6-30-15
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THE LOUISIANA CLERKS OF COURTS LEGAL COUNSEL ADVISED ALL PARISH CLERKS OFFICES TO BEGIN ISSUING MARRIAGE LICENSES TO SAME SEX COUPLES. INITIALLY, THEY WERE ADVISED TO WAIT UNTIL ALL LEGAL NECESSITIES WERE IN PLACE. THE FIRST MARRIAGE LICENSE WAS ISSUED AT AROUND 10:30 YESTERDAY MORNING TO TWO WOMEN FROM THE WEST BANK IN JEFFERSON PARISH. IN CALCASIEU PARISH YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, TWO COUPLES RECEIVED A LICENSE AND WERE WED BEFORE JUDGE ROBERT WYATT.
IN ACADIANA, NINE SAME SEX COUPLES SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED FOR MARRIAGE LICENSES. SIX COUPLE RECEIVED THEIR LICENSE AT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CLERK OF COURT OFFICE, WHILE TWO APPLIED IN IBERIA PARISH AND ONE IN ST. MARTIN PARISH. VERMILLION, ST. LANDRY, EVANGELINE AND ST. MARY PARISHES WERE READY TO ISSUE THE LICENSES BUT NO COUPLES APPLIED THERE. THE ACADIA PARISH CLERK OF COURT OFFICE HAS TO UPDATE THEIR SOFTWARE AND THEN THEY’LL ISSUE THE LICENSES, ACCORDING TO DEPUTY CLERK BLANE FAULK.
THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS HAS RULED THAT SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE TEAR GASSED AT THE NEW IBERIA SUGAR CANE FESTIVAL IN 2006 CAN BE PART OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE RULING, THOSE WHO HEARD ORDERS TO LEAVE BUT DIDN’T UNTIL THE TEAR GAS WAS THROWN WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE LAWSUIT. THEY ALSO DISQUALIFIED THOSE WHO THREW BOTTLES AT THE DEPUTIES AFTER THE TEAR GAS WAS DEPLOYED. THE LAWSUIT SEEKS DAMAGES FROM THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND SID HEBERT, WHO WAS SHERIFF AT THE TIME.
GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL SIGNED A BILL YESTERDAY TO LESSEN MARIJUANA PENALTIES. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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LAKE CHARLES POLICE AND CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES WERE INVOLVED IN A HIGH SPEED CHASE YESTERDAY EVENING. IT BEGAN AT AROUND 6:20 LAST NIGHT AROUND FIFTH AVENUE IN LAKE CHARLES AND ENDED A FEW MINUTES LATER NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE PORT OF LAKE CHARLES. THEY TOOK ONE SUSPECT INTO CUSTODY. KPLC TV REPORTS DRUG SNIFFING DOGS WERE BROUGHT IN TO SEARCH THE VEHICLE.
A candidate for sheriff in Lafayette Parish is coming under criticism from military veterans. The Daily Advertiser reports that candidate Mark Garber was awarded the Bronze Star for work as a civilian interrogator with the Air Force in Iraq. But Lafayette area veterans are criticizing him for campaigning as a military veteran.
Garber told the newspaper that a statement on his legal practice’s website referring to him as a veteran was written long ago and was worded improperly because his law partner is a military veteran.
THE HIGHWAY 90 AND L-A 318 INTERCHANGE IN ST. MARY PARISH WILL RECEIVE A 65 MILLION DOLLAR UPGRADE. IT’S PART OF THE GEAUX SOUTH PROJECT, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO UPGRADING HIGHWAY 90 TO INTERSTATE STANDARDS IN ANTICIPATION OF EXTENDING INTERSTATE 49 TO NEW ORLEANS. THE UPGRADE IS ESTIMATED TO TAKE JUST OVER TWO YEARS. THE UPGRADE IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PORT-RELATED INDUSTRIES AND A SUGAR MILL.
Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed the three bills that make up a legislative deal brokered in the dispute over Louisiana’s use of the Common Core education standards. The agreement calls for a review of the multistate English and math standards with public meetings, legislative oversight and an up-or-down vote from Louisiana’s next governor. Limits were placed on Louisiana’s use of standardized testing material from a consortium aligned with Common Core while the standards review takes place. The governor announced Monday that he signed the bills that make up the compromise.
