BC-LA--Louisiana-News Digest,ADVISORY, LA

Louisiana at 8:10 p.m. on Friday

Good evening, Louisiana editors.

If you have any contributions for or questions about the report, call 1-800-662-7717. To report technical problems: 1-800-469-1362. AP stories, along with the photos that accompany them, can also be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. Reruns are also available from the Service Desk (800-838-4616). The news editor is Brian Schwaner. The breaking news staffer this evening is Chevel Johnson.

TOP STORIES

XGR-REAL ID-LOUISIANA

BATON ROUGE, La. — Lawmakers are considering whether they should put Louisiana driver's licenses in line with a federal identification law to keep state residents from running into possible domestic flying difficulties within two years. A prohibition against compliance with the federal REAL ID law was enacted by state lawmakers in 2008. They rejected the added security requirements for a driver's license as too intrusive, joining many other states that raised similar privacy complaints. By Melinda Deslatte. SENT: 528 words.

REPUBLICANS-INTERNET GAMBLING

WASHINGTON — Three Republican governors who weren't invited to GOP super donor Sheldon Adelson's political gathering in Las Vegas this week are nonetheless trumpeting their agreement with him against Internet gambling. Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Nikki Haley of South Carolina have submitted letters in recent days to congressional leaders stating that gambling in the virtual world compromises the ability of states to control gambling within their borders. Weeks earlier, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana wrote that he would do everything he could to stop Internet gambling from spreading in his state. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 753 words.

AP Photos WX102-1009131345.

PHELPS REVAMP

(Information in the following story is from: KPLC-TV, http://kplctv.com)

DEQUINCY, La. — The former state prison, C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center, will reopen as a transitional work program for non-violent offenders, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections said Friday. "Repurposing Phelps ... honors the Department's commitment to area leaders to find the best possible use but in a fashion that encourages education, training and self-support, in an effort to reduce incarceration and recidivism rates," said Jimmy LeBlanc, the department's secretary. SENT: 336 words.

HOSTAGES-STANDOFF

(Information in the following story is from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com)

HOUMA, La. — A Thibodaux man, out on bond for simple robbery, allegedly shot a 22-year-old woman during a hostage-taking that also involved her 1-year-old son, Houma Police said Friday. The woman later died. Police told The Courier (http://bit.ly/P9p8Tz) Skylleur Hayes, 22, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder about 3½ hours after the standoff began at a public housing complex apartment. SENT: 245 words.

OBIT-TALLULAH MAYOR

(Information in the following story is from: The News-Star, http://www.thenewsstar.com)

TALLULAH, La. — The funeral director handling services for Tallulah Mayor Eddie Beckwith Jr. said Friday that the mayor's body will lay at City Hall next week for a public viewing. The News-Star reports (http://tnsne.ws/1g8zM32) Beckwith died Thursday of cancer. He was 64. SENT: 530 words.

POPE-IMMIGRANT'S DAUGHTER

LOS ANGELES — After a 10-year-old California girl traveled to the Vatican to plead with Pope Francis for help as her father faced deportation, the man was released Friday on bond from immigration detention. Mario Vargas was freed from a detention facility in Louisiana after he posted $5,000 bond. A relative who saw the girl on television pleading with the pope helped with the funding, said his wife, Lola Vargas. By Amy Taxin. SENT: 348 words.

CONSERVATION MONEY

NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana is getting $21.3 million and Mississippi $14.4 million for wildlife and fisheries conservation projects from the federal Interior Department. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says wildlife and fisheries agencies in 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia got a national record total of $1.1 billion. The money comes from excise taxes on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment and tackle, and electric outboard motors. Recreational boaters also contribute through fuel taxes on motorboats and small engines. This year's total is $238.4 million more than last year. It includes money not spent last year because of the federal shutdown and an increase in excise tax receipts from sales of firearms and ammunition. SENT: 220 words.

LEESVILLE COUNCIL-HEALTH INSURANCE

LEESVILLE — A state district judge has dismissed a claim for two Leesville city councilmen to repay more than $120,000 in health benefits. The city filed suit against council members Milton Dowd and William Elliott, alleging they illegally enrolled in the city's health plan and should repay the insurance premiums and medical payments the city made on their behalf. Judge H. Ward Fontenot found the city did not prove its case and dismissed the claim in a ruling filed March 21. Dowd said the lawsuit was politically motivated. Both Dowd and Elliott are running for re-election April 5. SENT: 243 words.

BATON ROUGE PARK TAX

BATON ROUGE — Recreation officials say they plan to build a new community park in the southeastern part of East Baton Rouge Parish, enhance trails and do other upgrades if parish voters approve the renewal of dedicated property tax on April 5. The East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission outlined its plans for using 2 mills of the tax up for renewal in a budget overview Thursday that was approved in a unanimous vote by commissioners. That 2-mill portion of the tax would bring in an estimated $73 million over the next 10 years. Nearly 34 percent of the capital improvements funding — about $24.8 million over 10 years — would go to enhancements at the system's 12 existing community parks and the creation of another. SENT: 291 words.

POINTE COUPEE SCHOOLS

NEW ROADS — The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board has approved a move to transfer students from the underperforming Pointe Coupee Central High School to Livonia High effective this fall. The board Thursday night approved a proposed order from the state's Recovery School District asking a federal court judge to return jurisdiction of PC Central High back to the parish school system effective in the 2014-15 school year. Parish residents packed the School Board's meeting chambers and lined the halls outside as they tried to persuade the board to reject the recommendation to have the students absorbed into Livonia High's student population in the fall. The school board approved the proposed order in a 6-2 vote. SENT: 262 words.

COUPLE KILLED

THIBODAUX — A Lafourche Parish grand jury has indicted three suspects in a September double murder involving a police informant in Larose. Toronzo Thompkins and Jerrard Major Sr., both 35 and of Raceland; and Traveyon Blackledge, 18, of Thibodaux; were indicted Thursday on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Nikki Landry, 41, and Harry Lefort, 54. Police believe Thompkins, a convicted drug dealer, ordered Blackledge, his son, and Major to kill Landry, who was to be a lead witness in Tompkins trial on cocaine distribution. Thompkins was initially arrested in April 2011 as part of Operation Dry Bayou, an investigation targeting cocaine dealers in Lafourche. SENT: 255 words.

SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA ARREST

FRANKLIN — St. Mary Parish narcotics agents arrested a Franklin man suspected of manufacturing synthetic marijuana in his Franklin home and selling the man-made cannabis at his aromatherapy store in Lafayette. Sheriff's spokeswoman Traci Landry said the investigation into 40-year-old Mark Ruffin Sr. is a joint effort of St. Mary detectives and the Lafayette Metro Narcotics Division. Ruffin was booked Wednesday on several counts, including drug manufacturing and distribution and illegal firearms possession. SENT: 166 words.

JENNINGS HOSPITAL-UPGRADES

JENNINGS — Jennings American Legion Hospital is moving forward on plans for a $10 million facility upgrade. CEO Dana Williams said Thursday the State Bond Commission has approved $10 million in hospital revenue bonds for Jefferson Davis Hospital Service District 1. Williams said the three-phase project will focus on improvements and upgrades to the operating and emergency rooms and entrance areas. The project will include an upgrade and revitalization of the operating room area to include new operating rooms and a new patient holding area with support services. Williams says patient registration, including outpatient admissions and information, will be moved to the front lobby. The move will allow the emergency room entrance to be strictly used for emergencies. SENT: 238 words.

MONROE TRANSIT

MONROE — Mayor Jamie Mayo says that management company First Transit will continue to operate Monroe's bus system into the future even without a contract between the firm and the city. The city council voted against renewing First Transit's contract renewal in December, leaving the future of the bus system in the air. First Transit has continued to run the system since its funding is secure through the end of April. Mayo believes he can continue paying First Transit on May 1 without a contract, but he'd have to use city funds to pay them instead of federal dollars. Federal regulations require a contract to pay a management firm. While exact figures were not immediately available, Mayo said it would cost the city about $100,000 to pay First Transit. SENT: 259 words.

LOUISIANA IN BRIEF

Editors: The following brief items moved Friday on AP's Louisiana wire and may be of interest for your Saturday editions.

COUNSELOR INDICTED

LAKE CHARLES — A Lake Charles therapist who had his license revoked in September was indicted on a charge of sexual battery. An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for 40-year-old Christopher Hay, who was a professional counselor and marriage and family therapist. His attorney, Tom Lorenzi, says Hay plans to surrender himself to Calcasieu sheriff's deputies. SENT: 91 words.

MANDEVILLE-REDEDICATED TAX

MANDEVILLE — The Mandeville City Council has called a special election for Nov. 4 to rededicate half of a 1-cent sales tax now being collected specifically for streets, drainage, water and sewer services. Under the proposal approved Thursday night, 50 percent of the tax proceeds would be funneled into the general fund, giving the city more flexibly in how the public dollars can be spent. SENT: 126 words.

E BATON ROUGE-FATAL CRASH

BATON ROUGE — State police say a 28-year-old Denham Springs woman got out of her car after a crash and was killed when another vehicle hit her parked car, knocking it into her. Trooper Jared Sandifer says Kristina A. Delaney was looking back into her car for her cellphone when her car was struck by an SUV around 11 p.m. Thursday on Airline Highway in East Baton Rouge Parish. SENT: 123 words.

AGING DIRECTOR FIRED

COVINGTON — The executive director of the Council on Aging St. Tammany has been dismissed by the agency's board of directors. By a 6-4 vote, the board approved a motion on Thursday to replace Mary Toti within the next 60 days. Toti's dismissal comes amid complaints of poor management and communications skills. SENT: 101 words.

LIVINGSTON-RECORDS DISPUTE

LIVINGSTON — The Livingston Parish Council has gained access to scanned images of the parish administration's financial records, settling a months-long dispute between the council and Parish President Layton Ricks. Councilman Jim Norred, who had sponsored an ordinance to force access to the records, said the council has the software and login necessary for accessing copies of contracts, check registers and signed checks. SENT: 96 words.

WHEELCHAIR FATAL CRASH

LAKE CHARLES — A driver accused of hitting and killing a man in a motorized wheelchair in 2009 has pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run. Ellis Thomas Charles Sr., 48, was originally charged with vehicular homicide, DWI and hit-and-run in the death of 54-year-old Gary Wayne Charles. The two men are not related. SENT: 123 words.

RESILIENCY PLAN

THIBODAUX — A plan to help Lafourche Parish expand, attract new residents and maintain a high quality of life is headed to the Parish Council. The council is expected to consider the parish's resiliency plan at its April 8 meeting, following approval last month by the Planning and Zoning Commission. SENT: 130 word.

FIERY CRASH

ABBEVILLE — Abbeville police say a man fleeing police with an escapee from a juvenile jail inside his car crashed into the Vermilion Parish Courthouse, causing his car to catch fire. Lt. David Hardy said rescued from the burning car was the driver, Tawaski Lewis, who suffered a broken leg. Also emerging from the car was an unidentified juvenile who had escaped from juvenile detention and another man who was not identified. SENT: 130 words.

BATON ROUGE SHOOTING

BATON ROUGE — A Jefferson Parish man was indicted Thursday in the November 2013 shooting death of a Baton Rouge man whose body was found in a canal. Corey Joseph Pittman, 34, was charged in Baton Rouge with second-degree murder in the killing of 35-year-old Kenneth Barton. SENT: 90 words.

DEPUTY ARRESTED

RAYVILLE — A Richland Parish sheriff's deputy accused of sexual battery and malfeasance has been arrested. The sheriff's office said Thursday it had received information that 39-year-old Dewey Allen, of Rayville, was having unwanted sexual contact with a woman. During questioning by Louisiana State Police investigators, Sheriff Lee Harrell says Allen confessed to committing the alleged battery while in his patrol unit and to making numerous sexual advances to a woman. SENT: 129 words.

NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT-DIRECTOR PAY

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans City Council is raising the salary and extending the contract of the director of the city-owned Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The increase of $35,285 will bring Iftikhar Ahmad's annual pay to $270,230. He is the city's highest-paid employee. SENT: 91 words.

WEEKEND MEMBER EXCHANGE

Stories moved in advance for Saturday or Sunday editions.

RED RIVER REFUGE

BOSSIER CITY — Before the morning sun burns off the fog from the Red River lowlands, Pat Stinson already is patrolling his fields near Bayou Pierre. Those large swaths of flooded land are alive with birds he can identify by flight, shape or sound. The ducks haven't all flown home yet, and the snipe are hunting invertebrates hidden in the muddy flats. The wildlife ranger bounces as his truck mounts the levee. He spits tobacco in a cup, pulls his sunglasses over his eyes and takes a long survey of the river bottoms. "Game management is a balance that's been studied for years and years," Stinson said. "I just wanted a job where I work outside, and I got it." He is the head ranger at Red River National Wildlife Refuge. His days and the days of his employees and volunteers are spent gently nudging thousands of acres of river land to behave as naturally as is possible despite of hundreds of years of human development. By Adam Duvernay, The Times. SENT: 890 words.

AP Photos LASHT101-LASHT104

MILITARY MUSEUM-REBIRTH

NEW ORLEANS — With the light touch of someone accustomed to handling fragile historic artifacts, Beverly Boyko gingerly pointed to the white crust fused to the scarlet military flag from World War II. The unit flag belonged to a battalion in the National Guard's historic Washington Artillery, a Jackson Barracks unit that fought through North Africa, Italy and to Germany after the Army federalized its Louisiana soldiers and sent them to the European front. Perhaps the only such flag still in existence, the Washington Artillery's colors, designating it as the 935th Field Artillery, had been stored between layers of white tissue paper at Jackson Barracks' decades-old museum. It was a method of preservation with flaws that became apparent after Hurricane Katrina's tidal surge pushed through levees and flooded the National Guard post at New Orleans' border with St. Bernard Parish. "When Katrina came, it sat in muddy, yucky water for weeks after weeks," said Boyko, collections manager at the Jackson Barracks Military Museum. The tissue disintegrated, leaving patches of white paper caked on the delicate textile weave. The flag — like much of the state militia's collection of history — remains in limbo more than eight years after Katrina, and after the National Guard rebuilt Jackson Barracks. While the struggle to save pieces of Army and Air National Guard and even Louisiana history goes on, there is a bright spot. The National Guard quietly has reopened what's now called the Ansel M. Stroud Jr. Military History and Weapons Museum. By Paul Purpura, Nola.com/The Times-Picayune. SENT: 1550 words.

AP Photo LAORS101

BUSINESS

LOUISIANA UNEMPLOYMENT

Louisiana's unemployment rate fell to 4.5 percent in February, hitting the lowest level since July 2008. The number of people who told surveyors they had a job hit a new record for the fifth month in a row, approaching 2 million. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 459 words.

BAD GAS

BATON ROUGE — A state official says more than five million gallons of gasoline shipped from the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge terminal in mid-March was tainted by something that's causing the intake and valve systems of vehicles to gum up. Mike Strain, Louisiana's Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, says he's been speaking with Exxon officials since late Wednesday about the bad fuel. He said Thursday that the problem is contained to two batches of gasoline — a total of 120,000 barrels — shipped between March 12 and March 15. The president of a Baton Rouge automotive shop says he's seen 40 or 50 cases in the past week of motorists getting bad fuel. Anyone questioning their fuel purchase should call the ExxonMobil North America Customer Care center at 855-300-2659. SENT: 374 words.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

NEWSPAPER SALE

BOGALUSA, La. — The owners of The Daily News say they have reached an agreement to sell the newspaper and place it under the management of Boone Newspapers Inc. The Daily News reported (http://bit.ly/1pkBzsE) Friday that its current owners, Wick Communications, are working to complete the sale of the newspaper to a newly formed Louisiana entity, Bogalusa Newsmedia LLC, which will continue to publish the newspaper, its website and all affiliate publications. SENT: 144 words.

JOBLESS CLAIMS

BATON ROUGE — First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending March 22 decreased from the previous week's total. The Louisiana Workforce Commission said Friday that initial claims fell to 2,131 from the previous week's total of 2,232. There were 2,057 initial claims during the comparable week in 2013. SENT: 127 words.

SHRIMP HARVEST

NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana shrimp harvest was slightly down in January and February compared to historic averages, but the price per pound was much higher, according to preliminary National Marine Fisheries Service data. Consumers should see price relief later in the spring when the shrimp catch typically is much higher. Larger shrimp — 15 or fewer per pound — sold for about $9.25 per pound in February, compared to $6.45 in the same month last year, according to the federal data. SENT: 124 words.

WAGE REPORTING

BATON ROUGE — All Louisiana employers now are required to file quarterly unemployment wage and tax reports electronically with the Louisiana Workforce Commission, a change the state says most businesses already have made. So far, 90 percent of the state's roughly 100,000 employers have switched successfully to e-filing. SENT: 130 words.

SPORTS

JAZZ-PELICANS

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans seek a fifth straight victory Friday night when they host the Utah Jazz, who've lost two straight and eight of 10. Tip-off 7 p.m. By Brett Martel. UPCOMING: 750 words. With AP Photos.

SPORTS IN BRIEF

JAZZ-PELICANS INJURIES

NEW ORLEANS — Forward Anthony Davis has left New Orleans' game against Utah with a left ankle injury. Davis headed off the court after being replaced by Alexis Ajinca with 8:17 to go in the first quarter. The team then announced the injury. SENT: 121 words.

AP Photos LAJB114-0326142054.

FBC-GEORGIA TECH-SUSPENSIONS

ATLANTA — Georgia Tech running back Dennis Andrews and receiver Anthony Autry have been suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the school's conduct policy. The two sophomores will miss games against Wofford on Aug. 30 and at Tulane on Sept. 6. SENT: 87 words.

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