12-19-17
A HEARING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY TO DETERMINE IF THE PROBATION FOR LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE SHOULD BE REVOKED. IF JUDGE JULES EDWARDS DOES REVOKE THE PROBATION, POPE COULD BE FORCED TO SERVE A 30 DAY JAIL TERM, WHICH WAS SUSPENDED LAST YEAR. THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SAYS THE PROBATION SHOULD BE REVOKED BECAUSE POPE HAS FAILED TO COMPLETE HIS COMMUNITY SERVICE AND HAS COMMITTED ALLEGED CRIMINAL CONDUCT WHILE ON PROBATION. THE COURT HEARING WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR YESTERDAY BUT POPE ASKED FOR MORE TIME BECAUSE HE HAD RECENTLY HIRED A NEW ATTORNEY.
THE DEQUINCY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING FOR A SUSPECT WHO ROBBED THE CITY SAVINGS BANK ON WEST FOURTH YESTERDAY MORNING. CAPTAIN TOM THREET SAYS THE SUSPECT ENTERED THE BANK AT AROUND 10-30 AND POINTED A GUN AT THE TELLER, DEMANDING MONEY AND LEAVING WITH AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF CASH. THE SUSPECT DROVE AWAY IN WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE A MAROON 2002 HONDA PILOT. HE IS DESCRIBED AS WHITE, BETWEEN FIVE-FIVE AND FIVE-SEVEN AND ANYWHERE BETWEEN 150 AND 170 POUNDS.
LAST NIGHT A VIGIL WAS HELD IN BALDWIN FOR A ST. MARY PARISH WOMAN, WHO WAS FOUND STRANGLED IN HER CAR NEAR THE BALDWIN CANAL ONE YEAR AGO. THERE HAVE BEEN NO BREAKS IN THE CASE SO FAR AND THE FAMILY IS HOPING SOMEONE WILL COME FORWARD WITH INFORMATION THAT LEADS TO FINDING THE KILLER OF REYNELL LOCKETT RICHARD. THE FAMILY BELIEVES SHE WAS THE VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BUT THE ST. MARY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS NOT LABELED HER EX HUSBAND, RUSSELL RICHARD JUNIOR, A SUSPECT. THEY HAVE CONSIDERED HIM A PERSON OF INTEREST AND WANT TO INTERVIEW HIM AS A POSSIBLE WITNESS.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has outlined his tax proposals for closing a $1 billion budget gap. The Democratic governor released a list of recommendations that will form the basis of negotiations with House Republicans who have previously blocked many of his tax ideas. In a speech Monday, Edwards said he wants to continue to charge businesses higher sales taxes for utilities; newly charge sales taxes on services such as cable television; increase individual income taxes for those who itemize; and change the brackets for calculating individual income tax.
Edwards does not support renewing a 1 percent temporary sales tax set to expire on June 30, causing much of the budget gap on the horizon.
THE NEW U-L RAGIN’ CAJUN FOOTBALL COACH WAS ANNOUNCED AT A NEWS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY. BILLY NAPIER HAS SIGNED A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT THAT WILL PAY HIM A GUARANTEED 757 THOUSAND THIS YEAR WITH INCENTIVES, IN WHICH HE COULD RECEIVE ALMOST ONE-POINT-5 MILLION DOLLARS. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR BRYAN MAGGARD SAYS NAPIER’S INTELLIGENCE, ATTENTION TO DETAIL, INTEGRITY AND HARD WORK WERE AMONG THE REASONS FOR SIGNING HIM. NAPIER SAID THAT HIS GOAL IS TO PRODUCE A BRAND OF FOOTBALL THAT CREATES PRIDE FOR THE SCHOOL, THE COMMUNITY AND RAGIN’ CAJUN FANS EVERYWHERE.
A BATON ROUGE MAN, INVOLVED IN A SHOOTOUT LAST YEAR IN WHICH TWO INNOCENT BYSTANDERS WERE KILLED, PLED GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A FIREARM LAST WEEK, AND FACES UP TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON WHEN HE’S SENTENCED. 26-YEAR-OLD BRANDON HENDERSON EXCHANGED GUNFIRE WITH 24-YEAR-OLD ERNEST FELTON, WHO WAS NOT CHARGED BY AN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH GRAND JURY LAST YEAR. THE TWO BYSTANDERS WHO WERE KILLED WERE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, ONE OF WHOM, LASHUNTAE BENTON, WAS FROM LAKE CHARLES. THE ATTORNEY FOR HENDERSON SAYS HIS CLIENT DID NOT INSTIGATE THE EXCHANGE OF GUNFIRE AND SHOULD BE PUT ON PROBATION.
THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS DEALING WITH A RASH OF BURGLARIES SINCE THANKSGIVING. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS RESPONDED TO 17 BUSINESS BURGLARIES, 42 HOME BURGLARIES, 25 CAR BURGLARIES AND ALMOST 400 ALARM CALLS. ONE BUSINESS, THE FOOD AND FUN CONVENIENCE STORE ON JANE STREET IN NEW IBERIA, HAS BEEN ROBBED NINE TIMES OVER THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. THE LATEST ROBBERY HAPPENED ON SUNDAY WHEN THE THIEVES BROKE IN THROUGH A DOOR.
A study group created by Gov. John Bel Edwards to review policies for handling sexual misconduct claims says Louisiana doesn’t have a standard policy across state government. The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com reports members of the group, which met for the first time Monday, said sexual harassment prevention training is recommended, but not required, of all state agencies. The group will review executive branch agencies’ policies regarding sexual harassment and workplace discrimination, evaluate their effectiveness and suggest changes to improve them. Recommendations are due to Edwards by March 1.
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