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THE POOL OF CANDIDATES FOR LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF HAS BEEN PARED DOWN TO NINE. THE APPLICATIONS FOR THREE CANDIDATES WERE REJECTED BY THE LAFAYETTE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD FOR VARIOUS REASONS. TWO CANDIDATES WITHDREW THEIR APPLICATIONS INCLUDING SERGEANT MARK KRAUS OF THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT. INCLUDED AMONG THE NINE REMAINING CANDIDATES IS U-L POLICE CHIEF JOEY STURM, FORMER LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S CANDIDATE JOHN ROGERS, AND TWO OFFICERS FROM THE LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AN EARLY MORNING FIRE HAS DESTROYED THE OLD GOVERNOR’S MANSION IN OPELOUSAS. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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A COMMUNITY MEETING WAS HELD IN IOWA LAST NIGHT TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN POLICE AND THE PUBLIC. IT WAS HOSTED BY FAITH VISION MINISTRIES IN RESPONSE TO LAST WEEK’S POLICE SHOOTINGS. PASTOR MARY GUIDRY-RINGO TOLD THOSE IN ATTENDANCE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO COME OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONES AND ACKNOWLEDGE THERE’S A PROBLEM. IOWA POLICE CHIEF KEITH VINCENT SAYS A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE PERCEIVE OFFICERS TO BE RUDE AND ARROGANT, AND, IF OFFICERS WERE TRAINED IN COMMUNICATION, AND THEY SHOWED MORE COMPASSION AND KINDNESS, “IT WOULD GO ALONG BETTER.”
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS AND STATE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT MIKE EDMONDSON TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON TO PARTICIPATE IN A SITDOWN WITH PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA. THEY JOINED OTHER LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS FROM AROUND THE NATION TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY POLICING AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE EFFORTS. THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, IN A PRESS RELEASE, SAID EDWARDS AND EDMONSON CHOSE TO MAKE THE TRIP SO THEY COULD TAKE PART IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION. THEY ALSO WANTED TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WAYS TO UNITE BATON ROUGE AND OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION IN THE WAKE OF LAST WEEK’S SHOOTINGS.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT HAS SCHEDULED A PUBLIC MEETING FOR AUGUST THIRD CONCERNING THE I-49 CONNECTOR PROJECT. IT’S THE FIRST MEETING SCHEDULED SINCE THE D-O-T-D ANNOUNCED THEY WILL PUT TOGETHER A SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO LENGTHEN THE PLANNING PROCESS. NINETEEN DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR THE I-49 CONNECTOR WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE MEETING. THE AUGUST THIRD MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH CENTER IN LAFAYETTE, THOUGH THE TIME FOR THE MEETING HAS NOT YET BEEN SET.
THE OPERATORS OF AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESEARCH STATION IN CROWLEY SHOWED THE MEDIA YESTERDAY THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING. THE STATION WAS OPENED BY U-L LAFAYETTE AND CLECO IN SEPTEMBER OF 2014. THEY ARE EXPLORING WAYS TO PRODUCE ENERGY FROM WASTE PRODUCTS INCLUDING FROM SHRIMP WASTEWATER, THE WATER USED TO RINSE VEGETABLES AND CATFISH, AND FROM BAGASSE, WHICH IS THE PRODUCT THAT REMAINS AFTER THE JUICES HAVE BEEN WRUNG FROM SUGAR CANE. MARK ZAPPI, U-L’S DEAN OF ENGINEERING, SAYS THE GOAL OF THE RESEARCH STATION IS TO FIND OUT HOW LOUISIANA CAN TAP AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR NEW FORMS OF ENERGY.
THE CAMERON PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM IS LOOKING TO FILL TEACHING VACANCIESAND OTHER POSITIONS FOR THIS FALL. SUPERINTENDENT CHARLES ADKINS SAYS THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN GROWING EACH YEAR, THOUGH IT IS STILL DOWN ABOUT 500 STUDENTS FROM WHAT IT WAS PRIOR TO THE STORMS. THEY ARE LOOKING TO FILL POSITIONS FOR THREE OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS IN THE PARISH AND AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE. THE THREE SCHOOLS THAT ARE NEEDING NEW EMPLOYEES OPERATE ON FOUR DAY INSTEAD OF FIVE DAY WEEKS.
THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE WILL BE LAYING OFF SOME STAFF WORKERS AS THEY DEAL WITH A ONE MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET CUT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR THAT BEGAN ON JULY FIRST. SPOKESMAN RICHARD CARBO SAYS SOME WORKERS RECEIVED NOTICES ON TUESDAY. HE WOULD NOT SAY HOW MANY WILL BE GETTING PINK SLIPS. SOME STAFFERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO MOVE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE VACANCIES TO FILL.
