11-17-17
L-H-C GROUP HAS BECOME THE SECOND LARGEST HOME HEALTH PROVIDER IN THE COUNTRY WITH THE ACQUISITION OF LOUISVILLE-BASED ALMOST FAMILY INCORPORATED. L-H-C ALSO ANNOUCED THAT THEY WILL BE ADDING MORE THAN 500 NEW JOBS IN LAFAYETTE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THE COMPANY’S LAFAYETTE HEADQUARTERS WILL ALSO GROW BY MORE THAN NINETY THOUSAND SQUARE FEET TO ACCOMMODATE THE ADDED EMPLOYEES AND RESOURCES. THE TWO COMPANIES SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT THE TRANSACTION WILL LIKELY BE COMPLETED BY THE FIRST HALF OF 2018.
AN AVOYELLES PARISH INMATE IS BEING CHARGED WITH A RAPE THAT HAPPENED TWENTY YEARS AGO IN LAKE CHARLES. THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT’S SEX CRIMES UNIT REINVESTIGATED THE JANUARY 1997 CASE, IN WHICH A MAN BROKE INTO A RESIDENCE AND ASSAULTED A WOMAN WHILE ARMED WITH A KNIFE. EVIDENCE RECOVERED FROM THE CRIME SCENE WAS RETESTED IN JULY AND IT REVEALED A D-N-A MATCH WITH 41-YEAR-OLD LORENOZA DANELA CARLOS. CARLOS IS CURRENTLY SERVING TIME IN THE AVOYELLES PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER FOR A FIRST DEGREE ROBBERY COMMITTED IN 2004.
A EUNICE MAN HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER AND SECOND DEGREE MURDER. IN THE MANSLAUGHTER CASE, PHILLIP LAFLEUR CONFESSED IN AUGUST THAT HE BEAT TO DEATH HIS UNCLE, 68-YEAR-OLD DALE LAFLEUR OF PORT BARRE, IN JULY OF 2011 BECAUSE HE WANTED MONEY. LAFLEUR PLED GUILTY TO SECOND DEGREE MURDER FOR THE SHOOTING DEATH OF 22-YEAR-OLD AKEEM CEASER, WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA NEAR EUNICE IN FEBRUARY OF 2016. LAFLEUR WAS SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS FOR THE DEATH OF HIS UNCLE WHILE HE GOT LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE IN THE CEASER CASE.
A federal judge has cut one Louisiana abortion law from a suit filed by an abortion clinic and its doctors, and has narrowed challenges to four other laws. Attorney Zoe Levine of the Center for Reproductive Rights says the law no longer in the suit forbids transferring or accepting any part of an aborted fetus for money, including reimbursement of storage and handling fees. She says the center is continuing challenges to the other six laws passed in the state last year. Louisiana’s attorney general says he’s gratified some claims were dismissed but believes the whole suit should have been thrown out.
AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT RELEASED BY U-L LAFAYETTE SAYS RECENTLY FIRED SOFTBALL COACH MICHAEL LOTIEF VIOLATED UNIVERSITY POLICIES PROHIBITING BATTERY, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND WORKPLACE HARASSMENT. THE REPORT SAYS LOTIEF TRIED TO CREATE A “CIRCLE OF TRUST” IN WHICH PLAYERS WERE TOLD NOT TO DISCUSS TEAM BUSINESS WITH OUTSIDERS, WHICH INCLUDED PARENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS. HE ALSO DEMANDED LOG-IN INFORMATION SO THAT HE COULD ACCESS THE PLAYER’S EMAIL ACCOUNTS, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS THAT HE USED SEXUALLY DERISIVE LANGUAGE. MORE THAN TWENTY FORMER PLAYERS HAVE RELEASED STATEMENTS SUPPORTING LOTIEF, SINCE HE WAS FIRED.
A 46 MILLION DOLLAR BOND ISSUE IS GOING BEFORE VOTERS IN PARTS OF LAKE CHARLES AND IN WESTLAKE. THE MONEY FROM THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX WOULD PAY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND RENOVATIONS TO SCHOOLS IN CALCASIEU PARISH. THE NORTH, SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST PARTS OF LAKE CHARLES AS WELL AS WESTLAKE WILL VOTE ON THE BOND ISSUE TOMORROW. ALSO TOMORROW STATEWIDE IS A RUNOFF FOR STATE TREASURER.
THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING A SERIES OF SHOOTINGS THAT DEPUTIES BELIEVE ARE GANG-RELATED. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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The Louisiana National Guard soldiers, who were helping Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria, have returned home. More than 300 engineer, military police and air traffic control units were deployed to the island for a month. The National Guard announced Thursday that the troops have completed their work in Puerto Rico and are back in Louisiana. Soldiers cleared fallen trees, moved gravel to build dams and helped restore running water by removing debris from channels.
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