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THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUPPORT A LAWSUIT BY LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL LIZ MURRELL AGAINST THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER CHANGES TO TITLE NINE REGULATIONS. MURRELL’S LAWSUIT SAYS THE CHANGES WOULD INTERFERE WITH STATE LAWS THAT REQUIRES THE USE OF BATHROOMS AND LOCKER ROOMS ACCORDING TO BIOLOGICAL GENDER AND NOT ALLOWING MALES IDENTIFYING AS FEMALES TO PARTICAPATE IN FEMALE SPORTS. IT WAS TOO LATE FOR THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM TO JOIN THE LAWSUIT BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD HELD THE VOTE TO MAKE IT KNOWN THEY SUPPORT IT. BOARD MEMBER JEREMY HIDALGO SAYS HE’S RECEIVED NO CALLS IN OPPOSITION TO THE WAY THEY VOTED LAST NIGHT.
AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM NEW IBERIA RECEIVED A SEVEN-YEAR-SENTENCE IN CONNECTION TO THE KILLING OF KAMERAN BEDSOLE ON NOVEMBER FOURTEENTH. THE GIRL WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED WITH MURDER BUT THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED AND SHE PLED GUILTY LAST MONTH TO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. JUDGE ROGER HAMILTON SAID SHE WILL SPEND THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN JUVENILE DETENTION AND THE REMAINDER OF THE SENTENCE ON PROBATION. SHE’S ALSO REQUIRED TO TAKE FIREARM SAFETY CLASSES.
Voting rights advocates have filed an emergency motion asking the Supreme Court to keep in place a new Louisiana congressional map that gives the state a second majority Black district. Wednesday’s Supreme Court filing seeks to block an April 30 ruling from a divided panel of federal judges. The majority ruled that the map passed by lawmakers in January was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, but advocates want to keep the map during the appeals. Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney Gen. Liz Murrill, both Republicans, back the map and Murrill has said she will appeal, too.
THE ELTON TOWN COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPOINT COUNCILMAN MIKE PIERROTTI AS THE NEW MAYOR. ON APRIL TWENTY-SEVENTH, VOTERS APPROVED THE RECALL OF MAYOR KESIA LEMOINE. THE TOWN COUNCIL MET LAST NIGHT TO CALL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION ON NOVEMBER FIFTH AND TO APPOINT A NEW MAYOR. PIERROTTI, WHO WAS THE ONLY PERSON NOMINATED TO BE THE NEXT MAYOR, TELLS KPLC TV THAT MOVING FORWARD, THEY NEED TO BE CLOSER KNIT AND TO BE LISTENING TO RESIDENTS AND THEIR NEEDS.
A BICYCLIST WHO WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE LAST MONTH ON THE EVANGELINT THRUWAY HAS DIED. THE VICTIM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS SIXTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD PAUL CAMP OF SAINT MARTINVILLE. ON APRIL TWENTY-FOURTH, CAMP ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE EVANGELINE THRUWAY NEAR CHALMETTE DRIVE WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY A SOUTHBOUND VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE LANE. CAMP WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND DIED TUESDAY. THE DRIVER, WHO WAS UNINJURED, WAS NOT CHARGED IN THE CRASH.
THERE ARE NEW DETAILS CONCERNING THE TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD GUEYDAN MAN WHO WAS RECENTLY ARRESTED AFTER AN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING DURING A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE IN LAFAYETTE. GERALD GRUENIG HAS MORE.
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Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has tried and failed to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana. Greene stood on the House floor and read a long list of “transgressions” she said Johnson had committed as speaker. Colleagues booed in protest, and Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise, also of Louisiana, quickly countered by calling for a vote to table Greene’s motion. An overwhelming majority, 359-43, kept Johnson in his job.
THE FIRST FOOD TRUCK PARK FOR OPELOUSAS IS EXPECTED TO OPEN SOME TIME THIS SUMMER. THE BACKYARD FOOD TRUCK PARK WILL BE LOCATED ON PROPERTY ACROSS FROM THE TRACTOR SUPPLY. OWNER MARK KIDDER IS SIGNING UP FOOD VENDORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND CRAFT VENDORS WILL BE OUT THERE AS WELL. HE TELLS KLFY TV THAT HE’S BEEN WORKING ON PLANS FOR THE PARK SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SO FAMILIES HAVE A PLACE TO SPEND TIME AND BUSINESSES HAVE A CHANCE TO GROW.
