4-22-15
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD COULD CHOOSE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT AT TONIGHT’S SPECIAL MEETING. ORIGINALLY THE BOARD WAS TO JUST INTERVIEW THE FINALISTS, BUT THE MEETING AGENDA WAS AMENDED TO ALLOW THE BOARD TO ALSO SELECT A SUPERINTENDENT. THE BOARD WILL INTERVIEW ST. MARY PARISH SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT DONALD AGUILLARD AND LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NETWORK LEADER FRANCIS TOUCHET. THEY HAD PLANNED TO INTERVIEW A THIRD FINALIST, CARLOS SAM, BUT HE WAS SELECTED YESTERDAY BY THE EAST FELICIANA SCHOOL BOARD TO BE THEIR SUPERINTENDENT.
A FORMER LAKE CHARLES PASTOR, WHO FOUNDED THE JUST FOR JESUS RALLIES, REACHED A PLEA DEAL ON SEVERAL DRUG CHARGES YESTERDAY. JAMES BERTRAND PLED GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF COCAINE POSSESSION, AND THE PROSECUTION AGREED TO DROP CHARGES IN FOUR OTHER CASES. BERTRAND WAS SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON. THE FIRST DRUG CHARGE WAS IN CONNECTION WITH A JANUARY 2013 ARREST FOR CARRYING A CRACK PIPE AND A BAG OF COCAINE IN HIS POCKET, AND THE SECOND CHARGE WAS RELATED TO A DECEMBER 2013 INCIDENT WHEN HE WAS FOUND IN POSSESSION OF COCAINE.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING TWO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. JULIE DARCE HAS THE DETAILS.
VOICER I :30
A little-known drug derived from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree would be added to Louisiana’s list of illegal narcotics, under a bill advanced to the full House for consideration. Depending on how much is ingested, Kratom can act as either a stimulant known to make users irritable, or a depressant with an opium-like effect, Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier told the House criminal justice committee Tuesday. DeRosier said packets of the drug, which retail for around $35 each, were recently the focus of a criminal investigation after the owner of a Lake Charles smoke shop reported the theft of $60,000 worth of Kratom from his business. The criminal justice committee approved the prohibition bill (House Bill 174) by Rep. Bernard LeBas, D-Ville Platte, without objection.
A NEW GUIDEBOOK FOR ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT WAS APPROVED FOR INTRODUCTION BY THE CITY PARISH COUNCIL LAST NIGHT. A FINAL VOTE ON THE PROPOSED UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE WILL TAKE PLACE ON MAY FIFTH. IF APPROVED, THE U-D-C WOULD APPLY ONLY TO THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE AND THE UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF THE PARISH. THE PROPOSED CODE WOULD GIVE MORE CHOICES FOR DEVELOPERS AND ALLOW MORE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED PIECES OF PROPERTIES AND MIXED-USE NEIGHBORHOODS.
W-T HENNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SULPHUR WAS PLACED ON LOCKDOWN YESTERDAY AFTERNOON FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES BECAUSE OF A SUSPECT FLEEING POLICE. SULPHUR POLICE SPOKESMAN MEL ESTESS SAYS AN OFFICER PULLED OVER A VEHICLE ON INTERSTATE TEN WHEN ONE OF THE TWO PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE FLED ON FOOT, CROSSING THE SCHOOL PROPERTY. THAT PERSON WAS ARRESTED ON HENNING STREET. ESTESS SAYS THEY DON’T KNOW YET WHY THAT PERSON RAN, BUT BOTH OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CAR ARE IN CUSTODY AND FACE CHARGES.
RECENT VIOLENT CRIMES IN CROWLEY HAS PROMPTED THE POLICE CHIEF TO SHIFT MANPOWER WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT SO MORE OFFICERS ARE ON THE STREETS. OFFICERS LAST WEEK MADE 65 STOPS OF PEOPLE OR VEHICLES THAT RESULTED IN TWELVE OPEN CONTAINER CITATIONS, SEVEN ARRESTS FOR NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS, AND THE ARREST OF AN ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT THROUGH A WARRANT FROM THE RAYNE POLICE DEPARTMENT. POLICE CHIEF K-P GIBSON SAYS THE OFFICERS WERE FOCUSING THEIR ATTENTION IN THE AREAS WHERE RECENT VIOLENT CRIMES OCCURRED. HE SAYS DETECTIVES ARE WORKING ALL THE LEADS AND TIPS THEY RECEIVE AS THEY TRY TO SOLVE A RECENT HOMOCIDE CASE.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration has rewritten the state’s abortion clinic regulations, a move that abortion-rights supporters say was unnecessary and intended to hinder the operation of clinics. The state Department of Health and Hospitals this week published the final version of the 20-page revamp of clinic licensing standards. The agency says the rewrite accounts for recent legislative changes and simply spells out facility licensing requirements and staffing provisions that are designed to protect women’s safety. Critics say the reworked licensing standards add burdensome paperwork requirements, demand duplicative filings and make it easier for the state to cite an abortion clinic for deficiencies and yank its license.
