1-20-16
A 25-YEAR VETERAN OF THE LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN NAMED INTERIM POLICE CHIEF. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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A ROADWAY IN SULPHUR WAS CLEARED BECAUSE OF A NATURAL GAS LEAK LAST NIGHT. IT WAS CAUSED BY A VEHICLE WHICH CRASHED INTO A BUSINESS, SUPERIOR SUPPLY AND STEEL, ON SOUTH CITIES SERVICE HIGHWAY. SOME AREA RESIDENTS TOLD KPLC TV THAT THEY COULD HEAR A HISSING SOUND CAUSED BY THE LEAKING NATURAL GAS. POLICE SAY THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN THE CRASH.
A FEDERAL JUDGE DID NOT TAKE ACTION TUESDAY ON A PLAN THAT WOULD END A DECADES OLD DESEGREGATION CASE IN ST. MARTIN PARISH. THE PLAN AGREED TO BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE ATTENDANCE ZONES FOR SCHOOLS IN ST. MARTINVILLE, BREAUX BRIDGE, CATAHOULA AND PARKS. BUT U-S DISTRICT JUDGE ELIZABETH FOOTE QUESTIONED THE PLAN, AND WONDERED ALOUD IF THE BEST SOLUTION WAS TO CLOSE CATAHOULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH HAS A MAJORITY WHITE POPULATION. WHATEVER CHANGES ARE APPROVED WILL GO INTO EFFECT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has released his money-raising ideas for stabilizing Louisiana’s budget. The Democratic governor is proposing a sales tax hike, use of Louisiana’s “rainy day” fund and redirection of some oil spill settlement money to fill a more than $700 million budget gap that must be closed by June 30. To stabilize the long-term budget problems, Edwards is proposing increased cigarette, telecommunications and business utility taxes and continued across-the-board cuts to tax break programs, among a long list of ideas. The Edwards administration estimates Louisiana faces as much as a $1.9 billion gap in next year’s budget.
Lafayette Regional Airport has broken ground on a new $5.1 million cargo operations facility. The Advocate reports state, city-parish and airport officials gathered Tuesday for the groundbreaking ceremony. FedEx and UPS will begin operating out of the new cargo facility by the end of the year. Construction is to begin shortly and is scheduled to be complete by September 2016.
BEAUREGARD PARISH LEADERS ARE HOPING TO PROVIDE A BOOST TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY BY OPENING THE OLD PARISH JAIL TO PUBLIC TOURS. PARISH PRESIDENT BOBBY HENNIGAN SAYS THE JAIL WILL HAVE TO BE MADE HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE AND REPLACE THE LIGHTING AND FLOORING. THE PARISH POLICE JURY HELD A SPECIAL MEETING LAST NIGHT TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET AND BIDS BUT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. HENNIGAN SAYS THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THE PARISH IS FINANCIALLY STABLE BEFORE THEY ACCEPT ANY BIDS ON THE PROJECT.
THE TRIAL OF A KAPLAN MAN, SCHEDULED TO BEGIN YESTERDAY FOR AN ALLEGED HIT-AND-RUN DEATH, HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE. FITZPATRICK DOUCETTE WAS ACCUSED OF HITTING BICYCLIST LON LOMAS OF YOUNGSVILE IN JULY OF 2014 WHILE HE WAS CYCLING ALONG HIGHWAY 92 IN MILTON. THE PROSECUTION SAYS THAT LOMAS WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BUT DROWNED IN A DITCH. THE JUDGE POSTPONED THE TRIAL TO GIVE THE PROSECUTION TIME TO BOLSTER THEIR ARGUMENT THAT LOMAS’ LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF DOUCETTE HAD STOPPED AND HELPED HIM.
Louisiana residents can begin to file their state tax returns. The Louisiana Department of Revenue began processing 2015 state individual income tax returns yesterday. The filing deadline is May 16. The department said in a news release that it would focus on safeguarding taxpayers against fraud this year.
