7-18-17
A COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED AGAINST A LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER CAUGHT ON CELL PHONE VIDEO BODY SLAMMING A MAN SATURDAY NIGHT. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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LAKE CHARLES POLICE HAVE ARRESTED TWO PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH AN EARLY MONDAY MORNING HOMOCIDE AND ARE LOOKING FOR A THIRD SUSPECT. LT. KEVIN KIRKUM SAYS THREE MEN FORCED THEIR WAY INTO A HOME AT 409 NORTH SIMMONS STREET AND SHOT AND KILLED 31-YEAR-OLD GARY OBRIEN WHEN HE WOULDN’T COMPLY WITH THEIR DEMAND. KIRKUM SAYS THE APPARENT MOTIVE OF THE SHOOTING WAS ROBBERY. LAST NIGHT POLICE ARRESTED 20-YEAR-OLD JUSTIN LANDRY OF LAKE CHARLES FOR FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND 18-YEAR-OLD JERMYRE BOWERS OF LAKE CHARLES FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY IS PLANNED FOR NEXT MONDAY MORNING TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF FOUR NEW FLOATING DOCKS FOR CANOES AND KAYAKS ALONG THE BAYOU TECHE PADDLE TRAIL. THE NEW ACCESS POINTS TO LOUISIANA’S ONLY NATIONAL WATER TRAIL ARE AT PORT BARRE, ST. MARTINVILLE, LOREAUVILLE AND CHARENTON. EVENTUALLY THE 130 MILE LONG PADDLE TRAIL WILL HAVE 15 OFFICIAL ACCESS POINTS. THE CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT MONDAY MORNING AT TEN A-M AT EVANGELINE OAK PARK IN ST. MARTINVILLE.
Louisiana is renegotiating the terms of deals with the private managers of its safety-net hospitals and services, in what is becoming an annual bargaining session aimed at keeping state costs in check. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ lead negotiator, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, says drafts of the latest contract proposals are out for hospital managers to review. The main issue in the negotiations is money, with the Edwards administration trying to ensure the deals have caps on the state’s financial liability. The contracts, negotiated by former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration, will carry a nearly $1.2 billion price tag in the current budget year.
MORE THAN 600 TEACHERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE ARE IN LAFAYETTE THIS WEEK FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL JUMP START INSTITUTE. THE TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE TRAINING AND CREDENTIALS THAT WILL HELP THEM GIVE STUDENTS A BETTER CHANCE OF SUCCESS IN THE WORKFORCE. STATE SUPERINTENDENT JOHN WHITE SAYS THIS YEAR’S INSTITUTE IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT SINCE THE STATE IS ELIMINATING THE BASIC DIPLOMA NEXT YEAR, WHICH ALLOWED STUDENTS TO GRADUATE WITHOUT TAKING TOPS CORE COURSES OR RECEIVE INDUSTRY-BASED CREDENTIALS. THAT MEANS STUDENTS HAVE TO CHOOSE COURSES TO EARN TOPS CREDITS OR COURSES THAT ALLOW THEM TO GRADUATE WITH VALID WORKFORCE CREDENTIALS.
A CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A THREE VEHICLE CRASH YESTERDAY EVENING. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF DAVIS, FONTENOT AND DALTON ROADS BETWEEN MOSS BLUFF AND WESTLAKE. SEVERAL PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE SHERIFF’S DEPUTY, HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THERE’S NO WORD YET ON THE EXTENT OF THE INJURIES OR THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
A NEW IBERIA MAN STABBED TWO PEOPLE AT BOULIGNY PLAZA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. CAPTAIN WENDELL RAYBORN WITH THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS 28-YEAR-OLD TONY YOUNGER APPROACHED TWO WOMEN, WHO WERE IN A HEATED ARGUMENT, AND STABBED ONE OF THEM IN THE ARM. HE ALSO STABBED A MAN, WHO TRIED TO INTERVENE, IN THE CHEST, AND HE WAS AIRLIFTED TO A LAFAYETTE HOSPITAL. YOUNGER WAS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER.
An audit says Louisiana’s health department spent up to $3.8 million on improper payments in programs that help the elderly and people with disabilities stay in their homes. The Legislative Auditor’s office released a review Monday that says the Department of Health hasn’t fixed all the problems identified in a 2011 audit of Medicaid spending on home- and community-based services. Auditors say the health department needs to improve its tracking and monitoring of direct care workers and the services billed to the Medicaid program after continued findings of improper spending from 2011 through 2015. The health department says it will make changes recommended by auditors.
