News for Friday 012513

By Dave Graichen

A Baton Rouge judge Thursday struck down a new 401(k)-type pension plan that was scheduled to take effect July 1 for future state employees. State District Judge William Morvant, who did not rule on the merits of the so-called “cash balance” plan, agreed with the Retired State Employees Association of Louisiana that the plan did not get a two-thirds vote in the 2012 legislative session, as required by the state’s Constitution. The state plans to appeal.

Mary  Landrieu and David Vitter are among a group of 53 senators who are urging  President  Obama  to  support  the  construction  of the Keystone  X-L Pipeline. The pipeline would transport synthetic crude

oil from Canada  to  Texas.  Landrieu says members of the Senate are pushing the President to green  light  the project now that Nebraska no longer opposes it. Landrieu  says construction of the Keystone  Pipeline  will  provide much needed jobs and help the U-S move toward energy independence.

LSU  announces  today  that  Les Miles' contract extension  will pay him  four-point-three  million  dollars   a  year.  The  mad  hatter made  3.7 million  dollars  last  season. The  new  deal  also  runs

through  the  2019  season.  Miles  would become  the fifth coach in college football to make four-million  dollars  or more  a year. The LSU  Board  of  Supervisors will vote on Miles amended  contract  at their next meeting on February first.

As  of next basketball season, the New Orleans Hornets  will  be  no more.  In  their  place will be the New Orleans Pelicans.  Owner Tom Benson  says it was  a  long  process  to  re-align  the  team  with

something  more suitable for a professional basketball team in south Louisiana.   Team  officials  said  the  name  change was made after looking at more than one hundred possible new names.

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon announced Thursday he has rejected a request by State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. to introduce a regional deductible for homeowner’s coverage. State Farm, Louisiana’ largest insurer, with more than 300,000 homeowner’s policies or 29 percent of the market, is the first company to request such a plan. According to commissioner Donelon, “The regional deductible plan submitted by State Farm neither illustrates the company’s intent to write new business nor denotes how the plan is in the best interest of policyholders.”

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office says a mother is under arrest  for sending her daughter to school with a sock full of golf balls to  fight bullies. Captain Kip Judice says the 9-year-old child was  reportedly beat up by a group of older students at Charles M. Burke  Elementary School in Duson the day before.

Louisiana State Police  are  investigating  a  fatal deputy-involved shooting  in  St.  John  the  Baptist  Parish. They say  60-year-old Barbara Lassere was pulled over  Wednesday   night for not having her headlights on when she fled from officers. Deputies  pursued her vehicle  and  when they caught up with her she refused to leave  the car then shot at the authorities at which time they returned fire.

The FBI has  subpoenaed  over  1200  DWI case files from St. Charles Parish, that were filed during former  DA Harry Morel's last term in office.  The subpoena requests all records,  whether  the  case  was

prosecuted  or not, also cases that were dismissed, refused or lined up for pre-trial diversion. The nature of the FBI's investigation is unknown, and agents aren't talking for now.

The Secretary  of  State's  Office  has  removed  the names of about 52-thousand inactive voters from state rolls. State  law require the periodic purge of voters who have not voted in the past  two federal

elections or any state or local race within two years.

Some  folks  in Thibodaux and Terrebonne Parish have  received  fake ransom  calls--telling  them  a  family  member  was  kidnapped  and demanding  money;  usually a thousand dollars. Police say so far not one reported case has  proven  to  be  a  real  kidnapping. They ask residents who get such calls to alert police right away.

Port Allen's own Brandy Hotard is heading to Hollywood after getting  a "yes" from the four judges last night during the Baton Rouge  auditions of American Idol. 26-year-old Hotard, former Miss  Southeastern Louisiana, says this Season 12 was her third time to audition for Idol.