Fact Finding

1. How much money is being budgeted for AMTRAK projects in Louisiana this year? What four cities in Louisiana are projects currently underway or slated to begin?

2. What is one of the serial numbers for either of the two airplanes owned by the University of Southern Mississippi?

3. How many people were killed in bus crashes/accidents in Louisiana in 2003? How many were killed in large truck accidents? During the period from 1994-2009, what year saw the most deaths in bus crashes, and how many were there?

4. Which medical facility employs Dr. Charles Brent in Hattiesburg, MS? Does Dr. Brent have a public record on file with the state or not?

5. According to the Centers for Disease Control, births in the United States have fallen how many percentage points from 2007 to 2009? What two areas of the United States have shown the biggest decline in live births? Which racial group had the largest decline in births during that 2-year period?

6. On what date was the case of Islamic Shura Council of Southern California et al. vs. the FBI reviewed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals? Who were the three presiding Circuit Court judges? What is the case origin? What is the case number? What kind of case was it (case type?)

7. Harry F. Connick et al. vs. Thompson, John was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on what date? When was the decision filed? Who wrote the court’s majority opinion? Which justices joined? Who wrote the Court’s dissenting opinion? Which justices joined? For what crime was John Thompson originally prosecuted?

8. According to the FBI, who are the 10 Most Wanted Terrorists? What distinguishing scars and marks can be found on wanted terrorist Adam Yahiye Gadahn? Who are the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives by the FBI? What dangerous weapon is James Bulger thought to carry at all times? Is he an avid reader, and if so, what subject is he interested in? List 5 aliases for Usama Bin Laden.

9. Name the CEO, CFO and Chief Marketing Officer for the company 24-Hour Fitness Worldwide, Inc. Name 3 of the company’s chief competitors and their headquarter locations.

10. In the Betty Crocker contest to choose the best marriage cake for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding, what was the name of the selection chosen by American voters?

11. According to the St. Tammany Parish Assessor, how are property taxes assessed? What kinds of services do these property taxes pay for? How are the property taxes calculated?

12. List at least 5 non-profit organizations currently helping in Japan.

13. According to the United States Department of Labor, how many workers died from work-related injuries in 2008? How many died from work-related injuries in 2009? Calculate the percentage decrease or increase from 2008 to 2009.

14. According to the most recent statistics issued by FEMA, list at least 5 addresses in the city of Monroe that are potential “floodplain properties.”

15. What percentage of Monroe citizens were foreign born, according to the last U.S. Census? What is the national average?

16. Name 2 Louisiana banks that have closed since 2000. What cities were they in? Were they acquired by other banks, and if so, name the bank that acquired them.

17. What is the patent number for the rotisserie cooking oven invented by Alan Backus and Ron Popeil? When was the patent filed? Where are the inventors from?

18. According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geitner, on what date will the United States reach its legal debt limit? What is the dollar amount for that legal debt limit? What are two dire consequences Geitner warns about if lawmakers fail to extend this debt ceiling?

19. What are the top 6 states for starting new businesses according to figures compiled for 2009 and 2010? Is Louisiana among those top 6 states? If so, where does it rank? What economic factors are attributed to its success (or failure)?

20. The Federal Aviation Administration recently ordered inspections for fatigue damage after subsurface cracks were found on planes serving which airline? How many aircraft world wide will have to be inspected as part of this order? How many are owned by the airline in question that sparked the investigation?
The Answers

1.) a.) $1,593,000 or $4,626,723 b.) Hammond, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Orleans
a. http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/LOUISIANA09.pdf or http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/LOUISIANA10.pdf

2.) N777AQ Source: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/StateCounty_Results.aspx?Statetxt=MS&Countytxt=JACKSON&PageNo=1
3.) A.) Five (5) b.) 117 c.) 2001 with 8 deaths
a. http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Vehicles/VehiclesBuses.aspx
4.) A.) Southern Neurologic & Spinal Institute One Lincoln Parkway Suite 300 Hattiesburg, MS
a. Yes, he has a public record.
b. http://dsitspe01.its.state.ms.us/msbml/medical.nsf/$$SearchTemplateDefault?OpenForm&Name=Brent&City+Hattiesburg&sState=MS

5.) A.) Four percent (4%) b.) Arizona and Nevada c.) Hispanics
a. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db60.htm
6.) March 30, 2011 b.) Mary M. Schroeder, Richard C. Tillman and Milan D. Smith Jr. c.) May 15, 2006 five citizens and six organizations filed a request to the FBI seeking information on an investigation and surveillance of them by the government. d.) No. 09-56035 e.) Motion to Modify
a. http://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=411
b. http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2011/03/30/09-56035.pdf
7.) October 6, 2010 Source: http://harlaninstitute.org/?page_id=713 b.) March 29, 2011 Source: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/09-571.ZS.html c.) Clarence Thomas Source: http://www.oyez.org/cases/2010-2019/2010/2010_09_571 d.) John G. Roberts, Anthony M. Kennedy, Samuel A. Altio Jr., and Antonin Scalia Source: http://www.oyez.org/cases/2010-2019/2010/2010_09_571 e.)Ruth Bader Ginsburg Source: http://www.oyez.org/cases/2010-2019/2010/2010_09_571 f.) Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan Source: http://www.oyez.org/cases/2010-2019/2010/2010_09_571 g.) murder
8.) Usama Bin Laden, Adam Yahiye Gadahn, Daniel Andreas San Diego, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Fahd Mohammed Ahmed Alquso, Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi, Mohammed Ali Hamadei, Ali Atwa, Hasan Izz-Al-Din, and Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah. Source: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists b.) Scars on the chest and right forearm. C.) Semion Mogilevich, Jason Derek Brown, Usama Bin Laden, Glen Stewart Godwin, Robert William Fisher, Eduardo Ravelo, Alexis Flores, Joe Luis Saenz, James J. Bulger, and Victor Manuel Gerena. Source: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten d.) A knife. Source: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten e.) Yes, he loves history. f.) Usama Bin Muhammad Bin Ladin, Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin, the Prince, the Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid Shaykh, Hajj, and the director. Source: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten
9.) Carl Liebert (CEO), Jeffrey Boyer (CFO), and Tony Wells (Chief Marketing Officer). Source: http://www.hoovers.com/company/24_Hour_Fitness_Worldwide_Inc/hkhrji-1.html b.) Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation (Chicago, IL), Gold Gym International, Inc (Irving, TX), and T.R. World Gym, LLC (Dover, NH) source: http://www.hoovers.com/company/24_Hour_Fitness_Worldwide_Inc/hkhrji-1-1njea3.html
10.) “Something Blue” Source: http://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2011/04/12/102093/america-chooses-betty-crockers-something-blue-for-royal-wedding-cake
11.)
a.
Property is assessed as follows:
• LAND - 10% of "Fair Market Value"
• RESIDENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS - 10% of "fair market value"
• COMMERCIAL PROPERTY - (Including personal property) - 15% of "Fair Market Value" (NOTE: Commercial land is assessed at 10% of "Fair Market Value".)
• The St. Tammany Parish Assessor's Office must appraise and assess approximately 102,000 parcels of property. All public service properties are assessed by the Louisiana Tax Commission. Source: http://www.stassessor.org/purpose.html
b.) The services provided by school districts, and the funding of those services, are determined by state law or by referendum. In most cases, not all the money needed can be raised from state aid, grants, fees or fines. The rest is raised through property taxes. All property is located in more than one taxing district. For example, property can be in a county, city, school district and other special taxing districts. Your property tax statement is really seven to ten tax bills, consolidated into one statement. Source: http://co.hennepin.mn.us/portal/site/HennepinUS/menuitem.b1ab75471750e40fa01dfb47ccf06498/?vgnextoid=fd0bd36c74274210VgnVCM10000049114689RCRD
c.) To calculate the taxes on your property, you must take the Assessed Value, which is a percentage of "Fair Market Value", and multiply it by the appropriate tax or millage rate to arrive at the amount due. If, as an example, you have $1,000 of taxable Assessed Value and the appropriate Tax Rate is 170 mills, you would pay $1000 X .170 = $170 in taxes. If your home is valued at $100,000 and Assessed at 10 percent, or 10,000, and you are eligible and have signed for Homestead Exemption, you would calculate your taxes as follows:
Residential Example $100,000 (Fair Market Value Land and Improvements)
x 10% (Assessment Level for Residential Property)
$10,000 (Assessed Value)
-7,500 (Maximum Homestead Exemption)
2,500 (Taxable Value)
x .170 (Parish Tax Rate 170 mills)
$425 (Total Parish Taxes Due)
Source: http://www.stassessor.org/tax-calc.html
12.) Red Cross, Shelter Box, Salvation Army, Global Giving, and Convoy Of Hope. Source: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/11/five-ways-you-can-help-earthquake-and-tsunami-victims-in-japan/
13.) 5,214 source: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cfoi_revised08.pdf b.) 4,340 source: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cftb0241.pdf c.) 1.2% decrease or 12%
500 Harn St. Monroe, La 71201, 412 N 24th Street, Monroe, La 71201, 2102 Flynn St. Monroe, La 71201, 707 Victoria St. Monroe, La 71201, and 611 N 19th Street Monroe, La 71201 Source: http://www.ci.monroe.la.us/docs/floodplain-list.pdf
15.) 1.3% Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2251410.html b.) 11.1% Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22000.html
16.) Farmers Bank of Cheneyville in Cheneyville, LA acquired by Sabine State Bank and Trust. B.) Statewide Bank of Covington, LA acquired by Home Bank. Source: http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html
17.) 7878111 b.) Feb 4, 2008 Source: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=ch7-AAAAEBAJ&dq=4209006 c.) England
18.) May 16, 2011 b.) 14.294 trillion c.) Cut nearly 70% of outlays for mandatory programs like Medicare and Social Security OR Increase tax revenue by nearly two-thirds. Source: http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/17/news/economy/debt_limit_spending_cuts/index.htm
19.) South Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, Washington, Florida, and Michigan b.) No c.) No personal or corporate income tax. Source: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fsb/0711/gallery.Top10BestStates.fsb/3.html
20.) Southwest Airline b.) 175 worldwide c.) three Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/boeing-737-safety-inspect_n_844693.html