10-19-17
U-L SOFTBALL COACH MICHAEL LOTIEF WAS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE TWO WEEKS AGO, ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE UNIVERSITY YESTERDAY. THERE WERE NO DETAILS AS TO WHY THE MOVE WAS MADE, BUT LOTIEF’S ATTORNEY SAYS IT CAME AFTER HE HAD A “PASSIONATE CONVERSATION” WITH UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS ABOUT GENDER INEQUITIES IN THE PROGRAM. THE ATTORNEY, JOHN E. MCELLIGOTT JUNIOR, SAYS COACH LOTIEF RAISED ISSUES ABOUT GETTING GRASS CUT, MAKING SURE STUDENTS HAVE ATHLETIC TRAINERS AT PRACTICE AND MAKING SURE ASSISTANT COACHES GET PAID. THERE WAS NO WORD FROM UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS IF LOTIEF’S ABSENCE WOULD AFFECT HIS STATUS FOR THE 2018 SOFTBALL SEASON.
THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL HEARD FROM RESIDENTS OPPOSED TO A PROPOSED NEW FUNERAL HOME ON CENTER STREET. CHARLES EVINS WANTS TO PUT A FUNERAL HOME AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE IT IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM A CEMETARY, NEXT TO THE CORONER’S OFFICE AND A FUNERAL HOME USED TO BE THERE. BUT GARLAND FRANCOIS, ONE OF THOSE OPPOSED TO THE FUNERAL HOME WHO LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SAYS EVINS ALREADY HAD PLANS FOR A FUNERAL HOME ON KIRKMAN STREET AND HE SHOULD PUT IT THERE AND ALLOW HIS NEIGHBORHOOD TO HAVE PEACE AND TRANQUILITY. THE COUNCIL SIDED WITH EVINS, VOTING 5-TO-2 TO ALLOW HIM TO BUILD THE FUNERAL HOME ON CENTER STREET.
A FIREFIGHTER FROM THE WARD FIVE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN TURKEY CREEK WAS CAPTURED ON SECURITY CAMERAS BEHAVING INDECENTLY WITH A BOY. 23-YEAR-OLD EZRA MADRIGAL WAS FIRED AND HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON ONE COUNT OF INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH A JUVENILE. FIRE CHIEF BOBBY GUILBEAU SAYS SOMEONE CALLED AND COMPLAINED ABOUT MADRIGAL HAVING INAPPROPRIATE CONTACT WITH A JUVENILE. SECURITY CAMERAS HAD BEEN RECENTLY INSTALLED AT THE STATION AND THE VIDEO WAS FOUND AND BROUGHT TO THE TURKEY CREEK POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The Democrat vying to be Louisiana’s next treasurer is asking the state ethics board to waive a $2,100 fine for not filing his campaign finance report on time, saying difficulty associated with his paralysis delayed the filing. Derrick Edwards, paralyzed from the neck down by a high school football injury, says his report was 21 days late because he had trouble finding voice-activated software compatible with submitting the finance forms electronically, as required. In his letter to the ethics board, Edwards says he has since found the software and resolved the problem. Edwards, a New Orleans area lawyer, is competing against Republican former Rep. John Schroder, of Covington, in the Nov. 18 runoff.
SEVERAL CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE SCHOOLS OF CHOICE AT A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT. THE SCHOOLS OF CHOICE WILL NOW BE CALLED MAGNET SCHOOLS, THE A/B LIST HAS BEEN REMOVED AND DEMOGRAPHICS WILL NO LONGER BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE SCHOOLS. ONE OF THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL CONSIDERATIONS, A CHANGE TO THE POLICY ALLOWING STUDENTS TO GET INTO SCHOOLS OF CHOICE IF THEY HAVE A SIBLING ALREADY THERE, WAS NOT DEALT WITH. THE SUPERINTENDENT REMOVED IT FROM CONSIDERATION AND MORE DATA WILL BE GATHERED AND THE ISSUE PRESENTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AT A LATER DATE.
A LAKE CHARLES REALTOR IS WARNING OF A SCAM ON CRAIGSLIST THAT HAS ALREADY HAD SOME VICTIMS. BETSY WATKINS TELLS KPLC TV THAT THREE PEOPLE SENT DEPOSITS OF BETWEEN 700 TO 12-HUNDRED DOLLARS TO RENT A HOME ON HACKBERRY STREET, BUT THE HOME WAS FOR SALE, NOT FOR RENT. WATKINS SAYS THE SCAMMERS WILL STEAL THE PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE HOMES TO MAKE ADS. SHE SAYS IF YOU CAN’T ENTER THE HOME AND THE PERSON SHOWING YOU THE HOME CAN’T GIVE YOU THE KEYS, DON’T GIVE THEM MONEY.
OPELOUSAS MAYOR REGGIE TATUM HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT CRITICAL OF A NEW BUDGET THAT WAS PASSED THIS WEEK BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN. TATUM SAYS THE PROPOSED BUDGET HE PUT BEFORE THE BOARD WAS WELL-PLANNED AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. HE SAYS THE BUDGET THAT ENDED UP BEING ADOPTED WAS “BIZARRE, CONFLICTING AND WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF STRATEGY, PERSONAL STUDY OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.” TATUM COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT, WHAT HE CALLS, “IRRESPONSIBLE CUTS” WILL NOT AFFECT CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES.
THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT AND THE POLICE UNION ARE WORKING ON A SOLUTION IN WHICH THE SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF A FALLEN POLICE OFFICER CAN CONTINUE TO GET HEALTH BENEFITS. THE ISSUE CAME UP WHEN CORPORAL MICHAEL MIDDLEBROOK WAS SHOT AND KILLED, THE FIRST LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY SINCE THE 1960’S. LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT THE SITUATION IS LEGALLY COMPLICATED WHEN HEALTH BENEFITS ARE EXTENDED TO THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF CITY EMPLOYEES. HOWEVER, HE SAYS, HE WANTS LAFAYETTE TO BE KNOWN AS A PLACE THAT TAKES CARE OF ITS FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
