The 2010 Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday takes place on Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30. During these two days, shoppers can get ready for the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which begins on June 1, by purchasing emergency supplies free from the four-percent state sales tax.
The tax holiday exempts from the state sales tax the first $1,500 of the sales price of each of the following items:

• Self-powered light sources such as flashlights and candles
• Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios and weather-band radios
• Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting
• Ground anchor systems or tie-down kits
• Gas or diesel fuel tanks
• Batteries – AAA, AA, C, D, 6-volt or 9-volt (automobile batteries and boat batteries are not eligible)
• Cellular phone batteries and chargers
• Non-electric food storage coolers
• Portable generators
• Storm shutter devices – Materials and products manufactured, rated and marketed specifically for the purposes of preventing window damage from storms (La. R.S. 47:305.58)
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Blue ice products

Local sales taxes still apply unless local taxing authorities have specifically exempted them.

Items purchased at airports, convenience stores, entertainment complexes, or at hotels or other public lodging establishments are not eligible for a tax exemption under the Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.

For more information, visit the 2010 Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday page atwww.revenue.louisiana.gov.

State Troopers have been busy over the past two days throughout the state with crashes causing deaths and serious injuries. The common denominator in these crashes has been impaired drivers, lack of seat belt use, or a combination of the two. Troop A investigated a single vehicle crash this morning shortly after 5:00 am in Iberville Parish. Leroy Blake (W/M DOB 01/08/72) of White Castle was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe west on LA 993 west of LA 3000 when he ran off the road to the left, entered a ditch, struck a culvert, and became airborne. The vehicle landed upside down and partially submerged in a canal. Blake was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred and was located in the rear cargo area of the Tahoe when the wrecker retrieved it from the canal. The Iberville Parish Coroner’s Office pronounced Blake dead at the scene. Troopers have submitted a sample of Blake’s blood to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for Chemical Analysis. At this time, it is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.

Troopers in Troop C (Gray, LA) have investigated two fatal crashes that have killed 3 people and left one critically injured over night. A single vehicle crash on LA. 659 in Terrebonne Parish claimed the life of a 46 year old male of Houma, LA. Timothy Blanchard (W/M, 46 of Houma, LA) was operating a 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle northbound on LA 659 in Houma when he crossed the centerline and drove off of the southbound lane and continued off the roadway striking a utility pole. Blanchard, who was wearing a non DOTD-approved helmet, received fatal injuries. Blanchard was pronounced dead at the scene. Impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash. Blood results are pending from the Terrebonne Parish Coroner’s Office. Troopers are still continuing their investigation.

A two vehicle crash on LA 18 in St. James Parish claimed the lives of two and left one in critical condition. Alvin Lassere Jr. (B/M, 37 of Vacherie, LA) was operating a 2000 Ford Taurus northbound on LA 18 in St. James and failed to negotiate a right hand curve. Lassere’s vehicle crossed the centerline into the southbound lane and struck a 2007 Kia Sportage, driven by Lionel Darcey Jr. (B/M, 19 of Vacherie, LA.). Lassere, who was not wearing his seatbelt, sustained fatal injuries. Darcey, who was not wearing his seatbelt, sustained critical injuries. Henry Joseph Jr. (B/M, 51, of St. James, LA), who was the right front passenger in Darcey’s vehicle, was not wearing his seatbelt and sustained fatal injuries. Darcey was transported to East St. James Hospital by Acadian Ambulance. Darcey was later transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, LA. Alcohol and drug involvement is unknown at this time pending results from the St. James Coroner’s Office and Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. No charges have been filed in the crash. Troopers are continuing their investigation.

With the holidays here, Troopers would like to remind everyone that there is no excuse for impaired drivers to be on our roadways. Troopers have stepped up DWI enforcement in an effort to keep impaired drivers off the roads. Historically, we have seen more serious injuries and deaths caused by impaired drivers at this time of year. Troopers would also like to remind motorists that Louisiana law requires that everyone in the vehicle wear a seat belt. The three seconds it takes to buckle up can mean the difference between life and death. The additional amount of impaired and sleepy drivers, combined with the wet roadway conditions, poor visibility, and bad weather make for a very dangerous combination. Louisiana State Police wants everyone to have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year; but most importantly, we want it to be a SAFE holiday season. Do not drive impaired and always buckle up! Following these two simple rules will save lives!!

Christmas Day is an official City/Parish holiday and will be celebrated on Friday, December 25, 2009. In addition, Thursday, December 24, 2009 has been declared a “Floating Holiday”. All City/Parish offices will be closed these days.

Solid waste collection (garbage and trash) in East Baton Rouge Parish will not be made on Friday, December 25, 2009 by Allied Waste (BFI) under their contract with the City/Parish for residential and governmental buildings. Garbage and trash normally collected on Friday will be collected on the following Tuesday. Recyclable material collected in EBR Parish will not be made on Friday, December 25, 2009. Recyclable material normally collected on Friday will have a make-up day and will be collected on Saturday, December 26, 2009. The North Landfill will be closed on Friday, December 25, 2009 to all haulers both commercial and the general public.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) today advised drivers of upcoming work schedules for interstate and major road projects throughout Louisiana for Christmas weekend (Thursday, Dec. 24  through Sunday, Dec. 27) and for New Year’s weekend (Thursday, Dec. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 3).

DOTD Secretary William D. Ankner, Ph.D., urged drivers to use extra caution when traveling on the roadways during the upcoming holiday weekend, especially at railroad crossings.

Below is the regional listing of work schedules and road closures for interstate construction and major road projects.

Southeast Louisiana

In the New Orleans area, all lanes of I-10, I-310, I-510 and I-610 will remain open during the holiday weekend.

In Grand Isle, the northbound lane of the La. 1 Caminada Bridge is closed for repairs until further notice. Flagmen will be present to direct traffic; no delays are expected.

In the Slidell area, all lanes of I-10, I-12 and I-59 will remain open.

In the Hammond area and surrounding parishes, all lanes of I-12 will remain open.

In St. John the Baptist Parish, I-55 southbound at Ruddock to U.S. 51 in LaPlace is reduced to one lane. The detour is to exit at Ruddock (exit 7), south to the I-55 Service Road and exit at LaPlace (exit 1).

In the Baton Rouge area, all lanes of I-12 and I-10 will remain open.

Construction on I-12 will be suspended between O’Neal Lane in Baton Rouge and Range Avenue in Denham Springs for the holiday weekends. Drivers should note that the speed limit has been reduced to 45 miles per hour within the construction zone on I-12.

Southwest Louisiana

In the Lafayette area, all lanes of I-10 and I-49 will remain open to traffic.

In St. Landry Parish, U.S. 190 over U.S. 71 will remain reduced to two-lane, two-way traffic on the westbound roadway since the eastbound bridge over U.S. 71 has been removed.

In the Lake Charles area, all lanes of I-10 and I-210 will remain open to traffic.

Central Louisiana

In the Alexandria area, all lanes of I-49 will remain open to traffic.

Northeast Louisiana

In Catahoula and Concordia parishes, construction will continue on U.S. 84 in the Jonesville area. Drivers may experience minor delays because of construction activity in this area.

In the Monroe area, all lanes of I-20 will remain open.

In Lincoln Parish, La. 146 is closed to thru traffic at a point approximately five miles west of U.S. 167 (Vienna) and one mile east of La. 151 (Goose Creek). The detour route is U.S. 167 North, La. 151 West, and La. 563 South.

Northwest Louisiana

In the Shreveport-Bossier City area and surrounding parishes, all lanes of I-20 and I-49 will remain open.

In Caddo Parish, I-220 will remain reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction between La. 173 (exit 5) and U.S. 71 (exit 7).  Eastbound traffic on I-220 is being detoured to the westbound roadway between La. 173 and U.S. 71.

In Bossier Parish, La. 3 (Benton Road) between U.S. 80 and I-220 will be closed from Saturday, Dec. 26, through Monday, Dec. 28, for railroad crossing work.

Also in Bossier Parish, La. 3105 (Airline Drive) will be closed from Tuesday, Dec. 29, through Wednesday, Dec. 30, for railroad crossing work.

Oversize/overweight vehicle movement

Secretary Ankner announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited Friday, Dec. 25, through Sunday, Dec. 27, and Friday, Jan. 1, through Sunday, Jan. 3, in observance of the holidays.

Ankner said the decision was made in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety’s Office of State Police in order to provide maximum safety for motorists traveling on state highways during this holiday.

In addition, the westbound span of the I-10 “twin-span” bridge between Slidell and New Orleans is open to up to 12-foot permit loads until further notice. The weight limit for 18-wheelers traveling westbound is 80,000 pounds. The eastbound span is open to all loads.  All other loads can use I-55.

DOTD’s Weights and Standards Office and Truck Permit Office will be closed Thursday and Friday, Dec. 24-25, and Friday, Jan. 1.

Travelers can access up-to-date information about weather-related road conditions, construction activities and other critical incidents by dialing 511 from their telephone. The voice-activated 511 Traveler Information System is available to most wireless and landline telephone users. Out-of-state travelers can access the system by calling 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information System Web site at www.511la.org.

LA Swift Bus Service

LA Swift, the free bus service that provides coach bus rides between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, will not run on Christmas Day, and will run its normal weekend schedule on Saturday, Dec. 26 and Sunday, Dec. 27. On Friday, Jan. 1, LA Swift will run its Sunday schedule.

Schedules and further details are available at www.laswift.com and through LA Swift’s Customer Service Center at (877)-94-SWIFT (1-877-947-9438). The LA Swift Customer Service Center will be closed Friday, Dec. 25.  The center’s normal hours of operation are 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The bus service makes stops in Baton Rouge, Sorrento and LaPlace in addition to express service between the CATS Florida Street terminal and the Elks Place stop in New Orleans.

Further information

More detailed information on the status of DOTD construction projects and road closures may be obtained via the Traveler Information link from DOTD’s Web site, www.dotd.la.gov.

Traffic cameras for the Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Walker, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport/Bossier City, Houma, LaPlace and New Orleans areas also may be viewed from the 511 site.

DOTD’s Customer Service Center representatives can answer questions about road closures not listed above or any other DOTD-related questions. Please call (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683) with questions. The center’s normal business hours are 7 a.m.  – 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Customer Service Center will be closed Thursday and Friday, Dec. 24-25, and Friday, Jan. 1.

Finally, drivers are encouraged to tune in to local radio stations for current traffic and incident information prior to traveling.

Drivers who notice road hazards, such as potholes or debris in the road, are urged to call DOTD’s statewide, toll-free Highway Safety Hot Line at 1-800-259-HWAY (4929). The automated system operates 24 hours a day and routes callers to the appropriate field office to report hazardous conditions.

Upon the approach of a busy Thanksgiving Day and holiday weekend, Troop A wants to remind motorists to drive carefully and make it a safe holiday for everyone traveling on Louisiana’s roadways. The rise of holiday gatherings, parties, and shopping brings with it an increase in traffic on our highways. Unfortunately, this increase in traffic also leads to increased crashes and fatalities in our area. Historically, Troopers have seen an increase in the instances of crashes caused by impaired drivers during this time of year as well.

There will be additional Troopers on the highways this holiday season ensuring the safety of the motorists. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be tolerated and those offenders will be arrested for DWI and brought to jail. Troopers will also be issuing citations for hazardous violations, such as following too closely and careless operation. Louisiana law now requires seat belt use in every position in the vehicle. Troopers will continue to focus on unrestrained occupants and unrestrained children.

Troopers would also like to remind motorists of the importance of making the long weekend a safe one by being prepared for travel. A sleepy driver is an impaired driver. Sleepiness while driving is as dangerous as texting while driving. Prepare for travel by being well-rested, sharing driving time with others, keeping each other company while driving, and leaving early. There will be more traffic on the roadways, so leaving early will allow you to get to your destination on time without having to rush.

Please be safe on our roadways and have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday! If you see any unsafe acts, sleepy or impaired drivers, or aggressive driving, you are encouraged to report it by dialing *LSP (577) from your mobile phone.

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Tpr Russell G. Graham II
Public Affairs Unit
Louisiana State Police – Troop A