News for Wednesday 112713

By Dave Graichen

Today is  one of the busiest days on the roads  and  state police and other local  law  enforcement  agencies  around the state will  be  stepping  up  checkpoints for the Holidays. The  Louisiana

Highway Safety Commission says the increased patrols will be looking out for suspected impaired  drivers, those who aren't buckled up and speeders.

The state has unveiled its new "I'm Cajun...and Proud" specialty license  plates. The plates feature a fleur-de-lis on the left side with a  crawfish playing an accordion, and the words, "I'm Cajun...And Proud." The cost to motorists, an extra $15.00, with $11.50 of  that going to the Council for the Development of French In Louisiana (CODOFIL),  the help train teachers for French immersion education. Another program allows motorists to  have the same slogan on their individual driver’s license.

A man has reportedly come forward and said  he was abused by a woman who was arrested last week amid allegations she  molested one of her students 10 years ago. 25 year old Phillip LeBourgeois  says  he was sexually  abused by his teacher at Catholic High-New Iberia when  he

was 15. 48  year  old  Paula  Latiolais  was  booked Friday into the IBeria Parish Jail and released on $35,000 bail.

Bond  has been set for seven men accused of setting fire to the historic LeBeau  Plantation  in  St. Bernard Parish early Friday completely destroying it. The suspected  leader  in the incident, 31 year old Dusten Davenport, had the highest bond set -- $450,000. The Judge also set bonds of at least $75,000 for the other six.

Following a 3-month investigation, a total of 26 establishments that sell alcohol in the Acadian region  have  been cited with violations for selling adult beverages to underage drinkers.  The State Office

of  Alcohol and Tobacco Control says they will be cracking  down  on other problem areas in the state as well. They says  now might be a good time for bar and club owners to talk to their employees about the rules.

State Police are seeking a man and woman from Lafayette in an investigation into child sex trafficking. 22 year old Darneesha  Martin and 19 year old Alcoby LaSalle are wanted on counts of trafficking children for sexual purposes and promoting prostitution. State Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Caddo  Parish  deputies report one person killed at a brand new I-49 interchange at US  Highway 71. A traffic light had just been  installed there.  An  SUV  stopped  for  the  light,  but  was

rear-ended  by  a  Ford  pickup.  No one in the pickup was hurt, but three passengers in the Jeep SUV were taken to a hospital, where one passed away. The crash is under investigation.

The  Louisiana  Department  of  Wildlife  and Fisheries  is  warning residents of FAKE black panther sighting photos  that  are  circling social  media.  They say when these incidents are investigated  they almost always turn  out  to  be house cats, bobcats, otters, dogs or feral hogs.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's office says a 13 year-old is facing attempted  2nd  degree  murder  charges for allegedly  stabbing  his mother's fiancé.  They say the man  was  trying  to  discipline  the

teen,  and  the  young  suspect  grabbed  a  large kitchen knife and stabbed  the  victim in the back.  The fiancé was  taken  to  a  New Orleans hospital.

An  elderly  woman  in  West  Baton Rouge parish was killed when her mobile home went up in flames yesterday  morning.  Authorities  believe a space  heater  to  close  to  the bed caused the blaze.

News for Monday 112513

By Dave Graichen

The RPSO reports 24 year old Dustin Bordelon died in an early Sunday morning fire at an Airbase Road home. Bordelon was taken to Rapides Regional Trauma Center where he was  pronounced dead. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

A  recent  poll  on the 2015 governor's race in Louisiana shows  GOP U.S. Senator David  Vitter  is  the  favorite.  Southern  Media  and Opinion Research surveyed 600 voters; running a five candidate trial heat.  Vitter  took  a  leading  30%.  Pollster Bernie Pinsonat says Vitter's edge is due to his popularity with Republican voters.Vitter has not announced a run for governor two  years from now, but speculation to that effect is abundant. The only announced  Democrat for  that  race,  state  Rep.  John  Bel  Edwards,  took  only 8% in Pinsonat's poll.

State Police will have extra manpower on the roads this week in an  effort to reduce injury and fatal crashes. It's also part of the  Thanksgiving Click It or Ticket campaign, which begins today. Sgt. Nick

Manale says troopers will focus on seat belt use and Louisiana law  requires all occupants in a vehicle must be buckled up.

State  Treasurer John Kennedy says Louisiana's new  Office  of  Debt Recovery  will  begin  going  after  unpaid  ethics violation fines, totally nearly $2-million. He says some of these  have  gone  unpaid for   years.  Kennedy  says  unpaid  fines  from  individual  public officials   total  over  $1.6-million,  PACS  owe  $70-thousand  and lobbyists owe  $18-thousand.  He says the state's new Office of Debt Recovery, which is under the Department  of  Revenue was created for just this sort of purpose. The  ODR  will  be  up  and running after the first of the New Year. It'll have sweeping powers to go after unpaid debts to the state, by seizing bank assets, some  personal  properties  and even suspending licenses until the amounts are paid.

A federal judge in New Orleans  has  given state and federal lawyers two months to come up with modifications  to  a  longstanding  court order  to  make sure that the state's private school voucher program doesn't lead  to segregation of schools. The state contends that the vouchers have no effect on desegregation and no federal interference is needed.

An appeals court in Monroe has upheld the  110  year  sentence  of a local  man  for a 2010 domestic violence case. The court stated that even though the  sentence  given  Allen  Robinson was extreme it was warranted given the gruesome nature of his crime. Robinson was found guilty  of  kidnapping  and  battery  for deliberately  burning  his girlfriend with a clothes iron multiple  times. Because he was ruled to be an habitual offender, Robinson was given  the maximum sentence possible.

Police in Bastrop arrest  a  local  woman  for  robbing  a branch of Richland State Bank in Bastrop Wednesday. 45-year-old Katrina Gamble allegedly indicated she had a gun, demanded cash and made  off  with an undisclosed amount. Officers say she tried to disguise herself as a man. She's being held pending $75-thousand bond.

A  bit of Louisiana history was lost lastweek. An  early morning fire Friday gutted the historic LeBeau Plantation in  St. Bernard  Parish.  The  landmark in Old Arabi was built in the 1850's and was one of the largest in the New Orleans area. The building was vacant with no electrical service at the time, so arson is not being ruled out. An investigation is underway.

A  judge   in   Lafourche  Parish  has  ruled  the  man  accused  of dismembering his  disabled  son more than two years ago IS competent to stand trial. The ruling clears  the way for Jeremiah Wright to be tried for the murder of little Jori  Lirette  in  2011.  Wright  was arraigned  Friday  morning  and  has  reportedly pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His next status hearing  is  scheduled  for late

January. No trial date has been set.

State Troopers report a Winnsboro man was killed Friday in a crash on I-20  in  Richland  Parish.  LSP says 58-year-old Lorenzo  Navarro's pickup was westbound on 20, when  it  crossed  the grassy median and crashed  headlong  into  a big rig. He was pronounced  dead  at  the scene. The truck driver was not seriously hurt.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation is working with Texas  officials to replace the Sabine River Bridge on U.S. 84, in DoSoto  Parish. Construction is set to begin in January, and it will cost $20 million. The bridge currently has two lanes  but the construction will create two separate bridges.   Construction will take over two years to complete.

Police  in  Kenner  arrest a 19-year-old for robbing his neighbor at gunpoint. The victim  says  his  assailant wore a mask and pointed a shotgun at him; making off with his cellphone and wallet. Trouble is he watched the robber run into a house just yards away. Police found the mask in the house, the gun in  the  back yard. Johnny Washington was  taken into custody a short time later  ad  charged  with  armed robbery.

 Expect to spend a bit more again this year to prepare the traditional  Thanksgiving feast. A recent survey by the LSU AgCenter shows the cost  of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 will average $48.50 this year; up from  $44.35 last year. Economist Jeanette Tucker says the "star of the show"  is the biggest reason for the increased cost. Tucker says turkey production is down this year, and birds cost about

 23-cents a pound more than in 2012. 

Sports..

LSU is coming off its best effort of the season, as they head into the  regular season finale. The Bayou Bengals thumped Te

News for Thursday 112113

By Dave Graichen

Louisiana's newest Congressman, Republican Vance McAllister, is in  Washington D.C. this week for his first time ever and will be sworn  in today. The political newcomer was voted to represent the 5th

Congressional District in The Bayou State. McAllister says his  first trip to our Nation’s Capital has been humbling.  McAllister says as soon as he's sworn in he's going to be briefed  on the bills of the day and immediately start voting. The  Monroe businessman thanks voters from the bottom of his heart and  says he plans to be a strong voice for the 5^th congressional district in Washington.

Alexandria television stations KALB and NALB will have new owners in a few months. That announcement was made official yesterday.  The NBC and ABC stations were owned by Hoak Media. They will soon be under the ownership of Gray Television. KALB’s sister station in Monroe KNOE, was also part of the deal.  

Bossier  Parish  Sheriff Julian Whittington says burnt human remains found in Webster Parish  are those of 46-year-old Annie Bond, who was reported missing last Thursday.  Her  estranged husband, 53-year-old Robbie  Bond,  has been charged in her murder.  Whittington  says  a forensic  expert   at   LSU   was   able   to   make   the  positive identification. Robbie Bond was found Friday in Gautier, Mississippi and  he  is  in the hospital recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Baton Rouge continues to receive low marks for its lack of gay-friendly policies when compared with other major cities across the country. In the Human Rights Campaign’s second annual Municipal Equality Index, the city received seven points out of 100,  getting dinged for its lack of discrimination protections and services targeted toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. New Orleans received 91 points on the index, and Shreveport scored 16.

Rapides Regional Medical Center expects to have two clinics operating within a few weeks as part of the effort to replace services currently provided by Huey P. Long Medical Center. One clinic will be located at 105 North Third St. in Alexandria and will be open by Dec. 2. The other will be on the current Huey P. Long campus off Main Street in Pineville and will be open by the second week of January. As part of the agreement, Cabrini will operate one clinic. Emergency department and inpatient services will be shared by the hospitals.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says a Monterrey man has turned himself in and confessed to killing a Black Bear in Concordia  Parish.  Twenty-three  year-old Duell Moreland was booked for his alleged role in the killing of the bear. If found guilty, he faces up to a $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.

State officials are looking for someone to take 19-million pounds of explosive  materials  off  their hands. The explosives are currently housed at a Louisiana National  Guard  base  in  Webster Parish. The military  propellant  was once owned by Explo Systems,  but  they've gone bankrupt. Bossier  City  Representative  Jeff Thompson says the EPA  is  involved  in  trying  to  move this material  out  of  Camp Minden. The  explosives  caused  a  blast to occur in October of Last year and that led to the evacuation of residents from the nearby town  of  Doyline.

The American Automobile Association anticipates gas prices will keep going up ahead of the  Thanksgiving  travel week, but should go down again in December. The statewide average  for  a  gallon  of regular jumped two cents last night to $3.03.

Police say a 32 year  old Opelousas man is behind bars for allegedly raping  a 4 year old girl.  Investigators  believe  Johnathon  Meche assaulted  the  child  several  times  over an undisclosed period of time. The suspect is charged with aggravated  rape  and bond has not been set.

Louisiana will receive $238 million as a result of settlements reached in lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies that overcharged the state’s Medicaid program. The final settlements reached earlier this week ended three years of litigation against more than 100 companies and their subsidiaries that fraudulently raised drug prices paid by the state through the government health insurance program for the poor.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announces  the  St. Bernard  Parish  water  system  has  reached  the necessary level of chlorine  in  the  drinking  water to fight off a rare  brain-eating amoeba that killed a 4 year old  boy in August. It was also found in the DeSoto Parish Water System. Safe  drinking  water  administrator Jake Cause says  they are working with water systems throughout the state to make sure everyone is in compliance.

A 41 year old man from Vernon Parish has been sentenced to six years in  federal  prison  for  possession of child  pornography.  Francis Buckner of New Llano pleaded  guilty in July to possessing 36 videos and 144 images of child pornography  obtained through a porn-sharing

download program.

The 8-and-2 Saints visit the 2-and-8 Atlanta Falcons tonight on Thursday  night football. These two teams met in the season opener and New Orleans  won 23-17 as the Black and Gold kept Atlanta out of the end zone in the  final few seconds of the game.

News for Tuesday 111913

By Dave Graichen

Now this is a win win.. PaperWorks Industries announced yesterday the company will relocate its carton-finishing operations from New York to Alexandria, creating 43 new direct jobs. PaperWorks will lease 116,000 square feet of manufacturing space at the McKesson Building on South MacArthur Drive and will provide paperboard carton components to Procter & Gamble, for the company's dry laundry powder division. The company’s  $1.6 million renovation of the South Mac Arthur Drive facility should be completed in February of next year. 

After  being  elected as Louisiana's new 5th  District  Congressman, Vance McAllister  says  he'll  go to Washington DC this week for the first time in his life. McAllister  says  he  has  never been to the

nation's Capital, even as a tourist. Sunday, McAllister, who is in the process of pulling his Congressional staff together, hired Adam Terry, a Harrisonburg native and Louisiana Tech University graduate, as his chief of staff. Terry had held the same job with Rodney Alexander

State Police  say  a man from Pollock was killed in a single vehicle crash early Monday morning.  They  say  21 year old David Langley lost control of his pickup around 1:20 am on  La Hwy 8 in Rapides Parish, left the roadway and crashed into a tree.  Landley wasn't buckled up and was pronounced dead at the scene. A 20-year-old female passenger survived the crash which remains under investigation.

The Winnsboro woman who set herself on fire  in  October  2012  then claimed  who  have  been  attacked  by  three  men in white hoodies, pleaded  guilty  to  one count of false swearing and  one  of terrorizing. Sharmeka  Moffitt  will  serve four years of supervised probation and pay a $1,000 fine.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's  office  says  a man died after he fell 60 feet from a tree he was cutting when a safety  rope  snapped Sunday morning. They say 51 year old Anthony Wilson of Coushatta was cutting  limbs  on  the  tree  with  his  brother  when the accident occurred. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Visitation will be held this evening in Baton Rouge for former LSU  AD Joe Dean, one of the most influential people in Tiger Athletics  history. Dean died in Baton Rouge Sunday morning at the age of 83.

The Internal Revenue Service warns us of con artists posing as groups  collecting for Philippine disaster relief. IRS spokeswoman Dee Harris  Stepter says it's best to make disaster relief donations through well-known charities like the Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders, but even with them, be

careful of scammers who say they are with these organizations.

Yesterday  was  apparently a  national day of protest against  Common  Core  school performance standards,  but  in  Baton Rouge it was more of a fizzle than a bang. Only two local mothers  showed  up at the Department of Education to speak against Common Core. In Pineville, the turnout was a bit better with about 50 people showing up to protest.

The  search  continues  for  a Bossier City woman whom investigators believe  was  killed  by  her  husband  last  week.  Bossier  Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Bill Davis says since the suspect was found in southern Mississippi, they have a lot of territory to cover in the search for Annie Bond. Davis says Robert Bond is recovering  from  a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He is charged with second degree murder.

After a very welcome dip in prices, retail gasoline is beginning to rise  again in Louisiana. Last week, we had some of the lowest gasoline prices  in the nation, with some outlets selling for as little as $2.59.  Louisiana AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says the statewide average price is now starting to go back up. The statewide average price of regular gas today is $3.01, up from $2.99  last week.

Washington Parish Sheriff's deputies say they had  to  shoot a Mount Hermon  man,  who  they  say  was  upset  over  Obamacare. Fifty-six year-old  Johnnie  Ryals  fired  a  gun  in  his  home, forcing  his girlfriend  to  flee.   Later,  he  was shot in the left  ear  by  a sheriff's office sniper after he remained  combative.  Chief  Deputy Mike  Haley believes all of Ryal's anger started with the Affordable Care Act. Ryals was  released  from  the  hospital  and faces numerous charges

including three counts of attempted murder.

A Sabine Parish man who fired at officers Saturday remains in critical condition after being shot several times by law enforcement in  Sabine  Parish.  Louisiana  State Trooper  Scott  Moreau says they responded to a complaint of a trespasser on private property who was threatening  home owners with a shotgun.  Moreau says  27  year  old Michael Malmay of Noble was threatening to shoot himself and then he turned the shotgun in the direction of the officers.

A Baton Rouge man was arrested Monday in the recent death of his 6-month-old son, accused of a pattern of neglect that included placing the baby in scalding bath water that left him with second- and third-degree burns to more than 80 percent of his body. Curtis King, 23, 11888 Longridge Ave., was booked on counts of second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile in the Nov. 6 death of Aiden King

News for Friday 111513

By Dave Graichen

Tomorrow is the runoff election for Louisiana's 5th congressional  district seat. Two republicans, Columbia state Senator Neil Riser and  Monroe businessman Vance McAllister are vying for the job.  Both men want to serve out the remainder of former congressman Rodney  Alexander's term, and have an edge in winning a full term in 2014.  Most political insiders say the race is too close to call. The polls open at 7 Saturday morning and close at 8pm

The  Tuition  Taskforce  would like to see the standards  raised  on qualifying  for  the  TOPS scholarship.  Currently,  a  high  school student has to achieve at least a 2.5 GPA and score a 20 on the ACT. But task force member Phillip  Rozeman  says  they would like to see the G-P-A requirement raised to 3.0 and at least  a  23  on the ACT. Rozeman is confident students would meet the higher standards. Rozeman  says  they are pushing for a change to the TOPS scholarship because the program  is  getting too expensive for the state to keep funding.

 As millions of Americans face losing their current health insurance,  President Obama acts to delay those cancellations for one year. The  policies would be cancelled because they do not fully comply with the  Affordable Care Act. Senator Mary Landrieu has a bill pending that would assure those who  already have and like their health insurance can keep it, as promised by  the President. She says a promise is a promise, and she'll press forward  with her legislation.

A  seven-month-old  and  a  25-year-old  man were shot to death Wednesday  night  as  they  were  riding  in  a vehicle on  the  Crescent  City Connection Bridge in New Orleans. Police  are looking for the gunman who opened fire on the vehicle just past the  toll plaza area on the West Bank entrance of the bridge.

What a difference a day makes in Louisiana weather. State  Climatologist Barry Keim says the winds have shifted from being  north-easterly on Thursday, to south-easterly today. He says that  means the air coming in now is from the Gulf of Mexico and not from  Canada.  Keim says high temperatures today are between 15 and 20 degrees  warmer than they were yesterday. He says these warm temperatures are  going to hang around all through the weekend. As a matter of fact, by Sunday we could see temps in the low 80’s.

A   woman  from  Lake  Charles  was  found   guilty   Wednesday   of second-degree  cruelty  to  a juvenile in the abuse of her step-son. 31-year-old Jaime Brooks Day  is  accused of beating and not feeding the 9 year old boy who reportedly weighed just 38 pounds when he was removed from the home in 2010. Day is going to be sentenced December 10th. She faces up to 40 years in prison.

Grambling State University is appealing the $50-thousand fine levied by the Southwestern  Athletic  Conference for forfeiting the Jackson state game last month. School officials  say  it's  not  Grambling's fault the game was missed, it was because the team refused  to play. Grambling  will  also  have  to  play their next three Jackson State games  IN  Jackson,  which  also  penalizes   the   university  with additional travel costs.

The financial  picture for Louisiana's state-run property insurer of last resort is improving,  helped  by  the  state's  quiet hurricane season.  Louisiana  Citizens Insurance is doing better says  company

officials, but is still  $15-million  in the red. The forecast shows the imbalance should shrink by the end of the year and the company's balance sheet could be positive by mid-2014.

The Catahoula  Parish  Sheriff's  office  has  charged a 19-year-old woman  from  Jonesville  with  second-degree  murder  as  detectives believe  she  fatally  shot  her  21-year-old sister,  Tessa  Poole. Sheriff  James  Kelly  says  deputies  are  still  investigating.

The Monroe Police Department is investigating  a  pharmacy  break-in where a semi-tractor-rig was used to knock a hole in the wall. It is unclear  at  this  time  how  many  suspects  are involved or if any medication was taken. The investigation is ongoing.

The St. Mary  Parish  Sheriff's  office  says  a man who was driving around  a  parking lot in Bayou Vista naked faces  several  charges. They say 31-year-old  Nathel  Lewis  failed  to  pulled over after a deputy  was  responding  to  a complaint of a naked man  circling  a parking lot. The man was eventually  stopped  and marijuana and drug paraphernalia was found in the vehicle.

News for Tuesday 111213

By Dave Graichen

State Police report an Alexandria  teen  died  in  a  single vehicle crash  on  state  Highway  496  early  Monday morning.  Troopers  say 16-year-old Chase Michiels went off the road and rolled  his  pickup several  times.  He  was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle. He was pronounced  dead  at the scene. A male passenger in the truck suffered moderate injuries.

The Associated Press has crunched numbers, based on announcements of Governor  Bobby  Jindal's  schedule, and determined the Governor has spent more than two months outside  of  Louisiana  so far this year and we still have a month and a half to go in the year. The report stated that many of the trips had to do with his leadership of the Republican Governors Association.

Hundreds of state rank-and-file employees got extra pay last fiscal year even though the general government workforce went through another year of no pay increases. The extra money came from state Civil Service programs that allow state agencies to develop policies to pay more for retaining employees, for employees assuming additional job duties as well as for attaining advanced degrees and training related to their jobs. In all, 1,400 classified employees received about $1.7 million through the flexible pay options during the fiscal year ending June 30, according to a new Civil Service report.

The LSU Tigers will open the 2013-14 season and make their first appearance on the ESPN Tip-Off Marathon this morning at 10 a.m. against Massachusetts. The Tigers are coming off an 80-45 win over Xavier of New Orleans in an exhibition last week at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. You can hear the game starting with the pre-game at 9:30 on ESPN 1410 here in Alexandria.

Police in Monroe  say  a  10  year-old is under arrest for allegedly bringing a knife to school and  threatening  a  teacher.  A  butcher knife  was  reportedly found in the girls book-sack at Cypress Point Elementary School  and  she now faces assault charges and possession of a weapon on a school campus.

Monday, as you know, was Veteran's  Day,  and  there's good news for some of those veterans  deployed  overseas.   Colonel   Mike   Kazmeirzak  of  the Louisiana National Guard says about 400 soldiers  who  are currently in  Agfhanistan  and  Kuwait  will  be  able  to  come home for  the holidays. The bad news, Kazmeirzak  says  that  about  300 National Guard troops  have  been

alerted they may be deployed next year.

From The Governor's Wife to re-runs  of Duck Dynasty.  A & E did not run the regularly scheduled episode of  "The  Governor's Wife"  Sunday night they ran "Duck Dynasty" instead.  The star  of the show, Trina Edwards says they have not cancelled the show, but  cannot  give any further  details. Insiders at the network say, ya it has been cancelled. Ratings show there was a big drop-off between the show's first and second episodes.

The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is below  three-dollars for the first time since February of 2011. Gasbuddy.com  has the average price around $2.95 and their Senior Petroleum Analyst,  Patrick DeHaan, says the price at the pump should continue to fall.. DeHaan says gas prices have fallen about 20-cents since mid-October and  they should keep dropping as we move closer to the holidays.

Jury selection begins today in Lafayette, in the murder trial of 19- year-old Seth Fontenot, who's accused of shooting and killing one person  and wounding two others. Legal analyst Tim Meche says  Fontenot faces one count of 1st-degree murder in the death of 15-year- old Austin Rivault last February. Meche says the defense will argue  Fontenot fired on Rivault and two others, because he thought they were  trying to break into his vehicle. He says that may be tough to prove,  because when the shots were fired they were inside their own pickup. Fontenot's lawyer tried to suppress a confession made during a police interrogation, but was refused.

A new study shows fewer Louisiana teens are driving cars and paying for  car insurance. The data, from the Highway Loss Data Institute shows a  12-percent decline in teens listed on auto collision policies since  2006. Spokesman Russ Rader says the reason is largely connected to the  lagging economy.  Rader says it's a simple case of "no jobs, no cars".

News for Friday 110813

By Dave Graichen

An early morning crash yesterday involving  an 18-wheeler and a motorcycle has claimed  the  life  of a Pineville man.   Forty-one  year-old  Kevin Herron  was killed when  his  motorcycle  was  struck  on  Louisiana Highway 107  by  the  truck  driven  by  58 year-old Elton McNeal of Effie. McNeal was charged with failure to  yield.  The crash remains under investigation.

The  Lafayette Police Department is looking for a man  they  believe kidnapped  the  mother  of  his  child at a daycare center yesterday afternoon. Witnesses reported seeing  29-year-old Scott Thomas shove the victim into his car then drive off  leaving a 2 year old behind. Thomas' car was found Wednesday  night but the  whereabouts of the suspect and victim remain unknown at this time.

Public school students in Louisiana again Thursday finished near the bottom nationally in reading and math in the latest update of the nation’s report card. The exam is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. The exam is considered one of the most reliable indicators of student achievement and state-to-state comparisons. The latest results for fourth- and eighth-graders show that Louisiana students were: Tied for 50th in fourth-grade math. 48th in fourth-grade reading.

Tied for 48th in eighth-grade math. Tied for 48th in eighth-grade reading. The results carry extra significance amid arguments about the state’s drive to add rigor to public school courses, which is called Common Core. Backers contend that increasing standards in math, reading and writing will improve student achievement.

Early voting for the November 16th elections comes to a close tomorrow  evening, and voter turnout so far has been light. Secretary of State Tom  Schedler says about 3300 people have cast early  ballots each day of the early voting period this time around.

The  state  department  of  health  and hospitals is requiring local water systems to maintain higher disinfectant  level.  The emergency rule  is in response to the recent discovery of a deadly  amoeba  in the water  systems in St. Bernard and DeSoto Parishes. DHH Assistant Secretary J-T Lane says increasing the chlorine level should lead to safer water. It's the first  time  Louisiana  has  changed  the required chlorine level in drinking water since 1995.

Louisiana ranked No. 9 on the American Medical Association’s annual list of states with the lowest level of competition among health insurers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana had 57 percent of the market, according to the AMA. UnitedHealthCare had the second-largest share at 19 percent. The other 10 states with the least competitive health insurance markets were Alabama; Hawaii; Michigan; Delaware; Alaska; South Carolina; North Dakota; Nebraska; and Rhode Island.

The Jindal administration announces food stamp recipients could lose their  benefits  if its determined they took advantage of a computer glitch and made purchases  that  exceeded  their  available balance. Department  of Children and Family Services Secretary  Suzy  Sonnier says suspected  violators  will receive a letter explaining that the state will being the process  of  disqualifying that person from the SNAP program. She says first time offenders could lose their benefits for a year.

The son of legendary Grambling  football coach Eddie Robinson passed away Wednesday night. Eddie Robinson Jr  died  from complications related to  heart surgery. Funeral arrangements will  be  announced  in  the coming days.

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's office says three  additional  arrests have been made in the join homicide investigation into the death  of Willie  Francis.  They say additional details will be released later today. The 23-year-old  Bayou  Vista  man's body was found last week and a 15-year-old suspect was arrested Wednesday.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's office says  a former deputy has been arrested again for felony carnal knowledge of  a  juvenile.  This is the  third  time  24-year-old  Todd Tripp has been arrested in three

months. The first arrest was for  indecent  behavior  with juveniles and  child  porn  amid  allegations  Tripp  was  exchanging sexually explicit pictures with a 15 year old boy. He was arrested  yesterday for allegedly having sexual contact with a 16 year old.

Louisiana has now spent 11  million  dollars in response efforts for the giant sinkhole in Assumption Parish.  The  state  expects  to be reimbursed  by  Texas  Brine,  which is the company that operated an underground salt dome cavern that caused the sink hole.

News for Wednesday 110613

By Dave Graichen

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu has filed  a  bill  to  fix The affordable care act, by allowing individuals who like their current health coverage  to keep it.  There are numerous reports of cancellations of policies because they do not meet minimum benefits required under the Affordable Care Act. Insurance  Commissioner Jim Donelon says as many at 80-thousand Louisianans may lose their coverage, but Landrieu says her bill will allow you to keep  your  coverage  as  long  as  you stay current on premium payments. Landrieu says she still supports the plan, but admits it needs some

fixing.

It is expected to be announced today that Stakeholders interested in promoting a specific site for the future home of Central Louisiana Technical Community College’s Alexandria campus will have until January 21^st of next year to make their final presentations. The new facility is expected to cost upwards of $21.6 million to build. It will replace the current Alexandria campus on South MacArthur Drive.

Pineville-based Crest Industries on Tuesday announced plans to build a $15 million galvanizing plant in South Louisiana. The new plant will serve customers in the electric utility and petrochemical industries. It will furnish galvanized protective coatings for utility poles and equipment. The galvanizing plant will bring services in-house that formerly were contracted to outside vendors.

Governor Bobby Jindal places second-to-last in a new poll of possible  2016 Republican Primary candidates. The survey, done by North Carolina based Public Policy Polling, shows Mr. Jindal with only 6%.  By comparison, the same poll of Democratic voters shows Hilary Clinton  with 67% voter support. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Rand Paul  have just 16% each.

Even though this year's LSU/Alabama game is hardly considered the "Game  of the Century", the matchup in Tuscaloosa Saturday is still one of the  hottest tickets in the country. StubHub spokesperson Cameron Papp says  the contest between The Tigers and The Tide is their most popular sporting  event this week in terms of demand. Papp says so far the game is currently the 4th highest selling college  football matchup this season.  Tickets prices for the game are as low as $140 on StubHub, with a high price of $2,000.

The IRS is warning Louisianans of a sophisticated telephone scam,  wherein con artists pose as...the IRS. Spokesperson Dee Harris Stepter  says the callers are able to "spoof" caller ID, to make it look as if  the call IS coming from the IRS. She says the scammers try to convince  victims to pay an outstanding tax debt that they do not really owe.  Stepter says don't be fooled by these con artists. She says the IRS will  always notify you of a tax debt by written notification first, before  any phone calls are made.

A  man  from  Baton Rouge who is accused of threatening the life and family of former  US  Attorney  Jim  Letten  plead guilty in federal court  Monday  to the charges. Gerald Estrade served  more  than  21 years in prison  for manslaughter in the 1988 death of his daughter. He now faces up to  10  years  in prison and a $250,000 fine for the threats.

The Iberia Parish Sheriff's  office  has reportedly asked the FBI to take part in an investigation regarding  a deputy who allegedly beat a handcuffed man during a disturbance at the  sugarcane  festival in September.  The unidentified deputy has been terminated but  now  an investigation is underway into any possible criminal violations that were committed.

A tax preparer in Natchitoches pleads guilty to filing false returns and  could  face three years in prison. 38-year-old Lashanda  Harris aided customers  in  filing  returns with bogus information, so they could get bigger refunds. She  collected kickbacks for her help. Her sentencing is January 30th.

The Iberville Parish  Sheriff's  office  says  a  man  is  in stable condition  after  allegedly  stabbing  himself  several  times  Tuesday morning  in  the parking lot of their substation in Maringouin where his girlfriend  was  filing  an abuse complaint against him. The man has not been identified but the  sheriff's office says he could face charges when he gets out of the hospital.

State  senator  Neil  Riser  of  Columbia is attacking his opponent, Vance McCallister,  in  the  5th District Congressional  run-off.  Riser's campaign released a new television  ad  that  says  McCallister has taken two different positions on the Affordable Care Act.  The  ad claims that McCallister   recently  told  a  Democrat  forum  that  he  embraces Obamacare, but his website says that he'll fight to repeal it.

A Mississippi Gulf Coast mother of a 4 month-old  infant  is free on $5,000  bond  after  she  allegedly  attempted  to sell her baby  on Craigslist. Twenty-three year-old Bobbie Jo Stojic  of Bay St. Louis sent a text to a woman in Kenner, originally discussing  the sale of baby  clothing.  When  the discussion went to selling her baby,  the other woman contacted authorities in Mississippi.

News for Monday 110413

By Dave Graichen

Members of the state House Education Committee will meet today, and pose  questions of education officials about the embattled Common Core State  Standards for student performance. Baton Rouge Rep. Steve Carter chairs  the committee. He says it's an opportunity for lawmakers to get  themselves up-to-date on the controversial topic.  Carter says the purpose is to help state legislators to be better- informed about Common Core when asked by constituents and media. He says  Education Superintendent John White and Board of Elementary & Secondary  Education President Chas Roemer be there to answer questions.

Early voting is under way for the 5th district congressional  runoff between state senator Neil Riser and political newcomer Vance  McCallister. Election day is November 16th, this week,  voters can cast early ballots. Political Analyst Elliot Stonecipher says  its too hard to say who will win between Riser and McCallister.  Stonecipher says McCallister has some momentum in this race, because he

is a political newcomer and voters are looking for a fresh face. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat agrees with Stonecipher but he says  Riser should benefit from the backing of Governor Jindal and

former U-S  Representative Rodney Alexander.

The March of Dimes gives Louisiana a failing grade again this year in  its annual Premature Births Report Card. Spokesperson Makesha Judson  says the MOD does the annual report to call attention to early birth  rates that often spawn health problems later in life for those  children.  Judson says Louisiana's  premature birth percentage of 15.3% IS coming  down slowly; last year it was 15.6. In 2006 it was over 16%.  She says March of Dimes and the state Department of Health & Hospitals are working together to try to reduce the premature birth rate to under  10% by 2020.

The Thibodaux man accused of killing his 7-year-old handicapped son in a  brutal manner returns to court today. Judge John Leblanc has scheduled  three days of hearings to determine if Jeremiah Wright is competent to  stand trial.  Judge Leblanc has ruled before on two different occasions that Wright  was incompetent to stand trial. Wright spent time earlier this year at a  mental hospital in East Feliciana Parish.

U.L.-Monroe announces job eliminations and consolidations, as the  university reorganizes to meet the annual state budget. ULM President  Dr. Nick Bruno says five academic colleges will merge into three, and 25  positions will be cut; six by attrition, and 19 via layoffs.  Bruno says the reorganization will mean about $4-million in annual cost  reduction through 2016, then about $2-million yearly going forward. Bruno says state budget cuts for higher education are the reason the  cuts were necessary. He says raising tuitions and fees at ULM has not  helped to avoid the reorganization.

Sports..

Saints Quarterback Drew threw for 382 yards and two touchdowns but it  was not enough to avoid an upset loss to the New York Jets. Brees was  also intercepted twice as he was under a lot of pressure in this game.  New Orleans defense also gave up nearly 200 rushing yards. Sean Payton  and the Saints are now 6-and-2 on the season.