12-7-23
A REZONING PLAN THAT WOULD MOVE SOME STUDENTS FROM LAFAYETTE AND CARENCRO HIGH SCHOOL TO NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL FAILED AT LAST NIGHT’S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. THE VOTE WAS FOUR-TO-FOUR ON THE PLAN PROPOSED BY BOARD MEMBER TEHMI CHAISSON. NORTHSIDE HAS FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY STUDENTS COMPARED TO EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AT LAFAYETTE HIGH AND ELEVEN HUNDRED AT CARENCRO HIGH SCHOOL. CHAISSON SAYS NORTHSIDE NEEDS MORE STUDENTS AND HIS REZONING PLAN WOULD FIX IT, BUT BOARD MEMBERS WHO VOTED AGAINST IT SAID IT FELT RUSHED AND THEY NEEDED MORE TIME.
AN ARREST WARRANT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD CROWLEY MAN, WHO’S WANTED FOR SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY. RAYNE POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR JAMYRION JAQUAN SENEGAL FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE MURDER OF DARREN SENEGAL, WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN A FIELD IN RAYNE ON MONDAY. POLICE CHIEF CARROL STELLY SAYS JAMYRION SENEGAL IS BELIEVED TO BE ARMED, SO IF YOU SEE HIM, DO NOT APPROACH THE SUSPECT BUT CALL NINE-ONE-ONE. MORE ARRESTS ARE EXPECTED IN THE CASE INCLUDING A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CO-CONSPIRATOR.
Louisiana Gov.-elect Jeff Landry named Richard Nelson, a Republican state lawmaker, as the next revenue secretary. Nelson, who has served as a state representative since 2020, had campaigned for governor earlier this year before dropping out in September and endorsing Landry. In the Capitol, Nelson repeatedly tried to create a path to get rid of the state’s income tax, saying it would attract more people to Louisiana — competing with states without an income tax, such as neighboring Texas, that have seen faster and more significant population growth. Nelson will take office when Landry is inaugurated in January.
THE OUTGOING GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA IS URGING GOVERNOR-ELECT JEFF LANDRY TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO REPLACE THE I-TEN BRIDGE IN LAKE CHARLES. GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS TOLD THE EDITORIAL BOARD FOR THE ADVOCATE THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO SPEND FEDERAL CASH AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT. HE SAYS IF THE PROJECT IS PUT OFF FURTHER, IT WILL DOOM THE STATE TO HAVING TO PAY HUGE SUMS ON AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF REPAIRS TO THE BADLY DILAPIDATED BRIDGE, WHICH IS MORE THAN SEVENTY YEARS OLD. A JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER VOTED DOWN A PLAN THAT WOULD HAVE COMBINED TOLLS WITH STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS TO UNDERWRITE THE TWO-POINT-ONE BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT.
A FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY AND A FORTY-YEAR-OLD WOMAN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD NEW IBERIA MAN. GERALD GRUENIG REPORTS.
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LAFAYETTE OFFICIALS ARE SEEKING A SIXTY-DAY EXTENSION TO BRING IN A NATIONAL CONSULTANT BEFORE THEY FINALIZE A DEAL TO PURCHASE A JEFFERSON STREET BUILDING THAT WOULD BE RENOVATED FOR THE CITY COURT AND CITY MARSHAL’S OFFICE. A NINETY-DAY DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD FOR CITY REPRESENTATIVES TO DETERMINE IF THE BUILDING IS A GOOD FIT, ENDS TOMORROW. IN SEPTEMBER, THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO BUY THE LEMOINE BUILDING AT TWO-FOURTEEN JEFFERSON STREET AND AUTHORIZED MAYOR-PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY TO NEGOTIATE AND FINALIZE THE PURCHASE. ARCHITECT ERIC CROZIER TOLD THE COUNCIL TUESDAY THAT RENOVATIONS WOULD COST ABOUT SEVEN-POINT-SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE UP TO TWO MILLION DOLLARS FOR NEW MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING AN H-VAC SYSTEM.
THE STATE’S AGRICULTURE AND TIMBER INDUSTRIES SUFFERED NEARLY ONE-POINT-SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS IN LOSSES FROM THE UNUSUAL DROUGHT AND HEAT CONDITIONS THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM L-S-U RESEARCHERS. L-S-U AGCENTER ECONOMIST KURT GUIDRY, ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE REPORT, SAYS, UNLIKE OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, THIS ONE ENCOMPASSED THE WHOLE STATE. THE LOSSES AMOUNT TO ABOUT A THIRD OF THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC PRODUCTION FROM THE TWO INDUSTRIES. ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE STATE IS SUFFERING EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL ON THE U-S DROUGHT MONITOR’S SCALE.
THE KAPLAN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN FINDING A MISSING JUVENILE. NICHOLAS THEALL WAS LAST SEEN LEAVING HIS GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE AT AROUND THREE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THEY HAVE NOT RELEASED HIS AGE. ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE WHEREABOUTS OF THEALL IS ASKED TO CALL KAPLAN POLICE AT SIX-FOUR-THREE-EIGHTY-SIX-HUNDRED.
