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COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL MORE DETAILS AS TO WHY THE SIX PEOPLE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH WERE ARRESTED FOR PUBLIC CORRUPTION. AN AFFADAVIT FILED BY THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE SAYS STATE AND FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS REVEAL CORRUPTION IN NEARLY EVERY AREA OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARTICLE 894 PROGRAM. THAT PROGRAM ALLOWS CERTAIN OFFENDERS TO GET THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FASTER, RECLAIM THEIR DRIVER’S LICENSES SOONER AND GET THEIR OFFENSES WIPED FROM THE RECORD. THE CORRUPTION CAME TO LIGHT IN MAY OF 2011 WHEN PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR KEVIN WILLIAMSON WAS FOUND TO HAVE COLLUDED WITH MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND DEFENSE ATTORNEYS TO GET SPECIAL PRIVILEGES FOR CERTAIN OFFENDERS.
A LAKE CHARLES COUPLE WHO LIVE ALONG CONTRABAND BAYOU SAY THEY MADE A MISTAKE IN FEEDING A COUPLE OF BROWN PELICANS. JEFF AND LISA FERGUSON TELL KPLC TV THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO AND THEY’RE STILL HANGING AROUND. JEFF SAYS THAT HE’S TRIED TO FEED THEM EVERYDAY BUT HE’S HAVING TROUBLE GETTING ENOUGH FISH. THEY HOPE ONCE THEY STOP FEEDING THEM, THEY’LL GO AWAY. OFFICIALS AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES SAY IT’S OK TO FEED BROWN PELICANS BUT NOT ADVISABLE.
AN IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE DISPATCHER HAS GIVEN AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF A DECEMBER 22ND ACCIDENT WHEN A TRAIN HIT A CAR ON L-A 88. FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE CAR AND ONE 12-YEAR-OLD BOY SURVIVED. PHYLLIS LEBLANC TOLD STATE POLICE THAT SHE SAW THE CAR STOPPED ON THE TRACKS WHEN THE CROSSING ARM CAME DOWN BEHIND HER. SHE SAYS THE DRIVER OF THE CAR FRANTICALLY HONKED HER HORN AT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER AS SHE TRIED TO PULL FORWARD BUT WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR THE TRACKS IN TIME.
A panel of Louisiana educators has voted to recommend a package of revisions to the Common Core education standards. Approval came Tuesday in New Orleans. The panel’s decision sends the recommendation to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for a vote in March. The panel was formed by the Legislature last year as a compromise between opponents and supporters of the multi-state Common Core standards.
AN ACADIANA HIGH STUDENT DIED MONDAY AFTER AN ACCIDENT IN P-E CLASS. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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A STUDY SHOWS MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY GAVE THE STATE MORE MONEY BACK IN TAX REVENUE THAN IT RECEIVED IN APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE STATE IN 2015. THE STUDY BY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS PROFESSOR DR. MOSTAFA MALKI SHOWS THE TOTAL FISCAL IMPACT TO THE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WAS 22-POINT-7 MILLION DOLLARS, WHILE MCNEESE STATE RECEIVED 19-POINT-2 MILLION DOLLARS. THE STUDY ALSO INDICATES THE TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEWIDE FROM THE UNIVERSITY WAS 407-POINT-8 MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR, MOST OF THAT IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. GEORGE SWIFT OF THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE TELLS KPLC TV THE STUDY SHOWS WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN EDUCATION AND THAT THERE BE NO MORE CUTS TO THE UNIVERSITY’S APPROPRIATIONS.
THE SECOND DEGREE MURDER TRIAL OF KERRY BERTRAND BEGAN YESTERDAY IN CROWLEY. HE’S ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS STEPDAUGHTER, SKYLAR CREDEUR, IN AUGUST OF 2013. SKYLAR WAS FOUND IN THE BATHTUB OF HER HOME IN RAYNE WITH A PLUGGED IN LAPTOP AND THE WATER RUNNING. BERTRAND WAS FOUND HIDING IN THE ATTIC AND WAS BLEEDING ON HIS FACE.
State police say a 47-year-old former part-time police officer has been arrested after an investigation found that he got paid while working for both the Bunkie and Cottonport police departments at the same time. State police say Joseph Johnson of Mansura, Louisiana, was arrested Tuesday on charges of malfeasance in office and 30 counts of public payroll fraud. Authorities allege Johnson was on duty at both departments at the same time and was paid by both departments. State police say Bunkie Police Chief Bobby Corner alerted state investigators in December about a criminal complaint against Johnson.
