1-29-19
SCOTT POLICE ARRESTED A MORGAN CITY MAN YESTERDAY WHO ALLEGEDLY BROKE INTO AND BURGLARIZED A HOME ON HEIDI CIRCLE. POLICE ARRIVED AT THE HOME AFTER A BURGLAR ALARM WENT OFF AND FOUND THE BACK DOOR KICKED IN. THEY APPROACHED A MAN THEY BELIEVED WAS A SUSPECT ON BROTHERS ROAD WHO RAN AWAY, BUT WAS CAUGHT LATER WITH THE HELP OF LAFAYETTE SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES. THE MAN, 29-YEAR-OLD TERRELL POOLE, WAS STILL HOLDING SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE REPORTEDLY STOLEN FROM THE HOME.
THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FENTON HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO EMBEZZLEMENT. 35-YEAR-OLD GWEN JACKSON,WHO WAS HIRED AS THE DIRECTOR IN FEBRUARY OF 2017, EMBEZZLED MORE THAN 33 THOUSAND DOLLARS BETWEEN MARCH AND SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR. AFTER RECEIVING COMPLAINTS OF THEFT, JACKSON, WHILE BEING INTERVIEWED BY LAW ENFORCMENT AGENTS, CONFESSED TO FRAUDULENTLY CASHING NUMEROUS AUTHORITY CHECKS FOR HER PERSONAL BENEFIT, ACCORDING TO U-S ATTORNEY DAVID C. JOSEPH. JACKSON NOW FACES UP TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON, THREE YEARS OF SUPERVISED RELEASE AND A 250 THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE.
A LOCAL ENERGY FABRICATION COMPANY IS EXPANDING, CREATING MORE THAN A HUNDRED JOBS. JEFF HORCHAK HAS THE DETAILS.
VOICER F :24
Frustrated Louisiana patients waiting for medical marijuana got updates on the lengthy regulatory and testing process, but few timelines for when they’ll gain access to medicinal-grade pot. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry held a public “stakeholders meeting” Monday with the state-sanctioned growers, the universities overseeing the production facilities and other regulators.
Previous estimates of when medical marijuana would be available have come and gone. As the state nears the four-year mark since passing the framework for dispensing therapeutic cannabis, the latest estimate for availability seems to be summer, maybe.
THE ACADIAN CULTURAL CENTER IN LAFAYETTE IS SCHEDULED TO REOPEN TODAY, THOUGH THERE’S NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. IT WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THE PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. THE ACADIAN CULTURAL CENTER OVERSEES THE OPERATIONS OF THE JEAN LAFITEE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND PROVIDES PARK SERVICES. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SAYS IT’S PREPARING TO GET BACK TO REGULAR OPERATIONS AND SCHEDULES FOR INDIVIDUAL PARKS WILL VARY DEPENDING ON STAFF SIZES AND THE COMPLEXITY OF OPERATIONS.
STATE POLICE ARRESTED A LAKE CHARLES MAN ON SATURDAY FOR A FOURTH OFFENSE D-W-I. 47-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW JAMES CELESTINE WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH ON L-A 397 AND HIGHWAY 90 JUST AFTER 9:30 SATURDAY MORNING. TROOPER DEREK SENEGAL SAYS CELESTINE CROSSED THE CENTER LINE ON L-A 397, THEN WENT OFF THE ROAD, STRIKING A PARKED TANKER AT A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. SENEGAL SAYS CELESTINE SHOWED OBVIOUS SIGNS OF IMPAIRMENT AND THEY GOT A NO REFUSAL WARRANT IN ORDER TO GET A BLOOD SAMPLE FROM HIM BECAUSE CELESTINE REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH POLICE..
Vermilion Parish Schools Superintendent Jerome Puyau says Gueydan High School was closed Monday and will be closed today. Puyau says they had 600 bats flying around the hallways. He says the animals may have found their way into the campus through a vent or some other opening. School officials have been advised to let the animal leave naturally Monday night before closing any openings around the building. Puyau says that the campus will be thoroughly cleaned before reopening.
A POLL BY A CHARTER SCHOOL FRIENDLY GROUP THAT SUPPORTS DEMOCRATS SHOWS GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS WITH A SIGNIFICANT LEAD AGAINST HIS TWO CHALLENGERS IN HIS UPCOMING REELECTION CAMPAIGN. 45 PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID THEY WOULD VOTE FOR EDWARDS COMPARED TO 17 PERCENT FOR CONGRESSMAN RALPH ABRAHAM AND BUSINESSMAN EDDIE RISPONE, BOTH REPUBLICANS. HOWEVER, THE POLL ALSO SHOWED TWO CHALLENGERS WERE RELATIVELY UNKNOWN, WITH 49 PERCENT NOT RECOGNIZING OR KNOWING LITTLE ABOUT ABRAHAM. THAT NUMBER WAS 56 PERCENT FOR RISPONE. 53 PERCENT OF THE 600 RESPONDENTS IN THE SURVEY WERE DEMOCRATS COMPARED TO 34 PERCENT REPUBLICANS AND THE REST INDEPENDENTS.
