KAJN Jesus FM 102.9


2-16-16

THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH ZONING COMMISSION SAY THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC FIRST BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS ABOUT ENDING A BAN ON NEW BARS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.  THE CITY PARISH COUNCIL LAST MONTH ASKED THE COMMISSION TO RESEARCH ALLOWING NEW BARS DOWNTOWN IF THEY MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, WHICH HAVE NOT YET BEEN SPECIFIED.  COMMISSION MEMBERS DIRECTED CITY PARISH STAFF TO BEGIN ARRANGING PUBLIC FORUMS AND INVITING THOSE WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY ENDING THE BAN.  COMMISSION MEMBER JOHN GUILBEAU SAYS HE’S OPEN TO ENDING THE BAN, BUT IS CONCERNED ABOUT TURNING THE AREA INTO ANOTHER BOURBON STREET.

 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTS A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.  THE TORNADO WAS SPOTTED IN AN OPEN FIELD NEAR ARCENEAUX ROAD, ABOUT FIVE MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF WELSH.  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGIST TIM HUMPHREY SAYS WIND SPEEDS IN THE TORNADO REACHED ABOUT 65 MILES AN HOUR.  THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, AND IT CAUSED NO DAMAGE.

 

THE HEAD OF THE 15TH JUDICIAL DEFENDER’S OFFICE HAS LET GO NINE STAFF ATTORNEYS, 26 CONTRACT ATTORNEYS AND TWO SOCIAL WORKERS OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE OF DWINDLING REVENUES.  PAUL MARX SAYS THEY HAVE 16 ATTORNEY’S REMAINING AND HE MADE THE DECISION TO GIVE ASSISTANCE ONLY TO DEFENDANTS WHO ARE FACING FELONY COUNTS.  THE AGENCY, WHICH HELPS IMPOVERISHED DEFENDANTS IN ACADIA, LAFAYETTE AND VERMILLION PARISHES, IS FACING EVEN MORE POSSIBLE CHALLENGES AHEAD AS THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS MAKING SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO THE MONEY THAT GOES TO THE STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER BOARD.  MARX TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT THE CASES THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO HANDLE NOW WILL CAUSE A BACKUP IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAT WILL TAKE YEARS TO WORK ITS WAY OUT.

 

Lawmakers have agreed to $38 million in spending cuts across state agencies, one of the first steps to rebalance Louisiana’s budget.  Combined with reductions made by Gov. John Bel Edwards, the cuts — approved Monday by the joint House and Senate budget committee — have trimmed $60 million from departments.  But that’s only a fraction of what’s needed to close an estimated $850 million to $950 million budget gap before the financial year ends June 30.  Edwards is asking lawmakers to raise taxes in a 25-day special legislative session that opened Sunday, to help stabilize Louisiana’s finances.

 

 

Gov. John Bel Edwards’ revenue secretary has outlined the tax hikes the governor is proposing.  Kimberly Robinson presented the list Monday to the House Ways and Means Committee, kicking off tax negotiations with lawmakers who have a short time to vet the ideas. Edwards is recommending increases to the state sales tax, to taxes charged on alcohol and cigarettes and to business taxes, among other items.  While Ways and Means started sifting through tax ideas, the House Appropriations Committee was hearing the worst-case scenario budget cuts the Edwards administration says could happen without raising new revenue.

 

AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED A 13-YEAR-OLD MALE STUDENT AND CHARGED HIM WITH INTENTIONALLY STARTING A FIRE AT PAUL BREAUX MIDDLE SCHOOL.  JULIE DARCE REPORTS.

 

VOICER I :20

 

A JENNINGS MAN PLEADED GUILTY LAST WEEK TO CHOKING ANOTHER MAN TO DEATH IN A HOTEL ROOM LAST JUNE.  26-YEAR-OLD HAROLD TREY HARGRAVE PLED GUILTY THURSDAY TO MANSLAUGHTER AND WAS SENTENCED TO TWENTY YEARS IN PRISON.  HARGRAVE GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH BLAZE MOSS AND CHOKED HIM, BUT HIS ATTTORNEY SAYS HARGRAVE DIDN’T THINK HE HAD KILLED MOSS WHEN HE LEFT THE ROOM.  26-YEAR-OLD KIRSTIN BROOK BONIN OF JENNINGS, WHO HAD RENTED THE ROOM AND WAS THERE AT THE TIME OF THE FIGHT, ALSO FACES A CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER, AND HER PRETRIAL COURT DATE IS SET FOR MARCH SECOND.

 

AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED IN BAYOU VISTA EARLY MONDAY MORNING.  THE ST. MARY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE REPORTS RECEIVING A CALL AROUND ONE A-M ABOUT SHOTS BEING FIRED IN THE 16-HUNDRED BLOCK OF SOUTH ROAD, AND SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES FOUND EVIDENCE OF THE GUNFIRE.  THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF INJURIES.  ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE.