12-5-2014
MORE THAN 650 TEACHERS IN LAFAYETTE PARISH PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS WERE HONORED YESTERDAY. VOLUNTEER TEAMS FROM THE LAFAYETTE EDUCATION FOUNDATION TRAVELED TO 65 SCHOOLS TO LET TEACHERS KNOW THAT THEY HAD BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS. THE NOMINEES ARE SELECTED BASED ON LETTERS FROM STUDENTS, PARENTS, FELLOW EDUCATORS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE 2015 TEACHER AWARDS TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 22ND, AND THE TOP FINALISTS FOR EACH CATEGORY WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THAT TIME.
A FORMER COACH FOR HAMILTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY IN LAKE CHARLES WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY ON ONE COUNT OF SEXUAL BATTERY. A FORMER TRACK ATHLETE ACCUSED 48-YEAR-OLD CHRIS GRIFFIN OF INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHING HER. THE ALLEGED INCIDENT HAPPENED IN MARCH OF 2012, WHEN GRIFFIN WAS GIVING HER A MASSAGE FOR MUSCLE CRAMPS. GRIFFIN WAS SHOWN ON VIDEOTAPE WITH A CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DETECTIVE VEHEMENTLY DENYING THE CHARGE.
STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH OF A VILLE PLATTE MAN WHO DIED THURSDAY MORNING. JULIE DARCY HAS MORE.
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The state of Louisiana has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take the rare step of hearing an appeal of Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriages before a federal appeals court rules. Attorney Kyle Duncan filed the request this week. He’s asking the justices to hear appeals of both Louisiana’s case and the only other federal court decision upholding gay marriage bans. The appeals court in Cincinnati upheld bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE SIMONE CHAMPAGNE OF JEANERETTE IS RESIGNING HER SEAT IN THE STATE HOUSE EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31ST. SHE IS GOING TO BE YOUNGSVILLE MAYOR-ELECT KEN RITTER’S CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WHEN HE TAKES OFFICE. HOUSE SPEAKER CHUCK KLECKLY ANNOUNCED A FEBRUARY 21ST PRIMARY ELECTION TO REPLACE CHAMPAGNE, WHO REPRESENTS HOUSE DISTRICT 49, WHICH COVERS PARTS OF IBERIA AND ST. MARY PARISHES. REPUBLICAN BLAKE MIGUEZ, A NEW IBERIA ATTORNEY, WASTED NO TIME IN ANNOUNCING THAT HE WILL BE RUNNING FOR THE SEAT.
A LAKE CHARLES WOMAN WITH SPINA BIFIDA IS STILL HOPING FOR THE RETURN OF A 32 THOUSAND DOLLAR WHEELCHAIR SPECIALLY MADE FOR HER CONDITION. IN THE MEANTIME, THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA INDEPENDENCE CENTER IS DONATING TO HER A MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR THAT WAS DONATED BY A MAN IN SULPHUR. GWYNN HOUSTON, WHO IS WITH THE NON-PROFIT, SAYS SHE WAS INSPIRED BY THE SPIRIT OF 22-YEAR-OLD YURIKO ESPINOZA, SAYING SHE DIDN’T DETECT ANY BITTERNESS OR ANGER AT THE SITUATION. THE WHEELCHAIR CAME OFF OF THE LIFT ON THEIR VEHICLE ON INTERSTATE TEN IN SULPHUR TWO WEEKS AGO, AND SOMEONE TOOK IT WHEN YURIKO AND HER MOTHER WENT TO GET HELP TO PUT IT BACK ON THE LIFT.
OPELOUSAS POLICE OFFICERS WILL BEGIN WEARING CAMERAS ON THEIR UNIFORMS. POLICE CHIEF PERRY GALLOW SAYS THEY PURCHASED THIRTY CAMERAS, ENOUGH FOR EACH PATROL OFFICER, AT A COST OF 400 DOLLARS PER CAMERA. OFFICER ROMALIS THOMAS SAYS THE CAMERAS WILL WORK AS A DETERRENT BECAUSE, WITH EVERYTHING BEING RECORDED, THE OFFICERS AND INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR. IMAGES FROM THE CAMERAS ARE AUTOMATICALLY DOWNLOADED AT THE END OF EACH SHIFT AND STORED ONLINE AT EVIDENCE-DOT-COM FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.
Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana is heading toward her Saturday runoff against Republican congressman Bill Cassidy with almost no financial help from outside allies. How disparate is their support? In all, 97 cents of every political dollar spent outside the two campaigns since Nov. 5 has been to help Cassidy. Landrieu’s backers all but walked away from her after she failed to capture the majority of the vote on Nov. 4.
