Animals in the womb part

Animals in the womb part 1

Four months later, upon McKeithens untimely death from complications of a household fall earlier in the year, Ater became the interim secretary of state. As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in New Orleans held some eight months after Hurricane Katrina. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 200 Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr. , of the Ouachita Citizen said that Ater oversaw probably the cleanest mayor s election in modern times in New Orleans long, fabled He mowed down the political establishment on both sides of the aisle, which tried in vain to manipulate the election process in the Crescent City for its own selfish reasons. Yes, Ater stood out as a leader with a backbone among a host of local and state officials, who, quite frankly, have appeared spineless throughout the catastrophe caused by Katrina. Former Secretary of State James H. Jim Brown, also a Ferriday native, said he believed the elections could have been held on February 4 and that the delays sought by Ater were unnecessary. Brown said polling locations could be moved as needed and that voting machines can be located elsewhere as required. Out-of-town voters can still file for absentee ballots, Brown said. Ater, as secretary of state, questioned a provision of Louisiana law which had required a voter who registered by mail to cast his ballot in person at least once before he could file an absentee ballot. I could see the headlines across America right now, Theyll say its another thing that Louisiana cant handle on its own, Ater said. The law had been intended to protect against voter fraud, but Ater said the hurricane had temporarily changed the dynamics of voting. Aters handling of the election was honored by the Louisiana chapter of the interest group, Common Cause, which held a ceremony in his honor. Also feted was then State Senator Walter Boasso of St. Bernard Parish, who consolidated the actions of the affected levee boards following the hurricane. Ater served until November 2006, when he was succeeded by the current secretary, Republican Jay Dardenne, the winner of the special election to fill the vacancy left by McKeithen. Ater did not run in the special election in which Dardenne defeated then State Senator Francis C. Heitmier of New Orleans and former Louisiana state Republican chairman Mike Francis of Crowley for the right to fill the remainder of McKeithens last term. and the former Ruth LaVonne Chapman December 16, 1920October 28, 2004, both Illinois natives. Ruth Chapman attended Lindenwood College for Women in St. Charles, Missouri. The Aters married, farmed in the area about Cisco, Illinois, and owned International Harvester dealerships in Kankanee and Oreana, Illinois. In 1957, the Aters purchased the Coola Coosa Plantation near Tallulah on Lake St. John, an oxbow lake on the Mississippi River. They were thereafter the founders and operators of Ater Warehouse, Inc. , and the Don Ater Chevrolet dealership in Ferriday. While the Aters resided in Tallulah, the seat of Madison Parish, Mrs. Ater became involved in the American National Cattlewomens Organization, formerly the CowBelles. She was both Madison Parish and the statewide president of the organization. In 1975, as the national CowBelles president, she organized and chartered groups in thirteen states and spoke at state conventions in thirty-nine states. She headed the committee that wrote the history of the organization. Ater was one of three women inducted into the Louisiana Spur Club for contributions to the cattle industry. After the death of first husband Donald Ater, Ruth married Fred Joseph Wedam 19161991 of Klamath Falls, Oregon, where she lived until after his death. She then returned to Ferriday for her final years. Aters four older siblings are Marcia Kay Ater Goeggle, who was married to William Jack Goeggle; Donald Willard Ater born 1945 and his wife, Fran; Lynette Ater Tanner, and her husband, George or Buddy, and Edward William Ater born 1952 and his wife, Mignonne.