11-2-16
U-L Lafayette is distributing $65,000 to help 110 of its students overcome financial hardships brought on by the August floods. The University made the announcement in a Monday news release. DeWayne Bowie, vice president for Enrollment Management at ULL, says each qualified student will receive at least $500 applied toward their tuition or other educational expenses. Decision letters have been sent to recipients.
A MOTION BY A CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ABOUT A ONE TIME SUPPLEMENT FOR TEACHERS SPARKED A HEATED DEBATE AT LAST NIGHT’S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. BOARD MEMBER WAYNE WILLIAMS SAID, INSTEAD OF PAYING TEACHERS 14-HUNDRED OR 14-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY DOLLARS, THEY SHOULD GET A BONUS OF 25-HUNDRED DOLLARS. BOARD MEMBER BILLY BREAUX SAID IT’S EASY TO GIVE AWAY MONEY DURING GOOD TIMES BUT, IF MONEY IS NOT MANAGED WELL, IT COULD COME BACK AND BITE YOU. TEACHER VICKIE JOHNSON, WHO’S PRESIDENT OF THE CALCASIEU ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS, SUGGESTED 16-HUNDRED WOULD BE A GOOD NUMBER. IN THE END, THE BOARD VOTED TO GIVE TEACHERS ASUPPLEMENT OF 14-HUNDRED-FIFTY DOLLARS ON THEIR NOVEMBER PAYCHECKS.
TESTIMONY IN THE TRIAL OF IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF LOUIS ACKAL DESCRIBED A CULTURE OF ABUSE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. SEVERAL FORMER SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES HAVE PLEADED GUILTY TO CHARGES RELATED TO ABUSE AND COVER-UPS, TESTIFIED YESTERDAY AGAINST ACKAL. FORMER NARCOTICS AGENT JASON COMEAUX SAYS THEY VIEWED RESIDENTS IN THE STREETS THEY PATROLLED AS ANIMALS THAT NEEDED TO BE TREATED AS ANIMALS. FORMER NARCOTICS AGENT BYRON LASALLE SAYS SUSPECTS WHO DIDN’T COOPERATE WERE TREATED HARSHLY, OFTEN WITH A KNEE OR A PUNCH TO THEIR SIDE.
EARLY VOTING ENDED YESTERDAY. JULIE DARCE TELLS US HOW IT WENT.
VOICER I :24
A CONVENIENCE STORE IN LAFAYETTE WAS ROBBED YESTERDAY MORNING BY A MAN WITH A HANDGUN AND WEARING A PLASTIC, WHITE MASK. LAFAYETTE POLICE SAY THE MAN ENTERED THE CONVENIENCE STORE, LOCATED ON WEST PINHOOK, AT ABOUT 5:30 YESTERDAY MORNING. THE MAN FLED THE STORE AFTER RECEIVING 75 DOLLARS CASH AND THE STORE CLERK WAS NOT HURT. THE INCIDENT WAS CAPTURED ON THE STORE’S SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.
A HOUSE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE NEAR NIBLETT’S BLUFF PARK. BY THE TIME THE VINTON FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT AROUND THREE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THE HOME WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE HOUSE WAS LOCATED ON LINSCOMBE ROAD. NOBODY WAS HOME AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE.
A LAWTELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JANITOR HAS BEEN ARRESTED AFTER HE WAS ACCUSED BY A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL OF INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHING HER. THE INCIDENT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED WHEN 57-YEAR-OLD OLAN BIENVENUE SHOWED THE GIRL A HAUNTED HOUSE SET UP AT THE SCHOOL AFTER SHE HAD ASKED HIM. A SPOKESMAN AT THE ST. LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS BIENVENUE ALLEGEDLY ADMITTED HE DID IT TO DETECTIVES. THE ST. LANDRY PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM SAYS BIENVENUE HAS BEEN PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE WHILE SCHOOL OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT.
Gov. John Bel Edwards is asking the Obama administration to reconsider its refusal to lessen Louisiana’s share of disaster response costs after March flooding that inundated north and central Louisiana. The governor’s office released the appeal letter Monday. Louisiana’s share of the federal disaster response to the August flooding that ravaged south Louisiana is 10 percent. But FEMA denied a request to lessen the state’s costs for the earlier March flooding from 25 percent to 10 percent.
