4-21-16
SEVERAL LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE INDICATING THEY WANT TO KEEP THE CURRENT POLICY THAT REQUIRES STUDENTS TO STAND DURING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THE BOARD IS EXPECTED TO CONSIDER REMOVING THE POLICY IN MAY AFTER THE ACLU SENT A LETTER TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WARNING THEM THAT IT VIOLATES THE LAW. SEVERAL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SAY THEY HAVE HEARD FROM PARENTS WHO WANT THE POLICY TO STAND. BOARD MEMBER BRITT LATOLAIS IS NOT SURE HOW HE’LL VOTE, TELLING THE DAILY ADVERTISER HE’D LIKE THE POLICY TO STAND, BUT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE COSTS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IF THE MATTER GOES TO COURT.
A LAKE CHARLES ATTORNEY ANNOUNCED ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE YESTERDAY THAT HE WILL REPRESENT ANYONE FOR FREE WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SIMPLE POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA. RON RICHARD SAYS HE’S DOING THIS TO PUT A LIGHT ON THE NEED FOR THE STATE TO APPROVE THE USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA. STATE SENATOR FRED MILLS OF ST. MARTINVILLE HAS SPONSORED A BILL THAT WOULD EXPAND THE LIST OF DISEASES THAT ARE APPROVED TO RECEIVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA AS A TREATMENT. THE BILL FAILED TO PASS ON TUESDAY, BUT THE STATE SENATE RECONSIDERED YESTERDAY AND PASSED IT. NOW IT MOVES ON TO THE HOUSE.
A 46-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD EARLY WEDNESDAY WHILE DRIVING IN ABBEVILLE. THE MAN WAS TRAVELING ON GRACELAND AVENUE WHEN AN UNKNOWN SUSPECT SHOT AT THE VEHICLE. THE MAN WAS TAKEN TO ABBEVILLE GENERAL AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER FACILITY WHERE HE IS LISTED IN SEVERE BUT STABLE CONDITION. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE INCIDENT IS ENCOURAGED TO CALL THE ABBEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The Louisiana Department of the Treasury has found nearly $45 million in death benefits that should have been paid to Louisiana residents. State Treasurer John Kennedy, in a news release Wednesday, said that kind of discovery is why they check insurance company records. The department has been conducting such audits since 2009. All of the money goes into the department’s Unclaimed Property Program, where it remains until it’s claimed.
MORE THAN 400 THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE IN LAFAYETTE. THIRTY YEARS AGO, THE FESTIVAL WAS ESTABLISHED AS A WAY TO BOOST THE LOCAL ECONOMY DURING HARD ECONOMIC TIMES. BEN BERTHELOT OF THE LAFAYETTE CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S COMMISSION SAYS THAT THE FESTIVAL HAS PRODUCED AN ESTIMATED 49 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL HAS MUSICIANS FROM 25 DIFFERENT REGIONS AND COUNTRIES.
THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL HAS CHANGED ITS MIND AND AGREED TO HELP FUND THE SALTWATER BARRIER. THE COUNCIL AGREED TO CONTRIBUTE TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO KEEP THE SAME OPERATING HOURS. TWO WEEKS AGO, THE COUNCIL VOTED TO PULL OUT OF THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE PORT OF LAKE CHARLES, THE CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JURY, THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND THE U-S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. WITHOUT THE FUNDING FROM LAKE CHARLES, IT WOULD HAVE MEANT THE SALTWATER BARRIER WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLOSE AT SIX P-M EACH NIGHT.
AN UNDISCLOSED NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AT EVANGELINE DOWNS RACETRACK AND CASINO WERE LAID OFF ON TUESDAY. STATE REPRESENTATIVE DUSTIN MILLER OF LAWTELL SAYS AS MANY AS TWO HUNDRED EMPLOYEES AT EVANGELINE DOWNS COULD LOSE THEIR JOB BY THE END OF THE WEEK. HOWEVER, DAVID STROW OF BOYD GAMING, WHICH OWNS EVANGELINE DOWNS, SAYS NO ADDITIONAL LAYOFFS ARE COMING AT THIS TIME. HE CALLS IT A FINE TUNING OF THEIR OPERATIONS THAT IS NOT RELATED TO THE ECONOMY OR TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROPERTY.
A bid to repeal Louisiana’s motorcycle helmet requirement narrowly failed in the state House. The measure fell shy Wednesday of the 53 votes needed to advance to the Senate for consideration. Lawmakers voted 49-46 in support of the measure.
Rep. Clay Schexnayder, a Gonzales Republican, called his proposal a “personal choice bill.”
