12-16-16
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette says its first students to earn a doctorate in educational leadership for higher education are sisters who are both university officials. They’re 64-year-old Ellen Cook, assistant vice president for academic affairs, and 62-year-old Anita Cook Hazelwood, director of the university’s health information management program. The university’s commencement is today. A news release says Hazelwood began working for the university in 1976, and Cook started a year later.
CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES HAVE ARRESTED TWO MORE PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE NORTH PERKINS FERRY ROAD SHOOTING, WHICH HAPPENED ON NOVEMBER 30TH. KIM MYERS OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS 17-YEAR-OLD GAVIN DAIGLE WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT HE ALLEGEDLY PROVIDED DETAILS ABOUT THE VICTIMS THAT AIDED THE SUSPECTS IN THE ROBBERY. 19-YEAR-OLD KENDRICK K. YAW OF LAKE CHARLES WAS ARRESTED AFTER HE WAS SEEN IN VIDEO FOOTAGE AS THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE USED IN THE ROBBERY, AND MYERS SAYS YAW ADMITTED HIS INVOLVEMENT WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY. A WARRANT IS OUT FOR ANOTHER SUSPECT, 21-YEAR-OLD JAZMINE WASHINGTON, WHO IS ACCUSED OF HELPING A SUSPECT EVADE ARREST AND FOR PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION TO DETECTIVES.
THE VERMILLION PARISH POLICE JURY IS BACKING OFF PLANS TO MAKE CUTS TO VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS. THE JURY HAD DISCUSSED CUTTING MONEY THEY HAD BUDGETED TO PURCHASE A NEW FIRE TRUCK AND CONSIDERED CONSOLIDATING SOME OF THE 14 VOLUNTEER FIRE STATIONS IN THE PARISH. BUT AFTER DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH VOLUNTEER FIRE CHIEFS, THEY ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERING THE CUTS. THE VOLUNTEER FIRE CHIEFS SHARED A LETTER WITH THE JURY FROM THEIR FIRE RATING INSPECTOR THAT SAID, IF THE CUTS WERE MADE, THE FIRE RATING WOULD BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED, WHICH WOULD RAISE THE INSURANCE RATES FOR RESIDENTS SERVED BY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
A stalemate over contracts to provide health insurance next year for 10,000 state employees, retirees and family members has ended. House lawmakers had stalled the contracts because they objected to having language from Gov. John Bel Edwards’ LGBT-rights protection order included in the deals. A judge declared that order unconstitutional Wednesday, so the Edwards administration stripped the language from the contracts. The order had prohibited discrimination in government and state contracts based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lafayette has won a national Environmental Protection Administration contest for plans to have residents set out hundreds of air pollution sensors, with results made public. Lafayette will get $40,000 to help implement those plans. After a year, the city can qualify for up to $10,000 more. The Lafayette consolidated government proposed a partnership between the university, local government and a nongovernment organization to set out 300 sensors for ozone and particulate matter.
CALCASIEU PARISH ENGINEER TIM CONNER SAYS IT’S BECOMING CLEAR THAT THE CONTRACTOR ON THE NELSON AND HAM REID ROUNDABOUT PROJECT WILL NOT FINISH IT BY THE COMPLETION DATE OF JANUARY 24TH. CONNER TOLD THE POLICE JURY YESTERDAY THAT, AFTER THAT DEADLINE PASSES, THE CONTRACTOR WILL BE ASSESSED DAMAGES OF 480 DOLLARS A DAY. HE HOPES THAT WILL BE INCENTIVE ENOUGH TO GET THEM TO MAKE UP TIME. TWO POLICE JURORS, DENNIS SCOTT AND GUY BRAME, SAY THEY HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SLOW PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THE PROJECT.
TWO MEN HAVE PLEADED GUILTY TO A STRING OF ARMED ROBBERIES IN ACADIANA. ALGERNON WILSON AND LARRYL FISHER, BOTH OF CROWLEY, ADMITTED IN FEDERAL COURT TO ROBBING A TRUCK STOP IN RAYNE, A PHARMACY IN VILLE PLATTE, AND A BANK AND LOAN OFFICE IN EUNICE. THE TWO WILL BE SENTENCED NEXT MONTH. THEY EACH FACE UP TO TWENTY YEARS IN PRISON AND 250 THOUSAND DOLLAR FINES.
Lawmakers and Gov. John Bel Edwards have reached a compromise to close a $313 million deficit. The plan, approved by the joint House and Senate budget committee Thursday, lessens a proposed cut to public colleges from $18 million to $12 million. The size of the higher education cut had been the chief point of disagreement. Lawmakers spent the last two days cobbling together a deal with Edwards that reduced that cut by one-third.
