11-1-18
ONLINE APPLICATIONS ARE AGAIN AVAILABLE FOR LAFAYETTE MAGNET SCHOOLS. THE APPLICATIONS WERE TEMPORARILY CLOSED ON TUESDAY TO RESOLVE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS. THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE SPECIALIZED ACADEMIES IS DECEMBER 31ST AT 11:30 P-M. APPLICATIONS CAN BE FILLED OUT AT LAFAYETTE CHOICE-DOT-COM OR YOU CAN CALL ENROLLMENT AND RECRUITMENT MANAGER BARBARA PIPPIN AT 521-71-60.
THE STORMS THAT PASSED THROUGH LAST NIGHT CAUSED SOME DAMAGE IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. TREES AND POWER LINES WERE KNOCKED DOWN. SOME HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS WERE DAMAGED AS WELL. LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARE ADVISING MOTORISTS TO DRIVE CAUTIOUSLY AND WATCH FOR DEBRIS ON THE ROAD.
OPELOUSAS POLICE ARE ASKING FOR EXTRA PATROLS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S CREOLE FESTIVAL. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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More than 307,000 Louisiana residents have voted in advance of next week’s election, exceeding the state’s early voting turnout for all but presidential election years. State data shows 10 percent of Louisiana’s nearly 3 million voters cast ballots in the weeklong early voting period that ended Tuesday, in races for secretary of state, six U.S. House seats and other positions. The secretary of state’s office predicts turnout will reach 30 to 35 percent on Election Day. By comparison, 245,000 people voted early in the 2014 primary, which featured a contested U.S. Senate race and 235,000 people voted early in the 2015 gubernatorial primary.
THE THREE DAY INNOVATION CONFERENCE BEGINS TODAY AT THE LITE CENTER IN LAFAYETTE WITH A FOCUS ON INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND FORWARD THINKING IN BUSINESS. ITS PUT ON BY THE LAFAYETTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY’S OPPORTUNITY MACHINE, WHOSE GOAL IS TO GROW ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CREATE JOBS IN ACADIANA. ONE OF THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT THE CONFERENCE, MORRIS MILLER, WHO’S BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL STARTUPS INCLUDING LAFAYETTE-BASED GOLFBALLS-DOT-COM, TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT THERE’S NO BETTER TIME TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD THAN TODAY. OPPORTUNITY MACHINE DIRECTOR DESTIN ORTEGO SAYS THERE WILL BE SESSIONS THAT HELP BOTH SMALL BUSINESSES AND BIG COMPANIES.
A MAN CRASHED HIS VEHICLE INTO A HOUSE IN DERIDDER AND THEN SET IT ON FIRE IN ORDER TO TRY TO KILL HIS EX-WIFE. IT HAPPENED AT AROUND 12:15 A-M ON TUESDAY AT A HOUSE ON PATTON STREET. DEPUTY CHIEF CHRISTOPHER RUDY SAYS THAT WHEN TWO TENANTS IN THE HOUSE WENT OUT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED, 49-YEAR-OLD RICKY CALLAWAY DROVE FORWARD TRYING TO STRIKE THEM, THEN MOVED THE CAR BY THE BEDROOM OF HIS EX-WIFE AND SET THE VEHICLE ON FIRE BEFORE FLEEING THE SCENE. HE LATER SURRENDERED TO AUTHORITIES AND WAS BOOKED INTO THE BEAUREGARD PARISH JAIL ON A CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER.
THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS ARRESTED TWO PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH TEN RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES IN THE EGAN AREA. 35-YEAR-OLD CATHRYN DUPONT OF EGAN AND 18-YEAR-OLD DILLON VULLO OF DENHAM SPRINGS BOTH FACE NINE COUNTS OF BURGLARY AND ONE COUNT OF AGGRAVATED BURGLARY. SHERIFF K-P GIBSON SAYS THE TWO GAINED ENTRY INTO THE HOMES MOST OF THE TIME THROUGH A WINDOW AND STOLE ITEMS SUCH AS ELECTRONICS, GUNS, AND POWER TOOLS. THE TWO ARE ALSO WANTED IN THE BATON ROUGE AREA FOR BURGLARIES THERE.
Politically diverse supporters are backing a proposed constitutional amendment that would require unanimous jury verdicts in Louisiana felony trials. Conservative organizations such as Louisiana Family Forum and Americans for Prosperity are on board with progressive groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union in pushing for voter passage on Nov. 6. The amendment’s supporters say the law allowing non-unanimous jury verdicts in Louisiana was adopted in the Jim Crow era to make it easier to convict non-white defendants.
Oregon is the only other state allowing split verdicts.
