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A New Iberia man has been cited for allegedly killing a Louisiana black bear on Feb. 28 in St. Mary Parish. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents received a call from a hunting group that 52-year-old Richard A. Picard Jr. illegally shot and killed a 5-year-old male Louisiana black bear while he was hog hunting. Picard was hunting with a group near Cypremort Point when he shot a 350 pound bear. The department, in a news release Thursday, said Picard claims to have mistakenly identified the black bear as a wild hog.
THE ALLEN PARISH HOSPITAL IN KINDER SAW A THREE-POINT-1 MILLION DOLLAR DROP IN REVENUE LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO THEIR ANNUAL AUDIT. THE MAIN REASON WAS BECAUSE OF A 23 PERCENT DECREASE IN PATIENT DAYS LAST YEAR. C-E-O JAQUELINE REVIEL SAYS RURAL HOSPITALS NATIONWIDE ARE EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES BECAUSE OF THE CHANGING HEALTH CARE LANDSCAPE. REVIEL SAYS THEY REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE TO THE ALLEN PARISH COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
THE MOTHER AND WIFE OF A SCOTT MAN, WHO DIED FROM INJURIES RECEIVED WHILE BEING ARRESTED LAST YEAR, HAVE FILED SEPARATE LAWSUITS ON BEHALF OF HIS CHILDREN. MULTIPLE AGENCIES WERE INVOLVED IN THE ARREST, SO THE DEFENDANTS IN BOTH LAWSUITS ARE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF MIKE NEUSTROM, THE POLICE CHIEFS FOR SCOTT AND CARENCRO, AND SHERIFF’S DEPUTY JOEY GRACIANA. THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CORONER’S OFFICE RULED THAT 30-YEAR-OLD ROBERT MINJAREZ JUNIOR DIED FROM ASPHYXIA, DUE TO FACE-DOWN RESTRAINT BY ARRESTING OFFICERS, THOUGH COCAINE TOXICITY AND MUSCLE BREAKDOWN WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. THE MOTHER OF MINJAREZ, CATHERINE CORTEZ, IS ALSO CHALLENGING THE COMPETENCY OF HEATHER SCANLAN ,THE MOTHER OF HIS TWO CHILDREN, TO CARE FOR THEM.
Louisiana’s top school board is resisting efforts to waive penalties for schools whose students refuse to take Common Core standardized tests. Instead, members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education asked for a tally of the participation rate and will decide later whether the “opt-outs” are so widespread that they want to take action. A BESE committee voted 7-4 against the penalty waiver Thursday, but agreed to get testing participation information after Common Core exams are taken March 16-20. School leaders are concerned about the opt-out implications because students who skip the test will produce zeroes for themselves and their schools in school performance score calculations.
CROWLEY’S POLICE CHIEF WANTS TO BE THE NEXT SHERIFF OF ACADIA PARISH. JULIE DARCE REPORTS
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THE MOTHER OF FOUR-YEAR-OLD MARY JEAN THIGPEN OF MOSS BLUFF, WHO WAS RAPED AND MURDERED BY JASON REEVES IN 2001, SAYS SHE WANTS HIM TO GET THE DEATH PENALTY. CARIN THIGPEN HAS BEEN ATTENDING COURT HEARINGS THIS WEEK IN LAKE CHARLES, IN WHICH EXPERTS HAVE TESTIFIED TO THE MENTAL COMPETENCY OF JASON REEVES. SHE TELLS KPLC TV THAT SHE HAS NO DOUBT ABOUT REEVE’S MENTAL CAPABILITIES. JUDGE MIKE CANADY WILL DECIDE IF REEVES IS MENTALLY RETARDED, WHICH WOULD MEAN HE CANNOT BE PUT TO DEATH.
LAFAYETTE IS ONE OF 26 COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY THE LOCAL FOODS, LOCAL PLACES PROGRAM TO RECEIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP GROW THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY. FARMERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BUSINESS OWNERS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TOOK PART IN WORKSHOPS HELD WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, WHERE THEY CAME UP WITH FIVE IDEAS TO RALLY AROUND. THEY INCLUDE BETTER ESTABLISHING THE ACADIANA FOOD ALLIANCE, ESTABLISHING ACADIANA AS THE STATE’S FOOD STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION HUB. STARTING A GROW ACADIANA CAMPAIGN, AND CREATING FOOD LITERACY PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS. THE ACTION PLANS COMING OUT OF THE PROGRAM COULD RESULT IN GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDING.
State education leaders are asking lawmakers to spend $78 million more on the public school financing formula next year. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education agreed Thursday to advance the funding request submitted by Education Superintendent John White. The $3.6 billion formula proposal includes several increases: $34 million required for expected student enrollment growth; $36 million for a 1.4 percent inflationary increase for school districts; and $8 million in new spending for students with disabilities and for students taking “dual enrollment” college courses and career education classes. Lawmakers can only approve or reject the formula BESE sends them.
