2-15-17
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS REPORTING THAT OVERALL CRIME IN THE UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF THE PARISH WAS DOWN ONE-POINT-4 PERCENT IN 2016 IN COMPARISON TO 2015. THE CATEGORY THAT SAW THE BIGGEST DECREASE WAS RAPE WITH ELEVEN CASES IN 2016 COMPARED TO THIRTY IN 2015. HOWEVER THE NUMBER OF HOMOCIDES INCREASED FROM SIX IN 2015 TO TEN LAST YEAR. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS MADE ARRESTS IN EIGHT OF THE HOMOCIDES.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A MONDAY EVENING SHOOTING. A 16-YEAR-OLD JUVENILE WAS SHOT IN THE LEG AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH A NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURY, ACCORDING TO SERGEANT JEFF KEENUM, WITH THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT. POLICE OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO THE 18-HUNDRED BLOCK OF EIGHTH AVENUE, THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING, AT AROUND EIGHT MONDAY NIGHT. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE SHOOTING IS ASKED TO CALL 491-13-11.
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A FATAL SHOOTING. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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Senators have started advancing legislation that would use Louisiana’s “rainy day” fund to help close the state’s $304 million budget deficit. The Senate Finance Committee moved the proposal Tuesday to the full Senate for debate without action, meaning committee members didn’t vote in support or opposition of the idea. Whether to tap into the fund — and how much to use — is the central disagreement of the budget-rebalancing debate. After two closed-door negotiating sessions between lawmakers and the governor Tuesday, no agreement was reached on a budget deal but another meeting was planned Wednesday.
A PLAN IS UNDER CONSIDERATION TO PUT APARTMENTS IN THE TOP FLOOR OF THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF ACADIANA BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC TRUST AUTHORITY, JOHN ARCENEAUX, TOLD THE BOARD LAST NIGHT THAT HE APPROACHED THE MUSEUM BOARD ABOUT A PLAN TO PUT 15 UNITS IN THE TOP FLOOR, WHICH IS CURRENTLY VACANT. HE SAYS THE TRANSFORMATION COULD INCLUDE A ROOFTOP DECK FOR RESIDENTS AND MUSEUM EMPLOYEES, AND A RESTORATION OF THE FAÇADE OF THE BUILDING, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1938. THE AUTHORITY IS LOOKING INTO APPLYING FOR HISTORIC TAX CREDITS TO ASSIST WITH THE PROJECT.
A FOURTH SUSPECT IN A WESTLAKE HOME INVASION IS NOW IN CUSTODY AT THE CALCASIEU CORRECTIONAL CENTER. 22-YEAR-OLD ANDREA MARTIN OF LAKE CHARLES WAS ARRESTED MONDAY AND BOOKED ON CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER, ARMED ROBBERY AND ARMED ROBBERY WITH A FIREARM. THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAD ALREADY ARRESTED THREE OTHER WOMEN. THE FOUR ALLEGEDLY ENTERED A RESIDENCE, STOLE THE MAN’S WALLET, AND SHOT HIM IN THE LEG BEFORE FLEEING.
A RAYNE MAN AND A LAFAYETTE MAN WERE ARRESTED MONDAY FOR COMMERCIAL FISH SALE VIOLATIONS IN CALCASIEU PARISH. TWO RESIDENTS FROM HAYES COMPLAINED ABOUT BEING SHORTED ON THE SHRIMP THEY PURCHASED FROM 45-YEAR-OLD KENNY J. MENARD OF RAYNE AND 43-YEAR-OLD JESSIE L. DUPUIS JUNIOR OF LAFAYETTE. AGENTS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES DETERMINED THAT THE HAYES MEN ONLY RECEIVED HALF OF THEIR PURCHASE. MENARD AND DUPUIS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THEFT BY FRAUDULENT SALES, SELLING SHRIMP WITHOUT A RETAIL SEAFOOD LICENSE AND FAILING TO MAINTAIN RECORDS.
LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN MIKE JOHNSON HAS BEEN IN OFFICE FOR LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS, BUT HE SAYS HE’S BEEN BOTHERED BY THE BITTER PARTISANSHIP THAT HE’S SEEN. THAT’S WHY HE AUTHORED A PLEDGE CALLED THE “COMMITMENT TO CIVILITY” AND LED HIS COLLEAGUES ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE TUESDAY NIGHT WITH SPEECHES IN SUPPORT OF IT. THE PLEDGE CALLS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SET AN EXAMPLE OF STATESMANSHIP AS AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUNGER GENERATIONS. FORTY-SIX FRESHMEN, BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, HAVE SIGNED THE PLEDGE, INCLUDING LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN CLAY HIGGINS.
