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IN AN UNUSUAL MOVE, THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS WILL RECONSIDER FORMER LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT PAT COOPER’S WRONGFUL TERMINATION LAWSUIT. IN NOVEMBER, THE APPEALS COURT UPHELD THE SCHOOL BOARD’S DECISION TO TERMINATE COOPER’S CONTRACT BY A TWO-TO ONE VOTE. HOWEVER, THE DISSENTING JUDGE, JOHN CONERY, WROTE A STRONGLY WORDED OPINION SAYING THE BOARD’S DECISION WAS BASED MORE ON POLITICS THAN THE LAW. CONERY’S OPINION CONVINCED TO COOPER’S LAWYER, LANE ROY, TO ASK FOR A REHEARING, WHICH WAS GRANTED ON DECEMBER 29TH, WITH THE HEARING TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 25TH.
A DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THE POSITION OF IOWA FIRE CHIEF PASSED ON DECEMBER 31ST BUT MAYOR CAROL PONTHIEUX SAYS SHE RECEIVED NO APPLICATIONS. SHE SAYS PART OF THE PROBLEM MAY BE THE SALARY BEING OFFERED, WHICH IS BETWEEN 32 AND 33 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE POSITION BECAME VACANT AFTER FORMER CHIEF SANDRA MILLER RESIGNED IN OCTOBER AFTER HER ARREST ON DRUG POSSESSION CHARGES THE PREVIOUS MONTH. PONTHIEUX IS STILL HOPING TO GET A QUALIFIED APPLICANT FOR THE POSITION, BUT IF SHE DOESN’T, THEY MAY HAVE TO GO BACK TO WHAT THEY HAD BEFORE WITH THE FIRE CHIEF BEING PART OF A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH NO COMPENSATION FOR THE TOWN.
THE NEWEST SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, JIMMY GENOVESE, WAS SWORN IN YESTERDAY IN HIS HOMETOWN OF OPELOUSAS. NEARLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY, HELD AT THE EVANGELINE DOWNS EVENTS CENTER, INCLUDING GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS. GENOVESE THANKED ST. LANDRY PARISH VOTERS, WHOSE 15 THOUSAND VOTES MADE THE DIFFERENCE AS HE NARROWLY DEFEATED MARILYN CASTLE. GENOVESE REPLACES RETIRING JUSTICE JEANETTE KNOLL, TAKING OVER THE THIRD DISTRICT WHICH COVERS EIGHT PARISHES IN ACADIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.
Louisiana’s newest U.S. senator, Republican John Kennedy, has taken the oath of office as the latest term of Congress began. Also sworn in Tuesday were two new U.S. House members for Louisiana’s delegation: Republicans Clay Higgins in the southwest Louisiana-based 3rd District and Mike Johnson in the northwest Louisiana-based 4th District. All three won runoff elections last month.
Kennedy, who had been Louisiana’s treasurer, defeated Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell for the Senate seat, getting 61 percent of the vote.
CARENCRO POLICE HAVE NOT YET RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF A MAN WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH. POLICE FOUND HIS BODY JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE 200 BLOCK OF ST. ANDRE STREET AFTER THEY HAD RECEIVED A CALL. CARENCRO POLICE SAY THEY WILL NOT STOP THE INVESTIGATION UNTIL THEY HAVE FOUND THE KILLER. THERE HAVE BEEN THREE HOMOCIDES IN CARENCRO OVER THE LAST TWELVE YEARS, BUT THEY HAVE ALL OCCURRED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR.
A STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE HAS BLOCKED A PROPERTY TAX DEAL BETWEEN THE CAMERON PARISH POLICE JURY AND CAMERON L-N-G. THE COMPANY WOULD HAVE SAVED UP TO ONE-POINT-5 BILLION DOLLARS IN TAXES UNDER THE DEAL, ACCORDING TO SOME ESTIMATES, BUT THE PARISH TAX ASSESSOR AND A CONCERNED TAXPAYER FILED THE LAWSUIT, SAYING THE DEAL WAS ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL. CAMERON PARISH ADMINISTRATOR RYAN BOURRIAQUE SAYS THE DEAL WOULD HAVE SOLVED A LOT OF THEIR CURRENT FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. THE POLICE JURY PLANS TO APPEAL.
AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY AFTER A 48-YEAR-OLD INMATE WAS FOUND DEAD AT THE IBERIA PARISH JAIL. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards filled vacancies for Louisiana’s college management boards over the holidays. He named six people to the 15-member Board of Regents, the top policymaking and budgeting panel for Louisiana public higher education. Edwards’ selected: Blake David, a Lafayette lawyer; Darren Mire, valuation director for the Orleans Parish tax assessor’s office; W. Clinton “Bubba” Rasberry, a Shreveport businessman and previous Regents board member; Jacqueline Vines Wyatt, a former Cox Communications executive from Prairieville; T. Jay Seale III, a Hammond lawyer; and Charles McDonald, a former state lawmaker from Sterlington who worked to create the TOPS tuition program.
David, Rasberry, Seale and McDonald each donated to Edwards’ campaign.
