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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is trying to find out who owned a declawed cougar that was found dead in Calcasieu Parish. Maria Davidson, the program manager of the department’s large carnivore program, says all four paws had been declawed, indicating that it had been somebody’s pet. She says a necropsy found that the 70-pound adult had not been hit by a car, but did not indicate cause of death. She says tissue samples were taken, in case they indicate if it died from disease.
A HOUSE FIRE ON MADISON STREET IN LAFAYETTE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN SET BY AN ARSONIST. LAFAYETTE FIRE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ALTON TRAHAN SAYS INVESTIGATORS FOUND THAT MULTIPLE FIRES WERE SET INSIDE THE RENTAL HOME. THE FIRE, WHICH WAS SET JUST BEFORE ONE A-M MONDAY, WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY FIRE FIGHTERS, LEAVING MINOR SMOKE AND FIRE DAMAGE TO THE HOME. THE HOME OWNER HAD TENANTS THAT WERE ABOUT TO MOVE INTO THE HOUSE.
CROWLEY POLICE THINK TWO SHOOTINGS ARE RELATED TO GANG ACTIVITY. JULIE DARCY HAS MORE.
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A conservation agency has announced more than $99 million in projects funded through a settlement resulting from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill — including more than $13 million for restoration work on Louisiana’s coast. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the latest projects Monday. It marks the second round of grants from a program funded as a result of plea agreements between the U.S. Justice Department, BP and Transocean. Alabama is receiving $9.6 million of the latest grants; Mississippi is getting $28.8 million for three projects; Texas, $13 million; and Florida, more than $34 million.
A LONG-TIME AMERICAN PRESS NEWSMAN DIED OVER THE WEEKEND IN TEXAS. DON KINGERY WAS 90 YEARS OLD WHEN HE PASSED AWAY AT HIS HOME IN DAYTON, TEXAS. HE COVERED SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA FOR THE AMERICAN PRESS FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS, AND ALSO WAS AN EDITOR THE DAILY ADVERTISER IN LAFAYETTE. KINGERY CONTINUED TO WRITE A NOSTALGIA COLUMN FOR THE AMERICAN PRESS UNTIL HIS DEATH.
THE TWO CANDIDATES FOR LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL, WHO WERE CIVIL WITH EACH OTHER DURING THE PRIMARY ELECTION, WENT ON THE ATTACK YESTERDAY DURING THE ACADIANA PRESS CLUB’S MONTHLY MEETING. BRIAN POPE AND KIP JUDICE FACE OFF IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION, WHICH TAKES PLACE ON DECEMBER SIXTH. POPE POINTED OUT THAT JUDICE DIDN’T HAVE A COLLEGE EDUCATION WHILE JUDICE TALKED ABOUT POPE NOT FILING HIS CAMPAIGN FINANCES ON TIME. JUDICE ASKED POPE ABOUT A CHILD SUPPORT ISSUE HE HAD WITH HIS WIFE, WHILE POPE WANTED JUDICE TO RELEASE PERSONNEL FILES ABOUT A TIME FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS SUSPENDED BY THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR TWICE DRIVING A DEPARTMENT VEHICLE UNDER THE INFLUENCE.
A New Iberia man has been sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison for traveling to the state of North Carolina to have inappropriate contact with a child. U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley in Lafayette said Monday that U.S. District Judge Richard Haik handed down the sentence for 55-year-old Ray Paul Dionne. Finley said in a news release that Dionne had pleaded guilty in the case. According to documents filed with a plea agreement, Dionne admitted that he traveled to North Carolina twice in 2012 to have contact with the child, who was 12 years old.
Maine independent Sen. Angus King is leaving open the possibility that he might support legislation to approve the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, which appears to be just shy of the 60 votes needed to advance. King told reporters on the eve of a Senate vote that he is probably going to oppose the bill. But he several times refused to rule out voting for the legislation. Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, who is the bill’s chief Democratic supporter, says it has the 60 votes necessary. She has made her efforts to pass the bill a centerpiece of her uphill race in a Dec. 6 runoff against Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy.
