2-20-18
ALL EVANGELINE PARISH SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED TODAY DUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
VOICER X :27
THE DERIDDER POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING THREATS MADE AGAINST THE HIGH SCHOOL, WITH HELP FROM THE BEAUREGARD PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND STATE POLICE. DEPUTY CHIEF CHRISTOPHER RUDY SAYS THE THREATS WERE MADE BY A JUVENILE. THAT JUVENILE HAS BEEN DETAINED AND A SEARCH WARRANT HAS BEEN SERVED. RUDY SAYS THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE STUDENTS AND STAFF AT DERIDDER HIGH.
LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE IS SET TO GO TO TRIAL TODAY ON TWO COUNTS OF PERJURY AND FIVE COUNTS OF MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE. HOWEVER, BEFORE THE TRIAL BEGINS, THE JUDGE IS EXPECTED TO HEAR A NUMBER OF MOTIONS FROM POPE’S ATTORNEYS, INCLUDING ONE TO MOVE THE TRIAL. THEY HAVE SUBPOENAED SEVERAL MEDIA OUTLETS TO PRODUCE ALL THE COVERAGE ON THE MARSHALL AS EVIDENCE THAT THE TRIAL SHOULD BE MOVED OUT OF LAFAYETTE. THEY ALSO WANT THE JUDGE TO ALLOW THEM TO SEE THE LIST OF VOTERS WHO SIGNED A PETITION TO RECALL POPE SO THEY CAN SEAT AN IMPARTIAL JURY, THOUGH THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE RECALL EFFORT SAID THEY DESTROYED THE LIST.
Louisiana’s governor spent little of his special session speech focused on the type of taxes he wants passed to close a $1 billion budget gap. Gov. John Bel Edwards told lawmakers Monday he’s “flexible” about what taxes are used to replace temporary taxes that expire on July 1. He says his “number one goal” is enacting a permanent, stabilizing tax structure that ends Louisiana’s cycles of budget woes.
Edwards has proposed raising or maintaining higher taxes on businesses and middle- and upper-income earners.
FORMER LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT PAT COOPER IS ONE OF SIX FINALISTS TO BECOME THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT OF IBERIA PARISH SCHOOLS. COOPER WAS FIRED BY THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IN 2014 OVER ALLEGATIONS THAT HE VIOLATED STATE LAW AND BOARD POLICY IN FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL DECISIONS. HOWEVER, THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS RULED THE BOARD DID NOT PROPERLY APPLY STATE LAW IN ITS DECISION TO TERMINATE COOPER. THE CURRENT IBERIA PARISH SUPERINTENDENT DALE HENDERSON HAS ANNOUNCED HE WILL RETIRE THIS SUMMER.
A SULPHUR MAN WAS GIVEN A 50 YEAR SENTENCE OF HARD LABOR FOR SHOOTING HIS PREGANT GIRLFRIEND AND ATTEMPTING TO SHOOT HER FATHER IN JUNE OF 2016. WHEN POLICE TRIED TO APPREHEND DAVID ALAN BREAUX, HE LED THEM ON A THIRTY MINUTE HIGH SPEED CHASE. A JURY UNANIMOUSLY CONVICTED BREAUX ON DECEMBER FIRST ON SEVERAL COUNTS INCLUDING TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER.
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR A SUSPECT IN A SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND. A MAN SUFFERED A NON-LIFE THREATENING GUNSHOT WOUND SATURDAY ON RANDOLPH DRIVE. POLICE SAY THE SUSPECT FLED ON FOOT. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THIS SHOOTING IS ASKED TO CALL LAFAYETTE CRIME STOPPERS AT 232-TIPS.
THE AVERAGE LOUISIANA TEACHER SALARY HAS DROPPED TO 1,705 DOLLARS BELOW THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL AVERAGE. IN 2007 WHEN THE STATE HAD A SURPLUS OF MONEY, LOUISIANA TEACHERS WERE AT THE REGIONAL AVERAGE. REPRESENTATIVE FRANKLIN FOIL OF BATON ROUGE TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT, UNTIL THE BUDGET GETS STABLE, IT’S UNLIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE A PUSH TO RAISE TEACHER SALARIES. CURRENTLY THE AVERAGE TEACHER PAY IN LOUISIANA IS AT 49,244 DOLLARS.
