Louisiana news briefs

Report says 242,000 uninsured in coverage gap 

BATON ROUGE (AP) — More than 242,000 poor, uninsured Louisiana residents fall into a health care coverage gap because the state isn’t expanding its Medicaid program.

That’s according to a report released Wednesday by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

The federal health overhaul created an insurance marketplace for the uninsured to shop for coverage — and provided subsidies to help low- and moderate-income families pay for it.

But part of the planned fix envisioned under the law included states expanding their Medicaid eligibility to allow more working poor to qualify for free coverage.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, like many Republican governors, refused to expand Louisiana’s Medicaid program.

Kaiser says 34 percent of Louisiana’s uninsured adults aren’t eligible for federal subsidies to buy insurance but would have been eligible for free Medicaid coverage under an expansion.

 

Police: Man hacked into 

ex-girlfriend’s computer 

LAFAYETTE (AP) — The University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s campus police department has arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly hacked into an ex-girlfriend’s computer, deleted her class schedule and created a fake account for her on a dating website.

Lafayette resident Sean Michael Gary was booked Tuesday on charges of computer tampering and online impersonation.

Gary allegedly told police he was trying to get revenge for their breakup when he hacked into the woman’s computer, changed her profile on the school’s computer system and created a match.com account in her name.

The woman reported the allegations to police on Aug. 26.

 

Missing Zachary girl 

found, 2 men arrested 

BATON ROUGE  (AP)  — A missing 16-year-old Zachary girl has been found and two men arrested and accused of luring her to Lafayette using the Internet as well as sending and receiving online photos of a sexual nature with her.

Authorities say 19-year-old Ryeland Martin Papillion, of Arnaudville, and 18-year-old Jeffrey Michael Brasseaux, of St. Martinville, were booked Monday with indecent behavior with a juvenile, pornography involving juveniles and computer-aided solicitation of a minor, according to warrants for their arrest.

Zachary police Sgt. Johnny Dillon said the girl was reported missing Monday by one of her parents.

Dillion said the girl, who was not injured, was returned home safely.

 

Council: No cellphone ban 

OPELOUSAS  (AP) — The St. Landry Parish Council decided to take no action on a proposal to ban by ordinance the use of cellphones during council meetings.

Councilwoman Pam Gautreau moved to table the cellphone introduction ordinance indefinitely until details of the ordinance could be discussed further by a meetings rules committee the council voted to establish earlier at the meeting.

The council voted instead, 6-5 on Wednesday, to kill the idea of trying to ban cellphones from meetings.

Councilman Jerry Red Jr. questioned passing an ordinance banning cellphones that appeared to target only people who attend the council meetings.

 

Firefighter takes heat, 

loses job over racy movie 

BATON ROUGE  (AP) — A firefighter accused of using a Baton Rouge firehouse to produce part of a raunchy film is trying to extinguish a controversy that has torched his 10-year career.

Dewey Allen was fired this summer after officials found he violated department policy by shooting a scene of “Mississippi Shakedown” inside a fire station.

The 40-year-old Allen is fighting back, claiming his termination amounted to a violation of his First Amendment rights.

He has appealed to the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board, a five-member panel that could vote to reinstate him after a hearing next month.

The veteran firefighter has not disputed the content of the film could be seen as risque, but his appeal says the movie had nothing to do with his job performance.

 

Denham Springs woman booked in pill bust 

DENHAM SPRINGS  (AP) — Deputies in Livingston Parish say they found about 1,300 doses of prescription pills worth $24,000 when they arrested a 45-year-old Denham Springs woman on Oct. 8.

In a report released Wednesday, sheriff’s spokeswoman Lori Steele says investigators had received numerous reports of drug activity at the Magnolia Estates home of Kim Brunty.

Narcotics detectives say Brunty was arrested after undercover agents made several purchases from her.

 

Video captures coach paddling students 

MONROE  (AP) — Ouachita Parish Schools is checking into the circumstances surrounding a video that administrators believe shows a coach paddling two students at Richwood Middle School in violation of the district’s corporal punishment policy.

The video, which was posted on YouTube, shows two students being paddled in what appears to be the school’s weight room while others watch. Each student is given three whacks with the paddle.

Superintendent Bob Webber said the video was apparently taken during the 2012-13 school year because the coach in the video is not at Richwood Middle School this year.

He is employed at another Ouachita Parish school and was not moved because of the paddling incident.

 

La. coroner pleads not guilty 

NEW ORLEANS  (AP) — St. Tammany Parish Coroner Peter Galvan has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to steal funds from his office and to profit personally from a jail contract.

A federal magistrate set Galvan’s bond at $100,000 during his initial court appearance on Wednesday.

The 54-year-old Galvan was charged last week with plotting with another employee of the coroner’s office to receive more than $111,000 in pay to which he wasn’t entitled. Galvan also allegedly misused an office debit card to purchase more than $15,000 in meals and other personal items.

In addition, prosecutors say an employee of the coroner’s office was paid at least $50,000 in public funds to fulfill a contract that Galvan signed individually with the city of Slidell to provide medical services to jail inmates.

From The Associated Press.