11-17-16
LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE SURRENDERED TO THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE ON A CONTEMPT OF COURT CHARGE. JULIE DARCE EXPLAINS.
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THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT PASSED AN ORDINANCE DESIGNATING NO PARKING SIGNS IN THE AREA OF THE DOLL HOUSE CLUB. RESIDENTS NEAR THE CLUB HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT ALL THE CARS PARKED ON THE STREET. A PROMOTER WITH L-A LIVE, HAROLD GUILLORY, ASKED THE COUNCIL TO POSTPONE THE ORDINANCE, BUT COUNCILWOMAN LUVERTHA AUGUST TOLD HIM THEY HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO MAKE CHANGES. THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE MEANS THAT ANY CARS PARKED ON EITHER SIDE OF MILL STREET BETWEEN HIGHWAY 171 AND KING STREET WILL BE TOWED.
THIS SATURDAY, AN OPELOUSAS TEENAGER WILL HOLD AN ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE THAT IS IN ITS SIXTH YEAR. COURTLAND REED, WHO IS NOW 15, HELD HIS FIRST FOOD DRIVE WHEN HE WAS EIGHT, AND COLLECTED ABOUT ONE THOUSAND POUNDS OF FOOD. THIS YEAR, HE’S ALREADY SURPASSED SIX THOUSAND POUNDS OF FOOD THANKS TO AN ANONYMOUS DONOR, WHO GAVE THE FOOD EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE FOOD DRIVE WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY BETWEEN EIGHT AND ONE AT SON’S AUTOMOTIVE EXCHANGE ON WEST VINE STREET IN OPELOUSAS, AND ALL THE FOOD AND MONEY RAISED WILL BE DONATED TO THE I.C.O.N.S. FOOD BANK IN OPELOUSAS.
Donald Trump is becoming a wedge issue in Louisiana’s U.S. Senate runoff election. A super PAC supporting Republican candidate John Kennedy, the state treasurer, says Louisiana’s voters should support Kennedy in the Dec. 10 runoff because he will work with Trump in Washington. A new TV ad from ESAFund ties Kennedy to Trump, saying: “John Kennedy and Donald Trump will move Louisiana forward.” The 30-second spot notes that Democratic candidate Foster Campbell voted against Trump and supports President Barack Obama’s health overhaul.
THE LAFAYETTE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS BEING RETURNED TO THE CONTROL OF A LOCAL BOARD, THAT WAS APPOINTED BY CITY PARISH MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX IN JULY. THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TOOK OVER CONTROL OF THE AUTHORITY IN 2011 AFTER AN AUDIT THAT RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT ALLEGED FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WALTER GUILLORY, IN 2014, PLED GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES OF BRIBERY AND BID LAW VIOLATIONS. HE WAS SENTENCED TO 28 MONTHS IN PRISON AND HAS SINCE BEEN RELEASED.
A MEDAL OF HONOR CEREMONY WAS HELD IN BATON ROUGE YESTERDAY TO REMEMBER NINE LOUISIANA LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN 2015. AMONG THOSE HONORED WAS STATE TROOPER STEVEN VINCENT, WHO WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN CALCASIEU PARISH IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, WHEN HE STOPPED TO HELP A MOTORIST, WHOSE TRUCK WAS STUCK IN A DITCH. ALSO HONORED WAS SUNSET POLICE OFFICER, HENRY NELSON, WHO WAS RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION WHEN HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN AUGUST OF 2015. THE FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN OFFICERS RECEIVED THE LOUISIANA LAW ENFORCEMENT MEDAL OF HONOR.
ABBEVILLE POLICE HAVE ARRESTED ONE OF TWO MEN SOUGHT FOR QUESTIONING IN THE DEATH OF A TEXAS MAN, WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN A VEHICLE ON OAK STREET ON OCTOBER 25TH. KENTON CROOMS OF ABBEVILLE WAS BOOKED ON SEVERAL CHARGES INCLUDING OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND POSSESSION OF STOLEN ITEMS. BOTH OF THOSE CHARGES STEM FROM THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH OF ERIC STANSBURY OF VIDOR, TEXAS. POLICE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR ROBERT CROOMS JUNIOR OF ABBEVILLE, WHO IS WANTED ON NARCOTICS AND WEAPONS CHARGES, AND IS CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
A hearing on the attorney general’s effort to block Gov. John Bel Edwards’ order banning discrimination in state government against LGBT people has been pushed back to Nov. 29. Both sides arrived in court Wednesday. But lawyers for the two elected officials disagreed on what should be handled in the hearing. Judge Todd Hernandez spent nearly two hours in a closed-door meeting with the lawyers, working out scheduling details.
