3-15-19
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX DELIVERED HIS ANNUAL ROBIDEAUX REPORT YESTERDAY AT THE HEYMANN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. HE CONFIRMED THAT SALES TAX COLLECTIONS ARE ON THE RISE FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND UNEMPLOYEMENT IS DECREASING. HE SAYS LAFAYETTE NEEDS TO HAVE A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CITY-OWNED LAFAYETTE UTILITIES SYSTEM, WHICH, HE SAYS, NEEDS TO EVOLVE IF IT’S GOING TO CONTINUE PROVIDING ELECTRICITY TO CITY RESIDENTS. HE ENDED HIS ADDRESS BY ANNOUNCING THAT THE ANIMAL SHELTER HAS DECREASED EUTHANIZATIONS BY 84 PERCENT AND IS ON PACE TO BE A NO-KILL SHELTER BY NEXT YEAR.
A SUSPECT IN A HOMOCIDE IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS WAS ARRESTED IN LAKE CHARLES. MARSHALS IN TEXAS INFORMED U-S MARSHALS IN LAKE CHARLES THAT THE SUSPECT, DEREK PARRA, MAY BE IN THE LAKE CHARLES AREA. HE WAS LATER LOCATED AT THE SCOTTISH INN ON BROAD STREET AND WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITH THE HELP OF THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFFS’ OFFICE AND LAKE CHARLES POLICE. PARRA,WHO HAD A TICKET FOR A BUS TRIP TO FLORIDA THIS MORNING, IS BEING HELD IN THE CALCASIEU PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER UNTIL HE CAN BE EXTRADITED TO TEXAS.
BREAUX BRIDGE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED IN THE 900 BLOCK OF WEST PATIN STREET. POLICE CONFIRM THAT TWO PEOPLE WERE SHOT, ONE IN THE STOMACH AND THE OTHER IN THE ANKLE. THE PERSON SHOT IN THE STOMACH IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. NO SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN NAMED AT THIS TIME.
THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS IN LOUISIANA LAST YEAR FELL TO THE LOWEST LEVEL IN A DECADE. GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS CELEBRATED THE NEWS TELLING THE USA TODAY NETWORK THAT HE AND THE FIRST LADY ARE COMMITTED TO REDUCING THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS AND THE DATA SHOWS IT’S WORKING. THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS IN 2018 WERE DOWN EIGHT PERCENT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND WERE THE FEWEST SINCE 2009. ACCORDING TO THE GROUP, AMERICAN’S UNITED FOR LIFE, LOUISIANA HAS THE THIRD MOST RESTRICTIVE ABORTION LAWS, BEHIND ARIZONA AND ARKANSAS.
JEFF HORCHAK HAS NEW INFORMATION ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S DEADLY SHOOTING AT A LAFAYETTE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
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LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARE CRACKING DOWN ON GUN VIOLENCE AFTER THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED WEAPONS COMPLAINTS IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF THE YEAR. LT. JEFF KEENUM SAYS SOME ARRESTS INVOLVED PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF FELONIES AND WERE PROHIBITED FROM OWNING A GUN, BUT THEY BRAGGED ABOUT HAVING A WEAPON ON SOCIAL MEDIA. YESTERDAY, THE SWAT TEAM WAS CALLED IN AFTER AN ARREST WARRANT BEING SERVED ON THIRD STREET TURNED IN TO A BARRICADE SITUATION. IT ENDED PEACEFULLY WITH TWO MEN BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
THERE ARE INCREASING REPORTS OF GUNSHOTS HEARD IN THE EUNICE AREA. POLICE CHIEF RANDY FONTENOT SAYS IT’S A MATTER OF INCREASED AWARENESS BECAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, NOT THAT THERE ARE NECESSARILY MORE GUNSHOTS IN THE CITY. HE SAYS EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE A REPORT OF GUNSHOTS, THERE’S NOT A LOT THEY CAN DO WITHOUT A VICTIM, A SUSPECT OR EVIDENCE. HE SAYS THE MOST THEY CAN DO IN THOSE SITUATIONS IS TO INCREASE THE POLICE PRESENCE IN THE AREAS WHERE GUNSHOTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED.
About 66,000 Louisiana taxpayers were double-paid their state tax refunds, $26 million in overpayments the state is working to claw back. The error happened Wednesday. Jacques Berry is spokesman for the Division of Administration, which oversees the state’s technology office. Berry blamed a computer system error for the mistake, which paid 66,000 taxpayers twice for refunds they were owed.
