2-19-18
YOUNGSVILLE POLICE CHIEF RICKY BOUDREAUX SAYS HE IS PREPARING TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE HIRING FOUR MORE POLICE OFFICERS. HE SAYS THEY ONLY HAVE FOUR OFFICERS PATROLLING AT NIGHT, AND ONE OF THOSE IS A SUPERVISOR. HE TELLS KLFY TV HE NEEDS MORE OFFICERS TO PATROL THE 65 SUBDIVISONS WITHIN YOUNGSVILLE. IF THE COUNCIL AGREES TO THE REQUEST, THE YOUNGSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD GROW TO A TOTAL OF 26 OFFICERS.
LAST MONTH, FIVE FULL TIME POLICE OFFICERS IN NEW LLANO WALKED OFF THE JOB AND DISPATCHERS WERE LAID OFF AFTER THE TOWN COUNCIL VOTED TO CUT THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS JUST A POLICE CHIEF AND ONE FULL TIME OFFICER. FREDDIE BOSWELL, THE MAYOR OF THE VERNON PARISH TOWN, TELLS THE AMERICAN PRESS THAT POLICE CHIEF DANNY HUNT HAS ROOM IN HIS BUDGET TO HIRE MORE OFFICERS AND DOESN’T KNOW WHY HE HASN’T. HUNT SAYS HE CAN’T AFFORD TO SEND NEW OFFICERS TO THE POLICE ACADEMY, SO HE CAN ONLY DRAW FROM A LIMITED POOL OF ALREADY CERTIFIED OFFICERS.
TWO MEN ARE RECOVERING FROM SEPARATE SHOOTINGS THAT HAPPENED WITHIN A BLOCK OF EACH OTHER SATURDAY NIGHT IN NEW IBERIA. ONE OF THE MEN WAS SHOT IN THE ABDOMEN THAT NIGHT AT AROUND 6:44 IN THE 500 BLOCK OF LOMBARD STREET. WHILE IBERIA SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES WERE INVESTIGATING, THEY HEARD GUNSHOTS AND FOUND SPENT BULLET CASINGS IN THE 500 BLOCK OF JOHNSTON STREET. LATER, ANOTHER MAN ARRIVED AT THE IBERIA MEDICAL CENTER WITH SEVERAL BULLET WOUNDS.
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins wants Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to create a bounty program for Asian carp, an invasive fish species. The Republican congressman sent a letter to department Secretary Jack Montoucet, saying a program to encourage fishermen to harvest the species would lessen ecological and economic damage in Louisiana. Montoucet says he’d like to talk with Higgins about ongoing work to combat the species and hopes the congressman will lead efforts to secure federal dollars for the “expensive fight.” Higgins wants a bounty program similar to an ongoing effort aimed at controlling Louisiana’s nutria population.
TOMORROW NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING PUTTING CAMERAS IN SCHOOL ZONES TO CAPTURE SPEEDERS. COUNCILMAN KENNETH BOUDREAUX TELLS KLFY-TV THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THE CAMERAS IS TO IMPROVE SAFETY. BUT, HE SAYS, IT WILL ALSO GENERATE REVENUES THAT GO INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET. HE SAYS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS THE MONEY TO HELP RETAIN OFFICERS AND IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE VERMILLION PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS SEARCHING FOR A MAN WANTED ON AN ASSAULT BY DRIVE BY SHOOTING CHARGE. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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WINN DIXIE IS PLANNING TO SHUT DOWN NEARLY 200 STORES EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THEY FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY NEXT MONTH. THERE IS NO WORD YET ON WHICH STORES WILL BE CLOSING. WINN DIXIE HAS NEARLY 500 TOTAL STORES IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA, INCLUDING SEVEN IN ACADIANA. WINN DIXIE PREVIOUSLY FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY IN 2005 AND 2009.
Louisiana lawmakers are still struggling to agree on an approach to stabilizing state finances a decade into seesawing cycles of repeated budget gaps and short-term fixes. They open their latest special session today. It’s their fifth special session called by Gov. John Bel Edwards to address budget uncertainty in two years.
The Republican-led Legislature and the Democratic governor are staring down a $1 billion budget hole that hits July 1, caused by the looming expiration of temporary sales taxes.
