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PLANS TO CONVERT THE LAFAYETTE HORSE FARM INTO A CENTRAL PARK IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL PARK DIRECTOR E-B BROOKS TOLD THE CITY PARISH COUNCIL THAT THEY HAVE RAISED ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS AND CONSTRUCTION ON THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER. THE FIRST PHASE, WHICH SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 12 TO 18 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, INCLUDES A PARKING LOT, A NEW ENTRANCE, A DOG PARK, TREE HOUSES, WALKING TRAILS, A FARMER’S MARKET PAVILION, LANDSCAPING AND MORE. PLANS FOR THE FIRST PHASE ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AND MUST BE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
I-TEN HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN IN BOTH THE WESTBOUND AND EASTBOUND LANES AT THE TEXAS BORDER. MOST WESTBOUND TRAFFIC IS BEING DETOURED ONTO I-49 AND THEN INTERSTATE TWENTY INTO TEXAS, THOUGH ALTERNATE ROUTES ARE AVAILABLE. BECAUSE OF THE DETOURED TRAFFIC, DRIVERS IN SULPHUR, DERIDDER AND LEESVILLE ARE BEING ADVISED TO EXPECT HEAVY TRAFFIC TODAY. THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS OFFICERS ALONG HIGHWAY 171 TO HELP FACILITATE TRAFFIC FLOW.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT HAS SET UP A COMMAND POST IN VINTON READY TO HELP ANYONE WHO NEEDS RESCUING FROM FLOODWATERS. DEPUTIES HAVE ENCOURAGED EVERYONE WEST OF L-A 109 TO EVACUATE, BUT NOT EVERYONE HAS DONE SO. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS RECEIVED DOZENS OF CALLS TO CONCERNING LIVESTOCK THAT ARE TRAPPED. SHERIFF TONY MANCUSO SAYS IT WILL REMAIN A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS UNTIL THE WATERS START RECEDING.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has requested that the existing federal Major Presidential Declaration for Louisiana be amended to include additional parishes affected by recent flooding. Edwards said Tuesday he decided to amend the request after travelling to the disaster areas. Edwards has asked for individual assistance and seeks public assistance to repair or replace disaster-damaged facilities in the 16 new parishes including Beauregard and Vernon parishes. The governor said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed workers to the state to support the registration for the Individual Assistance Grant program.
MORE THAN 200 CRIMINAL CASES ARE CONSIDERED TO BE IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE THEY INVOLVED TESTIMONY FROM EIGHT IBERIA SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES. THOSE DEPUTIES PLEADED GUILTY TO BEATING FIVE PRE-TRIAL INMATES IN APRIL OF 2011, AND SOME OF THEM ADMITTED THEY LIED IN SWORN DEPOSITIONS. 16TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY BO DUHE SAYS HE SENT LETTERS TO THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS IN CASES WHERE ONE OT THE EIGHT DEPUTIES TESTIFIED, AND IT WILL BE UP TO THEM TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO. DUHE SAYS HE’LL ALSO PUT TOGETHER A PANEL TO REVIEW THE CASES AND DECIDE IF IT HINGED ON THE TESTIMONY OF ONE OF THE DEPUTIES.
LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED A SUSPECT IN MONDAY NIGHT’S SHOOTING. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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A FORMER ST. MARTIN JAIL INMATE, WHO ADMIITED TO HOLDING A FEMALE GUARD HOSTAGE AND RAPING HER, WAS SENTENCED TO FIFTY YEARS IN PRISON YESTERDAY. IN 2013, 47-YEAR-OLD MELVIN CELESTINE HELD THE FEMALE GUARD HOSTAGE IN A LAUNDRY ROOM AT THE JAIL FOR 85 MINUTES BEFORE SURRENDERING TO POLICE. HE PLEADED GUILTY LAST YEAR. HIS FIFTY YEAR SENTENCE WILL BEGIN AFTER HE COMPLETES A 15 YEAR SENTENCE FOR AGGRAVATED BURGLARY.
With the focus on filling state budget gaps, an effort to rewrite Louisiana’s corporate tax laws was largely overlooked as it won passage in the special legislative session. Voters will be asked to consider the tax revamp on this fall’s ballot. The package of bills by Rep. Walt Leger, a New Orleans Democrat, would do away with a tax break that allows businesses to deduct federal income taxes from their state tax liability. In exchange, corporations would be taxed at a flat rate of 6.5 percent, rather than varying tax rates up to 8 percent.
