5-6-19
TWO PROPOSED SALES TAXES IN ACADIANA WERE APPROVED ON SATURDAY. A QUARTER CENT SALES TAX FOR EUNICE WILL HELP FUND PAY RAISES FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS. THERE’S A NEW HALF CENT SALES TAX FOR ABBEVILLE WHICH WILL GO TO CITY EMPLOYEE PAY RAISES. TWO PROPERTY TAXES FOR SCHOOLS WERE RENEWED FOR IBERIA AND ST. MARTIN PARISHES. IN LAFAYETTE PARISH, A PROPERTY TAX THAT GENERATES AROUND TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS YEARLY FOR THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE WAS RENEWED FOR TEN YEARS. AND A PROPERTY TAX WAS RENEWED FOR THE TECHE VERMILLION FRESH WATER DISTRICT. THAT DISTRICT INCLUDES PARTS OF LAFAYETTE, VERMILLION, IBERIA AND ST. MARTIN PARISHES. VOTER TURNOUT IN LAFAYETTE PARISH SATURDAY WAS LESS THAN SEVEN PERCENT.
A BOY FROM DUSON, WHO WAS RIDING HIS BIKE SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WAS STRUCK BY A PICKUP TRUCK. A POLICE DEPARTMENT NEWS RELEASE SAYS THE NINE-YEAR-OLD BOY DROVE THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND THE DRIVER OF THE PICKUP TRUCK DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO AVOID HIM. THE BOY WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SEVERE SCRAPES AND POSSIBLE BROKEN BONES, BUT HIS INJURIES ARE NOT LIFE THREATENING. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT AROUND 12:40 P-M AT THE INTERSECTION OF AVENUE AU NORD AND SECOND STREET.
JENNINGS POLICE HAVE MADE TWO ARRESTS IN CONNECTION WITH A SHOOTING APRIL 15TH AT THE LOCAL WALMART. POLICE CHIEF DANNY SEMMES SAYS THEY RECEIVED AN ANONYMOUS TIP THAT LED THEM TO IDENTIFY ONE OF THE SUSPECTS, 18-YEAR-OLD NELSON FREEMAN OF JENNINGS. AFTER THAT, A CONTINUING INVESTIGATION LED THEM TO ARREST 18-YEAR-OLD JAVONTE PETE OF JENNINGS. BOTH HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND ARMED ROBBERY, AND FREEMAN ALSO WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA.
A BREAUX BRIDGE TEENAGER WHO WAS SHOT AFTER A PROM PARTY LAST MONTH IS SLOWLY RECOVERING. 16-YEAR-OLD CANDACE SAM HAD TO STAY IN THE I-C-U AT A BATON ROUGE HOSPITAL FOR A WEEK AND DOCTORS DECIDED NOT TO REMOVE THE BULLET FROM NEAR HER HEART BECAUSE OF THE RISK. OVER THE WEEKEND, SAM WAS ABLE TO GO ON HER FIRST OUTING BY ATTENDING THE BREAUX BRIDGE CRAWFISH FESTIVAL FOR A FEW HOURS. THE SAME DAY OF THE SHOOTING, POLICE ARRESTED 18-YEAR-OLD PETER CASTILLE OF BREAUX BRIDGE, WHO FACES FIVE COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER.
THERE’S BEEN AN INCREASE IN BICYCLE THEFTS IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE, ESPECIALLY DURING FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND. THE THIEVES HAVE USED BOLT CUTTERS TO CUT OFF THE CHAINS IN MANY INSTANCES. THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT IS WORKING WITH THE URBAN TRAILS PROGRAM TO PUT MORE BICYCLE RACKS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THE C-E-O OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, ANITA BEGNAUD, WHO ALSO HAD HER BIKE STOLEN, TELLS KLFY TV THAT THE BIKE RACKS ARE BEING MANUFACTURED AND THEY ARE SCOUTING LOCATIONS WHERE THEY CAN BE INSTALLED OVER THE SUMMER.
ONE PERSON WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY AT THE INTERSECTION OF WEST MCNEESE STREET AND NELSON ROAD IN LAKE CHARLES. LT. JEFF KEENUM WITH THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS JORGE RODRIGUEZ ANDALUZ DROVE HIS TOYOTA CAMRY THROUGH A STOP LIGHT STRIKING A CHEVY TRAILBLAZER DRIVEN BY BLAKE MCDANIEL OF LAKE CHARLES. A PASSENGER IN THE TRAILBLAZER, TONJA LAVAN, WAS EJECTED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH CRITICAL INJURIES. TOXICOLOGY SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM BOTH DRIVERS AND THE ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
THIS WEDNESDAY, THE VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD WILL DEBATE THE IDEA OF MOVING TO A FOUR DAY SCHOOL WEEK. UNDER THE PROPOSAL, SCHOOL WOULD BE HELD FROM TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, WITH EACH DAY LASTING A LITTLE LONGER. PROPONENTS SAY IT WOULD HELP SAVE MONEY. THERE ARE MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE FOUR DAY WEEKS. RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF THE FOUR DAY WEEK ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN MIXED.
