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THERE WAS A TWO PERCENT DECREASE IN OVERALL CRIME FOR LAFAYETTE PARISH IN 2015, BUT HOMOCIDES MORE THAN DOUBLED. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF TWENTY HOMOCIDES LAST YEAR, ALL BY GUNSHOTS, COMPARED TO NINE IN 2014. POLICE CHIEF REGINALD THOMAS SAYS FIVE OF THE HOMOCIDES WERE UNSOLVED, ALL IN NORTH LAFAYETTE, WHICH HE CALLED UNACCEPTABLE. THAT’S WHY HE DECIDED TO FORM A TASK FORCE THAT WILL FOCUS ON FINDING THE KILLERS.
VINTON RESIDENTS GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK AT PLANS FOR A PROPOSED TEMPORARY WORKER HOUSING FACILITY CALLED MOSSVILLE LODGE. THE FACILITY, WHICH WOULD HOUSE ABOUT 25-HUNDRED WORKERS, WOULD BE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS ON PORT OF VINCENT PROPERTY. IT WOULD BE A ZERO TOLERANCE FACILITY, MEANING NO ALCOHOL, DRUGS, OR GUNS AND NO ONSITE VISITORS. COUNCILMAN BLISS BUJARD SAYS THAT CONCERNS HIM BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THE WORKERS WILL GO INTO THE CITY TO DRINK, WHICH COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS.
RAYNE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY ROBBED THE FROGCITY CASINO AT GUNPOINT TUESDAY MORNING. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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A federal judge says Louisiana cannot enforce an abortion law while appealing his pretrial order against it. Judge John deGravelles (duh-GRAV-uhl) ruled Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by three of Louisiana’s five abortion clinics and their doctors.
Lawyers for the state immediately asked the federal appeals court in New Orleans for an emergency order to overrule him and overturn his January preliminary ruling that the law is unconstitutional. Under the law, doctors who perform abortions must be able to admit patients to a hospital within 30 miles.
LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE WARNED THEY COULD FACE CRIMINAL PENALTIES IF THEY VOTE TO REMOVE THE STATUE OF CONFEDERATE GENERAL ALFRED MOUTON FROM THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THAT’S ACCORDING TO ATTORNEY LANE ROY, WHO REPRESENTS THE GENERAL ALFRED MOUTON CHAPTER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY. HE CITED AN INJUNCTION SIGNED BY A JUDGE IN 1980 THAT BARRED REMOVAL OF THE STATUE EXCEPT IF THE PROPERTY IS SOLD OR FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS. THE COUNCIL HAS NOT TAKEN UP THE MATTER, BUT THERE’S A GROWING MOVEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO REMOVE THE STATUE AND A GROUP OPPOSED TO THE STATUE IS EXPECTED TO BRING THE ISSUE UP AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
RESIDENTS OF A TRAILER PARK IN SULPHUR HAVE BEGUN RECEIVING EVICTION NOTICES. MANY OF THE RESIDENTS, WHO HAVE OLDER TRAILERS THAT ARE IN NEED OF REPAIR, TELL KPLC TV THEY CAN’T AFFORD THE COSTS OF MOVING AND, IN A LOT OF CASES, THE TRAILERS ARE NOT WORTH MOVING. THE RESIDENTS FROM THE PARK, LOCATED IN THE 800 BLOCK OF CLAIBORNE STREET, HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO THE CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JURY’S HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO ASSESS WHETHER THEY CAN GET ASSISTANCE FROM DIFFERENT AGENCIES SUCH AS THE UNITED WAY. THE PROPERTY OWNER, RICHARD BAGGETT, SAYS HE IS PLANNING TO UPGRADE THE PARK, AND CURRENT RESIDENTS CAN REAPPLY ONCE IT IS FINISHED.
A PATTERSON MAN, WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MOLESTING A NINE-YEAR-OLD GIRL, NOW FACES CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES. AFTER THE ARREST OF 20-YEAR-OLD JOSHUA TROY MILLER, DETECTIVES WITH THE ST. MARY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE GOT A WARRANT TO SEARCH HIS COMPUTER. A DETECTIVE FOUND MORE THAN 80 IMAGES OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, ACCORDING TO THE ST. MARY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE. MILLER IS IN THE ST. MARY PARISH JAIL AND HIS BAIL HAS BEEN SET AT 300 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proposals to tap into some short-term fixes to plug holes in this year’s budget have started advancing in the Louisiana Legislature.
Without objection Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee agreed to measures that would spend $128 million from the “rainy day” fund and redirect $200 million in Gulf oil spill recovery money to help rebalance the budget before the fiscal year ends June 30. Those two pieces of legislation head next to the full Senate for consideration. In addition to the revenue proposals, Edwards has proposed a mix of cuts and tax increases to fill the rest of the hole.
