11-10-16
LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DONALD AGUILLARD URGED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO CONSIDER A THIRTY YEAR PROPERTY TAX THAT WOULD RAISE 500 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE LIFE OF THE TAX. HE SAYS IT’S NEEDED TO REPLACE NEARLY 500 TEMPORARY CLASSROOMS. THE SCHOOL BOARD GAVE NO INPUT AND ASKED NO QUESTIONS DURING THE PRESENTATION. THEY WOULD HAVE TO GIVE INITIAL APPROVAL OF THE TAX BY NEXT MONTH IN ORDER TO GET IT ON THE BALLOT FOR THE APRIL 17TH ELECTION.
LAKE CHARLES IS FACING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROBLEM AND ONE DEVELOPER HAS STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. MITCH BUSH IS PUTTING UP NEW HOMES ON MOUNT TALBOT STREET SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 90 THAT ARE ON THE MARKET FOR UNDER 175 THOUSAND DOLLARS. HE TELLS KPLC TV THAT HE WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE PRICE LOW BY SHOPPING FOR THE BEST PRICES ON MATERIALS. TOGETHER WITH BUILDER GEORGE RIVET, THEY HAVE BUILT EIGHT HOMES SO FAR, AND HAVE A GOAL OF FINISHING 17 MORE.
A PORT BARRE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH IS BEING ACCUSED OF HAVING SEXUAL CONTACT WITH STUDENTS. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards has chosen a leader for Louisiana’s Office of Juvenile Justice. James Bueche (Bush) has been working as interim deputy secretary of the department since May. On Wednesday, the governor’s office announced Bueche will stay on the job permanently. Bueche took over after Mary Livers, who had been criticized for her agency’s response to violence at one of the youth prisons, decided to retire.
AN APPEALS COURT HAS UPHELD A JURY’S FINDING THAT A U-L LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER WAS THE VICTIM OF AGE DISCRIMINATION, AND CONFIRMED THE JURY’S AWARD OF 367 THOUSAND DOLLARS. JAMES ROBINSON WAS SECOND IN COMMAND AT THE U-L POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN HE RETIRED BECAUSE U-L POLICE CHIEF JOEY STURM RECOMMENDED DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST HIM AFTER AN UNSATISFACTORY JOB PERFORMANCE EVALUATION. ROBINSON CLAIMED HE RETIRED BECAUSE STURM ELIMINATED HIS JOB DUTIES AND ALLEGED STURM HARRASED HIM. U-L LAFAYETTE FELT THE AWARD WAS EXCESSIVE AND THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE, WHICH IS REPRESENTING THE UNIVERSITY, IS NOW CONSIDERING ITS OPTIONS.
A southwest Louisiana woman says her 3-month-old daughter has such a full head of hair that strangers stop to admire it, and she made the baby a Halloween troll costume. But Alisha John says she and her husband, Dakota, don’t have long to play with baby Areea (uh-REE-uh) Sue Oiba (OY-buh) John’s hair. That’s because she’s a Coushatta Indian, and the tribe shaves babies’ heads as part of a blessing ceremony when they’re 4-months-old. She tells the American Press that her older children also were born with a lot of hair, but nothing like Areea’s, whose blessing ceremony will be held on Nov. 25.
THE RAYNE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SEARCHING FOR TWO MEN, WHO’S IMAGES WERE CAPTURED ON VIDEO SURVEILLANCE WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED TO BURGLARIZE A HOME ON HILDA STREET. THE TWO SUSPECTS USED A CROWBAR TO FORCE THEY WAY INTO THE HOME THROUGH A BACK DOOR, BUT THEY FLED WHEN THE ALARM SYSTEM WENT OFF. THEY ARE DESCRIBED AS BLACK, POSSIBLY IN THEIR LATE TEENS, AND ONE OF THEM HAD FACIAL HAIR. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE SUSPECTS CAN CALL CRIME STOPPERS OF ACADIA PARISH AT 789-TIPS, WHERE UP TO A ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR REWARD IS BEING OFFERED.
There’s one area where Republican Senate candidate John Kennedy and his Democratic opponent Foster Campbell agree: Voters won’t confuse the two in the Dec. 10 runoff. Kennedy, the state treasurer, said the two men are as different as “gumbo and grits.” He noted that Campbell, a member of the Public Service Commission, backed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president. Kennedy supported Republican Donald Trump.
The two men have strong partisan disagreements. Campbell supports a minimum wage increase and equal pay legislation, while Kennedy opposes them. Kennedy also said the populist Campbell supports bigger government, while he wants less regulation.
Both men accused his opponent of being a political insider. Kennedy and Campbell have each held government jobs for decades.
Kennedy and Campbell were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary election.
