5-5-15
TOMORROW NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IS EXPECTED TO TALK ABOUT POSSIBLY CHANGING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE ZONES. BOARD MEMBER TEHMI CHAISSON, WHO PUT THE TOPIC ON THE AGENDA, SAYS THE PROBLEM IS SOME SCHOOLS ARE OVERCROWDED WHILE OTHERS HAVE EMPTY CLASSROOMS. BOARD MEMBER ERIC KNEZEK SAYS THE BOARD ASKED THE DISTRICT STAFF TO COME UP WITH POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM BY MAY TWENTIETH. SUPERINTENDENT BURNELL LEJEUNE TOLD THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT TALK OF CHANGING ATTENDANCE ZONES IS VERY PRELIMINARY, AND IT WILL DEPEND ON WHAT THEY FIND IN THEIR ANALYSIS.
A LAKE CHARLES MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES FOUND HE HAD A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL, THAT HE’D MET THROUGH FACEBOOK, STAYING WITH HIM. THE GIRL’S MOTHER CONTACTED POLICE FOUR WEEKS AGO BECAUSE HER DAUGHTER HAD BEEN MISSING SINCE JANUARY 30TH. DETECTIVES FOUND THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THE GIRL WAS STAYING WITH 24-YEAR-OLD ASHTON RICHARD. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE’D HAD RELATIONS WITH THE GIRL, AND WAS CHARGED WITH FELONY CARNAL KNOWLEDGE OF A JUVENILE.
A MAN WAS SHOT EARLY MONDAY MORNING IN NEW IBERIA. HOSPITAL OFFICIALS CONTACTED THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE WHEN THE MAN ARRIVED AT AROUND THREE A-M WITH SEVERAL BULLET WOUNDS IN THE ABDOMEN. IT HAPPENED AFTER AN ARGUMENT ON SHOT STREET. DETECTIVES ARE ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE SHOOTING TO CONTACT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE.
Treasurer John Kennedy, a popular state politician who once considered running for governor, is instead supporting U.S. Sen. David Vitter for the job in this fall’s election. Vitter announced the endorsement from his fellow Republican at an event Monday. In a statement declaring his support for the GOP senator, Kennedy described Vitter as a leader who has been willing to tackle difficult issues. Kennedy is running for re-election, but he is considered a possible U.S. Senate candidate if Vitter wins the governor’s race.
A YOUNGSVILLE MAN, WHO WAS A SUSPECT IN THE BEATING DEATH OF A U-L LAFAYETTE STUDENT IN OCTOBER OF 2010, REACHED A PLEA DEAL YESTERDAY, THE DAY HIS SECOND DEGREE MURDER TRIAL WAS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN. 25-YEAR-OLD IAN TRAHAN PLED GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER AND, AS PART OF THE PLEA, HE WILL BE SENTENCED TO NO MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS IN PRISON. TRAHAN HAS AGREED TO IDENTIFY A THIRD SUSPECT, WHO WAS BELIEVED TO BE OUTSIDE THE ROOM DURING THE BEATING. TRAHAN AND 27-YEAR-OLD WAYNE GUILLORY WERE BOTH CHARGED IN THE BEATING DEATH OF KENNETH DONNELLY JUNIOR OF ALEXANDRIA, AND THE BEATING OF HIS ROOMATE, RUFUS FELLS, ALSO OF ALEXANDRIA, WHO SUFFERED PERMANENT INJURIES.
A VOTE BY THE WESTLAKE REAL ESTATE BOARD LAST NIGHT ON A PROPOSED TEMPORARY WORKER VILLAGE WAS CANCELED. MAYOR BOB HARDEY SAYS MORE TIME IS NEEDED TO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS BEFORE THE BOARD VOTES. MORE THAN 700 WESTLAKE RESIDENTS SIGNED A PETITION THAT WAS STARTED OVER THE WEEKEND IN OPPOSITION TO THE VILLAGE, WHICH IS PLANNED FOR AN AREA BEHIND THE BALL FIELDS AT PINEDEROSA PARK. THOSE OPPOSED TO THE VILLAGE ARE CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN AND ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF INCREASED TRAFFIC.
ABOUT ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE GATHERED OUTSIDE OF SACRED HEART SCHOOL IN VILLE PLATTE YESTERDAY MORNING CALLING FOR THE FIRING OF PRINCIPAL DIANE FONTENOT. SHE RECENTLY FIRED THE SCHOOL’S LONG TIME ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, ROBERT SOILEAU. ONE PARENT, JEFFREY SYLVESTER, TOLD KLFY TV NEWS THAT FOOTBALL PLAYERS WERE PROTESTING AND THREATENING TO NOT PLAY NEXT SEASON IF SOILEAU IS NOT REINSTATED. THE DIOCESE OF LAFAYETTE, IN A STATEMENT ISSUED YESTERDAY, SAID THAT THE REASONS FOR SOILEAU’S FIRING WILL NOT BE DISCUSSED WITH THE PUBLIC, AND THEY ASKED EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THE SCHOOL TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH CHRISTIAN COURTESY.
A key piece of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposal to balance next year’s budget sputtered briefly in the House tax committee, which initially rejected the tax plan only to revive it within hours and pass it. The proposal to scale back a tax credit for companies that pay local property taxes on inventory faces strong opposition from business groups that call it a multimillion-dollar tax hike. The Ways and Means Committee first voted 9-7 Monday against the measure, sponsored by Republican Rep. Bryan Adams of Gretna, seeming to kill it. But after a recess, the committee returned and changed course, voting 9-8 to advance the bill to the full House.
