3-29-16
LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCILMAN KENNETH BOUDREAUX MAY HAVE VIOLATED STATE LAW AND THE LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION, ACCORDING TO AN AUDIT RELEASED YESTERDAY. WHEN BOUDREAUX WAS ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL IN 2007, HE WAS TOLD BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HE COULD KEEP HIS JOB AS YOUTH SERVICES DIRECTOR WITH THE 15 JUDICIAL DISTRICT IF THE VERMILLION PARISH POLICE JURY PAID HIS SALARY. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE AUDIT, THEN DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE HARSON REIMBURSED THE VERMILLION PARISH POLICE JURY BETWEEN 2008 AND 2011, CREATING A CONFLICT OF INTEREST SINCE THE CONSOLIDATED COUNCIL APPROVES THE BUDGET FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S LAFAYETTE OFFICE. BOUDREAUX TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENTS.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S MARINE DIVISION HAS BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE A POSSIBLE DROWNING VICTIM NEAR THE I-TEN BEACH IN LAKE CHARLES. SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPOKESPERSON JAMES MCGEE SAYS THERE WERE THREE WITNESSES WHO SAW SOMEONE GO OUT PAST THE BOUY’S AND THEN GO UNDER THE WATER WITHOUT RESURFACING. MCGEE SAYS ALL THE PERSONS IN VEHICLES AT THE BEACH WERE ACCOUNTED FOR, BUT THE INFORMATION FROM THE WITNESSES SEEMED TO BE LEGITIMATE. THE COAST GUARD WAS ON THE SCENE AS WELL AND A HELICOPTER WAS USED IN THE SEARCH.
ANOTHER IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTY HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO HIS ROLE IN A 2011 JAIL BEATING. JEREMY HATLEY, A SERGEANT IN THE CANINE UNIT, LOOKED ON WHILE A NARCOTICS AGENT ASSAULTED AN INMATE IN THE PARISH JAIL’S CHAPEL, WHICH HAS NO SECURITY CAMERAS. HATLEY FACES UP TO SIX YEARS IN PRISON AND FINES UP TO 350 THOUSAND DOLLARS ON A CHARGE OF PROVIDING A FALSE STATEMENT TO THE F-B-I AND DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS. EIGHT OTHER DEPUTIES HAVE ALREADY PLEADED GUILTY TO VARIOUS CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH JAIL BEATINGS.
Louisiana senators are relieved about the limited impact of $70 million in budget cuts on the state health department, after grim forecasts that services could face deep slashing. But Senate Finance Committee members questioned Monday whether the “savings” estimated by Gov. John Bel Edwards will pan out — or create budget gaps that must be filled later. Committee Chairman Eric LaFleur and Sen. Jim Fannin both noted lawmakers heard similar talk during former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s tenure, of savings that often didn’t show up. Edwards announced the latest round of budget cuts last week, saying all the reductions will fall on the health department.
A DISTRICT JUDGE HAS MOVED BACK THE TIME WHEN LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE MUST SERVE A SEVEN DAY HOUSE ARREST. POPE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SURRENDERED AT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH JAIL BY NOON YESTERDAY, BUT JUDGE JULES EDWARDS SIGNED AN ORDER MOVING BACK THE DEADLINE TO FRIDAY, APRIL EIGHTH, AT NOON. EDWARDS FOUND POPE IN CONTEMPT OF COURT THURSDAY FOR FAILING TO TURN OVER EMAILS TO THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY, WHICH HAD MADE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST. POPE’S ATTORNEY, KEVIN STOCKSTILL, DISAGREED WITH THE JUDGE’S RULING BECAUSE, HE SAYS, POPE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT EMAILS THAT WERE STORED ON THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT’S BACKUP ARCHIVES.
CALCASIEU PARISH PUBLIC WORKS CREWS AND INMATES WERE WORKING YESTERDAY TO RETRIEVE CASKETS THAT FLOATED AWAY IN THE RECENT FLOODING. THE HARDEST HIT CEMETARY WAS AT NIBLETT’S BLUFF WHICH SAW 81 CASKETS FLOAT UP. EMPLOYEES WITH THE CORONER’S OFFICE ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK AND SAY IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS. THE PRESIDENT OF THE NIBLETT’S BLUFF CEMETARY ASSOCIATION, TINA COURVILLE, IS URGING FAMILIES TO REBURY THE CASKETS DEEPER, AND SAYS THEY ARE CHANGING THE BYLAWS TO REQUIRING REMAINS TO BE PLACED BELOW GROUND.
A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER WAS PUT INTO EFFECT FOR RESIDENTS OF ST. MARY PARISH WHO LIVED NEAR THE SITE OF A CRUDE OIL SPILL IN THE BAYOU TECHE. PSC INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING REPORTED THE SPILL, WHICH THEY SAY HAPPENED WHEN A TANK, ALONG THE EDGE OF THE BAYOU IN THE CHARENTON SORREL AREA, WAS BEING FILLED. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WAS MONITORING THE AIR QUALITY AFTER REPORTS OF A BAD SMELL FROM THE SPILL. MORE THAN 200 YARDS OF BOOM WERE DEPLOYED TO CONTAIN THE SPILL AND A 135 MILE STRETCH OF WATERWAY HAS BEEN CLOSED TO COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC UNTIL THE SPILL HAS BEEN CLEANED UP.
LATE LAST NIGHT, THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION APPROVED THE SALE OF CLECO TO A GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS. THE COMMISSION REJECTED THE SALE IN FEBRUARY, BUT FOUR OF THE FIVE COMMISSIONERS CHANGED THEIR POSITION BECAUSE OF THE NEW TERMS OF THE SALE. UNDER THE NEW TERMS, RATES WILL NOT GO UP UNTIL 2020, AND THE NEW OWNERS WILL GIVE AN AVERAGE OF 500 DOLLARS TO EACH OF CLECO’S 286 THOUSAND CUSTOMERS IN THE FORM OF FREE ELECTRICITY OR LOWER MONTHLY BILLS. THE ONLY COMMISSIONER TO VOTE AGAINST THE DEAL WAS REPUBLICAN CLYDE HOLLOWAY OF FOREST HILL.
