News for Friday 022814

By Dave Graichen

A judge in Texas ruled that the ban on gay marriage in the Lone Star State  violates  the  US Constitution. The decision will be appealed and heard by the 5th Circuit  Court  of Appeals in New Orleans which hears cases that come out of Texas Louisiana  and Mississippi. Legal analyst Tim Meche thinks the Texas ruling could  affect gay marriage laws here. The Texas lawsuit was originally filed by two same  sex  couples and Meche  says  if  the  5th  Circuit upholds the lower court's ruling, you'll probably see a similar case come up in Louisiana. He says opponents haven't made a good case in explaining why  gay couples getting married should be against the law.

Senator David Vitter meets with state officials today to get an update  on the investigation into the food stamp recipients who abused the  system during a computer failure last October. The Dept of Children and  Family Services announced six people have lost their benefits, but  Vitter says why only six when over 12-thousand people overspent. Vitter says hopes these state agencies pick up the pace with their  investigation and disqualify more than six people from the program.

A new report just released by the state Legislative Auditor’s office shows, Louisiana gave away 55 percent of its corporate tax revenues, while continuing to struggle with higher education funding, retirement system obligations and paying for other government services. Over a five-year period, state government gave up about $3 billion in taxes to encourage companies to come to Louisiana or to stay here. That’s out of a $5.4 billion that otherwise would have been collected through “corporate and franchise taxes.”

Rape accusations against former Saints safety Darren Sharper continued to mount Thursday as New Orleans police issued a warrant for his arrest, saying he is suspected of sexually assaulting two women in September at a Warehouse District apartment. Police said they also issued a warrant for Erik Nunez, one of Sharper’s friends, who is alleged to have raped the same two women the same night. The 38 year old Sharper is the focus of at least five other rape investigations in four states.

Lafayette  Police say they've arrested a man who was unable to drive a manual transmission  which gave him trouble trying to steal a car. Corporal Paul Mouton says  Harold  Sam,  who  is  just 18 years old, allegedly threw a woman to the ground then tried to  get away in her car. As you may suspect, Sam faces numerous charges.

Crawfish boil gatherings over the Mardi Gras weekend may find it  difficult to get enough of their main dish. That's because cold weather   in January and early February affected the crop. Louisiana Crawfish  Farmers Association Director, Stephen Minvielle says crawfish suppliers  will be hard pressed to meet the demand.  It’s expected the low supply of crawfish coupled with the high demand

will lead to high prices for mudbugs.

State Insurance  Commissioner  Jim  Donelon  is  reminding  property owners  of  a  rebate  available  to them. It's called the Louisiana Citizens  Property Insurance Assessment  rebate  and  taxpayers  are entitled to  it  after  paying  the  assessment  attached  to  their property  insurance bill. The easiest way to get the money back is by checking  a  box  on  your state tax return and attaching the proper paperwork.

Legislation that would prohibit employers or school administrators from  demanding their employees or students give up their social media login  information has been pre-filed for next month's session. The bill by  Baton Rouge Representative Ted James would make it illegal to require  students to share personal online information. James says he filed the same bill last year, but they weren't able to  get to it in the Senate before the session was over. The biggest difference in this year's proposed "Personal  Online Account Privacy Protection Act" is that employers would now be  allowed to request the information, and an employee could freely give  up any information they wanted.

The St.  John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's office says both suspects in the fatal  shooting  and  armed robbery at the LaPlace feed store Tuesday  are  now in custody. They  say  22-year-old  Dracier  Dewey confessed to the  crime  Wednesday  and  the  other man, 22-year-old Charles McQuarter III surrendered to US Marshall's Thursday afternoon.

LSU has named North Carolina educator Lawrence “Larry” Clark as chancellor of LSU-Shreveport, nearly two years after former Chancellor Vincent Marsala announced his retirement. Clark serves as dean of the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. He previously worked as a dean at LSU-S.

News for Wednesday 022614

By Dave Graichen

A Pineville man crashed his puck up into the back of a stopped Rapides Parish school bus yesterday morning on highway 28 east. That accident led to the injury of the bus driver and eight students. The good news is, none of the injuries were severe. Pineville PD have not released any details of the crash other than to say 31 year old Anthony Phillips has been charged with  possession of a stolen firearm, and charges of reckless operation of a vehicle.

A utility bill paying scam has hit customers  of  another  Louisiana power company.  Some Cleco customers are reporting some phone  calls from  individuals  who  identify  themselves  from  Cleco, demanding payment  for  an unpaid balance on their utility bill.  Spokesperson Shirley Turner  reminds  everyone  serviced by Cleco they never call customers demanding payment over the phone.

There's been a toddler tragedy in Minden  as  a  three-year  old was struck  and  killed by a truck Monday.  Minden Police say that the man's  truck  had very large tires, and they speculate because the truck was riding  a  bit higher, the driver was not able to see the child who had wondered  out into the neighborhood street. Authorities say that the investigation is on-going.

A Bossier City lawmaker is filing legislation for the 2014 session that  would ban any type of cell phone use when traveling through a school  zone. Representative Jeff Thompson says studies show one out of six  drivers in a school zone drive distracted and cell phone use was the  number one reason.  House Bill No. 370 would make it illegal to engage in a call, access  email, send a text or read or post to social media at any time when in a  school zone. All items on that list, with the exception of talking on the phone are already against the law in Louisiana.

A second person has been arrested as a result of an alleged dog fighting  operation that was broken up last week in Breaux Bridge. St. Martin  Parish Sheriff spokesperson Ginny Higgins says 33-year-old Antonio Boyd  is facing 47-counts of cruelty to animals and his bond has been set at  140-thousand dollars.  The other man arrested was 25-year-old Jason Haskett of Natchitoches.  Higgins says the two men staged illegal dog fights in the back yard of  a residence located on Breaux Bridge Senior High School Road. She says  during the raid, deputies found dozens of pit bulls, most of them were  on chains.

An advocacy group for the recognition and equal rights for same sex  couples who want to get married, launches a one million dollar campaign   across southern states.  "Freedom To Marry" founder and president Evan  Wolfson says they want to get southerners talking about the issue.

The US House is getting close to voting on legislation that would  prevent large flood insurance premiums for property owners. Baton Rouge  Congressman Bill Cassidy says the bill would repeal provisions of a 2012  flood insurance reform law that calls for much higher flood insurance  rates for thousands of Louisiana homeowners. Cassidy believes the US House will vote tomorrow on this flood insurance  reform legislation. He says it contains several key provisions that  builds upon a bill already passed in the Senate. The Baton Rouge  republican says one of those provisions caps annual rate increases at  15-percent.

Danos, a manufacturer of offshore equipment and piping, will build a $23.2 million, 100-employee plant at the Port of Iberia. President and Chief Executive Officer Hank Danos, along with Gov. Bobby Jindal, made the announcement after the signing of a 40-acre lease near New Iberia with the port’s board of commissioners. Construction on the 172,000-square-foot plant is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter and will require 200 construction workers. The 100 permanent plant jobs will have annual salaries that average $65,000 for a total annual payroll of $6.5 million.

A Baton Rouge man who pleaded guilty in November to threatening to murder former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, of New Orleans, as well as members of Letten’s family, was sentenced Tuesday to 41 months in federal prison plus three more years under supervision after he’s released. 57 year old Gerald P. Estrade of Baton Rouge will be transferred to a federal prison in the next few weeks to serve his sentence.

A federal judge received assurances Tuesday that three insurance companies won’t immediately stop accepting premium payments from a program that helps HIV and AIDS patients cover health care costs. After receiving the pledge that no payments would be rejected before April 1, U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson lifted the temporary restraining order he had issued only hours earlier prohibiting the dropped coverage. Jackson plans a March 10 hearing on whether to issue a long-term injunction that would bar the companies from refusing to accept payments from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, which helps more than 2,400 low- and moderate-income Louisianians pay for health coverage.

The  giant  sinkhole in Assumption parish has a new bubbling site on about 30 feet  from  Highway 69.  Officials says the bubbles seen in water of Grand Bayou is  the  result  of  natural  gas escaping from underground.  Assumption parish Emergency Preparedness Director John Boudreaux  says  this new bubbling site does NOT mean  another  sink hole will form. Since the sinkhole  appeared in August of 2012, it has grown over 20 times its original size.

Southwest Louisiana authorities now believe that a man who was found shot dead inside his  home,  accidently  shot himself in his lower back.  Fifty year old Kenneth Morrow Senior's  body was found in January.  It was a homicide investigation but Jennings  Police Chief Todd  (D-AL-BORE)  D'Albor  says  ballistics and forensics show  the deceased shot himself. Officials think the gun fired when Morrow reached for it in his rear pocket or waistband.

The myth of knowing if a crawfish was dead  before  it was cooked by the  straightness  of it's tail has been debunked .LSU Ag  researcher Ray McClain says if  a crawfish dies before it's cooked in a boiling pot of water, it may curl  it's tail during the cooking process.  He says research indicates  uncooked  mudbugs  that  are  both alive or dead can come out of the pot with a straight tail. McClain  also says putting crawfish in salt water before  you  boil them has no benefit based on his research.

Renovations  to the Cajun Dome in Lafayette may cost a bit more than first projected.   The Cajun Dome commission members got an 18 point nine million figure  quoted  to them at their meeting on Monday.  At that price the renovated Cajun  Dome  would  be  cost two-point-nine million more than it's original 16 million dollar price tag.

News for Monday 022414

By Dave Graichen

A single vehicle crash in grant Parish early Sunday morning has claimed the life of 21 year old Chad Chandler of Dry prong. State police say he lost control of his vehicle and ran off of Race Track Road, flipping the vehicle. Chandler, who died at the scene and and four passengers in the pickup were not wearing seatbelts. The passengers all received moderate injuries. Alcohol was, according to the state police, believed to be a factor.

District 29 State Sen. Rick Gallot has filed a bill to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to anyone under 18. Gallot has introduced the bill for consideration in the legislative session that begins March 10. It would add e-cigarettes and other “alternative nicotine products” to the list of items that can’t be sold to minors in Louisiana.

A Louisiana lawmaker has pre-filed a bill for the upcoming legislative  session that would guarantee protections for biological parents who  seek surrogacy. Currently in Louisiana parents of a child being carried  by another woman have to adopt their own baby after it is born which  Metairie  Representative Joe Lopinto says as it stands right now in Louisiana, a surrogate's name  initially goes onto the child's birth certificate then the parents have  to go through the courts to have that changed after the child is born. . He says this exact bill was overwhelming passed  last year, but Governor Bobby Jindal, under pressure from the Louisiana Family Forum,  vetoed it.

A new survey from Gallup ranks Louisiana as the 10th most miserable  state in the country. The Well-Being Index considered several factors,  one of those is that only 61% of respondents felt safe walking home  alone at night, lowest rate in the U.S. Gallup Researcher Dan Witters  say safety is a big part of community well-being. Witters says based on the survey's results, many people are concerned  with violent crime and property crime in their area. He says Louisiana  also gets its low raking because of a high smoking rate and a lack of  healthy eating by many who were surveyed. 2,600 randomly selected Louisiana residents took the survey.

Governor Bobby Jindal along with governors from across the country will  meet with President Barack Obama in Washington D-C today. LSU Professor  Bob Mann, who also served as former governor Kathleen Blanco's  communications director, says the President will not be the only one

talking during this annual gathering. He expects President Obama to push governors to support legislation  that would raise the minimum wage in their individual states. He says  health care will also be a big topic.

During his appearance on "Face the Nation," Governor Jindal was asked if he will  run for President in 2016. The governor's answer was "I don't know."  He  says the focus needs to be on winning congressional and gubernatorial  races across the country this year.

The Coast Guard says a 65-mile stretch of the Mississippi River is closed until further notice while crews clean up oil from a barge that hit a towboat between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The collision happened Saturday afternoon near Vacherie, 47 miles west of New Orleans. In nearby St. Charles Parish, officials say public drinking water intakes on the river are closed as a precaution.

The author of a bill to reduce penalties for those convicted of simple  possession of marijuana believes his legislation now has a better chance  at passing since it's being supported by the Louisiana Sentencing  Commission. New Orleans Representative Austin Badon says the proposed bill only reduces penalties for marijuana possession,  not dealers or smugglers with larger amounts.   Badon says it would  reduce the costs associated with locking people up for marijuana  possession.

Older drivers are actually in fewer accidents than younger drivers  according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  Their study  shows drivers 70 and older are less likely to be in accidents than  previous generations. The report also shows older driver are driving more miles than in the past.  

A legal battle over the delivery of food services at a Louisiana military base has led to $365,000 in attorney bills for the state. It’s also sparked a feud between the Jindal administration and a group of legally blind vendors. Central to the fight is a state-managed trust fund that takes money from vending operations in courthouses and other state or federal properties and uses it to help the legally blind run snack stands, cafeterias and vending machines. What’s aggravating some blind vendors is that money is being withdrawn from their trust fund for the legal fight. The trust fund doesn’t pay all of the programs’ cost, but it does supply dollars for health insurance, equipment and repairs. The federal government might pick up part of the legal tab, but the state’s portion of the bill depletes the trust fund.

The Louisiana Supreme Court is cracking down on judges using tax dollars to pay for exotic junkets.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson has signed an order that bans the use of public dollars for international travel for meetings, unless the travel is approved by the state Supreme Court. The judicial rule goes into effect May 1 for all Louisiana judges. The rule was issued just a month after The Advocate reported about the frequent publicly funded travels of City Court Judge Yvette Alexander, who most recently spent a week in January at a judicial conference in Morocco. Between 2007 and 2012, Alexander took 37 trips and spent $52,704 in public funds.

The Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder reopened Sunday morning, more than 12 hours after what officials called “a small electrical fire” forced the casino to be evacuated. The fire was discovered around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. No patrons were injured, and the damage was minimal.

The Vernon Parish Police Jury wants the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to add Vernon Lake to its list of alligator harvesting locations. The parish fish and game commission recommended the lake be placed in the lottery for alligator hunting. Commission Chairman Jason Nolde says up to six alligator permits might be issued for the lake. Alligator hunting has been permitted for years at Anacoco Lake, which also is in Vernon Parish. The lake will be in the lottery again this year. Nolde says the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has the final say on the Vernon Lake matter and should make a decision before alligator season begins in September.

News for Thursday 022014

By Dave Graichen

The rumors have been flying for a while and yesterday he made it official, Former state Rep. Chris Roy Jr. announced his candidacy for Rapides Parish district attorney in the fall elections. The 52 year old Roy became interested in the position after it was announced the current DA, James  Downs, was retiring and will not seek re-election. Roy says his work drafting laws that protect children and the elderly give him a unique perspective that he would use as district attorney. The primary election for the DA’s office is Nov. 4. A runoff, if needed, will be Dec. 6.

The gas price  has  been  rising  all  week. AAA reports the current statewide average for a gallon of regular  is  $3.20 up a penny from yesterday and a nickel from one week ago.

Former  Governor  Edwin  Edwards  tells  the Louisiana Radio Network that,  while he is not ready to make and official  announcement,  he has made  up  his  mind about running for Congress in November.  The seat left open by Republican  Bill  Cassidy in the 6th congressional district became open when he announced  plans  to  run  for  Senate. Edwards, who turns 87 in August  says he  is  still  working out the legalities.

State Senator Dan Claitor, a Republican from Baton Rouge, and  businessman Republican Paul Dietzel are among those who have already  filed candidacy paperwork for the 6th District. UL-Lafayette Political  Science professor Pearson Cross says Edwards would most certainly be  the strongest candidate in the race if he ended up running.

The  DeSoto  Parish Sheriff's office says they've arrested three men in the brutal  murder  and  robbery  of an elderly man from Gloster. Chief Deputy Horace Womack says 79-year-old Nathaniel Cash was found dead in his ransacked home Tuesday morning.  Womack  says  the suspects allegedly killed the elderly  who  had  aheart attack while  being  choked  and  tied up. He says the robbers though Cash had a large amount of money in his house, but they found nothing.

Insurance  Commissioner  Jim  Donelon  says  62-thousand   Louisiana residents  will not be able to keep their current insurance  because of the federal healthcare law known as Obamacare. A spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue  Shield  is  the  only  company  doing  business  in Louisiana that offered transitional relief for those policy holders.

People in Louisiana with HIV or AIDS are facing roadblocks in getting health insurance through the online marketplace created under the federal health law. Most participating insurance companies say they won’t accept payment from a federal program that helps the patients cover their health costs. The decision started with the largest insurer offering coverage to Louisianans through the federal marketplace: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. The Louisiana Health Cooperative followed suit. Vantage Health Plan says if those companies continue that policy, it will have to follow their lead. People living with HIV and AIDS accuse the companies of discrimination against costly patients.

The Baton Rouge Police  Department  says  a man is under arrest amid allegations he used Craigslist to trick people into paying thousands of dollars for cars that didn't exist. They  say 30-year-old Anthony Sherman was booked Monday during a traffic stop  in New Orleans on 5 counts of felony theft.

With the Mardi Gras season getting started, this year's crawfish harvest  might not be ready for a few more weeks. LSU Ag Center Researcher Ray  McClain says it's still going to take some time because of the unusually  cold winter. That means crawfish will be hard to find this weekend. McClain says

there will still be some available to boil but they could be small  because they haven't grown much in the cold weather.

The subjects of gay marriage and marijuana legalization in the United  States have been major news topics over the past year. So where do  Louisianans stand on these issues? Public Policy Polling conducted a  survey of 600 likely voters in the Bayou State and spokesman Tom Jenson  gay marriage continues to be very unpopular here.  Jenson says only 28% of voters in the state think gay marriage should  be allowed while 62% of those polled think it should be illegal.  However he says 54% of people in the group they interviewed from here  said they favor at least civil unions for same sex couples.  Jenson says they see a similar divide on the marijuana issue. He says  Louisiana supports medical marijuana with 60% in favor and 30%  opposition. However Jenson says voters here are not ready for  recreational marijuana.

News for Tuesday 021814

By Dave Graichen

A legislative panel Monday gave its blessing to a Jindal administration plan that allows extra charges to renew a driver’s license for those seeking faster service. The new rules, which have been tested in Metairie and Slidell and are expected in Baton Rouge soon, allow private contractors, call “public tag agents,” to charge up to $18 more than the typical $21.50 fee. Currently, according to State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson, Louisiana’s 2.9 million motorists have typically renewed their driver’s license at Office of Motor Vehicle offices, which operate in all 64 parishes, or online. Public tag agents offer a third option, and presumably one that is faster than visiting a state office.

A  16  teen  year  old  Lafayette boy has been charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile  after he drove to Wichita, Kansas, to pick up a 12 year old girl he met  on the internet.  Captain Kip Judice of

the Lafayette parish sheriff's  office says the 12 year old girl was missing for little over 24 hours  before authorities  found her at a home in Lafayette. He says the 16-year-old  from  Lafayette  did not

hurt the girl. Judice  says the 16 year old boy's parents were out of town for  the weekend and  unaware  of  the  situation  until authorities notified them.

Three of Louisiana’s most powerful lawmakers agreed Monday that changes need to be made to TOPS, Louisiana’s college scholarship program, before it becomes too expensive for the state to maintain. One of them said nothing will change as long as the family for whom the program is named has the governor’s ear. The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students is set to cost the state $235 million next year and is projected to increase to more than $370 million over the next five years.

The Louisiana department of corrections turned in a plan on Monday to keep death row of the Angola state prison cooler.  The department was directed by U-S District Judge Brian Jackson to draft a plan to keep temperatures from going higher than 88 degrees. The plan filed in court lists air conditioning, cold showers, and ice chests to cool death row. The order was in response to suits by 3 inmates who say the excessive heat violated their constitutional rights to NOT be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.

Troop I also investigated a fatal crash in Evangeline Parish Sunday that claimed the life of a motorcyclist  who wasn't wearing a helmet. Hammons says 60-year-old Terry Thrasher of Ville Platte lost control of his bike and hit a tree. The helmet-less  man was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene

State Police say during a routine  traffic  stop  Sunday  morning in Port  Allen,  a  US  Army  Sergeant  was  busted  with  23 pounds of marijuana  in  his vehicle. They say during questioning, 30-year-old

Sergeant Borace  Brown  of  Florida,  troopers became suspicious and discovered the drugs during a search of  the  vehicle. Sgt Brown was booked into the West Baton Rouge Parish jail and  US  Army  CID  was informed of the arrest.

The band director at Kentwood High School has been arrested on child pornography  charges.   Tangipahoa  Sheriff's Deputies say they made the  arrest  of Kenneth Dillon after  explicit  pictures  and videos were found on his computer; one involving an adult having sex with a 10 year-old  child.

If you've been a chronic smoker for decades, there is a free smoking  cessation program in Louisiana. It's called Smoking Cessation Trust and  it's located in New Orleans, but anyone in the state can use their  services. Smoking Cessation Trust C-E-O Mike Rogers says they hope to help at least 200 thousand Louisianans.  The Smoking Cessation Trust was created as a result of a class-action  lawsuit and the judgment required that tobacco companies fund a program  to help people quick smoking. The program has been around for about a  year and a half. Rogers says about 11 thousand people are in the program  today. The program funds doctor visits, prescription medications and counseling  for smokers.

News for Thursday 021314

By Dave Graichen

Due to continuing power outages and uncertain road conditions, many schools across central Louisiana have decided to remain closed on Thursday.

Public schools in Rapides, Avoyelles, LaSalle & Concordia Parish will be closed today.

As will Avoyelles Parish Catholic Schools.

Also closed..

Avoyelles Public Charter School

Temple Christian Academy

Cenla Christian Academy

John Eskew Training Academy

UniTech Training Academy will have No classes Thursday; offices will be open.

Catholic Schools In Rapides Parish will be open.

*************************************************************************************************************

If you're tired of the ice and the snow, warmer weather is on its way!  Mike Berry  with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says our  warm up starts today. The warmer weather will continue through the weekend and the high  temperatures will be in the middle 60s.

Cleco  was  reporting  almost  30,000 customers were without power throughout  central  Louisiana.  Entergy   says   they've  got  9400 customers  with  outages  right  now  throughout central  and  north

Louisiana due to icy power lines and freezing  rain.  Both companies say   they   are  assessing  the  damage  and  will  give  estimated restoration times as soon as possible. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Cleco had 18,538 customers still without power, including 10,550 in Rapides Parish and 6,405 in Avoyelles Parish.

After a little over 6 hours of deliberations, the jury in former New Orleans  Mayor  Ray  Nagin's  federal corruption trial has found him guilty  on 20 out of the 21 counts.  The  ex-mayor  has  been  found guilty of  bribery,  conspiracy,  wire  fraud,  money laundering and filing false tax return. Loyola law professor Dane  Ciolino   the ex-mayor is facing lengthy jail time without  the possibility of probation  and will probably be sentenced in about 90 days.

House Speaker Chuck Kleckley wants answers about Louisiana's tax  structure.  He says a long term review of tax credits, deductions,  rebates and exemptions is needed and Kleckley has called for an

independent study that will be completed in time for the 2015  legislative session. It's been more than 25 years since the last major analysis of the  state's tax make up.  Kleckley says one area of concern is the amount of  money the state may be missing out on when it comes to collecting sales  tax on internet purchases.  Kleckley says some state tax exemptions have been on the books since

1932.

The Forum for  Equality Louisiana and four gay married couples filed a lawsuit challenging  the state's constitutional ban on recognizing same-sex marriages performed  legally  in  other  states.  Forum for

Equality's  Chris  Otten  says they're suing because plaintiffs  are forced to lie on state tax  returns  by  checking  single instead of married. The lawsuit, in which State Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield is listed as  a  defendant,  charges  that  Louisiana's  refusal to  recognize same-sex marriages violates the constitutional guarantees  of  equal protection and due process.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announce they  distributed 18,000 dollars of reward money to numerous individuals who  provided tips to the Louisiana Operation Game Thief program. LDWF  Spokesperson Adam Einck says 68 people were caught last year due to the  LOGT program.  Einck says there is a toll free hotline which allows the public to  provide tips when they see hunting violations as well as a new smart  phone app "LADWF Tips" and a texting service. Each method used is eligible for a cash reward.

Two people in Thibodaux are under arrest  for  counterfeiting, after an anonymous tipster alerted police the pair were  attempting to use counterfeit  currency.   After  the arrest of twenty-three  year-old Joshua Ray Hyatt of Livingston and  19  year-old  Michelle Bourgeois from  Thibodaux,  police recovered printing materials,  a  gun,  and marijuana from the motel where they had been staying.

Four members of the Saints 2009 Super Bowl team are no longer members of  the Black and Gold. Cornerback Jabari Greer, safety Roman Harper and  defensive end Will Smith have been cut from the Saints roster and the  team will not re-sign linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

News for Tuesday 021114

By Dave Graichen

Due to threatening weather.. The elevated section of i-49 through Alexandria is closed

Most state offices are closed

Schools Closed Tuesday Due To Winter Storm..

Public Schools In Rapides, Grant, Avoyelles, Vernon, Winn & Catahoula.

LSUA & NSU Closed

Cenla Technical Community College (all campuses closed)

All Catholic schools in Rapides and Avoyelles

Alexandria Country Day School

Alpine Christian School

Avoyelles Public Charter School

Bentley Christian Academy

Cenla Christian Academy

Emmanuel Baptist Day School

First United Methodist of Alexandria Preschool and Child Care

Grace Christian School

Hope Baptist School

UniTech Training Academy

Winter weather is back in Louisiana today. State Climatologist Barry  Keim says a winter advisory and a winter storm warnings are posted in  north and Central Louisiana. He says much of the state will experience some kind of  wintery precipitation. Keim says temperatures will struggle to get above the freezing mark  today in north Louisiana and only to the mid 30’s here in Cenla. Keim says while south Louisiana will avoid mixed precipitation that area  of the state will see a lot of rain today, with some areas getting as  much as two inches.

The State Department of Transportation is keeping a close eye on roads  in the northern half of the state as a result of the icy conditions that  are developing. DOTD Spokesperson Susan Stafford says they pretreated  roads to help prevent as many closures as possible.  Stafford says the crews are going to work around the clock to de-ice roads and remove fallen trees on roadways. Bridges and overpasses will  be closed though if conditions are found to be unsafe.

The former executive director for the Rapides  Parish Coliseum is on the  defensive  after a legislative auditors  report was released. That report shows Kimberly Neal overpaid herself about $30 thousand dollars over a three  year period. The  audit  shows  Neal being paid for unearned  leave  and  an  unauthorized  $1 an hour pay  raise.   She resigned from her job last year.

A manufacturing facility in Oakdale has been cited by the O.S.H.A after a fire last year severely burned a worker. The Government agency Monday cited Carol Callahan, doing business as Natural Advantage, for 19 serious violations at the facility. The alleged violations include overexposure to methylene chloride; failing to provide each worker with an appropriate respirator; and failing to implement procedures to detect chemical leaks. The company which makes flavorings for different food and drinks Is facing a fine ofl $91,000.

The Louisiana Democratic Party says it will push to increase the state's  minimum wage in the 2014 legislative session. Party Chair and New Orleans State Senator Karen Carter Peterson says raising the minimum  wage would help lift many people out of poverty and create an economy  that would work for all Louisianans.  Peterson says raising the minimum wage is a "no brainer" that national polls show over 70% of people support, including Republicans.

Starting in 2015, public school students in grades 3-through-8 will take  a new assessment test that will replace the end of the year LEAP exams.   Because this new test known as "PARCC," will be much different from the  LEAP, the state education department has released sample questions for

students & parents to see.  Hundreds of "PARCC" sample questions will be field tested in almost all

public school districts across the state.  The public can see sample  questions  at "P-A-R-C-C-on-Line-Dot-O-R-G." 

Prosecutors  in  the case against former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin told the jury in the  federal corruption trial yesterday morning this was a case of a mayor on the take.   The defense said the prosecution presented a highly misleading case.   The  21 count indictment trial is now in the hands of the jury.

Governor  Bobby  Jindal  was  on  hand  yesterday for the formal dedication of the Louisiana Digital Media  Center.  The  94-thousand square  feet  technology  hub  on  the  LSU  campus  will  house the Electronic  Arts  North  American Test center. Jindal says LSU  will also use the facility for high-performance computer research. The governor said the dedication of the Louisiana Digital Media Center shows that Louisiana is a  strong player in the software development industry.

An investigation by  the  state  fire  into  a fatal fire in central Louisiana  has resulted in the arrest of two teenagers.  A  fire  in Jonesville on  Friday  killed  36  year  old Kevin Wiley. State Fire Marshal  Butch  Browning  says  his investigators  developed  enough evidence that led to the arrest of Conner Thomas and Trey Seward. Browning confirms the two 17 year  old suspects knew the victim, but

a motive for the crime has not been released.

The state Department of Health and Hospitals  says  a  bad influenza season  in  Louisiana  could  get even worse. State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch  says  the  entire  stat is at risk. He  says  since  October 1st of last year, lab tests  have confirmed at least 53 deaths statewide from influenza.

News for Friday 020714

By Dave Graichen

A teacher in Monroe facing possible dismissal stemming from Governor Bobby Jindal's tenure law is filing a lawsuit in Monroe to fight it. That's not the only one.  The Louisiana  Federation  of Teachers has filed  a  lawsuit claiming the bill is unconstitutional.  Wednesday, the governor hinted he might make some changes to soften the current law.

Heroin  addiction  and  heroin  related deaths are reaching epidemic levels in Louisiana and throughout  the  country. Dr. Ken Roy is the founder and medical director of Addiction  Recovery Resources in New Orleans. He says between 60-80% of people that  come  in  for  detox these   days   are  intravenous  heroin  users. Roy says he hopes  high  profile  heroin  deaths,  such  as  Phillip Seymour  Hoffman's,  will  encourage  more  people  to  get help and treatment before it's too late.

Nobody  won  the  Powerball last night. The jackpot  for  Saturday's drawing now goes to $247 million.

An Utterly ridiculous story.. After about a year of record high prices for milk, Louisiana consumers can expect to see those prices go down soon because of the Farm Bill that President Barack Obama is prepared to sign today. Most dairies are predicting prices will go down between 35 and 50 cents..

Louisiana businesses could pay substantial tax penalties starting in 2015 because of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s rejection of Medicaid expansion, according to a new report by a national tax preparation firm. Jackson Hewitt estimated that the penalties could range between $41 million and $62 million  annually.  The study found, “States that do not expand Medicaid for adults leave their large employers exposed to higher employer ‘shared responsibility’ tax penalties” that are part of the federal Affordable Care Act.

Officials with the Texas Motor Speedway announce "The Duck Commander" as  the new title-sponsor of its annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series  race. The largest-attended, single-day sporting event in Texas will now  be called "The Duck Commander 500." Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie  Gossage says the race, which will be held April 6th, draws crowds in excess of 150,000 people.

A federal judge in Missouri has ruled drivers have a First Amendment right to flash their lights to alert oncoming motorists that a speed trap is up the road. But State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey says that  ruling  has  no  impact  on  Louisiana's law, which says it is illegal  to  flash  your  lights,  unless   it's   for  a  hazardous purpose. She  says if you flash your lights to warn other drivers  there  are officers nearby, you could be issued a citation.

The state Department of Health and Hospitals is unrolling a Parents as  Teachers program in North Louisiana which matches parents with trained  professionals who provide in-home support to families from the start of  a mother's pregnancy until the child enters kindergarten. Amy Zapata, the Director of the Bureau of Family Health with DHH says the goal of the PAT program is to support healthy  pregnancies and early child development for low income families who  qualify. She says the parent educators teach families how to stimulate  their child's early learning by facilitating activities that encourage  language development, intellectual growth and motor skills.

The  New  Orleans Arena has  officially  become  the  Smoothie  King Center.  Governor  Bobby  Jindal,  Mayor  Mitch Landrieu, Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson, along with Smoothie  King  owner  Wan Kim made  that  announcement  Thursday  morning.  They  say timing is right, because the NBA All-Star game is next weekend in  New  Orleans.

With  65 billion dollars coming to Southwest Louisiana  in  expected growth  including  the  massive Sasol engergy complex, local business leaders and public officials  want  answers  on how they can prepare for it.  Calcasieu Police Juror, Hal McMillin  says  2  studies  are being  conducted  and  the  reseachers  will also look at what local government can do in advance of the tremendous economic growth. McMillin says the studies should be completed in June.

An electrocution  at Cyprus Black Bayou Park in Benton Wednesday has killed one man, and  injured  two  others.  Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office Spokesperson Lt. Bill Davis told  the Louisiana Radio Network electrical  workers  were  doing  some  maintenance  work  when  the accident took place.  The names of the men have not been released as of yet.

The new Ouachita Parish Bridge project just got more expensive.  The Army Corps of Engineers says DOTD should find  three other locations to consider because of environmental concerns.

News for Wednesday 020514

By Dave Graichen

With Louisiana having a difficult time finding drugs  to  perform  a lethal  injection  against  a convicted child killer, Governor Bobby Jindal confirms the state is  examining  other  alternatives. Jindal says  expect to see legislation in the upcoming session,  addressing this issue. Christopher  Sepulvado  (suh PULL  vah  doe)  was  scheduled  to  be executed today for murdering his six year-old stepson.

Abortion rights supporters claimed success Tuesday as the state health agency scrapped new rules for outpatient abortion facility licensing, but said they remain leery of what comes next. The DHH suddenly canceled a planned Tuesday afternoon public hearing on the abortion clinic licensing standards.  According to a statement issued by DHH communications director Olivia Watkins, “There were problems with the wording.” Watkins said the rules would be revised “for consistency and clarity.” and the agency will issue “a revised rule and letter of intent at a later date”. No time frame was given for the revamp.

Louisiana's Ag Commissioner Mike Strain is happy Congress finally  approved a Farm Bill. The nearly 100-billion dollar a year measure heads  to President Barak Obama's desk, where he is expected to sign it. Strain  says the bill provides a safety net for farmers, who face unpredictable market and weather conditions.  Strain says the bill also aggressively restores U-S trade promotion

Citing a need for better communication among first responders, State Police officials announced Tuesday plans for a new statewide training system aimed at getting roads reopened more quickly following accidents. The Traffic Incident Management system developed by the Federal Highway Administration is already in place in 33 states. The system aims to make sure all first responders, police, fire, medical and even wrecker services, have the same training and information when arriving at an accident scene to streamline the process and reopen roads more quickly.

Two inmates who escaped from the  St.  Mary  Parish  Law Enforcement Center in Centerville are back in custody.  28 year old  Christopher Horton and 36 year old Joshua Folks escaped Sunday.  Horton  is a convicted  murderer,  while Folks was in prison for aggravated rape. The sheriff's office has  not  yet provided details on how they were captured.

Police  in  Welsh say caught a garbage man selling  drugs  from  the trash truck while  he was on his route. Authorities say says 33 year old Nicholas Coble  was  fired  after  he was booked on several drug  charges  for allegedly honking his horn outside  houses  where people would come  out  and  by  drugs.

Louisiana  State  Police  say  an  officer with the Lake  Providence Police Department is under arrest for  allegedly  offering to accept $50  from a person who was speeding in lieu of issuing  a  citation. Spokesman   Albert   Paxton   says   a  resident  of  Arkansas  told investigators the suspect pulled them  over  for  speeding on a Lake Providence Highway. Paxton says 51-year-old Clint Reed confessed that he  requested  and took  $50  instead  of  issuing the citation. He is charged with one

count of malfeasance in office.

A Lake Charles City  Councilman wants to have regulations on the new e-cigarettes.  Dana Jackson  says  the city should be careful on how easily people can get their hands on  them, especially since there's not a lot of research from the FDA to determine their safety of use. The council will review the proposal tomorrow and vote on Feb 19.

The  Baton  Rouge Police Department says a 30 year old man is  under arrest for allegedly  giving  his  girlfriend  a dose of heroin that lead to her death last month. They say Brandon Erick  was taken into custody Monday and is charged with second degree murder. 31 year old Leah Hutchinson and the suspect were found by officers passed out in a  car in December...both were taken to a hospital where  the  woman later died of an apparent drug overdose.

A man who used to fight fires himself is believed to have been found in the ashes of his own Loranger home  early  this morning according to State Fire Marshal Butch Browning. He says they  are working with the  coroner  to  determine  if  the deceased is 79 year old  George George Schilling. Browning says neighbors and family  told investigators Schilling was inside the home at the time of the blaze.

One of the most popular assistant coaches in the Who-Dat Nation will be  serving  as the Grand Marshal for the Krewe of Argus Parade. New Orleans Saints  Defensive  Coordinator  Rob  Ryan  will  be  rolling through Metairie on Fat Tuesday which is March 4th.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette announces they are now offering  courses online for certified teachers who want to mentor their peers.  ULL Curriculum Instruction Department head Dr. Peter Sheppard says educators can take this 12-hour, non-degree "Teacher Coaching" program  to fine tune their own expertise.  Sheppard says each of the four courses which, are structured to accommodate working teachers, is 7 weeks long and they all can be  completed in about 10 months. You can get more information on this program by emailing:  "online@louisiana.edu"

News For Monday 020314

By Dave Graichen

The Seattle Seahawks have won their first Super Bowl title, crushing the favored Denver Broncos 43-to-8.

Tyrone Lawton Doyle, who served as mayor of Glenmora for two decades, died Friday in Grace Home in Alexandria at the age of 75. Doyle was mayor for 20 years before retiring. He chose not to seek re-election in 2006. Funeral services for Doyle will be today in Glenmora.

Late Saturday night, a single vehicle crash claimed the life of a Sabine Parish Man. 19 year old Cody James Meaux of Converse was killed when his vehicle left highway 174, struck a tree and burst into flames.  It is unknown if Meaux was wearing his seatbelt.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Routine toxicology tests are pending.  The crash remains under investigation.

Boosted by a drop in the city’s murder rate and an endorsement from President Barack Obama, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has won a landslide victory in his bid for a second term. Landrieu had 64 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting in Saturday’s election.

Now that we have the record cold January behind us, what does winter  have in store for Louisiana this month? State Climatologist Barry Keim  says the forecast for February from the Climate Prediction Center calls  for warm and dry conditions. Keim says long range forecasts still leaves a lot to be desired but it's  better than flipping coins. Keim says drought conditions are moving through parts of the state right  now so while a warmer February would be welcome relief, Louisiana needs some rain.

The LHSAA has voted to keep the high school football playoffs split  between select and non-select schools, meaning there will once again be  nine state champions crowned in football next December. A motion to end  the split failed 208-to-93. Most private schools do not like the split the playoff system. Calvary  Baptist Football Coach John Bachman led the Cavaliers to a state  championship under the split playoff format last year, but he would  rather see public and private schools competing in the same playoffs. The split playoffs came about because dozens of public schools believed  that some private schools had an unfair advantage over them, because  they can select the students that attend their school.

 A statewide poll shows democratic Senator Mary Landrieu trailing GOP  Congressman Bill Cassidy in a head-to-head race. The Rasmussen Poll also  shows Landrieu in a dead heat with another republican challenger, state  representative Paul Hollis. But ULM Political Science Professor Joshua

Stockley says Rasmussen tends to favor republicans. The poll surveyed 500 likely Louisiana voters this week. Stockely says  although the Rasmussen poll may lean toward republicans, Senator  Landrieu should take note of it. The open primary election will  be November 4th and if it goes to a runoff election it would be on  December 6^th.

The Louisiana Family Forum is looking for the top 10 longest married  couples to be honored this Valentine's Day at the Governor's Mansion.  President Gene Mills says Norman and Norma Burmah of Marksville have won  the past two years. The couple has been married for 83 years.  He encourages people to nominate couples  married for 60, 70 or 80 years for the award. The deadline to enter a couple is  February 7th. Entries can be made by contacting the Louisiana Family   Forum with a wedding date and contact information.

A Baton Rouge legislator wants to remove from state law a provision that was found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court but still was used to arrest men agreeing to have consensual sex. Both the state’s sheriffs and district attorneys have indicated support for the change in Louisiana’s anti-sodomy law, but state Rep. Patricia Smith is getting opposition from the Louisiana Family Forum, a major political force among conservatives in state politics. Smith submitted the change in Louisiana law for consideration in the legislative session that opens March 10.

Everyone's favorite crew of Louisiana gator hunters are back tonight as  the History's reality series Swamp People returns for a 5th season. The  guys will be back on The Bayou tonight lead by swamp patriarch Troy  Landry who says this year the waters are filled with bigger and meaner  gators than ever before and  for season five, the prices are high and competition is out of control.

The Biloxi Police Department is investigating as a possible suicide the death of Morgan City Police Chief Travis Crouch, who was found dead from a single gunshot wound early Saturday morning.

The investigation is ongoing, and although authorities in Mississippi have not ruled it as a suicide, it is being investigated as a suspected suicide. Foul play is not suspected

Now that the Super Bowl is over, the next big US sporting event is the  NBA All-Star game, which will be played in New Orleans on February 16th.  Associate Executive Director of the NBA All-Star Host Committee, Jeff  Rossi, says while the game is the highlight of the weekend, there are  plenty of activities that will take place throughout the weekend. Rossi says they expect the All-Star weekend will attract 50-thousand  visitors to the Big Easy.

Congratulations are due for Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany — they’ve announced that they’re expecting a fourth child. They revealed the news about their fourth child, whose gender isn’t know yet, on the red carpet of a Super Bowl event on Saturday night.