10-5-18
THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC LIBRARY YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED THAT A DRAG QUEEN STORY TIME EVENT PLANNED FOR SATURDAY HAS BEEN POSTPONED. THAT’S BECAUSE THE SOUTH LOUISIANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WHICH AGREED TO HOST THE EVENT, PULLED ITS OFFER. THE COLLEGE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIALLY LARGE CROWDS PROTESTING THE EVENT AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH SECURITY. LIBRARY OFFICIALS IN A NEWS RELEASE ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENT TO HOST THE EVENT AT A LATER TIME WHEN THEY CAN SECURE A NEW VENUE.
YESTERDAY A LAKE CHARLES WOMAN WAS ARRESTED FOR AIDING AND ABETTING HER HUSBAND IN THE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A YOUNG GIRL. 35-YEAR-OLD SARAH JOI LAIRD WAS INDICTED ON A CHARGE OF PRINCIPLE TO FIRST DEGREE RAPE, WHILE HER HUSBAND, 41-YEAR-OLD JEREMY KEITH LAIRD, WHO WAS ARRESTED IN AUGUST, FACES CHARGES OF FIRST DEGREE RAPE AND SEXUAL BATTERY. SARAH LAIRD WAS ARRESTED ON THE SAME CHARGE TWO YEARS AGO WHEN SHE WAS THEN SARAH BREAUX. SHE WAS ACCUSED OF KNOWING THAT HER THEN HUSBAND, ERIC BREAUX, WAS ASSAULTING AN UNDERAGE GIRL.
A FORMER BREAUX BRIDGE CITY JUDGE, WALTER GLENN SOILEAU, SURRENDERED TO AUTHORITIES YESTERDAY FOR HIS ALLEGED INVOLVMENT IN EMBEZZLEMENT OF A LOCAL BUSINESS. SOILEAU FACES 14 COUNTS OF CONSPIRACY AND 14 COUNTS OF THEFT OF FRAUD OF OVER 25 THOUSAND DOLLARS. HIS TWO SONS, JACQUE PIERRE AND JEAN SOILEU, AND JEAN’S WIFE, KENDRA DUPLECHAIN SOILEU, WERE ARRESTED WEDNESDAY IN CONNECTION WITH THE SAME SCHEME. WALTER SOILEAU HAD BEEN ARRESTED BACK IN MARCH IN AN UNRELATED CASE FOR ALLEGEDLY OVERSEEING DRUG SALES AND PROSTITUTION AT A LOCAL MOTEL ROOM.
When Louisiana shopped for new voting machines, the state told vendors it wanted to double its number of machines, to as many as 20,000 for its elections inventory.
That decision wasn’t publicized and helped drive up the price tag of contract proposals. Winning bidder Dominion Voting Systems estimates the work will cost up to $95 million. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says his office thinks more machines are needed because large Election Day machines will be replaced with smaller screens requiring voters to scroll through multiple pages.
LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY UNTIL ALL OF HIS APPEALS ARE EXHAUSTED. POPE WAS CONVICTED WEDNESDAY ON FOUR FELONY COUNTS AND STATE LAW REQUIRES PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO BE SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY WHEN THEY HAVE A FELONY CONVICTION. NOW, THE LAFAYETTE CITY COURT WILL HAVE TO APPOINT AN INTERIM REPLACEMENT. POPE WAS CONVICTED ON THREE COUNTS OF MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE AND ONE COUNT OF PERJURY.
A CIRCLE K ON HIGHWAY 90 AND MAPLE STREET IN SULPHUR SHUT DOWN THEIR PREMIUM GAS SUPPLY AFTER A COMPLAINT FROM A CUSTOMER. THERE WAS WATER IN THE GAS AND THE CUSTOMER DIDN’T MAKE IT A MILE FROM THE STORE. THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINED TO THE GAS STATION WHICH REPORTED IT TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. THE COMMISSIONER MIKE STRAIN SAYS THAT, FROM WHAT HE UNDERSTANDS, A CAP WAS NOT PUT BACK PROPERLY ON THE HIGH OCTANE TANK.
THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS LOOKING FOR A MAN FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF EUNICE, WHO HASN’T BEEN SEEN SINCE LAST FRIDAY. THE FAMILY OF 38-YEAR-OLD ISREAL JACOB BORDELON LAST HEARD FROM HIM ON SATURDAY. HE’S WHEELCHAIR-BOUND AND MAY BE IN THE AVOYELLES PARISH AREA. HIS TRUCK IS A DARK 2013 TOYOTA TUNDRA S-R-5 WITH POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER FENDER. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS URGED TO CONTACT THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE BY PHONE OR THROUGH FACEBOOK.
LOUISIANA’S CATHOLIC BISHOPS HAVE THROWN THEIR SUPPORT BEHIND AMENDMENT TWO ON THE NOVEMBER SIXTH BALLOT. THAT AMENDMENT WOULD REQUIRE UNANIMOUS JURY VERDICTS IN ALL CRIMINAL CASES. CURRENTLY LOUISIANA LAW ALLOWS TEN OUT OF 12 JURORS TO CONVICT. IN A STATEMENT, THE LOUISIANA CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS SAYS UNANIMITY OF A JURY ENSURES THE LEGAL STANDARD OF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT AND BRINGS THE LEGAL SYSTEM MUCH CLOSER TO THE CARDINAL VIRTUES OF PRUDENCE AND JUSTICE.
