11-21-14
THREE PEOPLE, INVOLVED IN AN INTERNET SCAM BASED OUT OF ROMANIA, WHO WERE RELEASED ON THEIR OWN RECOGNIZANCE LAST WEEK, ARE BACK IN JAIL. THE THREE WERE RELEASED BY JUDGE ED RUBIN AFTER THEIR ATTORNEYS CHALLENGED THE HIGH BAIL AMOUNT, BUT THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS OVERTURNED RUBIN’S DECISION AND ASSIGNED THE CASE TO JUDGE MARILYN CASTLE. CASTLE SET BAIL AT ONE MILLION DOLLARS FOR OVIDIU MICU, A ROMANIAN OUT OF BREAUX BRIDGE, 300 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR 34-YEAR-OLD APRIL DEROUSELLE, AND 150 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR 27-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY JOURNET, THE LATTER TWO, SISTERS FROM BREAUX BRIDGE. SHE SET BAIL AT 750 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR 26-YEAR-OLD NICOLAS RACU, A ROMANIAN LIVING IN LAFAYETTE, WHO IS CURRENTLY AT LARGE.
THE WELSH TOWN COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE DESIGNED TO HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RUN DOWN PROPERTIES. UNDER THE MEASURE APPROVED BY A 4-TO-1 VOTE, PROPERTY OWNERS WOULD RECEIVE NOTICE THAT THEY HAVE A DANGEROUS BUILDING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY WILL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, AND THE COUNCIL WILL GIVE THE PROPERTY OWNER A TIMELINE IN WHICH TO TAKE CARE OF IT. THEY COULD FACE A FINE OF 500 DOLLARS AND SPEND THIRY DAYS IN JAIL IF THEY FAIL TO REPAIR THE PROPERTY OR REMOVE IT.
A MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING A CHITIMACHA TRIBAL POLICE OFFICER AND WOUNDING TWO ST. MARY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICERS IN CHARENTON LAST YEAR HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE MENTALLY INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL. TWO PSYCHIATRISTS TESTIFIED THAT 49-YEAR-OLD WILBERT THIBODEAUX BELIEVES HE IS THE SON OF GOD, AND THEY BELIEVE HE SUFFERS FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA. STATE DISTRICT JUDGE KEITH COMEAUX ORDERED THIBODEAUX BE TRANSFERRED TO THE EASTERN LOUISIANA MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL IN JACKSON FOR TREATMENT. AUTHORITIES SAY THIBODEAUX KILLED A MAN AND SET FIRE TO HIS MOBILE HOME IN JANUARY OF 2013, THEN SHOT AND KILLED CHITIMACHA POLICE OFFICER RICK RIGENBACH AND THE TWO DEPUTIES WHEN THEY CAME ON THE SCENE.
An Obama administration lawyer told a federal judge that Louisiana’s decision to use the Common Core education standards was voluntary, not coerced by the federal government. Attorney Caroline Lewis Wolverton asked U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick on Thursday to throw out Gov. Bobby Jindal’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education. Jindal’s lawsuit accuses the department of manipulating $4.3 billion in federal grant money and policy waivers to force states to adopt the multistate Common Core standards in English and math. A ruling is expected in December.
A 31-YEAR-OLD LAFAYETTE MAN IS RECOVERING TODAY AFTER HE WAS ROBBED AND SHOT OUTSIDE HIS HOME THURSDAY MORNING. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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ONE SCHOOL IN LAKE CHARLES HAS SEEN A TWELVE PERCENT DROP IN STUDENT ABSENTEEISM, AND THEY BELIEVE IT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO ONE CHANGE THEY MADE THIS YEAR. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL SCHOOL INSTALLED HANDWASHING STATIONS THAT WERE DONATED BY IMPERIAL HEALTH. THE STUDENTS MUST WASH THEIR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER WHEN THEY ENTER THE SCHOOL AT THE START OF THE DAY, AND WASH THEIR HANDS AFTER BATHROOM BREAKS AND AS THEY ENTER AND EXIT THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA. THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO REVIEW THE NUMBERS AGAIN IN THE SPRING AFTER THE COLD AND FLU SEASON.
A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL WILL TAKE PLACE SUNDAY EVENING FROM 5:30 TO 6:30 AT MORGAN CITY HIGH SCHOOL. THAT IS WHERE A PRAYER WAS DELIVERED AT A VETERAN’S DAY ASSEMBLY THAT PROMPTED A COMPLAINT FROM THE AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION AND THE THREAT OF A LAWSUIT. A STUDENT AT THE ASSEMBLY WHO WAS UPSET ABOUT THE PRAYER CONTACTED THE HUMANIST GROUP, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RESPONDED THAT THE PRAYER WAS A VIOLATION OF THE DISTRICT’S POLICY. MANY STUDENTS AND PARENTS WERE OUTRAGED, WHICH LED TO THE IDEA OF HOLDING THE CANDLELIGHT VIGIL.
Gay-rights advocates challenging Louisiana’s same-sex marriage ban want the U.S. Supreme Court to review their case before it is heard by a federal appeals court.
In September, a federal judge in New Orleans upheld Louisiana’s ban. An appeal of that ruling is tentatively set to be argued in January at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. However, lawyers for gay rights groups on Thursday said they have asked the Supreme Court to take the rare step of reviewing Louisiana’s case ahead of those arguments.
