KAJN Jesus FM 102.9


10-18-17

TONIGHT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IS CONSIDERING SWEEPING CHANGES TO DOZENS OF SCHOOLS OF CHOICE PROGRAMS, AND THEY ARE MEETING RESISTANCE FROM PARENTS OF STUDENTS, AS WELL AS TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS.  HUNDREDS OF PARENTS ATTENDED A MEETING SATURDAY TO VOICE THEIR OPPOSITION.  ONE OF THE MOST DEBATED CHANGES IS LIMITING PRIORITY IN ENROLLMENT TO SIBLINGS.  ADMINISTRATORS ESTIMATE THAT AS MUCH AS 80 PERCENT OF ENROLLMENT GOES TO THOSE WHO HAVE A SIBLING ALREADY IN THE PROGRAM, BUT THE PROPOSAL IS TO LIMIT THAT TO 30 PERCENT AND LEAVE 70 PERCENT OPEN TO A RANDOM LOTTERY.

 

A MAN ARRESTED FOR A CRIME IN LAKE CHARLES HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE A SUSPECT IN AN ARMED ROBBERY IN NEW ORLEANS.  50-YEAR-OLD FELTON THOMPSON, WHO WAS ARRESTED IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE DEATH OF TEN-YEAR-OLD JAYLYN CITIZEN, APPROACHED THE NEW ORLEANS VICTIM IN HIS DRIVEWAY AND FORCED HIM AT GUNPOINT INTO HIS HOME, THEN TOOK HIS WALLET AND KEYS, AND STOLE HIS CAR, WHICH WAS LATER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT.  THOMPSON IS AWAITING TRIAL FOR THE FIRST DEGREE MURDER OF CITIZEN.  HE HAD BEEN PAROLED LAST YEAR FROM ANGOLA, WHERE HE WAS SERVING A 99-YEAR SENTENCE FOR ARMED ROBBERY.

 

THE ST. MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS MADE AN ARREST IN THE CASE OF A SHOOTING, IN WHICH A 19-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS CRITICALLY INJURED.  ONE WEEK AGO, THE  VICTIM WAS FOUND SUFFERING THE GUNSHOT WOUND IN HIS CAR, WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE FIVE THOUSAND BLOCK OF MAIN HIGHWAY.  18-YEAR-OLD HUNTER CHAUVIN OF BREAUX BRIDGE WAS ARRESTED AND HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON IN THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SHOOTING HAPPENED, ACCORDING TO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON MAJOR GINNY HIGGINS.  A SECOND ARREST WARRANT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR 19-YEAR-OLD ANDREW SMITH OF ST. MARTINVILLE.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ARE AT THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION THIS MONTH PROTESTING THE PROPOSED BAYOU BRIDGE PIPELINE.  THEIR DEMANDING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY THAT WOULD ASSESS THE FLOOD AND WATER QUALITY RISKS THAT WOULD COME FROM THE PIPELINE.  THEY CITE THE RECENT MAJOR OIL ACCIDENTS AT LAKE PONCHATRAIN AND IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AS REASONS TO STOP THE PIPELINE PROJECT.  GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS RELEASED A STATEMENT THAT THE U-S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.

 

A SCOTT MAN WAS KILLED EARLY TUESDAY MORNING IN IBERIA PARISH.  27-YEAR-OLD GERARD ROBERT WAS WALKING EAST ON HIGHWAY 90 AT AROUND ONE A-M TUESDAY WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY AN S-U-V.  ROBERT WAS TAKEN TO LAFAYETTE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE HE WAS LATER PRONOUNCED DEAD.  THE DRIVER OF THE S-U-V WAS FOUND NEGATIVE FOR ALCOHOL AFTER GIVING A BREATH SAMPLE, BUT THE STATE POLICE ARE CONTINUING AN INVESTIGATION.

 

FUNERAL SERVICES ARE SCHEDULED  FOR TOMORROW EVENING FOR LAKE CHARLES POLICE OFFICER DENISE HUGHES, WHO RECENTLY PASSED AWAY AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH CANCER.  HUGHES WAS ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN TO WORK IN THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT, STARTING AS A DISPATCHER IN 1979 AND LATER BECOMING AN OFFICER.  SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN IN THE DEPARTMENT TO EARN THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT AND CAPTAIN.  RETIRED OFFICER STEVE LAW TELLS KPLC TV THAT FELLOW OFFICERS WERE MADE BETTER  BY WORKING WITH HUGHES, AND FIRST ASSISTANT D-A CYNTHIA KILLINGSWORTH CALLED HUGHES A WONDERFUL OFFICER WHO WORKED HARD AND HELPED SOLVE CASES.

 

A CATHOLIC PRIEST FROM OPELOUSAS, WHO DIED AS A PRISONER OF WAR IN WORLD WAR TWO, WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED SERVICE MEDALS.  A CEREMONY WAS HELD YESTERDAY AT ST. LANDRY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN OPELOUSAS SO THAT THE REVEREND JOSEPH LAFLEUR COULD BE RECOGNIZED WITH A DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS AND A PURPLE HEART.  THE RECOGNITION IS THE RESULT OF THE SUSTAINED EFFORTS OF LAFLEUR’S FAMILY, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND PETER GUERRA, WHO WROTE A BIOGRAPHY ABOUT LAFLEUR.  GUERRA SAYS LETTERS WRITTEN BY FELLOW P-O-W’S TO LAFLEUR’S FAMILY TELL THE SAME STORY, THAT LAFLEUR GAVE HIS FOOD AND HIS LIFE TO HIS FELLOW PRISONERS.

 

Louisiana’s state librarian, Rebecca Hamilton, has received this year’s Lynda Carlberg Award, an honor established in 1998 in Carlberg’s memory in recognition of librarians who help build “great libraries.”  Carlberg, director of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library system for decades, was killed in a car accident in 1997.

Hamilton received the award Tuesday during the Libraries Southwest Author/Award Dinner.  Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says the state library has thrived under Hamilton’s leadership.