10-25-16
LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL OFFICIALS ARE PROPOSING MOVING FIFTH GRADE BACK TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR. THIS YEAR FIFTH GRADES WERE MOVED TO EVANGELINE, WESTSIDE, AND GREEN T. LINDON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SUPERINTENDENT DONALD AGUILLARD SAYS THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REZONING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE’S NOT ENOUGH SPACE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FOR THE FIFTH GRADE. AGUILLARD SAYS LONG-TERM HE WOULD LIKE TO SHIFT FIFTH GRADE TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO IT.
EARLY VOTING IN LOUISIANA BEGINS TODAY AND RUNS THROUGH NOVEMBER FIRST. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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LAKE CHARLES VOTERS WILL DECIDE IF THE CITY CAN CONTINUE TO COLLECT FOUR TAXES. ON NOVEMBER EIGHTH, A ONE CENT SALES TAX, THAT BRINGS IN 25 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY, AND THREE PROPERTY TAXES WORTH MORE THAN SIX MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR, WILL BE ON THE NOVEMBER EIGHTH BALLOT. THE SALES TAX HAS BEEN COLLECTED SINCE 1986 AND THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE ALSO RENEWALS. CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE FOUR TAXES COMBINED REPRESENT 26 PERCENT OF THE CITY’S GENERAL BUDGET REVENUES.
A ST. LANDRY PARISH JUDGE HAS THROWN OUT A LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST OPELOUSAS MAYOR REGGIE TATUM OVER A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST. THE REQUEST STEMMED FROM ALLEGATIONS THAT THE MAYOR ILLEGALLY CLOCKED IN FOR OVERTIME DURING THE AUGUST FLOOD. TATUM SAYS THE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST WAS FOR OVER FOUR THOUSAND DOCUMENTS. IN TOSSING THE SUIT, JUDGE JAMES P. DOHERTY SAID THAT TATUM RESPONDED TO THE PLAINTIFF IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS REQUESTED WAS UNREASONABLE.
LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED A MAN, SHOT WHILE SITTING IN HIS CAR SUNDAY, AS 37-YEAR-OLD JOHN PAUL BATISTE OF ARNAUDVILLE. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER KARL RATCLIFF SAYS BATISTE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL WHERE HE DIED AS A RESULT OF THE GUNSHOT WOUNDS. POLICE HAVE ISSUED AN ARREST WARRANT FOR THE SUSPECT IN THE SHOOTING, 17-YEAR-OLD BRIAN HARRIS OF LAFAYETTE. THEY ALSO ARE LOOKING FOR KIRT FAVORS FOR QUESTIONING IN THE CASE.
The former head of Louisiana’s wildlife and fisheries department is defending seafood testing done after the Gulf oil spill. Robert Barham pushed back against auditors’ suggestions the work was shoddy, saying he has no question the seafood was tested thoroughly. In a preliminary draft report, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office found insufficient sampling of fish and excessive spending in part of the $10.5 million seafood safety program overseen by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries when Barham was agency secretary. Barham, now overseeing the Office of State Parks, said auditors didn’t understand that testing plans changed as it became clearer how the oil was moving in the aftermath of the 2010 spill.
TWO DEQUINCEY MEN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH FALSE IMPRISONMENT FOR THREATENING TO SHOOT A WOMAN IF SHE LEFT THE HOUSE. A WOMAN TOLD CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES THAT HER BOYFRIEND, 29-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW T. HAYES, HELD A GUN TO HER HEAD DURING AN ARGUMENT AND WOULD NOT LET HER LEAVE. HE THEN GAVE THE GUN TO A ROOMATE, 23-YEAR-OLD QUINTEN D. TYLER, AND TOLD HIM TO SHOOT HER IF SHE ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE. KIM MYERS OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE WOMAN MANAGED TO ESCAPE FROM THE HOUSE WITH HER BABY DAUGHTER AND GO TO A NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE, WHERE SHE CALLED 9-1-1.
A SHOOTING IN PATTERSON LAST NIGHT RESULTED IN ONE PERSON BEING HOSPITALIZED. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED AROUND NINE P-M NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF TAFT AND HICKORY STREETS. PATTERSON POLICE CHIEF PATRICK LASALLE SAYS THE VICTIM’S INJURIES WERE NOT LIFE THREATENING. HE SAYS HIS OFFICERS ARE WORKING LEADS IN AN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY A SUSPECT.
