3-21-19
A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE RAGIN’ CAJUN ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT HAS PASSED AWAY. HERE’S JEFF HORCHAK.
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TWO ACADIANA MEN WERE ARRESTED AFTER LEADING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON A HIGH SPEED PURSUIT FROM THE LAKE CHARLES AREA TO LAFAYETTE. THE CHASE BEGAN WHEN A STATE TROOPER ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER A VEHICLE ABOUT SIX MILES WEST OF IOWA, DRIVEN BY 35-YEAR-OLD KEITH ANDERSON HARRIS OF JEANERETTE. IT ENDED AT THE AMBASSADOR CAFFERY EXIT WHEN HARRIS HIT TWO VEHICLES, DISABLING HIS OWN. HARRIS WAS LATER ARRESTED AFTER BEING FOUND IN A MAINTENANCE CLOSET AT A NEARBY HOTEL, WHILE HIS PASSENGER, 28-YEAR-OLD QUAYLAND MICHAEL OF NEW IBERIA, WAS APPREHENDED AFTER A FOOT CHASE TO THE PARKING LOT OF THAT SAME HOTEL.
THE IBERIABANK ON NORTH PARKERSON IN CROWLEY WAS ROBBED YESTERDAY AND POLICE HAVE MADE AN ARREST. POLICE CHIEF JIMMY BROUSSARD SAYS A MAN WALKED INTO THE BANK AND PRESENTED A NOTE TO A TELLER DEMANDING MONEY. HE LEFT WITH AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF CASH. BROUSSARD SAYS THEY’VE ARRESTED 30-YEAR-OLD JOSHUA JENKINS OF CHURCH POINT, WHO MATCHED A PHOTO OF THE SUSPECT.
Louisiana has recovered more than $22 million of tax refund overpayments made last week. That’s according to state revenue department spokesman Byron Henderson. He said Wednesday that more than 80 percent of the $26 million incorrectly sent to taxpayers has been recouped electronically, and the work continues to collect the remaining dollars. More than 66,700 taxpayers were double-paid their state tax refunds a week ago, in what state officials described as a computer processing error.
LAFAYETTE FIRST RESPONDERS WILL BE UPGRADING TO A NEW DISPATCH SYSTEM. LAFAYETTE 9-1-1 CHOSE THE MARK 43 SYSTEM BECAUSE IT’S CLOUD-BASED AND DOESN’T RELY ON SERVERS. THE DIRECTOR CRAIG STANSBURY TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THE NEW SYSTEM ONLY NEEDS INTERNET ACCESS TO OPERATE. HE SAYS EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN THE PARISH TESTED OTHER POTENTIAL VENDORS, BUT THE MARK 43 RECEIVED THE HIGHEST MARKS, MAKING IT AN EASIER DECISION TO SWITCH TO IT.
RESIDENTS OF CALCASIEU PARISH CAN NOW TEXT 9-1-1 IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. CALCASIEU PARISH IS NOW THE SIXTH PARISH IN THE STATE WITH THIS CAPABILITY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RICHARD MCGUIRE OF THE CALCASIEU COMMUNICATIONS DISTRICT TELLS KPLC TV IT’S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTON TO MAKE 9-1-1 AVAILABLE TO ALL. THE 9-1-1 TEXTS ARE INTENDED FOR THE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, THOSE WITH SPEECH IMPEDIMENTS, OR THOSE IN SITUATIONS WHERE VOICE CALLS ARE NOT SAFE, SUCH AS A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE.
A Louisiana police officer, who was suspended without pay after sharing a racist image on Facebook in 2017, has since become police chief of his small town. And he says he’s developing social media policies that would result in termination for officers who make similar mistakes. Wayne Welsh was assistant chief in Estherwood when he shared a depiction of a white woman pushing a little girl’s face into bath water, supposedly as punishment for having a crush on a black child. In an interview with Nola.com|The Times-Picayune, Welsh says he’s sorry the image caused people to think Estherwood is racist.
Gov. John Bel Edwards is asking lawmakers to spend $19 million more this year on higher education than was budgeted. The money would fill gaps in the TOPS college tuition program, help schools facing accreditation reviews and pay for boosted online resources for students. The items are included on a list of spending requests for the year that ends June 30. The Democratic governor is asking lawmakers to finance the list in the legislative session starting in April.
