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.