A food fight of sorts is brewing in Washington Parish which could affect farmers and ranchers statewide. Mount Herman cattleman Jason Smith is being sued by the parish for tens of thousands in taxes he didn’t collect or pay when selling cuts of beef directly to customers at his farm. State Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says the tax code states that livestock and other farm products are tax exempt. But the parish says cuts of beef aren’t livestock, and they want to get paid. A great many farmers and ranchers sell meat and produce directly to customers without state or local sales taxes. Strain says Smith is worried, but so are food producers statewide…:

CUT 10  (08)        “…a precedent case.”

A New Orleans cop who was sitting very close to a French Quarter rape in progress and did nothing has been suspended. The officer is not NOPD, but rather an Orleans deputy constable who was working a paid detail for a movie shoot nearby. His suspension is pending an investigation of the incident.

Nationwide average gasoline prices fell below four dollars a gallon today; dipping to their lowest level since March, according to AAA. Today’s average of $3.99 a gallon nationally and $3.61 in Louisiana is almost a dollar cheaper than the June high. Louisiana AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says it’s a direct reflection of supply and demand…:

CUT 03(11)      “…pulling back”

He says as prices go down, we’ll all drive more and prices will shoot back up.

Five years and $20 million in private donations later, Chimp Haven has successfully completed a major expansion; creating the play corrals, forested habitats and facilities needed to provide sanctuary to more than 300 former research chimps living out their retirement at the world’s largest big primate sanctuary.