10-11-17
A MAN WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN LAFAYETTE LAST NIGHT AT AROUND MIDNIGHT. POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE VICTIM AS 41-YEAR-OLD BILLY ROY JUNIOR OF LAFAYETTE. IT HAPPENED IN THE 100 BLOCK OF HOBSON STREET AND CORPORAL KARL RATCLIFF SAYS THE SHOOTING IS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A HOMOCIDE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS URGED TO CALL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 232-TIPS.
A MAN WANTED FOR SHOOTING AND KILLING HIS FATHER WAS FOUND AND ARRESTED IN DERIDDER YESTERDAY MORNING AT AROUND 11:15. 30-YEAR-OLD ZACK MOSLEY OF NEW LLANO IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING HIS FATHER, ANDREW MOSLEY JUNIOR, LATE MONDAY NIGHT. ZACK MOSLEY HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER. JUDGE C. ANTHONY EAVES SET HIS BOND AT TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
AN OPELOUSAS SINGER HELPED CONTINUE A STREAK OF HAVING ACADIANA AREA SINGERS MAKE SUCCESSFUL AUDITIONS ON THE TELEVISION SHOW, “THE VOICE.” 23-YEAR-OLD IGNATIOUS CARMOUCHE IS THE NINTH SINGER FROM ACADIANA TO ADVANCE ON THE SHOW IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. CARMOUCHE SAYS HE GREW UP SINGING IN THE CHURCH, AND STARTED A MUSIC MINISTRY A YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO. HE’S A GRADUATE OF THE MAGNET ACADEMY OF CULTURAL ARTS IN OPELOUSAS.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE RICK EDMONDS, A REPUBLICAN FROM BATON ROUGE, IS LEADING ANOTHER EFFORT TO ATTEMPT TO UNLOCK PARTS OF THE STATE BUDGET THAT HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO PET CAUSES OVER THE YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE ADVOCATE NEWSPAPER. EDMONDS IS CO-CHAIR OF THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE, AND HE SAYS THEY WILL REVIEW EACH OF THE 344 STATUTORY DEDICATIONS AT MEETINGS LATER THIS MONTH. THE STATE IS FACING A ONE BILLION DOLLAR FISCAL CLIFF WHEN A TEMPORARY STATE SALES TAX EXPIRES NEXT YEAR. THOSE WHO WANT TO ROLL BACK THE DEDICATIONS SAY IT WILL ALLOW LAWMAKERS MORE FLEXIBILITY IN PRIORITIZING STATE SPENDING WHILE CRITICS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE UNCERTAINTY FOR PROGRAMS THAT RELY ON THOSE FUNDS.
U-L LAFAYETTE HAS SUSPENDED FOUR FRATERNITIES AFTER COMPLAINTS WERE LODGED. DEAN OF STUDENTS MARGARITA PEREZ SAYS THEY RECEIVED THE COMPLAINTS SHORTLY AFTER THE DEATH OF AN L-S-U STUDENT IN AN ALLEGED HAZING INCIDENT LAST MONTH. SHE SAYS THEY FOUND THE COMPLAINTS HAD MERIT AND DECIDED TO ISSUE THE SUSPENSION AS A “PAUSE” WHILE THEY CONTINUED THE INVESTIGATION. PEREZ SAYS UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS ARE REVIEWING THEIR POLICIES ON HAZING PREVENTION.
NIC HUNTER HAS JUST COMPLETED 100 DAYS IN OFFICE AS THE MAYOR OF LAKE CHARLES AND HE SAYS HIS BIGGEST VICTORY IS GETTING MORE THAN FIVE MILLION DOLLARS FOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND STUDIES. HE TELLS KPLC TV THAT HE WANTS TO CREATE A MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR LAKE CHARLES WHICH WOULD TACKLE DRAINAGE ISSUES BEFORE THEY BECOME PROBLEMS. HE SAYS DRAINAGE IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HE WILL HAVE TO TACKLE IN THE FUTURE. HUNTER SAYS HIS ADMINISTRATION IS ALSO STUDYING THE LAKEFRONT TO SEE WHAT WOULD GET IT READY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND THEY ARE COMING OUT WITH SOMETHING SOON.
U-S SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY ANNOUNCED THAT THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS GIVING 9-POINT-3 MILLION DOLLARS TO SEVEN AIRPORTS IN LOUISIANA, TWO OF WHICH ARE IN ACADIANA. THE LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT IS GETTING TWO-POINT-ONE MILLION DOLLARS TOWARDS A NEW TERMINAL THAT WILL ULTIMATELY COST 130 MILLION DOLLARS. AIRPORT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEVEN PICOU SAYS THE NEW TERMINAL, WHICH IS SET TO OPEN IN THE YEAR 2022, WILL HAVE FIVE GATES AND A LARGE SECURITY AREA. ALSO, THE ACADIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN NEW IBERIA WILL RECEIVE A 767 THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT TO REHABILITATE IT’S EIGHT THOUSAND FOOT LONG RUNWAY.
A TASK FORCE OF STATE LAWMAKERS IS LOOKING INTO THE TOPS PROGRAM TO DECIDE IF CHANGES ARE NEEDED WHEN THE LEGISLATURE MEETS NEXT YEAR. AT A MEETING YESTERDAY, THE PANEL LEARNED THAT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS RECEIVING AID THROUGH THE TOPS PROGRAM HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE 1998. DURING THAT PERIOD, THERE’S BEEN A 270-POINT-4 PERCENT INCREASE IN DOLLARS FOR THE PROGRAM WHILE TUITION HAS GONE UP BY 292-POINT-2 PERCENT. THE PRICE FOR THE TOPS PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO GO UP BY ONE-POINT-5 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH IS A POINT-6 PERCENT INCREASE.
