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THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS AWAITING THE RESULTS OF DNA AND DENTAL RECORDS TO BE SURE OF THE IDENTITIES OF TWO BODIES THAT WERE FOUND EARLY TUESDAY MORNING IN SEPARATE VEHICLE FIRES. CAPTAIN JOHN BABIN SAYS AUTOPSIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON THE BODIES AND ALL THEY KNOW FOR SURE AT THIS POINT IS ONE WAS A MALE AND THE OTHER FEMALE. BABIN SAYS DETECTIVES HAVE NOT YET ESTABLISHED A LINK BETWEEN THE VEHICLE FIRES, ONE OF WHICH WAS FOUND IN CARENCRO AND THE OTHER IN SCOTT. A LAFAYETTE WOMAN, CARLA DEAN, HAS TOLD KATC TV THAT SHE BELIEVES THE WOMAN IS HER DAUGHTER, 23-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY METZ, BASED ON TEXT MESSAGES SHE RECEIVED FROM HER BEFORE THE VEHICLE FIRES.
A BATON ROUGE WOMAN WAS ARRESTED BY CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES FOR CLAIMING TO BE A POLICE OFFICER AND HANDCUFFING A MAN AT A CASINO ON L-A 397 IN LAKE CHARLES. THE VICTIM TOLD DEPUTIES THAT HE MET 23-YEAR-OLD GEORGETTA AGUILLARD AT THE CASINO AND, WHEN HE WENT TO LEAVE, SHE CALLED HIM OVER AND TOLD HIM SHE WAS A POLICE OFFICER AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO JAIL. DEPUTIES SAY SHE USED TOY HANDCUFFS. AGUILLARD WAS BOOKED INTO THE CALCASIEU PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER FOR FALSE IMPRISONMENT AND FRAUDULENT PORTRAYAL OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
DONALD DREXLER HAS BEEN NAMED AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ACADIA GENERAL HOSPITAL. DREXLER HAD BEEN SERVING AS INTERIM ADMINISTRATOR AT THE HOSPITAL SINCE MARCH FIRST. LAFAYETTE GENERAL HEALTH CHOSE DREXLER FOR THE POSITION BECAUSE OF HIS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH AND GROWING PHYSICIAN NUMBERS IN HIS PREVIOUS POSITIONS. BEFORE COMING TO CROWLEY, DREXLER HAD BEEN THE C-E-O AT CYPRESS POINT SURGICAL HOSPITAL IN HAMMOND.
Lawmakers have yet to strike a final deal on tax changes or the spending associated with them as the special legislative session heads into its final day.
Gov. John Bel Edwards and Senate President John Alario were trying to persuade lawmakers, particularly House Republican leaders, to agree to more tax changes.
They want the money to lessen cuts in the financial year that begins July 1. The special session must end by midnight Thursday.
A SPECIAL BURGER MADE BY COOKIE GIBSON AT THE VIEAUX CHENES GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE HAS BEEN SPOTLIGHTED IN GOLF DIGEST MAGAZINE. IT WAS LISTED IN THE MAGAZINE’S SPECIAL FEATURE ON A GOLFER’S GUIDE TO THE BEST HALFWAY HOUSE GRUB IN AMERICA. THE JALAPENO BURGER AT THE YOUNGSVILLE COURSE MADE THE LIST AT NUMBER 19. GIBSON TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT SHE MAKES THE BURGERS WITH A LOT OF LOVE.
A VINTON WOMAN WAS KILLED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT TUESDAY NEAR GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN. 55-YEAR-OLD ELIZABETH JOHNSTON WAS A PASSENGER ON THE MOTORCYCLE, WHICH WAS DRIVEN BY 65-YEAR-OLD EDWARD JOHNSTON. WITNESSES SAY THE MOTORCYCLE RAN INTO THE BACK OF A PICKUP THAT WAS AMONG A NUMBER OF VEHICLES STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. ELIZABETH WAS THROWN FROM THE MOTORCYLCE AND DIED, WHILE EDWARD SUFFERED NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES.
THE DIRECTOR OF ABBEVILLE’S PARKS AND RECREATIONAL CENTER HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON SEXUAL BATTERY AND CHILD MOLESTATION CHARGES. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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Nearly $1.24 billion in punitive damages arising from BP’s 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill will become available to property owners and some fishermen affected by the spill under a pending settlement with two corporations that also had a role in the disaster. A federal court hearing has been set for Nov. 10 on the agreement involving Halliburton Energy Services, Transocean Deepwater Inc. and related companies. The companies have agreed to pay punitive damages — payments meant to discourage future harmful acts — in addition to earlier settlements for actual damages. A news release on the settlement released Wednesday says most affected property owners won’t have to file a claim because they have filed claims for actual damages under a 2012 settlement .
