A recent study of the housing market in Louisiana finds nearly 45 percent of renters are “rent stressed”. “Rent stress” is defined as paying more than 35 percent of your monthly income in rent. LSU Economist Jim Richardson says in 2000 the number was around 29 percent…

cut 06 (05) “percent increase”

Richardson says the stress comes in when you have limited resources left over to provide other necessities.

The long-time leader of the LSU Alumni Association, Charlie Roberts, has resigned from his post as he faces a lawsuit from former employee, Kay Heath, who claims there was a financial arrangement to keep their sexual relationship secret. Roberts’ attorney Mary Olive Pierson says the resignation should not be taken as an admission of guilt…

cut 9 (11) “kind of silly”

Pearson says a main reason for the resignation is so Heath will drop the alumni association from the lawsuit.

A Slidell woman has been charged with medicaid fraud after she allegedly used her dead sister’s name to receive medical treatment at Slidell Memorial Hospital. Slidell Police detective Daniel Seuzeneu says 26-year-old Diondre Jones provided her deceased sister’s name to hospital staff in an attempt to avoid having to pay any medical bills…

cut 5 (09) “got caught”

Seuzeneau says a bizarre twist to this crime is that Jones was wearing a memorial T-shirt in honor of her deceased sister.

A Monroe couple is accused of leaving their 2-week-old child on the hood of a vehicle, unattended, while they went fishing in Vidalia. Marcella Watson and David Ramey, both 33, were arrested on cruelty to a juvenile and improper supervision of a juvenile. The child was taken to a local hospital to check for sunburn and dehydration.