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TOMORROW A NEW ONE PERCENT SALES TAX TAKES EFFECT IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. THE NEW TAX WILL APPLY TO ALL PURCHASES EXCEPT FOOD AND PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE, AND WILL EXPIRE ON NOVEMBER 30TH. VOTERS APPROVED THE TAX IN NOVEMBER, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP PAY FOR A NEW TERMINAL AT THE LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT. CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW TERMINAL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR AND TAKE THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE.
A LAKE AREA MAN HAS SHOT VIDEO OF DAMAGE, CRACKS, AND EXPOSED REBAR ON THE MOSS BLUFF DRAWBRIDGE AND POSTED IT ON HIS FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. DOC HANKS TELL KPLC TV THAT HE DECIDED TO DO IT BECAUSE OF GOVERNOR JINDAL’S PROPOSAL TO TAKE SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT GO TO ROAD AND BRIDGE REPAIR AND USE IT FOR STATE POLICE PAY. THE VIDEO HAS GONE VIRAL AND HAS RECEIVED LOTS OF RESPONSES INCLUDING FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT. OFFICIALS WITH THE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE MOSS BLUFF DRAWBRIDGE, BUT IT IS SAFE AND THEY ARE CONSIDERING COSMETIC REPAIRS.
RAYNE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A JENNINGS MAN RIGHT OUTSIDE THE FROG CITY TRAVEL PLAZA. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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A Baton Rouge judge has thrown out a lawsuit seeking to end Louisiana’s use of the Common Core education standards in public schools. Seventeen state lawmakers filed the lawsuit in July, saying education leaders didn’t properly enact the multistate English and math standards. Gov. Bobby Jindal later joined the lawsuit. Judge Tim Kelley dismissed the case Monday on a technicality, saying the lawmakers waited too long to challenge the adoption of the standards.
MORE THAN THIRTY MAYORS FROM 22 COUNTRIES GATHERED IN LAFAYETTE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FRANCOPHONE MAYORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING. LAFAYETTE WAS CHOSEN AS THE MEETING PLACE BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY CITY IN THE U-S SIGNED UP TO BE PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK. IT WAS ANNOUNCED AT THE MEETING THAT THERE IS A PROPOSED NORTH AMERICAN FRANCOPHONE NETWORK TO LINK FRENCH SPEAKING AREAS FROM QUEBEC TO LAFAYETTE. CITY PARISH PRESIDENT JOEY DUREL SAYS HE ENVISIONS SOUTH LOUISIANA AS PLAYING A SUBSTANTIAL ROLE AND HE WILL LOBBY OTHER MAYORS IN THE AREA TO JOIN THE NETWORK.
LAST WEEK, THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED A NEW MATH CURRICULUM, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL COST MORE. THIS YEAR, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN USING THE EUREKA MATH CURRICULUM, WHICH IS ALIGNED WITH COMMON CORE. BECAUSE OF OPPOSITION, THE BOARD APPROVED A NEW MATH EXPRESSIONS CURRICULUM FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS BY AN 11-TO-4 VOTE, WHILE ALLOWING THE EUREKA MATH TO BE USED AS A SUPPLEMENT. THE MATH EXPRESSIONS COSTS 2-POINT-1 MILLION DOLLARS, WHILE EUREKA COST 550 THOUSAND.
EIGHT OPELOUSAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND AN ADULT WERE ARRESTED YESTERDAY FOLLOWING TWO FIGHTS, AND ALL THOSE ARRESTED WERE FEMALE. OPELOUSAS POLICE OFFICER CODY LEGER SAYS THE ADULT AND THREE STUDENTS WERE INVOLVED IN A FIGHT IN THE MORNING AND THE OTHER FIVE WERE ARRESTED BECAUSE OF ANOTHER FIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON. LEGER SAYS ALL NINE WERE CHARGED WITH DISTURBING THE PEACE BY FIGHTING AND HE ANTICIPATED THEY WOULD BE RELEASED AT THE END OF THE DAY. THE FIGHTS STEMMED FROM NAME CALLING ON FACEBOOK THROUGH THE WEEKEND, ACCORDING TO LEGER, WHICH STEMMED FROM AN INCIDENT FRIDAY NIGHT ON CONVENT STREET IN WHICH POLICE WERE CALLED.
Two education groups say Louisiana’s planned method for grading its preschool programs has “serious flaws.” The Advocate reports a study by the groups says the proposed grading plan fails to detail how programs can be improved, relies too heavily on a single grade to judge quality and lacks guarantees needed for fairness.
The study was released Monday by the Policy Institute for Children, which advocates for children, and Education’s Next Horizon, which advocates for public education improvements. Officials of the state Department of Education said they haven’t read the report.
