News for Monday 101413
By Dave Graichen
Food stamp recipients were able to use their debit-style cards in grocery stores on Sunday, a day after a system outage that affected people across 17 states, including Louisiana. People from Alabama to California found themselves temporarily unable to use their food stamp cards on Saturday morning, after a routine test of backup systems by Xerox sparked technical problems that shut down the states’ electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, systems. Xerox said late in the evening that access was restored for all users.
With three new cases being reported this week, the state's year-to-date total of West Nile virus infections is 48. One of the three was the more serious brain and spinal cord infection. There
have been two deaths as well this year in Louisiana caused by the mosquito spread virus.
Louisiana Ag Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain is trying to make the public aware of a little-known effect of the partial federal government shutdown. He says the safety of the nation's food supply
could be at risk because almost half of the current Food and Drug Administration staff is not working. Those staff make inspections at over 200 food plants a week. Strain says normally only about 10-percent of imported food is inspected. He says if the shutdown ends within the next few days the situation is unlikely to reach crisis level.
As we head into the third week of the federal government's partial shutdown, Governor Jindal says there is some growing concern over parts of state government that rely on the feds to operate. Mr. Jindal says some state agencies, like the Department of Children & Family Services are partially funded with federal dollars. The Governor says Medicaid and other "entitlement" programs will not be
impacted by the continued Government shutdown. He says most federal funding is good through the end of the year, but some programs are only funded through the current month.
A Lafayette Parish parents group is trying to stop two charter school operators from moving into their district. Their concern is that it does not provide help with the problems they have already
and it may under mind the good programs they have in place. The parents group plans to hold a rally in Baton Rouge this Tuesday.
A Texas based company is moving its headquarters to Louisiana. Jogler LLC makes level gauges. They announced Friday that their new location will be in Baton Rouge next month. Jogler has been given tax breaks from the state, along with assistance in worker training for the eventual 60 new jobs being created over the next several years.
A man from Deridder is under arrest after being accused of raping a 3-year-old girl according to police. They say Jerry Palmer is charged with aggravated rape after they investigated a complaint regarding a 3 year old who had been sexually assaulted. Palmer's bond is set at $750,000.
A former Ascension Parish sheriff's deputy who was arrested last month for indecent behavior with juveniles, was arrested again - charged with hundreds of counts of child pornography. 24-year-old
Todd Tripp allegedly had over 300 illegal images on his computer and cell phone. Tripp was fired after his September arrest.
The St. Tammany Parish coroner is charged with conspiring to steal money from his own office, and other charges. 54-year-old Peter Galvan allegedly plotted with another employee to be overpaid to the tune of $111-thousand. He's also accused of using a coroner's office debit card for personal items--running up over $15-thousand in charges. Galvan will reportedly resign from his elected position this week.
SPORTS
The LSU Tigers defense is back to playing dominant football. The Bayou Bengals kept Florida out of the end zone on Saturday in LSU's 17-6 win over the Gators. LSU climbs to No. 6 in AP Top 25 Poll
The Saints were on their way to a 6-and-0 record, but Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw a 17-yard touchdown pass with 5 seconds left to give New England a 30-27 victory over New Orleans.