12-10-14
The Lafayette Parish School System will eliminate dozens of positions this month after the board approved budget changes Monday night. The Advertiser reports the eliminations include slots for 11 assistant principals, one counselor, 14 teachers, two special education para-educators, 2.5 teachers at N.P. Moss Preparatory School and four deans of students. District Human Resources Director Bruce Leininger said the system will enact its reduction in force policy. Officials will begin identifying and notifying affected employees later this month. The eliminations are expected to take effect on Jan. 6.
A ST. LANDRY PARISH FATHER DIED FROM BURNS HE SUFFERED AFTER RESCUING HIS 10-YEAR-OLD SON FROM A FIRE AT THEIR MOBILE HOME THIS PAST FRIDAY NIGHT. 42-YEAR-OLD JOHNATHAN ROBERTSON SENIOR, A NAVY VETERAN, DIED LATER AT OUR LADY OF LOURDES HOSPITAL AFTER SUFFERING SECOND AND THIRD DEGREE BURNS OVER MUCH OF HIS BODY. HIS SON, JOHN JUNIOR, IS IN STABLE CONDITION AT A BATON ROUGE HOSPITAL AFTER RECEIVING THIRD DEGREE BURNS OVER FORTY PERCENT OF HIS BODY. THE DISTRICT THREE FIRE STATION, LOCATED NEXT TO THE PARISH AIRPORT NORTH OF OPELOUSAS, IS ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR THE FAMILY, WHICH LOST MOST EVERYTHING.
THE LEADERS OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF WESTLAKE HAVE ACCEPTED AN OFFER FROM SASOL TO PURCHASE THEIR CHURCH AND THE SURROUNDING LOT. MIKE HAYES, A PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER FOR SASOL SAYS THEY NEEDED TO USE PART OF THE CHURCH PROPERTY AS A TRANSIT ROUTE FOR MODULES FROM THE CALCASIEU SHIP CHANNEL TO THE SITE OF THEIR NEW MULTIBILLION DOLLAR ETHANE CRACKER FACILITY. HAYES TELLS THE AMERICAN PRESS THAT, INSTEAD OF BUYING JUST A PORTION OF THE CHURCH’S PROPERTY, THE CHURCH LEADERS ELECTED TO SELL ALL OF THE PROPERTY. HE SAYS THE CHURCH LEADERS APPROACHED SASOL ABOUT THE PROPERTY AT A JULY 2013 OPEN HOUSE AND NEGOTIATIONS TOOK PLACE THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR.
Gov. Bobby Jindal has directed a state crime victim’s board to pay hospitals and health centers for sexual assault victims’ medical exams. Jindal’s executive order, issued Tuesday, is trying to keep victims from being charged for a forensic medical exam, billing that advocacy groups and lawmakers called outrageous and improper. Some rape victims have received bills totaling thousands of dollars.
The governor’s order seeks to sidestep current limitations on the Crime Victim’s Reparation Board
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE IS IN NEGOTIATIONS TO BUY THE OLD GREYHOUND BUS STATION ON LEE AVENUE IN LAFAYETTE. THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC TRUST FINANCE AUTHORITY, WHICH OWNS THE BUILDING, AGREED TUESDAY TO GUT THE INTERIOR, TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR FUTURE RENOVATION. FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL IS CONSIDERING MAKING THE BUILDING THEIR NEW HOME, WHICH IS LOCATED ACROSS FROM THE MAIN STAGE DURING THE FESTIVAL. GREYHOUND MOVED THEIR BUS STATION TO THE ROSA PARKS TRANSPORTATION CENTER SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A TWENTY-YEAR-OLD ACADIA PARISH WOMAN. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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LAST NIGHT THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE FORMATION OF TEN TEXTBOOK COMMITTEES. THEY WILL BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON TEXTBOOKS FOR MATH AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS IN GRADES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH TWELVE. AROUND 250 PARENTS, CURRICULUM SPECIALISTS AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE ON THE COMMITTEES, AS WELL AS TEACHERS WITH AT LEAST THREE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. THE TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE MEETINGS WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THOUGH THEY WILL NOT BE TAKING COMMENTS.
Louisiana will receive up to $32 million in federal grant money over four years to improve preschool access for low-income children across the state. The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that Louisiana was one of 18 states to get grants aimed at giving more quality educational opportunities to at-risk children. State Superintendent of Education John White said Louisiana is guaranteed $2.4 million for one year. He said the award will grow larger the next three years if the state meets the grant terms, with a total of $32 million possible over four years.
