4-19-16
THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION IS URGING THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM TO REMOVE A POLICY REQUIRING STUDENTS TO STAND DURING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. IN A LETTER TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE A-C-L-U CITED PREVIOUS CASES WHERE THE COURTS AFFIRMED THE RIGHTS OF STUDENTS TO REFUSE TO SALUTE OR STAND DURING THE PLEDGE. A JUNIOR AT ACADIANA HIGH ALLEGED THAT A TEACHER REPRIMANDED HIM LAST WEEK FOR NOT STANDING DURING THE PLEDGE. SUPERINTENDENT DONALD AGUILLARD TOLD THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT THEY ARE STRONGLY CONSIDERING CHANGING THE POLICY.
THE WESTLAKE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO TAKE OVER CONTROL OF THE NATIONAL GOLF COURSE. THE COURSE WAS BUILT BY BILL CASPER GOLF OUT OF FLORIDA AND RUN BY THEM FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. MAYOR ROBERT HARDEY SAYS NOTHING WILL CHANGE AT THE COURSE BUT THE CITY WILL SAVE MONEY. THE MOVE IS EXPECTED TO SAVE 150 THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUALLY.
A former Henderson police official has pleaded guilty for his role in a ticket-writing scheme along Interstate 10. Local media outlets report former assistant police chief Oliver Mack Lloyd pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of false accounting. Lloyd and Henderson Police Chief Leroy Guidry were charged in 2013 with public payroll fraud, maintaining false public records and malfeasance in office in the illegal quota system. Lloyd was given a suspended sentence of six month in jail.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration estimates the Democratic governor’s planned Medicaid expansion will save the state $677 million in its first five years.
The savings would come, according to the state health department, from taking advantage of enhanced federal financing rates for health services. The projections presented Monday to the Senate health committee contrast with estimates provided to lawmakers in previous years when Republican Bobby Jindal was governor. Jindal opposed Medicaid expansion.
A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT HAS OVERTURNED A SIX MONTH SUSPENSION GIVEN TO A LAFAYETTE ATTORNEY. U-S DISTRICT JUDGE DEE DRELL SUSPENDED ATTORNEY WILLIAM GOODE AFTER HE SPOKE TO LOCAL MEDIA ABOUT FELLOW ATTORNEY BARRY DOMINGUE, WHO SHOT AND KILLED HIMSELF IN 2014 WHILE HE WAS ON TRIAL FOR HIS PART IN A LOCAL SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA OPERATION. AFTER GOODE MADE HIS COMMENTS TO THE MEDIA, JUDGE DRELL SANCTIONED GOODE BASED ON A LOCAL COURT RULE BARRING ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATED WITH A CRIMINAL CASE TO MAKE COMMENTS TO THE MEDIA OTHER THAN TO QUOTE FROM COURT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE IN THE PUBLIC RECORD. THE FIFTH U-S CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS JUDGED THAT THE RULE IS SO BROAD THAT IT MIGHT VIOLATE THE FIRST AMENDMENT GUARANTEEING FREE SPEECH.
POLICE BELIEVE IMPAIRMENT WAS A FACTOR IN A ONE VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN VERMILLION PARISH THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF A LAKE CHARLES MAN. THIRTY-YEAR-OLD HOANG NGUYEN WAS A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. POLICE SAY THE DRIVER, 31-YEAR-OLD MARTIN NGUYEN OF LAFAYETTE, WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON L-A 339 AT AROUND 12:25 MONDAY MORNING, WHEN HE FAILED TO NEGOTIATE A CURVE AND WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR BEGAN TO FLIP AND HOANG NGUYEN, WHO WASN’T WEARING A SEATBELT, WAS PARTIALLY EJECTED.
A CHURCH POINT MAN WAS SHOT AND KILLED LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES, RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF GUNSHOTS, FOUND THE BODY OF 32-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY CITIZEN OFF OF PEACH BLOSSOM HIGHWAY. HE WAS FOUND TO HAVE MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS. TWENTY-YEAR-OLD RAYMOND CELESTINE OF CHURCH POINT TURNED HIMSELF INTO AUTHORITIES AND WAS CHARGED WITH SECOND DEGREE MURDER.
THE LSU PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH LAB RELEASED THE RESULTS OF A STATEWIDE POLL ON SEVERAL SOCIAL ISSUES. 76 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS ARE FOR RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO 8-25 AN HOUR, WHILE 72 PERCENT VOICED SUPPORT FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS. 73 PERCENT OPPOSED REMOVING CONFEDERATE SOLDIER MONUMENTS. THE POLL ALSO SHOWED THAT 52 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVE BUSINESSES SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO SAME SEX COUPLES, AND 55 PERCENT ARE FOR RESTRICTING ACCESS TO FIREARMS, THOUGH A LARGE MAJORITY ARE AGAINST A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS.
