Louisiana news briefs

Thibodaux man dies in head-on crash in Raceland
RACELAND (AP) — State police say a 21-year-old Thibodaux man died in a head-on collision on La. 182 in Raceland.
Troopers say Andrew Carter dead after the car he was riding in crossed the centerline and struck an oncoming car around 3 p.m. Sunday.
Trooper First Class Evan Harrell says Carter was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Harrell says the drivers of both vehicles — both wearing seat belts during the crash — were taken to Thibodaux Regional Hospital with severe injuries.

Hunting fatality in Tangipahoa
LORANGER (AP) — Louisiana wildlife agency officers are investigating a fatal hunting accident in Tangipahoa Parish.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says in a news release that the incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. on property along La. 1062 in Loranger.
LDWF identifies the victim as 33-year-old Joseph H. Stevens Jr. of Hammond.
Authorities say two people were returning from hunting when they crossed paths with Stevens at a wire fence. One of the hunters had a rifle slung over their shoulder. As they squatted down to go under some bushes, the rifle went off and a bullet struck Stevens.
LDWF says investigators do not suspect foul play at this time.
The Tangipahoa coroner will conduct an autopsy.

Regents OK nursing doctorate
NATCHITOCHES (AP) — A doctor of nursing practice degree at Northwestern State University has been approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents.
University officials say the program is expected to begin in fall 2014 after approval by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The degree is a practice-focused doctorate. Courses would be delivered primarily via the Internet and compressed video.
Northwestern State has four nurse practitioner concentrations in its master of science in nursing program.

Terrebonne plans auction
of public property
HOUMA (AP) — Terrebonne Parish government plans to auction surplus publicly owned equipment on Saturday.
The sale is set for 9 a.m. at the city of Houma Service Complex, 301 Plant Road. Registration begins at 7 a.m.
Items on the block include trucks, cars, a bus, front-end loaders, bulldozers, a generator, jewelry, chairs, cellphones, typewriters, refrigerators, lawn equipment and computers.
Items can be viewed at the complex from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.

Police: 4 charged after toddler found in squalor
ZACHERY (AP) — Authorities say four women have been charged with improper supervision of a minor after a 3-year-old girl was found living in Zachary in conditions so squalid that some police officers vomited.
Zachary Police Chief David McDavid said the toddler was living in half a duplex that lacked running water, reeked of animal feces and was littered with drug paraphernalia and trash.
McDavid said some of his officers vomited when they came out of the house, where police found seven dogs and two cats confined with insufficient food and water and surrounded by their own feces.
“When you’ve got grown men getting sick to their stomach, you know it’s bad,” McDavid said.
The child was placed into the custody of the state Department of Child and Family Services.
The child’s living conditions were discovered Saturday as part of an investigation into the theft of two bottles of soda from the Ambrosia General Store.
Police went to the house to arrest the theft suspect, Caitlin Lanehart, 21, when they discovered the living conditions, according to police records.
Lanehart and the child’s mother, Porcha McGraw, were each booked on counts of improper supervision of a juvenile, possession of drug paraphernalia, confined animals without food or water and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. Lanehart also was booked on theft of goods and McGraw was booked on a fugitive warrant.
Police say McGraw was found on a mattress on the floor surrounded by drug paraphernalia.
During the investigation, officers learned the child was supposed to be staying with McGraw’s stepmother, Stephanie Tarver, 47, who lived in the other side of the duplex and rented out the empty side to Lanehart and McGraw, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Tarver’s arrest.
The child’s legal guardian, Marie Strohm, 42, also was booked on counts of improper supervision of a minor because she allowed the child to stay with Tarver, according to the affidavit of probable cause for her arrest.

Rush on to take GED
LAFAYETTE (AP) — The Lafayette Parish school system has seen an increase in the number of GED test takers trying to beat an end-of-year deadline before their prior test results become invalid.
The exam is the General Educational Development test offered by GED Testing Service. The company is phasing out the test to implement a more rigorous exam administered as a computer-only test starting in January. The phase-out means that those who took the test but had not passed all five parts of it would lose their scores come January.
Typically, the exam is offered twice a month, but the district offered three testing dates in September, October and November.

UNO instructor named
‘Chef of the Year’
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — University of New Orleans instructor Ricardo Fredricks has been named Chef of the Year by the New Orleans chapter of the American Culinary Federation.
The award recognizes an outstanding chef who demonstrates the highest level of professionalism by helping programs that give back to the city’s culinary community.
Fredricks has taught at UNO for 26 years in the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration. He holds a master’s degree in hospitality management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a bachelor’s degree in business from UNO.
The American Culinary Federation is the largest professional chefs organization in North America, with more than 200 chapters and 20,000 members.

Mom gets 30-year sentence for juvenile cruelty
LAKE CHARLES (AP) — A 31-year-old Calcasieu Parish woman convicted of abusing her stepson has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Jaime Brooks Day was found guilty Nov. 13 of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile. She faced up to 40 years in prison.
Day was sentenced Friday
The boy testified during trial that Day only allowed him to eat grits, ramen noodles and rice; made him eat his own excrement; burned him on his back with a sock full of rice; and had one of her three biological children help her Saran-wrap him to his bed.
Authorities said the 9-year-old boy reportedly weighed 38 pounds, was badly bruised and had hair growing all over him from malnourishment when he was taken to the hospital in early 2010.