11-29-18
TEN VARIATIONS OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL CALENDAR HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND WILL BE PUT UP ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S WEBSITE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR PARENTS TO LOOK AT, ACCORDING TO ADMINISTRATOR JOE CRAIG. THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL CONSIDER THE PROPOSALS AT THEIR MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY. RIGHT NOW, THE SCHOOL WOULD START NEXT YEAR ON AUGUST SEVENTH, BUT SOME OF THE PROPOSALS HAVE IT STARTING AS LATE AS SEPTEMBER THIRD. CRAIG SAYS EACH OF THE PROPOSALS ELIMINATES THE FALL BREAK, AND SOME WOULD CUT BACK ON DAYS OFF FOR THANKSGIVING, MARDI GRAS AND EASTER.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS ARRESTED THREE MEN IN CONNECTION WITH A HOME INVASION ON ALMA DRIVE IN LAKE CHARLES ON NOVEMBER 16. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MEN WEARING BANDANAS AND CARRYING WEAPONS INVADED THE HOME DEMANDING MONEY, ACCORDING TO THE HOMEOWNER AND TWO FRIENDS. DETECTIVES USING SURVEILLANCE VIDEO WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE SUSPECTS AS THEY FLED THE HOME IN TWO TRUCKS. MARQUELL ANDERSON, RYAN MOSS, AND TY FULLINGTON ALL FACE THREE COUNTS OF ARMED ROBBERY AND THREE COUNTS OF ARMED ROBBERY WITH A FIREARM.
AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR FROM NEW IBERIA HAS AGREED TO PAY ALMOST 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN BACK WAGES TO 117 EMPLOYEES. INVESTIGATORS WITH THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION FOUND THAT ERNEST P. BREAUX ELECTRICAL WRONGLY CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES AS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS AND THUS THEY DIDN’T PAY OVERTIME WHEN THEY WORKED MORE THAN FORTY HOURS IN A WEEK. THEY WERE ALSO CITED FOR NOT KEEPING ACCURATE PAYROLL HOURS. ERNEST P. BREAUX ELECTRICAL COOPERATED WITH THE INVESTIGATION AND AGREED TO PUT MEASURES IN PLACE TO AVOID FUTURE VIOLATIONS.
About $43 million in spending, mainly for public safety programs, is stalled in the disagreement between Gov. John Bel Edwards and House Republican leaders over state income projections. Sheriffs likely will get the funding they’re owed later in the year, and the Office of Juvenile Justice says it can make it through the budget cycle without the money it hoped to receive. But the corrections department, which gave prison guards a raise without the full financing for it, may have a harder time without the dollars. Economists recommended boosting this year’s forecast Tuesday. But House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry blocked the increase, calling it premature.
WHILE EARLY VOTING IS UNDERWAY AND ELECTION DAY IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS OUT, ONE ISSUE VOTERS WILL HAVE TO DECIDE IS THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT. GERALD GRUEING HAS MORE.
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BROWN’S FOOD CENTER IS CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS IN THE HACKBERRY COMMUNITY. OWNER JIM BROWN TELLS KPLC TV THAT IT SHOULD BE CALLED HACKBERRY’S INSTEAD OF BROWN’S BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO THE COMMUNITY. HE SAYS THE EMPLOYEES ARE LIKE FAMILY, MANY OF WHOM HAVE BEEN AT THE STORE FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS. BROWN SAYS THAT, WHILE IT’S NOT ALWAYS BEEN EASY, HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE TRULY BLESSED, AND HE’S AMAZED TO SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE TWO REMAINING CANDIDATES IN THE RUNOFF FOR OPELOUSAS POLICE CHIEF ARE MAKING A FINAL PUSH BEFORE THE DECEMBER EIGHTH ELECTION. MARTIN MCCLENDON AND GRAIG LEBLANC CITE THEIR EXPERIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. MCCLENDON HAS 27 YEARS EXPERIENCE WHILE LEBLANC SAYS HE’S WORKED IN EVERY AREA OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEY ARE SEEKING TO REPLACE DONALD THOMPSON, WHO FAILED TO MAKE THE RUNOFF.
The Louisiana secretary of state’s office will have to redo its work to replace the state’s decade-old voting machines. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration refused Wednesday to reinstate a voided multimillion-dollar contract award.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne reviewed the decision to scrap the deal with Dominion Voting Systems. Dardenne said he found that cancelling the contract award was in Louisiana’s best interest.
