
 

Conflicting Reports over Alley Incident                               Thu Jan  9 

The usually peaceful daytime Bourbon Street crowd was stirred up today over what appeared to be an animal    attack on a man one witness tentatively identified as  former coronor's assistant Anthony Rosini, currently wanted by police on a number of charges. 
 
The attack occurred in an alleyway near the popular club  The Lost Raven, and witnesses were divided in their  opinion over what had really happened, not even being totally sure what type of animal was involved. When it  was over, the physical evidence was scarce, and decidedly  odd: a number of dead rats, some torn and dirty clothing,  and blood; no human bodies, living or dead, were present. 

The police were on the scene shortly after, although have  not yet revealed any conclusions they may have made about the incident. 

Contemporary Arts Center  
Fri Jan 10 

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 

Donatien Rimbaud 
 
       For over eighty years the NOMA has stood in the    green expanse of City Park as a beacon to the art  community, with its stress on the traditional  masterpieces and the highly competetive local art  exhibits. Of late, however, the quality of the works to  be had there has suffered greatly under the concept of  'multiculturalism'. Precious space is lost to make room  for 'cultural art' chosen for its cultural inclusion rather than its skill or value. Furthermore, the  political pressures of this public institution have hurt  its contemporary art exhibits in a similar matter,  choices being made for purposes other than the artistic merit of the piece. Because of this, I urge people to  seek out a fresher and more honest choice in their search for art: The Contemporary Arts Center on Camp Street. 

        Established in the mid seventies out of an old  Warehouse, it has grown to be the most inventive and    imaginative producer of local art, from theatre to  painting. It offers seminars and training for up and  coming your artists of a calibre unmatched by the more established schools. The key here is experimentation. Or  perhaps, the key is lack of government funding. As the  old institutions grow decadent and conservative, it is comforting to know that new life can flourish in this bastion of tradition. But then, we knew that all the  time, didn't we? 
 

Full Moon Cafe                                                         Fri Jan 10 

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 

Donatien Rimbaud 

        Recently, I have had the pleasure of the rekindling  of my joy in eating. Largely, I take little or no   interest in what I consume, most of the food available in  restaurants today being bland and uninventive, in order  to fulfill a fuller market share. I discovered, however,    on my little culinary expedition, that there are still    those places where one can get a taste of food as art. 

        The restaurant goes by the rather tacky name of    'The Full Moon Cafe' and is located in a rather dubious    neighborhood on the edge of the Quarter in the CBD.  Still, I was urged on by the quaint ediface which    presented itself to my party and I, an old two story home  that showed all the signs of having been inhabited by the  same family for generations. Passing through the porch    and through the foyer, we found ourselves in what appeared to be a dining room, as one would find in any  home. Only a few allowances had been made to make the cafe a business rather than a home affair, and the effort  was appreciated. The atmosphere was heightened by the  smell of cooking food and the more permanent and subtle  odour of stored food, hanging meats, and dried spices. We  were served by the owner of the establishment, a friendly  man by the name of Marcel Glapion, who brought us a    steady stream of delectible dishes upon which to feast.    The cuisine is all authentic Creole and Cajun but it has  the mark of experimentation without losing the traditional flavor or tone. 

        The jambalaya, etouffee, and cocodrie bisque that  we had were all magnificent, after my companions'  reactions convinced me to overcome my reticence towards    partaking. The drinks could have been better, but  otherwise the meal was a rather pleasant experience. The    chef has true talent at the art and seems to enjoy    practicing it, a vital element. I'd suggest the Full Moon  Cafe to all of my readers... and tell Marcel to change the name, when you see him. 
 

Fourteen Dead in Bank Shooting.    Tue Jan 14    Katarina 

        Fourteen people are dead and twenty-five wounded after a   recently terminated employee of the Global Commerce Bank,   located in downtown New Orleans, entered the main office   early yesterday morning and opened fire on his former  colleagues with an automatic weapon, before turning the  gun on himself. 

        The gunman, twenty five year old Andrew R. Pope,   was a temporary employee, with seven months at the bank,   before being let go after departmental restructuring.   Police have not released the names of the victims,   pending notification of and identification by next of kin. 

        The New Orleans Police department has yet to   release an official statement, but early reports indicate that Pope entered the building around 8:45am and traveled up the elevator to his former office on the fifth floor.   Five minutes later, security forces on that floor phoned   911 after gunshots were heard. The police arrived twenty   minutes later. 
 
 

Private Exhibitionists                                         Thu Jan 16 

        "These pictures are going to melt some monitors," says   "Desiree," a twenty-year old student with auburn hair and   skin the color of chocolate milk as her Hewlett-Packard   scanner digests another picture. Seconds later, a 
  digitized image of herself in Jackson Square, hiding   behind a tree with her skirt up and breasts bare, forms   on the screen. By the end of the week, this image would   join over one-hundred others on her amateur erotica web   page. 

        "The first time I posted pictures, it was on a lark," says Desiree (who requested her real name remain   private), shuffling through her file of photographs. "The were just pictures a friend of mine took by the pool and  I put them up on my site. When people saw them and started offering me money for more pictures, I thought it   might a good way to get some extra money for college.   And," she adds with a wicked smirk, "I've got to admit, I get off on it." 

        Desiree is one of many women creating, for profit  or just fun, web pages containing amateur erotic  photographs, original fiction, poetry, and artwork. 
  Adultlinks, a web site dedicated to collecting links to   mature material, contains over 200 amateur erotica links   in one section. And that is simply one of many adult   oriented link sites. In the end, the number of sites for amateur erotic photographs may be uncountable. 
 
 

Tribune Book World Review. 
Thu Jan 16 

"The Red Smear" by Lisa Therese Nuzio. 
 
Reviewed by Katarina Vaslovic. 

        Lisa Therese Nuzio dances in controversy the way   some dance around in a rainstorm: smiling, with their   face upturned to catch the deluge. In this turn, the 
  author of "Steeples of Black and Memory" has crafted a   wicked satire of Anne Rice style vampire novel, designed   to enrage and enthrall all at once. 

        "Steeples of Black and Memory" was a lushly   written, if loosely plotted, murder mystery set in the   Washington DC Goth scene. Nuzio knows this setting well.   A native of the nation's capital and lead  singer/songwriter for the Gothic group Black Light, in   "The Red Smear," still pulls no punches about the   subculture's strengths and faults. 

        Criticism from those quarters about the airing of the Goth world's dirty laundry will no doubt continue, or  even intensify, with this book. "The Red Stain" sees the return of Anna Schen, "Steeple's" protagonist, and her razor tongued observations as she searches for a missing friend after a half remembered night at a club. Her  journey leads her to territories both familiar and unseen, with only blurry memories as her guide. 
 

Heat Wave continues           
Fri Jan 17 

       With even late-night temperatures cresting as high as 101  degrees, New Orleans continues to experience what even  locals consider a heat wave. August temperatures normally   hit the upper 80s, but the last few days have seen mid-to   upper 90s. The record high for August is 102, just a  degree higher than it was at 3 am. Weather forecasters  are not sure how much hotter it may get, and city   officials warn citizens to beware of heat stroke. Drink  lots of water, try to keep your activity down, and -- if  the clouds clear -- stay in the shade. 
 

Harris Casino 
Sat Jan 18 

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 

Donatien Rimbaud 

        The Municipal Auditorium has been home to countless Mardi Gras Balls, a place of color and joyous celebration, one of the landmarks of our fair town. Now, however, this haven of imagination and tradition has been sold out by our local politicians to one Daniel Delmont, who is opening a casino there. From art and enjoyment to money and greed, what a transition has time wrought. The explicit excuse is, of course, to help 'clean up' Louis Armstrong Park, which, admittedly, could use it. But are we to believe that the introduction of an industry famous for the involvment of organized crime will accomplish this? If anything, the addition of the casino will only attract the petty criminals of the surrounding area and form them into a body that is more able to seperate  honest people from their wealth. I believe that it is time that we seriously consider the motives of those who claim to act in our best interest. What is next to go?  The Theatre of Performing Arts next door? What will be its fate? Removal for a larger parking lot, no doubt. The greenery of the park will be paved and the stage removed to make way for those flocking to the den of decadent waste and greed. 
 
 

'Child found murdered.          
Sun Jan 19 

IC: Date  Monday - August 25th, 1997 

        The body of a 10 year old child, identified only as "Penny" by her neighbors was found this morning in an   apartment in Maisonettes. The frantic barking by what turned out to be her seeing eye dog finally aroused some  suspicion, when the police were called. While the nature of the crime points to a violent sex offender, there were apparently no signs of struggle. The apartment was rented by her father, a man the nieghbours apparently never saw or heard go in or out of the apartment. The police have no suspects, as the assailant used the name of a dead author to procure the place. 
 

Pharmcon Still Undecided  
Sun Jan 19 

        Although the plans have been drawn up and a provisional site selected, whether or not Pharmcon International chooses to build a local branch is still up in the air.  Pharmcon Vice President, Doctor Alexi Androppoh recently  came to New Orleans to work with the project. 

        Still encountering delays in paperwork, Pharmcon also awaits the approval of an environmental group which plans to inspect the proposed site and the building plans.  Androppoh expects that construction would begin within  the next 2 years if all goes smoothly, but also indicated that should there be too many delays, the company will  move to an alternate site in either Mississippi or Texas. 

        Of course, such a decision would result in the loss of income for local construction firms as well as any who might have sought a job at the center. So far, however, Pharmcon is content to wait. 
 

Homeless Man Dead          
Mon Jan 20 

        An indigent New Orleans native, 44 year old Robert "Obbie" Miller, was found dead in a dumpster in an alley at the  intersection of Bourbon and Beinville. The body was found in the early morning hours by sanitation workers who were emptying the container.   Police have not yet released details, but sources say that foul play has not been ruled out. 
 

New Orleans Couple Perish          
Wed Jan 22 

 VENICE (AP)-   A small cessna jet crashed late last night while flying from Genoa to Rome.All those on board, the  pilot, co-pilot and four passengers perished in the crash. It is unknown what caused the crash, though wind  shear and pilot error are suspected. The black box has been retrieved, and there are hopes that what is on it  will clarify what caused the disaster. 

        On board the jet were Marcus Brochaud and Clarice O'Neal-Brochaud, prominent New Orleans socialites who were en route from a weekend at the house of an acquaintance. Their remains have been returned to New Orleans, and the funeral is slated to be held at St Louis Cathedral, on Wednesday, September third. They are survived by their only daughter, Evangeline Summer Brochaud. 
 
 

Services held at local High School  
Thu Jan 23 

Ethel and Henri Briston held services today at the local high school, Martin Luther King, in honor of their   daughter Katherine. Katherine graduated from MLK last year, and was looking forward to a promising career at Tulane University. She was well known among students on campus, and had participated in many extra curricular activites. 

Briston, 18, disappeared over a month ago on the way home from MLK, where she was staying late to finish the school summer edition of the MLK Register. Her parents reported her missing the next morning when it became  evident she had not stayed at any of her friend's homes.  To date, the police have no leads on her disappearance. 

Students and graduates alike poured into the auditorium this morning, calling the police's lack of progress  "disturbing" and "upsetting." The community and school will be starting a fund to provide for any information  that leads to Katherine's safe return. 
 
 

Child Born An Orphan        
Sun Jan 26 

In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 7, 1997, baby John Doe was born in the trauma room of the Elks Medical Plaza Emergency Room. The baby's mother stumbled into the Emergency Room, barely conscious, the apparent victim of some unknown trauma. The child, who is listed in guarded condition, was born minutes after the mother was pronounced dead by physicians. The child is under close guard while a search for family continues. Police sources state that the mother is, as of yet, unidentified. 
 
 
 
 

Rapist Turns Himself In  
Sun Jan 26 
IC Date: September 3, 1997 

SERIAL RAPIST TURNS HIMSELF IN AFTER FAILED ATTEMPT 

Bobby Ray Fontaine, who has long been sought as a suspect in the rape of two sixteen-year-olds nearly a year ago, has apparently had an attack of conscience. 

Sergeant Patrick Douglas, NOPD said, "It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. He walked in all bloody, his shirt ripped open, looking like he'd just lost a bar-room brawl. But he was in tears. I asked if he needed assistance, and he fell to his knees sobbing and saying over and over, I am the dregs of human existence! I am a pig! I am a rapist! I deserve whatever you do to me! I am guilty! Guilty!" 

Sergeant Douglas questioned the 24-year-old New Orleans native and obtained a confession. Fontaine confessed to having attempted to rape a young woman that night, and that his would-be victim put up more of a fight than he  had expected. Fontaine gave this statement to police:  "She slashed at my face with her fingernails and defended herself with some kind of martial arts like a goddamn she-male Chuck Norris! And then I was overwhelmed with  guilt and disgust for what I done...and Marie and Jeanette came back to me, and I had to confess." 

Marie and Jeanette have been identified as Fontaines two teenage victims. their last names were not released to the press. Police did contact the victims, who positively identified Fontaine as their assailant.  Fontaine is being held on $95,000 bail pending trial. Last nights victim, described by the perpetrator as a tall good-looking woman, short with dark hair--blonde, has neither pressed charges against Fontaine nor stepped forward. Police are requesting that she do so. 
 
 

Urban Jungle: Lawyer killed by Snake  
Tue Jan 28 

 Howard Sherman, high profile lawyer noted for defending reputed gang-figure Freddy 'Chainsaw' Santiago in the alleged 1985 murder of a New Orleans Police Officer was found dead in his apartment. Santiago was bitten twice on  the hand by a live asp sent to him through the US mail. The snake itself, native to north Africa, was apprehended and destroyed by animal control agents. The Police Department and Post Office have refused comment at this point. 
 
 

Plans for Free Clinic Announced.  
Tue Jan 28 

        Mrs. Francesca Perrazzi and Dr. Moriah Margret Abercrombie announced their plans for the construction of a clinic to  service the poor of New Orleans in a press release earlier today. 

        Mrs. Perrazzi, formerly of Venice, Italy, and Dr. Abercrombie, a lifetime resident of New Orleans, will dedicate this clinic on Halloween by holding a Grand Ball. Tickets may be obtained with a donation to the clinic. 

        Although the site has yet to be announced. Mrs. Perrazzi and Dr. Abercrombie hope the free clinic will,  "provide basic medical care without charge to those unable to afford insurance or the rising costs of proper care." 
 

Literate Vandals Hit City  
Wed Jan 29 

        Vandals spray-painting quotes from Shakespeare's  _Henry V_ and the Book of Job struck the garden and university districts, blanketing the buildings and evading the police for the last week. 

        Police have no explanation for the spray-painted graffiti, which they believe is directed towards the city's leadership. One quote from _Henry V_ , Act IV, Scene I, is continually repeated: 

        "...What infinite heart's-ease/Must kings neglect the private men enjoy!/And what have kings that privates  have not too,/Save ceremony, save general ceremony?" 
 
 

Mysterious Fire Engulfs Club        
Mon Mar  3    Katarina 

 Police and fire investigators have no leads on a two alarm fire that ripped through Mr. Dandys, a two story "erotic dance club" on Vieux Carre, leaving fourteen injured from smoke inhalation and several hundred-thousand dollars in damage. 

 Sources within the police and fire departments said no conclusive reason for the fire could be discovered. Currently, either arson or accidental ignition due to the heat is suspected. 
 

Odd Disappearance      
Tue Mar 11 
 

NEW ORLEANS - In a testament to the approach of the Carnival season, strange events are starting to occur on Bourbon Street. Early this morning, several people claim to have seen an odd-looking young man vanish into thin air in front of the Funeral Home on St. Louis and Bourbon. The black clad youth was said to have been talking to what many assumed was the proprietor of the parlor for his simple, drab dress when he just seemed to disappear. Nearly a dozen accounts corroborate the sighting but none can say what happened to the man in grey. This reporter expects this year's Mardi Gras madness to be particularly acute, if such things are being reported this early in the season. 
 
 

Gunshots        
Thu Mar 13 

MID-CITY - Several residents of the Moss Street area next to City Park reported gunshots early this morning, an hour or two before dawn. Police were called to investigate but could find no evidence of wrongdoing, nor could they track down where the gunshots actually were fired. The best guess, sources say, is that it was late-night hunters in the swamps of the Bayou, which has been off-limits to game hunters for years. 
 
 

Councilman's Daughter Murdered      
Thu Mar 13 

 "One way or another I will see justice served," declared Councilman Arnold Drullet after discovering his seventeen-year-old daughter, Amy Drullet, brutally slain in her bed last night while police hastily cordoned-off the crime scene. 

 "Rest assured, the police will not rest until this crime is solved and the killer is in custody," said Detective Jonathan McSwane in a press conference early this morning. Sources within the department indicate that Drullet was raped and mutilated before her death. 

 Similarities between this death, as well as the death of several homeless people and eighteen-year-old student Katharine Britson, have raised further allegations of police incompetence and mishandling of the investigation. 

 "They did nothing!" said Carl Britson, Katharine's father and local accountant. "Even after they dragged my baby out of the swamp they did nothing. Maybe a councilman's daughter can afford real justice, but what about us?" 

 (The article is accompanied by a photo of Amy Drullet, taken at a local debutante ball.) 
 
 

Mysterious Fires Sweep City         
Thu Mar 13 
 

 Fire engines from every district roared across the city as major fires struck The Whip and Saddle, a bondage club on Bourbon and St.Louis, a Watermark hotel, a reputed house of child prostitution, and the law offices of Greenberg and Betterman, burning them to the ground in the early morning hours. 

 At press time, fire officials had no comment as to what started the blazes but sources within the department state that they are unable to determine the exact cause, though some form of arson is suspected. 
 
 
 
 

Fire at Carnival     
Fri Mar 14 

    Two people are dead and several more injured after a fire that also did thousands of dollars of property damage broke out at the local carnival. After their initial investigation, the police state they believe it was arson. Local residents have their own slant on it. 

    Although there are those who definitely agree it had to have been arson -- some few of those calling it "gang wars," with a knowing nod -- there are others who think it's only the latest in a string of unusual incidents that tend to occur in the months leading up to Mardi Gras. Whether those incidents are simply a case of anticipatory tensions or are, as some residents will claim, bad omens, is left to the reader to decide. 
 
 

Dead Fish Abound                    
Sun Mar 16 
 

 NEW ORLEANS - Fishermen today were heard complaining vehemently about the chemicals being dumped upriver as the shores of the Mississippi bore hundreds of dead catfish today. Ecologists from Tulane are studying water samples and the aquatic corpses in an attempt to discern the cause. 
 

Arson in the Quarter           
Thu Mar 20 

VIEUX CARRE - Early this morning an attempted arson almost took the life of New Orleans resident Brian LaFevre. His home, the Maison de Tenebres, was left with the two front rooms utterly destroyed by two cans of flaming gasoline thrown in through the windows just a few hours before dawn. Police are looking for a man in his 30s with long dark brown hair (worn tied back) who was seen fleeing the scene of the crime. <a vague police sketch of Remy appears here> 
 
 

Teenager slain outside Synagogue!   
Fri Mar 21 

 A brutal murder took place outside of the Beth-El Synagogue last night. The youth, seventeen year old Benjamin Silvermann, was found in the back alley behind the synagogue. He had been systematically dismembered. 

 The New Orleans Police have alerted the special Hate Crimes Division of the FBI, as the youths blood had been used to draw a Star of David on the wall of the Synagogue. There was also some strange writing beneath the star, that the police department could not decipher. An expert was called who identified the writing as Sumerian, an ancient and extinct language. The writing was decoded to be a warning and it was signed, but the name was obviously a pseudonym. 
 
 

Hit and Run           
Sat Mar 22 
 

VIEUX CARRE - A hit and run claimed the life of street denizen Leon Stubkawski this morning. A car struck the man on Bourbon near St. Peters. He was rushed to the hospital and taken immediately into surgery, but expired soon after from internal hemorraging. Police are left with no witnesses or leads to persue the driver of the vehicle. 
 

Body Found   
Sat Mar 22 

PONTCHARTRAIN - A mutilated body was found this afternoon on the lakeshore by two fishermen. The man, who has yet to be identified, was in his mid to late 30s and suffered numerous injuries. Police sources say the man was beaten severly and tortured to death. They have no comment on their leads at this time, but encourage people with information on the murder or the identity of the victim to contact them immediately.