12-1-23
THE MAN FOUND DEAD INSIDE A BURNED ABANDONED BUILDING IN LAFAYETTE LAST WEEK HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY TAYLOR OF LAFAYETTE. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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A FORMER LONG-TIME MAYOR FOR CHURCH POINT HAS DIED. HAROLD BEAUGH WAS ONE HUNDRED ONE YEARS OLD. HE SERVED AS MAYOR OF CHURCH POINT FROM NINETEEN SEVENTY-FOUR UNTIL NINETEEN NINETY-NINE. CHURCH POINT WILL HONOR THE MAYOR BY LOWERING FLAGS TO HALF-STAFF THROUGH DECEMBER EIGHTH.
THERE’S A NEW UPDATE IN THE CASE REGARDING THE FUTURE OF LOUISIANA’S CONGRESSIONAL MAPS. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS THE DETAILS.
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STUDENTS WILL BE DISMISSED EARLY TODAY AT BARBE HIGH SCHOOL IN LAKE CHARLES. THE SCHOOL BOARD MADE THE DECISION TO CLOSE AT ONE P-M SO FACULTY AND STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL OF TEACHER KATHY DAVID. LUNCH WILL BE GIVEN TO STUDENTS BEFORE THE DISMISSAL. STUDENTS CAN EXPECT TO BE DISMISSED BASED ON THEIR REGULAR FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION.
THE FAMILY OF NATHAN BOB OF LAFAYETTE IS EXPRESSING ANGER AFTER LEARNING HIS SUSPECTED KILLER IS ALSO A SUSPECT IN A TWENTY-EIGHTEEN HOMOCIDE IN DUSON. BOB’S SISTER, SHAYLA PREJEAN, TELLS KLFY TV SHE IS HURT, BROKEN AND ANGRY AFTER LEARNING THE SUSPECT, DONTRELL CLARK, WAS LET OUT OF JAIL WHEN HIS BOND WAS LOWERED. SHE SAYS THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED LESSER CRIMES, WHO ARE STILL IN JAIL AND NEVER HAD THEIR BOND REDUCED. CLARK IS SET TO APPEAR IN COURT EARLY NEXT YEAR ON A SECOND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE FOR THE TWENTY-EIGHTEEN KILLING OF ETHAN SMITH.
A GRAND COTEAU POLICE OFFICER, WHO WAS FIRED, IS FILING A LAWSUIT CLAIMING HE HAS BEEN HARASSED BY TOWN OFFICIALS EVER SINCE BECOMING A WHISTLEBLOWER FOR THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE. ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL BUCK SAYS HE FIRED SAM TEZENO BECAUSE HE WASN’T POST-CERTIFIED, THOUGH THE TOWN COUNCIL INSTEAD PUT TEZENO ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE UNTIL A SPECIAL MEETING CAN BE HELD TO DISCUSS HIS TERMINATION. TEZENO’S ATTORNEY, JACK WHITEHEAD, SAYS THAT SINCE HE BECAME A WHISTLEBLOWER IN JULY, HIS HOURS HAVE BEEN CUT BACK AND HE’S NOT BEEN PAID FOR HOURS WORKED. KLFY TV IS REPORTING THAT TEZENO HAS WORKED FOR SIX POLICE AGENCIES IN ACADIANA SINCE TWENTY-NINETEEN AND WAS FIRED FROM THREE OF THEM.
ON WEDNESDAY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, HOLLY BOFFY, ISSUED AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION PUTTING A POLICY IN PLACE ALLOWING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS TO APPEAL TEST SCORES WHEN IT THREATENS THEIR ABILITY TO GRADUATE. SHE TOLD THE ADVOCATE SHE ACTED ON BEHALF OF SENIORS WHO FAILED STANDARDIZED TESTS EARLIER THIS YEAR AND WERE RETAKING THE TESTS YESTERDAY. HOURS AFTER ISSUING THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION, EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT CADE BRUMLEY ISSUED A LETTER TELLING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO IGNORE THE RULE OR RISK POSSIBLE LAWSUITS. HE CRITICIZED BOFFY’S EMERGENCY DECLARATION, SAYING SHE USURPED HER AUTHORITY.
MERMENTAU IS UNDER A BOIL WATER ADVISORY AS OF YESTERDAY. TOWN OFFICIALS CITE A MAJOR WATER LINE BREAK AS THE REASON. RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO DISINFECT WATER BEFORE CONSUMPTION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. BOIL WATER IN A CLEAN CONTAINER FOR A FULL MINUTE.
