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FORMER LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY IS STILL AWAITING A COURT DATE TO ENTER HIS PLEA ON A GRAND JURY INDICTMENT FOR MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE. GUILLORY IS ACCUSED OF HAVING A LEVEE ON THE SAINT MARTIN PARISH SIDE OF THE VERMILLION RIVER MOVED TO THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SIDE. GUILLORY SAYS THE DECISION HELPED PREVENT FLOODING IN LAFAYETTE PARISH, SAVING THOUSANDS OF HOMES AND LIVES. SAINT MARTIN PARISH OFFICIALS SAY THE REMOVAL POSED A SIGNIFICANT FLOOD RISK FOR THEIR PARISH AND HAVE SUED THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT TO FORCE THEM TO RESTORE THE RIVERBANKS.
LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL LIZ MURRILL SAYS HER OFFICE IS TAKING TWO TRACKS IN AN EFFORT TO COMBAT CHILD EXPLOITATION ONLINE. ONE TRACK IS BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SHERIFFS ON THEIR INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCE. MURRILL SAYS THEY’VE GONE FROM SEVEN TO SEVENTY PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY’VE FILED CIVIL LITIGATION AGAINST ROBLOX, A PLATFORM, SHE SAYS, THAT DOESN’T DO ENOUGH TO PROTECT MINORS AND IMPLEMENT STRONGER SAFETY MEASURES.
NEXT WEEK THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON MERGING OPELOUSAS SENIOR AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS MANDATED THE MERGER BECAUSE THE JUNIOR HIGH HAS CONSISTENTLY RECEIVED AN “F” GRADE WHILE THE SENIOR HIGH HAS MAINTAINED A “C” GRADE. THE SCHOOL BOARD WAS GIVEN UNTIL MARCH ELEVENTH TO COME UP WITH A MERGER PLAN, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE PRESENTED FOR A VOTE NEXT WEEK. THE COMBINED SCHOOL POPULATION IS ANTICIPATED TO BE AROUND EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY.
AFTER MONTHS OF DELAYS, THE TRIAL OF FORMER DERIDDER MAYOR MISTY ROBERTS GOT UNDERWAY YESTERDAY. A SIX PERSON JURY WAS SEATED AND THEY WILL DECIDE IF ROBERTS IS GUILTY OF CARNAL KNOWLEDGE OF A JUVENILE AND INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH A JUVENILE. SHE IS ACCUSED OF HAVING RELATIONS WITH A TEENAGE BOY DURING A PARTY AT HER HOUSE WHILE SHE WAS MAYOR. THE PROSECUTION PRESENTED TEXT MESSAGES BETWEEN ROBERTS AND THE BOY’S MOTHER AS WELL AS A PHOTO OF ROBERTS AND THE BOY THAT THEY CALLED LEWD AND LASCIVIOUS.
THE NAME OF A NEW SCHOOL ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LAFAYETTE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. OFFICIALS CHOSE PAUL BREAUX K-THROUGH-EIGHTH AS THE OFFICIAL NAME. THE NEW SCHOOL COMBINES PAUL BREAUX MIDDLE WITH
J-W FAULK AND BARANCO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. IT WILL BE BUILT ON THE SITE OF THE CURRENT J-W FAULK ELEMENTARY AND SERVE THIRTEEN HUNDRED STUDENTS.
THE LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE HAS ANNOUNCED A SETTLEMENT IN A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE VANGUARD GROUP AND TWO OTHER INVESTMENT FIRMS. LOUISIANA AND THIRTEEN OTHER STATES FILED THE LAWSUIT ACCUSING THEM OF INTENTIONALLY DECREASING THE SUPPLY OF COAL IN THE PURSUIT OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OBJECTIVES, WHICH INCREASED THE VALUE OF COAL, AND ALLEGEDLY LED TO UNDUE PROFITS. ATTORNEY GENERAL LIZ MURRILL SAYS VANGUARD AGREED TO PAY THE STATES JUST UNDER THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS. THEY ALSO AGREED TO COOPERATE WITH THE STATES AS THE CASE REMAINS ONGOING AGAINST THE TWO REMAINING DEFENDANTS, BLACKROCK AND STATE STREET.
A RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY WAS HELD YESTERDAY FOR A NEW REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER IN SAINT MARTIN PARISH. THE CENTER, WHICH COST ALMOST THREE MILLION DOLLARS, IS ELEVEN THOUSAND SQUARE FEET AND WILL SERVE AS A TRAINING HUB FOR MORE THAN FORTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. IT INCLUDES FIVE TRAINING ROOMS EQUIPPED WITH AUDIO AND VISUAL TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS A ONE HUNDRED FIFTY SEAT MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS PLANNING FOR THE PROJECT BEGAN THREE YEARS AGO AND FUNDING CAME FROM STATE CAPITAL OUTLAY DOLLARS.
A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PRESERVATION PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD FOR THE PERRY BRIDGE ON L-A EIGHTY-TWO, RUNNING ACROSS THE VERMILLION RIVER, RIGHT OUTSIDE OF ABBEVILLE. GEORGE FAUST HAS MORE.
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