News for Wednesday 043014

By Dave Graichen

Tomorrow is the National Day Of Prayer, an annual event that dates back to the early 1950’s. Among the activities, Three churches, Pentecostals of Alexandria, Calvary Baptist and Zion Hill Baptist, jointly organized a prayer event at the Alexandria Mall at noon.  A quick community-led prayer gathering is set for 12:20-12:40 p.m. on the steps of Pineville City Hall and a multi-church community prayer event is set for 6:30 p.m. at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville.

State officials are looking into allegations that Ball Police Chief Melvin Williams sexually harassed a Male Ball police officer, by sending explicit texts. Williams said he expects to be exonerated by the AG’s office. He said the allegations are “politically motivated.”

Dale Skinner, high school principal in Natchitoches Parish since 2010, was elected as the district’s next superintendent Tuesday. The 74 year old Skinner of Zwolle, was chosen after three rounds of voting by the Natchitoches Parish School Board, eliminating fellow finalists Eddie Jones of Florien and Ruth Kay of Provencal. He received eight votes and Kay one in the final vote, which included two abstentions. He’ll take the place of Derwood Duke, who announced in January that he would retire effective today.

In  response  to  House  Majority  Leader  Eric  Cantor's  call  for immediate  resignation  of  US Representative Vance McAllister.  The 5^th District congressman told Cantor  he will not resign before his eight month term is finished, since that  would make the second time in in less  than  a  year  that  the 5th Congressional  would  be  without representation.

A  propose law that would allow concealed carry  permit  holders  to bring  their  gun  into  certain  restaurants  that sell alcohol was approved by a Senate committee, Tuesday.  House Bill 72 is co-authored by Bossier City Representative Jeff Thompson.  He says people should be able to protect themselves at all times. The  bill,  which  has already passed the House, now  heads  to  the Senate floor.

Law enforcement groups and leaders from throughout the state gathered  in Baton Rouge Tuesday to collectively oppose a bill that seeks to  legalize medicinal marijuana. The legislation by New Iberia Senator  Fred Mills is on a Senate committee agenda today.

An effort to put limits on “payday” loans in Louisiana died Tuesday in the state Senate after some twists and turns. Senate Bill 84 fell six votes short on a 20-17 vote. The bill needed 26 votes after Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, dealt supporters a blow by declaring it required two-thirds’ approval.

A Washington man is facing drug charges  for  being in possession of nearly  1000  bags  of synthetic marijuana.  The St.  Landry  Parish Sheriff's Office arrested  25-year-old  Xavier  Bush,  Jr.  after  a

deputy  seized  five trash bags of various baggies from the trunk of his vehicle during  a  traffic  stop.   Bush is currently being held with no bond.

A  bill  that  would  toughen  the penalties for heroin  dealers  in Louisiana  passed  out  of a House  committee  Tuesday.   Senator  Dan Claitor's bill was amended  and  would now make the minimum

sentence for heroin distribution 10 years and  the  maximum would be 50 years. It now heads to the House floor.

Victims of domestic violence could not be discriminated against in housing under a measure that is on the way to the full state Senate. The Senate’s Committee on Judiciary A approved the legislation, one of a package of bills aimed at the growing domestic violence problem in the state. Under Broome’s bill, it would be unlawful to refuse to rent or sell any dwelling based solely on the individual is a victim of domestic abuse. The domestic abuse provision would be added to current law which deals with discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, and national origin.

Legislation that started out as a way  to  bring  back  the electric chair  as  a  way  of  executing a death row inmate was dramatically changed before it was approved  by a House committee.  The author of the  bill,  Metairie  Representative   Joe   Lopinto,   amended  the legislation so that the state can keep secret the type of drugs they use to perform an execution. Louisiana  and  other  states  are  seeking  other  ways  to perform executions,  because  the  makers  of  the drugs that are used in  a

lethal injection are no longer distributing their product because of negative publicity.  Lopinto's bill heads  to  the  House  floor for more discussion.

A  senate  bill  that  expands  the  state's ban on cockfighting was approved by the House Criminal Justice  Committee,  but  not  before some   interesting   testimony  by  a  self-proclaimed  cockfighting enthusiast.  James Demourelle  of  Ville  Platte told lawmakers that Jesus didn't have a problem with cockfighting. Lawmakers didn’t buy the argument. The bill passed and heads to the House floor.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe's Kitty Degree School of Nursing  has been ranked as the ninth best nursing school in the United States  by CollegeAtlas.org in its "A-List".  ULM was the only school in the state to make the top 10, and was one of  only two schools in the south to make the list.

Legislation that would establish the legal framework for surrogate births in Louisiana won quick approval by a Senate committee on Tuesday. HB187 applies only to a legally married man and woman who need a surrogate to carry their biological child because of medical problems. The couple would be the legal parents of the child. The parties would enter into a contract which would have to be approved by a court in advance of the embryo transfer.

LSU fans could be  getting  more  Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium. Athletic Director Joe Alleva says he's made it clear to the SEC that night games in Death Valley are an  important  tradition that should

to be recognized. The league is said to be in talks with networks to work to make that happen.

New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson has  given  his  full  support regarding NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's lifetime ban of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in light of racial comments. He  will ask the rest of the NBA owners to vote, forcing Sterling to sell his three fourths majority of the team.

News for Monday 042814

By Dave Graichen

After a round of strong storms on Sunday in north Louisiana, there is  another slight risk of severe weather for most of the state today. And  State Climatologist Barry Keim says that threat of severe weather  continues into tomorrow because of a slow moving cold front. Keim says a few tornadoes are possible with this severe weather and for that reason he expects that we'll see watches and warnings for severe weather pop  up throughout the day.

The full Senate will consider three bills today that deal with equal  pay. One of the items of legislation would require that private  employers pay men and women who do the same job, the same amount of

money. Julie Schwam Harris, spokesperson for the Legislative Agenda  for Women, says Louisiana has the second largest pay gap in the US. With women only earning 67 cents for every dollar a man makes with a comparable job.

The debate over whether optometrists can perform certain surgical  procedures is expected to be heard on the Senate floor this afternoon.  Doctor of Optometry James Sandifer says the bill is about getting more  eye care in rural areas and optometrists are allowed to perform these procedures in most other states. Ophthalmologists say having optometrists do these procedures puts  patients at risk because they don't have the proper medical school  training.

Congress returns from its two-week holiday recess today and its expected  US Representative Vance McAllister will be in DC for the 1st time since  video surfaced showing him kissing a married staffer. ULM Political  Science Professor Joshua Stockley says McAllister getting back to work  is a sign he's been able to survive the scandal for now. McAllister has not made any public appearances since the scandal broke.  But he issued an apology and the last written statement from his office  said he plans to return to D-C following the holiday recess.

The Iberville Parish Sheriff's office says five people with  connections to a fraudulent prescription drug ring were busted using  meds to make and distribute the street drug known as "purple drank."

Sheriff Brett Stassi says prescriptions were being sent out by nurses  at the Prime Heath Medical Center without the doctors knowledge. More arrests are expected.

LSU and Florida will remain a yearly date, even if one of them isn’t happy about it. The Southeastern Conference will continue to use its current eight-game football scheduling format for the foreseeable future, including the permanent cross-division game. It leaves the Tigers playing their annual game against Florida.LSU, along with other schools in the conference, had pushed for the elimination of the permanent cross-divisional rivalry. LSU has played Florida every year since 1971.

A fire tore through Bear Creek Saloon in Montpelier early Sunday, destroying the famed bar and music establishment hours after rock and country star Aaron Lewis graced the stage. State Fire Marshall Butch Browning says the fire began shortly after 3 a.m. and required more than 75 firefighters from several different fire departments to extinguish the blaze. Investigators will comb the scene today looking for a cause.

The 6th ranked LSU baseball team erupted for five runs in the eighth and  went on to beat Tennessee 9-4 to take two of three from the Vols during  their weekend series.

News for Thursday 042414

By Dave Graichen

The Senate Health and Welfare  Committee  overwhelmingly  rejected a push  to  expand Louisiana's Medicaid program.  Governor Jindal  has opposed the  expansion  because  he  thinks  it's a bad idea to move people from private insurance onto a government-run  program and the state should be more interested in reducing the number  of people on public  assistance.  The six to two vote, along party lines,  likely ends debate on the issue in the Senate this session.

Legislation that would require doctors and hospitals to keep brain-dead  pregnant women on life support until they give birth, regardless of the  family's wishes, is heading to the House floor. It passed out of the  House Health and Welfare Committee. New Orleans Representative Austin Badon says his bill gives an unborn child a voice.

According to a report based on 2012 Census data, Louisiana ranked 49^th  in the nation for lowest percentage of people who graduate from  college. The document from the Lumina Foundation indicated The Bayou  State graduates only 29% of the population.  Basically only 3 out of every 10 adults in Louisiana have an associate  or bachelor's degree according to the study. The study found that the only state with a lower percentage of people  who had a college degree was West Virginia.

A  bill  that  would expand the "Equal Pay for Women Act" to include men and apply to private sector employers passed in Senate Committee today.  SB 334 is  by  New  Orleans  Senator  Karen Carter Peterson. There  are  certain  exceptions  to  her measure when  it  comes  to senority  or  merit  based  pay systems.   Peterson  says  in  2010, Louisiana ranked 46th in the nation for lowest paid women.

Louisiana's government services are providing the third worst return in  investment based on the amount taxes Louisiana residents pay.  That's  according to Wallethub.com. Senior analyst John Kiernan says  Louisiana's tax rate is the 17th best in the country, which  is good. But he says the state ranks poorly in the areas of education  and infrastructure and health care, which leads to a poor return on  investment for taxpayers. Kiernan says only Arkansas and Mississippi received a lower ranking.

The Louisiana House advanced legislation Wednesday that would put Louisiana in compliance with post-911 federal rules. House Bill 907 would give the state’s residents the option of getting a Real ID. The IDs are identification cards and driver’s licenses whose authenticity is verifiable. Louisiana was one of 16 states not in compliant with federal Real ID standards.

Without debate, the state House on Wednesday rejected a proposal to require the election of the state superintendent of education. The vote was 40 in favor and 56 opposed. The constitutional amendment required 70 votes to pass.

The House Ag Committee will meet today to discuss a bill that would  allow the sale of raw milk from farmers to consumers. Carencro  representative Stephen Ortego says raw milk has the same health risks as  eating a hamburger or a raw oyster and can be beneficial to people that  are lactose intolerant. Ortego says the sale of raw milk is currently illegal because some  diseases in the turn of the century were found in it but those diseases  have now been eradicated in the United States.

In Lafayette Parish, no charges will be filed against a man who shot a  suspect  accused  of  abducting  his  cousin.  Assistant District Attorney  Pat  Magee says the grand jury declared  the  shooting  of Scott  Thomas by  Marcus  Arcenaux  was  a  "justifiable  homicide". Police say  that  in November, Thomas abducted Bethany Arceneaux and held her for 2 days  before  relatives  found  her.   Witnesses  say Thomas was shot while attacking Arceneaux during her rescue.

First  is was rejected, then it was brought back to the legislature, and this time it passes.  Baton Rouge Senator Dan Claitor decided to bring  back  his  bill  to  prohibit  flying  drones  --  with  some exceptions  for  agriculture,  security,  and  film  production.  He said he wanted to better explain it. Well, those  explanations  from Claitor worked, as the bill passed  22-16.It now heads to the House.

Two people were killed in a train  versus car accident in Caddo Parish after a train accident in Caddo Parish  yesterday afternoon.  Caddo Parish Sheriff's deputies report  that  the  railroad crossing  arms  were  down on Stage Coach Road when the unidentified elderly driver attempted to go  around  them.  Both the driver and passenger were killed in the impact.

Marathon Petroleum Corp. said it is taking the next step toward a potential $2.2 billion to $2.5 billion upgrade to the company’s Garyville refinery and expects to make a final decision on the project by early 2015. The St. John the Baptist Parish project would create 65 new direct jobs, with an average annual salary of $115,000 per year, plus benefits. The company plans to file permit applications for the potential project with Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality at the end of April, having completed feasibility studies on the project.

A state panel would recommend changes in how public school teachers are evaluated under a bill approved Wednesday in the House Education Committee. The proposal is House Bill 415 by state Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe. It next faces action on the House floor. Hoffmann was the key sponsor of a 2010 state law that links teacher job reviews to the growth of student achievement. A 2012 state law ties those evaluations to a form of job security called tenure. Backers say the changes will improve student achievement by improving teacher quality.

After qualifying to the postseason three times and appearing in the divisional round twice since winning Super Bowl XLIV a little more than four years ago, it was virtually a foregone conclusion that the New Orleans Saints would get their fair share of primetime games in 2014. The NFL’s schedule makers did not disappoint, revealing on Wednesday that they had given the Black and Gold at least five primetime games this season, which is more than usual.

News for Tuesday 042214

By Dave Graichen

The former executive director of the Rapides Parish Coliseum is facing  theft and malfeasance charges. Kimberly Neal-Townley was booked into the  the Rapides Parish jail yesterday. Lt. Tommy Carnline says after a year  long investigation that included a review from the legislative auditor's  office, Neal-Townley is facing several criminal counts. The legislative auditor's office report came out in February and alleges  Neal-Townley paid herself 30-thousand for hours she did not work and  for leave hours she did not earn. The audit also says Townley gave  herself a pay raise without coliseum authority. Neal-Townley served as the executive director of the coliseum from 2010  until she resigned in February 2013.

A shooting in Colfax has left one woman dead, and a man charged with her death.  Seventy year-old  Loretta  Williams  was shot and killed over the weekend.  Twenty-six year old Alex Hall was  identified  as the  alleged  shooter,  and  he's  been  charged  with second-degree murder.

An accident yesterday on Barron Chapel Rd in Pineville claimed the life of 38 year old Brenda Starns of Holden. Starns was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 18 year old Trinity Sullivan. Sullivan was arrested and was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center.  State Police suspect Sullivan was driving impaired, but routine toxicology tests are pending. An investigation continues

A Shreveport lawmaker said Monday he’s scrapping his proposal to name the Bible as Louisiana’s official state book. Republican Rep. Thomas Carmody told the House of Representatives that he wouldn’t pursue the measure. He said lawmakers had told him they were worried the bill was becoming a distraction from more important debates, like on the state budget and education issues.

A State Judiciary Committee  will hear a bill by New Orleans Senator JP  Morrell  Tuesday that would  lessen  the  penalty  of  marijuana possession to  a max 6 months in prison and a $100 fine -- no matter the  number  of offenses.   It  faces  strong  opposition  from  the Louisiana District  Attorney Association and Executive Director Pete Adams who says the bill takes discretion away from DAs who often use marijuana possession  offenses  as a tool to remove career criminals from the streets.  Morrell says if his bill passes,  it  would  save  the  state millions of dollars each year.

Retirement eligibility would change for state employee and teachers hired after July 1 under a bill that cleared the Louisiana House on Monday. The retirement age would increase to 62 with at least five years of service, Today it is age 60 years of age with at least five years. The House voted 91-3 for House Bill 38.

With   Monday’s   check   on  gas  prices,  the  American  Automobile Association says the current  statewide  average  for  a  gallon  of regular  is $3.49. That's up over 4 cents from last Monday and up 20 cents from this time last month.

Tickets for the  New  Orleans  Jazz and Heritage Festival are now on sale. The price is now $55 for any  single  day ticket but if you're waiting to see what the weather will do, you'll  have  to pay $70 at

the gate for the shows which begin this Friday.

Ninety-nine  runners  from Louisiana participated in yesterday’s  Boston Marathon, the first one  since  last  year's deadly bombing near the finish  line.   One  of  the athletes was the  son  of  Colonel  Mike

Edmonson, the Commander of  the  Louisiana  State  Police. It  took  Michael  Edmonson  Junior  about three hours to finish the 26-mile race.

The full House approves a bill that would require abortion clinics to  provide a pamphlet to women seeking an abortion that describes the  possible psychological effects of ending a pregnancy.  The bill passed on an 80 to 10 vote.

The St. Landry Parish  Sheriff's  office  has identified the man who attacked a woman last week in Opelousas with  a cane knife and ended up dying during the attack.  His name is 52-year-old  Phillip Manuel of Opelousas.  A cause of death is not known and it's also not known if  Manuel  knew  his victim.  The sheriff's office says the  victim remains in stable condition, recovering from her wounds.

The state Senate rejected legislation Monday that would restrict the use of unmanned aircraft in Louisiana. Senate Bill 330, which died with 15 voting for it and 21 voting against it, was an attempt to sync Louisiana law with evolving technology. Other states already have adopted legislation addressing drones. The Federal Aviation Administration is trying to figure out how drones can coexist with commercial airplanes.

A Bunkie man tried to escape Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents Wednesday by swimming across a bayou, but he was quickly caught while in the water. 30 year old Shannon Stevenson jumped into Bayou Rouge near Bunkie after agents tried to check his license as Stevenson was fishing from more than 140 crawfish traps from the bayou's banks.

There's some good news out regarding the New Orleans  Saints defense today.  The Black and Gold has announced exercising the  fifth  year option  for  Pro-Bowl  Defensive  End  Cameron  Jordan.  Twenty-five year-old Jordan led the Saints with 12 and a half sacks last season.

The LSU baseball team is ranked in the top 10 in three of the major  college baseball polls heading into a five game home stand. The Tigers  have  won 10 of their last 12 and in 11 of those games they have given  up 5 runs or fewer.

News for Thursday 041714

By Dave Graichen

Members of the House Criminal Justice committee shot down a proposal to  allow  some teachers and administrators to carry a gun on school campuses. The legislation is by Chalmette Representative Ray Garofalo who says he's just trying to make  criminals  think  twice  before going on a killing  spree  at  a  school. But he recognized there was  lots  of opposition to the bill so he voluntarily deferred.

Speaking of guns, legislators  won't be allowed to carry them around while  they work at the Capitol either.  The  discussion  was  quite heated on  the  Senate  Floor  as both sides argued about Senate Bill 651 that would allow  lawmakers  to  carry  guns  at the Capitol. It ended up failing by a vote of 23-12.

Leah Gordon, the staff member of Congressman Vance McAllister who is accused of leaking the video of the congressman’s scandalous kiss, has resigned as his Monroe District Office manager.

Adam Terry, McAllister’s chief of staff, confirmed her resignation late Wednesday. He said Gordon wasn’t fired and went on to say they won’t terminate or discipline any employee until after an internal investigation of the security breach is complete.

It's been  almost four years since the BP oil spill, and Wednesday it was announced that the "active" clean-up following the Deepwater Horizon disaster has  come  to an end. BP says that they will continue to be available should any  more  oil  show up on the Louisiana coastline. (More than $14 billion dollars was spent in the clean-up effort)

Two bodies were found inside a vehicle that was on fire in Vermilion Parish. Sheriff's deputies made the gruesome discovery around 9 Thursday morning.  Major Darryl LeBlanc, with the Vermilion Parish  Sheriff's Department  says it will take a while before they are able to get an ID on the victims. LeBlanc says the deaths are currently considered to be suspicious.

State Police say a man was fatally shot by law enforcement with  the Tangipahoa  Parish  Sheriff's  office  in  order  to  stop  him from attacking his 70-year-old mother.

East  Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Deputies say a fight between  two step brothers  resulted  in  one shooting and killing the other. The shooter  claimed he was acting in self-defense.

The University  of  Louisiana  at Monroe has been ranked by Business Insider Magazine as the most underrated  college in Louisiana. There were  50 colleges along with ULM on the underrated  list  which  had great  academics,   high   acceptance   rates  and  strong  in-state populations…

A Louisiana House-passed measure that would ban use of photo speed enforcement devices on Louisiana’s interstate highways neared final legislative passage Wednesday. The Senate Transportation and Public Works Committee - without objection - sent House Bill 896 to the Senate floor for approval.

 The House Education Committee approves a bill that gives public schools  the authority to put up nativity scenes and Christmas trees as part of a  holiday display. The author of the measure is Shreveport Representative  Alan Seabaugh, who says it's the Merry Christmas bill.  Seabaugh says he gets calls every year from public schools, asking if  they can have a Christmas play or put up a Christmas tree. He says the  Supreme Court has ruled that it's not a violation of church and state

 and therefore he would like it written into state law.

LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva has announced some additions to the LSU  football  schedules.  The "home and home" series with  Syracuse University will  have the Tigers travel to the Carrier Dome in  2015, then a return to Tiger Stadium against the Orange in 2017.

News for Tuesday 041514

By Dave Graichen

The Louisiana College board of trustees is meeting on campus today to discuss among things the future of it’s president Dr. Joe Aguillard. The 34 members will decide if Aguillard will be removed or given a new contract. About 50 Louisiana College alumni, students, faculty and community members joined hands in prayer for the private Baptist school in Pineville on Monday, as well as looking for guidance with the board’s decision.

A  spokesperson for Republican former congressman  Rodney  Alexander says  that he does not intend to run for his old congressional seat, currently  held  by  embattled  congressman Vance McAllister.  Robin Keller, Alexander's spokesperson says that Alexander has no interest in the 5th District seat.  Alexander  gave up the congressional seat last year to become Governor Jindal's veteran affairs secretary.

Chilly weather is back in the bayou state today as a result of that  strong cold front that produced severe weather across the state  yesterday. A damaging storm ripped though the town of Gautier (goh-SHAY) Mississippi last night toppling trees and destroyed or damaged up to 30 RV trailers at a local campground. State Climatologist Barry Keim says make sure you have a  jacket with you today as highs will only be in the low 60s.  Keim says the cold weather will last until tomorrow and there's a chance  we can break some record lows tomorrow as temperatures will dip into  the 30s for much of the state.

Today is tax day and there are millions of Americans who still haven't  filed and are waiting till the last minute. The IRS says if you plan to file  electronically, it must be done by midnight tonight. If you make less than $58,000 a year, you can log on to  irs.gov and choose from 14 different commercial software companies and  file your federal taxes for free. By the way, Three out of four filers get refunds  and they are issued within 21 days for the most part.

In a survey of 600 likely voters in the 6th district congressional race,   52-percent said they would NOT vote for former governor Edwin Edwards.  31-percent said they would vote for him, while 17-percent are undecided.  LSU Political Science Professor Kirby Goidel says the survey has 11-percent voting for Paul Dietzel and another 11-percent for state  senator Dan Claitor.  Goidel feels that Edwards is actually sitting in a  strong position to at least make a runoff election .

A  man who kidnapped a school bus driver in Baton Rouge at  gunpoint  surrendered  to  authorities  after  a stand-off that lasted for several hours. The BRPD SWAT team was called out to the house just a block away from an elementary school where 37 year old Jock Jones was holding the female bus driver hostage.  He eventually gave himself up without incident.

A distracted driver texting on a cell phone crashed his car into the back of a Calcasieu  Parish  School Bus on Highway 171 Monday morning. One of the injuries was reportedly  a  child  on  the bus.  Nineteen year-old  Tyler Moses of Longville-who was also injured-was  charged with texting  while driving, careless operation, and failure to stop for a school bus.

The Lafayette Police Department  says  they have interviewed the two men  who found the phone of a woman whose  body  was  discovered  in Girard  Park  early  Sunday.  The  two are not considered persons of interest  in  the  death  of  21-year-old   Alexandria   Shelton  of Lafayette.  The  cause  of  death  of  the  woman  has  not yet been released, however police are now saying  her death was not the result of a homicide. The investigation continues.

Former  LSU  linebacker  Tahj  Jones is recovering  after  a  second surgery Sunday afternoon from a  gunshot  wound.  Jones  was shot in the abdomen late Friday  night  allegedly  by  another former  LSU  football  player, Brandon Winey.  Winey was arrested  Saturday  and  charged  with one count of second degree attempted murder.

A man who is suspected of being  an  armed  robber  in  at least two cases  in  Northwest  Louisiana  was apprehended after a long  chase through Caddo Parish Sunday night. Several  agencies  were involved in the chase of Terry Leroy Smith who ended up being shot  by  officers after  he  allegedly  pointed  a  gun  at them. His injuries are not considered life threatening and he faces  a  laundry list of charges when he gets out of the hospital.

A bill that would require dogs to be secured  in  the  beds of pickup trucks traveling on interstates cleared committee 13-2  yesterday.  The legislation heads to the full house.

News For Friday 041114

By Dave Graichen

Several local businesses were recognized Thursday at the Central Louisiana Torch Awards.  The awards, presented by the Better Business Bureau, recognize local companies and nonprofits in areas such as integrity and customer service. This Year’s winners were:  Hixson Brothers Funeral Home for Integrity. Chick-fil-A for customer Commitment, The nonprofit Award went to St. Mary’s Residential Training School of Alexandria and finally, the Good Neighbor Award went to Our parent company, Cenla Broadcasting. Congratulations to all involved.

No raise in the $7.25 minimum wage in Louisiana this year. A series of bills that would have done just that failed to pass out of the House Labor committee on Thursday. Dawn Starns, state director of the National Federation of Independent  Business, testified a higher minimum wage in the state would lead to lay-offs and higher prices for  consumers.

Gov. Bobby Jindal bolstered the Louisiana Republican Party’s call Thursday for 5^th district congressman  Vance McAllister to resign in the wake of a “kissing congressman” controversy.  The governor, in a prepared statement said “Congressman McAllister’s behavior is an embarrassment and he should resign. He says he wants privacy to work on his issues with his family. The best way to get privacy and work on putting his family back together is to resign from Congress. Earlier in the day, the GOP made a similar request.

A bill that would name the Holy Bible as the official state book of Louisiana passes out of a House committee yesterday. The measure passed on an 8-5 vote and now heads to the house floor.

Federal officials have warned Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration that it will withhold $307 million in Medicaid money from the state if no agreement has been reached on financing plans for the privatized LSU hospitals. Jindal’s health secretary, Kathy Kliebert, said Thursday the announcement was expected because of continuing negotiations over financing plans for uninsured care at LSU hospitals that have been privatized. Most of LSU’s charity hospitals were turned over to private managers, but federal officials haven’t decided yet whether they’ll agree to the money arrangements used to pay the new hospital operators.

The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team is calling for a  below-average hurricane season. C-S-U researcher Phil Klotzbach says  they anticipate nine named storms and only three hurricanes this year.  Klotzbach says an El Nino will likely develop in the Pacific, which will  effect storm development in the Atlantic. The report also includes the probability of major hurricanes making

landfall on US soil and Klotzbach says there's a 19-percent chance of a  Category 3 or higher hurricane hitting the gulf coast.

One of the state's largest festivals gets underway today, The  Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival gets underway at 4:00 today and it's estimated to attract 200-thousand people over the next three days.

Tax Day is just a few days away, which means thousands of Louisiana  taxpayers will spend this weekend filling out their tax forms. I-R-S  spokeswoman Lea Crusberg says once you get your paperwork together  electronic filing may be the way to go. The deadline for filing your taxes is midnight on April 15. Crusberg says if you need to file for an extension, it is easy to get one. But, that will not let you off the hook for your tax bill.

The presence of LSU Athletics generated almost $400 million dollars in  new sales and $119 million in new household earnings for the four  parishes surrounding the university in 2012. That's according to a  study conducted but former LSU economics professor Dr. Loren Scott. He  says these numbers are quadruple what they were in 2002.

Good news for crawfish lovers. As temperatures are finally starting to  warm up, the supply of crawfish is heating up and the price is going  down. The size of the mud bugs are still rather small. But, the President of the Crawfish Farmers Association David Savoy says they should be getting larger as the weeks go by. 

News for Wednesday 040914

By Dave Graichen

Sad story today out  of  Winnfield.  Winn  Parish  Sheriff  Cranford Jordan (Jerdon) says the search for a three year old little boy  who fell  into  a creek Monday has ended with the boy’s body being found. He says they received the 911 call around  10:30  am  Monday about a child who had fallen into the water. Jordon says the boy slipped under  a  culvert and he drowned.

5^th district congressman Vance McAllister in an exclusive interview with The (Monroe) News-Star, said he asked his wife, Kelly, and their five children for forgiveness weeks ago, before the release Monday of a video showing him kissing another woman. He said the relationship was “absolutely” his first infidelity.

So how might the Vance McAllister kissing video scandal affect the election for the 5th District Seat coming up this fall? Political analyst Elliott  Stonecipher says this might be the end of McAllister. Stonecipher believes the reason someone wanted to tarnish McAllister's reputation is so that more candidates would jump into the Congressional  race. He feels state Senator Neil Riser, who was Bobby Jindal's choice  for the job in the 2013 special election, will pop back up. Stonecipher  believes the Jindal Administration and Timmy Teeple are behind this. Stonecipher says there's also a rumor that Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo has  an interest in yanking McAllister's family values platform.

The  Rapides  Parish  Sheriff's  Office  says two deputies have been arrested and fired for allegedly engaging  in  inappropriate  sexual behavior  with  an inmate at the jail. Spokesman Tommy Carnline says the  charges  are against  56-year-old  John  William  Benjamin  and 51-year-old Donald Weston. Carnline says Benjamin and Weston were each charged with Malfeasance in Office and Prohibited Sexual Contact with an inmate.

The senate health and welfare committee gives unanimous approval to  legislation that would give hospitals the ability to NOT hire someone  just because that person smokes. The bill by New Orleans Senator David  Heitmeier has the support of the hospital industry. Catherine Levendis,  with the Ochsner Health System, spoke in favor of the bill.  Levendis says hospitals are also interested in implementing a tobacco  free living policy for its workers, because they want to protect  patients from known carcinogens that could be found on a smoker's  clothes, hair or skin.

A  bill  that  would  ban unmanned aircraft devices from flying over chemical plants or water  facilities  passed  in  a Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. Baton Rouge Senator Bodi White's says he bill would make  it  illegal  use  a  drone  to take surveillance of  "critical infrastructure sites" without prior written consent of the owner. The   measure  advanced  to  full  Senate  without objection.

A senate committee approves legislation that would allow lawmakers who  possess a concealed handgun permit to bring their gun into the state  capitol. Franklin Senator Brent Allain says legislators should have the  ability to protect themselves. He says the proposed law requires an  armed legislator to undergo annual firearms training. The measure passed on a five-to three vote and heads to the Senate  floor.

The  latest  campaign  finance reports show US Senator Mary Landrieu continues to our raise her main republican challenger in the 2014 US Senate race. Landrieu's campaign says the Senator raised 1.8 million dollars  in  the first three  months  of  2014,  while  Baton  Rouge Congressman  Bill   Cassidy  collected  1-point-2  million  dollars. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat  says you can expect  to start seeing the money being spent on ads here in about two or three months.

Penalties would go up dramatically in vehicular homicide cases involving accidents in which two or more people die under a bill headed to the Senate floor. The Senate Committee on Judiciary C approved the measure Tuesday under which the offender would be sentence separately for each victim. In addition, the sentences would run consecutively. Senate Bill 148 would also include the unborn who dies along with a pregnant woman as a feticide victim. The feticide provision was added in committee.

Representatives from all 32 NFL teams are in Baton Rouge today to scout  LSU players that are eligible for next month's draft. It's a big day for  quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who is expected to throw in front of  scouts, for the first time since tearing his A-C-L in November. NFL  draft analyst Mike Detillier says LSU will have 20 former players participating in a variety of drills  during today's Pro Day. Detillier says there's only one sure first round  pick out of the group and that's wide receiver Odell Beckham junior.

News for Monday 040714

By Dave Graichen

A new poll on Louisiana's US Senate race shows Senator Mary Landrieu leading  three  republican  challengers.  In a survey of 600 voters, 39-percent favored her, while 26-percent preferred  GOP  Congressman Bill Cassidy. State representative Paul  Hollis  and retired air force colonel Rob Maness received single digit support  in  the  poll.  28-percent  of respondents said they were undecided.

A look ahead to the 2015 governor's race shows a statistical tie between  republican senator David Vitter and democratic New Orleans Mayor Mitch  Landrieu. Vitter is running, while it's unknown if Landrieu will run. UL  Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross doesn't expect  Landrieu to run, so it's Vitter's race to lose. In the Magellan Strategies poll of 600 voters, Vitter received support  from 28-percent of the respondents, 26-percent said they would vote for  Landrieu and another 13-percent backed republican Lt. Governor Jay  Dardenne.

Grambling  State  President  Frank Pogue announces he's retiring and his last day at the university is June 30th. Pogue says when he came out of retirement to take the  job as GSU's president, he planned to stay for five years, but that wasn’t to be. Pogue  says  the  last  few  years  have  been  challenging  as  the university's state funding was cut by  more  than 56-percent.

Today marks the start of Work Zone Awareness Week and the State  Department of Transportation is asking motorists to slow down in  construction zones and pay attention. DOTD Secretary Sherri LeBas says  this awareness week makes drivers more mindful of safety issues on the  road. Based on the latest statistics available, 609 people nationwide lost  their lives in construction zones in 2012 and 12 were from Louisiana.

The bill that will create a penalty for throwing cigarette butts from a  vehicle is set to come up on the House floor today. State Representative  Patrick Connick says he wants to clarify the law and make cigarette  butts count as a form of litter. Under the proposed law, violators would be fined 300 dollars and ordered  to perform eight hours of community service. The Marrero rep says  when the bill was discussed in committee there was no opposition because  lawmakers seem to understand this is an issue.

A bill that a lawmaker from Opelousas fears will ruin the sport of  chicken boxing is scheduled to come up on the Senate floor today. The  legislation by New Orleans Senator JP Morrell expands Louisiana's ban on  cockfighting by applying all chickens to the law and also making it  illegal to own such paraphernalia. Senator Elbert Guillory opposes.  Guillory says under Senate Bill 523, anyone who owns any type of  aggressive chicken would be breaking the law which he calls ludicrous.  He says it's time for everyone in Louisiana to realize that "chicken  boxing" is a real sport and it's perfectly legal.

State Senator Bret Allain, R-Franklin, wants legislators to be able to pack a pistol in the State Capitol chambers and committee rooms. According to the lawmaker, they make votes  all the time that are controversial, that sometimes upset groups of people. He think that legislators as a whole should have the same right to protect themselves as judges and Da’s Allain submitted Senate Bill 651 just before the filing deadline for new legislation. The bill must be debated in the next two months in order to reach the governor’s desk.

News for Thursday 040314

By Dave Graichen

An unidentified man died Wednesday morning after being struck by a train in Ball.  Authorities report the engineer of the Union Pacific train saw a pedestrian walking northbound along a train track as he rounded a corner. The train’s whistle was blown, but the man, who appeared to be in his early 20, did not respond. He was struck by the train and killed. It’s reported he was wearing headphones with loud music playing.  Ball police believe the man may have been homeless or someone who lives in the area.

A public meeting is set for today to present information about an upcoming city of Alexandria election for a tax to fund recreation and the Alexandria Zoo. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Alexandria Senior High School. The election on May 3 will ask Alexandria residents to vote on a proposal for a 6-mill property tax. Three mills would be dedicated to funding recreation and three to the zoo.

Legislation that would allow concealed carry permit holders to bring their  gun  inside  a restaurant that sells alcohol now heads to the House Floor. House Bill  72  by  Metairie Representative Joe Lopinto passed in House Criminal Justice by  a  9-4  vote.

A  jury  of  six  men  and six women have found a child sex offender from North Louisiana  guilty.  Brian Horn was found guilty yesterday afternoon of  kidnapping  and  killing 12 year-old Justin Bloxum in 2010.  It took the jury less than one hour to  come  to that verdict after closing arguments.  Horn is eligible for the death penalty.

Gas prices statewide have increased by more than 10 cents in the past  month. The American Automobile Association Fuel Analyst Don Redman says  the average price in Louisiana right now is about $3.35 because  refineries are switching from a winter blend to a summer blend of gas  but Redman says they aren't expecting prices to skyrocket.  Redman says he hopes the max high for gas prices in our state will be  about $3.50 a gallon.

The House Criminal Justice committee will hear a bill today that would  reduce the maximum prison sentence for those who are convicted of  possessing marijuana on multiple occasions. House Bill 14 would reduce maximum prison time on a 3rd pot possession  conviction to five years and beyond that the max would be eight years  in prison. Under current law, someone who has three or more  convictions  of possession of marijuana could be sentenced to a maximum 20 years in  jail.

A huge parade and party is happening on Fort Polk today to honor the  members of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division who recently  returned from their nine-month deployment in Afghanistan. Anne Causey is  the Executive Director of the Greater Vernon Parish Chamber of Commerce, she says everything kicks off today at 1pm. The public is invited to attend all of the day’s events.

A lawmaker from Opelousas  is  concerned  legislation  headed to the Senate  floor  that  broadens Louisiana's ban on cockfighting  would interfere with the sport  of  chicken  boxing. Senate Bill 523 would make possessing any type of cockfighting paraphernalia a felony. But Senator Elbert Guillory says the Baton Rouge  Senator  JP  Morrell's law  would  criminalize chicken boxing. Guillory  compared  chicken boxing to human kick boxing and said it's perfectly legal. The plea was on deaf ears, Morrell's bill ended up passing 4-2.

Houma police say the  pit  bull  responsible  for  the  death  of  a 4-year-old  little  girl last week did not have rabies. The test was requested after the animal  viciously attacked Mia DeRouen who later

died at a local hospital from  injuries to her head and neck. Police say the investigation is still ongoing,  but Animal Control reported the dog cannot be tested for steroids because he is dead.

If  you like to dance, check  this  out.  Coming  up  this  Saturday producers  of  the squeal to the movie Pitch Perfect are looking for Louisiana male and  a female dancers for the film. A casting call is

set for 11am-6pm Saturday  at  Ric  Seeling's  Dance Studio in Baton Rouge.

Police  in  New Orleans are investigating the discovery  of  a  dead Reserve couple,  whose  bodies  were  pulled  from  the Intracoastal Waterway in New Orleans East.  Authorities think that  they  may have been  murdered,  as  both  victims  were  found  bound.  The body of twenty-nine  year old Lakeitha Joseph was found several  weeks  ago, and Kenneth Joseph's body was found about a week ago.

If you're  going  to  break into a home, don't try and do it while a U.S. Attorney is walking  his dog.  Especially if it's U.S. Attorney James Green. He was on that  walk  when  he  saw  a  man  trying  to

burglarize  a relative's home in Baton Rouge. Judge Green confronted the man, they  struggled,  and  the  suspect fled.  Police caught up with  58  year-old  Sidney J. Parker and  charged  him  with  simple burglary and simple battery.

The Super Bowl of wrestling is coming to New Orleans this weekend.  Wrestlemania 30 will be held at the Mercedes Benz Super Dome on Sunday.   StubHub Spokesperson Cameron Papp says ticket sales are going really  well for this event.  Papp says a big draw to Wrestlemania this year is the location. He says  people are eager to visit New Orleans and a lot of visitors from Texas  and New York are expected to attend.

News For Tuesday 040114

By Dave Graichen

The APD reports a shooting Monday afternoon near Chester Street has left one person dead. Around 12:45 p.m., the department responded to a shots fired call near the 100 block of Chester Street. A victim found at the scene was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The victim's identity hasn't been released pending notification of the family. The investigation is ongoing.

The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office reports the arrest of a man from Ball,  who  allegedly  had repeated sexual relations with a juvenile victim thirty times.  Twenty-three  year old Devon Paul Lockhart was charged with 30 counts of carnal knowledge  of  a  juvenile.  He was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center with  a bond of $150 thousand  dollars.

The Turner Street YMCA has closed indefinitely due to lack of funding. The iconic facility has been a fixture in Alexandria since it opened in 1967, but recent financial trouble left the YMCA of Central Louisiana needing an infusion of cash to keep it open. Board members still hold out hope that donations to reopen Turner Street will materialize. Between $150,000 and $200,000 is needed.

Practically all of Cleco’s customers had power restored Monday afternoon after strong storms hit the area this weekend. According to Cleco’s online outage report, only one customer, in Allen Parish, was without power by 6 p.m. Monday.

Baker Police say they are investigating a Friday night shooting at a birthday  party  that  claimed  the lives of 3 teenagers. They say a 16-year-old, who will be tried as  an  adult according to the DA, is

in custody accused in the murders. The incident  took  place  during the private party with the suspect allegedly just fired into an open crowd.

A  Deridder  woman is dead and her crazed boyfriend is under  arrest for her Saturday  night  strangulation death inside her home.  Caddo Parish Sheriff's Deputies were able to track down 40 year-old Jeremy A. Bunch in Shreveport, then  transported  him  back  to  Beauregard Parish to face charges for allegedly killing 40 year-old Mandy Kirl. Bunch has been charged with second-degree murder.

The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's  office says they've identified a body found in False River as a woman  with dementia who went missing from  a  New Roads nursing home last week.  Investigators  say  Isla Lazare went  out  to smoke a cigarette on March 27th then never came back. She was found in the River this weekend and the cause of death was drowning officials say.

The House of Representatives approves legislation that would require abortion doctors to have admitting  privileges at nearby hospitals. Opponents  argued when the legislation  was  discussed  in  a  House committee that  this  measure  will  close  five  abortion  clinics, leaving just two open in the Shreveport area. But when the bill  was brought  up  for  discussion  on  the  House  floor,  no  one voiced opposition and it passed easily. The bill is heading to the Senate for their approval.

A business magazine called "Area Development" ranks Louisiana in the top   5   in   numerous   categories,   including  overall  business environment, most cooperative state government  and  overall cost of doing business. Greater New Orleans Inc President Michael Hecht says it's  a third-party validation of the work being done here  to  make Louisiana a business friendly state. Hecht says  he  even  has consultants that say Louisiana is a better place to do business than Texas.

A gay  rights  bill  that would have added sexual orientation to the Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act as a list of things property owners can't use to turn  people  away  for  housing was shot down in House Commerce committee yesterday. The vote against the measure was 13-5.

300 jobs are coming to a small town in Webster Parish as a company from  Texas plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Springhill.  IntegriCo Composites announced plans to build a $20 million plant that  will produce railroad ties, rail crossings and industrial mats. The new manufacturing facility will create an annual salary of $35,000 plus benefits for employees.

A bill that  would ban employers and school officials from requiring log-in information  from applicants and students passes in the House Commerce Committee Monday.  Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says people should feel free to post  whatever  they want on their social media sites without their superiors knowing  about  it. The bill now heads to the House floor.

Citing the rising number of heroin overdoses and subsequent deaths, State Senator Dan Claitor says his legislation to increase the penalty on those distributing the drug will be taken up in Senate Judiciary committee today. The Baton Rouge lawmaker says the sentence for the crime use to be life in prison which the legislature moved away from years ago. Under Senate Bill 87, the maximum term of imprisonment at hard labor  for the manufacture, distribution or possession with intent to  distribute heroin would increase from 50 years to 99 years.

A plan to reward Louisiana colleges and universities with increased funding for every engineering, computer science or other in-demand degree cleared its first hurdle Monday when the measure passed through the House Appropriations Committee. House Bill 1033 creates the Workforce and Innovation for a Stronger Economy Fund, commonly called WISE — a $40 million pool of money Louisiana schools would compete over. Institutions would be able to draw money from the fund based on the type of research they conduct and the number of students who graduate with degrees in fields that match the needs of the state’s economy.

The  state  House Transportation Committee approves legislation that would prohibit  using  cameras  to  issue  traffic  tickets on state highways. The measure now heads to the House floor.

Individuals who  attack  referees  or  officials  at a youth athletic event will face larger fines under legislation that passed the House on  a  93-to-1  vote.  The  senate  will  now  decide  whether Henry's bill that calls  for higher fines for punching or shoving an official should become law.

Another deadly drunk  driving  incident  from over the weekend.  Two people are dead and three others injured following  an  early Sunday morning  crash  on I-10 on the new Mississippi Bridge.  The  victims are 26 year-old Johnny  Galmon  and  19  year-old  Kandace Cox.  The driver; 38-year-old Derick Matthews was arrested on numerous charges including 2 counts of vehicular homicide and DWI.