News for Tuesday 112712

By Dave Graichen

Rough  Thanksgiving week on the roads. State Police say in Louisiana last week  there  were  13 fatal crashes that resulted in 14 deaths. They say 7 of the 14 people  killed were not wearing a seat belt and

two of the crashes involved impairment.

The owner of an Alabama company that was paid $100,000 by several Central Louisiana government agencies to film a movie in Cenla, has told an Alabama news website, that while they still plan to film the movie “The Story Of Bonnie & Clyde” here in Cenla starting next year, the company plans to return the Seed Money. Tonya  Holly has postponed production several times since summer 2009, when the city of Alexandria gave Cypress Moon $50,000 to film the bulk of the movie here  in Central Louisiana. The Alexandria-Pineville Visitors and Convention bureau and the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority each put up $25,000.

The cities of Pineville and Leesville as well as Rapides Parish are among 19 jurisdictions that have been released from a 32-year-old consent decree relating to potential discrimination in their police or fire departments. The consent decree, entered in 1980, required defendants in a 1977 lawsuit to take steps to insure they were not doing anything to have an adverse impact on blacks and females applying for police and firefighter positions or looking to advance in those departments.

A federal judge in New Orleans puts a halt on the state's new statewide  voucher program and teacher hiring laws in Tangipahoa Parish, because  it conflicts with a 47-year-old desegregation case. The judge ruled the new education changes  conflict with court orders that require racial diversity. According to the department of education, there are 50 children in  Tangipahoa Parish who receive state money to attend a private school.  State Superintendent of Education John white says he's optimistic the ruling will be reversed on appeal. Another vouchers lawsuit will be heard Wednesday in a state district  court in Baton Rouge. Teacher unions and local school boards filed this suit claiming the  statewide voucher program is unconstitutional. It’s expected  Monday's decision  will not impact that case.

The   U-S  Supreme  Court  will  not  overturn  former  New  Orleans Congressman  Bill  Jefferson's  13-year prison sentence. Jefferson's lawyers asked the nation's highest court to throw out the corruption

conviction, but the court has refused  to  hear the case. Jefferson is serving his federal sentence at a low security facility in Beaumont, Texas. He's not eligible for release  until  August  of 2023.

The pilot of a small plane that crashed Sunday near DeRidder is in a Rapides Parish hospital with multiple injuries, but a family member says he's expected to make a full recovery. The pilot, James Murrell, suffered broken bones, facial cuts and a punctured lung. The crash remains under investigation.

If you're holding a Powerball ticket for tomorrow night's $425  million drawing, there's a few things you should know *just in case*  you land the top prize. New Orleans CPA Ted Stacey says if you're

buying tickets with a group, keep in mind only one entity can claim  the prize. Now the question is do you take the  $278.3-million cash option, or the 30-year annuity? Stacey says most everyone opts for the cash. Stacey says the first thing you must do if you find out you're the winner, is contact an attorney and seek legal advice right away..

A report by the Legislative Auditor finds the state Office of Public  Health has failed to properly oversee health inspections of restaurants;  placing citizens at risk of foodborne illness. Health & Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein says the report will help to improve OPH's  inspection program.  The Auditor's report says OPH failed to make proper inspections of  restaurants, failed to enforce penalties for compliance violations and  has issued permits to restaurants that had critical health violations.  The report says OPH didn't do annual inspections on 81-percent of high- risk food establishments statewide. It says OPH rarely enforced  penalties against eateries found in violation. It also says over 3000

 health inspections were never publicly disclosed on OPH's website.

The  Shreveport  Police  Department  is investigating the case of an alleged  home  invasion  that's  landed a  72-year-old  man  in  the hospital. Witnesses report two men running  from  the man’s home. Authorities believe  robbery  could be a motive but the case remains under investigation.

According to the Louisiana  Lottery,  Wednesday night's $425 million jackpot is the largest in Powerball history  and  the second largest in the world. Spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says the  cash  value  is

$278.3  million  dollars. She says there is always a possibility the jackpot value could get even bigger before the drawing, since the jackpot is based upon sales.

One  of  the  St.  John  deputies  injured in a fatal ambush against officers that left two dead and two  others in the hospital, got to go home yesterday. The St. John The Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office says

Deputy Jason Triche is now safe and sound. Deputies Jeremy Triche and  Brandon  Nielson were killed in the August  16th  trailer  park shootings. Deputy Jason Triche has been in the hospital ever since.