12-18-14
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT VOTED 6-TO-3 TO SPEND 875 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO MOVE 15 ADMINISTRATORS AND FOUR TEACHERS FROM MOVING TO OTHER POSITIONS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. LAST WEEK, THE BOARD VOTED NOT TO FUND THE POSITIONS BECAUSE OF BUDGET PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, YESTERDAY BOARD MEMBER TOMMY ANGELLE ASKED THE BOARD TO CONSIDER USING A PORTION OF ONE-POINT-ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN SALES TAXES TO HELP PREVENT CLASSROOM DISRUPTIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE VOTE RETAINS 11 ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, FOUR DEANS OF STUDENTS AND FOUR TEACHERS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
BOB HARDEY WAS SWORN IN LAST NIGHT AS THE EIGHTH MAYOR OF WESTLAKE, ALONG WITH FIVE NEW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. HARDEY SAID AT THE CEREMONY THAT HIS ADMINISTRATION WILL STRAIGHTEN OUT THE CITY’S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. ALSO SWORN IN WAS CHRISTOPHER WILRYE AS WESTLAKE’S NEW POLICE CHIEF. WILRYE ASKED WESTLAKE RESIDENTS TO PRAY FOR THEM AS THEY ATTEMPT TO GET THE CITY “WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE”.
THE CROWLEY POLICE CHIEF IS DENYING ALLEGATIONS THAT TWO POLICE OFFICERS WERE NOT COMMISSIONED WHEN THEY MADE AN ARREST OF A CROWLEY WOMAN LAST YEAR. THE WOMAN, THERESA RICHARD, HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY OF CROWLEY, POLICE CHIEF K-P GIBSON, AND THE TWO OFFICERS. GIBSON SAYS THE TWO OFFICERS WERE AMONG 27 HIRES WHO RECEIVED POLICE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING CERTIFICATIONS THROUGH A CERTIFIED POLICE ACADEMY. GIBSON WAS ACCUSED IN THE LAWSUIT OF ILLEGALLY HIRING AND PROMOTING OFFICERS WITH THE CROWLEY BOARD OF ALDERMAN APPROVING, BUT GIBSON TOLD THE ADVOCATE IN AN EMAIL THE PROCEDURAL ERROR HAS BEEN CORRECTED.
Gov. Bobby Jindal is defending his headlining a prayer rally on Louisiana State University’s campus next month that has drawn the ire of student protesters who say the group hosting the event promotes discrimination and an anti-gay agenda.
The Jan. 24 prayer rally is expected to draw thousands of people to LSU’s campus for what Jindal, a Roman Catholic, describes in an invitation as “a time of worship, prayer, fasting and repentance.” the event, called The Response is sponsored by the Mississippi-based American Family Association. Jindal maintained his enthusiastic support for the event.
AN ART NOVEAU DESK AND CHAIR DISCOVERED IN A CARENCRO HOME SOLD AT AUCTION IN NEW YORK FOR MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS. THE DESK SET WAS ONE OF TEN THAT WERE MADE BY LOUIS MAJORELLE, WHO WAS CONSIDERED A STAR AMONG ART NOVEAU FURNITURE MAKERS. ONE OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS, ELOISE WILKINSON, TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT HER PARENTS ALWAYS TOLD THEM TO TAKE CARE OF IT, SO THEY KNEW IT HAD VALUE, BUT THEY WERE SURPRISED WHEN THEY HAD IT APPRAISED. THE CHAIR WAS THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE, SELLING FOR 540 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
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A MAN AND WOMAN FROM DERIDDER HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AFTER A FIVE MONTH OLD BABY GIRL WAS PLACED ON LIFE SUPPORT. BEAUREGARD PARISH SHERIFF RICKEY MOSES SAYS AN INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED AFTER THE GIRL WAS SEEN IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A FRACTURED SKULL AND SEVERE BRUISING. 23-YEAR-OLD BRITTANY D. COOLEY AND 28-YEAR-OLD KEVIN A. WALLER WERE ARRESTED TUESDAY AND CHARGED WITH SECOND DEGREE CRUELTY TO A JUVENILE. MOSES SAYS THE INFANT IS ON LIFE SUPPORT AT A HOSPITAL IN RAPIDES PARISH.
A JEANERETTE MAN IS DEAD AND HIS SON IS THE SUSPECTED GUNMAN. JULIE DARCY HAS MORE.
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The Supreme Court has added the challenge to Louisiana’s same-sex marriage ban to the agenda for the justices’ closed-door conference on Jan. 9. The action Wednesday does not mean the court will decide that day to hear a gay-marriage case. But the January meeting will be the first time the justices will have had the issue before them since they opted in October against taking up same-sex marriage.
The Louisiana case is unusual in that it has yet to be heard by a federal appeals court.
