5-11-23
THE CROWLEY CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED ONE OF THE BIGGEST PAY RAISES EVER FOR POLICE OFFICERS. THEY AGREED TO INCREASE THE BASE PAY TO THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUALLY AND THAT WILL GO UP TO FORTY-TWO-THOUSAND AFTER NINETY DAYS OF GOOD STANDING WITH AN ANNUAL TWO PERCENT PAY RAISE. POLICE CHIEF TROY HEBERT SAYS TWENTY-ONE EMPLOYEES HAVE RESIGNED IN THE LAST YEAR AND NINETEEN OF THEM CITED LOW PAY AS THE MAIN REASON FOR LEAVING. HE CALLS THE PAY RAISE, WHICH GOES INTO EFFECT IN JUNE, A GAME-CHANGER FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED STUDENTS WILL GRADUATE FROM SOUTH LOUISIANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE THIS MORNING. THE GRADUATION CEREMONY BEGINS AT TEN A-M AT THE CAJUNDOME. THE STUDENTS EARNED ASSOCIATE DEGREES, TECHNICAL DIPLOMAS, CERTIFICATES OF TECHNICAL STUDIES OR HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMAS. THE CEREMONY IS BEING STREAMED ONLINE AT S-O-L-A-C-C-DOT-E-D-U.
AN OAKDALE MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED BY THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE FOR A STRING OF INTENTIONALLY SET FIRES. ON WEDNESDAY LAST WEEK, OAKDALE FIRE FIGHTERS RESPONDED TO THREE VACANT HOUSE FIRES AND ON SATURDAY THEY HAD TO PUT OUT A TRACTOR FIRE AT A LOCAL BUSINESS. ON TUESDAY, OAKDALE POLICE OFFICERS FOUND THIETY-THREE-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL LAIRD WITH SUSPICIOUS MATERIALS IN THE PARKING LOT OF A BUSINESS AND DETAINED HIM. THEY CALLED THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE, WHO HAS BOOKED LAIRD ON FOUR COUNTS OF SIMPLE ARSON.
Republican lawmakers in Louisiana rejected legislation Wednesday that would add exceptions in cases of rape and incest to the state’s abortion ban. Louisiana’s current law bans nearly all abortions in the state. The only exceptions to the prohibition are if there is substantial risk of death or impairment to the patient and in the case of “medically futile” pregnancies — when the fetus has a fatal abnormality. Republican lawmakers ultimately decided the fate of the bill, voting 10-5 along party lines to reject the bill and prevent it from being debated by the full House.
THE STATE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE APPROVED A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW EACH OF THE STATE’S TAX BREAKS TO EXPIRE UNLESS THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY REAUTHORIZED BY THE LEGISLATURE. THE BILL BY REPRESENTATIVE STUART BISHOP OF LAFAYETTE NOW GOES TO THE FULL HOUSE. UNDER THE BILL, EACH OF THE STATE’S TAX BREAKS WOULD EXPIRE BY JANUARY FIRST OF TWENTY-TWENTY-SEVEN UNLESS LAWMAKERS VOTE TO KEEP THE TAX. REPRESENTATIVE MALINDA WHITE OF BOGALUSA SAYS SHE WONDERS IF THAT’S ENOUGH TIME TO EXAMINE EACH TAX BREAK BEFORE IT EXPIRES.
THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD HAS CHOSEN MILTON BATISTE THE THIRD TO BE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM’S NEXT SUPERINTENDENT. BATISTE IS CURRENTLY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP IN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE PREVIOUS SUPERINTENDENT, PATRICK JENKINS, ANNOUNCED HE WAS LEAVING EARLIER THIS YEAR. DWANETTA SCOTT, THE DISTRICT SUPERVISOR OF CHILD ATTENDANCE AND WELFARE, HAS BEEN SERVING AS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT IN MAURICE IS CRACKING DOWN ON PARKING LAWS. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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A JEANERETTE FAMILY HAS BEEN FORCED FROM THEIR HOME BY BEES. ANNIE LIVELY SAYS SHE WOKE UP ONE MORNING AND SAW BEES IN THE HOUSE AND SHE AND HER BABY WERE STUNG. SHE ASKED FOR HELP FROM THE CITY BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE BEES OUT. SHE’S ASKING FOR ANYONE WHO CAN GET RID OF A BEE COLONY TO HELP HER GET BACK IN THE HOME WHERE SHE’S BEEN LIVING FOR TEN YEARS.
