10-19-18
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX HAS COME OUT AGAINST TWO PARISH WIDE TAXES THAT ARE ON THE BALLOT ON NOVEMBER SIXTH. THE TAXES ARE A 2-POINT-9-4 MILL PROPERTY TAX FOR THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER AND A TWO MILL PROPERTY TAX TO FUND DISTRICT COURT OPERATIONS. ON ROBIDEAUX’S RADIO SHOW, “THE SPIRIT OF POLITICS” ON 103-POINT-7 F-M, HE ANNOUNCED HIS OPPOSITION, BUT WHEN ASKED TO ELABORATE BY THE DAILY ADVERTISER, HE SAID HE COULDN’T ON ADVICE OF HIS LEGAL COUNSEL. THE CITY PARISH COUNCIL VOTED 5-TO-4 IN MAY TO PUT THE TWO TAXES ON THE BALLOT.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GETTING NEW POD BUILDINGS IN ORDER TO ADD A TOTAL OF 56 MORE CLASSROOMS. THE SCHOOL BOARD RECENTLY APPROVED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BUILDINGS BECAUSE SOME SCHOOLS ARE RUNNING OUT OF SPACE. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER WILFRED BOURNE SAYS POD BUILDINGS ARE CHEAPER, WHICH MEANS THEY DON’T NEED TO BE FUNDED BY A TAX HIKE, AND THEY TAKE LESS THAN A YEAR TO BUILD. THE START DATE ON THE CONSTRUCTION HAS NOT YET BEEN DECIDED.
ONE OF THE U-S IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT MOST WANTED WAS ARRESTED IN A CHURCH POINT HOME. JOSE MARTINEZ WAS WANTED FOR INDECENT LIBERTIES WITH A CHILD IN NORTH CAROLINA IN NOVEMBER OF 2002 AND WAS LATER DEPORTED TO MEXICO. HE ILLEGALLY RE-ENTERED THE U-S, WHICH IS A FELONY UNDER FEDERAL LAW. MARTINEZ WAS ARRESTED IN ACADIA PARISH IN APRIL ON A D-U-I CHARGE.
The leader of the nation’s consumer watchdog agency visited Louisiana to talk about efforts to prevent financial abuse and defrauding of the elderly. Mick Mulvaney, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the Trump administration, joined Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry at a town hall meeting Thursday in Baton Rouge. The panel offered tips and suggestions to combat financial exploitation schemes and report such elder abuse to authorities.
Several audience members urged Mulvaney to retain tougher rules governing the payday lending industry they said would protect older consumers from taking out loans they cannot afford.
A HOTEL IN LAFAYETTE HAS BEEN ORDERED PUT UP FOR AUCTION BY COURT ORDER. THE AUCTION OF THE STAYBRIDGE SUITES HOTEL, LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF KALISTE SALOOM AND PINHOOK, IS BECAUSE THE OWNERS FAILED TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MORTGAGE. THE OWNERS ARE LAFAYETTE ATTORNEYS RICKY MINIEX AND CLYDE SIMIEN. ACCORDING TO A PETITION FILED BY U-S BANK, THE TWO OWE 15 MILLION DOLLARS TO A MORTGAGE SECURITIES CORPORATION.
MORE THAN 16-HUNDRED WOMEN ATTENDED THIS YEAR’S WOMEN’S CONFERENCE AT THE LAKE CHARLES CIVIC CENTER. IT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR 28 YEARS AND IS PUT ON BY THE WOMEN’S COMMISSION OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THERE WERE MORE THAN TWENTY WORKSHOPS AIMED AT SELF-EMPOWERMENT AND MOTIVATION AND DOZENS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES PUT UP DISPLAYS AS PART OF THE ANNUAL MARKETPLACE. COMMISSION PRESIDENT TAMMY THIBODEAUX SAYS THEY’VE ALREADY STARTED WORKING ON NEXT YEAR’S CONFERENCE, BECAUSE IT TAKES THAT LONG TO PLAN.
A MEXICAN NATIONAL LIVING ILLEGALLY IN ABBEVILLE WAS SENTENCED WEDNESDAY FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. 34-YEAR-OLD PAUL ARMENTA-BOJORQUEZ WILL SERVE SEVEN-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN PRISON. U-S ATTORNEY DAVID C. JOSEPH SAYS ARMENTA-BOJORQUEZ USED HIS PHONE AND AN ONLINE ACCOUNT TO PURCHASE AND POSSESS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. HE PLED GUILTY LAST MAY TO ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.
A SABINE PARISH JUDGE HAS RULED THAT LOUISIANA’S SPLIT JURY LAW IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE STEPHEN BEASLEY RULED THAT THE LAW, WHICH ALLOWS CONVICTIONS IN FELONY TRIALS IF AT LEAST TEN OF 12 JURORS AGREE, WAS CRAFTED WITH RACIST INTENT AND CONTINUES TO BE DISCRIMINATORY TODAY. HIS RULING ONLY APPLIES TO SABINE PARISH, AND WAS USED TO ORDER A NEW TRIAL FOR A MAN WHO WAS CONVICTED OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER ON AN 11-TO-ONE VOTE. ON NOVEMBER SIXTH, LOUISIANA VOTERS WILL DECIDE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE UNANIMOUS JURY VERDICTS.
