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A LAFAYETTE PARISH GRAND JURY INDICTED TWO PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE SHOOTING DEATH OF 57-YEAR-OLD ROSANDO GONZALEZ ON SURREY STREET IN DECEMBER OF 2015. ORIGINALLY POLICE SAID THAT GONZALEZ WAS WALKING WITH ANOTHER MAN, DRAYFUS BOB OF LAFAYETTE, WHEN A CAR PULLED UP AND TWO MEN ARMED WITH GUNS GOT OUT AND SHOT GONZALEZ. BOB ALLEGEDLY RAN AWAY DURING THE SHOOTING, BUT, A YEAR LATER, POLICE LISTED HIM AS A SUSPECT. BOB, ALONG WITH 20-YEAR-OLD SHON HAMILTON, WERE INDICTED ON CHARGES OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER.
A GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED A SULPHUR MAN FOR ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO RUN DOWN CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES. IN NOVEMBER, OFFICERS ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER 17-YEAR-OLD DERRICK RANDLE, WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY DRIVING ERRATICALLY IN THE AREA OF COACH WILLIAMS DRIVE AND OLD SPANISH TRAIL IN SULPHUR. RANDLE REFUSED TO STOP AND DURING A PURSUIT RAN INTO A PATROL CAR WITH TWO DEPUTIES AND ALLEGEDLY SWERVED TO TRY TO HIT DEPUTIES ON FOOT, NARROWLY MISSING THEM. THE GRAND JURY INDICTED HIM ON ONE COUNT OF ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER.
REPORTS ARE SPREADING THAT BAKER HUGHES IS CLOSING THEIR CROWLEY LOCATION. JEFF HORCHEK HAS MORE.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards laid out his defense for Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion by having some of the program’s patients describe the medical services they’ve received. Twenty-three-year-old Monika Calderon spoke of severe headaches that were diagnosed as a brain tumor. Medicaid expansion covered the cost of her surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Edwards hopes any federal health law replacement in Washington will allow the more than 370,000 people getting government-financed health insurance through Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion to continue receiving services.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MADE A CHANGE TO THE CELL PHONE POLICY. STUDENTS WHO ARE CAUGHT USING CELL PHONES OR OTHER DEVICES ON CAMPUS DURING THE ACADEMIC DAY HAVE THEM CONFISCATED AND HELD FOR FIVE DAYS. THE NEW POLICY ALLOWS PARENTS TO PICK UP THE CELL PHONES ON THE DAY BEFORE HOLIDAYS AND THEN RETURN THEM WHEN SCHOOL RESUMES SO THE CONFISCATION PERIOD CAN BE COMPLETED. BOARD MEMBER JEREMY HIDALGO SAYS HE’S GLAD THE MATTER WAS ADDRESSED QUICKLY BECAUSE SOME PARENTS WERE UPSET OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
SO FAR EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE LAKE CHARLES MAYOR’S RACE. ONE PERSON WHO HAS DECIDED NOT TO RUN IS CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JUROR TONY GUILLORY, DESPITE HAVING PLACED CANDIDATE SIGNS AROUND THE CITY. IN JENNINGS, THREE PEOPLE HAVE QUALIFIED TO RUN FOR MAYOR. TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY FOR QUALIFYING FOR THE MARCH 25TH ELECTION.
MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE ATTENDED A HEARING IN BATON ROUGE BOTH FOR AND AGAINST A PROPOSED 162 MILE PIPELINE THAT WOULD STRETCH FROM CALCASIEU PARISH TO ST. JAMES PARISH. ST. MARTIN PARISH PRESIDENT GUY CORMIER SAYS HE WAS THERE TO ENSURE THE PIPELINE, IF APPROVED, IS INSTALLED PROPERLY SO NO LEVEES ARE CREATED THAT INTERFERE WITH WATER FLOW IN THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN. OPPONENTS OF THE BAYOU BRIDGE PIPELINE BOOED FORMER U-S SENATOR MARY LANDRIEU, WHEN SHE SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE PIPELINE AS A CONSULTANT FOR ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS. STATE REPRESENTATIVES NANCY LANDRY OF LAFAYETTE AND STEPHEN DWIGHT OF LAKE CHARLES BOTH WROTE LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT.
Hundreds of Louisiana families displaced by August’s historic flooding are getting more time to stay in government-subsidized hotel and motel rooms. The Federal Emergency Management Agency agreed Thursday to extend its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program in Louisiana through Feb. 9. The previous deadline was Jan. 17. Roughly 2,000 families currently living in hotel and motel rooms must check out by Feb. 10 unless FEMA grants another extension at the state’s request.
