KAJN Jesus FM 102.9


11-11-16

Police say a U-L student has acknowledged she fabricated her report that she was assaulted and robbed of her wallet and Muslim headscarf by two men, one of whom she described as wearing a white “Trump” hat.  The Lafayette Police Department said in a statement Thursday that it is no longer investigating the 18-year-old woman’s claims.  Earlier Thursday, police said the woman told investigators she was walking near the University campus Wednesday morning when she was accosted by two white men who drove up in a gray sedan.  The student had claimed the men shouted racial obscenities as they knocked her down and stole her wallet and the headscarf, known as a hijab.

 

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO MAKE CHANGES TO ONE OF THE BUSIEST INTERSECTIONS IN SULPHUR.  DEIDRA DRUILHET OF THE D-O-T-D TELLS KPLC TV THAT THEY WILL REMOVE THE LEFT ARROW TURN SIGNS AT THE L-A 27 AND L-A 108 INTERSECTION, PLUS THEY WILL BE ADDING NEW STRIPING AND LIGHTS.  SHE SAYS THEY ARE HOPING THAT THE CHANGES WILL ALLEVIATE CONGESTION AT THE INTERSECTION AS WELL AS IMPROVE SAFETY.  NEW STRIPING AND LIGHTS WILL ALSO BE ADDED TO OTHER INTERSECTIONS FROM THE INTERSTATE SOUTH.

 

BREAUX BRIDGE POLICE ARE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF THE BODY OF A MAN WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH OVERNIGHT.  JULIE DARCE REPORTS.

 

VOICER D :10

 

Gov. John Bel Edwards is reaching out to the nation’s president-elect for help in Louisiana’s recovery from mid-August flooding that heavily damaged southern parishes.  The Democratic governor sent Donald Trump a letter Wednesday, congratulating him on his victory, thanking him for his August visit to see the flood damage and asking to speak with the incoming Republican president about Louisiana’s recovery needs.  Edwards’ office released the letter yesterday.

Edwards wrote to Trump: “I am confident that we will be able to demonstrate to you the importance of these funds to Louisiana.”

 

A PICKUP TRUCK CRASHED INTO THE ALBERTSON’S STORE AT JOHNSTON STREET AND SOUTH COLLEGE IN LAFAYETTE.  KATC IS REPORTING THAT IT APPEARS THE DRIVER INTENTIONALLY SMASHED HIS TRUCK INTO THE STORE, KNOCKING THE FRONT DOORS DOWN AND CAUSING OTHER DAMAGE.  WITNESSES SAY THAT THE DRIVER DROVE SLOWLY TOWARDS THE STORE BEFORE HITTING THE GAS.  WITNESSES ALSO TOLD KATC THAT THE DRIVER TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE AND ADMITTED IT WAS INTENTIONAL, THOUGH POLICE HAVE NOT ISSUED AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT.

 

A SUSPECTED DRUG DEALER IN HAYES HAS BEEN ARRESTED ALONG WITH ANOTHER MAN AFTER CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES SEARCHED HIS HOME.  KIM MYERS OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS MEMBERS OF THE COMBINED ANTI-DRUG TASK FORCE FOUND METHAMPHETAMINE ALONG WITH OTHER PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AS WELL AS 37 FIREARMS.  40-YEAR-OLD AARON W. LAVERGNE SENIOR WAS ARRESTED ON NUMEROUS DRUG AND WEAPONS CHARGES, AND HIS BOND SET AT 115 THOUSAND DOLLARS, WHILE A SECOND MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE.  MYERS SAYS THE OPERATION IS CONTINUING IN HAYES AND BELL CITY AND MORE ARRESTS ARE POSSIBLE.

 

THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER IN IBERIA PARISH IS CLOSING MONDAY AT SIX P-M.  IT HAS BEEN HOUSED AT THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT TRAINING CENTER IN NEW IBERIA.  THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCED THE CLOSURE BECAUSE THE NEED FOR THE CENTER HAS DIMINISHED.  OTHER DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS IN THE ACADIANA AREA REMAIN OPEN AND YOU CAN FIND THE NEAREST ONE BY CALLING 1-800-621-33-62 OR GOING ONLINE TO FEMA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-D-R-C.

 

Louisiana’s $315 million deficit from last year was mainly driven by continuing dips in private sector employment that are driving down personal income and business tax collections.  That’s the grim assessment delivered Thursday to the state’s income forecasting panel, the Revenue Estimating Conference.  The Legislature’s chief economist, Greg Albrecht, has described the state as in a recession. He told the forecasting panel the number of private sector jobs has been falling since last year, particularly in the oil and gas industry, but also in other high-paying fields.

That has a ripple effect across income and sales tax collections, as people earn and spend less.

Albrecht warned: “There’s no improvement in sight.”

Gov. John Bel Edwards and lawmakers will have to close the $315 million deficit in the current budget year.