3-25-15
CLOSING ARGUMENTS WILL BEGIN TODAY IN THE SETH FONTENOT MURDER TRIAL. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A THIRD MAN IN CONNECTION WITH A HOMOCIDE IN IOWA. 19-YEAR-OLD MONTRELL DAVON MARKS OF LAKE CHARLES WAS ARRESTED MONDAY AFTERNOON ON ONE COUNT OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER. ON SATURDAY, TWO BROTHERS, 25-YEAR-OLD JASMEN JONATHON LEDET AND 27-YEAR-OLD DARNELL JOSEPH LEDET, WERE ARRESTED FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING, WHICH OCCURRED AT A RESIDENCE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH WELTY AVENUE AND EAST THIRD STREET. IOWA POLICE HAVE STILL NOT RELEASED THE NAME OF THE MAN WHO WAS KILLED OR THE POSSIBLE MOTIVE.
A FORMER IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTY, ACCUSED OF USING EXCESSIVE FORCE ON A HANDCUFFED MAN IN 2013, PLED GUILTY YESTERDAY TO A MISDEMEANOR CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION. 29-YEAR-OLD CODY LAPEROUSE, WHO IS NOW ON THE ST. MARTINVILLE POLICE FORCE, FACES UP TO A YEAR IN PRISON AND HE COULD FACE ANOTHER YEAR OF SUPERVISED RELEASE AND UP TO A 100 THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE. A CELLPHONE VIDEO, UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE, SHOWED LAPEROUSE ORDERING A HANDCUFFED MAN DOWN ON THE GROUND, AND HITTING THE MAN TWICE WITH A BATON. LAPEROUSE WAS FIRED BY SHERIFF LOUIS ACKAL AFTER THE INCIDENT, WHO THEN CALLED ON THE FBI TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION.
Louisiana’s film tax credit program produced hundreds of millions in household earnings and thousands of jobs last year across the state, but at a steep cost to the state treasury. That’s according to a new study of the tax breaks done for the state economic development department. Economist Loren Scott estimated Louisiana paid more than $14,000 per job, spending $222 million in film tax credits in 2014 and getting back only $51 million for the state treasury, a return of about 23 cents on the dollar. The economist’s report suggests several ideas to tighten the list of expenses that qualify for the tax credits and to more closely audit the spending.
STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM’S HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT ARE VISITING COLLEGES IN LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI ATTEMPTING TO RECRUIT NEW TEACHERS. DIRECTOR BRUCE LEININGER SAYS THEY ARE FOCUSED ON TRYING TO FIND TEACHERS IN THE AREAS OF SCIENCE, MATH AND SPECIAL EDUCATION. HE TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT HE’S NOT SURE IF THEY’LL BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE NEARLY EVERY OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEM IS LOOKING FOR THE SAME PEOPLE. LEININGER SAYS IT’S NOT CLEAR YET HOW MANY TEACHER OPENINGS THERE ARE FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL BOARD STILL HAS TO DECIDE IF THEY WILL RAISE THE TEACHER STUDENT CLASS RATIO, WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TEACHING POSITIONS.
LAKE CHARLES FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO A HOUSE FIRE ON SALLIER STREET LAST NIGHT AT AROUND 8-30. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, HEAVY SMOKE WAS BILLOWING FROM THE HOUSE. NO ONE WAS AT HOME, AND IT WAS A NEIGHBOR WHO CALLED 9-1-1 AFTER SMELLING SMOKE WHILE OUTSIDE DISPOSING OF TRASH. AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
TENTH AND TWELFTH GRADE STUDENTS FROM THROUGHOUT ACADIA PARISH WILL DESCEND ON THE RICE FESTIVAL BUILDING IN CROWLEY FOR THE CAREER CONNECTIONS EXPO. THE EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR LAST MONTH BUT WAS CANCELED BECAUSE OF WEATHER. ACADIA PARISH SUPERINTENDENT JOHN BOURQE SAYS THE EXPO IS VALUABLE FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND.
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Trunkline LNG’s proposed plant expansion has reached the public comment stage and residents have about a month to let their voices be heard. Brian Johnston, an environmental scientist with the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, says residents have until 4:30 p.m. April 20 to submit comments or requests for a public hearing on the project. Submissions can be made either through mail or through DEQ’s website. Upon completion, the projected $11 billion expansion is expected to create about 250 permanent jobs.
