3-24-26
A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED SEEKING TO STOP THE CLOSURE OF COMEAUX HIGH SCHOOL IN LAFAYETTE. THE SUIT BY SUZANNE LAJAUNIE CLAIMS THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD VIOLATED STATE ETHICS LAWS AND OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS. THE BOARD VOTED ON MARCH TWELFTH TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL AND REOPEN IT IN THE TWENTY-TWENTY-EIGHT-TWENTY-NINE SCHOOL YEAR AS A WORKFORCE INNOVATION ACADEMY. A COURT HEARING WILL BE HELD MONDAY IN WHICH THE JUDGE WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO ISSUE A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER TO PREVENT THE CLOSURE.
THE GROUP, PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, IS ASKING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DEFUND U-L’S RESEARCH FACILITY IN NEW IBERIA OVER ALLEGAIONS OF MISTREATMENT OF MONKEYS. PETA CITED A VIDEO THAT ALLEGEDLY SHOWS DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS AT THE FACILITY. THEY SAY IT CAME FROM A WHISTLEBLOWER BUT DID NOT IDENTIFY WHEN IT WAS RECORDED. U-L OFFICIALS SAY THE VIDEO WAS A COLLECTION OF IMAGES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES AT DIFFERENT TIMES THAT WAS EDITED TO MISREPRESENT CONDITIONS AT THE RESEARCH CENTER.
A NINETEEN MILLION DOLLAR STATE OF THE ART FACILITY FOR CALCASIEU PARISH ANIMIAL SERVICES IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE YEAR. WORK BEGAN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO ON THE BUILDING, WHICH WAS FUNDED THROUGH BONDS. IT WILL HAVE THREE, FORTY-FOUR-HUNDRED SQUARE FEET KENNEL BUILDINGS, A SEPARATE FELINE FACILITY AND A MASSIVE THIRTEEN THOUSAND SQUARE FEET INTAKE BUILDING. THE NEW FACILITY IS DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS OF UP TO ONE HUNDRED FIFTY MILES AN HOUR.
A BILL IN THE STATE HOUSE WOULD REVISE SAFETY LAWS FOR AMUSEMENT RIDES. THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE A FLAT FEE FOR INSPECTIONS AND ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR GENERATORS AND HEAVY OPERATING EQUIPMENT. IT ALSO WOULD REQUIRE INSPECTIONS AT EVERY NEW SETUP LOCATION, NO MATTER HOW RECENTLY THE RIDE WAS INSPECTED. CRITICS SAY INCREASED INSPECTION FEES AND OPERATIONAL COSTS COULD MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE FOR FESTIVALS TO PARTNER WITH CARNIVAL COMPANIES, AND THE COST COULD BE PASSED ON TO ATTENDEES.
A BILL BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE MIKE BAYHAM HAS ADVANCED OUT OF THE HOUSE TO THE STATE SENATE. IT WOULD IMPOSE A TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLAR FINE FOR USING THE SHOULDER OR TURN LANES TO BYPASS A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. IF THEIR ACTION RESULTS IN INJURIES OR DEATH, THE FINE COULD GO UP TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS WITH POSSIBLE JAIL TIME AND A SUSPENSION OF THEIR LICENSE. BAYHAM SAYS BAD DRIVERS DO NOT ALWAYS GET INTO ACCIDENTS BUT THEY DO CAUSE A LOT OF THEM.
LAFAYETTE POLICE FOUND THE BODY OF A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD LYING IN THE ROAD WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND. GEORGE FAUST REPORTS.
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FIRE INVESTIGATORS SAY A MOBILE HOME THAT CAUGHT FIRE EARLY SATURDAY MORNING DIDN’T HAVE WORKING SMOKE ALARMS. FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD DARRELL RIGMAIDEN WAS KILLED IN THE FIRE. THE KITCHEN CAUGHT FIRE AND SMOKE AND FIRE RACED THROUGH THE HOME. THEY SAY RIGMAIDEN WAS ASLEEP AND UNAWARE OF THE FIRE.
A BICYCLIST WAS KILLED SATURDAY AT AROUND FIVE-THIRTY P-M IN OPELOUSAS. POLICE SAY THE BICYCLIST, WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, WAS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS SOUTH BULLARD STREET FROM PUJO AVENUE WHEN HE WAS HIT BY A VEHICLE. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE LATER DIED. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IMPAIRED AND IS NOT CONSIDERED AT FAULT BY AUTHORITIES.
