6-19-19
THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL FAILED TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE MONTH OF JUNE GAY PRIDE MONTH. THE VOTE WAS 4-TO-3 IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION BUT THE HOME RULE CHARTER REQUIRES FIVE VOTES FOR APPROVAL. TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS, NANETTE COOK AND PAT LEWIS, WERE ABSENT FROM THE MEETING. COUNCIL MEMBER KENNETH BOUDREAUX SPONSORED THE RESOLUTION AND WAS JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS JAY CASTILLE, BRUCE CONQUE, AND LIZ HEBERT IN VOTING FOR THE RESOLUTION.
A WESTLAKE MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR THE MOLESTATION OF AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES TIP LINE RECEIVED AN ANONYMOUS CALL THAT LED TO THE ARREST OF 45-YEAR-OLD JOHN MICHAEL WARD. HE REPORTEDLY ADMITTED TO MOLESTING THE GIRL SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 2017, WHEN SHE WAS NINE. WARD FACES TEN COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE RAPE, FORTY COUNTS OF INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH A JUVENILE, TWO COUNTS OF PORNOGRAPHY INVOLVING A JUVENILE AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT 640 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
FOUR MEN WERE ARRESTED BY KAPLAN POLICE IN CONNECTION WITH THE THEFT OF A TRUCK, WHICH WAS TAKEN EARLY MONDAY MORNING FROM A DRIVEWAY ON NORTH WILSON AVENUE. LEE ANN HINES, WHO OWNS THE TRUCK, SAYS HER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW POSTED PICTURES OF IT ON FACEBOOK AND THEY RECEIVED ELEVEN HUNDRED HITS. SHE SAYS ABOUT FIVE HOURS LATER POLICE RECOVERED THE VEHICLE. IRVIN CATES WITH THE KAPLAN POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY FOUND THE TRUCK BEHIND A RESIDENCE ON SIDNEY GAUTREAUX ROAD, BUT THE CONTENTS IN THE TRUCK WERE MISSING.
Gov. John Bel Edwards, the only Democratic governor in the Deep South, says he’s not concerned about losing support among his party’s voters because of a strict abortion ban he signed into law. The Louisiana governor says he knows some people were disappointed that he supported the ban on abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected — as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. But he said Tuesday that his decision on the legislation wasn’t a political one. He says he was “being true” to himself and consistent with how he ran for the governor’s job, as a pro-life candidate.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed Louisiana’s $30 billion operating budget at an elementary school, where he hailed the first statewide public school teacher raise in a decade. The budget starting July 1 contains increases for public schools, colleges, early learning programs, health services and public safety programs. The foster care program is expanding. TOPS will cover full college tuition for eligible students.
VOTERS IN LAFAYETTE PARISH MAY BE VOTING ON A NEW SALES TAX THIS FALL TO PAY FOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS. CITY PARISH COUNCILMAN PAT LEWIS IS SPONSORING AN ORDINANCE THAT CALLS FOR A QUARTER CENT SALES TAX FOR FIVE YEARS. THE MONEY RAISED BY THE TAX WOULD HELP PAY FOR A LIST OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AFTER THE 2016 FLOOD. ALREADY ON THE BALLOT THIS FALL IS A PROPOSAL TO TRANSFER TEN MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE LIBRARY FUND WHICH WOULD BE USED FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
LAKE CHARLES HAS RECEIVED A 225 THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT TO HELP REDUCE FLOODING ALONG HILLCREST DRIVE. MAYOR NIC HUNTER SAYS HILLCREST WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORY WITH FLOODING. A LANDSCAPE FIRM FROM NEW ORLEANS WILL BE PLANTING NATIVE PLANTS ALONG THE GREENSPACE ON HILLCREST DRIVE TO HOLD BACK WATER DURING HEAVY RAINS. HUNTER TELLS KPLC TV IT’S NOT A PERMANENT FIX BUT THE HOPE IS IT WILL PREVENT WATER FROM GETTING TO THE CANAL SO QUICKLY, WHICH WILL HELP.
A TRAIN ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE YESTERDAY EVENING NEAR CROWLEY. SHERIFF K-P GIBSON TOLD KATC TV THAT THE FIRE HAPPENED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY NINETY AND ELEANOR ROAD. PHOTOS SHOWED FLAMES COMING FROM THE B-N-S-F RAILWAY COMPANY ENGINE. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE ENGINE AND EXTINGUISHED. IT IS NOT KNOWN IF ANYONE WAS INJURED.
