News for Tuesday 102913

By Dave Graichen

 

The statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline has hit $3.10 according  to  the American Automobile Association. The price at the pump has fallen  23  cents  over  the  last  month and Triple-A fuel analyst Don Redman says many retailers are selling unleaded gasoline for less than three dollars a gallon. Redman says January 2011 was the last time the statewide average was

below three-dollars a gallon.

 

The  East  Baton  Rouge Parish Sheriff's office is investigating, yet another apparent murder suicide. Police say Sunday afternoon  it appears 39-year-old Sedric Richard shot his girlfriend, 26-year-old Brittany Rogers. The motive in the incident is still unknown.

 

State Highway  safety  officials  say  seat  belt usage by Louisiana drivers  this  year has increased by 3%; it's biggest  jump  in  ten years. According  to  the  Highway  Safety  Commission,  82 & a half

percent  of us use our seatbelts regularly. Seat belt usage  doubles your chances of surviving an auto crash.

 

The tea party-connected Senate Conservatives Fund announced Monday it would support Rob Maness over fellow Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy in the 2014 U.S. Senate race. It’s the biggest endorsement yet for the retired U.S. Air Force Col. Maness. of Madisonville, and gives the tea party candidate greater ability to draw in national fundraising dollars.

 

A bipartisan group of US senators and representatives will introduce  flood insurance reform legislation today that seeks to prevent dramatic  rate hikes for thousands of south Louisiana residents. Louisiana's US  Senators, Mary Landrieu and David Vitter, are part of this group, Vitter

 says one key provision would delay any extreme premium hike. Changes to the National Flood Insurance Program went into effect on  October first and an estimated 18-thousand Louisiana policies will see  an immediate impact. Vitter says Louisiana is not the only state that  could see these large increases, which is why he's confident Congress  will pass the legislation that will be filed today in the US Senate.

 

 LSU System President F. King Alexander says he's willing to discuss  raising the price of Tigers football tickets. Last week, Athletic  Director Joe Alleva asked LSU Board members to consider hiking tickets  next year. Dr. Alexander says they'll look carefully at Alleva's request  over the next six weeks, but any changes in prices are up to the board.  Some have suggested that, if LSU needs to increase game day revenues,  they should consider selling beer in Tiger Stadium. Alexander says

 that's never been debated by the LSU Board (to his knowledge) and he's  not sure it's a good idea.

 

East  Baton  Rouge  Parish coroner Dr. Beau Clark plans to work with state lawmakers to increase  sentencing  laws  for those individuals convicted of dealing heroin. Dr. Clark is advocating  for  a stiffer punishment  against  heroin  dealers,  because of a recent surge  in heroin overdose deaths. He says life sentences used to be handed out for dealing heroin, but lawmakers recently  changed  the  sentencing guidelines. He  says  heroin  has  become  more accessible and those dealing  it

should face great consequences.

 

Two years ago, Lafayette-based Schumacher Group announced it would spend $19 million to expand its emergency medical services management business and create 600 jobs by 2017. On Monday, the company announced its third layoff of the year; 42 people nationwide, 32 of them in Louisiana.

 

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's office  says a man is under arrest for allegedly banning an elderly woman from eating. They say 55 year old Sidney Elair of Centerville was booked  on charges of cruelty to the infirm, resisting a police officer, simple  assault  and  disturbing the peace intoxicated.

 

Reviews  are  rolling  in  for  The Governor's Wife starting  former Governor Edwin Edwards and wife Trina  which premiered Sunday night on A&E.  Some are calling the reality show,  "creepy  in  almost  every way." But  there  are  some  who are intrigued and can't wait to see more.  The Governor's Wife airs Sunday nights at 9 on A&E.

 

The  Lafayette  Police Department says a 14-year-old is under arrest for attempted first  degree murder for allegedly stabbing a woman in the chest. They say the victim was in an argument with the mother of the suspect when the teen  intervened.  Reports  indicate  the  stab wounds  placed  the woman in critical condition at a local hospital. The teen was booked  into  the  Lafayette  Parish Juvenile detention center.

 

The Coast Guard is searching  for a welder who fell from on offshore rig in the Gulf; about 55 miles from shore. They say the 38-year-old man was knocked overboard when  an  empty  barrel  fell  on him. Few other  details  are  known  at  this  time.

 

Sports..

 

Saints Coach Sean Payton had the players at the team's practice facility  yesterday going over some of the mistakes that were made in the 35-17  win over Buffalo. Payton says there were a number of things they could  have done a lot better. The head coach says the corrections will be made  as they get ready to play the Jets.

 

Louisiana Tech announces they plan to break ground this spring on an  18-million dollar South End Zone complex which will close the south end  of the Stadium. Athletic Director Tommy McClelland says the three  story athletic facility will be 70-thousand square feet and it will  feature state of the art technology and furnishings.  McClelland says the facility would not be possible without the genoristy

of some of their loyal supporters and alumni.