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A COUPLE OF ACADIANA PARISHES HAVE ISSUED BURN BANS DUE TO THE DRY CONDITIONS. VERMILLION PARISH POLICE JURY PRESIDENT CHAD VALLO ANNOUNCED A BAN STARTING AT NOON YESTERDAY. THAT MEANS NO OPEN BURNING OF VEGETATION, DEBRIS, YARD WASTE, BRUSH AND OTHER COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS. A BURN BAN HAS ALSO BEEN IN EFFECT IN SAINT LANDRY PARISH SINCE FEBRUARY THIRTEENTH.
A LAFAYETTE MAN WAS KILLED IN AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT AT A PLANT IN BELLE ROSE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. PAUL LEBLANC WITH THE ASSUMPTION PARISH OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SAYS WORKERS WERE PERFORMING A PRESSURE TEST ON A BRINE WELL THAT WAS NOT IN SERVICE. HE SAYS A FITTING FAILED DURING THE TEST CAUSING A HIGH-PRESSURE HOSE TO BREAK LOOSE AND STRIKE THE CREW. SIXTY-YEAR-OLD KEITH FOREMAN DIED AT THE SCENE AND TWO OTHER WORKERS WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES.
STATE LEGISLATORS WILL CONSIDER A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON CHANGES TO THE TERM LIMITS FOR GOVERNOR. CURRENTLY A GOVERNOR WHO HAS SERVED MORE THAN ONE AND ONE-HALF TERMS IN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS CANNOT BE ELECTED GOVERNOR FOR THE SUCCEEDING TERM. UNDER A BILL BY REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE MIKE BAYHAM, THE CONSTITUTION WOULD BE AMENDED TO A LIFETIME TERM LIMIT OF TWO TERMS FOR THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR. THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS MARCH NINTH.
THE OBERLIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA THE RETIREMENT OF POLICE CHIEF GRADY HAYNES. HE HAS BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR TWENTY-FOUR YEARS, THE LAST SIXTEEN AS CHIEF OF POLICE. HE IS ALSO THE FIRST BLACK POLICE CHIEF IN ALLEN PARISH HISTORY. HAYNES’ RETIREMENT WILL GO INTO EFFECT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
A SHOOTING INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY IN CROWLEY AFTER A MAN WAS FOUND WITH A FATAL GUNSHOT WOUND. GEORGE FAUST REPORTS.
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THE THREE SEMIFINALISTS TO BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF U-L LAFAYETTE WILL MEET WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SYSTEMS BOARD TODAY. THE BOARD IS EXPECTED TO NARROW THE FIELD TO TWO BY THE END OF THE DAY. THE THREE CANDIDATES ARE INTERIM PRESIDENT RAMESH KOLLURU, RICHARD LUDWICK, PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF SAINT THOMAS UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HITESH KATHURIA, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AT EMPIRE STATE UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK. THE THREE WERE ON THE U-L CAMPUS YESTERDAY TO MEET WITH STUDENTS, FACULTY AND ALUMNI.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE LOUISIANA BOARD OF REGENTS OVER POSSIBLE RACE-BASED PRIORITIES IN THE BUDGET. YESTERDAY, GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY ASKED THE DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND ITS INVESTIGATION TO INCLUDE ALL PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE. HE ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING LOUISIANA IS DONE WITH WOKE D-E-I POLICIES. LANDRY SAID HE WANTS ALL VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL LAW FOUND IN THE SYSTEM ANYWHERE TO BE CORRECTED.
MAMOU POLICE HAVE MADE AN ARREST IN THE DEATH OF ALLEN THOMAS. QUINCY THIBODEAUX WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY ON ONE COUNT OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AS WELL AS OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND TAMPERING WITH A WITNESS. THOMAS WAS FOUND DEAD NEAR HIS HOME LAST TUESDAY WITH A SINGLE GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE NECK. THE INVESTIGATION REMAINS ONGOING.
