12-24-14
OPELOUSAS MAYOR DONALD CRAVINS HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY BY A FEDERAL CIVIL JURY FOR HIS ROLE IN A CHILD CUSTODY DISPUTE. TV-10 HAS GOTTEN COURT DOCUMENTS THAT SHOW THE JURY RULED THAT CRAVINS AND THE CITY OF OPELOUSAS HAVE TO PAY $400,000 IN DAMAGES TO RESA LATIOLAIS, WHO SUED CRAVINS, TWO OTHER MEN, THE CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENTS OF THE CASE, LATIOLAIS PROVED CRAVINS “ACTED WITH MALICE, WILLFULNESS OR INDIFFERENCE TO THE CONSTIUTIONAL RIGHT OF LATIOLAIS AND WITH SUCH SHOCKING, OFFENSIVE AND REPREHENSIBLE CONDUCT AS TO JUSTIFY AN AWARD OF PUNITIVE DAMAGES AGAINST HIM”. LATIOLAIS WAS ARRESTED FOR SIMPLE BATTERY IN 2006 DURING AN ATTEMPT BY HER EX-BOYFRIEND, BRADLEY GRIFFITH, TO GAIN CUSTODY OF THEIR SON. LATIOLAIS CLAIMED GRIFFITH CONSPIRED WITH THEN STATE SENATOR CRAVINS AND OPELOUSAS POLICE OFFICER RICKY GALLOW TO GET HER ARRESTED AND THE TWO CONSPIRED TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF HER CUSTODY TRIAL. CRAVINS HAS FILED A SECOND MOTION TO DISMISS THE CASE.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE HAVE ARRESTED JOSHUA GAGE CRADEUR OF ROANOKE FOR THREE ARMED ROBBERERIES IN LAKE CHARLES. TWO ROBBERIES OCCURRED ON December 18TH AT THE TOUCHDOWN CONVENIENCE STORE AND TOBACCO PLUS, BOTH ON GERSHNER MEMORIAL DRIVE. THE THIRD ROBBERY OCCURRED ON December 19TH AT THE EXXON ON BROAD ST. POLICE RELEASED A PHOTO OF CRADEUR TAKEN FROM SURVEILLIANCE FOOTAGE. CRADEUR WAS ARRESTED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND BOOKED INTO THE CALCASIEU CORRECTIONAL CENTER ON CHARGES OF THREE COUNTS OF ARMED ROBBERY. HIS BOND WAS SET AT $695,000.
CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JURORS, IN A SPECIAL MEETING LAST NIGHT, AWKWARDLY FILLED JAMES MAYO’S SEAT. MAYO 52, SHOCKINGLY PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK LEAVING HIS JUROR SEAT VACCANT. STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT VACCANT SEATS BE FILLED WITHIN TWENTY DAYS. JURORS HAD FOUR INDIVIDUALS WITH IMPRESSIVE RESUMES THAT THEY HEARD FROM AND AFTER CONSIDERATIION UNANAMIOUSLY VOTED IN MARSHALL SIMIEN JR. SIMIEN, A LIFELONG FRIEND OF MAYO’S, TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE LAST NIGHT AND PLANS ON CONTINUING SOME OF MAYO’S PROJECTS. SIMIEN WILL SERVE OUT THE REST OF THE DISTRICT 2 SEAT THROUGH JANUARY 11, 2016.
(AP) A Vernon Parish grand jury has indicted Rosepine Police Chief James “Dennis” Parrott on charges of malfeasance and felony stalking. The Leesville Daily Leader reports the grand jury last week formally charged Parrott with two felony charges of malfeasance in office, sexual conduct, along with one count each of felony stalking and malfeasance in office. The 49-year-old Parrott, who recently won re-election, was arrested in August after an investigation into criminal complaints against him. Parrott was accused of stalking his estranged wife and using the department’s database to illegally run a license plate number. The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office will be prosecuting the case as the Vernon Parish District Attorney’s Office has recused itself. Additionally, all of the judges on the 30th District Judicial Court have recused themselves.
(AP) Sasol Ltd. has arranged $4 billion in financing for its ethane cracker and derivatives complex at its existing site in Lake Charles. In October, Sasol announced its final investment decision for developing an $8.9 billion petrochemical complex, which consists of an ethane cracker that will produce 1.5 million tons of ethylene annually. The complex will also comprise six chemical manufacturing plants, enabling infrastructure and utility improvements. The remainder of the funds required for construction will be raised in a phased manner from a variety of potential sources, including surplus cash available in the group. The Advocate reports a syndicate of 18 international banks and other financial institutions are lenders for the $4 billion in credit.
(AP) The federal Medicaid agency has approved financing plans for contracts that turn six LSU hospitals over to private companies. That ends questions about whether care for Louisiana’s uninsured could be in jeopardy. But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also ordered Louisiana to repay $190 million to the federal government, for payments made under prior contracts — deals that the agency later rejected. The Department of Health and Hospitals said Tuesday that it will appeal the order to repay the money. CMS says it’s owed because federal officials rejected “advance lease payments” from private companies. Gov. Bobby Jindal made the hospitals private without first getting federal approval, which was needed because they rely on Medicaid money. The state rewrote the contracts after CMS rejected financing plans in May.
