10-10-17
LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF TOBY AGUILLARD YESTERDAY REVEALED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A FALLEN HERO FUND THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN JULY. AGUILLARD AND RAYMOND HEBERT, PRESIDENT AND C-E-O OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ACADIANA, ANNOUNCED THAT THE FAMILY OF CORPORAL MICHAEL PAUL MIDDLEBROOK WILL BE THE FIRST TO GET HELP FROM THE FUND. MIDDLEBROOK WAS SHOT AND KILLED ON OCTOBER FIRST, WHEN HE RESPONDED TO A SHOOTING CALL AT A MOSS STREET CONVENIENCE STORE, THE FIRST LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN ALMOST FIFTY YEARS. AGUILLARD SAYS HE ASKED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FUND TO PROVIDE HELP FOR FAMILIES OF FALLEN OFFICERS UNTIL OTHER DEATH BENEFITS BECOME AVAILABLE.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A WHITE VOLVO THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND-RUN WITH A MOTORCYCLE SATURDAY. DEPUTY CHIEF MARK KRAUS SAYS THE VOLVO HAS PINK STICKERS ON IT, A MISSING FRONT BUMPER, AND A TEMPORARY TAG INSTEAD OF A LICENSE PLATE WITH A PARTIAL NUMBER OF 3-7-7 OR 3-7-8. KRAUS SAYS THE DRIVER OF THE VOLVO, BELIEVED TO BE A BLACK FEMALE, TURNED INTO THE PATH OF THE MOTORCYCLIST ON RYAN STREET, CAUSING A COLLISION, THEN BACKED UP AND FLED. THE MOTORCYCLIST WAS TAKEN TO ST. PATRICK’S HOSPITAL WITH BROKEN BONES AND SEVERE LACERATIONS.
A tractor-trailer flipped over on a Louisiana highway, dumping thousands of potatoes, catching fire and killing the driver. Investigators couldn’t immediately tell if the driver was a man or a woman, according to Master Trooper Brooks David (DAH-veed). Louisiana State Police report on Facebook that the wreck happened early yesterday on Interstate 10 eastbound, near the Butte La Rose exit.
David said in a phone interview that the highway was reopened about 1 p.m., after crews cleared the potatoes.
Few Louisiana voters cast ballots early for the upcoming statewide election, and Louisiana’s chief elections officer is predicting the low interest in early voting signals a likely dismal turnout on Election Day. Secretary of State Tom Schedler anticipates only about 15 percent of Louisiana’s nearly 3 million voters will participate in the Saturday election. On the ballot are races for state treasurer, proposals to make three changes to the state constitution and competitions for municipal jobs. In the weeklong early voting period that wrapped up this weekend, data from Schedler’s office shows about 3 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.
A BATON ROUGE MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN THE DEATH OF A LAKE CHARLES WOMAN. HE’S ACCUSED OF INJECTING HER WITH SILICONE AT A HOTEL IN LAFAYETTE. JEFF HORCHAK REPORTS.
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Louisiana officials say a new manufacturing facility planned for Leesville will create 200 jobs. The Champion Home Builders facility will occupy two existing buildings totaling 246,000 square feet in Leesville’s Northside Industrial Park. The average annual salary for those working there will be $35,000 plus benefits.
Gov. John Bel Edwards and Champion regional vice president Wade Lyall announced the project in a Monday news release from the state economic development agency.
C-B-AND-I WILL BE CLOSING THE DOORS OF ITS PIPE FABRICATION YARD IN DELCAMBRE THIS SUNDAY. THE COMPANY ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CLOSE THE FACILITY BACK IN JULY WITH A LETTER TO THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION. C-B-AND-I SAID THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH WORK AND THE FACILITY HAD HIGH OVERHEAD COSTS. THE CLOSURE WILL AFFECT NINETY EMPLOYEES.
A state audit is criticizing how Louisiana’s education department monitors charter schools. The report from Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera’s office found the education department weighed critical and non-critical violations equally in determining school performance ratings. The department, auditors say, should be judging charter schools based on the severity of a violation. The education department says it is working to update the scoring system to more adequately account for differences in offense types.
