10-31-19
THERE COULD BE A DEBATE IN THE NEAR FUTURE BETWEEN THE TWO CANDIDATES FOR LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS MORE.
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THE ALLEN CORRECTIONAL CENTER IN KINDER WAS CITED FOR INADEQUATE CONTROLS OVER THE FUEL INVENTORY IN AN AUDIT OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. TWO OTHER PRISONS WERE SHOWN TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEPARTMENT’S UNDERSECRETARY SAYS THE PRISON VEHICLES ARE MOSTLY USED TO TRANSPORT INMATES. IN A LETTER TO THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR’S OFFICE, THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING TANK AUTOMATION AND A FUEL CARD SYSTEM THAT WILL ELIMINATE MANUAL FUEL LOGS, WHICH WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO MONITOR THE SYSTEM.
TWO MEN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR CONSPIRING TO BURN A VACANT HOME IN KAPLAN LAST AUGUST, ACCORDING TO THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE. AN INVESTIGATION LED DEPUTIES TO DISCOVER THAT THE FIRE AT THE HOUSE ON NORTH MONTGOMERY AVENUE WAS INTENTIONALLY SET. ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE HOME, 69-YEAR-OLD JAMES MIRE OF SULPHUR, REPORTEDLY TOLD DEPUTIES IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HE HIRED A FRIEND, 43-YEAR-OLD LEON FAVA OF LAFAYETTE, TO SET THE FIRE IN ORDER TO AVOID COSTLY REPAIRS. MIRE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT ARSON WITH THE INTENT TO DEFRAUD AND FAVA FACES THE SAME CHARGE AS WELL AS ONE COUNT OF SIMPLE ARSON.
Gov. John Bel Edwards accused Republican opponent Eddie Rispone of refusing to tell Louisiana’s voters what he’d do as governor as the two tangled in their only debate of the runoff competition. Rispone repeatedly invoked his support for Donald Trump as he tries to make national politics a wedge issue that damages backing for the Deep South’s only Democratic governor. The debate was held Wednesday night in Baton Rouge. Early voting for the Nov. 16 election begins Saturday.
A LAFAYETTE DOG TRAINER IS FACING UP TO 38 COUNTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY AS WELL AS NOISE AND SANITATION VIOLATIONS. 64-YEAR-OLD PATRICK DARCEY IS ACCUSED OF ABUSING AT LEAST TWO DOZEN DOGS AT HIS HOME DOG TRAINING BUSINESS, K-9 KAJUN FARM, WHICH IS LOCATED ACROSS FROM EDGAR MARTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL. BRENT BALLARD OF DENHAM SPRINGS SAYS HE SENT HIS GREAT DANE TO DARCY TO BE TRAINED AS A SERVICE DOG AND WHEN HE GOT THE DOG BACK, IT WAS MALNOURISHED, HAD SEVERAL INJURIES AND NEEDED IMMEDIATE VETERINARY CARE. PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SMELL AND THE NOISE FROM DOGS BARKING FROM THE BUSINESS.
SEVERAL AGENCIES IN THE LAKE CHARLES AREA ARE SPONSORING THE THIRD ANNUAL FRESH START INITIATIVE. IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WITH CERTAIN NON-VIOLENT FELONY CONVICTIONS TO GET THEIR RECORDS EXPUNGED. CALCASIEU PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN DEROSIER SAYS IT’S HARD FOR A PERSON WITH A FELONY CONVICTION TO GET A JOB AND THIS EVENT WILL HELP SOME CITIZENS WITH A NEW OPPORTUNITY. OFFICIALS EXPECT ABOUT 130 PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR RECORDS SUCCESSFULLY EXPUNGED.
RAYNE POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A FIFTH SUSPECT IN A SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED AFTER A RAYNE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME. 18-YEAR-OLD DON’TRAY DESHAWN MILLER OF CROWLEY WAS BOOKED INTO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL ON CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER, UNLAWFUL INTERRUPTION OF THE OPERATION OF A SCHOOL AND UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF A FIREARM AT A SCHOOL FUNCTION. HIS BOND WAS SET AT 310 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED AFTER THE RAYNE-EUNICE FOOTBALL GAME ON OCTOBER ELEVENTH AS SEVERAL VEHICLES IN THE STADIUM PARKING LOT WERE HIT AND THERE WERE REPORTS OF ONE PERSON WOUNDED.
A national education assessment shows math scores for Louisiana’s eighth graders went up five points over the past two years — the best rate of improvement in the nation. The Nation’s Report Card was released Wednesday. It shows Louisiana still near the bottom in math and reading scores for fourth and eighth graders and the percentage of students judged at least proficient in each subject and grade level was below 30 percent. Still, the state’s education superintendent pointed to the nation-leading improvement rate for eighth grade math as a sign of progress.
