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Louisiana has resources in place to treat gambling addiction as sports wagering grows in popularity

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Louisiana has resources in place to treat gambling addiction as sports wagering grows in popularity


BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Individuals throughout the state have wagered almost $1.5 billion on sports activities up to now this 12 months, based on Louisiana Gaming Board Chairman Ronnie Johns.

Nevertheless, some consider there’s a significant downside brewing amid this success.

“Proper now, it’s the hype. It’s the hype. They’re getting them in and baiting them in. It’s the hype, however when it’s gone, watch what occurs,” Matricia Inexperienced stated.

Inexperienced is a licensed dependancy counselor and an authorized compulsive playing counselor.

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She says the rise in recognition round sports activities betting will result in extra individuals falling to dependancy, and he or she and different advocates are making ready for what’s to return.

“When you find yourself coping with a compulsive gambler, and for those who don’t understand how, you’re going to have an issue,” Inexperienced stated.

State officers say this was an issue they anticipated when sports activities wagering was legalized, and so they have put the instruments in place to supply assist.

“They’re pulling these packages collectively as a result of they know that is coming,” Inexperienced stated.

The Louisiana Division of Well being makes use of $2.5 million a 12 months from the Compulsive and Downside Gaming Fund to finance completely different playing dependancy remedies throughout the state.

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The assets, counseling and assist are free to any state resident.

“It’s arduous to create the attention, till there’s a downside,” stated Robert Henson from the Workplace of Behavioral Well being. “We have now the infrastructure in place, we’re prepared, it’s simply to get the phrase out to Louisiana residents that these providers can be found.”

Inexperienced is happy with the state’s work, however she desires to see extra. She desires to see leaders open extra restoration services, rent extra clinicians, and supply coaching to employers to allow them to acknowledge the indicators of dependancy.

As she continues to advocate, she desires individuals to know there may be gentle on the finish of the tunnel.

“There may be assist,” Inexperienced stated.

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As many as 280,000 Louisiana adults could also be concerned in downside playing, based on a 2016 examine performed by Workplace of Behavioral Well being (OBH).

Click on right here for a listing of playing service suppliers.

Household, mates and those that are combating downside playing are inspired to name the Louisiana Downside Playing Helpline at 1-877-770-STOP (7867).

For extra info and assets on downside playing, go to ldh.la.gov/AddictionRecovery.

Click on right here to report a typo.

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US Senate passes bill by Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy restricting how social media targets youth

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US Senate passes bill by Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy restricting how social media targets youth


WASHINGTON — A bipartisan U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a historic package of restrictions — co-sponsored by a Louisiana senator — that cracks down on how social media companies interact with children and teenagers.

A pair of bills were merged and passed on a 91-3 vote that would require social media platforms to take steps to prevent online exploitation, such as cyberbullying, body shaming and sexual recruiting. The legislation also would expand existing privacy protections to forbid the collection of personal data from children under the age of 16.

The legislation still must clear the U.S. House before heading to the president’s desk.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said Tuesday he generally backs the legislation. President Joe Biden has indicated he would sign it into law.

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“The internet is an integral part of children’s lives today. It is time our laws reflect this new reality,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge. “These bills provide parents the tools to safeguard their kids online.”

He was one of the two main sponsors for the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, called COPPA 2.0. Along with expanding existing parental consents on data collection, COPPA 2.0 bans advertising targeted at youth.

The bill builds on a law passed in the 1990s primarily sponsored by then-Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts.

Cassidy also was a co-sponsor of Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, which would require online platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to users.

The bills arose as parents began questioning the connection between online usage and increased suicide and other anti-social behavior among their children.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics has declared children’s mental health has become a national emergency. The federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention found that in 2021, one in three high school girls contemplated suicide.

Cassidy blamed digital platforms which collect data from users and then compile algorithms that target advertising and content at specific individuals. He pointed to studies that linked online usage to increased dangerous behavior by children. He also noted that a Harvard University study in 2022 calculated that the major platforms earned about $11 billion from selling data-driven advertising and content that targeted U.S. users under the age of 17.

The effort to pass online restrictions for children bogged down as Big Tech argued the provisions violated First Amendment rights.

Cassidy countered that accepted law has long allowed for marketing carve-outs for the First Amendment, such as a ban on advertising cigarettes to youth.

Markey, who cosponsored COPPA 2.0 with Cassidy, said the bill updated 1990s legislation addressing children’s television programming that essentially was just advertising goods to kids. Markey said he and Tauzin added parameters as the digital sphere expanded. The new bills would provide updates to reflect the way social media does business now.

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“The United States Senate will finally send a message to Big Tech that the days of indiscriminately tracking and targeting children and teens are over in our country. That their privacy-invasive business models must change,” Markey said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said “this moment is when the Senate said, ‘There have been horrible abuses. We must end them, and we will.’”

Schumer lauded the bipartisan effort to overcome opposition and get the long-stalled package moving again.

“The House should pass these bills as soon as they can,” he said.

Johnson said in a statement shortly after the Senate vote that he’s committed to finding consensus in the House.

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“I am looking forward to reviewing the details of the legislation that comes out of the Senate,” he said. “Parents should have greater control and the necessary tools to protect their kids online.”

Louisiana’s junior senator, John N. Kennedy, R-Madisonville, was among the 91 senators backing the legislation. The three “no” votes were Sens Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ron Wyden, D-Oregon.



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Married dad, 36, and female entrepreneur, 31, both meet tragic end after two boats collide on Louisiana lake

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Married dad, 36, and female entrepreneur, 31, both meet tragic end after two boats collide on Louisiana lake


A married father and a female boat passenger were killed in a accident on a Louisiana lake after their boats collided. 

Chase Sharkey, 36, of Greensburg, was operating a 25-foot pontoon boat when it collided with Thuy Gustin’s Sea Fox boat in the Tickfaw River near Kings Point, roughly 65 miles outside of New Orleans, on Sunday. 

Gustin, 31, of Springfield, was found trapped underneath the Sea Fox around midnight after it capsized by a Good Samaritan, who jumped into the water to save her, according to Fox 8 Live. She ran her own marketing firm. 

They performed CPR on the mother-of-two until an ambulance arrived and she was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

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Sharkey, a father of four, was found deceased by rescue crews 12 hours later. 

Gustin, 31, (pictured) was found trapped underneath the Sea Fox after it capsized by a Good Samaritan, who jumped into the water to save her

Chase Sharkey, 36, of Greensburg, (left) was operating a 25-foot pontoon boat when it collided with Thuy Gustin’s Sea Fox boat in the Tickfaw River near Kings Point on Sunday. Gustin, 31, of Springfield, (right) was found trapped underneath the Sea Fox after it capsized by a Good Samaritan, who jumped into the water to save her

It is unclear if his wife, Shelly Verberne Sharkey, was on the boat. One friend suggested she was, but further details have not been shared. 

DailyMail.com has reached to Shelly for comment.  

Six others – three from each boat – were injured in the crash and all were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to WDSU. 

The cause the crash is currently unknown. DailyMail.com has contacted the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, who are investigating the crash, for comment. 

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Six others - three from each boat - were injured in the crash and all were taken to the hospital with serious injuries

Six others – three from each boat – were injured in the crash and all were taken to the hospital with serious injuries

Plenty of tributes came in for the father-of-four, including from his business, Sharkey Mechanical Services, which wrote in a Facebook post: ‘His legacy of love, laughter, and friendship will never fade. We will continue to keep his memory alive through our work.

‘Chase’s unwavering passion for his craft left an indelible mark on everyone he met, and his work ethic was unmatched. We will miss him dearly, but we will continue to thrive in his honor and the legacy he has built.’ 

Friend, Jonathan Taylor wrote on Facebook: ‘Chase Sharkey was truly one of a kind. The first time I met him he made me feel like we had been friends since childhood. Chase was a true father and husband. I didn’t get to spend much time around his family but I knew they were his number one priority just by the conversations we had. Chase was also a staple in his church and his community.

Sharkey, a father of four, (pictured with his family) was found deceased by rescue crews 12 hours later

Sharkey, a father of four, (pictured with his family) was found deceased by rescue crews 12 hours later 

It is unclear if his wife, Shelly Verberne Sharkey (pictured together), was on the boat. One friend suggested she was, but further details have not been shared

It is unclear if his wife, Shelly Verberne Sharkey (pictured together), was on the boat. One friend suggested she was, but further details have not been shared

‘I’m thankful I got to know him over the past 4 years and I think we can all learn from Chase and how he lived his 36 years on this earth.’

Another friend, Erin Foster, wrote: ‘To know him was to love him. Chase Sharkey was a great friend…One thing for certain is he loved his wife, his kids, his family, and everyone else’s babies also.’

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Former Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said in a statement: ‘He loved life. You knew where you stood with Chase and when you were a friend you were a friend. His word was his bond, and he was honest, sincere and trustworthy.

‘His friendship was genuine and I will be forever grateful for it. One of the things outside of his family, work and weightlifting we always talked about was being saved and he truly was. So I know without a shadow of doubt he would tell me: “Boss don’t worry about me big dog cause I’m sitting here talking with Jesus so I’m good.” 

‘I will miss you my friend and forever be thankful for your friendship all these years. Love you buddy!’ 

Friends remembered Gustin as 'so full of life and always ready for the next adventure'

Friends remembered Gustin as ‘so full of life and always ready for the next adventure’ 

A GoFundMe has been set up for the Gustin's funeral services, which has raised more than $14,000 out of its $25,000 goal

A GoFundMe has been set up for the Gustin’s funeral services, which has raised more than $14,000 out of its $25,000 goal 

An equal number of tributes poured in for the mother-of-two, with friend Lindsay Picou writing: ‘Thuy…I’m still in disbelief.

‘I knew I was going to love you from the moment I met you. You were so full of life and always ready for the next adventure. But even with all of that spirit, you led with nothing but heart. You loved everyone around you so deeply, and made sure they knew it.’ 

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Another friend, Kendra M. Berthelot wrote on Facebook: ‘Carrying a heavy heart today. My beautiful girl, you will be so missed. I don’t even have the words to say. I love you. Rest easy, Angel.’

A GoFundMe has been set up for the Gustin’s funeral services, which has raised more than $14,000 out of its $25,000 goal. 

A Meal Train has been set up for the Sharkey Family, with nearly $3,000 in donations and plenty of meals going to the surviving family. 



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Ankle monitoring company to face negligent homicide trial in Louisiana woman’s 2021 murder

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Ankle monitoring company to face negligent homicide trial in Louisiana woman’s 2021 murder


NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that a Mississippi-based electronic monitoring company can be tried for negligent homicide in the case of Peggy Beasley, a mother of three murdered by her estranged husband Marshall Rayburn.

The monitoring company AEM allegedly failed to report multiple breaches of a court-ordered security perimeter around Beasley’s home, which prosecutors say allowed Rayburn the opportunity to kill her.

“Had I thought he would do it, I would have never let my mom stay at her home by herself,” Beasley’s daughter, Devlin Hopper, said.

In August 2021, Beasley reported to St. Francisville authorities that Rayburn, from whom she was separated, had been drugging and raping her.

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Rayburn was arrested for second-degree rape, released on a $100,000 bond, and outfitted with an ankle monitor. He was instructed to stay away from Beasley’s home, with an exclusion zone programmed into the monitor.

Marshall Rayburn’s mugshot, taken after his arrest in August 2021.(Provided by West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office)

Despite this, Rayburn breached the exclusion zone five times within four days, triggering notifications to AEM. However, the company failed to alert authorities.

Over the following weeks, Rayburn repeatedly violated the zone.

On Sept. 20, 2021, Rayburn entered Beasley’s home, hid in the laundry room with a gun and attacked her.

A neighbor heard the screams and tried to help.

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“Marshall put the gun to the neighbor’s chest and fired through her chest, through her back, and hit (Beasley) and killed her,” District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla recounted.

Rayburn then turned the gun on himself. Crime scene photos revealed Rayburn had wrapped his ankle monitor in aluminum foil to block the signal, a violation that also went unreported by AEM.

“He blatantly broke the rules. He tested them,” said Beasley’s son, Jared Crow. “The GPS data shows that.”

D’Aquilla charged AEM’s owner and an employee with negligent homicide for not reporting the violations.

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Beasley’s murder prompted new legislation requiring monitoring companies to report breaches or face penalties, including imprisonment and fines.

“It’s a slap in the face to the victims and the public,” D’Aquilla said. “These are dangerous individuals being monitored with no oversight.”

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The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that a Mississippi-based electronic monitoring company...
The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that a Mississippi-based electronic monitoring company can be tried for negligent homicide in the case of Peggy Beasley(Action News 5)

The law, effective January 1, will make Louisiana the first state to hold monitoring companies criminally accountable for failing to report violations.

“If you screw this stuff up, you can go to jail,” said Matt Dennis of ASAP Release, who is helping revamp state electronic monitor protocols.

Although the new law came too late for Peggy Beasley, her family hopes it will prevent future tragedies.

“That’s one of the hardest things for my brothers and daughters, knowing her life could have been saved so many times. It didn’t have to be this,” Hopper said. “We miss her. She was one of a kind. She truly was.”

The case against AEM will move forward after the Supreme Court upheld the indictment, which was initially appealed by the company.

“The system failed. We’re doing everything we can to hold somebody accountable for the death of their mother,” D’Aquilla stated.

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Fox 8 reached out to AEM for comment but received no response.

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