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THE N-C-A-A SAYS FORMER U-L LAFAYETTE ASSISTANT COACH DAVID SAUNDERS ARRANGED FRAUDULENT COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM SCORES FOR FIVE PROSPECTS THEN DENIED HIS INVOLVEMENT. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS TRYING TO FIND WHO BURGLARIZED LLOYD’S COUNTRY STORE IN WESTLAKE ON CHRISTMAS EVE. THE THIEVES STOLE SEVERAL ANTIQUE ITEMS VALUED AT OVER FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. PAMELA SEAL, THE OWNER OF THE STORE, TOLD KPLC TV SHE BELIEVES THE ROBBERY WAS PLANNED BECAUSE SHE REMEMBERED TWO GUYS SPENDING AN HOUR CASING THE STORE ON DECEMBER 19TH AND ON DECEMBER 22ND, PEOPLE WERE SEEN ON SURVEILLANCE CAMERA REMOVING LIGHT BULBS. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE BURGLARY IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE.
THE IBERIA PARISH AIRPORT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THE CONTRACT FOR A NEW PASSENGER TERMINAL AT THE ACADIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN NEW IBERIA. E-L HABETZ BUILDERS OF CROWLEY WILL CONSTRUCT THE 14-HUNDRED SQUARE FOOT FACILITY WHICH, OFFICIALS SAY, SHOULD TAKE ABOUT NINE MONTHS TO COMPLETE. GROUNDBREAKING WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 28TH FOR THE TERMINAL, WHICH WILL BE NAMED FOR BRIGADIER GENERAL WILTZ PAUL SEGURA, A DECORATED FIGHTER PILOT FROM NEW IBERIA. THE AUTHORITY ARE TRYING TO FIND A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE THAT WOULD MAKE TWO DAILY ROUND TRIP FLIGHTS FROM THE AIRPORT TO HOUSTON.
On his first full day in office, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards is reversing course from his Republican predecessor and starting the process to expand Louisiana’s Medicaid program. Edwards signed the executive order Tuesday, ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit to Baton Rouge, where he’ll champion his federal health care overhaul that allows for the Medicaid expansion. Louisiana’s governor says he wants to have government-funded health insurance cards in more people’s hands by July 1. It’s unclear whether Louisiana’s Republican-led Legislature will try to throw up roadblocks to slow down Edwards’ expansion plan.
Gov. John Bel Edwards, the rare Democratic statewide elected official in the Deep South, will be on the tarmac to greet President Barack Obama as he arrives in Louisiana this week. But whether the two men will have a sit-down meeting remains uncertain. Obama will land in Baton Rouge on Wednesday evening, ahead of a Thursday appearance at a local high school. Edwards said his newly-signed executive order starting the process for expanding Louisiana’s Medicaid program will be a topic when he and the president speak.
A LAFAYETTE MAN WAS SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR FIRING A SHOT AT A POSTAL WORKER IN MARCH OF 2014. ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, 41-YEAR-OLD DAVID SONNIER PLED GUILTY TO ONE COUNT OF DISCHARGING A WEAPON DURING THE COMMISSION OF A CRIME OF VIOLENCE. SONNIER ADMITTED FIRING A SHOT AT THE POSTAL WORKER AS HE DROVE BY HIS HOUSE. THE BULLET PASSED THROUGH THE PANT LEG OF THE POSTAL WORKER AND LODGED INTO THE SIDE OF THE MAIL DELIVERY VEHICLE.
THE PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE IN THE MURDER TRIAL OF KEVIN DAIGLE OF LAKE CHARLES MET WITH THE JUDGE YESTERDAY TO SET THE PARAMETERS FOR HIS TRIAL, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 19TH. DAIGLE IS FACING CHARGES OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF STATE TROOPER STEVEN VINCENT AND SECOND DEGREE MURDER FOR THE DEATH OF DAIGLE’S ROOMATE, BLAKE BREWER. THE DEFENSE FILED 39 MOTIONS, AT LEAST EIGHT OF WHICH WERE CONTESTED BY THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY. ONE OF THOSE THAT WERE CHALLENGED WAS A REQUEST THAT THE JUDGE DISMISS THE DEATH PENALTY.
A recently released state audit says a former Baldwin clerk is accused of pocketing thousands of dollars in payments made to the town and creating false public records to hide the missing funds. The Advocate reports the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested 40-year-old Natashia Lancelin Monday. Deputies say Lancelin faces several counts of theft, second-degree injuring public records, filing false public records and malfeasance in office. According to the Legislative Auditor’s Office, auditors determined Lancelin collected the payments but never deposited $63,504 in cash, then created new log sheets that omitted the payments from the record.
