6-18-19
TONIGHT THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER A RESOLUTION TO DECLARE JUNE PRIDE MONTH. COUNCILMAN KENNETH BOUDREAUX IS SPONSORING THE RESOLUTION WHICH SAYS L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH, SENIORS AND FAMILIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LIVE THEIR LIVES WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION OR PREJUDICE. THAT’S PROMPTED A LOT OF OPPOSITION IN SOCIAL MEDIA. THE CONSERVATIVE GROUP, CITIZENS FOR A NEW LOUISIANA, POSTED ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE THAT BOUDREAUX’S RESOLUTION IS AN ATTEMPT TO PROCLAIM LAFAYETTE AS A GAY CITY.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE NAMES OF TWO PEOPLE KILLED FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE 19-HUNDRED BLOCK OF FIFTH STREET. 16-YEAR-OLD ZACHARY REED AND 28-YEAR-OLD DONOVAN CITIZEN WERE FOUND DEAD IN A CAR JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT. THERE ARE NO SUSPECTS AT THIS TIME AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION TO CONTACT THEM. LT. JEFF KEENUM SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF SIX MURDERS IN LAKE CHARLES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
HOLDEN MATTHEWS PHOTOGRAPHED THE BURNING OF THREE ST. LANDRY PARISH CHURCHES WITH THE INTENT OF PUTTING THEM ON THE COVERS OF ALBUMS FOR HIS ONE-MAN BLACK METAL BAND. THAT’S ACCORDING TO FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WHO SHOWED THE PHOTOS FROM MATTHEWS PHONE AT A PRE-TRIAL HEARING MONDAY. MATTHEWS FACES HATE CRIME CHARGES FOR THE BURNING OF THE CHURCHES. PROSECUTORS ALSO SHOWED MESSAGES FROM MATTHEWS IN WHICH HE SAID THE REASON FOR BURNING THE CHURCHES WAS TO EXACT REVENGE AGAINST CHRISTIANITY FOR CENTURIES OF OPPRESSION.
Louisiana remained at number 49 in an annual national assessment of child well-being. The Kids Count report was released Monday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private research and policy organization. As it was the last year, the state was 50th in measures of economic well-being. The state dropped from 47th to 48th in education.
BRANDON SCOTT LAVERGNE CANNOT APPEAL HIS CONVICTION AND SENTENCE. LAVERGNE IS SERVING TWO LIFE TERMS AT ANGOLA FOR THE MURDERS OF MICKEY SHUNICK OF LAFAYETTE IN 2012 AND LISA PATE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH IN 1999. LAVERGNE CLAIMED HE HAD INADEQUATE REPRESENTATION FROM PUBLIC DEFENDERS WHO URGED HIM TO ACCEPT A PLEA DEAL WHICH TOOK THE DEATH PENALTY OFF THE TABLE. U-S CIRCUIT JUDGE STUART DUNCAN SAYS LAVERGNE DID NOT SHOW THAT HE WAS DENIED HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND, AS A RESULT, TURNED DOWN HIS REQUEST TO APPEAL THE CONVICTION.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARE TRYING TO FIND THE PERSON OR PERSONS WHO MADE A LOCAL MAGICIAN’S PROPS DISAPPEAR. LAST WEEK, THE VEHICLE BELONGING TO AARON BACA WAS STOLEN AND BACA SAID IT HAD ALMOST 800 DOLLARS WORTH OF PROPS IN IT. POLICE FOUND THE VEHICLE AND RETURNED IT TO BACA BUT, HE SAYS, THE ENGINE WAS RUINED AND HE’LL HAVE TO BUY A NEW ONE, WHICH COMES AT A BAD TIME BECAUSE HE’S GETTING MARRIED AT THE END OF JULY. BACA SAYS HE’S HOPING POLICE FIND WHO DID THIS, BUT SO FAR THEY HAVE NO LEADS.
TWO JUVENILES HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO A BURGLARY THAT HAPPENED IN BREAUX BRIDGE. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS MORE.
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Thousands of Louisiana drivers will see car insurance costs fall starting in August.
Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon announced Monday that Louisiana Farm Bureau plans to drop rates by 4.4% on its 220,000 auto insurance policies in the state. The lower premium charges will start Aug. 1, when people get new or renewed policies. That’s the third car insurance company to seek approval for rate decreases from the insurance department. Donelon earlier announced that State Farm and Progressive Insurance were cutting their car insurance rates.
