Associated Press - October 14, 2009 3:04 PM ET

GRETNA, La. (AP) - The Jefferson Parish Council adds penalties to its ordinance against renting rooms by the hour.

In a crackdown aimed at ousting prostitutes and drug dealers, the council decided unanimously Wednesday that motels violating the ordinance can get up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

It also exempted motels within 1.7 miles of Louis Armstrong International Airport, for pilots and flight attendants resting during layovers.

The ordinance passed in January 2008 exempts motels within a quarter-mile of a hospital, for resting outpatients. It also allows hourly rates during major events such as the Super Bowl and Sugar Bowl.

Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com

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