12-8-15
The Lafayette Parish school system has received an $86,450 grant to expand career and training opportunities for special-education students. The Advocate reports the grant is part of a $4 million federal fund distributed by the Louisiana Department of Education. The “Building Pathways to High School Diplomas for Students with Disabilities Opportunity Grants” were awarded to 55 districts, 10 charter schools and the Louisiana School for the Deaf and Visually Impaired. Bart Thibodeaux, Lafayette Parish special-education director, says the grant will train and certify teachers to teach career education courses to students.
AN H-I-V POSITIVE MAN FROM LAKE CHARLES FACES CHARGES OF INTENTIONAL EXPOSURE TO THE AIDS VIRUS AFTER HE BIT TWO CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES AND A CORRECTIONS OFFICER. 25-YEAR-OLD JUSTIN T. FREEMAN BIT THE TWO DEPUTIES ON NOVEMBER 28TH AFTER THEY SERVED HIM WITH AN ORDER OF PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, WHICH MANDATED THAT HE BE BROUGHT TO A MEDICAL FACILITY FOR EVALUATION. TWO DAYS AGO, WHILE FREEMAN WAS BEING BOOKED INTO THE CALCASIEU CORRECTIONAL CENTER ON UNRELATED CHARGES, HE BIT A CORRECTIONS OFFICER ON THE LEG, DRAWING BLOOD. JUDGE GUY BRADBERRY ORDERED THAT FREEMAN BE HELD WITHOUT BOND.
U-S ATTORNEY STEPHANIE FINLEY SAYS CHARGES WILL NOT BE FILED AGAINST THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IN THE CASE OF VICTOR WHITE THE THIRD, WHO WAS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH IN THE BACK OF A POLICE CRUISER IN MARCH OF 2014. WHITE’S DEATH WAS RULED A SUICIDE. FINLEY SAYS BOTH THE STATE CORONER AND INDEPENDENT MEDICAL EXPERTS DETERMINED THAT WHITE SHOT HIMSELF WHILE HANDCUFFED. POWELL LEXING, THE ATTORNEY FOR WHITE’S FAMILY, SAYS THEY ARE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DECISION AND PLAN TO CONTINUE PURSUING A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF LOUIS ACKAL AND CORPORAL JUSTIN ORTIS.
Louisiana’s Judicial Compensation Commission has hired an economist to compare judges’ salaries in this state to their colleagues in other states. The commission meets annually to make recommendations to the Legislature on how Louisiana judges’ pay should be adjusted to keep pace with other states. Louisiana judges are receiving yearly 2.1 percent pay increases each July 1 through 2017, under a five-year plan adopted by lawmakers in 2013. The Advocate reports the commission didn’t recommend additional pay hikes last year.
AUTHORITIES ARE LOOKING FOR SUSPECTS AFTER A LAFAYETTE WOMAN WAS SHOT IN HER HOME ON SOUTH ORANGE STREET. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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Kinder Police Chief Chuck Welch wants to see bars stop serving alcohol and close an hour earlier. Welch told the town council Monday he wants bars to close at 1 a.m., saying he believes rolling back the hours would reduce problems. Bars had previously closed at midnight, but it was change to 2 a.m. in 2004. The council will vote on changing the closing time for establishments selling alcohol to 1 a.m. at its Jan. 4 meeting.
A CHILD WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT LAST NIGHT IN BREAUX BRIDGE. IT HAPPENED ON EAST BRIDGE STREET. THE AGE OR NAME OF THE CHILD HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED. IT’S ALSO NOT YET KNOWN IF ANYONE ELSE WAS INJURED.
A state legislative audit shows the state health agency failed to properly oversee an $18 million a year program that provides non-emergency medical transportation to Medicaid recipients. The Advocate reports the audit, released Monday, marked the seventh time the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals received audit findings that could result in improper payments because of lax oversight. The program provides Medicaid recipients with transportation to and from doctors’ office, out-patients clinics and the like. The performance audit found little to no monitoring to insure the rides were medically necessary or even occurred at all in the program, which has been cited as prime for abuse and resulted in people being jailed.
