2-18-16
THE DIOCESE OF LAFAYETTE HAS A NEW BISHOP. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY AMENDED A CITY ORDINANCE, REQUIRING RETENTION PONDS LOOK MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND THE LOCATION OF THE PONDS. SOME RESIDENTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LOOKS OF RETENTION PONDS, SUCH AS THE ONE AT THE WALMART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET ON RYAN STREET THAT HAS A CHAIN LINK FENCE AROUND IT. THE NEW CHANGES FOR FUTURE PONDS INCLUDE ADDING LANDSCAPING, LOWERING FENCE HEIGHTS AND REQUIRING COLORED METAL FENCES RATHER THAN CHAIN LINK. WALMART HAS AGREED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE RETENTION POND THERE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
State police say the general manager and chief financial officer of the Chitimacha Tribe’s casino in St. Mary Parish have been arrested on charges of theft after an investigation found they allegedly manipulated the casino’s personnel database.
State police say the Chitimacha Tribe did an internal investigation at its Cypress Bayou Casino and alerted investigators in January about a possible crime committed by senior management at the casino. Troopers say Anthony Patrone, the general manager, and Monte Spivey, the chief financial officer, were arrested Wednesday on charges of felony theft, computer fraud and obstruction of justice. Investigators say the pair made it appear that a former inactive employee was active and qualified for an annual bonus of $5,700 dollars.
Louisiana’s state senators agreed Wednesday to use $328 million in patchwork financing to help fill gaps in this year’s budget, sending the proposals to the House for consideration, while lawmakers in the House sifted through tax hike ideas.
The Senate voted 38-0 for both measures, to tap into $128 million from the “rainy day” fund and to redirect $200 million in Gulf oil spill money to the operating budget that otherwise would be used as part of a legal settlement. With those votes, Senate President John Alario said the Senate has done all the work it can for now to help rebalance the budget, which has a gap ranging from $850 million to $950 million.
Higher education leaders are pushing back at suggestions they are inflating the implications of budget cuts on their campuses. Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo told the House Appropriations Committee that public colleges face cuts of at least $70 million before the state budget year ends June 30. And that’s under the best-case scenario, if lawmakers gathered in a special legislative session agree to the tax hikes proposed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Rallo and higher education leaders said Wednesday if the worst-case scenario happens, many campuses likely will suspend operations and cancel classes.
AN EVALUATION ORGANIZATION HAS RECOMMENDED RE-ACCREDITATION FOR THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM. AFTER CONDUCTING 250 INTERVIEWS AND VISITING 79 CLASSROOMS, ADVANC-ED AWARDED THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AN AVERAGE SCORE AND RECOMMENDED SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS. YESTERDAY, THEY GAVE THE BOARD A SUMMARY OF THEIR REPORT, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED IN FOUR TO SIX WEEKS. SUPERINTENDENT DONALD AGUILLARD SAYS THIS GIVES THEM A TOOL THAT CAN BE USED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THE CALCASIEU HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY HAS RELEASED ITS ANNUAL LIST OF THE MOST ENDANGERED STRUCTURES. AT THE TOP IS THE YMCA BUILDING ON KIRBY STREET IN LAKE CHARLES, WHICH WAS SHUT DOWN TEN YEARS AGO AFTER DAMAGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE RITA. SPOKESMAN ADLEY CORMIER CALLED THE BUILDING AN ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE, AND WONDERED IF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN GET INVOLVED IN TRYING TO GET THE BUILDING RESTORED. OTHER BUILDINGS ON THE LIST ARE ONE AT 709 KIRBY, AUGUSTINE FOURSQUARE AT KIRBY AND COMMON STREETS, GOLDBAND RECORDS, AND THE STANFORD HOUSE.
THE ST. LANDRY PARISH COUNCIL LEARNED LAST NIGHT THAT FIRE DISTRICT THREE, WHICH COVERS ABOUT HALF OF THE PARISH, HAS BEEN OPERATING WITH A BUDGET DEFICIT FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. CANDACE ELKINS, REPRESENTING FIRE DISTRICT THREE, SAYS THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN RESERVE TO OPERATE FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. COUNCILMAN JERRY RED JUNIOR TOLD ELKINS AND THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS NOT RECEIVED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FROM FIRE DISTRICT THREE DESPITE ASKING FOR THEM SINCE NOVEMBER. ELKINS SAYS THERE HAS NO ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL THEIR FINANCES AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED THE COUNCIL WITH EACH OF THE PAST FIVE FISCAL YEAR BUDGETS.
