5-10-19
THE LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT RECEIVED A TEN-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLAR FEDERAL GRANT TO HELP PAY FOR TAXIWAY IMPROVEMENTS. CONGRESSMAN CLAY HIGGINS, WHO MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT, SAYS LAFAYETTE REGIONAL IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING AIRPORTS IN LOUISIANA AND THESE ENHANCEMENTS WILL GENERATE GREATER COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY AND MORE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR ACADIANA. THE GRANT IS PART OF LAFAYETTE REGIONAL’S NINETY MILLION DOLLLAR TERMINAL PROJECT. WORK ON THE NEW TERMINAL BEGAN LAST FALL AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO YEARS.
GRAND OPENING OF A NEW CHEMICAL COMPLEX IN WESTLAKE WAS HELD YESTERDAY. THE THREE-POINT-ONE BILLION DOLLAR COMPLEX, WHICH IS A JOINT VENTURE OF WESTLAKE CHEMICAL AND LOTTE CHEMICAL, COVERS ABOUT 250 ACRES AND TOOK YEARS TO COMPLETE. THE PLANT WIL PRODUCE MATERIALS FOR THINGS LIKE TIRES, CLOTHING, PLASTIC WRAPS, SHOE SOLES AND MUCH MORE. GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS, ALONG WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF SOUTH KOREA AND PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DEPUTY ASSISTANT, ATTENDED THE CEREMONY.
AN 84-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS KILLED THURSDAY AFTERNOON IN IBERIA PARISH. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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Disagreements over public school spending are shifting to the Senate. The Louisiana House on Thursday on a 100-to-1 vote, backed a $30 billion budget for next year that includes different teacher pay raises and school district financing levels than Gov. John Bel Edwards wants. K-12 teachers would get a $1,200 raise and support workers $600, rather than the $1,000 and $500 levels backed by the Democratic governor. But the budget proposal crafted by House Republican leaders doesn’t contain the $39 million in flexible block grant funding for districts that Edwards and the state education board want. Beyond K-12 education, the proposal would boost spending $300 million next year, with increases for health care programs, colleges, juvenile justice and the child welfare agency.
Louisiana’s governor and lieutenant governor won’t be elected jointly, after the House rejected the idea. Rep. Walt Leger, a New Orleans Democrat, proposed the candidates for Louisiana’s top two offices to be chosen on a ticket, like the president and vice president are. Leger says a joint ticket could guard against political conflict and help the governor use the state’s number two official as “a true lieutenant.” Opponents questioned if the change would expand the governor’s power and move Louisiana’s politics to more closely mimic the partisanship of Washington.
SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED THROUGHOUT THE AREA BUT GRADUATION CEREMONIES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN LAFAYETTE PARISH TODAY AND TOMORROW WILL CONTINUE AS PLANNED, ACCORDING TO A DISTRICT NEWS RELEASE. PARENTS OF GRADUATING STUDENTS ARE STILL UPSET THAT THE GRADUATION DATES WERE CHANGED BY THE CAJUNDOME AND NOW MANY ARE IRRITATED EVEN MORE BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAINS. A LYNYRD SKYNYRD CONCERT IS SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEKEND THE GRADUATIONS WERE ORIGINALLY PLANNED AND THE CAJUNDOME OFFICIALS FELT THEY NEEDED THE REVENUE FROM A LARGE CONCERT. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER BRITT LATIOLAIS SAYS HE WISHES THE CAJUNDOME WOULD HAVE HONORED THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT AND NOW THEY’LL BE WONDERING IF THE CAJUNDOME WILL BUMP THEM AGAIN.
THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE FENTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH WAS SENTENCED YESTERDAY TO SIX MONTHS IN PRISON FOR EMBEZZLING MORE THAN 33 THOUSAND DOLLARS. 35-YEAR-OLD GWEN JACKSON OF FENTON TOOK OVER AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN FEBRUARY OF 2017 AND BETWEEN MARCH 31ST AND SEPTEMBER 20TH OF THAT YEAR, SHE FRAUDULENTLY CASHED NUMEROUS CHECKS FOR HER PERSONAL BENEFIT. WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE THEFT OF FUNDS, THEY INTERVIEWED JACKSON WHO CONFESSED. JACKSON WAS ALSO SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS OF SUPERVISED RELEASE AND ORDERED TO PAY THIRTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN RESTITUTION.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD EXPLAINED HIS SUDDEN DECISION TO STEP DOWN. THE SCHOOL BOARD AND AUDIENCE AT WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S MEETING SEEMED SURPRISED WHEN JEAN BROUSSARD ANNOUNCED HIS DECISION TO RESIGN. BROUSSARD TELLS KATC THAT ALL THE NEGATIVITY AND FIGHTING WERE CAUSING STRESS. HE SAYS HE HAS HAD THREE HEART ATTACKS AND A QUADRUPLE BYPASS AND DECIDED HE NEEDED TO LEAVE A STRESSFUL SITUATION.
