12-3-15
LAST NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO PUT TWO TAX PROPOSALS BEFORE VOTERS ON APRIL NINTH. THE FIRST PROPOSAL IS AN 11-POINT-5 MILL PROPERTY TAX THAT IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE 380 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THIRTY YEARS AND WOULD PAY FOR REPLACING LAFAYETTE HIGH AND CARENCRO HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY, AND FOR RENOVATIONS AT OTHER SCHOOLS. THE SECOND 4-POINT-5 MILL TAX WOULD FUND SEVERAL PROJECTS INCLUDING 5-POINT-2 MILLION DOLLARS IN SCHOOL MAINTENANCE AND TO UPGRADE SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY. THE LAST TIME THE SCHOOL BOARD PUT A TAX BEFORE VOTERS WAS IN 2011, WHICH VOTERS SOUNDLY REJECTED.
LAST NIGHT THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL APPROVED PHASE TWO OF AN UPGRADE TO RIVERSIDE PARK, LOCATED OFF OF FITZENREITER ROAD. MAYOR RANDY ROACH SAYS PHASE TWO INCLUDES BUILDING A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER AND SITE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING TO THE PARKING LOT, PICNIC AREAS, PAVILIONS AND THE PLAYGROUND. HE SAYS THE TOTAL COST IS ONE-POINT-2 MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH INCLUDES 650 THOUSAND FROM THE STATE. ROACH SAYS THE FACILITY IS GOING TO BE FIRST CLASS.
FRANKLIN POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A MAN WHO ROBBED A CAPITAL ONE BANK BRANCH YESTERDAY MORNING WITH A LARGE FRAME SEMIAUTOMATIC GUN. THE MAN, WHO WAS DESCRIBED AS BLACK, APPROXIMATELY 6-ONE OR 6-TWO, AND BETWEEN 25 AND 30 YEARS OLD, FLED ON FOOT WITH AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF CASH. HE WORE ALL BLACK CLOTHING AND HAD ON A NEOPRENE MASK WITH CUTOUTS FOR THE MOUTH AND EYES. POLICE CHIEF SABRIA MCGUIRE SAYS THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GATHERING SURVEILLANCE VIDEOS FROM ALL AREA BUSINESSES IN THEIR EFFORT TO FIND THE ROBBER.
Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards sought to reassure business and political leaders that he was sincere when he campaigned as a centrist, saying he would bring that approach to his administration. The Democrat who takes office Jan. 11 told the annual luncheon of the nonpartisan Council For a Better Louisiana on Wednesday that he doesn’t intend to govern “on the far left.” But he also said he intended to push for the decidedly Democratic causes he championed as a candidate: a minimum wage increase, equal pay for women and the expansion of Louisiana’s Medicaid program. He said if he proposes something they don’t like, they should feel comfortable to offer suggestions of a different approach.
THERE WERE TWO SHOOTINGS IN LAFAYETTE WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD, AND THE SHOOTERS IN BOTH CASES REMAIN AT LARGE. AT AROUND 10:45 YESTERDAY MORNING, A SHOOTING VICTIM, AN 18-YEAR-OLD MAN WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, WAS FOUND ON THE ROAD AT EIGHTH AND STERLING STREETS AND LATER DIED AT A LAFAYETTE HOSPITAL. USING POLICE DOGS, DETECTIVES DETERMINED THE SHOOTER FLED TO A RESIDENCE IN THE 300 BLOCK OF RANSOM, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO GATHER EVIDENCE. IN THE SECOND SHOOTING, POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR 34-YEAR-OLD ARTHUR RAY GOTCH, WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE SHOT A MAN IN THE LEG AFTER AN ARGUMENT TUESDAY NIGHT.
A LAKE CHARLES CHRISTMAS TRADITION WILL CONTINUE THIS SUNDAY AT THREE WITH A PERFORMANCE OF HANDEL’S MESSIAH AT MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY’S BULBER AUDITORIUM. IN 1940, FRANCIS BULBER CONDUCTED THE SCHOOL’S FIRST PERFORMANCE OF HANDEL’S MESSIAH AND IT HAS CONTINUED ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY DECEMBER SINCE THEN. BULBER’S WIDOW, PATRICIA, WILL BE A PIANIST AT THE PERFORMANCE FOR THE 61ST YEAR. THERE WILL ALSO BE AROUND ONE HUNDRED SINGERS ALONG WITH A FULL ORCHESTRA.
THE ST. LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS HIRED THREE NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. THEY WILL BE ASSIGNED TO BEAU CHENE HIGH SCHOOL, NORTHWEST HIGH AND NORTH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL. SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS HE USED SAVINGS ELSEWHERE TO PAY FOR THE RESOURCE OFFICER. GUIDROZ SAYS HIS OFFICE HAS SAVED 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM FLEET MAINTENANCE DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE 2015-16 FISCAL YEAR.
Louisiana’s next attorney general is asking current, at-will employees of the Department of Justice to submit resumes and reapply for their jobs if they want to stay for his administration. Republican Jeff Landry, who defeated GOP incumbent Buddy Caldwell last month, sent employees a letter thanking them for their service and asking those who serve at the attorney general’s pleasure to consider applying to keep their positions. Landry takes office Jan. 11. In the letter, he says the purpose of the reapplication isn’t “to make wholesale changes,” but to give everyone a “fair and equal opportunity to be considered.”
